Radhe Kaise Na Jale Bharata Natyam Candrakanta and Narayan’s Wedding (7 min video)
Champakalata Devi Dasi: With guest dancer Malini Devi, our Padma Academy dance troupe presented Radha Kaise Na Jale from the movie Lagaan performed in Bharatanatyam style. Malini (playing Krishna) is a student of Srimati Viji Prakash of Shakti Dance Company and Champakalata (playing Radha) is a student of Srimati Sudha Chandrasekhar of Hindu Temple Rhythms. Both dance gurus come in line from the famous Tanjor gurus of Sri Raja Rajeshwari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir in Mumbai.
We danced for the occasion of Candrakanta and Narayan’s wedding on February 26th, 2016 and especially chose this song as a gift to the bride. Please excuse the “rough” beginning as we could barely hear the music at first. But once those drums kicked in, we were off! …into the land of Vraja where Radha and Krishna enact Their lila.
Dancers as seen in the line-up at the end: Right to Left (since the camera pans that way) Ramani Shiromani, Rupa Kishori, Karika, Champakalata, Malini, Kali Lalita, Tarani, Vinodini, Shrida, Nadia.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/3Ci1fc

Bonds of Love: Brahmi Devi Dasi.
Brahmi Dasi: My first memory of our beloved Srila Prabhupada was my discovery of him in a book I found in a secondhand bookshop called Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System. I also found Easy Journey to Other Planets. I was so intrigued by these titles that I bought them both. One paragraph made such an impression on me. It was, as I remember it, “Why are we sending all these young men to the war in Vietnam when there is a fighting class of men?” That is when I recognized my spiritual master, and I said aloud to myself, “This man is beautiful.” I looked at the back of one of the books, saw the number of the Toronto temple, and called and asked if I could visit. When I was told I could, I took my baby daughter, Visakha, and went to meet the devotees.
I have loved Srila Prabhupada from the moment I read that first one of his books. He has been my life and soul from that moment on. I am, by Krishna’s mercy, now in a 77-year-old body – in the dwindling stage, to be precise. When I think of how my life would have been without Srila Prabhupada’s loving guidance and teachings – well, I shudder to think about it.
I first saw Srila Prabhupada in person at my initiation in West Virginia. We were like excited children, and I felt completely inadequate and unworthy. When I approached his dear lotus feet, he looked at me with his beautiful, noble, dark eyes and said, “Your name is Brahmi Devi.” I felt so ashamed to dare to stand before him. He was sitting on a vyasasana outside in the open, and all the devotees present were looking at that glorious figure of nobility and purity with adoring eyes. We were all his children, lost in the material world and coming to his dear lotus feet for security. There was a dog sitting under his vyāsāsana. When the devotees tried to move him, he said, “Leave him there.” How fortunate to be that dog!
Well, we simply felt jubilant to have Srila Prabhupada with us. The joy of it all! I remember dancing in the temple with maybe fifty devotees, and there was a devotee who had been a ballet dancer. He was jumping high in the air while the rest of us danced in unison, like in a ballet. I swear I felt time stand still, my heart felt such joy I couldn’t feel my feet touch the floor. The arati bell was ringing, and I just felt suspended in time.
I felt had this before in the Toronto temple during Radhastami – the fire sacrifice, the chanting of the maha-mantra, and time suspended, just the chanting of Hare Krishna.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/6HQf5c

Harinama at Burleigh Heads (a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia) - 28 February 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Letter to Subala, November 12, 1967.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vU0sfQ

Beautiful Vrindavana (Album with 112 HR photos)
Srila Prabhupada: These four principles: Always think of Krishna, become Krishna’s devotee, worship Krishna and offer your respect, obeisances to Krishna. That’s all. This is Krishna consciousness. Hyderabad, November 17, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/SpRQ87

28^th February 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is Kali Yuga,” said Radhanatha Swami at the end of his address. “Kali knows he cannot strike the movement from outside, but only from inside, when we fight over petty issues. So let us chant humbly and let us pray, and let us cry…so that we can reciprocate with Srila Prabhupada by being united.”

After the two classes, over 1000 ILS delegates led by Lokanatha Swami went on a parikrama to the Samadhi temple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. They returned after paying respects at various holy sites such as Srivasa Angan and the Yogapitha temple.

After offering pushpanjali to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, a huge feast was served, followed by a kirtan festival which lasted six hours in the evening.

“This has been a day for reflections, prayers, chanting and katha,” said Devaki Dasi from Bhaktivedanta Manor, London. “It is an appropriate break from our seminars on such an auspicious day. We can now go back to our discussions tomorrow, feeling rejuvenated and re-energised.”

THINK 50! Act 50!

Congregational Preachers to be awarded in Sridham Mayapur!
This year, for the first time ever, we will be hosting our annual award ceremony during the ISKCON Leadership Sanga in front of all the leaders. We will be awarding those devotees around the world who have done an outstanding service in the area of congregational preaching.
During the 2016 Annual Award Ceremony, the congregational ministry will recognize devotees in a variety of areas. From pioneers and supporters of the preaching mission to those who have had long-term achievements with their congregations, or in the area of production of preaching material and even those devotees who may have given substantial financial contributions for the preaching will receive due recognition for their endeavours. Another important award is for those devotees who travel far and wide trying to encourage and train congregational devotees in their spiritual life. Other significant areas are prison preaching, festivals and youth.
In celebration of ISKCON’s 50th year, we are humbly presenting medallions to devotees who have made exceptional progress in their preaching endeavors.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/Es2AFv

February 29. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: I Had So Much Hardship.
About the Jaladutta voyage to America, he said, “It is a great history. There were two days I had heart attacks on the ship. I had so much hardship.” We may only try to think of how Srila Prabhupada put up with such difficulties: vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya. One can never understand the mind of a great Vaisnava, and although we are advised not to try to read his mind, yet we may worship Prabhupada’s example of tolerance and distress. There is a great risk in assuming we can read devotees’ minds and motivations. Yet we can just remember that on the Jaladutta voyage to America, Prabhupada twice experienced heart attacks. And he continued to suffer strokes and many other maladies while discharging his duties on behalf of his spiritual master.
When we are physically disposed, we may also meditate on how Srila Prabhupada does not reject us because of illness, and how he did not stop because of hardships. We should not feel sorry for ourselves, or think that our spiritual master is unsympathetic to our material condition. He himself has gone through pain; he knows that we are sincere and that we will work more actively on his behalf if we were fit.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=5

Speaker: HG Jananivasa dasa
Venue: Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: 28 Feb 2016

So today is the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada and the disappearance day of Purusottama Krishna and also the disappearance day of Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaja.

So we were asked to speak on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So maybe we can chant these pranams first after Srila Prabhupada’s.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvat iti namine
sri-varshabhanavi-devi-dayitaya kripabdhaye
krishna-sambandha-vijnana-dayine prabhave namah
madhuryojjvala-premadhya-sri-rupanuga-bhaktida
sri-gaura-karuna-sakti-vigrahaya namo ’stu te
namas te gaura-vani-sri-murtaye dina-tarine
rupanuga-viruddhapasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura avirbhava mahotsava tithi ki jaya!

Hare Krishna!

So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati our parama guru or the guru of His Divine Grace Abhay Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was born in Jagannath Puri, in the dhama, to respond to the prayers of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura who was praying for a ‘ray of Visnu’ to come and save the conditioned souls of this age. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to that prayer and he became a very very powerful, empowered preacher of Gaura bhakti. The prayer apasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine, that he didn’t tolerate anything against proper siddhanta. So that time when he was in Puri, there was one Radha Ramana Carana dasa Babaji who formed some bogus mantra,

Nitai Gaura Radhe Shyama
japa Hare Krishna Hare Rama

Unbona fide mantra but he was very very popular. The tune was very good also, nice, sweet tune. But anyway, it was very popular at that time. And Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati also confronted him about using this improper mantra which had different faults in it. But when they met him and preached to him, he said, ‘What can I do? Now they are already chanting! What can I do?’ So he was so forceful in his preaching that the whole of Puri was like on fire with his preaching because this Radha Ramana Carana was very very popular. But Bhaktisiddhanta was so strict and strong in his preaching that he was disturbing the whole of Puri dhama, so his father Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, ‘You better leave! (laughs) You better leave! Go and stay in Mayapur and develop Mayapur!’

So then he came here and he started to develop Mayapur. He was living at the Sri Caitanya Math, just past the Yogapitha, the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then past that Srivasa angam, then the next temple that is Caitanya Math. And he took a very severe vow to chant 1 billion names, I think. It means like you chant 3 lakhs of rounds everyday for nine years. He had to complete that vow and he did! And he was living like an avadhuta here. He would perform the Caturmasya ceremony very strictly – put some khichari on the ground and he would go down one time, put your hands behind your back and lick! lick! lick! and when you come up you don’t come down again, thats it for the day! He had grown long hair, kind of like an avadhuta. We see him very strict in his photographs like this but at that time he was like an avadhuta.

And so he stayed there developing. The first disciple he made, he was a son of a lawyer or something like that. Anyway he came to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura here and he was very much impressed with his preaching. But he said to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that actually I have got a guru, a guru father and a guru mother. But they were Bauls, another apasampradaya. So anyway he went back to his village where they were staying and at night he had this dream, this young man had a dream and he saw his guru and his wife’s guru and the guru became a lion and she became a tiger. (laughs) And they were approaching their disciple to eat him. So he woke up suddenly, what an astonishing dream! Immediately the next day he went to Mayapur, he begged, ‘You please give me initiation! Please save me from the jaws of the tigers and the lions!’

So Srila Prabhupada said that he was there one time, you know the house of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is there. Just before the samadhi is the house, like that, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s house. And there is a little verandah there and Prabhupada said he used to see his Guru Maharaja walking up and down, chanting on the verandah there. And one day the disciple said, ‘Guru Maharaja! Guru Maharaja! A very poisonous snake, big snake here, poison! What shall we do?’ And Bhaktisiddhanta was on the verandah. He said, ‘Kill it!’ And Prabhupada said, ‘I was thinking such a saint, I thought saintly persons they would not harm even an ant, any creature! Why is he ordering to kill!’ Prabhupada said, ‘I was thinking like that, at that time!’ So that snake was killed. Later on when Prabhupada was translating the, anyway in the Ninth Canto Prahlada Maharaja, I think its a prayer of Prahlada Maharaja, in the Seventh Canto, he said, the verse says, ‘Even a saintly person is pleased when the snake or a scorpion is killed!’ Because they are envious, they bite for no reason at all.’ So Prabhupada said, ‘I was very happy when I read that. It was confirmed. I was always thinking why he said that.’

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was living with Bhaktivinoda Thakura Svananda-sukhada-kunja across in Godruma dvipa and then Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja came to Mayapur. He spent about 35 years in Vrindavana. He was very famous as a true renounced person and when he heard that the birthplace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu has been revealed again by the mercy of Jagannath dasa Babaji and Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Mayapur you know as the prophecy’s are, its expanding like a lotus flower. The other dhamas in Kaliyuga they close because of the sinful age but Navadvipa has advented especially for Kaliyuga, so its opening, its flourishing, specially from the time of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, it started to revive again. So Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja came to stay in Navadvipa and he spent the rest of his life here practically. He would go here and there sometimes. Mostly he would stay here.

So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he would go and see Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he pointed out my Guru, Bhaktisiddhanta said. He said he is your guru, Gaura Kisora, he said. Take initiation from him. You don’t come home until you’ve got initiation. You don’t come back till you get initiation from him. So he said, I was studying this person who had a little loin cloth, little babaji cloth, tiger skin cap, that was it. He had a few stamps, tilaka stamps, the holy name stamp. That was his possessions, some japa mala, some bit of cloth with knots in it, he used as japa mala. And he gave these possessions, that was his possessions, tiger skin hat, he gave to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I think in their first meeting.

Anyway Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he is your guru. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, ‘I was trying to understand him. But I couldn’t.’ He told me, ‘you give up your learning’ because he was a maha pandita. Nobody could defeat Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati at that time. People would flee if he came for a debate, which he liked to do. He said, ‘ When I was young I loveed to debate and defeat others.’ Gaura Kisora says, ‘Give up your learning and give up your attachment to morality.’ He was a naistika brahmacari also from birth. He maintained celibacy whole life. He said these are the two things, these are my identity, Bhaktisiddhanta was saying. I was such a strict moralist and also with my learning and everything I could defeat everyone. This was me, my identity. And Gaura Kisora said, ‘You should give up these qualities.’

So he said, ‘Either this person, he is genuinely renounced. Otherwise he has a huge huge false ego, that I cannot comprehend.’ And after some time he understood, no he is actually a genuine person. ‘I dont know any other person who is more renounced, I dont know of ever there will be one, than Gaura Kisora dasa Maharaja, from the time of Raghunatha dasa.’ I think he mentioned.
So anyway he approached Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, ‘You please give me initiation.’ And Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja said, ‘I am illiterate.’ Practically he was illiterate. ‘And you are great pandita, you are a great scholar. It won’t be a good match!’ So anyway he approached him some time. And Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja said, ‘Ok, I will ask my Prabhu!’ means Mahaprabhu. ‘I will ask my Prabhu! If He gives the order then I can give you the initiation.’ Bhaktisiddhanta very happy. The next day very enthusiastically he went to see, ‘What did He say? What did He say?’ ‘Oh! I forgot to ask Him!’ (laughs) ‘I’ll ask next time!’ So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, ‘Just as Madhvacarya’, (Madhvacarya I believe or Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, anyway one of those,) he said, ‘he approached his guru about 18 or 19 times. So you are not going to deceive me. I am going to get initiation from you.’

So again he went to see him, he said, ‘Did you ask Mahaprabhu?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘What did He say?’ ‘He said, He didn’t give me the order!’ Therefore I cannot initiate you.’ And Bhaktisiddhanta feeling very emotional, he stood up and said, ‘karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara’ (Saranagati) – if you are not merciful to me, I cannot maintain my life. And he fell down weeping at the lotus feet of his guru. Gaura Kisora was very moved. ‘Take your bath in the Jalangi. Come back and I’ll initiate you right now!’ So he was initiated into the name of Sri Varshabhanavi-devi-dayita dasa, one of the names of Srimati Radharani, servant of Srimati Radharani. Gaura Kisora sometimes he would see Bhaktisiddhanta approaching – Oh! Here comes a Manjari! That means Radharani must be around somewhere! Where is She? (laughs)

When he got news of disappearance of Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji who was living in Navadvipa at that time. So Bhaktisiddhanta immediately went to the, he was in Mayapur side, so he immediately crossed the Ganga to Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja’s bhajan kutir. And he said he wore green chadar. According to the alankrta sastra, or the sastra that deals with decoration and clothing, green invokes a mood of separation. So he put a green chadar on and quickly went to Navadvipa. When he got there there was some kind of a argument going on, who would give the Gaur Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja samadhi rites. Who would do that, who can claim that! And different babaji’s were saying, I’ll do it, we’ll do it, we’ll do it, everyone was trying to claim. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was saying it would be quite a lucrative business if they establish his, some were thinking like that, people would come and give money at the samadhi if I maintain. So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, ‘No’ll I’ll take the body! I’ll put the body in samadhi!’ They said, ‘But you are not a renunciant!’ This was before he took sannyasa. They said, ‘You are not a sannyasi! You are not a babaji!’ And Gaur Kisora dasa was a babaji. So therefore only a person in the renounced order of life can touch the body and make the samadhi. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura with a voice like thunder, he said, ‘I may not be a sannyasi or a babaji but I can say that I’ve never done none of this monkey business. So I am telling you that if anybody here has no relationship with a woman in the last six months you can come and take the body and do the samadhi rites. Three months. The last one month. Last week.’ All the babaji’s turning their backs. And the chief of police was there also because there was lot of disturbance. And he asked Bhaktisiddhanta, ‘How will you know:’ He said, ‘If they come and claim I will give. But I am saying with all my power, if you are truly renounced, take the body. Otherwise there will be dire consequence.’

So then he said to his disciples, ‘Take the body!’ So they took the body and samadhi. Now there were others there who said, ‘Babaji Maharaja when he was here he was saying that when I die you drag my body through the streets, cover it with the dust of the dhama, then throw it to the dhama dogs.’ So they said, that was his order, one of his last orders, so we should execute the order of Gaura Kisora. Bhaktisiddhanta said, ‘No they could never understand his humility. This is his humility he is saying that. We will carry, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu He carried Haridasa on His shoulders, we will carry our spiritual master on our shoulders.’ So they carried him away, made a samadhi for him.

We had one, two men who were friends and they helped us to get this land. When we first came here we got 9 bhigas of land, like from the Lotus building down to the main road. That was our ISKCON land and that was helped to get that by two muslim farmers who owned the land, Caku Sheikh and (?) Fakir. Anyway they sold the land to Prabhupada so we could start our project here. But they were telling us because they are from Mayapur village, they said when we were young, we remember Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. When we were little kids because they were in the village. And they said you know we were kids, we were down playing as kids do rolling in the dirt and you know the ladies are down there washing their clothes in the water hole, the kids are looking after goats and things like that. And we were kind of happily playing and then we noticed that all the elderly people they kind of stopped, all activities stopped. The whole village comes kind of still and the kids realised something has happened and they look and they see in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s house, he comes in the doorway, just on the porch. He is just standing there, looking over. And he said, he had such a presence that the whole present become complete tranquillised, calm, the whole village stopped, all the activities stopped. And all their gazes turned to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He said he was that kind of person.

So he has very beautiful deities there, Radha Gandharva Giridhari in the Caitanya Math. Radharani very beautiful, very shy looking, very modest, chaste, looking down. But anyway the history of those deities. When he made the math, Caitanya Math, he went to Jaipur where they make all the deities in marble. So they went to one shop and the owner of the shop, he said, here is your deity!’ In the shop there were many deities. ‘ Here is your deity!’ Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, how do you know thats my deity? No, first of all, how do you know I want a deity? But how do you know that is my deity? He said, because last night these deities appeared in my dream and he said, ‘Tomorrow one mahapurusa will come, one great soul will come here. And I want to accept his service.’ So he said, ‘This is your deity. Please accept your deities as donation.’ So he actually donated those deities to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And they are considered his favourite, they were his favourite deities. Radha Gandharva Giridhari ki jaya!

So I was asking one of Prabhupada’s Godbrothers, Sridhara Damodara Maharaja. He used to live here, he was a neighbour, where the BBT building is, his house was there actually. And he would come and see Prabhupada all the time. Anyway I asked him this question. There Caitanya Math, you have the Radha kunda. You’ve all been to Caitanya Math yeah. So you’ve seen Radha kunda, Shyama kunda, Govardhana is there also. So I said, how come you’ve got Radha kunda there because according to Navadvipa dhama mahatmaya Radha kunda is in Ritudvipa, the other side of the Ganga, where Ritudvipa. So how come you’ve got Radha kunda here? And Govardhana is in Koladvipa, present Navadvipa dhama. How you’ve got them here? According to Navadvipa dhama mahatmaya they are on the other side of the Ganga. And he said, because my Guru Maharaja, he was doing such a, his vrata, such a vrata, his bhajana was so intense that his bhajana sthana, it manifested here. He said, my Guru Maharaja has an eternal place of bhajana on the bank of Radha kunda and because of the power of his bhajana here, Radha kunda or his bhajana sthana manifested here. He said now I am chanting at the bank of Radha kunda. And he said Govardhana is here also. Can you see? He said, ‘no we cannot see Guru Maharaja.’ But they said, ‘Can we excavate them?’ He said ‘yes’. So then they excavated those ponds, Shyama kunda, Radha kunda. And they built a Govardhana. But Bhaktisiddhanta he could see them, it was all manifested before him.

Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja also, his samadhi was in Navadvipa. But then the Ganga was changing course all the time, by the will of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And she was always washing away banks and villages and things like that. So she was washing the samadhi. So he got news that Gaura Kisora’s samadhi is about to go into the Ganga. So he went. Some men they rescued the remnants and then they brought them back. And then they put them on the in the temple there, you have seen Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja’s samadhi temple, thats also on the bank of Radha kunda. And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that, there were many offences being made against Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji in his samadhi site. He said, ‘He did not wish to stay there anymore! And therefore Krishna made this arrangement. So now he is here. This is where he is, his eternal place on the bank of Radha kunda. So Krishna made the arrangement. So now here he is doing his bhajana also at Radha kunda.’

So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he invited the British Raj here. This was during the British rule, British Raj. Sir John Anderson, British old chap. But he was the Governor of West Bengal, the Governor, I believe the Governor of West Bengal, big position. And Bhaktisiddhanta preached him to come here, he got him to come here, thats not an easy task. You are in a village, there’s nothing happening here, the roads don’t go anywhere, because of the rivers nobody comes here, its a jungle. But he got the British Raj to come here and simultaneously he used this for preaching also. Of course he will get fame but he got him to establish the post office there, Mayapur post office, opposite the Yogapitha, government stamp. Because the other side in Navadvipa there was always the controversy, this is the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Mayapur, going on for years and years. So he got the British Raj to establish the post office, Government recognised Mayapur. But he said we have to have a road, there are no roads, theres nothing, he will be coming from Krishna Nagar side. So he got everybody fired up, the chief of the village. We have to make a road, he is coming. So within a day they made this road. The raised road outside, Bhaktisiddhanta road, they got all the, local, everybody started digging. And I think they put banana leaves or something on top. There’s a story in the Bible about Jesus, they put palm leaf or something, when he came. (laughs) Well anyway he is not that saintly, Sir John Anderson but Bhaktisiddhanta was. Anyway he got the road constructed at that time. Now we have a road.

When we were here in 1971 when we first got the land, they build the bhajan kutir. And there were couple of devotees staying here. And there was a flood, it flooded that year, so flood was coming up and Acyutananda Maharaja was here. But the raised road acted like a barrage because the Ganga didn’t flood, it wasn’t coming. And so Acyutananda Maharaja he wrote to Prabhupada and he said that, ‘The road of Bhaktisiddhanta that barrage it saved our property, otherwise it would have come and flooded everything.’ And Prabhupada wrote back, he said, ‘Yes the path of Bhaktisiddhanta is saving millions and millions of people!’ (laughs)

So he got Sir John Anderson to come and so he said to his disciples, ‘Now these people are meat eaters. You have to give them food. They are not going to come all the way here and eat rice. You have to give them food that they like to eat.’ So Sir John Anderson means ministers and the assembly. So they said, ‘What should we do?’ He said, ‘You go to Navadvipa. The Kali pujaris they cut the goats, kill the goats. And you can get them the Kali brahmanas. They can come and cook.’
So they did that.

And Sir John Anderson came and so after the function had finished, the disciples they went to their Guru Maharaja and they said, ‘Please Guru Maharaja explain just what had happened! We are completely bewildered! We cannot understand what just took place! They cooked meat right onChandrasekara Bhavan, the site of Mahaprabhu’s uncle’s house! They cooked meat there. And we are completely bewildered. And there is some left, we don’t know what to do! Throw in the Ganga? How we can throw in the Ganga, how we can give it to Gangadevi, she is a pure devotee! We bury in the dhama? But the dust is pure dhama! We are bewildered Guru Maharaja! Please explain just what happened!’

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, ‘Yes, I used to think like that also, one hundred births ago (?). But when I started this mission I promised to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, there is nothing I will stop, not stop at, to push on your mission, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Whatever it takes to push on your movement, I will not hesitate to do it.’ So this was his great preaching.

Also when they were excavating that road, they found this Shivalingam, by the hospital, by the kolva, they found the Shivalingam there. So he said this is a confirmation this place is Shiva(?) And another time on that road, again Damodara Maharaja, HH Damodara Maharaja, he was with his guru, they were walking, taking a japa walk on the road. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura he suddenly stopped. He looked up and he said, “Tch! Tch! Tch! Tch! How degraded this age of Kaliyuga! How degraded! Even on Chandraloka they are becoming so degraded! Tch! Tch! Tch! Tch!’ Then he carried on walking. (Laughs) Damodara Maharaja said, then I understood the meaning of Jagadguru. Usually we say Jagadguru, it means your country or something like this. He was, understood what was going on in other planets. And many of his disciples, their conclusion was that from here he went to Chandraloka to preach.

Prabhupada was giving a lecture here one time on the disappearance of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and he was talking about nityalila, how the sun rises here at 6’o clock in the morning, sets at 6’o clock in the evening, mid day its over here. For someone in the world they are seeing the sun us over here, for someone else in the world they are seeing sun is at 6’o clock, someone else seeing its, its a material example but its nityalila. Similarly he said, ‘My Guru Maharaja, he said he came with a mission to spread Krishna consciousness. And when it was finished he went to another place to do exactly the same thing. He said, this is called nityalila.’

So another time Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he was leaving Caitanya Math middle of the night. And one of his disciples who became Bhagavat Maharaja, saw his Guru Maharaja leaving middle of the night. Where is he going? Anyway he is walking down. He says, who is that behind me? Who is following me? Always your disciple Bhagavat bramhacari, Maharaja! Ok, come with me! So he walks past here,by the Sulabha kitchen, there is a big banyan tree over the road, just past Prabhupada kitchen, there is a big banyan tree about there. Then they saw a harinama party coming from the other side, from (?) ghat. This is at midnight! There are no boats or anything at midnight. Somehow or another this kirtana party, prema sankirtana, coming. Bhaktisiddhanta saw them and they met and embracing, rolling on the floor, symptoms of ecstasy were there. His disciple was astonished. He said who are they? He said, they are coming from Svetadvipa, from Svetadvipa. Come for a darshan of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These Svetadvipa vasis they said to Bhaktisiddhanta, ‘We have heard about your glories. We are coming here to hear from you the glories of Gauranga! We want to hear from your mouth. We have heard of your activities here. So you please give us some Gaura katha!’ Bhaktisiddhanta was very humble of course, daso’smi he would say to everyone, you are all exalted personalities! ‘No, we want to hear.’ Actually they went back and he gave Gaura katha, chanting the glories of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu until the sun started to come Then they went off again back go Svetadvipa from where they had come.

So another time, this was right at the end of his vow. And he describes that he was at the Yogapitha and he said from the eastern direction he saw Panca Tattva coming, prema sankirtana, all the devotees were there, the Goswamis were there, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was there, Gaura Kisora was there, his own guru, they had all left the planet. But they were all coming in prema sankirtana. They approached him, and said, now you should give up your austerities. You should go out and preach. And they said, you don’t worry for anything. You need manpower, we will send. You need money, you don’t worry, we have unlimited resources behind! You just simply go out and preach fearlessly. Don’t worry for the, don’t worry for facility, we are all behind you. So then he took sannyasa after that and he went to preach in Calcutta, where Gaura Kisora das Babaji Maharaja said, don’t go to Calcutta, never go there! Realm of Kali, realm of Kali is there! But first place he went there. And people said,’ why did you do that if your Guru Maharaja told you not to go.’ He said, ‘if I have to preach I have to go where the people are. So they are all in the cities. I have to come to the city to preach. But actually I am not in Calcutta because I am simply preaching the glories of Mayapur and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I don’t consider myself in Calcutta! I consider myself in Mayapur!’

So these are the extraordinary characteristics.

There was one devotee of sorts. He came here to see Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Then afterwards he went to Navadvipa to see Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji. He said, ‘Babaji Maharaja, I just went to Sri Mayapur. I saw, met your disciple there. But he is a little bit too much of Vaikuntha for my liking. He is like a bit too much, I am more attracted to raganuga bhakti and you are such a personification of raganuga bhakti.’ He said, ‘ I want to stay in Navadvipa with you and do my bhajana with you because I think Bhaktisiddhanta is too much Vaikuntha.’ And Gaura Kisora Maharaja said, ‘Yes the fact, he is a Vaikuntha man. But simultaneously he has a place in Mayapur.’ He said, ‘You are talking to me, I am in Navadvipa, I’ve got a place also there in Mayapur. But people with your envious mentality will never never be able to understand. Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his son Bhaktisiddhanta are executing pure devotional service to Sridhama Mayapur. And you are criticising.’ He fell down later on that so-called babaji.

So a very very powerful preacher, speciality was attacking mayavada also. ‘The evil fruit of India’, he called it, the mayavada philosophy. (laughs)

One time, they were going to Jagannath Puri with his disciples. Someone came up and gave him a box of mangoes, ripe mangoes. Of course Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati never ate ripe mangoes because when he was a small little boy he took a mango. Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, ‘Did you offer it? Was it offered? Why you are taking unoffered fruit?’ Bhaktisiddhanta was so sincere, he said, ‘Ok from now on I will never eat mango again!’ And Prabhupada said the whole life he never ate ripe mango. And if anybody ever offered to him he said, no I am sinful, I cannot eat mango. But he used to eat kuccha aam, green mango chutney, very nice. But he didn’t eat the ripe mango.

Anyway they gave a box of ripe mangoes. The trains were new in India, they weren’t so fast, so it was long time, long train journey to Puri. And these mangoes started to get a bit bad, a bit rotten. And on the journey there was a mayavadi. He was on the carriage and he was talking mayavada philosophy all the time and he was kind of having a joke that the devotees they are like sentimentalists and he was talking ice cold jnana of mayavada philosophy. So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, ‘Bring the mangoes down!’ By that time some had become really bad. He said, ‘Pick out the worst ones!’ So they picked out really bad stinky ones. He said, ‘Go and offer to that mayavadi. Tell him, my guru is offering you a mango!’

So he took these mangoes and they were stinking, bad smell was coming. They gave it to the mayavadi, ‘Here please accept this from my Guru Maharaja.’ He said, ‘Bad smell is coming, they are all bad!’ No but you’ve been preaching for the last half an hour everything is one. kuccha mango, ripe mango, its all one, take it! So he couldn’t take it! So all the carriage, everyone was laughing at the mayavadi philosophy. He lost all of his credit. Everybody laughed, saw the futility of his philosophy.

He was known as simha guru, very very courageous.
It was seen in Calcutta one time, he was walking with his disciples. They said, ‘Guru Maharaja, look! Here comes that mayavadi sannyasi, big mayavadi with his disciples, coming this way!’ Bhaktisiddhanta he crossed over the road, directly walked straight up to him and slapped him on his face! Why you are teaching this philosophy which denies the living entities eternal love for Krishna? He could not reply. (laughs) Simhaguru! Jagadguru!

So yeah this was one lesson that he often used to tell to his disciples, to his preaches, and sannyasis that you don’t worry for anything. This Trivikrama, like they told him at the Yogapitha, we are all behind you, the whole parampara is behind you. So he often refers to Trivikrama, Vamanadeva. He took three steps, He stuck His toe through the universe with His second step, thats who is behind you, he said! He is Krishna, we are in His line. He is only this big, a little boy, but He can stick His toes, what can He not do? So remember this! Always behind you have, Trivikrama is behind you, what can you not achieve? If your protector, who you are have shelter of, who you are surrendering to, if He can put His second step in the universe, what cannot be achieved. So always be confident of who is behind you. Just go out and fearlessly preach! Have that courage!

So he was a very courageous preacher, very bold and he gives us this lesson that its just not us and our spiritual life. Their is a whole parampara there, there is a whole family still very much living and very much alive. So we are not alone, we have so many friends in our spiritual life ready to help us.

Jaya! Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura avirbhava mahotsava tithi ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Samaveda Gaurabhakta vrnda ki jaya!
Nitai Gaurapremanande Hari Haribol!

Gunagrahi das Goswami Health Update - Official.
Written by Mahahari das and Gandharvika devi dasi
Dear Devotees, family and well wishers,
Please accept our obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and His Holiness Gunagrahi das Goswami.
My Husband and I both spoke to His Holiness Gunagrahi Maharaja today.
After undergoing his second MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) it was discovered that the cancer has gotten worse. It has not spread to new areas of the body, but has gained strength in existing areas. He is also experiencing increased pain throughout the body, especially in the areas of the tumor near the spine. He is in good spirits and plans to continue the treatments for now. He will be in contact with the doctors, medical professionals and senior devotees as to what he plans to do next. We ask that the devotees please pray for his well being and that he may suffer the least pain possible.
Due to the intense situation, he will be minimizing even more his email, and we request that devotees only write him positive communication if necessary.
As requested in a previous update, he welcomes 30 second video greetings. Please send those to: gandarvika@yahoo.com
Your servants,
Mahahari das and Gandharvika devi dasi

By Madhava Smullen

“I am grateful to be able to serve in New Vrindaban,” said ISKCON New Vrindaban (INV) President Jaya Krsna Das, looking out at an audience of GBC, board members, temple residents, and community members.

He expressed the emotion as he introduced the Department Head Presentations on December 5^th, part of the biannual INV and ECO-Vrindaban (ECO-V) Board Meetings.

Looking back with fondness on 2015, Jaya Krsna said that the past year had seen INV and ECO-V’s organizational structures, led by 14 department heads, become smooth and stable.

“We started out in 2011 with many new department heads,” he said. “Now most are experienced, and have strong, cooperative relationships with each other.”

He added that visitors could see INV improving on many levels, including its welcoming mood and the physical upgrades to its buildings and facilities. As a result, many senior devotees are now visiting, as well as large numbers of locals through events like Festival of Colors.

Other developments, he said, were showing that “Krishna’s magic” is in full swing.

On their own volition, community members Sundari Dasi and Mercy started the Gopal’s Garden Preschool. Devotees banded together to start the Village Association, which will give New Vrindaban residents more influence on how their community is run. Second generation devotees who grew up in New Vrindaban have moved back, like Nityananda Dasi with her husband Vrajadhama, and Bhagavan with his wife Ananga Manjari. And two other devotee families are about to settle on their own land sold to them by INV.

The Department Head Reports of 2015 followed Jaya Krsna’s introduction, highlighting the stability and cooperative relationships he had praised.

The Deity Department, headed by Abhinandana Das, reported making regular improvements in the standards of worship, cooking and dressing. Particularly exciting was the news that Deity outfits are again being homemade in New Vrindaban, which was once famous all over ISKCON for having the best seamstresses and jewelry designers. So too was the news that in 2015 the Deity Dept. hosted a Deity Worship Ministry Pujari training program for 48 East Coast pujaris for the second consecutive year.

From Govinda’s Restaurant, Vasudeva Das said that visitor numbers had notably increased throughout the year. This was probably due in no small part to the expanded menu, with world cuisine like sushi, tacos, and lasagna, as well as doughnuts, cakes, and vegan items. New décor was also added, including a book table; and increased kitchen space and a new altar made the atmosphere more pleasant for staff.

Vasudeva also presented for Madri Dasi from the Devotee Kitchen, who had to return home to Northern Ireland to be take care of an urgent family matter. Madri introduced a much-needed more healthy, balanced diet for the devotees, a consistent cooking schedule, and the use of ghee rather than oil. The Devotee Kitchen was also brightened up with a newly painted hallway and new doors.

Palace Lodge manager Gaura Bhakta Das, reported that the Welcome Center is beginning to fulfill its central role – it’s now receiving all the mail for ISKCON New Vrindaban; has warm customer service from senior devotees Lilasuka and Lokadristi, and has become the first stop for all visitors. Meanwhile in the Lodge itself, four new rooms with attached bathrooms – one of them wheelchair accessible – have been added, with nine more planned for this summer.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the improvements in the facilities, and the way we take care of and welcome our guests,” says Jaya Krsna.

One newcomer to Krishna consciousness wrote to Jaya Krsna recently, listing the names of seven different devotees who had introduced themselves and talked to him.

Meanwhile in a Dandavats article, Taraka Das wrote that during his travels to various ISKCON temples, “The place that stood out for me as welcoming and warm was New Vrindaban. Every devotee that I encountered said, “Haribol. How are you?” or similar or just smiled. It warmed my heart!”

Another draw of New Vrindaban for visitors are its Festivals, reported on by Vrindavan Das. In 2015 hundreds participated in the Festival of Inspiration, the June and October 24-Hour Kirtans, and the Festival of Colors. Janmastami attendance tripled over the previous year, with 3,000 attendees. And devotees enjoyed a sweet community Rathayatra festival and an inspiring retreat with Bhakti Charu Swami.

Perhaps the highlight of the year, however, was the Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival Festival in Butler, PA, which saw 200 devotees tour the YMCA building where Prabhupada stayed, hold a huge Harinama on the way to the Agarwals’ old apartment, and praise the ISKCON Founder-Acharya in a Grand Ballroom event.

Vrindavan also presented the accomplishments of the Communications department, which had seven articles published in local newspapers about many of these festivals. Communications staff also improved the design and content of monthly email newsletter Brijabasi Spirit; created archives of New Vrindaban photos and articles from over the years; improved social networking; and published monthly articles on ISKCON News and Dandavats.

In Devotee Relations, Sukhavaha Dasi had a very busy year caring for residents. She offered personal development course The Hero’s Journey; had certified family life educator Krishnanandini Dasi give a couple’s course for future grihastas; and gave one-on-one counseling sessions to devotees with spiritual, emotional or financial challenges.

She also established a child protection team; brought ISKCON North American CPO Lilasuka Dasi to train its members; secured an apartment for a hospice for terminally ill devotees; and established experienced caretaker Jasoda Gokulananda to care for them.

The Congregational Development department with Gaura Nataraj Das, meanwhile, is caring for pilgrims. They offer them a japa introduction course, a visit to the goshala, and a guided Govardhana parikrama when they visit, as well as a live weekly class via webcam. The CD team also keeps in touch with pilgrims at home, sending them gifts for birthdays and anniversaries, calling them up regularly, counseling them in their personal lives, and encouraging them in their chanting. As a result, registration increased by 25%, long weekend turnout by 50%, and 1,500 new familes visited New Vrindaban and registered with the CD office.

Of course, to ensure all these departments run smoothly, good Accounting is essential. In 2015 Laxmi Honest upgraded to a new bank, Chase, that makes transactions much more efficient; and a new, more reliable payroll company that ensures devotees get their direct transfers on time. She also ensured that monthly closing is done and financial data presented to the Board within ten days.

Moving up from the temple to Prabhupada’s Palace, Jaya Krsna reported for Tripad Vibhuti Das that visitors increased 10% to about 20,000 in 2015. In addition, the first chattra was repainted, its pillars replaced, and work begun on the second; the Rose Garden was set on its way to becoming sustainable and chemical-free; and monthly Prabhupada sangas were held in Srila Prabhupada’s altar room.

At the Apartments, new department head Lalita Gopi Dasi did a major cleanup of the building, planted flowers, and cleared the maintenance shed. She also had the toilets fixed, bathroom renewed and the stairs and decks renovated. “The devotee tenants are really happy with how helpful and supportive she is,” says Jaya Krsna.

Finally in Facilities, Gopisa Das oversaw the infrastructure improvement that has drawn the appreciation of visitors. At Prabhupada’s Palace, he had the upper main stairs beautifully renovated by recycling the old pink granite, and adding new black granite treads with polished front edges. The parking lot was expanded from 15 spaces to 70. And contracts have been signed for a construction company to renovate the outer wall.

The Palace Lodge received a new floor in the community hall and attractive and durable new hardy board siding on the side facing the playground – which is also brand new and much safer for the children. The temple got insulated doors and windows to keep the heat in, an efficient gas furnace, a new roof over the guest wing with high quality lifetime shingles and Swiss Velux skylights.

Some of the cabins and apartments also received new roofs, the cracked sidewalks around the temple and Lodge were repaired, and two new apartment buildings are under construction.

Next, introducing the ECO-Vrindaban department head presentations, ECO-V Board Chair Bhima Walker summarized the year’s highlights.

2015, he said, had been all about building the ECO-V team. Two new managers were engaged and brought up to speed: Project Manager Mukunda Das, who started in May, and Garden and Ox Training Manager Nitai Candra Das, who joined the team in September.

Vyasasana Das completed exterior renovations on the once dilapidated Bahulaban Barn. It will now be used as a summer pasturing ground for retired milking cows and some of the elderly oxen.

The purchase of the former ISCOWP farm, which has been named Nandagram since the 1970s, was finalized the day before the presentations. The Nandagram Farm’s excellent ox training facility including barns and outbuildings — built over 20 years by Balabhadra and his crew – will be used to accommodate and train ECO-V’s three teams of young Brown Swiss oxen. The farm also includes two houses: one is already home to ECO-V Project Manager Mukunda and his wife Bhakti-lata, while the other will accommodate other staff members.

Following Bhima, new Garden and Ox Training manager Nitai Candra Das introduced himself. He described his four years of experience taking care of the ISKCON Escondido farm in California, which supplied local temples with vegetables and protected cow milk.

He then explained how he had put the New Vrindaban Community Gardens to bed for the winter; helped Vidya and her crew at the end of the growing season in the Teaching Garden; attended a restorative agriculture course with project manager Mukunda; and begun developing his relationship with the three ox teams. He hopes to have the oxen ready to take Prabhupada’s murti on a parikrama around New Vrindaban by fall 2016, and to take visitors by summer 2017.

Next Ananda Vidya Das reported steady success with the Cows. He and his wife Lalita Gopi are currently milking seven cows, with a yield of 17 gallons a day; keeping the Deity kitchen stocked with fresh butter, and even starting to make and supply ghee to the devotee and Deity kitchens. Two new calves, Shriya and Shiva, were born recently, and three more cows are pregnant and due in March.

Last but not least was new Project Manager Mukunda Das. Mukunda described how he had overseen repairs at the milking Goshala and Palace Rose Garden, including a full renovation on the Rose Garden’s greenhouse with a new fan system, heaters, and electricity upgrade. He also fully renovated the long-neglected conference room at the ECO-Vrindaban Valley Barn, which will now be used for meetings on a regular basis.

Another major part of Mukunda’s work is community building – every week, he leads a number of ISKCON New Vrindaban department heads in exercises on how to deepen their relationships and interactions with co-managers, staff, and guests. He also serves as the chair and secretary of the Steering Committee that is developing the New Vrindaban Village Association.

“During previous years, ECO-Vrindaban spent a lot of time clarifying its mission,” says Bhima in summary. “2015 was all about building a team to realize that vision. And 2016 is the year we anticipate major progress in the gardens, ox training, and facilities upgrades.” He grins. “ECO-V is gonna make a splash!”

“In general, 2015 was a very successful year for both INV and ECO-V,” Jaya Krsna concludes. “We made a lot of progress on many levels. Now we have cooperative, stable teams which allow us to better serve Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra. And that gives us a lot of potential for the future.”

Harinam Sankirtan in Bali, Indonesia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0mS2Bv

The Heart of a Vaisnava.
A wonderful lecture by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami about the Vaisnavas who voluntarily, out of their causeless mercy come down to this miserable place, this material world.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/Sdmkcz

Kalash Yatra (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: For the 13th Annual Vrinda Kunda Festival, we did a kalash yatra with all the ladies carrying water pots with coconuts on their heads. This year all the girls from the Nandagram Bhaktivedanta Vaisnavi Gurukula also joined carrying colorful flags! After reaching Vrinda Kunda, we had katha, kirtan, butter churning, and prasad! Relish these pics of Vittalrukmini!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/UkLpgn

By Dwaipayan De

A devotee of the Supreme Lord is magnanimous and an inspiration to one and all. A devotee of the Lord is all-purifying and it is by great fortune that one comes to associate with him. Infact even a moment’s association with a Pure devotee of the Lord is highly glorified in the scriptures and is said to bestow all good fortune upon the other. It is by the mercy of the Pure devotees of the Lord, that one can begin to understand Krishna, the supreme Lord, and it is only by serving His devotees, that one can obtain the love of Lord. In this article we would be focusing our discussion about the super-excellent qualities of the devotees, the ornaments that decorate his personality, and how they continue to be an inspiration to all of us.

1. KIND TO EVERYONE : A devotee of the Supreme Lord is always merciful and a well-wishing friend of not only humans, but all living beings. The devotee is always concerned about the suffering condition of the living entities entrapped in material existence, and he always contemplates as to how they might be relieved.
When Namacharya Haridas Thakur was asked as to why one should chant the Lord’s names loudly, he replied that when one chants silently, only he receives the benefit, whereas when a dovotee chants loudly, everyone around him, even the animals and plants are benefitted from associating with the Lord’s holy names.
Seeing the most sinful and abominable Jagai and Madhai, Lord Nityananda and Haridas Thakur felt great compassion and wanted to help them, by urging to take to the chanting of the Lord’s names. Lord Nityananda didn’t stop showering his compassion and mercy upon the two sinners even after they had injured him by throwing broken pot towards him which caused him to bleed profusely.

2. HUMBLE, DOES NOT QUARREL WITH ANYONE : The Devotees of the Lord live by the instructions given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – “trinad api sunicena, taror api sahishnuna, amanina manadena, kirtaniya sada hari” which means that
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others.
When the Digvijayi scholar Roop Narayan wanted to debate with Srila Rupa Goswami , Rupa Goswami didn’t want to waste his time arguing with such a mundane scholar. Instead he readily accepted defeat from him and signed his Vijaya Patra. Roop Narayan didn’t understand, that Rupa Goswami was far advanced than him and that he only accepted defeat out of humility. Jiva Goswami , however , was very upset seeing Roop Narayan boast , and he accepted the challenge on Rupa Goswami’s behalf. Jiva Goswami subsequently defeated Roop Narayan and made him realize the exalted position of Srila Rupa Goswami.Roop Narayan subsequently surrendered at the lotus feet of Srila Rupa and Sanatana Goswami.

3. TRUTHFUL, FIXED IN THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH : The Devotee of the Lord always keeps his vows, follows the regulative principles and carries out the orders of his spiritual master.
Here we can put forward the example of Srila Sanatan Goswami , who even in his old age did not want to give up the daily 23 mile Govardhan Parikrama that he did every day, though it was physically very difficult for him. Krishna Himself felt pity for Sanatan Goswami and asked him to stop the daily parikrama. But Sanatan Goswami didn’t want to stop citing that this was his vow and one of the activities of his daily bhajan.
Seeing this and feeling compassionate towards His dear devotee, Krishna engraved His footprint in one of the Govardhan Silas and presented it to Sanatan Goswami . Krishna then asked Sanatan Goswami that he should henceforward circumbulate that Govardhan Sila as it is equivalent to doing Govardhan parikrama.Krishna said that in the process Sanatan Goswami’s vows would be kept intact and he would not be compromising with his religious principles.Seeing that Giriraj Himself had given the sila, Sanatan Goswami gladly accepted it. That Govardhan Sila having Krishna’s footprints can still be seen if one pays visit to the Radha Damodar temple in Vrindavan.

4. EQUAL TO EVERYONE : A devotee of the Lord sees the supersoul in everyone’s heart and treats all of them equally. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says in this regard :

kiba vipra kiba nyasi sudra kene naya,
yei krishna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya

Translation : A person may be a brahmana, a sannyasi, a sudra or whatever, but if he is well conversant in the science of Krishna, he can become a guru. (Cc. Madhya 8.128)

Someone’s caste,creed, religion,etc did not hinder Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from bestowing His mercy upon him. Haridas Thakur who was brought up in a muslim family was made the Namacharya by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Similarly Ramananda Raya, who was a shudra by birth, happened to be one of the most intimate associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Likewise, Rupa and Sanatana Goswami , who were blessed by Lord Chaitanya to compose books and explain the principles of Krishna consciousness to the whole world, were during those days rejected by the erstwhile Hindu community as they served as ministers under a Mohammedan king.

5. FAULTLESS : A devotee, who in words, deeds, and mind is always surrendered to Krsna and who executes Guru and Krsna’s desire to the best of his ability is considered to be faultless. All the acharyas of the four bonafide sampradayas demonstrate to us the quality of Faultlessnes through their lives.

6. CHARITABLE : The biggest charity one can give is to give Krishna consciousness to others. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said “Yare dekho tare kaho Krishna upadesa” which means “Instruct whomever you meet in Krishna Consciousness” . A pure devotee is he, seeing whom, others get inspired to take to Krishna consciousness.
We find that all the previous acharyas of our sampradaya have been the most charitable in this regard. We can cite the example of our beloved Srila Prabhupada, Lord Chaitanya’s commander-in-chief, who distributed the holy names and pastimes of the Lord all over the world. It is due to Srila Prabhupada’s magnanimity and his charitable nature that the most sublime message of Gaudadesha (Navadwip) is resonated in every corner of the world today, for the benefit of one and all.

7. Mild : A devotee of the Lord avoids the unnecessary materialistic hankerings and thus is spared from the sufferings that come along with it. The devotee of the lord is thus always mild and peaceful and satisfied in Krishna consciousness.

8. Clean and Pure : The Krishna conscious movement is all auspicious. The various Vaishnava etiquettes are aimed at not only keeping a devotee externally hygienic but also at developing his humility. The four regulative principles of abstaining from meat eating,intoxication,illicit sex and gambling helps maintain a high standard of purity both internally and externally for a devotee.
The chanting of the Lord’s holy name and the mercy of His pure devotees is all-purifying and can rescue even the most abominable sinner, and bestow upon him all good fortune.
Here, we can cite the examples of Jagai and Madhai who were delivered by the mercy of Nityananda prabhu. Similarly the mercy of Srinivasa Acharya delivered the sinful king Virhambira.Also, the sinful and envious Mohammedan soldier Sher Khan was delivered and initiated by merciful Shyamananda Panditaa.

9. Simple, without material possession : Kolavecha Sridhar used to sell banana leaves in Navadwip.He was a materially impoverished person and could barely make the ends meet. Yet he was a great devotee of the Lord. Whatever little he earned,he used to spend fifty percent of it in worshipping the Ganges.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu loved him a lot and was ready to grant him anything, even the kingdom of Indra, or the perfections of the mystic yogic process, during the Mahaprakash Lila. But Sridhar did not ask for any money or opulence as a benediction; all he wanted was to serve Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lifetime after lifetime.
“Lord, if You must give me something, then I ask for this. May that Brahmin who used to pinch my banana leaves and bark ,be my Lord, lifetime after lifetime. May that Brahmin who used to argue with me be my master, and I serve His lotus feet.” (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.9.223-5)
The beautiful pastimes of Kolavecha Sridhar indicate how the devotees of the lord are simple without any material hankerings.

10. Benevolent : The devotees of the Lord always think of the welfare of other living entities.
When Haridas Thakur was being whipped in the 22 market places,he was constantly praying to the Lord that the offenders who were beating him might be forgiven.Lord Chaitanya later revealed in the maha-prakasha lila that He advented to the scene with His sudarshana Chakra, on seeing Haridas being beaten but could not kill the offenders because Haridas constantly prayed so that the miscreants be forgiven.
Not only that, when the guards beating Haridas Thakur got very tired after whipping him in the 22 market places and discovered that Haridas was still alive, they prayed to Haridas Thakur so that he gives up his life. They prayed that if they were unsuccessful in killing Haridas Thakur, the Nawab would kill them instead. Feeling merciful upon the miscreants who had whipped him in the 22 market places, Haridas Thakur entered into a state of trance, so that he appeared dead externally to everyone around him, so that the guards who were beating him might not be punished by the Nawab.

11. Peaceful : A devotee of the Supreme Lord is always relishing internal peace and manifesting goodness. He has staunch faith that Krishna is always going to protect him. Therefore he does not get agitated and can avoid the unnecessary conflicts and miseries of the world.
For instance Shrivas Panditaa was a householder, but didn’t go out to work and earn money. Yet he was very happy and peaceful and always warmly invited and served the devotees in his house. This was because he was confident that the Lord would take care of the necessities of His devotee. Once Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Srivas Panditaa as to how does he make his ends meet. Shrivas Pandita replied that everything in his house was arranged due to the Lord’s mercy and that the Lord maintained his family.
Though Shrivas pandita was a very exalted devotee and his faith upon the Lord exhibited the highest symptoms of devotion, still, his behavior should be inspiration for us to depend upon the mercy of the Lord and appreciate the Lord’s hand behind all that occurs, as per our own minute capacity.

12. Completely attached to Krishna : A devotee of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, is completely attached to His lotus feet and becomes an instrument of showering God’s love towards other living beings.
Here we can cite the example of our beloved Srila Prabhupada, who left his country at the elderly age of sixty-nine, with forty Indian Rupees and a trunk of his Bhagavatam commentaries to preach the message of Krishna consciousness to the western world. He boarded the weathered cargo ship named ‘Jaladuta’ and embarked on a journey to New York in the year 1965 to fulfill His Guru’s instruction to preach in the west. Srila Prabhupada sat in his stuffy cabin which rolled back and forth with the motion of the sea. He suffered from sea sickness, dizziness and vomiting. He also had two heart-attacks during the travel but survived by the mercy of Lord Krishna.
When the ship arrived at the New York Harbor thirty-seven days later, Srila Prabhupada was utterly alone as he had come to America knowing no one,with absolutely no visible means of support and only the meager handful of possessions that he had carried while boarding the ship.
Such was his attachment to Krishna and faith upon his Guru’s instructions, that Srila Prabhupada never thought twice about travelling away from the homely comfort of his motherland, far away from the spiritual lands of Vrindavan and Navadwip, to the distant west where the utter material and sensual pursuits was considered the supreme goal of life. And he travelled at such an advanced age when most are ready to retire.
The rest as we know is history.Srila Prabhupada passed away in Vrindavan,India at the age of eighty-one. In this brief period of time , Srila Prabhupada had travelled the world fourteen times, establishing over a hundred temples over six continents. He introduced Harinama sankirtana and Jagannath rathyatra festival in almost all the countries of the world bringing the temple to the people. Infact Srila Prabhupada did not leave Vrindavan and Mayapura to preach in the west,instead, the holy dhams travelled with him, so that all the suffering souls across the planet could take advantage by reconnecting with their spiritual past. Srila Prabhupada is the perfect example of how one should try and execute the orders of his spiritual master and serve Sri Gouranga, the supreme personality of Godhead, in the process.

13. Desireless : A devotee of the Lord is devoid of any material hankerings. It is said that once a poor brahmana worshiped Lord Siva for a benediction, and Lord Siva advised the devotee to go to see Sanatana Gosvami. The devotee informed him Sanatana Goswami that Lord Siva had advised him to seek out the best benediction from him. Sanatana had a touchstone with him, which he kept with the garbage. On the request of the poor brahmana, Sanatana Gosvami gave him the touchstone, and the brahmana was very happy to have it. He now could get as much gold as he desired simply by touching the touchstone to iron. But after he left Sanatana, he thought, “If a touchstone is the best benediction, why has Sanatana Gosvami kept it with the garbage?” He therefore returned and asked Sanatana Gosvami as to why he kept the valuable touchstone in the garbage. Sanatana Gosvami then informed him that there were superior benedictions that could have been availed from him and asked if the Brahmana was interested. The brahmana responded in the positive.Then Sanatana Gosvami asked him to throw the touchstone in the Yamuna and then come back. The poor brahmana did so, and when he returned, Sanatana Gosvami initiated him with the Hare Krsna mantra. Thus by the benediction of Lord Siva the brahmana got the association of the best devotee of Lord Krsna and was thus initiated in the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Thus something materially as valuable as the touchstone is considered as equivalent to garbage by the pure devotees of the lord who are only concerned with serving Guru and Gauranga.

14. Indifferent towards material possessions: Pundarika Vidyanidhi was a great Vaishnava, a disciple of Madhavendra Puri and even Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to sing praises of him.
He was a zamindar(landlord) and he disguised his external appearance as a wealthy materialist.
Infact his external appearance was so deceiving with all the rich paraphernalia he possessed, that even Gadadhara Pandita mistook him to be an ordinary wealthy person devoid of Vaishnava qualities.
But when Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard some recitations from Srimad Bhagavatam, it enkindled the flames of love for Krishna within his heart. He began to cry out Krishna’s names, roll on the floor,tore his clothes and started breaking all the expensive paraphernalia around him . Seeing the transcendental symptoms of love on Pundarika’s body, Gadadhara pandit realized his mistake and began to repent. Even though Pundarika Vidyanidhi was a great Vaishnava, he kept it a secret and appeared just like a materialistic person. Gadadhara Pandita ultimately took initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi.
Thus we understand the exalted position of Pundarika Vidyanidhi who though being a very rich landlord, was indifferent towards his material possessions when it came to exhibiting his love for the lord. For such an elevated soul, it does not matter whether he lives in the house or in the forest, whether he wears a loincloth or wears the garb of a king. Pundarika was indifferent towards his material possessions and put on the show of being sensualist for those who were capable of being deceived by someone’s external appearance. The lotus feet of Pundarika Vidyanidhi are the worshipable treasure-house of the devotees.

15. Steady, Fixed : The realizations of a devotee should be so profound that his dedication to his spiritual master and Krishna cannot be influenced anymore by various temptations, suffering or opposing philosophies.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura , throughout his life, worked very hard to rescue the real teachings of Chaitanya mahaprabhu and our sampradaya from the clutches of misinterpretations of the deviant sects.He had to counter the deviants like the sahajiyas, caste Goswamis and smarta brahmanas, atibaris,Gauranga Nagaris,etc
He had to stand against the imposters and black tantrics like Bishak Sen who proclaimed himself as God and threatened to kill the Thakura on being opposed.
Our sampradaya is going to be ever grateful to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura for his valuable contribution in preserving the unadulterated treasure of love propagated by Sri Chaitanya.

16. Self-Controlled : There are six bad qualities, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. A pure devotee controls these bad qualities by engaging in Krsna’s service.
Haridas Thakura is a perfect example of such a self-controlled devotee. He could not be tempted from his vows by the lustful advances of a beautiful prostitute(Lakshahira) or even by the provocations of Mahamaya, the illusory energy of the lord personifed, and both ended up getting initiated by Haridas Thakura instead. Anger, illusion, Greed, envy stayed very far away from Haridas Thakur.
Haridas Thakura didn’t mind when he was insulted by Gopal Chakrabarty when he spoke about the glories of the holyname, neither was he envious of the Brahmins who could gain an entry into the temple at jagannath Puri, while he was kept out. Even though he was such an elevated vaishnava, Haridas Thakura displayed his humility staying by the siddha Bakula tree, outside the jagannatha temple. He never entered the temple considering himself a lowborn.
Haridas Thakur was never illusioned by the words of the kazi or the nawab who wanted him to stop chanting Krishna’s holy names, and take shelter of koran instead.He gracefully accepted the punishment of being beaten in the 22 market places, but never compromised on chanting the holy names of Krishna.

17. Does not eat more than required : A devotee of the Lord does not eat too much or too little. He lives moderately and does not eat more than required or wastes the energy of God in anyway. If we consider the examples of the six goswamis of Vrindavan, we find that they lived by doing madhukari(collected food by begging from door to door).
Here we can also cite the example of Shuklambar brahmacari, who kept his body and soul together by offering and eating the foodstuffs which he daily accumulated by begging. Since he was constantly absorbed in the joys of chanting the names of the Lord and remembering His qualities and pastimes, he never suffered from his poverty. Though to an ordinary conditioned soul he appeared to be a poverty-stricken mendicant, to transcendental eyes he was rich because of his love for Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya out of His causeless mercy and love for Shuklambar used to snatch dry rice from his bag and eat it. Though Shuklambar Brahmachari was troubled to see the Lord eating the unclean and broken fragments of low-quality rice and felt that he was committing an offense,the Lord calmed him and said that He always ate His Devotee’s food with great enthusiasm, but that He had no interest whatsoever in the finest foods of the non-devotee.

18. Sane: A devotee of the lord is never intoxicated by material enjoyment.His bodily requirements are minimal and offers his whole life to Krishna. In this way he is perfectly balanced.

19. Respectful : Here we can refer to the pastime where Srivas Pandita did not reveal the news of his own son’s death, to Lord Chaitanya lest the ecstatic dancing kirtan that the Lord was performing in Srivas Angan be disturbed, or His mood be slackened.The sheer respect and reverence that Srivas Pandita possessed for the Lord is unfathomable to the ordinary.
Another pastime that I can recollect is how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura once in his childhood ate a ripened mango without offering it first to the lord.His father Bhaktivinoda thakura subsequently chastised his son for this.Though Bhakti Siddhanta was a mere child, and it was not a grave offense on his part, still he took it very seriously and out of a feeling of guilt of committing an offense at the lord’s lotus feet, he never ever ate ripened mangos again in his life.Such was his respect for the Lord.

20. Has no Material hankering : A devotee is not attracted by material possessions which help us to gain a prestigious position. He sees everything attractive in this world as a reflection of Krsna, the all-attractive cause of all causes.
Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji maharaj was an elevated exalted Paramhamsa. His mood of renunciation was unparalleled. Sometimes he ate mud from the banks of Radha-Kunda or the Yamuna. Other times he took madhukari from the Vrajavasis. He saw all the Vrajavasis as being the direct personal associates of Radha and Krishna. As a result of this vision, he would pay respects to every person, cow, animal, bird, tree, creeper, insect, ant in the holy dhama.
He had no material hankering and to keep mundane people from approaching him, he once resided in the lavatories at the kuliya Dharmashalla for six months.Infact he was so humble that he wished that after he had passed away, his body be dragged through the streets of Navadwip.
Out of his sheer humility he considered himself unqualified to be initiating Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, which he finally did, on the persistence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta.

21. Grave : A devotee is always relishing the mellows of the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. He is always immersed in the thoughts of his lord. He knows that the material world is temporary and that the material existence can come to an abrupt end at any point of time.So a devotee is never overwhelmed or carried away in this material world and is always focused on his eternal journey back home, back to godhead. Hence a devotee is always grave and serious about his spiritual life.

22. Compassionate: A devotee is also called ‘patita pavan’ or one who rescues the most degraded. One of the main objectives why Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu descended was to inaugurate the Sankirtana movement by giving the holy names of the Supreme Lord to one and all, so that the most exalted treasure of Krishna Prema becomes available for everyone’s benefit. The devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu follow His instructions ‘Yare dekho tare kaho Krishna Upadesha’ by imparting Krishna consciousness to each and every person they meet. Hence they are supremely compassionate as they bestow the greatest benefit upon the others.
The supremely merciful Nityananda Prabhu bestowed His mercy upon the most degraded sinners like Jagai and Madhai and delivered them. Srinivas Acharya delivered the sinful king Virhambira. Similarly Haridas Thakura delivered the prostitute who had approached him with cruel intentions and initiated her instead. Hence we find such inspirational examples of how compassionate the acharyas of our sampradaya had been.

23. Friendly : A devotee encourages everyone to progress in their Krishna consciousness. He makes no discrimination on the basis of one’s background, gender,color,caste,creed,etc. He looks upon all as spiritual beings on their journey back home,back to Godhead and sincerely tries to help them in their journey.He leads them back to Krishna who is the best friend of all living entities.

24. Poetic : The Mahabharata written by Srila Vyasdeva is the longest written poem in the world.The Mahabharata is roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. When a devotee wishes to glorify the Lord or His pastimes, he invariably takes the refuge of poems, wherein he can express his feelings in an apt manner.
The Gaudiya Vaishnava bhajans(songs) written by Narottama Das Thakura, Locana Das Thakur, Vrindavan Das Thakur,Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other prominent vaishnavas help us relish their feelings and depths of devotion and inspire us follow in their footsteps.

25. Silent : A devotee only likes to talk about the supreme Lord and His unlimited pastimes.He is most disinterested when it comes to discussing about the mundane topics or associating with worldly-minded people. Rupa Goswami declined to debate with the mundane scholar Roop Narayan as he wanted to avoid discussions on petty material subjects.Rupa Goswami hence told Roop Narayan that he is ready to accept defeat and hand him over the Vijaya Patra, without even participating in the debate.This also shows how disinterested was Rupa Goswami in acquiring worldly fame and glory.

26. Expert : A devotee is an expert which means that he is very capable and uses all of his knowledge and skills in the service of Krishna. He is very responsible and can go to any extent to serve the Lord and His spiritual master. Here we can cite the example of how Srinivas Acharya expertly recovered all the stolen books of the Goswamis from the sinful king Virhambir.Srinivas Acharya not only recovered the books but also delivered and initiated the sinful king, who became a great devotee.
It is worthwhile to note that these qualities are not superficial and cannot be merely imitated but automatically start developing within one as he gradually progresses in his Krishna Consciousness. These qualities are worthy to strive for and by hankering to develop them in this very life,one’s existence will become highly auspicious. The Vedic scriptures enjoin us to seek the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master for the purpose of progressing in our spiritual life,developing these sublime qualities within ourselves and ultimately attaining the love of God. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the supreme personality of Godhead, instructs us to meditate daily upon the below mentioned sacred mahamantra to achieve the perfection of life :
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Photos by Sridama das

29^th February 2016, Mayapur, India

By Romapada Das

After screening a short film about Mayapur on the sixth day of ILS, Brjavilasa Das spoke to the ILS delegates on behalf of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), stressing the importance of Mayapur in the eyes of Srila Prabhupada. He mentioned that Prabhupada had wanted to establish Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the yugavatara for this age from the precincts of this temple.

“In 1969, Srila Prabhupada gave his first ever instruction on Mayapur to Gopal Krishna Goswami,” announced Brjavilasa Das. “He told him that if he went to India, he should go to Mayapur and build a temple there.”

He explained that Bhaktivinoda Thakura had seen a vision of the temple from his residence in Svarupaganj, across the river Jalangi. He had also envisioned Americans, Russians and Europeans dancing and singing here with karatalas and mridangas.

“Srila Prabhupada accepted Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s vision as his life’s mission,” explained Brajavilasa. “He was very clear about his vision for the Mayapur temple. He had thanked all his disciples for helping to build the temple as an offering to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He had instructed all branches of ISKCON to give money for the construction of this temple. Prabhupada had even instructed us to bring the Queen of England for the opening of this temple. In this way, his instructions for Mayapur were crystal clear.”

Jananivas Das, the Head Priest of the Mayapur temple, described how Nityananda Prabhu in a conversation with Jiva Goswami had predicted that the Ganges would flood the birth-place of Lord Chaitanya, 100 years after his birth.

“For 300 years, the birth-place would be submerged under water,” he explained. “And Lord Nityananda had predicted that it would be rediscovered once again. He had said that houses would be built, kirtan would be held constantly, and a great temple would be built. From this temple, service to Lord Gauranga will spread all over the world. All of this is happening here right now.”

Brajavilasa recollected how Jananivisa Das had accompanied him to North America with Lord Nityananda’s padukas (peg-shoes) to 45 temples where they had raised over $16 million from 3000 people. He explained that the total cost of the TOVP project was $90 million, out of which Ambarish Das had given $25 million, and $15 million had been collected by the worldwide fund-raising drive. “We have pledges for an additional $20 million, which leaves us with a shortfall of around $30 million,” he said. “Even if 3000 people pledge $11,000 each, we can complete this temple in the service of Prabhupada.”

Several ILS delegates immediately pledged their support by filling pledge forms. Over $250,000 were collected in less than an hour, with promises of more pledges during the day. A special mention was made of Gopal Bhatta Das, head of the GBC Strategic Planning Committee, who pledged $100,000.

After the TOVP presentation, Kaunteya Dasa mentioned the launch of Bhaktimarriages.com, an online portal for pre-marital counselling and care.

“We support the devotees who wish to get married, to live together as followers of Srila Prabhupada, and to assist each other in spiritual life,” said Radha Govinda Dasi, Project Director of Bhakti Marriages. “We believe that in ISKCON the only way to stable, successful marriages is to learn and follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. Before getting married, all devotees should go through training. Our portal offers many courses for men and women, offers services in astrological compatibility, and a databank of quotes and instructions from Srila Prabhupada.”

In the evening, ILS delegates were treated to a special film festival organised by ISKCON Television and Vande Arts. Over 20 clips and trailers were screened from various genres such as documentaries, narratives and drama to a packed audience at the Nama Hatta building.

THINK 50! Act 50!

Source: http://iskconnews.org/day-6-of-ils-attracting-the-whole-world-to-mayapur,5429/

Drishti - ISKCON Pune’s Mega Youth Fest!
The ISKCON Pune temple (www.iskconpune.in) has been conducting youth-development activities on a large scale since 1996 & have reached out to 2 lakh+ students. Thus with an aim to celebrate the golden jubilee, we are organizing a youth festival ‘Drishti’ (www.facebook.com/dyfest). We are inviting more than 1.5 lakh students for this absolutely free program to be held on 20th March 2016, Sunday at Bharti Vidyapeeth College ground, Katraj Pune. We are expecting a turnout of approx. 15,000 students to visit us for this event which will be a mix of cultural, musical & spiritual renaissance. At the end of the event all participants will get free Dinner prasadam. Thus we request you to please bless so that we can bring many many youths in the service of Srila Prabhupada!
For more information click here: http://www.iskconpune.com/drishti/

Service Opportunity

Bhaktivedanta Manor Ltd – ISKCON Goshalla

Permanent Contract

Position: Goshalla Farm Hand

Bhaktivedanta Manor, Iskcon Goshalla is currently seeking a Full time farm assistant.

Working in all areas and covering all aspects of the Goshalla.

Duties will include but are not limited to:

All oxen work; Plowing, Hay Making, Ferrying loads, Cart rides etc, Milking the cows, Fulfilling the cows daily needs; Food, Water, Bedding etc, Maintaining and cleaning of the Goshalla.

· Assisting with festival days.

Successful candidates will have a genuine interest in, or experience of farming, horticulture and self sustainable living. They will need a strong level of commitment and flexibility.

As a part of the project, you must:

· Be energetic, enthusiastic and committed to creating an exemplary goshalla.

· Work well as part of a team as well as work on your own initiative.

· Be able to demonstrate confidence and competence around cows and oxen.

· Be flexible and adaptable and show a developed competence in problem solving.

We will provide:

· Training and support in all areas.

· Supportive and friendly colleagues.

· Development opportunities including bobcat and forklift training.

35 hours per week Wednesday – Sunday with flexibility.

For further information please contact Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Devotee Placement and Care Manager, Brijlata Dasi.

Email: brijlata@krishnatemple.com Tel: 01923 851000

To apply please send you C.V. to: brijlata@krishnatemple.com

ISKCON Goshalla is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all cows and oxen.

We expect all members of the Goshalla to share this commitment.

He Who Charms the Heart (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: As the sun was setting we walked down the parikrama path and just before Kesi Ghat we turned right into the small lanes winding through Vrindavan town to the Radha Raman temple. When we arrived we took darsan of He who charms the heart of every resident in this transcendental abode. The perfect ending to a perfect day in the most perfect town in creation.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kAGkqZ

March 1. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: His Lectures.
Prabhupada’s lectures were always of a good quality, although he never prepared them. Usually he went to the engagements without having chosen a topic, although, if a club or organization requested a topic, he would agree to it. Neither did he ever appear nervous or uncertain of what he would say, yet he writes with joy in his diary for February 1966: “Today’s meeting was attended by a greater number of members than other days.”
His preparation was his total commitment to Krishna consciousness. In that sense, he was more prepared than any speaker on any topic. He lived and breathed Krishna consciousness twenty-four hours a day. There was no question of his speaking about anything else. In one lecture at Northeastern University in 1968, Prabhupada began, “Thank you very much for allowing me to take this opportunity to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” That was always his topic – glorifying Krishna. His speeches always appeared well thought out because he had such realization of his topic.
Prabhupada’s main emphasis was to present Krishna consciousness; therefore, he was sometimes concerned about his audience and was prepared to address their particular concerns. At other times, however, he was not. When reporters asked their hackneyed questions, Prabhupada often springboarded off their questions to his own points of interest in the philosophy. Similarly, he would give lectures to particular groups, but remain the irrepressible Prabhupada. He was independent.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=6

Download the audio for this lecture here:

http://www.mayapurtvarchives.com/p/downloads-2016.html

From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir

Date: February 26, 2016 Speaker: HH Radhanath Maharaj

Subject: Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.9

TEXT 9

svasty astu viśvasya khalaḥ prasīdatāṁ

dhyāyantu bhūtāni śivaṁ mitho dhiyā

manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje

āveśyatāṁ no matir apy ahaitukī

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti–yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

PURPORT

The following verse describes a Vaiṣṇava:

vāñchā–kalpa-tarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Just like a desire tree, a Vaiṣṇava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlāda Mahārāja is a typical Vaiṣṇava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities—the gentle, the envious and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaiṣṇava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and bhāgavata–dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama–nirmatsarāṇām). Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays in this verse, khalaḥ prasīdatām: “May all the envious persons be pacified.” The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁhaḥ: “Let Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niṣkāma) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:

ayi nanda–tanuja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda–paṅkaja–

sthita–dhūlī–sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

“O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: “Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship’s lotus feet.” When Prahlāda Mahārāja chants oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaiṣṇava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu viśvasya: “Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe.” Prahlāda Mahārāja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, there are two kinds of envious living entities: one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son. Hiraṇyakaśipu was envious of his little son Prahlāda, but Prahlāda Mahārāja asked a benediction for the benefit of his father. Hiraṇyakaśipu was very envious of devotees, but Prahlāda wished that his father and other demons like him would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and stop harassing the devotees (khalaḥ prasīdatām). The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or by the action of a particular herb (mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalakena nivāryate). An envious person, however, cannot be pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of the welfare of others.

If the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Kṛṣṇa everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays, śivaṁ mitho dhiyā. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that everyone’s mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa (bhajatād adhokṣaje). As indicated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ) and as advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (18.65), man-manā bhava mad–bhaktaḥ, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then one’s mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-darpaṇa–mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Materialists always think of sense gratification, but Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that the Lord’s mercy will change their minds and they will stop thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Kṛṣṇa always, everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone thought of Kṛṣṇa in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.

———————————

HH Radhanath Swami

Pranam Mantras

Hare Krishna.

It is my great honor and fortune to be with all of you today in Sri Mayapur Dham. Today’s verse, selected by Her Grace Laxmimoni devi, is from the Srimad Bhagavatam canto five, chapter eighteen, The Residents of Jambudvipa Offer Prayers, text number nine.

In the previous prayer from this chapter, the verse before, Prahlad Maharaj was offering his prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva. He says “Oh my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon-like desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy, we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that the path of attaining the perfection of liberation, prema bhakti, is maha 28:33 to follow in the footsteps of great personalities. Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, these holy scriptures, especially provide the association of such great personalities who have surrendered their hearts, their lives, their souls to please Krishna.

Prahlad Maharaj is first praying for his eternal purification. As a true example of bhakti, he declares himself to be the most fallen. He declares himself to be envious. In other such prayers he declares himself as a person who was born in a family of asuras, demons and was so much affected by that.

He’s praying for mercy. Lord Nrsimhadeva, please appear in my heart. With your nails and with your teeth which are strong like thunderbolts, please remove these anarthas, these unwanted qualities, from my heart. Please engage me in your loving service.

After praying for his own purification, Prahlad Maharaj, in todays verse, is praying for only one benediction – that all living beings could give up their envy and find the true happiness, the true peace, of loving service to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada begins his purport by explaining that this is a vaisnava. We call ourselves vaisnavas. On different levels the word is defined. But according to the principles of Srimad Bhagavatam, and Srila Prabhupada many times repeats, a vaisnava means one who is free of envy. When we are free of envy, the quality is that we are truly well wishers of everyone.

In this Krishna Consciousness movement that Srila Prabhupada has established on the basis of his books where he repeated explains this principle, this is what we must aspire for – to be free of envy, to truly be well wishers of everyone.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya explains in his 101 prayers in one particular verse that the chanting of the holy names of the Lord and the service of the vaisnavas are the only medicine for those living entities who are tormented by the age of Kali.

This verse explains that people in Kali yuga have been bitten by the poisonous serpent of this propensity of Kali for quarrel and hypocrisy and envy. They are fallen unconscious, and in that unconscious state, Kali is constantly attacking them.

He is illustrating what a helpless condition that people are in. Imagine, you’ve been bitten by a poisonous snake, you’re tormented, you’re laying unconscious, and in your helpless condition, Maya, with all of her forces, is attacking you.

That is our condition in this age. Everyone’s condition. The chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna, and service to the vaisnavas, is the only medicine.

Prahlad Maharaj, in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, has appeared in two forms – Srila Haridas Thakur and Sri Vasudeva datta, who exhibited that same quality of compassion.

Prahlad Maharaj prays to Lord Nrsimha in the seventh canto that he has fallen into a pit of venomous snakes, a blind well, and he is in a helpless condition. But Narada Muni, his guru, came to save him and engage him in transcendental loving service.

Prahlad Maharaj never thinks of himself in any way except a very fallen and helpless soul. He is giving all credit to his guru. He never ever lets go of the shelter of the mercy of his guru. Prahlad Maharaj ends this particular sloka by saying that Narada Muni saved me from this condition. How could I ever give up the service of his lotus feet. That is his gratitude. That is his sincerity. That is Krishna Consciousness.

When Lord Nrsimhadeva offers Prahlad benedictions, Prahlad says that by always remembering You, I am free of all of the fear of material existence. Please give liberation to my father, who is so envious.So many saintly persons go to the forest or to the Himalayas or a secluded place to be without the influences of the material people for their own salvation. But I am not like them. Let me be in the cities, let me be in the towns, because I don’t want to go back to Godhead alone without all the beasts, fools, and rascals.

Such compassion.

Vasudeva datta approached Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Caitanya embraced him. He spoke his glories as if He had one thousand mouths. After being glorified by the Lord, embraced by the Lord in front of a whole assembly of devotees, what is the experience?

Vausdeva datta said I have but one desire. You are the supreme independent personality of Godhead and You can do anything. My heart breaks when I see the living entities within this universe immersed in desires to be happy through material activities. My heart breaks to see their suffering. Give me this one blessing, if You are merciful. Let all the sins of living entity in this universe fall on my head. My Lord, please, allow me to suffer perpetually so that everyone else can go back to Godhead and be happy.

He meant it. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, hearing his words, began to cry. His limbs trembled. His heart softened. With a faltering voice, He said that it is not astonishing that you are asking for this because you are the incarnation of Prahlad Maharaj. Just by your desire, Krishna will surely give His mercy to everyone. You don’t have to suffer.

Haridas Thakur, when he was arrested, close by in Kuliagram, he was brought before the local king, the Kazis. He was told that you are from our religion, stop preaching this other religion. We will let you go. Stop influencing others, otherwise we will have to torture you and kill you.

Haridas’s reply was that this body is going to die eventually anyway. But even if you cut my body into thousands of pieces, every one of those pieces will spread the glories of the holy name to all of the people in general.

This was his compassion. He so deeply cared about everyone. He didn’t just see the body. It’s very interesting, the story of Haridas. Usually, when something happens to us, when we’re mistreated, when we’re misjudged, we want to take it out on others.

In history we find that for Srila Haridas Thakur, everywhere he went practically, he was seen on the bodily concept. He was rejected. He was seen as a mallecha and a yavana. If he tried to speak the scriptures, the smarta brahmans would condemn him.

In this case, when he’s standing in the court of the king, many of the brahmans are condemning him, many of the kazis are condemning him. But he is not taking revenge. He is seeing everyone as a child of Krishna. He’s seeing every living being truly as a brother and sister. He’s seeing every living being as someone who Krishna loves. Therefore, whatever they may think of me, whether I live or die, my life is for Krishna’s pleasure. 42 50

Krishna tells in Bhagavad Gita that He incarnates in this world again and again and again to show compassion to the fallen souls. What is the greatest service that we can render to Krishna while we are in this material world? To assist in His mission, to be an instrument of His compassion to the envious people of this world.

Haridas Thakur gladly accepted being beaten through twenty-two market places, all the while begging Krishna to forgive his persecutors. Later, when he was thrown in the river and considered dead, he floated downstream. He came out of the water and walked right back to the king and the kazi and his executioners to try to convince them to accept Krishna’s mercy. That is Haridas Thakur.

When he was asked for any benediction by Lord Caitanya, he only asked, let me always remember you. Let me always chant your names. Let me always be the servant of the vaisnavas. In every birth I take, let me be a dog or an insect near the home of a devotee so that I can have the possibility of eating the remnants of their food. Haridas, so humble, said who am I to ask for such an exalted benediction? But that is my prayer.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained that Haridas Thakur was an incarnation of Prahlad Maharaj. It was the spirit. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world for this purpose. Here in Navadvipa He took His birth to experience the ecstasies of the love of Sri Radha and to actually reveal the supreme merciful heart of Sri Radha, to give that love everywhere to everyone.

It’s very significant how here in Navadvipa the devotees taught us, in fact, Lord Caitanya Himself came to teach not just by His words, but by His example. There are three principles, very important. One, is our own personal sadhana, to take it very seriously.

If you have a simple little mundane disease like cancer, malignant cancer, and it’s about to kill the simple little temporary material body, you’ll probably take it very seriously if the doctor tells you there is a cure, but you must take the cure regularly. This is the therapy, this is the medicine. You’ll probably take it quite seriously. But the disease of envy, the disease of our forgetfulness of our eternal nature, is a disease that is limitlessly more dangerous than any disease of this world. Birth after birth after birth it’s going to torment us with suffering. Prahlad Maharaj explains that any material way of trying to solve the problems of these sufferings, the cure becomes even more dangerous than the original disease.

Here in Navadvipa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this simple message

enechi aushadhi maya nasibaro lagi’

hari-nama maha-mantra lao tumi magi’

(jiva jago verse four)

I have the medicine. Take the names of Krishna.

harer-nama harer-nama harer-namaiva kevalam

There’s no more powerful medicine. In this age of Kali, an ocean of bad qualities and faults, this is the great benediction.

param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to teach us how to chant His own holy names.

Our personal spiritual practice, our sadhana, is so essential. It’s not just something we do when we have time, or something we somehow fit in with all of our other days activities. It’s the foundational basis of our spiritual lives. We should fit everything else around our spiritual practice. Chanting the holy names. Carefully studying Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport that if we don’t attentively and sincerely chant the Hare Krishna mantra, at least sixteen rounds a day, at any time we will be a victim of Maya. That’s the atmosphere that we’re in. If you have a well wishing Godbrother or Godsister or friend who doesn’t take their disease seriously, you’ll really try to convince them. But most of all, we have to convince ourselves first that Kali Yuga is a very, very difficult place.

Sarva Bhauma Bhatta Acharya explains that we are all in a blind well full of poisonous snakes. And Maya is attacking us constantly. We need mercy to chant the holy names, to read Srila Prabhupada’s books and to serve the vaisnavas. These are the principles that are essential for our own spiritual purification.

In Navadvipa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told all of His devotees that we are chanting in the day time but then we are wasting the nights by sleeping. Every moment is so precious. We will chant together all night for one year. And it’s not that they slept all day. The devotees were very happy to hear this. Then Lord Caitanya told them how they are going to be able to do this.

trinad api sunicena taror api sahishnuna

amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harihi

If we live with this character, then Krishna will be pleased and empower us and reveal himself to us in the holy names. Humility, tolerance, forgiveness, offering all respects to others and not being in such a pathetic, pitiful, diseased condition that we just have to have respect for ourselves.

According to Prabhupada’s definition, what is a vasinava? One who doesn’t care about being respected, but one who takes joy in respecting.

Hiranyakasipu was constantly blaspheming and persecuting Prahlad, but Prahlad was offering all respects. Haridas Thakur was the same. Of course, where there is abuse, justice is required. But underlying that is not envy, it’s compassion.

So the devotees would chant all night. And what would they do during the day? Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Haridas Thakur and Nityananda Prabhu that this is My order to you, listen to what I say. To everywhere, to every home, to every bathing ghat, to every shop, to everyone and give them this simple message. Chant the names of Krishna, worship Krishna, tell others about Krishna. Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father. Krishna is your true wealth. Krishna is your life and soul. Don’t discriminate who is fit and who is unfit. Give this message to everyone.

They did this because they knew that this is what it takes to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These three principles, to have our own sadhana, to have very deep relationships in the mood of the servant of the servant with other vaisnavas, and with the strength of that community, bring Krishna’s grace and Krishna’s names to the world.

Srila Prabhupada approximately fifty years ago, it’s still the fiftieth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada on the Jaladuta till next August, he received the same instruction that Lord Caitanya gave Nityananda Prabhu and Haridas Thakur from his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In 1922 Srila Prabhupada got the instructions to take the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world in the English language.

In 1965 he boarded Jaladutta alone, with nothing, with no one, for that purpose. He was willing to sacrifice everything. He was willing to physically die to please his guru. And when he approached Boston Harbor, in his prayers to Krishna, just like the prayers of Haridas, Vasudeva Datta, and Prahlad, he was humbling himself completely. He said I am totally dependent upon You, my Lord Krishna. My only shelter, my only hope, is the mercy of my Guru Maharaj and this is his instruction. If You give me the power for these people to understand Your words, then they can be happy. Please let me be your puppet.

Those simple prayers are really the foundation of ISKCON. When Srila Prabhupada was asked how can we best please you? He said just receive what I’ve given you, the simple instructions to chant the holy names, to study and live by his books, to form communities, and international society of devotees. One where we take our own personal interests out of the center of our lives and put Krishna in the center of our lives. To put Krishna in the center of our lives means our words, our actions, are all for His pleasure. To serve the Vaisnavas. To take shelter of the holy names. To a great, great, sincere, compassion, we may not have compassion, but we are representatives of Srila Prabhupada’s compassion. To give the chance for everyone to go back home, back to Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Thank you very much.

That is why Srila Prabhupada created Mayapura Chandrodaya Mandir. It’s for all of the devotees to come together every year to inspire and empower each other in these principles. To create such a community here with the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium that the whole world will come to receive the association of Vaisnavas and the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Hare Krishna.