By Romapada Das

The grand annual Mayapur festival began today with the inaugural session of the ISKCON Leadership Sangha (ILS 2016) with 1,200 delegates attending 87 seminars spread over 12 venues at ISKCON Mayapur. ILS 2016 features a spectacular 50th Anniversary Expo highlighting the achievements of ISKCON, and stalls from various international projects such as Vanipedia, ISKCON Congregation services, TOVP, Varnashrama Museum of the Sacred Art, Govardhan Eco Village and several others.

Speaking at the plenary session on the inaugural day, GBC Chairman, Praghosh Das said, “This year, ILS has been hosted in partnership with our 50th Anniversary Committee and the TOVP. The 50th anniversary is a very important milestone in the history of ISKCON. At the inaugural event in Kolkata, more than 20,000 people had attended a spectacular show of a kind never witnessed before in our history. Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON is the most important movement in the world. People are suffering in this material world, and ISKCON can remove the root cause of suffering to take all of us back to Goddhead.”

Over 60 presenters will present 87 seminars over the next eight days covering subjects such as devotee care, community outreach, online preaching, marketing, communications, introspection, strategic planning, the position of Srila Prabhupada, sustainable Vaishnava communities, temple development and administration, team building, arts and education.

Gopal Bhatta Das, who oversees the ILS on behalf of the GBC Strategic Planning Committee said, “The mood of the leaders who are assembled here today is ‘simply wonderful’. The vision of the ILS is to allow leaders to share their service with their peers and with the members of the GBC – an opportunity for association, vision, inspiration, and education in the holy dhama of Mayapur.”

“Coming to the ILS was one of the best decisions I made this year,” revealed Visnu Nam Das, Vice President of ISKCON Ahmedabad, a first-time delegate at the ILS. “The amount of learning and association I’ll get over the next eight days is mind-boggling. I feel overwhelmed by the mood of everyone in the holy dham and grateful for the opportunity to be here.”

Delegates heard a presentation by Vaisesika Das on his new book, ‘Our family business’ launched by the BBT. The book discusses the importance of book distribution as the corner-stone for preaching the Krishna consciousness movement.

Later, Pancharatna Das and Gopal Bhatta Das led an interactive session to discuss the vision of ISKCON. Participants broke into smaller groups to discuss where they wanted to see ISKCON in the future, and wrote an individual statement of vision, which they pasted on a wall.

“These statements will be collected and analysed, as a precursor to an ongoing project for drafting the vision statement of ISKCON,’ said Pancharatna Das. “Every organization needs a strong vision statement that will reveal future aspirations at the core of our existence. Even Lord Chaitanya revealed his mission statement when he said that His name would be preached in every town and village on this planet. The ILS has offered an opportune moment for us to seek the views of our leaders that will help in drafting our mission statement during the 50th anniversary.”

Every evening, ILS delegates will have an opportunity to collect for enlivening kirtan sessions in a specially erected tent, which will also see the launch of the ISKCON 50 movie.

“The real purpose at the ILS is to facilitate devotees in experiencing and imbibing the creative and profound wisdom that devotional practitioners bring from their different fields. Each of the seminars will leave our delegates energised with introspective realisations that our presenters bring to the Sanga,” concluded Gopal Bhatta Das.

Glorification of the Lord in different languages and traditions (6 min video)
Praise God - praise God in different traditions. The saints and spiritual teachers of any tradition envisioned something in common that unites all religions. When the Lord reveals Himself to the sincere seeker, then all the apparent contradictions subside as the veil of illusion, claiming the One Truth of love and compassion. Therefore whatever ways you are using to approach God, to pray in your language and tradition - just continue. In this way there is no loss.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/FOqzSk

By Mark D. Vickers

“I have so regretted not better appreciating what was offered to me in Hong Kong so many years before.”

My first contact with ISKCON was in about 1976, when I was fifteen. I had written to Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK, where I grew up, and they kindly sent me some information. I quickly became fascinated. I could see all these young men and women in the photographs dancing and chanting in ecstasy and was intrigued by what was giving them such happiness. I also remember the exotic smell of what the devotees sent me it was as if the pamphlets had been in a box of beautiful incense for months.

Although my family was not at all religious, God and worship fascinated me from about the age of seven, when I became a choirboy. By the time I was eleven or twelve, I was sometimes reading lessons in church, and I completed a number of Bible-study correspondence courses. While my school chums were out kicking a football or going to the local disco, more often than not I would be home studying my Bible or painting. But something drove me to learn more about what I saw at the time as exotic Eastern religions. Why were young people moving towards them? What was it all about? What were these “mantras”? I started to dream of travels to India, to the Far East . . . my spiritual journey was ever broadening.

My father, perhaps despairing of my dreams of the East and of becoming an artist, urged me to try for officer selection for the British Army, enticing me with stories of travel, adventure, and a decent salary to boot. To my surprise I passed the entrance exams, and before I knew it I was attending a Sixth Form boarding school for potential officers, located in a wonderful old English stately home. My mind kept returning to those initial strong impressions I had when I first read about the Hare Krishna movement. I clearly remember daydreaming many times that one day I would hear devotees chanting and dancing down the long tree-lined driveway to the college, calling me to join them. Part of me really wished it would happen; part of me was frightened that it might oh, the imagination of youth!

It was only when I started my training at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst that I had some limited opportunity to make my first visits to Bhaktivedanta Manor. That must have been in late 1979. After successfully completing the arduous commissioning course at the age of nineteen, imagine my excitement when told that my first assignment was to Hong Kong in 1980.

Small Temple, Big Impression

Not long after arriving in that fascinating place, I bought a small brass Krishna statue from the army camp’s goldsmith. It was inexpensive and simple, but I so wish I still had it. Then to my great joy, one day in 1981 I saw a small sign on an apartment block: “Hare Krishna.” I made my way there and rang the bell. I was awed to find this small temple in a ninth-floor apartment (not the elegant temple in central Kowloon that exists now), and I felt much pleasure but also nervousness. It was so small there was no hiding any mistakes or ignorance of protocol.

I started visiting regularly. I would get up early in the morning and in my tropical combat uniform would catch a taxi to the temple whenever I could. I cannot claim that I was attending every day, far from it, but often enough to feel part of the small set-up there. I only remember very few devotees regularly visiting the temple at that time, and it is therefore wonderful to see how much it has now grown.

Later that year I was enthusiastically informed that Tamal Krishna Goswami (TKG) wanted me to write an article about “What Hare Krishna Means to Me” for submission to this very magazine. Tamal Krishna Goswami was the resident guru in Hong Kong at that time. He had sat on ISKCON’s governing body commission since its inception in 1970, and as one of Srila Prabhupada’s most trusted followers had been his personal secretary for the seven months prior to Prabhupada’s passing in 1977. I wanted to do what he asked, but I also knew that because of my career I had to be careful with what I would say. Nevertheless, I agreed to write something, and from my heart. I did so, and photographs were taken in a park in Kowloon, under the personal direction of TKG. The article was never published, and all these years I have thought about it often. Despite all that subsequently passed, I have always felt I still owe TKG this an article in BTG with the title “What Hare Krishna Means to Me.”

Sometime after I’d written the article, an excited devotee told me that Tamal Krishna Goswami wanted to see me in his private room. He was such an important figure in the growth of ISKCON and now he wanted to see me! The devotee gave me strict instructions on exactly what I should do, and he certainly succeeded in making my heart beat faster by the time I entered.

I remember so clearly seeing TKG sitting there looking at me. After a brief discussion he asked me to give up my career and move into the temple. In my ignorance all I could imagine was being stuck in that small apartment for decades to come.

“I love coming here so much,” I said, “but I think I might quickly become bored after a year or two.”

I think it was the only time he smiled during this rather formal exchange.

He just looked at me and with a big grin said, “Well, if that’s all you’re bothered about, you don’t need to worry I will certainly keep you busy!”

I said I couldn’t do it. I didn’t fully appreciate it all. My sincerity was genuine, but I was excited about my new career and knew how proud my parents were of me. How my life would have changed if I had just said yes!

Unfortunately, sometime later I had disagreements over a few issues (not with TKG himself), and that was the end of my association with the devotees. I had been chanting my sixteen rounds and following the regulative principles, and it had been suggested that I should be initiated. I am still waiting for that chance to come once more, as I so regret not having taken initiation at that time. With the added years of maturity, life experience, and hindsight, I can see that whatever misunderstandings there might have been were no more than the result of over-zealous and well-intentioned devotees in a new temple, striving ahead. In following years I have seen similarly wellminded people in all walks of life pushing and cajoling without the experience to realize the adverse and unintended affects such behavior might have on equally strong characters. We all grow and develop over the years, and hopefully we learn.

In 1982 I relocated to Germany, then back to UK a couple of years after that.

A Misunderstanding in Soho

My next attempt at rekindling connections was brief. Some years later I went to the temple in Soho, London, and was invited to join the end of the daily teaching before breakfast. Again I was sincere, but inadvertently must have touched a nerve with a question I posed in all innocence. It didn’t go down well. Recently I have been told that there had been some difficult events around that time and perhaps I had just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. What a great shame, but it perhaps shows how careful we must always be with what we say, how we say it, and if I may respectfully say also how we react. I wanted to be a devotee, but instead left disappointed.

The years went by, and I became a Buddhist. Despite all of this, my love for Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, and TKG never waivered. But I felt disappointed and lost.

TKG in BTG

Then, suddenly and mysteriously, in 2002 I decided I must visit Bhaktivedanta Manor that very weekend. I hadn’t been there since 1980, and (forgetting the “Soho incident”) the last real connection had been in Hong Kong in 1982. It was a strange experience to see the young devotees, and I couldn’t help thinking how different my life would have been if I had made a different decision twenty years earlier.

I really enjoyed the visit and walked back to my car feeling elated, but then just before driving away I suddenly got the urge to see if Back to Godhead was still being printed. I walked back to the reception area and was told that they only had one back issue. They pointed me to the shop and said I should get the latest copy from there. For some inexplicable reason I was insistent that I didn’t want the latest issue but wanted to buy the one back issue they had, despite their protestations. It was only on the way home that I opened it and saw that it was a special memorial edition for Tamal Krishna Goswami. Even now this sad memory sends shivers down my spine and tears to my eyes. After twenty years, it was as if somehow I was directed to visit again, and then guided to buy that particular issue of BTG. It was as if I had to be told that TKG had died. I had always thought that someday I would meet him again.

Maybe I am reading too much into all of this, but for me this is an incredible experience, and ever since then I have so regretted not better appreciating what was offered to me in Hong Kong so many years before. I bought another copy of the beautiful Bhagavad-gita As It Is and some other small books, and I felt closer than ever to Krishna. My love and sheer wonderment multiplied infinitely. I continued as a Buddhist, but often found myself quietly chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

A New Career

Skip forward to 2007. I moved to Nepal for three fascinating years. I made one visit to the ISKCON temple in Kathmandu, but closer to home we had our own camp pandit. I made it known to him that even though I was well known to be a Buddhist (indeed, the most senior rank Buddhist in the British army!), I was also devoted to Lord Krishna. I requested him to make sure that our Krishna deity in the camp mandir was well cared for and that Krishna Janmastami was celebrated nicely. I was the boss by then and had some say over things. I insisted that Krishna Janmastami be taken as one of our public holidays. We had only a limited number of holidays, and I could decide (within reason) which these should be. My insistence on deleting one of the UK public holidays to celebrate Janmashtami wasn’t universally popular among my British staff.

As my time in Nepal was nearing its end, I decided that thirty-three years in the army was enough and that the time was right for me to leave. I had something of a reputation for being a bit of an oddball vegetarian for twenty-two years or so, virtually a teetotaler for most of that time, and a Buddhist. I felt I must devote the rest of my life to what in my heart I had always wanted to do: focus on spiritual development and paint, hopefully using the latter to earn money I could give to good causes. After a final six months on an operational tour in Afghanistan, I retired and immigrated to Taiwan.

I had been a devout Buddhist since 1992 but felt frustrated that I wasn’t making more progress. I knew there was more. It seemed I had reached a glass ceiling and couldn’t break through. I desperately felt I needed to find a guru with whom I could have a personal relationship. I needed someone to point the direction. Yet despite my endeavors, I could not find what I knew in my heart was out there. I thought of Krishna more and more. I subscribed to BTG, started reading Bhagavad-gita once more, and read as much as I could online.

Suddenly, things started dropping into place. I met a couple of wonderful devotee friends online who have been so encouraging, so inspiring, so patient. I found gurus who made time to answer my emails. I saw a direction once more, and this time there were no doubts. Suddenly I was chanting at least sixteen rounds every day, but unlike my attempts in Hong Kong, which sometimes felt like I had to do it, now I was, and am, enjoying doing it. I am reading the Bhagavad-gita every day, together with other wonderful books of Srila Prabhupada. I have started painting devotional pictures of Krishna. I have made contact with the ISKCON temple in Taipei and recently made the coupleof- hours’ journey from our home to listen to an inspiring talk by Hari Sauri Dasa about his experiences with Prabhupada.

As we chanted, my ignorance and lack of knowledge was all too apparent as I failed to catch the lines to respond in the kirtana, but still I felt at home and sat with a big smile and a heart warmed by Radha-Krishna and the maha-mantra. I chanted full of joy with the other dear devotees, feeling so light and happy and wonderful. Everyone is being so welcoming, and it feels like I am rejoining a family from which I have been absent. This autumn I am determined to achieve another dream to visit Mayapur and Vrindavan.

In closing I wish to say that despite the ups and downs, and mistakes made along the way, my love for Krishna is eternal and this organization of ISKCON, through which Srila Prabhupada so graciously brought the knowledge of Krishna consciousness to so many, must be treasured as the most wonderful jewel that it truly is

Sri Dham Mayapur, West Bengal - Darshan: February 25th, 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Your description of past incidents may be forgotten. We are not concerned with past misunderstandings; we are concerned only with progressive service to Krsna. Letter to Govinda dasi, November 5, 1970.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/wxdgkR

Hare Krishna chanting around the WORLD (4 min video).
The most auspicious activity happening now on this planet!
The day will come, and the name of Lord Hari will be heard in every corner of the planet! The day will come, and the name of Lord Chaitanya will connect the continents of the earth! The day will come, and foreigners with fair skin will flood Puri, Mayapur and Vrindavan! One day by the grace of the great saint Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/vDVmgT

Devotees in Mayapur (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one renders even a small amount of sincere devotional service, Krishna becomes obliged to elevate such person; and what to speak of one whose entire life and soul has been dedicated to Krishna’s service. Letter to Harer Nama, November 6, 1969.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jHYYpL

ISKCON Leadership Sanga in Mayapur 2016 (Album with photos)
Ramai Swami: This year’s ISKCON Leadership Sanga coincided with the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada incorporating ISKCON in New York.
Over 1200 devotees travelled to Sridham Mayapur to attend 8 days of seminars, kirtan and transcendental association.
On the first day everyone was welcomed by the GBC Chairman, Praghosa das, and Gopal Bhatta das, chair of the GBC Strategic Planning Team outlined the schedule of activities for the week.
Find them here: http://goo.gl/2IYshD

25^th February 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

On the second day of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga, Praghosa Das, the GBC Chairman presented several quotes of how Srila Prabhupada’s appearance was predicted in many scriptures and spiritual masters. Titled, ‘The greatest story ever told’, his presentation pointed out the five steps Srila Prabhupada had taken to make his institution more effective:

1. Founding ISKCON

2. Accepting the honorific title ‘Prabhupada’

3. Establishing his role as the ‘Founder Acharya’

4. Creating the GBC

5. Setting up Mayapur as ISKCON’s world headquarters

Praghosa Das appealed to the delegates to become a part of the ISKCON 50-50 project which is an initiative to ask every ISKCON devotee to distribute 50 books in the year 2016.

“Our central challenge is to cooperate together to spread the Krishna consciousness movement,” he concluded.

Bhakticharu Swami delivered a talk on the importance of ISKCON as an institution that Prabhupada established to secure the movement for future generations. “Srila Prabhupada is not only the Founder Acharya of ISKCON, but also the Acharya for all devotees for all times,” he said. “Everyone in ISKCON has to serve as subservient servants of Prabhupada. That is why the institution he established is so important.”

Gopal Bhatta Das and Pancharatna Das made a presentation on a global exercise they were undertaking on consolidating the ISKCON brand. “We have created a brand with the accumulation of all the actions, words and interactions we have had all these years,” explained Gopal Bhatta Das. “We have had some positive branding and some challenging ones. But there is a lot of the world out there that does not know us.”

Gopala Bhatta Das explained that Prabhupada had been consistently thinking of branding ISKCON in many different ways. “While branding ISKCON, we should not forget the basic seven principles given by Prabhupada. They form our core branding element. For the global branding exercise, we will launch after we seek input from all of you today, we have to go back to our sources: the words of Prabhupada.”

After the plenary sessions, delegates rushed to attend the seminar sessions which were running in parallel in 12 different venues.

THINK 50! Act 50!

February 26. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Mr. A.P. Dharwadkar of the Universal Book House replied:
I cannot give you very happy news on the progress of the sale of Srimad-Bhagavatam, because the subject is religious and only a small section of society may personally be interested in the books … We try to push them through some book sellers in Nagpur Ahmedabad, Pune, etc., but regret to inform you that after some time these booksellers return the books for want of response. As such, we are not only unenthusiastic to agree to your proposal of taking up sales for all India, but we were just thinking of requesting you to nominate some other people in our place to represent your sale program in Maharashtra.
So far, they had sold only six sets of books, for which they were about to transfer Rs 172 to his account. This was hardly encouraging to the author. Again, India was not interested. Even in “the land of religion,” religious subjects were only for “a small section of society.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

Harinam in Bali, Indonesia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Krishna said “You chant! You Remember Me; at the same time, fight.” He did not say, “Simply fight” or “Simply chant.” Because in the material world that is not possible. Therefore we must chant and at the side time we have to work to continue this movement. The movement requires a lot of energy. (Lecture on Bhagavat-Gita, 16.4 Hawaii)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/krEbpd

By HariKirtan Das

There are around six lakhs or more villages in India stretching north, east, west and south. Though certain features like muddy roads, thorny bushes, open drains, narrow roads, etc. are common features in all villages but distinctly the culture, topography, food, lifestyle, occupations, etc. still vary distinctly from place to place all over India.

After preaching in the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh since the last few months, preaching in Khargone District villages of Madhya Pradesh was a very novel experience. The preaching was organized by Shamik Rsi prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who held many devotional responsible positions.
in the USA Yatra and who is also a renowned doctor practicing his profession from the last 45 years. Khargon happens to be his native place.

The 9 days Yatra was blessed with the presence of HH Bhakti Raghava Swami, ISKCON Guru and Minister for ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry in India (promoting rural development) and HG Bala Krishna prabhu, a very senior Srila Prabhupada disciple, an active preacher and a farmer in Saranagati Village in Western Canada. Three devotees from Indonesia were part of the Yatra headed by HG Kisora Krishna prabhu a prominent leader in Indonesia preaching yatra. His sweet kirtans attracted the attention of all villagers. Also on hand was Kinkini prabhu and Bhakta Ashok.

One very pleasing thing seen in these villages is that people still keep desi cows and use bulls for agriculture. In comparison, sadly in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana buffalos have largely replaced the cows and even the poorest farmer resorts to the use of tractors and other machinery
instead of using bulls. Everywhere in the villages we had darshan of the beautiful local cows. We were even blessed to get cow’s milk to drink in almost all villages we visited. Amazingly, there is a bullock cart for almost every house. The design of the cart is unique, made with the combination of wood and metal, seemed like even a child could easily handle the cart. The bullock carts are widely used for all purposes even as schools cart to drop and pick up students from schools.

The villagers are fortunate to have many rivers that are tributaries of the sacred river Narmada. But due to improper planning there is a lot of wastage of water thus there is a shortage of water for agriculture. Cultivating mono crops has become a practice all over India after the “green revolution”
program. There are mainly crops of wheat, corn, cotton and chilies seen in all villages.

The women, especially the married and older ones, still follow the custom of covering their head with a veil. They are shy and humble in demeanor and display natural awe and reverence for sadhus. But these old traditions seem to be watering down as the young girls move around in trousers and t-shirts are becoming common and acceptable. The modern education system is particularly designed to destroy these finer traditions and sentiments. Thus Srila Prabhupada referring to modern educational institutes as slaughterhouses is no exaggeration and it’s an irrefutable fact.

The natural interest to attend spiritual programs is also a remarkable feature in these villages. People in 100s very enthusiastically assembled for the satsanga programs. They attentively heard the discourses and enthusiastically participated in dancing along with kirtans.

Jayapataka Swami Official Health Update 26/02/16 (8:50 Mayapur time)
Jayapataka Swami is now out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the specialist hospital in Delhi. He was transferred to a private room within the same hospital and is responding quite well to the treatment. The doctors are reporting his progress as promising.
Jayapataka Swami has been receiving get-well-soon video messages and he is happy to receive good reports about the developments in Mayapur with the gathering of over ISKCON 1200 leaders before the Gaura Purnima festival.
As we all know he is very keen on being able to recover as soon as possible so he can attend the celebrations in Mayapur. He has requested to participate the GBC meetings via teleconference and arrangements have been made for that to happen.
Although these are all good signs, we still are concerned that there is a relapse, thus, we kindly request all Jayapataka Swami’s disciples and well-wishers to, at this time, please maintain your sincere prayers for Lord Nrisimhadeva and Srila Prabhupada to kindly protect HH Jayapataka Swami so he is able to recover rapidly.
Your servants, Jayapataka Swami’s Health Team

By Nimai Pandit dasa

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami
20th Anniversary of his departure
A brief life history

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami appeared in this world on the 2nd of September 1929 in the village of Jagannatha-puri, in the Indian state of Orissa (Odisha). Both the paternal and maternal sides of his family had been very strict Vaisnavas for many, many centuries.

His father, Isvara Manik, was from a long line of Gaudiya Vaisnavas and his mother, Pata Devi, was from the famous village of Orissa Gadai Giri. The Giri family from Gadai Giri are the most famous Vaisnava kirtaniyas in Orissa. In fact they have a special invitation from the King of Puri to sing in the Puri temple for Lord Jagannatha whenever they can and this invitation dates back to the 17th century. Where ever they go to do kirtana, people do arati to them, they are kirtana -gurus. That invitation still holds to this day and is written in the history book of the temple of Lord Jagannatha – the Madala-panji.

The main occupation of the Giri family is deity worship and hari-kirtana. Having performed auspicious ceremonies (samskaras) according to the Vedic tradition, his parents begot their first son, whom they named Brajabandhu [later to become known as Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja].

From his birth, Brajabandhu’s home life revolved around the service of the Supreme Lord, with both his parents and all of their relatives constantly engaged in service to the family deities. Brajabandhu’s family deity was the famous Gopal Jui.

Pata Devi was always quiet and absorbed in serving her husband and children and every Saturday she would fast as an offering for their wellbeing. Each morning, she would worship Lord Jagannatha and recite from the Puranas and Bhagavad-gita. Every evening she chanted hare krsna and performed tulasi-parikrama with her husband and her son Brajabandhu. After parikrama, she would recite from the Srimad Bhagavatam. She was so compassionate that any beggar or sadhu who came to her house never went away empty handed

Brajabandhu was trained to chant Hare Krsna from the early age of two years by his exalted Vaisnava grandfather – Bauri Bandhu Giri. Bauri Bandhu Giri was a great Vaisnava and a great kirtaniya, who also had a mystic siddhi: if anyone was sick, in the village, he would touch them and chant the name of the family deity Gopal and that person would be cured.
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami began study of the Srimad-Bhagavatam with his Vaisnava father at the age of 6 to the age of 11. He began the study of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta from the age of 12 to 16 years with his uncles the great kirtaniyas from the village of Gadai-Giri.

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja said that he could remember from when he was very young that his grandfather, father and all his uncles had a sikha, would put on Vaisnava tilak after bathing and wore kanthi-mala. They were all Vaisnavas and they were always chanting Hare Krsna. The first memory he had as a child was his uncles singing the songs of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura.

In this way, from the very beginning of his life, he was absorbed in chanting Hare Krsna, studying Vaishnava literature and worshipping his beloved Gopal. His natural inclination to the Lord indicated his future devotional life, just as the morning shows the day.

When he finished High School he was already proficient in Sanskrit and he began studying the 4 Vedas, 108 Upanisads and the 18 Puranas. This was all done in his spare time after working as a schoolteacher.

When he finally left married life, at the age of 44, on Rama Navami 1974, he gave himself a new name: Gour Gopalananda dasa. He travelled the length and breadth of India, searching for that sadhu who could give him sannyasa so as he could begin preaching the mission of Mahaprabhu a dream that he had cherished since the age of nine.

Carrying only a Bhagavad-gita, begging bowl and a stick, he wandered around India for many months, visiting many sacred places along the river Ganges. After many philosophical debates with mayavadi sannyasis and yogis in the Himalayas, he proceeded on foot to Vrindavana, the sacred lila-bhumi of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, thinking that in Krsna’s dear abode his desire would be fulfilled.

Gour Gopalananda finally entered Vrndavana in the last part of 1974; he would visit different asramas, spending a day here, a night there. He would just observe what was going on in the different asramas and then he would move on. Then one day as he was passing through the Raman Reti area, in front of a large compound he saw a large sign that said:

“International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Founder Acarya:
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada”.

When Gour Gopalananda saw this he thought “What is this? An International society? Let me go and see what it is!”. The temple was not built yet, it was just at the beginning stages, only the foundation was laid, and there were a few thatched cottages in which some devotees lived, and among then were a few westerners. The only pukka house was the one where Srila Prabhupada lived.

Gour Gopalananda dasa and His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada met in the sacred land of Sri Vrndavana Dhama, at midday, 15 September 1974. Within six months Srila Prabhupada awarded first, second and sannyasa initiation to his new disciple, Gour Govinda Swami. Then he sent him off to spearhead the preaching in Orissa.

The Three Sevas
Srila Prabhupada entrusted Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami with three important sevas (services):

1. To stay in Orissa and build a temple like the famous Temple of Jagannatha in Puri, as Orissa is a very important place in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila.
2. To translate Srila Prabhupada’s books from English into Oriya.
3. To accept disciples and train them in Krsna consciousness.

Upon receiving these instructions from his spiritual master, Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami immediately returned to Orissa and started working earnestly on plans for what would become the famous Sri Sri Krsna-Balarama Temple in Bhubaneswar. Srila Prabhupada famously predicted, “This temple will be one of the best ISKCON temples in the world. This place will be the heart of the city.” Gour Govinda Swami also embraced the seva of translating Srila Prabhupada’s books into Oriya as a sacred duty, which he continued every day without fail for the rest of his life.
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami immediately began to execute the first two instructions given by his spiritual master. The third and final instruction he received from Srila Prabhupada was to prove more difficult to carry out. After many years, he very hesitantly took on the role of being a spiritual master himself, as he understood the position of guru was a very heavy responsibility.

Lord Jagannatha Is in Bhubaneswar
Srila Prabhupada had accepted many Western disciples and taught them the glories of Purusottama-ksetra, Jagannatha Puri Dhama, where Mahaprabhu performed many pastimes in the eighteen years He resided there. However, when Srila Prabhupada’s disciples went to visit Jagannatha Puri they were refused entrance to the famous Temple of Lord Jagannatha because they were considered foreigners and not Hindus. Srila Prabhupada said “I will build a temple in Bhubaneswar like the Temple of Jagannatha in Puri, because my western disciples are not allowed there. Lord Jagannatha will come and stay in Bhubaneswar, so all my disciples can go there and have His darsana.” Srila Prabhupada, who had been donated land in Bhubaneswar, instructed Gour Govinda Swami to stay on the land and build that temple. He entrusted to Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami the mission of establishing ISKCON in Orissa, the most important place of Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, telling him, “Gour Govind, you will take me to Orissa.”

Under Extreme Conditions
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami went to Orissa and stayed on the ISKCON land (near the Nayapalli village) in Bhubaneswar under the most extreme and austere circumstances. There were no facilities at all on the land: no shelter, no building, no running water, no toilet, no electricity, no telephone, nothing! To take bath one would have to go to a far off paddock where there was a pump and take a bath from that pump. The only light available for reading and writing in the early hours of the morning and late in the evening came from a castor oil lamp. Wild bears, tigers and elephants would wander the area, which was also frequented by dacoits (thieves).
On Ekadasi, Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja would fast and chant the whole Bhagavad-gita and on other days he would recite one chapter of Bhagavad-gita. He would often walk up to twenty kilometres a day to collect donations to build the temple, print literature and to buy foodstuffs to prepare and offer to the Lord.

Seventeen Days
Srila Prabhupada visited Bhubaneswar in 1977 and stayed for seventeen days on the ISKCON property in the mud hut, which had been constructed for him by Gour Govinda Swami. On 2nd February 1977, the auspicious appearance day of Lord Nityananda, Srila Prabhupada laid the foundation stone of the Sri Sri Krsna-Balarama Mandir. This Temple in Bhubaneswar was to be Srila Prabhupada’s last founded project (108th).

Instruction Fulfilled
After sixteen years of determined endeavour, and with practically no outside help, (in one of the poorest regions of India), SríSrimad Gour Govinda Swami fulfilled the instruction of his most beloved spiritual master when the magnificent Sri Sri Krsna-Balarama Mandir was inaugurated in Bhubaneswar in 1991. Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadradevícame of their own accord, as Srila Prabhupada prophesied, and this Temple now attracts tens of thousands of people to Krsna consciousness.

Travelling the World
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami spent many years travelling the world preaching Krsna consciousness. His travels took him to Europe, U.S.A., South America, Canada, Africa, Mauritius, Australia, Asia – Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Bali; the Caribbean – Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and he preached vigorously throughout the Indian subcontinent, especially in the state of Orissa, where he most notably constructed the glorious Temples of Sri Sri Krsna-Balarama, Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha and Sri Sri Radha-Gopal Jiu.

Spellbound
Wherever he went Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami would leave his audience spellbound by his dynamic presentation of the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. He would often speak for up to four hours at a time on topics about Krsna, leaving his audience enchanted and always eager to hear more. On occasions he would speak on a single verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, both morning and evening for seven days. There was no question put to him that he could not answer, and hearing from Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami on a regular basis would melt even the hardest heart, convincing one to seriously take to the path of bhakti-yoga.
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami was an expert in his understanding of the sastras and from the depth of his conviction, he was able to dispel the doubts [sarva-samsaya-samchetta] of those who came to him for spiritual guidance. He would place great importance on chanting: encouraging and inspiring everyone to chant the holy names of Krsna without offence, to chant the pure name and thereby achieve the goal of life; to get Krsna and develop krsna-prema in this very life.

SriKsetra
Jagannatha Puri – Bhubaneswar Dhama
One of the most important aspects of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja’s preaching was to reveal the innermost secrets of Puri-Bhubaneswar Dhama, of Lord Jagannatha, and to explain the reason why SríCaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Jagannatha Puri. He gave the most subtle and clear understanding of the Lord’s pastimes in Jagannatha Puri and why Bhubaneswar is so important to the Gaudiya Vaisnava community.

In Mayapur, at the Gaura-Purnima 1996 Festival, devotees were coming for darsan of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami in his guest house room every evening. Two devotees requested an appointment to meet with him to ask some questions. They wanted to know why Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Sri Jagannatha Puri. Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami explained the confidential significance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Puri. He described the viraha, the pain of separation Srimati Radharani feels when Krsna is away from Vrindavan, gradually unfolding the pastime to where finally Srimati Radharani and Krsna are united after Their long separation – eye to eye union.
Unable to continue, he folded his hands and in a barely audible voice said, “Please forgive me, I cannot speak more.” Then he gave his final instruction: “Nama koro! Nama Koro!” The devotees began to chant as he lay back on his bed. Upon request a servant placed a picture of Sri Gopaljiu in his hand. Gazing at Sri Gopal he called out, “Gopal!” Then he closed his eyes and departed from this world.
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami was brought to the Sri Sri Krsna Balaram Mandir in Bhubaneswar where he was placed in samadhi in the small mud hut that had served as his bhajan-kutir for many years.
While astrologers predicted that he would live up to the age of ninety and deliver many conditioned souls, Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami left this world, twenty years ago, by his own volition, while speaking krsna-kathäon February 9th 1996, in SríMayapura Dhama, on the holy appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada.
Compiled by Nimai Pandit dasa.
www.tvpbooks.com

The ISKCON Leadership Sanga is in full swing in Mayapur!
BB Govinda Swami: We have had 2 full days of ISKCON Leadership Sanga since I last posted.
The meeting opens daily at 10 AM with a plenary session with keynote addresses presented by an variety of the wonderful servants of ISKCON.
Then the delegates break out into a vast array of seminars.
More than 1,000 ISKCON leaders have come from around the globe to associate, hear seminars, share their experiences, and come “up to date” with ISKCON’s Organisational Development initiatives.
A beautiful meeting area has been developed by Her Grace Laxmimoni Mataji. She has spent each day since late November here in Mayapur and has organised an amazing team to perform this service for the pleasure of His Divine Grace.
It is simply fantastic seeing smiling faces like a rainbow: black, white, yellow, brown, haven’t seen blue faces yet, and old rednecks like me … becoming inspired to return to their countries and firmly establish the Krishna consciousness movement to carry the legacy of Prabhupada to future generations.
The mood here is calm, peaceful, audarya Mayapur.
The pre-meeting tensions were stirred by an individual who took advantage of an already tense situation to stir up the hearts of our ever sweet, gracious, loving Bengali vaisnavas hosts.
I remember years ago hearing some song:
“Don’t Funk With My Heart.”
Well, I really don’t feel we should funk with Vaishnava hearts to gain political momentum.
So, it is beautiful here. Enthusiastic here. Peaceful here.
The Gaura Prema is flowing, filling the hearts of all those who wish to taste that sweetness of His love.
May the love imbued rays of Sri Mayapur Chandra fill our hearts with enthusiasm to serve ever diligently;
To bring the slightest sweet smile to the face of Srila Prabhupada.
Good night to all from Sri Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir.

Class by Radhanath Swami, today, February 26th, 2016 8 A.M in Mayapur, West Bengal. (video)
Summary: Vaisnava is one who is free of envy. One who is a well-wisher of everyone. This is what we must aspire for. To be well-wishers of everyone. Chanting of the Holy Name is the only medicine for those who are tormented by the age of Kali.
If someone saves us from dying… how could we ever give up the service to them. We will be internally indebted.
When the spiritual master saves us from envy…how can we ever give up the service to him. That is our gratitude.
Vasudev Datta prayed to Lord Caitanya to accept all sinful reactions of everyone, so they can be happy. Let me suffer instead of them.
Mahaprabhu’s heart softened by hearing that.
Haridas Thakur saw everyone as a brother and a sister.
Krsna also comes to show compassion. What’s the greatest service we can do? We must assist Him in His mission of compassion.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared here in Nawadvip to reveal the heart of Sri Radha.Her compassion.
3 principles.
1. Our own sadhana to be serious- All around the chanting the HN. Careful study of S.P’s books. We need mercy to chant, read and serve the Vaisnavas.
Humility is empowering. Tolerance, Forgiveness, offering all respect to others.
Abuse, justice must be motivated by compassion.
If the doctor gives us medicine to relieve us from cancer we will take it very seriously. But the medicine for envy, we do not wish to take. Envy is the greatest disease that causes us to fall into this world again & again and suffer many diseases, old age and death.
2. Deep relationships - in the mood of being the servant of the servant of others.
3. Spreading Krsna consciousness:
Prabhupada was willing to physically die if that was to please Krsna, while spreading Krsna consciousness.“ Pls give me the power so that the people can understand my words…to be a puppet.”
How to please? Srila Prabhupada: Just receive what I have given you. The Holy name, books and farm communities.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ln2U4p

HH Kadamba Kanana Swami’s health update: After a successful 2nd operation on Wednesday afternoon Maharaja was recovering on Thursday and Friday morning. Kadamba Kanana Swami is currently recovering from the operation at the Durban temple. If his health permits, he will give SB class Saturday at 11 am SAST which will be streamed live in Mayapur.tv.

By Caitanya Carana Dasa

The Moment we turn away from Krishna our misery begins.

The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty, by David G. Myers, is one among several books that use telling facts and revealing statistics to examine the reality behind the globally glamorized American dream of the happy life through wealth and sensual enjoyment. Since 1960:

• The divorce rate has doubled.
• The teen suicide rate has tripled.
• The recorded violent crime rate has quadrupled.
• The prison population has quintupled.
• The percentage of babies born to unmarried parents has sextupled.
• Cohabitation (a predictor of future divorce) has increased sevenfold.
• Depression has soared to ten times the pre World War II level.

Has the American dream turned out to be a masked night mare? What went wrong?

For devotees of Lord Krishna, this sad situation is a vindication of Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad-gita, wherein He declares in text 5.22 that material enjoyment is pregnant with misery; the delivery is only a matter of when, not if. The devotees of the Lord are often more merciful than the Lord, and one way their extra mercy manifests is in their forceful enunciation of the Lord’s teachings. “There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy” is one of those quotes of Srila Prabhupada’s that, by its sheer conviction, jolts us out of our complacency in material life. Most of the media and culture around us vigorously champions materialism as the way to become happy, but Srila Prabhupada asserts with absolute conviction that materialism can never make anyone happy.

Srila Prabhupada is simply rephrasing an essential and repeated teaching of Lord Krishna’s. To help us grasp this scriptural teaching, Srila Prabhupada gave the analogy of a fish: Just as a fish starts suffering the moment it leaves the ocean, we start suffering the moment we leave the nectar-ocean of Krishna consciousness. Let us reflect on this analogy a bit.

The Fate of the Fish

Imagine a fish in an ocean bordering a vast desert. It sees a mirage onshore and decides one day that life on land will be more enjoyable. From the moment it comes out of the ocean, its suffering begins. The mirage provides no water, and any drops of water it finds are too small to give any satisfaction. The only way the fish can experience happiness is by returning to the ocean. The more it pursues either the mirage or the drops of water, the more it suffers from the scorching heat of the sand underneath and the sun overhead. Had the fish known it would be miserable the moment it left the ocean, it would not have ventured onshore and would have ignored the mirage. Even if it didn’t feel completely happy in the water, the way to greater happiness was never to be found on land.

All of us are like the fish, and Krishna consciousness is like the ocean. From the moment we let our consciousness come out of the nectar-ocean of Krishna consciousness, we begin experiencing misery. We are allured out of Krishna consciousness by sense objects pleasures and treasures, positions and possessions. No matter how appealing sense objects seem to be, they are simply a sham and can never make us happy. They are temporarily pleasure-giving, whereas we are eternally pleasure-seeking. We can experience happiness only by returning to Krishna consciousness.

The more we pursue sense objects, the longer we suffer as we journey to and fro between Krishna consciousness and sense objects through the scorching heat of material conditions and materialistic conditioning. The journey is painful and difficult because every action we perform conditions us, creating patterns of thinking and behaving that incite us to repeat that action. The human vulnerability to conditioning traps us in addiction often unwittingly and sometimes even unwillingly.

That’s why, when we do realize the futility of material enjoyment, it has often become the default setting of our mind; we instinctively, unthinkingly gravitate toward it, and going against that gravitational force becomes difficult and often painful. Moreover, in the pursuit of material enjoyment, we mix and bond with materialistically oriented people, and the emotional bonds we thus form often make it tough for us to turn away from worldly pleasures that have won us others’ approval.

Therefore, when we know we are going to increase our misery by coming out of Krishna consciousness, why should we ever come out? Indeed, why should we even glance at sense objects that might beguile us to come out? Even if we don’t feel fully happy in Krishna consciousness, the only way to greater happiness is not outward, but inward not out of Krishna consciousness, but deeper into Krishna consciousness.

Noteworthy Nuances

Of course, the fish analogy is not perfect. No material analogy can ever perfectly convey a spiritual truth. But in our present state of consciousness, with our minds still conditioned by the limits imposed by the material energy, analogies can help. So spiritual teachers use material analogies to convey spiritual truths even if imperfectly. To avoid any misconceptions the fish analogy might have provoked, let us consider its limitations. They reveal important nuances of the philosophy of Krishna consciousness:

1. When the fish comes out of the water, within a short time it dies. We, being eternal souls, never die, but by for saking Krishna consciousness we “kill” our spiritual awareness the awareness that we are spiritual beings entitled to spiritual happiness in the spiritual world by reciprocating spiritual love with the supreme spiritual reality, Krishna. The Srimad-Bhagavatam and isopanishad refer to those who kill their spiritual awareness as atmaha, “killers of the soul” an apt metaphor.

2. A fish is never allured by a mirage, but we are attracted by miragelike sense objects. This attraction is due to the power of maya, the deluding energy, which perverts our perception by its two potencies: (a) The avaranatmika-shakti (covering potency) obscures our perception of our true nature as spiritual beings and freezes our spiritual desires. (b) The praksematika-shakti (pulling-down potency) deludes us with the false self-conception that we are materialistic creatures and kindles our material desires.

3. The suffering of a fish out of water is always easy to see, unlike the suffering of people devoid of Krishna consciousness. Factually, no one can be happy without Krishna consciousness, and the statistics quoted at the start poignantly demonstrate this eternal truth. But those living beings who have been living without Krishna consciousness for a long, long time have almost entirely forgotten the taste of Krishna consciousness. As they presently don’t know any pleasure other than the pseudo pleasure of sense gratification, they have become habituated to this pseudo pleasure despite all the miseries that precede and succeed it. Habituated thus, they don’t always know their own misery, as confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.30.5): “The conditioned living entity is satisfied in his own particular species of life; while deluded by the covering influence of the illusory energy, he feels little inclined to cast off his body, even when in hell, for he takes delight in hellish enjoyment.”

The illusion that materialistic people are happy may beguile even spiritually-minded people to pursue materialistic goals and to alternate between material enjoyment and spiritual purification. But the illusory tastes of sense gratification can no longer satisfy those of us who know something better, who have tasted Krishna consciousness. The sublime and supreme taste of Krishna consciousness is still fresh in our memory if not in our conscious memory, then at least in our subconscious memory. That’s why even if we consciously turn away from Krishna consciousness to pursue sense gratification, we subconsciously keep comparing the taste of sense gratification with the taste of Krishna consciousness and naturally find the former unsatisfying. The Bhagavatam (1.5.19) proclaims, “Even though a devotee of Lord Krishna sometimes falls down somehow or other, he certainly does not undergo material existence like others because a person who has once relished the taste of the lotus feet of the Lord can do nothing but remember that ecstasy again and again.”

Unfortunately, despite repeatedly experiencing sense gratification to be insipid and inane, our stubborn mind may still impel and compel us to keep pursuing it. In such situations, we can use the graphic fish analogy and the resonant Prabhupada quote as hammers to drive the nail like truth of the futility of sense gratification through the wall-like stubbornness of our mind. Sooner or later we will realize that the pursuit of sense gratification is a lost cause and will turn or return to Krishna consciousness. And better sooner than later.

Day 3 of ILS: ISKCON 50 is our big chance for a global impact

25^th February 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

The third day of the ILS started with a presentation on ISKCON’s 50^th anniversary by Anuttama Das, GBC Minister for Communications and Pancharatna Das, Executive Member of the International Fiftieth Anniversary Committee.

They spoke about the importance of the 50^th as an opportunity for glorifying Prabhupada, educating the public, celebrating achievements, appreciating devotees and accelerating our mission. “Not many of us may be here to see the 100^th anniversary of ISKCON,” said Anuttama Das. “This is our big chance to make a global impact, and accelerate our missionary work.”

Pancharatna Das spoke about 50^th events already held such as the Kolkata inauguration, the Boston event for Prabhupada’s arrival in America, and the Mumbai VIP event. He also listed many future events that have been planned such as a youth conference in Pune with 5000 participants, an academic conference in Harvard, a grand dinner at the Sydney Opera House, a major event at Wembley Arena in London and a commemorative function at the European Parliament.

“Every temple should now consider what they can do locally for the fiftieth,” requested Anuttama Das. “They should do at least three things: 50-ise al regular events such as Janmashtami and Ratha Yatra; have a special VIP dinner with a cultural programme to celebrate 50 years of our incorporation; and have a maha harinama on August 14^th, the day that Prabhupada lead ISKCON’s first public harinama in New York.”

This was followed by a talk by Gopal Bhatta Das, Kaunteya Das and Gauranga Das on the GBC College of Leadership Development. Gopal Bhatta Das explained that the College was created in keeping with Prabhupada’s expressed vision that he wanted to train GBCs so that they could manage the ‘whole society nicely’ in his absence.

“We studied everything Prabhupada said on this matter, and designed the course so that devotees can be spiritually qualified and also have the managerial expertise to satisfy Prabhupada’s vision of leadership in ISKCON,” he explained. “We have created five training modules: spiritual excellence, compliance and administrative excellence, personal excellence, relationship excellence and organisational excellence. The idea is that those who run a zone, need individuals who can serve as a zonal supervisor. And the shift in the thinking is that one can only become a zonal supervisor after going through our course.”

Kaunteya Das thanked Radhanatha Swami and Gauranga Das for hosting and financing the entire GBC College at Govardhan Eco Village and being the driving force that encouraged over eight candidates to graduate out of the College this year.

Like the previous two days, delegates rushed to attend different seminars at various venues after the plenary session.

“This is the third year that we have organised ILS,” commented Laxmimoni Dasi from the GBC Strategic Planning Committee who oversees the organisation and planning for ILS every year. “Our main aim is to bring together devotees from around the world and provide a facility to inspire each other in spreading Prabhupada’s mission, share best practices, and see the upside of the movement. We want everyone to go back to their places with new tools and new enthusiasm so that they feel better equipped to make their place better. This ISKCON movement has so many resources. ILS seems to be the only place which brings these resources together so that everyone can access them.”

Rupeshvar Gaura Das who serves in the IT Support Desk at the ILS feels highly motivated to see hundreds of leaders collecting in one place to share their valuable realisations. “Most people see the eight days of seminars at the ILS. But there is a whole year of preparation that goes behind it in the background. There is the planning, mailing, sorting of responses, scheduling, arranging speakers, getting the site ready, the pandals and exhibits, the visuals and design, the prasadam, the services, and tonnes of logistics. We are grateful to the Mayapur management for their unstinting support, and to the Chowpathy temple for providing 30 brahmacharis who are helping out this year.”

The TOVP team has contributed financially to the ILS this year to partially fund the accommodation and prasadam. “But this is not enough,” continued Rupeshvar Gauranga. “We still have a shortfall. Almost 30% of the delegates are sannyasis and brahmacharis who cannot contribute a fee. Therefore, we appeal to grihasthas to support us through voluntary contributions. Many big-hearted grihasthas have already done so, and others could also follow.”

Bhaktan Alexandria Wallace has been working with the ILS team for almost a year. She has been in Mayapur since January to help in the accounts and registration department. “The workload can be quite intense sometimes. But everyone does their bit, and the team work is amazing. Being a part of the ILS has been a wonderful experience for me. I get to work closely with devotees talented in various aspects, and get to learn a lot from them.”

The mood by which the ILS team has hosted the event is captured in Laxmimoni’s closing remarks, “There are many devotees who come to the ILS from small temples where they may have been working really hard through the year. But when they come here, I want all of them to become highly energised and feel like they are royalty. I feel like I am inviting 1000 VIPs for lunch. That’s my mood, and that’s the mood of everyone who is hosting the ILS.”

THINK 50! Act 50!

February 27. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Art of Prabhupada Prayer.
Devotees suggest that one should pray to Prabhupada. We use this word “pray” frequently in Krishna consciousness. “Pray to Prabhupada.” But what does it really mean? How do you do it?
One way to pray to Prabhupada is to sit in a place where his presence can be felt intensely, such as his samadhi mandir, or in his rooms at Radha-Damodara Temple, or we may go to a place where he performed some pastime that is easy to meditate on. We can then attempt to engage in sustained conversation with him. We can help ourselves by making notes on a piece of paper first, or we can just sit quietly, although our minds will have a greater tendency to wander. We could also sit in our chosen spot and chant japa, although there are specific advantages to planning our prayer-time ahead of time and going prepared to spend that time with Prabhupada.
Prayer to Prabhupada presumes that we have the faith that he is present and that he can hear our prayers. It also presumes that we have the faith he will bless us in our endeavors on his behalf. The Lord and Prabhupada already know what is in our hearts; technically, we don’t need to pray to report to them. But we want to speed things up the way Narada Muni sped things up in Krishna’s pastimes. We need to speed things up because our time in this body is short and we have a lot of distance to travel. We are not satisfied with our progress. There are also immediate points and crises and times and pathways facing us with different, alternative routes to take on the road. We need to pray for direction.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5