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ISKCON Connection Newsletter, Issue 28, September 22, 2019
 
Prabhupada Nectar
Don't think that this chanting and dancing will not lead you to the desired goal. It will because there is assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that you will get all perfection by this process

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1969:

Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra. This is a song by Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and ācārya of the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. He is declaring that pahū dui jana. Pahū means lords. Dui jana means two. Who are the two lords? Nitai Gauracandra. One is Lord Nitāi, Nityānanda; another is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he says that "These two Lords are very merciful." Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana. Parama koruṇa means very merciful. Nitai Gauracandra. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi. Avatāra means incarnation, and saba means all. "They are the essence of all incarnations." Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda-kanda: "And the specific significance of these incarnations is that to prosecute their ways of self-realization is simply joyful," ānanda-kanda. They introduced chanting and dancing. No other incarnation There are many incarnation, just like Lord Rāma. Even Kṛṣṇa, He taught Bhagavad-gītā. That requires knowledge, understanding. But here Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda, introduced some process which is simply joyful: simply chant and dance. Kevala ānanda-kanda. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda-kanda.

Therefore he requests everyone, bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi: "My dear brothers, I request you. Just you worship Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda." Sudṛḍha biśwāsa kori': "With firm conviction and faith." Don't think that this chanting and dancing will not lead you to the desired goal. It will because there is assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that you will get all perfection by this process. Therefore Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says that "You must have firm faith and conviction." It will act. Bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi, sudṛḍha. Sudṛḍha means firm. Biśwāsa kori', with faith and conviction. But what is the process? The process is viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā. If you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious under that process, then you have to give up your engagement of sense gratification. That is the only restriction. You cannot do that. Then it will be very nice. If you give up sense gratification and come to this stage, then it is sure that you will reach to the desired goal. Viṣaya chāḍiya, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari: "And you have to simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, 'Hari Hari,' that's all, without any motive of sense gratification."

Dekho dekho bhāi, tri-bhuvane nāi. He says, "My dear brothers, you just try and examine that within these three worlds there is nobody like Lord Caitanya or Nityānanda Prabhu." Because, paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare: "Their mercy and qualities are so great that even birds and beasts, they are crying, what to speak of human being?" Actually, when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through the forest of Jhārigrāma, the tigers, the elephants, the snake, the deer, all joined Him in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice. Anyone can join. Animals can join, what to speak of human being? Of course, it is not possible for ordinary man to enthuse animals to chant, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu did it actually. So even if we cannot enthuse animals, we can enthuse at least human being to this path of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting. Paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare. And it is so nice that even the most stonehearted men will be melted. Pāṣāṇa vidare. Pāṣāṇa means stone, and vidare. Pāṣāṇa, even stone, will melt. It is so nice. But he regrets that, viṣaya majiyā: "Being entrapped by sense gratification..." Viṣaya majiyā, rohili bhuliyā. He's addressing himself, "My dear mind, you are entrapped in the sense gratification process and you have no attraction for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Viṣaya bhuliyā, rohili majiyā, se pade nahilo āśa: "You have no attraction for the lotus feet of Caitanya-Nityānanda. So what can I say? It is only..." Āpana karama, bhuñjāya śamana: "I can simply think of my misfortune only that Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, he is punishing me in this way, that he is not allowing me to be attracted to this movement." This is the statement of Kahoye locana-dāsa: "This is the statement of Locana dāsa Ṭhākura." (end)

 

 

 

 

ISKCON News

Courtesy of iskconnews.org

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GBC Releases Day Three Highlights Report from Annual General Meeting
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We are pleased to present the February 16th, 2025 GBC Annual General Meeting (AGM) Highlights Report. This report covers Day 3 of the GBC AGM, providing a comprehensive overview of the meeting held in Sridham Mayapur, highlighting the key topics discussed.

To read the .pdf report, click here.

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Dandavats

Courtesy of dandavats.com

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You Bet Your Life
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By Arcana Siddhi Devi Dasi

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By Dandavats Staff Writer

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By Dandavats Staff Writer

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Breaking Caste Barriers with Ink and Faith: The UNESCO-Honored Legacy of Chaitanya’s Apostle
Breaking Caste Barriers with Ink and Faith: The UNESCO-Honored Legacy of Chaitanya’s Apostle

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (1874–1937) stands as a monumental figure in the revitalization of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the devotional tradition inaugurated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 16th-century Bengal. His life’s work redefined the propagation of Krishna consciousness through strategic reforms, technological innovation, and unyielding opposition to religious corruption.

...

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Hare Krishna Temples, North America
Hare Krishna Temples, North America

New Vrindaban, ISKCON Philadelphia, Part 1
Feb 21, 2025

Srila Prabhupada started the Hare Krishna movement in New York in 1965 and his intention was to teach bhakti yoga in the West. His followers opened many centres around the world and now people can come and learn about the science of self-realisation. For this production I filmed in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Watch Now

 

 

 

 

TOVP News

Courtesy of tovp.org

TOVP PRESENTS: THE MAKING OF THE SRILA PRABHUPADA LEGACY MUSEUM, WITH BRAJA VILASA DAS AND DAIVISAKTI DEVI DASI
TOVP PRESENTS: THE MAKING OF THE SRILA PRABHUPADA LEGACY MUSEUM, WITH BRAJA VILASA DAS AND DAIVISAKTI DEVI DASI

H.G. Braja Vilasa and H.G. Daivisakti (the Curator of the newly opened A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Legacy Museum) explain some of the details of the museum and how it will expand to 21,000 sq. ft., becoming the largest museum for any single person in the history of mankind.

Watch Now

TOVP – The Adbhuta Mandir?
TOVP – The Adbhuta Mandir?

Since construction began on the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Sridham Mayapur in 2009, many devotees have argued back and forth whether the TOVP is the Adbhuta* Mandir referred to in a prediction by Sri Nityananda Prabhu while taking Jiva Goswami on a parikrama of Navadvipa mandala.

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Vedic Science Essays
Vedic Science Essays

Apart from published books in our Book Marketplace, this section includes shorter essays that focus on specific concepts of Vedic Science, as well as other topics related to Vedic wisdom. By reading these you can familiarize yourself with the subject-matter and then move on to the larger, in-depth books.

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

A lecture by Dr. Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa Dasa)

Higher Dimensional Travel Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10, Chapter 3, Text 14 San Diego, California, March 8, 1986

Dr. Thompson considers the classic satirical novel, Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions (1884), to help illustrate higher dimensional qualities inherent to Puranic descriptions. Just as “Flatlanders” are limited to two-dimensional perception, similarly standard human perception is generally restricted to three-dimensional experience. Thompson’s presentation sparks a lively discussion about the unfolding of matter after the Big Bang, as well as whether an astronaut traveling to the moon by rocket, could directly experience Chandraloka as described in the Puranas.

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, Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education, Bhaktivedanta College Europe

News: news.iskcon.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.)

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

February 24, 2025 (Monday)
Ekadasi (suitable for fasting) Fasting for Vijaya Ekadasi

Febraury 25, 2025 (Tuesday)
Dvadasi Break fast 06:01 (sunrise) – 09:53 (1/3 of daylight) LT
Sri Isvara Puri — Disappearance

February 27, 2025 (Thursday)
Siva Ratri

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

Email: office@iskconconnection.org

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