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Here are the latest updates for "Planet ISKCON" - 47 new articles H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 25 August 2011--Wake Up to Your Eternal Identity--Who is the Guru Who Delivers Us? ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gopa-Vrndesa Prabhu H.H. Devamrita Swami: Beyond Top-secret, Spoken Aloud Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Akrura das, Gita Coaching: CREATIVITY LATE IN LIFE Japa Group: Meaning Of The Sixteen Names PT.8 H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 4.22.39 Don't Skip Over Sravanam 2011-06-26 – Video Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FIRST TIME IN NEW YORK Akrura das, Gita Coaching: COOL Q&A ABOUT BHAKTI YOGA Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: BRC newsletter #3–April-June 2011 Kurma dasa, AU: News from the Garden Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Srila Prabhupada's childhood Bhakta Chris, New York, USA: A Humble Request For MacBook Charity Nitya Navina dd, New Jersey, USA: The Swing Festival Akrura das, Gita Coaching: PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: An Organic Farm in India: Manure, Life, and the Bio-Fuel Miracle of the Cow Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: The best service is preaching Nitya Navina dd, New Jersey, USA: Makanchor Book Distribution News: The best service is preaching New Vrndavan, USA: Prayer Request For Kirtanananda Swami Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters Srila Prabhupada's Letters H.H. Sivarama Swami: Janmastami-kirtana August 22nd H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reporting on the events of Janmastami and Vyasa-puja H.H. Sivarama Swami: Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja 2011 H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura-arati Sunday the 21st New Vrndavan, USA: Help Create the Vision for New Vrindavan Community! Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Quotes about Poetry ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Darshan Japa Group: Japa Room Session ISKCON Desire Tree: Vaishnava Calender - Suddha Ekadasi : Fasting for Annada Ekadasi Gouranga TV: Madhava – Hare Krishna Kirtan at New Mayapur – August 11, 2011 Dandavats.com: Traditional London and a Sweden Drama Akrura das, Gita Coaching: TIME TO INNOVATE More Recent Articles Search Planet ISKCON Prior Mailing Archive H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Thursday 25 August 2011--Wake Up to Your Eternal Identity--Who is the Guru Who Delivers Us? A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Thursday 25 August 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. Special Announcement: Connect With Other Members of this Course. Join this Conference: http://groups.google.com/group/sda_students Today's Thought: Wake Up to Your Eternal Identity Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram, Austin, Texas USA There is no reason for you to remain asleep within the modes of material nature. Wake up to your original identity as the eternal servant of Lord Krishna by calling out to Him to save you from this material existence. Krishna is most merciful. If you sincerely desire to be rescued from this material existence, He will surely save you. Sankarshan Das Adhikari The All Merciful Lord Krishna Will Save You http://www.backtohome.com/images/Krishna/Gopinatha.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Who is the Guru Who Delivers Us? May I know who is that bona fide spiritual master who will take the responsibility to take us back to Godhead? I am curious to know about this pure devotee. Nikhileswara Krishna Dasa Answer: The Pure Follower of Srila Prabhupada The great Vedic authority Srila Prabhupada has very nicely answered your question as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 2, Chapter 9, Text 43: One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one has been strictly obedient to his spiritual master. So you simply have to see who is purely following Srila Prabhupada. He is the pure devotee who delivers the fallen, conditioned souls back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, it is ultimately Sri Krishna who is the deliverer. But Krishna acts through the transparent agency of the bona fide spiritual master, who is coming in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession from Him. 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. 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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:   • Email to a friend • • ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Class - Gopa-Vrndesa Prabhu Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.1-2 - Krsna never deviates from His vow, which is always perfect because whatever He decides is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone (satya-vratam satya-param tri-satyam...).   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Devamrita Swami: Beyond Top-secret, Spoken Aloud A public secret seems a contradiction. But in Bhagavad-gita that's what Krishna presents. He straightforwardly speaks what He Himself classifies as confidential and most confidential information. Therefore we should think of the Gita in that way.  If someone catches your ear in private and confides in you, then as a trustworthy person, you would certainly honor the information sensitively. Krishna, however, delivers the Gita openly. So then why then does He label His message a mystery, a secret? That's because you can't understand His information—though He speaks it publicly—without your being His devotee and friend.  Attitude is most important.  Otherwise, though Krishna does speak directly and clearly, our improper orientation and motivation will automatically, when filtered though our rebellious mind, scramble and mangle His words and their import. In the most advanced text, Caitanya-caritamrita, the author Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami, handles the problem of open secrets in an ingenious way. After describing the confidential reasons for Lord Chaitanya's appearance, how He is Radha-Krishna combined (Adi 4), Kaviraja Goswami thinks aloud:  "All these conclusions are unfit to disclose in public. But if they are not disclosed, no one will understand them. "Therefore I shall mention them, revealing only their essence, so that loving devotees will understand but fools will not. "Anyone who has captured Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu in his heart will become blissful by hearing all these transcendental conclusions. "The camel-like non devotees cannot enter within these topics. Therefore there is jubilation in my heart. "For fear of them I do not wish to speak, but if they do not understand, then what can be happier in all the three worlds?" Explaining that the conclusions he has revealed are always pleasing to devotees, the author offers his obeisances to his devotee readers, and declares that for their satisfaction, he will speak without hesitation. We should note that Krishna and His topmost devotees, amidst even public exhibitions, have mastered the art of how to maintain the inner sanctum: the special exclusivity and intimacy of bhakti.   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 August 25: "I am so much pleased that everything is going on so nicely there. It is all due to your sincerity of heart; when we are sincere, Krishna will always help us, either in external direction by the Spiritual Master, or internally by His Paramatma expansion." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1967 August 25: "Krishna is not impersonal. He is the Supreme Person and fully reciprocates. The impersonalist cannot reciprocate. Krishna does not take anything from them, neither does He give them anything. The Impersonal, therefore, simply enjoys the troubles of speculation." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 August 25: "I know you are a very sincere devotee and I wish everyone of my devotees may purify himself from all material contamination and thus be eligible for entering into the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Intelligent persons therefore try to avoid the bewilderment of Maya under the protection of Krsna and the Spiritual Master." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 August 25: "If there is one tree in whose cavity there is a little fire, that one tree can burn into ashes the whole forest. Similarly in this institution if there is one bad disciple he can burn the whole institution into ashes. The GBC must therefore keep the Society as pure as possible and see that every member is following." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 August 25: "Spiritual Master is the representative of Vyasadeva. Any person distributing the Vedic knowledge is called a Vyasadeva and anyone who does this work in disciplic succession from Srila Vyasadeva is considered as representative of Vyasadeva and as such the bona fide Spiritual Master's Appearance Day is worshiped as Vyasa Puja." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1970 August 25: "One should have unflinching faith in Krsna and similarly in the Spiritual Master. That is the way of understanding the secret of Krsna Consciousness. Unfortunately, attempt has been made lately in our Society to shake this formula. This mischievous attempt has done a great harm, but if you can rectify this mischievous attempt, then still there is hope. I hope Krsna will help us." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1971 August 25: "Worshipping Ganesa is not necessary nor should it be done on a regular basis. If you like you can pray to Ganapati for removing all impediments on the path of Krishna Consciousness. That you can do if you like." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1971 August 25: "Our main business is Sankirtana and whatever little income we get from that we should be satisfied. It is not our business to take jobs and live luxuriously. If there is no other way then temporarily you may take some job but that is not a permanent business." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971   • Email to a friend • • Akrura das, Gita Coaching: CREATIVITY LATE IN LIFE No more excuses ... Creativity Late in Life "When the mind is challenged, the brain biologically responds in positive ways, regardless of age."    • Email to a friend • • Japa Group: Meaning Of The Sixteen Names PT.8 Hare hyasphutam rayati priti-bharena hari-cestam gayatiti mata dhirair hara rasa-vicaksanaih Filled with ecstatic love, Radha sometimes sings the glories of Hari's exploits quietly, and sometimes She sings them aloud. Those who are expert in the secrets of divine sentiments call Her Hara. Jiva Goswami   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Lecture – SB 4.22.39 Don't Skip Over Sravanam 2011-06-26 – Video Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.39 given on June 26, 2011 at the Croatian Summer Camp. Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.39 yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo ‘pi ruddha- sroto-ganas tam aranam bhaja vasudevam TRANSLATION The devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, can very easily overcome hard-knotted desires for fruitive activities. Because this is very difficult, the nondevotees — the jnanis and yogis — although trying to stop the waves of sense gratification, cannot do so. Therefore you are advised to engage in the devotional service of Krishna, the son of Vasudeva. PURPORT There are three kinds of transcendentalists trying to overcome the influence of the modes of material nature — the jnanis, yogis and bhaktas. All of them attempt to overcome the influence of the senses, which is compared to the incessant waves of a river. The waves of a river flow incessantly, and it is very difficult to stop them. Similarly, the waves of desire for material enjoyment are so strong that they cannot be stopped by any process other than bhakti-yoga. The bhaktas, by their transcendental devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord, become so overwhelmed with transcendental bliss that automatically their desires for material enjoyment stop. The jnanis and yogis, who are not attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, simply struggle against the waves of desire. They are described in this verse as rikta-matayah, which means “devoid of devotional service.” In other words, the jnanis and yogis, although trying to be free from the desires of material activities, actually become more and more entangled in false philosophical speculation or strenuous attempts to stop the activities of the senses. As stated previously: vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam (Bhag. 1.2.7) Here also the same point is stressed. Bhaja vasudevam indicates that one who is engaged in the loving service of Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, can very easily stop the waves of desires. As long as one continues to try to artificially stop the waves of desires, he will certainly be defeated. That is indicated in this verse. Desires for fruitive activities are strongly rooted, but the trees of desire can be uprooted completely by devotional service because devotional service employs superior desire. One can give up inferior desires when engaged in superior desires. To try to stop desires is impossible. One has to desire the Supreme in order not to be entangled in inferior desires. Jnanis maintain a desire to become one with the Supreme, but such desire is also considered to be kama, lust. Similarly, the yogis desire mystic power, and that is also kama. And the bhaktas, not being desirous of any sort of material enjoyment, become purified. There is no artificial attempt to stop desire. Desire becomes a source of spiritual enjoyment under the protection of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord. It is stated herein by the Kumaras that the lotus feet of Lord Krishna are the ultimate reservoir of all pleasure. One should therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord instead of trying unsuccessfully to stop desires for material enjoyment. As long as one is unable to stop the desire for material enjoyment, there is no possibility of becoming liberated from the entanglement of material existence. It may be argued that the waves of a river are incessantly flowing and that they cannot be stopped, but the waves of the river flow toward the sea. When the tide comes over the river, it overwhelms the flowing of the river, and the river itself becomes overflooded, and the waves from the sea become more prominent than the waves from the river. Similarly, a devotee with intelligence plans so many things for the service of the Lord in Krishna consciousness that stagnant material desires become overflooded by the desire to serve the Lord. As confirmed by Yamunacarya, since he has been engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is always a current of newer and newer desires flowing to serve the Lord, so much so that the stagnant desire of sex life becomes very insignificant. Yamunacarya even says that he spits on such desires. Bhagavad-gita (2.59) also confirms: param drishtva nivartate. The conclusion is that by developing a loving desire for the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, we subdue all material desires for sense gratification. H.H. Prahladananda Swami: SB 04.22.39 Don’t Skip Over Sravanam 2011-06-26 H.H. Prahladananda Swami: SB 04.22.39 Don’t Skip Over Sravanam 2011-06-26 SB 04.22.39 Don’t Skip Over Sravanam 2011-06-26 http://vimeo.com/25927010 Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.39 given on June 26, 2011 at the Croatian Summer Camp. Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.39 yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah tadvan na r...   • Email to a friend • • Akrura das, Gita Coaching: FIRST TIME IN NEW YORK I am visiting the place where Srila Prabhupada started Krsna consciousness in the West: Click on this address for more info: 26 Second Avenue, Manhattan, New York    • Email to a friend • • Akrura das, Gita Coaching: COOL Q&A ABOUT BHAKTI YOGA Click on this link to read nice Q&A about Bhakti Yoga: http://www.krishnanyc.com/faq.html#16   • Email to a friend • • Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: BRC newsletter #3–April-June 2011 BHAKTIVEDANTA RESEARCH CENTRE A project of ISKCON Mayapur 110A Motilal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 029, WB India PH: 91 33 4065 2475/ 5216 Quarterly Newsletter ISSUE #3, April – June 2011 “Mission for Manuscripts” continued in April with a second foray into the mathas and libraries of West Bengal. All told our intrepid team of Smt. Bharati Roy and photographer Ashish visited another eight repositories and photographed a further 81 manuscripts, making a total of 200+ so far. Here’s a few highlights: April 5th2011 We visited the Sripat (asrama) of Srila Rasikananda Prabhu at Gopiballabhpur in Midnapur. There is a beautiful temple with a repository of all the Goswami literatures. This place is about 400 years old. Srila Rasikananda was one of the most prominent followers of the Six Goswamis and a contemporary of Srila Shyamananda. His Sripat has a set of his footprints, melted into the rock. The current Mahanta there is Sri Krsna Kesava Dev Goswami, who comes in direct disciplic succession from Rasikananda.   He is very friendly and gave our team access to all their manuscripts: 1. Govinda Virudavali;  2. Harinamamrta;  3. Gitagovinda by Jayadeva;  4. Radhika Sahasranama;   5. Alamkarakaustubha by Kavi Karnapura;  6. Gopala Campu by Jiva Gosvami;  7. Govinda Lilamrta by Jiva Gosvami;  8. Uddhava sandesa by Rupa Gosvami;  9. Caitanya candramrta by Pravodhananda Sarasvati;  10. Tattva Sandarbha by Jiva Gosvami; 11. Gitavali by Rupa Gosvami;  12. Vaisnava Vandana by Daivakinandana;  13. Pramabhakticandrika by Narottama Thakura. Apart from the digital access, an actual manuscript copy on handmade paper of Caitanya Chandramrta by Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati was presented to the BRC. April 8th our team went to the Phulia Shantipur Museum where the library has11,000 books along with the works of Sri Krittivas who was the celebrated translator of the Ramayana into Bengali. He was a contemporary of Kasiram dasa who did a similar translation of the Mahabharata, and Jayadeva Goswami the famous Vaisnava poet. There we took photos of various paintings depicting the Ramayana     April 2-3rd we visited the Krishnanagar Public library The secretary there is Deba Babu and he gave full access to their mss library   In reciprocation Bharati returned on April 18 and presented a set of Srila Prabhupada’s books to their general library. April 3rd – A visit to an extensive private museum in Krishnanagar that was established by the late Sri Mohit Roy was also fruitful. Thousands of artefacts are on display   The above newspaper, Hicky’s Bengal Gazette dates back to 1780. They also have an extensive library of manuscripts and literature. Sri Monami Roy and his mother (pictured) are the current custodians of his father’s legacy and they were happy to give us full access for digital copying.    The Sudarsanlala Mandir in Navadwip has an extensive collection of printed works by the Six Goswamis and their followers. The Mahanta there, Sri Bhagavat dasa allowed us to photograph sixteen books, and he also presented us with a mss of the Skanda Purana which is now on display in the BRC library (seen here next to a photo of the Sudarsanlal Deity) Other notable places visited were: The Dwijendra Pathagar, Krishnanagar, the place of the great poet Dwijendralal Roy who wrote “Dhana Dhanye Puspe Bhara” and “Vande Mataram” two famous songs which are used as popular anthems of India. This is an old library and the librarian Mr. Apurva Kundu allowed us to photograph 11 Mss here. Bally Sadharan Granthagar Howrah Dist — 7 Mss Chandannagar Pustakagar Hoogli Dist. — 2 Mss. Vasanti Durga temple, Baharampur in Murshidabad District — two books. The house of Mahaprabhu’s teacher Gangadasa Pandit in Vidyanagar, Bardhaman, and the Sripata of Vasudeva and Mukunda Datta in Mamgachi, Bardhaman failed to yield any books or manuscripts. Another field trip within W. Bengal is planned for the near future and then we will begin to look further afield in Bangladesh. Membership program We are very happy to report that response to our membership drive was quite strong, especially from the powerpoint presentations made by our Director Hari-sauri dasa on his recent tour to Malaysia and Australia. We would sincerely like to thank the following devotees who provide much needed support and encouragement from their hard earned funds: Patron Member – $10,000.00 Sri Arjan Tuli  Arjan prabhu from Melbourne Australia is our fourth patron member. A special mention is due here to Arjan prabhu. Even without seeing the details of the program, upon just hearing a brief two minute description, he spontaneously came forward with his cash donation. He was inspired from within by Lord Krishna to offer his support from his retirement funds and we pray to Sri Sri Radha Ballabha to bless this nice devotee and his good wife with Their eternal service and love. Nitya Sevaks – $1 per day Sri Ananda Jagannath Das - USA Vijaya Krishna Reddy – Gold Coast Yearly Membership – $501.00 Harinamcharan dasa -Brisbane Devendra Gaudel - Melbourne (sorry no photo as yet) Special donors Malaysia Ekatma Madhava dasa - $2,500.00 We are grateful to Ekatma Madhava prabhu who followed the example of his Guru Maharaja Jayapataka Swami and gave one lakh rupees. Australia Sakhi Rai dasa – Brisbane . $400.00 Prahlada Bhakta dasa Ireland and Northern Territory. $300.00 Govinda Mohini dasi Sydney . $270.00 Nrismhadeva dasa Murwillumbah. $200.00 Dr. Rajkumar Buyya, Radha, Soumya and Smrithi from Melbourne $1,000.00 Rasika Chandra dasa Melbourne . Rs. 25,000.00 Anonymous Melbourne . Rs. 20,000.00 Miscellaneous donations BBT Malaysia ..$100.00 Brisbane – Gold Coast – New Govardhan — Kirtan Abhaya $50.00;  Mithun $100.00;  Shyamarani dasi $100.00;  Advaita Acarya dasa $100.00;  Vivek Gupta $100.00;  Bhusaya dasa $100.00;  Melbourne — Derrimut Bhakti Vrksa group $200.00 Perth — Bob Hornsby $100.00 My apologies to anyone who has made a contribution in the last quarter but is not mentioned here. Kindly inform me so that I can add your name to the next newsletter. Translation program We have a long standing aim to establish a translation division which will feed an active publishing imprint. While we are still a ways from that, we did make a start in May-June by hosting a young Sanskrit scholar, Bhakta Vinit. Vinit has been studying at the Govardhan Sanskrit college under Sriman Gopiparanadhana prabhu, and wrote asking if he could stay at the BRC for his summer break. We were very pleased to provide a room and he worked under direction of our two academic directors Pranava and Krishna Abhisek prabhus. He translated the Mani-manjari, an important book of the Madhva Sampradaya that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura personally edited and published. We intend to publish this work at the end of this year. Meanwhile Vinit has returned to his studies at Govardhan and will complete his course in October. We hope then to persuade him to join our BRC team on a full time basis. Website and Computers After a long struggle we are nearing sight of launching our website (I haven’t given the name yet because there isn’t anything to see). We have been working diligently to fine tune the catalogues of the books and the digital manuscript images. Our webmaster is Sriman Phanisvara prabhu He is a long term resident of Mayapur. He has just set up the server connections so that they can be operated remotely and now our big push is on to get the digital library online. I hope when the next newsletter is produced you will be able to view it online. That’s it for the second quarter, we hope you feel as enthusiastic as we do for the BRC programs and we hope to serve you into the future. If you or your friends wish to contribute to the BRC it would be very much appreciated. Please write to hari.sauri.acbsp@pamho.net or Janakaraja.acbsp@pamho.net for details how to become a member. Your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa Director   • Email to a friend • • Kurma dasa, AU: News from the Garden Perhaps the truly bitterly cold weather is on the decline here in Sydney. The plants are behaving like Spring is on the way, that is for sure. The rainbow chard/silverbeet is looking good. After the last full moon it really surged in growth and vitality. It is very tender in salads and soups, and the more I pick, the more it grows. The flat-leaf parsley is a perennial favourite of mine, fresh, tasty and beautiful as a garnish. This is chocolate mint, with a spearmint aroma and an intriguing after-dinner mint mouthfeel. I can't take credit for the orchids. They just re-bloom every year due to the artistic direction of Krishna and my father's gardening abilities. As soon as Spring actually arrives I will start to plant some more warmer season items. I just love to use things in my kitchen that I have grown myself.   • Email to a friend • • Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: Srila Prabhupada's childhood Many saintly persons used to visit my father's house. My father was Vaisnava. He was Vaisnava, and he wanted me to become a Vaisnava. Whenever some saintly person would come, he would ask him, "Please bless my son that he can become a servant of Radharani." That was his prayer. He never prayed for anything. And he gave me education how to play mrdanga. My mother was against. There was two teachers-one for teaching me A-B-C-D, and one for teaching me mrdanga. So the one teacher was waiting and the other teacher was teaching me how to play on mrdanga. So my mother would be angry that "What is this nonsense? You are teaching mrdanga? What he will do with this mrdanga?" (chuckles) But perhaps my father wanted that I should be a great mrdanga player in the future. (laughter) Therefore I am very much indebted to my father, and I have dedicated my book, Krsna book, to him. He wanted this. He wanted me to be preacher of Bhagavata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and player of mrdanga and to become servant of Radharani. So every parent should think like that; otherwise one should not become father and mother. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975   • Email to a friend • • Bhakta Chris, New York, USA: A Humble Request For MacBook Charity Hello dear readers! I have a humble and charitable request. I am looking to upgrade from my trusty yet somewhat limited Samsung N110 netbook to a 11-inch Macbook Pro ($1199) Being an aspiring brahmacari, of course, I ask for your help. The reasons for this upgrade are twofold: the college outreach (cooking classes, Gita courses) at New York University and Columbia University that I am a part of would be facilitated by this upgrade, especially in the matter of being able to show videos and do other multimedia presentations, which are difficult with my little netbook. Secondly, I would also like to upgrade to a Macbook Pro so that the files for my writing and teaching seva would have a more stable and usable device for storage and usage. There is also the whole aesthetic factor-to be honest! But that's secondary. So I humble beg for any help donation-wise, and also if you are looking to unload a used Macbook (no more than 2 years old), I will also gladly take it off your hands as well. Any donation will be eagerly remunerated by yours truly in terms of any kind of service you may request, to the best of my ability and facility. Thank you very much! Any inquiries can be directed to me, Chris Fici, at nvclub108@gmail.com   • Email to a friend • • Nitya Navina dd, New Jersey, USA: The Swing Festival In his description of the Jhulan Yatra festival Guru Maharaja HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami, gives us insight into the nature of activities that one must get ready for in the spiritual world. The Jhulan yatra is one such festival that celebrates the meeting of Radha Krishna and all the friends in the many groves of Vrindavan. We tried to recreate in our own small way with dolls, this beautiful pastime   • Email to a friend • • Akrura das, Gita Coaching: PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT To determine your life mission and purpose get a clear sense of what is important to you and what gives your life meaning and significance by answering these questions: WHAT DO I WANT TO BE? - What kind of person do I want to be? - What kind of devotee, spouse, friend, parent, co-worker? - What roles do I want to play in life or in society? WHAT DO I WANT TO DO? - What is it that I love doing? - What am I good at doing? - What needs can I serve in society? - What does my conscience tell me to do? - What is life asking of me?  WHAT DO I WANT TO HAVE? - What do I want to have within (thoughts, feelings, desires, attitudes, qualities, health, etc.)? - What do I want to have without (results, resources, finances, conditions, reputation, influence, time, experiences, etc.)? You may also use an online Mission Statement Builder here: www.franklincovey.com/msb   • Email to a friend • • Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: An Organic Farm in India: Manure, Life, and the Bio-Fuel Miracle of the Cow Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: An Organic Farm in India: Manure, Life, and the Bio-Fuel Miracle of the Cow Click here to watch the video Click here to learn more about biofuel from "Cow Power"   • Email to a friend • • Bharatavarsa.net: Book distribution seminar: The best service is preaching Letter May 19, 1975 I am in due receipt of your weekly sankirtana newsletters. I am always happy to hear of increasing book sales. These reports are very encouraging to me. Our real business is to print and distribute books. By doing this business, you are all becoming recognized by Krishna. Please try to continue working so nicely for Krishna, following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, and studying my books and you will finish your business in this material world in this life and enter into the spiritual world to live with Krishna eternally. Don't become discouraged by any so-called problems. Make your program simple, that is to say, always make sure that you are somehow or other engaged in Krishna's service, and the best service is preaching or engaging others in Krishna's service. So continue in this way and be happy. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami   • Email to a friend • • Nitya Navina dd, New Jersey, USA: Makanchor Early this month (August) i was flooded with 4 visitors of a special kind. Each was a little baby whose reddish black hair was tied in a topknot, whose eyes were lined with kohl to keep those evil eyes at bay, whose dress fanned out like a blossoming lotus that encircled the nectar laden bee. In His chubby hands He held a laddu and was trying to crawl, maybe He was looking for His laddu crazy   • Email to a friend • • Book Distribution News: The best service is preaching Letter May 19, 1975 I am in due receipt of your weekly sankirtana newsletters. I am always happy to hear of increasing book sales. These reports are very encouraging to me. Our real business is to print and distribute books. By doing this business, you are all becoming recognized by Krishna. Please try to continue working so nicely for Krishna, following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, and studying my books and you will finish your business in this material world in this life and enter into the spiritual world to live with Krishna eternally. Don't become discouraged by any so-called problems. Make your program simple, that is to say, always make sure that you are somehow or other engaged in Krishna's service, and the best service is preaching or engaging others in Krishna's service. So continue in this way and be happy. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami   • Email to a friend • • New Vrndavan, USA: Prayer Request For Kirtanananda Swami by Sacimata dd Dear Brijabasis and all Vaisnavas, PAMHO! AGTHDG Srila Prabhupada! I am begging for all the Brijabasis of New Vrindaban, and the Vaisnavas all over the world to put aside any material considerations, criticisms, or judgments one may have toward Kirtanananda Swami. Please just remember all the service he has rendered to Srila Prabhupada,and to Sri-Sri Radha-Vrindavan Chandra in his lifetime. Although some may hold to the belief that he hasn’t felt deep remorse for his failings and offenses, I know for a fact that he has. He has never stopped serving the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, and though some may disagree, he felt that he was reconciled in his heart, and especially since moving to India, was trying to stay true to Prabhupada’s instructions to him, and to serve him in the best way possible. In any case, he now probably has only a short time left on the planet. He is drifting in and out of consciousness, but is mostly unconscious and cannot breathe at all on his own. One lung is completely collapsed, the other one full of mucous. They have moved him back to his home at the temple in Ulnasgar as the doctors said there is nothing more they can do at the hospital. So the devotees there brought him in his bed to see the Deities of Sri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra II, on Janmastami Day. The devotees are chanting 24/7 near his bedside and there is medical staff with him. So I am humbly begging everyone to pray to Srimati Radharani to deliver him safely to the Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna, and Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for hearing my plea, and I pray that you may take it to your hearts. Hare Krishna, Your servant, Sachimata dd   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1965 Tuesday, August 24: "Today at about 1/30 p.m. I enquired from wheel-room that we have come only 400 miles off the Indian coast. My sea-sickness is still continuing. I take my meals once only but today I could not take my full meals although I was fasting yesterday." Jaladuta Journal :: 1965   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 August 24: "Chanting in the parks and on the streets is our new movement and it is successful - in San Francisco, in New York, and in Montreal. The more we struggle for advancing our Krishna Consciousness movement, the more we become advanced on the path." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 August 24: "Keep your good faith in your Spiritual Master and Krishna and everything will be all right. The whole world is in necessity of Krishna Consciousness. My Guru Maharaja used to say that there is no scarcity of anything in this world, save and except Krishna Consciousness." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1968 August 24: "Follow this Kirtan process and things will be all right. That is my opinion. If you call one or two other devotees to join you in Kirtan in the park and in your apartment, it will be successful, people will gradually come." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 August 24: "Recruit many devotees in Australia and send them to the outlying areas and build up strength in Manilla, Hong Kong and Djakarta; otherwise, the one or two devotees in these places will become discouraged." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 August 24: "Better to forget the past. Persuade him to engage with his previous enthusiasm for becoming once again a great devotee. Do not drive him away, that will be a discredit to all of you leaders. If there is difficulty, he may come and live with me, I have no objection." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1972 August 24: "In principle, the black devotees who wish start their own Center independent of the white devotees, it is alright, birds of a feather. We should not discourage them in any way but I want you to go there and see that the standard of Krishna consciousness is being maintained at the highest level." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972   • Email to a friend • • Srila Prabhupada's Letters 1973 August 24: "I have sent your nice Vyasa Puja offering for printing in BTG. Writing is a very important part of our work. You have a nice talent for writing, practice makes perfect, so continue, it will be appreciated." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Sivarama Swami: Janmastami-kirtana August 22nd H.H. Sivarama Swami: Janmastami-kirtana August 22nd August 23rd, 2011 Radha-Syama’s 15th installation anniversary. H.H. Sivarama Swami: Janmastami-kirtana August 22nd   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reporting on the events of Janmastami and Vyasa-puja H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reporting on the events of Janmastami and Vyasa-puja August 24th, 2011 H.H. Sivarama Swami: Reporting on the events of Janmastami and Vyasa-puja   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Sivarama Swami: Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja 2011   • Email to a friend • • H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura-arati Sunday the 21st H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura-arati Sunday the 21st August 24th, 2011 H.H. Sivarama Swami: Gaura-arati Sunday the 21st   • Email to a friend • • New Vrndavan, USA: Help Create the Vision for New Vrindavan Community! Friday August 26, 6:00 p.m. Ground floor Lodge All are welcome to come and participate and help create the vision for our future. A vision is the guiding image of what a community would like to be, and a vision statement is the formal expression of such a vision. Help create the vision statement. We will present and begin discussing these 4 questions about New Vrindavan Community: 1. Where are we now? "Profiling the Community." 2. Where are we going? "Analyzing the Trends." 3. Where do we want to be 20 years from now? "Creating the Vision". 4. How do we get there? "Developing an Action Plan." Prasadam will be served after the program. Please come, and bring your neighbors and friends.   • Email to a friend • • Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Quotes about Poetry Excerpted from a much larger collection here. Ink runs from the corners of my mouth There is no happiness like mine. I have been eating poetry. ~Mark Strand, “Eating Poetry,” Reasons for Moving, 1968 Science is for those who learn; poetry, for those who know. ~Joseph Roux, Meditations of a Parish Priest Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~Novalis There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing. ~John Cage Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. ~T.S. Eliot, Dante, 1920 Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. ~Plato, Ion Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. ~Kahlil Gibran There’s no money in poetry, but then there’s no poetry in money, either. ~Robert Graves, 1962 interview on BBC-TV, based on a very similar statement he overheard around 1955 Poetry is what gets lost in translation. ~Robert Frost Imaginary gardens with real toads in them. ~Marianne Moore’s definition of poetry, “Poetry,” Collected Poems, 1951 “Most poems are never finished,” (I was defensive). He sighed: “No, most poems are never started.” ~Dr. Sun Wolf He who draws noble delights from sentiments of poetry is a true poet, though he has never written a line in all his life. ~George Sand, 1851 Poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition. ~Eli Khamarov, The Shadow Zone Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted. ~Percy Shelley, A Defence of Poetry, 1821 Poetry is the key to the hieroglyphics of Nature. ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827 It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things. ~Stephen Mallarme I am looking for a poem that says Everything so I don’t have to write anymore. ~Tukaram You can’t write poetry on the computer. ~Quentin Tarantino Poetry is perfect verbs hunting for elusive nouns. ~J. Patrick Lewis, www.jpatricklewis.com A poem should not mean But be. ~Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica, 1926 A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses. ~Jean Cocteau Poets are masters of us ordinary men, in knowledge of the mind, because they drink at streams which we have not yet made accessible to science. ~Sigmund Freud, quoted in A Dictionary of Scientific Quotations by Alan L. Mackay, 1991 To be a poet is a condition, not a profession. ~Robert Frost Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits. ~Carl Sandburg Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth. ~Samuel Johnson I’ve written some poetry I don’t understand myself. ~Carl Sandburg The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth. ~Jean Cocteau The poetry of the earth is never dead. ~John Keats Poetry is frosted fire. ~J. Patrick Lewis, www.jpatricklewis.com If you know what you are going to write when you’re writing a poem, it’s going to be average. ~Derek Walcott A poet dares be just so clear and no clearer…. He unzips the veil from beauty, but does not remove it. A poet utterly clear is a trifle glaring. ~E.B. White The poet… may be used as a barometer, but let us not forget that he is also part of the weather. ~Lionel Trilling, The Liberal Imagination, 1950 Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful. ~Rita Dove A poet’s work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep. ~Salman Rushdie Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them. ~Dennis Gabor Your prayer can be poetry, and poetry can be your prayer. ~Terri Guillemets Filed under: Poetry   • Email to a friend • • ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Daily Darshan Here is Wednesday's darshan.   • Email to a friend • • Japa Group: Japa Room Session In the Japa Room this week, we had many devotees attending and some very varied discussions. We talked about the task for the week which was to identify the most important change we had made in our Japa and what inspired that change. One devotee mentioned that they had slowed down their chanting and found they could hear properly with concentration and was able to pronounce alot better....the inspiration for this change was from participating in a Japa seminar with Sacinandana Swami. Please come along and join us each week at mayapur.tv and click on the channel "TheJapaRoom" - the times are listed below: 1st session = Every Fri. 11.30pm GMT / 6.00pm EST * To see the time in your city click here 2nd session = Every Sat. 1.30pm GMT / 8.30am EST * To see the time in your click here   • Email to a friend • • ISKCON Desire Tree: Vaishnava Calender - Suddha Ekadasi : Fasting for Annada Ekadasi <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:63t7Ie-LG7Y"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=63t7Ie-LG7Y" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:YwkR-u9nhCs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=YwkR-u9nhCs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:KwTdNBX3Jqk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:KwTdNBX3Jqk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:l6gmwiTKsz0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=l6gmwiTKsz0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?i=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?a=gQdkYlzaeb8:Wfxx9nAE-SU:TzevzKxY174"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Iskcondesiretree?d=TzevzKxY174" border="0"></img></a> </div>   • Email to a friend • • Gouranga TV: Madhava – Hare Krishna Kirtan at New Mayapur – August 11, 2011 Madhava – Hare Krishna Kirtan at New Mayapur – August 11, 2011   • Email to a friend • • Dandavats.com: Traditional London and a Sweden Drama Parasuram das: A short slide show from the Padayatra in London. Also while travelling in Sweden two young devotees from the tour put together a short drama which I am sure you are all familiar with. But this time we used a real boat