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ISKCON Connection Newsletter, Issue 28, September 22, 2019
 
Prabhupada Nectar
Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India

Correspondence

1974 Correspondence

 

Letter to Satyahit -- Vrindaban 16 March, 1974:

Dear Satyahit,

Please accept my blessings. I am pleased to hear you have been preaching among the Gujarat community in Panama City and that they are sympathetic to our movement. We see now at our function in Vrindaban that hundreds of members are attending from all parts of the world. In this way our movement is unique, that not just the people of India are hearing about Krsna, but from all countries they are joining and becoming Vaisnavas by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, and refraining from the pillars of sinful activities. This was Lord Caitanya's desire that the Holy name be heard in every town and village.

Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India. The people here are very disturbed because, partly due to the punishment of Nature, and partly due to the mismanagement of the demon class of men, food is not available. If the people do not even have sufficient food they will not even be able to receive spiritual instructions. So I am hopeful that if we can widely distribute free foodstuffs to the people of India, by giving it out at our centers as well as by travelling parties to villages, we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on Krsna's behalf.

You write that members of the Gujarat community would like to contribute $10,000.00 toward a temple there, but at this time I think the money could be better spent by contributing to shipping grains to India for distribution. If they wish to donate for this noble project they can send money directly to the following account: "ISKCON Mayapur-Vrindaban Trust," account no 668, the Punjab National Bank, Vrindaban, Mathura, U.P., India.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sdg

 

 

 

 

ISKCON News

Courtesy of iskconnews.org

Joyful Processions Carry ISKCON of DC’s Deities to Their New Home
Joyful Processions Carry ISKCON of DC’s Deities to Their New Home

Ahead of inclement weather, hundreds of Krishna devotees and well-wishers gathered at the ISKCON of DC campus for the transfer of their Deities to the new temple just steps away. These joyful processions were part of the Temple Opening Festival going on this weekend, inaugurating a new home and an exciting future for one of ISKCON’s first communities.

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Inside the Bhakti Yoga Society’s Preaching Project at UJ Auckland Park Campus
Inside the Bhakti Yoga Society’s Preaching Project at UJ Auckland Park Campus

In the bustling halls of the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park Campus, amidst the whirlwind of academic pursuits and extracurricular activities, there exists a beacon of spiritual guidance and growth: the Bhakti Yoga Society (BYS-UJ). Led by the dedicated efforts of Dinesvara Krsna Das, the society’s outreach project is not just about disseminating teachings; it’s a journey of personal connection and understanding, navigating the diverse cultural and spiritual landscape of the student body.

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ISKCON Chandigarh Partners with University Of Chandigarh
ISKCON Chandigarh Partners with University Of Chandigarh

Evolve Club, the Youth Educational arm of ISKCON Chandigarh, has partnered with Chandigarh University to start a Value Added Course called “Life Lessons from Bhagavad Gita” beginning this month.

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2024 Krishna House Retreat in May is Open for Early-Bird Registration
2024 Krishna House Retreat in May is Open for Early-Bird Registration

The 2024 Krishna House Retreat will be held this year on May 3-5th at ISKCON New Vrindaban in West Virginia, offering an opportunity for both new bhaktas and seasoned devotees to recharge their spiritual batteries in the living fire of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan mission.

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Hare Krsna TV Continues to Expand, Reaching Millions Around the World
Hare Krsna TV Continues to Expand, Reaching Millions Around the World

Hare Krsna TV, which first launched on Janmashtami 2016 as a local channel, is now available in every state of India. It reaches more than 65% of the country’s households and millions more worldwide through social media platforms like YouTube, where it can be viewed 24/7 on Smart TVs, computers, and mobile devices.

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ISKCON Gold Coast, Bhakti Centre Celebrates Successful Surfers Paradise Ratha Yatra
ISKCON Gold Coast, Bhakti Centre Celebrates Successful Surfers Paradise Ratha Yatra

Amidst thousands of tourists in the picturesque destination, the ISKCON Gold Coast, Bhakti Centre Surfers Paradise hosted their annual Festival of Chariots, commonly known as Ratha Yatra. This vibrant celebration held along the coast not only signifies a cultural and spiritual milestone but also reflects the perseverance and dedication of the local devotees and community.

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TOVP Announces a Unique Sponsorship Opportunity: The 31 Dresses Campaign
TOVP Announces a Unique Sponsorship Opportunity: The 31 Dresses Campaign

A unique sponsorship opportunity is now available for devotees: The 31 Dresses Campaign – sponsor all the Deity dresses for one day during the 3-month long TOVP Grand Opening Festival, scheduled for early 2026. This includes Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva, Sri Nrsimhadeva and the fifteen new sampradaya acharya murtis. A new set of outfits will be offered every third day of the festival allowing for only 31 sponsorships.

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Bhaktivedanta Hospital Helping Patients to Maintain Health Through New Media Studio
Bhaktivedanta Hospital Helping Patients to Maintain Health Through New Media Studio

Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s Global Communications Minister and GBC member, recently toured the Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Center, a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital located in Mumbai, India, across the street from the ISKCON Mira Road Temple. People come from all over the world to receive treatment here because of the emphasis on the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of the patient.

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Temple Profile: San Jose, Costa Rica
Temple Profile: San Jose, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is celebrated for its wildlife, volcanoes, animal sanctuaries, and breathtaking natural landscapes. The ISKCON temple is located in a bustling section of San Jose, the capital city, nestled amidst a blend of residences and dining establishments. Though modest in size, the temple fosters a close-knit community spirit, with only a handful of residents residing in its ashram. Despite this, devotees from all corners of San Jose converge here to partake in spiritual dialogues and practices.

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Dandavats

Courtesy of dandavats.com

Betting on God
Betting on God

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The seventeenth-century mathematician/philosopher Blaise Pascal formulated a pragmatic argument for justifying belief in God. Which is worth the risk of error, Pascal questioned, belief or non-belief? It is wise, he said, to “wager” on the existence of God, for the alternative, to put one’s faith in faithlessness, is an inferior bet. And, more, if one believes in God but is eventually proven wrong, one loses nothing. But if one believes and is proven right, one ...

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Looking for the Supreme God

By Manali D. Bijlani

I was born and brought up in a Hindu family in Delhi, and we used to go to various temples and offer prayers before the gods. Two questions, however, always tickled my mind: Why do we worship so many gods, and who is the real God? As I never got answers to my questions, I considered all the gods equal, and in my teenage years all religions and faiths became one for me. Be it Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, or Christianity, all pointed towards one God. ...

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We are constantly accepting service from the Supreme Controller. When we will instead try to serve that Being, everything changes.

...

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By Yogesvara Dasa

To spread Krishna’s teaching abroad required someone who was both an exemplar of the Bhakti tradition yet flexible enough to adapt its teachings to a world governed by science and technology. Abhay had that balance: a devotee raised in strict Vaishanva fashion yet also educated in chemistry and economics, a person with his feet on the ground and his heart surrendered to God. He had no pretenses about being sent by Krishna, but his determination to do what his guru h...

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Possessiveness, for a grihastha
Possessiveness, for a grihastha

By Radhanath Swami

According to the shastra, the way to counteract the very deeply strong tendency for possessiveness in the grihastha life is to giving charity to the Vaishnavas and the brahmans, to the mission of the guru. According to the shastra, the first fifty percent you have give it to your guru’s mission. And then whatever else you have, maintain, that is the ideal standard. You never be possessive if you do that, because the first priority with whatever you get goes to Guru and Krishna. You cannot do fifty percent; you should aspire to come as c...

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Worry is the interest we pay on loans we haven’t yet taken
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The Story of Shaubhari Muni
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By Radhanath Swami

In Srimad Bhagavatam in ninth canto, there is a story of Shaubhari muni. He was a very powerful yogi. Millions of time more powerful than any materialist today in his ability to fulfill his material desires. He had attained very great mystic powers. And of course when one becomes very powerful spiritually or materially, the tendency is to become very proud and in pride, the greatest danger is that we can offend saintly persons. So Shaubhari Muni, as it is described, ...

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By Navasi Dasi

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura indicates that rather than trying to separate conditioned souls by materialistic distinctions, one should bring them together to chant the holy names of the Lord and propagate the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya. A nondevotee, or even an envious third-class devotee, is not interested in uniting people on the platform of love of Godhead. Instead he unnecessarily separates them by emphasizing material distinctions like “communi...

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By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This is a very important verse. The modern scientists, philosophers, they say that after finishing this body, we no more exist, finished, everything finished. This is not new. In olden times also there were atheists like Carvaka Muni, he also said like that: bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano bhavet. Now why you are worrying about next life? As soon as this body is burned into ashes, everything is finished. According to Ve...

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Life and Afterlife: Does Modern Science Have it Right?
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By Navina Syama Dasa

I recently read one of the latest books by Ian Stevenson, entitled European Cases of the Reincarnation Type. Dr. Stevenson is a research professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia, and he has been doing research on the subject of reincarnation for more than thirty years. Over this period, he has accumulated several hundred accounts of young children who consciously remember details of past lives, exhibit birthmarks or phobias connected with a former person’s death, or even speak f...

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Finding Shelter in True Identity
Finding Shelter in True Identity

By Devika Rao

“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 9.41) Even though I wasn’t born in India, I’d like to take Lord Chaitanya’s instruction to heart. I’m an Indian-American in touch with Srila Prabhupada’s philosophy, so I feel well equipped with both cultures.

...

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Why Economic Growth is not the Solution
Why Economic Growth is not the Solution


Morning Class SB 7.15.12 -- HH Devamrita Swami

23 March 2024, ISKCON Melbourne

 Watch Now

 

 

 


TOVP News

Courtesy of tovp.org

Sri Nrsimha Vaibhavotsava: The Miracle Is Achieved
Sri Nrsimha Vaibhavotsava: The Miracle Is Achieved

From a Miracle in the Making to the Miracle is Happening, to the concluding Miracle is Achieved, Sri Nrsimha Vaibhavotsava – the historic opening of the TOVP Nrsimha Wing on March 1-2 was another milestone towards the Grand Opening of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in 2026. The Nrsimha Wing will be 100% completed by Nrsimha Caturdasi, 2024.

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TOVP Presents: ISKCON Mayapur City, Present and Future
TOVP Presents: ISKCON Mayapur City, Present and Future

The TOVP Communications Department is pleased to provide a page on the TOVP website dedicated to the promotion of the ISKCON Mayapur City.

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The TOVP, Bhaktivedanta Institute and Intelligent Design
The TOVP, Bhaktivedanta Institute and Intelligent Design

One of Srila Prabhupada’s most important steps in developing ISKCON was the creation of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the scientific arm of his preaching strategy, which would present Vedic wisdom in the light of modern science, and defeat the prominence of mechanistic and atheistic concepts. At around the same time, the Intelligent Design movement, comprised of scientists and philosophers dissatisfied with unproven theories of a random creation and evolution, was also seeing its modern beginnings.

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TOVP & Vedic Science Channel Present
TOVP & Vedic Science Channel Present

The Jeff Rense Radio Program - Mysteries of the Sacred Universe, Part 1 2/19/2001:
A Radio Interview with Sadaputa Dasa (Dr. Richard l. Thompson)

Talk show personality Jeff Rense hosts a compelling interview with Richard Thompson about his recent book, Mysteries of the Sacred Universe (2000). Rense begins by asking Thompson, when did he catch the “ancient India bug?” This leads to a discussion about intriguing parallels between the cosmological descriptions offered by time-honored religious texts such as the Srimad Bhagavatam, with a variety of astronomical details recognized in modern science.

 Listen Now

 

 

Srila Prabhupada: 
founderacharya.com, vanipedia.org

The official ISKCON website: iskcon.org,

Find your nearest temple: centres.iskcon.org

ISKCON leadership: gbc.iskcon.org

Education such ar Bhakti-shastri, Bhaktivaibhava etc: Mayapur Institute, Bhaktivedanta Theological Seminary, Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education, Bhaktivedanta College Europe

Events: events.iskcon.org,

News: iskconnews.org, dandavats.com,

BBT books: bbt.org, krishna.com, vanisource.org, vedabase.com, bbtmedia.com

World Sankirtan Newsletter: wsnl.net/wsnhome.htm

Temple of Vedic Planetarium: tovp.org

Deity Worship and courses: deityworship.com, Mayapur Academy 

Inspiration & Sadhana: mayapur.tv, iskcondesiretree.com

Vaishnava Calendars: 
ISKCON GBC Vaishnava Calendar Comitee, GCAL (Gaurabda Calendar, a program for calculation of the calendar for vaisnavas, according Gaudiya-Vaisnava tradition.)
krishnadays.com, 

These dates and timings are for Sri Mayapur Dhama. Find timings for your location at the Vaishnava Calendar links.

March 25, 2024 (Monday)
(Fast today)
Gaura Purnima: Appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

March 26, 2024 (Tuesday)
Festival of Jagannatha Misra

Address: ISKCON GBC Office
P.O. Sri Mayapur, Nadia, WB 741313, India

Email: office@iskconconnection.org

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