Here are the latest updates for you
- Temple of the Vedic Planetarium: Stairway to Heaven
- H.H. Devamrita Swami: Farewell to a Dear Godsister
- Dandavats.com: Response to a media query by Ambassador of India, HE Mr. Malhotra
- Dandavats.com: interview to Ambassador of Russia to India Alexander Kadakin - video
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Ecological Apple
- Australian News: Fresh from Mayapur.com: Mayapur Sanga – Newsletter
- H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami: All fired up – Part 2
- H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami: All fired up – Part 1
- Dandavats.com: Yamuna Devi, Spiritual Pioneer & Award Winning Author (1942-2011)
- Dandavats.com: What Does Too Much Democracy Look Like?
- Dandavats.com: Gita ban: Bombay High Court asks Central government of India to consider representation in Russia
- One ISKCON.com: The Pope
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami In Iskcon Ujjain (December 2011)
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
- Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Sharing some more sankirtan nectar...
- Japa Group: Please Join Us In The Japa Group
- Ananda Subramanian, Iowa, USA: Impersonalism in today's world
- Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: Festival of the Holy Name - Bada Haridas Prabhu - Hare Krishna
- Spiritual Scientist: Overview of Chaitanya Charitamrita
- H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami: Monday, December 19th, 2011
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Remembering Yamuna Devi Dasi who left her body yesterday and update on the Hungarian “Church Law”
- H.H. Kadamba Kanana Swami: Our shelter
- ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Yamuna devi dasi Passes Away
- ISKCON News.com: Diaspora Hinduism and the December Dilemma
- ISKCON News.com: On Book Distribution: Vijaya Das Talks At ISKCON Melbourne
- ISKCON News.com: First Hindu Chaplain in US Military Is 'Groundbreaking'
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- ISKCON News.com: Bhagavad Gita Given To Prison Inmates
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Bring The Krishna Into The Song - Part2 - Enta The Necta
- ISKCON Desire Tree: 23 Dec 2011 - Sri Mahesa Pandit Disappearance
- ISKCON Desire Tree: 23 Dec 2011 - Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura Disappearance
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Bring The Krishna Into The Song - 3/3 - Curd Rules Everything Around Me - CREAM
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- Dandavats.com: Speech of the Minister for External Affairs Mr. S.M Krishna to the Members of Parliament against the banning of the Gita
- Dandavats.com: Guru das travels and speaks about Srila Prabhupada
- Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: As Permafrost Thaws, Scientists Study The Risks
- Kurma dasa, AU: Does Australia Lead the World in Hare Krishna Restaurants?
- Spiritual Scientist: The Gita’s Secret Message Of Love
- ISKCON News.com: Russian Church Keen To Limit ISKCON Activities
- Gouranga TV: ISKCON LONDON Balarama Jayanti Harinam 2011
- H.H. Bhakticharu Swami: 25 Pictures Of A Day In Vaikuntha (ISKCON Ujjain)
- ISKCON News.com: Hindu Americans Shocked and Outraged at Attempts to Ban the Bhagavad Gita in Russia
- ISKCON News.com: Yamuna Dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- ISKCON News.com: ISKCON Pioneer and Award-Winning Author Yamuna Devi Passes Away
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Wednesday 21 December 2011--Spiritual Bliss in Paranoid Material Atmosphere--and--How to Be Liberated from Confusion?
- Mucukunda das, AU/NZ: Photo
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The colossal range of the main entrance to the temple is nothing to rival with. A good amount of stairs will need to be scaled in order to see Their Lordships and these transcendental steps are being completed at this very moment! Here are a few images showing the progress so far. As you can see, the right wing of stairs is finished and we are now focusing on the left. Above the top of those will be a central staircase leading to the doors. To see these stairs manifest can truly give one the feeling of the majestic nature that will be the ToVP.
Yamuna devi dasi, among the first wave of Srila Prabhupada's pioneers helping to expand, in this particular epoch, the eternal, universal Hare Krishna movement around the Earth planet, has now left this world. Starting on Second Avenue in New York City, where she first met Srila Prabhupada at her sister's wedding to the future Mukunda Goswami, Yamuna, a key player during ISKCON's delicate birth and infancy, was a vital presence during the first critical days, in San Francisco, London, and India. And at all ISKCON temples throughout the world, hers is the voice you hear at Deity greetings, singing so transcendentally: govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. I'll admit, she was one of the very few women who could force me to blush. Thirteen years my senior, she would so nonchalantly penetrate my official swami veil, verbally poking me: "Come on, let's see that beautiful smile." Her veteran, wizened female intuition let her detect the indisputable mark upon a man left by a mother who loved her child dearly. Two nights ago, Yamuna exited a body exhausted by infirmity, her hand in her bead bag. I know her desire was, upon leaving this world, to rejoin Srila Prabhupada, in his eternal pastimes of serving Krishna. May that destination also be for us all. 
 By Dandavats staff"The Bhagavad Gita has circulated freely across the world for centuries and there is not a single instance of it having encouraged extremism. So, the case before the Honourable Court in Tomsk is indeed absurd, bordering on the bizarre" --Ajai Malhotra  By Ibnlive..."Well of course the government can do something and there is a matter of fact today became known that the Chief Director for Human Rights Mr Vladimir Lukin took this case under his special control. As well as the human control watch in the city of Tomsk where it is happening, we cannot of course influence the courts like in India"
It is a great pleasure to announce that the Mayapur.com team has released our first edition of a new monthly newsletter entitled “Mayapur Sanga”. It is our desire to regularly update our guests and well wishers, pilgrims and devotees of the many ongoing projects and devotional festivals that take place in this magical land called Mayapur. We maintain a healthy family atmosphere here in Mayapur and want to offer you the opportunity to be an integral part of our Mayapur family. We will maintain several thematic columns entitled “Shelter”, “Festivals at a Glance”, and “Kid Zone”. Because we want to tailor the “Mayapur Sanga” newsletter to reflect your needs and interests we are humbly requesting your feedback. What types of articles would like to see in future newsletters? Are there any particular topics or themes that you feel would make the newsletter more interesting or relevant to you? If so, then you can contact us at Mayapur.Sanga@gmail.com, you may also send us an email if you would like to be added to our mailing list for the newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you! Click here to read the newsletter Click here to visit Mayapur.com
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta Part 2 
In the ecstatic side of Khetari, it is said that Srila Narottama Das Thakur had started this new style of kirtan, and it created such ecstasy that everyone just got up and were dancing spontaneously! Suddenly, they saw that the Panca Tattvas were also dancing in that assembly. All the devotees were in the greatest ecstasy and the next thing that happened was that the Panca Tattvas had disappeared! So when they disappeared then everyone started to cry in separation and the ground became wet from all the tears and turned into mud. So there were a lot of people crying and a lot of tears! So that was the Khetari festival. Jahnava Mata was the senior most vaisnavi and she was respected by all as the person presiding over the festival. She was the senior most and definitely given the most respectful position. Although she accepted all this respect, at the same time she went into the kitchen and cooked an incredible feast for all the devotees. It was a very transcendental event!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta Part 2
 So the Khetari festival (besides it being a transcendental experience) had established Gaudiya Vaisnavism clearly in Bengal. Before that, Nityananda had preached in Bengal (by the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu) and had created a lot of enthusiasm. The Caitanya Bhagavata describes how there were kirtans that were so ecstatic that everyone just joined in….the whole village is emptied out and old men begin to jump up high….. so high that they jumped up right into the trees! And they begin to dance on the branches of the trees…even from the tips of the branches and those branches don’t break! The young boys were in the kirtan for thirty days. These boys got so fired up…..and more and more fired up that they didn’t even get any prasadam or nothing to eat, but just kirtan non stop for thirty days! In the end they were just mad….totally mad and so fired up that they ripped trees out of the ground! So it was a fired up kirtan – Nityananda’s kirtan. People were just seeing the kirtan and disappeared right into it! People lost their relatives and so they went looking for them! Whilst looking, they merged into the kirtan, and they too had disappeared! The whole villages and families from those villages had disappeared. Several village leaders would go looking for them and in this way the whole village would disappear into the kirtan of Nityananda. So the kirtan of Nityananda was conquering Bengal…………………………………….The Khetari festival was a festival that brought structure in Bengal where Nityananda brought out the enthusiasm in the people, and ecstasy in the people. There was not much philosophy behind it, but Khetari brought ecstasy and philosophy. So Khetari was very significant!
 By Anuttama dasYamuna Devi, a pioneer and influential early western convert of the Hare Krishna movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), passed away early yesterday morning in Melbourne Beach, Florida
 By Sita Rama dasaToday, most people in the Western world equate democracy with fairness and justice; these words are interchangeable in common speech. A modern progressive would consider it odd to question if something is “too democratic.” However, if one reads Richard Hofstadter’s classic book, “The American Political Tradition” they will learn that the U.S. Constitutional Assembly was dominated by fear of too much democracy
 By Indian MediaM I Sethna, counsel for the petitioners, however, said the government is just monitoring and has asked Iskcon to defend the literature there. “It is a grave insult to our culture. Instead of asking Iskcon to defend, the government should defend the Gita,” Sethna said
A leader in ISKCON isn't an absolute sovereign, whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary, the ministry of a leader is the guarantor of the obedience toward Srila Prabhupada and his teachings. It is our duty as members of ISKCON to always remind ourselves and our leaders of the fact that we are all representatives of Srila Prabhupada and his teachings. A representative has no right to change anything given by the person represented. 
(Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada) Article By His Grace Pankajalochana Krishna Dasa December 19th 2011. Today the day started rather late, but it was ecstatic. Considering myself really fortunate I was going to take [...]
Yamuna Toronto, Ontario Back onto familiar sights – Victorian homes - Nice! Corporate buildings. Not nice! A pedestrian with skates wrapped around hockey stick. Okay! Wind. Okay! Night. Okay! Back to the ashram. Great! Morning sadhana. Great! Breakfast baked potatoes. Yum! Phone call from Raja. “Yamuna’s gone!” That was hard to hear. Yamuna, my godsister. Sister or mother to us all. Pioneer of Krishna movement in the west – passed on in Florida. I know she had a struggling heart. I’ve visited her at her rural Canada home at Saranagati numerous times. They were powerful moments. Dina, her partner, was also there. I needed to just be alone. I was tired from lack of sleep and 2 hours walking. I lay down and I thought of this saint Yamuna whose voice is heard daily in thousands of places around the world with the recording “Govindam adi purusham.” “A lady of fineness.” That phrase came to mind and then a poem to follow after I awoke from a nap. To Saint Yamuna A glance from the master And out of disaster Came lady of fineness Of gentleness, kindness With a voice of grace In her servant’s place She’s going home Ending her roam. There’s no substitute Feeling is destitute A chef’s gone A friend is gone Her song’s ever more At the 7 AM score From the voice of grace No flaw to trace She would shout, “More Gaur! More Gaur!” she would shout. This very awesome devotee, Yamuna, is a big loss to the world wide community of devotees of Krishna. 10 Km
Below is another unsolicited letter received by Minakshi. Not only is she grateful to receive the Bhagavad Gita but she takes the time to write Srila Prabhupada's full name and position. She also "hits the nail on the head" when she mentions that the Christian Chaplain found it "very worthwhile" and also the comment that "non-Hindus read" it as well. Dear Minakshi,
Thank you very much for sending the copies of the Sacred Vedic Indian Text, Bhagavad Gita As-it-is, translated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada..
The three hard-cover books will be displayed in our library and during our festivals; such as Diwali, Eid al Fitr, Christmas, Wesak and Spiritual & Religious Care Awareness Week. Many of our community visitors, patients and family members will view them and will be able to use (and take home) a copy of the soft cover books.
One of our Christian Staff Chaplains from India found it very worthwhile for our hospital and knew of the writings. Several of our Hindu Lay Spiritual Caregivers have commented very favourable on the book and have advised that non-Hindus read some of it as well.
Thank you again for sending us these books.
FYI – Scarlett Cheng at our Birchmount Campus has also received your delivery.
Hope you have a nice day,
Betty Ann Moore
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:
rasa108 (at) gmail.com
ys
Rasa Rasika dasa
Srila Prabhupada was the one spiritual person who was not afraid to speak the truth. And by truth I mean a non-sectarian universal good for all living beings (including plants and animals). The two major aspects of life that Prabhupada was against were atheism and impersonalism. To deny the existence of God is atheism and to deny the personality of Godhead in its direct sense and to assume all paths as one is impersonal. There is also another type of impersonalism where people believe all human beings are equal. This is also impersonal and actually false. Of course, on the spiritual platform there is unity as we are all qualitatively one –spirit soul but on the material platform there are definitely differences.
If we scrutinizingly analyze how the world functions with all its rules, you will find it is divisive and discriminatory based on one's occuption, personal character/behavior, and other physical factors. This sort of discrimination is inherent in human nature and cannot be removed. In fact this is what makes us human. Every indiividual is unique with his or her personal traits and some people are attracted and some averse. This is natural. However, for the sake of politically being correct, we mask such differences. In another sense, we also do not care enough to be sensitive to differences and personalities thus making us impersonal.
For example, today I was in an agency that provides help to middle grade students from financially poor backgrounds. Their purpose is to help students to become good students in school and ultimately become productive citizens of society. One of the barriers that these kids were facing is that they think that the outer world is against them. Keep in mind, these kids come from poor neighborhoods and they think people from affluent neighborhoods do not like them and hence see them as enemies. So when two different communities are against each other, these young kids grow for the worse than better. However, the strategy used to deal with this situation was to deny the existence of different thoughts or opinions by different people instead the kids were taught to see everyone as themselves (not as enemies). At the superficial level, this may be a good method to deal with the problem. However, I think the best way is to actually educate the young kids on the variegatedness of the world and its people. Most of the problem stems from fear from kids who are not exposed to other people with different backgrounds. Therefore, we can alleviate this fear by educating the kids on the differences among people, their culture and behavior thus instilling the idea that just because one looks or thinks different or do not agree with your way of life doesn’t mean they are enemies or don’t like you.
By acknowledging the differences of the world/people in their goodness and badness, then we will learn to cultivate tolerance, and compassion towards them. Unfortunately, the 21st century world is so fast paced that people barely stop to acknowledge their own family members or peers what to speak of other cultures or religions. We do not recognize the different aspects of human behavior and thought. We want everyone to function like me or my community (impersonal) and if they do not, they are defined as weird, or enemies. This mentality is from an impersonal and atheistic thought process.
Krishna consciousness is the only answer to this onslaught of impersonalism. The more we approach the Supreme as a Person and not as a concept, the more we will identify our fellow beings (creation) as a person (personal) and not stereotype them. I believe by eliminating atheism and impersonalism many of our modern day socio-economic and political woes can be solved. The concept of humility, love, compassion and tolerance is rooted in a personal approach to life, people and God and not the other way round.
Be personal with people, acknowledge the good and bad in them, tolerate the bad, recognize the good and communicate with them acknowledging their personality and finally acknowledge the root - Supreme Person. By acknowledging the Supreme as a Person and that He has His own likes and dislikes, we will become more human and less callous. In my opinion, this is the only way to arouse genuine human compassion. To circle back to my initial point Srila Prabhupada was for this sort of spiritual and personal human compassion.
Hare Krishna
Bada Haridas singing at the "Festival of the Holy Name" held here in Dallas on May 2011 with Indradyumna Swami and Giriraj Swami. This is the final bhajan for the festival. Purchase the DVDs with full content of this event. Dallas, TX 2011-05-30
An analysis of the flow, structure and contents of the Chaitanya Charitamrita. To hear, click here
108 / Be Ready
Over Mountains, Prairies, Lakes, Canada
I was happy to note my Air Canada flight was numbered at 108. 108 is the figure for the number of Upanishads, Vedic texts. 108 is also the count for Krishna's major confidants. It's an auspicious figure.
I looked out my window and like all air travellers (call me The Flying Monk if you will) and below imagine what it would be like if I was dropped from thousands of feet above. My chanting would probably be the most heart felt ever and I likely would not complete one round on the 108 beads even if my dhoti (robes) bellowed out like a parachute allowing me an easy sail downward. Of course, the cold would take my life before I landed on either mountain slope, hard soil, tree branch or a frigid lake.
You can't help but have such thoughts run through the mind. Sudden departure of life come to people all the time in the form of foul play, nature play or accidental incidents. In such circumstances, there's so little time to call for help and to adjust to psychological surrender.
I was taught in my first days as a monk to always have those japa (meditation) beads with me. In the plane the beads, which assist my chanting, are in my bead bag with either my hand inside fingering them along or I have them stowed in the seat pouch right in front of me. The point is that I must always have them in my presence as I do my arms, legs, head, torso, and so on.
By 2:30 PM I landed at Pearson Airport in Toronto. Proceeded to the carousel for baggage pickup and then caught a glimpse on the screen of what I missed in the last few days, news wise. It's reported that hundreds of people in the Phillipines have lost lives in a flood and hundreds more are missing.
How precarious it is living in our world! How essential it is to have those 108 beads on a strand that will ready me for whatever catastrophe.
3 Km
(Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 21 December 2011, Cape Town, SA) 
Sometimes I come on this point of taking shelter and how no one on his own is spiritually strong. It’s just by taking shelter that one becomes spiritually strong. So yes, again and again we must take shelter. The mind says, ‘no!’ the body says, ‘no!’ that may be…and even people around us might say, ‘what are you doing? Come on!’ maybe those who are close to us will shake their heads and say, ‘you’re gone! You’re lost! You’re totally impractical! Be more practical! I mean how are you going to deal with life like this? Now you’re young, and you think you are going to last like this your whole life? And what will you have later on, when you’ll need it to fall back on? Nothing! You’re wasting the best years of your life!’ In this way we hear and seeds of doubt are planted in our consciousness by the environment, by family, by friends, by the media, by our own minds… So how do we counteract all these mundane influences that are somehow or other entering our consciousness? By just turning back to the devotees.
Toronto's Hare Krishna community was deeply saddened to hear the news that Yamuna devi dasi, a legendary devotee in our international ISKCON family, passed away in Florida this morning.
Yamuna devi dasi was one of the first women to join ISKCON, helping to open the San Francisco centre in 1967 and the London centre later on. One of her first services was to assist Srila Prabhupada in cooking, and she had become one of the foremost experts on Vedic cooking.
Also famous for her singing voice, Yamuna devi dasi's voice can be heard as the lead vocalist in the famous "Govindam" prayers that are played in all 400+ Hare Krishna centres around the world every morning.
We invite devotees to post their comments of gratitude and sympathy.
There will be a memorial service taking place in Alachua, Florida on Tuesday, December 27 at 7pm. There will also be a live broadcast of the event.
In our Hare Krishna (Vedic) culture, it is customary to sing a traditional bengali song (bhajan) for the passing away of devotees of Krishna. The name of the bhajan is Je Anilo Prema Dhana (seen below).
By Deepak Sharma for The Huffington Post on 21 Dec 2011  | Many Hindus celebrate Christmas. Inundated by Christmas cheer and pressured by their children, Christmas has become part of the lives of diaspora Hindus.
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If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.
By Contributor for BBC News on 21 Dec 2011  | Until recently, the 1,000 or so Hindus serving in the US military - and their families - lacked a military confidant who understood their religion and culture. But now Captain Pratima Dharm has been appointed as the US military's first Hindu chaplain.
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By S. P. Saravanan for The Hindu on 21 Dec 2011  | As many as 500 inmates of the Coimbatore Central Prison were presented with copies of the Bhagavad Gita with the help of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Copies of the books were handed over by District Collector M. Karunagaran at a function held at the prison premises on Saturday.
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Check out this video on YouTube:
Mucukunda das
Check out this video on YouTube:
Mucukunda das
 By Gopal Krsna GoswamiISKCON conveyed to our Embassy that its branch in Tomsk, Eastern Siberia, had received a notice in June 2011, of a complaint filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office in the local court. This complaint, apparently driven by some local individuals, was to the effect that the third Russian edition of the publication "Bhagwad Gita As It is" - a translation of a commentary by Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON - had certain portions that were 'objectionable' and 'extremist' in nature
Sandamini Devi Dasi: This November marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of George Harrison. On December 11th, like the previous 10 years, devotees at the Tucson Temple held a memorial festival to honor the major contribution of George and his influence in the world. Many people were first introduced to the chanting of Hare Krishna through the song ‘My Sweet Lord’, and many books by devotee authors have proclaimed George’s deep love for Krishna and Srila Prabhupada
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A bubble rose through a hole in the surface of a frozen lake. It popped, followed by another, and another, as if a pot were somehow boiling in the icy depths.
Every bursting bubble sent up a puff of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas generated beneath the lake from the decay of plant debris. These plants last saw the light of day 30,000 years ago and have been locked in a deep freeze — until now.
“That’s a hot spot,” declared Katey M. Walter Anthony, a leading scientist in studying the escape of methane. A few minutes later, she leaned perilously over the edge of the ice, plunging a bottle into the water to grab a gas sample.
It was another small clue for scientists struggling to understand one of the biggest looming mysteries about the future of the earth.
Experts have long known that northern lands were a storehouse of frozen carbon, locked up in the form of leaves, roots and other organic matter trapped in icy soil — a mix that, when thawed, can produce methane and carbon dioxide, gases that trap heat and warm the planet. But they have been stunned in recent years to realize just how much organic debris is there.
A recent estimate suggests that the perennially frozen ground known as permafrost, which underlies nearly a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere, contains twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere.
Temperatures are warming across much of that region, primarily, scientists believe, because of the rapid human release of greenhouse gases. Permafrost is warming, too. Some has already thawed, and other signs are emerging that the frozen carbon may be becoming unstable.
“It’s like broccoli in your freezer,” said Kevin Schaefer, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. “As long as the broccoli stays in the freezer, it’s going to be O.K. But once you take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, it will thaw out and eventually decay.”
If a substantial amount of the carbon should enter the atmosphere, it would intensify the planetary warming. An especially worrisome possibility is that a significant proportion will emerge not as carbon dioxide, the gas that usually forms when organic material breaks down, but as methane, produced when the breakdown occurs in lakes or wetlands. Methane is especially potent at trapping the sun’s heat, and the potential for large new methane emissions in the Arctic is one of the biggest wild cards in climate science.
Scientists have declared that understanding the problem is a major priority. The United States Department of Energy and the European Union recently committed to new projects aimed at doing so, and NASA is considering a similar plan. But researchers say the money and people devoted to the issue are still minimal compared with the risk.
For now, scientists have many more questions than answers. Preliminary computer analyses, made only recently, suggest that the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions could eventually become an annual source of carbon equal to 15 percent or so of today’s yearly emissions from human activities.
But those calculations were deliberately cautious. A recent survey drew on the expertise of 41 permafrost scientists to offer more informal projections. They estimated that if human fossil-fuel burning remained high and the planet warmed sharply, the gases from permafrost could eventually equal 35 percent of today’s annual human emissions.
The experts also said that if humanity began getting its own emissions under control soon, the greenhouse gases emerging from permafrost could be kept to a much lower level, perhaps equivalent to 10 percent of today’s human emissions.
Even at the low end, these numbers mean that the long-running international negotiations over greenhouse gases are likely to become more difficult, with less room for countries to continue burning large amounts of fossil fuels.
In the minds of most experts, the chief worry is not that the carbon in the permafrost will break down quickly — typical estimates say that will take more than a century, perhaps several — but that once the decomposition starts, it will be impossible to stop.
My answer to the question above is a resounding yes. In Australia, the Hare Krishna's are known and loved for their wonderful prasadam-food. 
Enjoy this short documentary on the famous Gold Coast eatery, par-excellence - Govindas at Burleigh Heads. 
Govindas (Burleigh), 20 James St, Burleigh Heads, 07 5607 0782, http://www.govindas.net.au/.
Love is one of the most spoken and least understood words in our daily vocabulary. Love is commonly equated with sensual enjoyment, but does such superficial titillation offer substantial satisfaction to the heart? The suffering of the stomach hungry for food is well-recognized, but the agony of the heart hungry for love is often overlooked. Love founded in truth In our love-starved society, the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita – its hidden message of love – is a much-needed healing balm. The Gita has been acclaimed as a philosophical masterpiece by eminent thinkers like Albert Einstein, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Hesse and Mahatma Gandhi. Krishna starts His message of love by enlightening Arjuna: we are all souls, spiritual beings (Gita 2.13), entitled to rejoice in eternal love with the supremely lovable and loving God,Krishna. When our loving nature is contaminated by selfishness, we start loving things more than persons – especially the Supreme Person. This misdirected love forges our misidentification with our temporary bodily coverings and impels us to exploit others for our self-centered desires. The virtuous Arjuna exemplifies the pristine loving soul, whereas the vicious Duryodhana exemplifies the perverted soul afflicted by selfishness. A well-wishing doctor who doesn’t want to cause any pain to anyone may still have to carry out a painful amputation to save a patient. Similarly, Krishna exhorts, Arjuna too has to surgically heal Duryodhana and his allies on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Same Person, Multiple Personalities? In addition to its historicity, the Gita also has a deeper, symbolic message: the mentalities exemplified by Arjuna and Duryodhana are present in our own hearts too. The battlefield setting of the Gita beckons all of us to become spiritual warriors and conquer the selfish lower self with the selfless higher self. Just as the wisdom of the Gita empowered Arjuna, it can empower us, too, for heralding the reign of love in our hearts -– and in the world at large. Krishna, the speaker of the Gita, is an enigma for many. The sporting, loving cowherd youth Krishna of Vrindavana seems to contrast starkly with the philosophical, analytical diplomat-warrior Krishna of Kurukshetra. How are these two contrasting personalities integrated in a single person? To answer this question, we need to understand the thought flow of the Bhagavad-gita, which ascends from the diplomacy of the battlefield to the devotion of the eternal abode of love. Pointing to love In the Gita, Krishna offers a concise overview of the various paths for spiritual progress – karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga and bhakti-yoga. Simultaneously throughout the Gita, he drops clues that there is a secret message; a secret that only a heart filled with love can fathom (Gita 4.3). That is why at the end of almost every chapter He emphasizes bhakti-yoga. Consider the following: - The sixth chapter explains dhyana-yoga quite elaborately, but concludes that the bhakti-yogi is the topmost yogi (6.47). That bhakti-yoga is the safest and the most successful form of yoga is also established through comparison at the end of the eight chapter (8.26-28)
- The fourteenth chapter provides a systematic analysis of how all souls are trapped by the three modes of material nature – an analysis typical of jnanis, but then Krishna concludes in the penultimate verse of the chapter (14.27) that the only way to transcend the three modes is by unflinching devotional service. That the successful jnani becomes a bhakta is also stated in 7.19 and 18.54.
- The fifth chapter presents nishkama karma-yoga, but concludes that the acceptance ofKrishnaas the only proprietor, benefactor and enjoyer – an implicit tenet of bhakti - is the way to lasting peace (5.29). That the devotional offering of karma to the Lord is the culmination of karma-yoga is also indicated in 3.9 and 3.30.
Finally at the climax of the Gita (18.64-66),Krishnabares his heart’s love in a disarmingly sweet revelation, “Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” Love: Concealed yet Revealed Before the unequivocal finale, the message of love is both concealed and revealed. It is concealed because Krishna lovingly accommodates those not yet ready to love Him by delineating other paths for their gradual spiritual growth. All souls in this world have come here due to their envy of the Lord (7.27), due to their desire to enjoy like Him instead of with Him in the spiritual world. Indeed, Krishna states explicitly (9.1) that he reveals the most secret essence of the Gita – its message of love – to Arjuna primarily because he is non-envious. If Krishna reveals His opulences to envious souls, that revelation will only increase their envy and make it more difficult for them to return back to Him. So He accommodates them by seeming to offer other paths that will make them slowly detached from material enjoyment and eventually able to become attracted to Him by hearing His glories. But, for those who are open-minded and willing to give up envy and accept the path of devotion – made easy by associating with His devotees, Krishna also reveals the supremacy of the path of love. He does so not only at the end, but also in the ninth and twelfth chapters as well as in several other places (2.61, 3.30, 11.54, 12.6-7, and 13.18). Ultimately,Krishnais longing for our love – because he knows that is the only way we can become fully and eternally happy. Srila Prabhupada makes this secret of the Gita open in his preface itself, “By the spell of illusion one tries to be happy by serving his personal sense gratification in different forms which will never make him happy. Instead of satisfying his own personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this, and He demands it. One has to understand this central point of Bhagavad-gita. OurKrishnaconsciousness movement is teaching the whole world this central point” Krishna advocates, not sectarian religious belief, but universal spiritual love. He not only teaches this love, but also demonstrates it. He happily accepts the menial role of a charioteer to assist His devotee Arjuna in the battle. The unique nature of the spiritual master-servant relationship is that just as the devotee serves Krishna,Krishna also serves the devotee. Srila Prabhupada points out that this relationship is completely different from its exploitative mundane counterpart and is “the most intimate form of intimacy.” The culmination of this divine love is revealed in the Vrindavan pastimes, whereKrishnahappily takes a subordinate or intimate role to reciprocate love with his servitors. Thus Kurukshetra does indeed point to Vrindavana. The Kurukshetra message, its battlefield backdrop notwithstanding, is essentially a gospel of pure spiritual love. And the Vrindavana pastimes, their pastoral romantic context notwithstanding, are a demonstration of that gospel. Thus, the two seemingly discordant aspects of Krishna’s personality, as seen in his philosophical message and his pastoral pastimes comprise a concordant progression that heralds us to a dizzyingly lofty love that is founded on the solid ground of perennial truth. The Doors of Love Are Open This world of love is not restricted only to the pure devotees. Krishna assures the sincere aspirants of pure love that He will guide them through this world of misdirected, short-lived love back home to the world of reclaimed, endless love: “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” (10.10-11) Renowned Beatle George Harrison aptly described Krishna as the “God who loves those who love him.” Of course, Krishna declares in the Gita (18.64) that he loves everyone – even those who don’t love him, but only those who try to love him can experience his love. This is akin to how the sun offers light to everyone – even those who don’t acknowledge its existence and benevolence, but only those who come out of their dark rooms can experience the its illumination. When we choose the path of love revealed by Krishna, He will in turn illuminate our heart with divine wisdom and spiritual love. The easiest way to express our love for Krishna and experience his love for us is by chanting the holy names like the Hare Krishna mahamantra (10.25). Thus, the Gita is essentially a revelation of divinity’s love for humanity as well as a love call for humanity’s reciprocal love for divinity. Let us therefore tread the path of love revealed by Krishna. Let us love and be loved. By Vladimir Radyuhin and Sandeep Dikshit for The Hindu on 21 Dec 2011 | Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin regretted that the case was being heard in the university city of Tomsk, famous for its secularism and religious tolerance, and reiterated the secular credentials of Russia.
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ISKCON LONDON Balarama Jayanti Harinam 2011
For all photos click here Photos Sent By His Grace Mukunda Dasa (Click on the pictures to discover the Treasure House Of India’s Spiritual Wisdom as presented by ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada)
By Contributor for ISKCON News on 21 Dec 2011 | The Hindu American community expressed shock and outrage over a recent attempt in Russia to ban the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s holiest scriptures.
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Yamuna Dasi`s part starts at around 1 `30: 
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By Keshava Sharma for ISKCON News on 21 Dec 2011  | Yamuna Devi, a pioneer and influential early western convert of the Hare Krishna movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), passed away early on the morning of December 20th in Melbourne Beach, Florida.
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Their Lordships are already clad in Their festive attire. Enjoy Their darsana in Their red, white and silver outfit.
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Wednesday 21 December 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. For Transcendental Association Connect With Other Members of this Course. Join this Conference: http://groups.google.com/group/sda_students Help Popularize Our Message By Liking Today's Thought on Facebook: Today's Thought: Spiritual Bliss in Paranoid Material Atmosphere uploaded from Pretoria, South Africa On Monday, 19 December 2011 in Pretoria we did a program at the home of Sundarananda Das and his wife Subhadra Devi Dasi. In South Africa, due to a tremendous upsurge in crime after the demise of apartheid, upscale residential neighborhoods are fortified like military bases. We could not just drive into the neighborhood. First we had to stop at the security gate manned by several guards. Our host was telephoned to make sure that were legitimate visitors. Then after registering we were issued a temporary security pass that enabled us to pass through two separate security gates. Finally after feeling like we had just crossed the Berlin Wall, we arrived at the program site. As soon as we entered we could feel the difference in the atmosphere. The heavy, high-security, paranoid, material atmosphere was immediately gone and was replaced with the bliss of the spiritual world. Some devotees were singing Hare Krishna kirtan as we entered. I immediately went before their beautiful altar and offered my respectful obeisances to their deities. Then I did my normal program of leading kirtan and speaking on the Bhagavad-gita. I chose Bhagavad-gita 6.30 as the topic of my lecture: yo mm payati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi payati tasyham na pranaymi sa ca me na pranayati For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. It is truly wonderful how we can always connect with Krishna and feel transcendental bliss within our hearts no matter where we may in this material world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Ecstatic Home Program Pretoria, South Africa--19 December 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pretoria.Home1b.JPG http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pretoria.Home1a.JPG | http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pretoria.Home1c.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: How to Be Liberated from Confusion? Dear Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances. I am deluded and confused. How can I become liberated from this condition? Your humble servant, S.N. Answer: Take Training from Krishna and Guru The Bhagavad-gita teaches us how to become free from confusion in Chapter 2: krpanya-dosopahata-svabhvah prcchmi tvm dharma-sammdha-ceth yac chreyah syn nicitam brhi tan me isyas te 'ham dhi mm tvm prapannam Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.--Bhagavad-gita 2.7 So if you will submit yourself to be trained by Krishna and His representative, the bona fide spiritual master, you will become free from your confusion, just as Arjuna was freed from his confusion. 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 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. 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