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ISKCON Connection Newsletter, Issue 28, September 22, 2019
 
Prabhupada Nectar
If one is intelligent, he takes immediately: "Oh, it is so nice. He'll give me all protection? Let me surrender." Business finished in one second. But if he's a rascal, he wants to search out, make research work, then after many many births it will take

760229 - Lecture SB 07.09.22 - Mayapur

Prabhupāda: So those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaching work, they should always know that things are not going to happen so easily. Māyā is very, very strong. Very, very strong. But still, we have to struggle against māyā. It is a declaration of war with the māyā. Māyā is keeping the living entities under her control, and we are trying to save the living entity from her con... That is the difference. Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ. This śakti, visarga-śaktiḥ, is very, very strong, but it is under the control. Although it is very str.., she is very, very strong, but she is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Although prakṛti is acting so wonderfully, very, very, I mean to say, great task she is performing, that immediately the cloud comes. Now it is so bright. Within a second a very big, dark cloud may come and cause devastation immediately. That is possible. These are the wonderful activities of māyā. But still, she is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We see this sun so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and you see morning, how quickly it gets up, like this, immediately. The speed is sixteen thousand miles per second. So how it is being happened? Yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... (BS 5.52). It is being done under the order of Govinda. So therefore He's vibhu. He is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God. We do not know what is the meaning of God. But it is going on. We are fools. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). We are blind, and another blind man lead us: "I am God. You are God. Everyone is God." But God is not like that.

Here it is said that God is He who... Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ: "He keeps control over the time factor and the creative energy." That is God. God is not so cheap that you'll find here and there. God is everywhere, that's a fact. But that is partial manifestation of His material energy. This is... Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
vistabhya aham...
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
(BG 10.42)

He's there. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (BS 5.35). He is within the atom. So when the same God, sa tvam, He comes, the foolish persons, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like one of us." No. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). One who thinks like that, that "Kṛṣṇa is one of us. He is like a human being, like me or you," he is mūḍha. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto (BG 9.11). He does not know what are the activities of God, what He can do, what He can undo.

So anyway, if by reading all these literatures, explanation given by God Himself, we come to our senses that He is so great and so merciful, then it becomes possible to surrender unto Him. So for a fortunate person it takes even a second, because God Himself says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi...
(BG 18.66)

So if one is intelligent, he takes immediately: "Oh, it is so nice. He'll give me all protection? Let me surrender." Business finished in one second. But if he's a rascal, he wants to search out, make research work, then bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19): after many many births it will take. So best thing is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, prapannam. Arjuna says, prapannam, śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). This is wanted. Be surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and be saved from these clutches of māyā.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda.

 

 

 

ISKCON News

Courtesy of iskconnews.org

GBC Releases Official Paper on Srila Prabhupada’s Order and Vision for ISKCON’s Managing Authority
GBC Releases Official Paper on Srila Prabhupada’s Order and Vision for ISKCON’s Managing Authority

The “Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada’s Order: The GBC as ISKCON’s Ultimate Managing Authority” is an official GBC paper and an important presentation that traces the vision and instructions of Srila Prabhupāda in establishing the Governing Body Commission (GBC) as the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON. 

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Recently, I was in New York for the 50th annual Rathayatra down the city’s grand 5th Avenue, while on our TOVP fundraising tour. During my visit, I also attended the welcome ceremony of Srila Prabhupada’s life-sized murti to the first temple in New York at 26 Second Avenue, now a museum and sacred tirtha for devotees to visit. For those who don’t know, in 1966, this storefront came with a prophetic sign above its front window that read, “Matchless Gifts.”

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ISKCON & Adani Foundation Feeding 250,000 Daily in Puri as Rathayatra Celebrations Begin
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The Sri Jagannatha Rathayatra began today, welcoming millions of devotees to the ancient and historic event in Puri. ISKCON devotees—supported by industrialist Gautam Adani and the Adani Foundation—are providing prasadam and fruit juice daily to over 250,000 pilgrimsin the holy dham for the next 11 days. 

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GBC Executive Committee Releases Statement on Trivikrama Swami
GBC Executive Committee Releases Statement on Trivikrama Swami

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

In addition to the 24 June 2025 resolution of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission regarding Trivikrama Swami (shared below), we, the members of the GBC Executive Committee, offer the following guidance to followers of Trivikrama Swami:

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UK Devotees Trace Srila Prabhupada’s Footsteps on “Journey to America” Retreat
UK Devotees Trace Srila Prabhupada’s Footsteps on “Journey to America” Retreat

The School of Bhakti at Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK, recently organised a “Journey to America” retreat – 24th May to 1st June 2025. Jai Nitai Dasa and Bhava Bhakti Dasi were the guides for this unique retreat organized by Bhakta Mayank and his amazing team. There were 35 attendees, ranging in ages and backgrounds, who came to the USA, most for the first time, to see where it all began.

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Jagannath’s Chariot Rolls at Stonehenge Solstice
Jagannath’s Chariot Rolls at Stonehenge Solstice

Stonehenge’s 2025 Summer Solstice celebration, held from the evening of June 20 to dawn on June 21, drew one of its largest crowds in recent memory. More than 25,000 people gathered to witness the sun rise in perfect alignment with the ancient Heel Stone—an awe-inspiring spectacle that marks the longest day of the year.

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ISKCON Youth Ministry Issues Urgent Call for Support as Tour Bus Breaks Down in NYC
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For over 30 years, ISKCON Youth Ministry volunteers have led the Krishna Culture Festival Tours—popularly known as the Youth Bus Tours—across North America to inspire the next generation in Krishna consciousness. During their recent stop in New York City for the iconic Ratha-yatra parade down Fifth Avenue, the ministry’s 19-year-old tour bus broke down with serious engine trouble.

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Remembering His Grace Tapasa Dasa
Remembering His Grace Tapasa Dasa

On June 15 at 10:45 PM, His Grace Tapasa Dasa, leader and TP of ISKCON Stockholm, Sweden, and a veteran Scandinavian devotee, left his body surrounded by devotees chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. His departure is truly a loss to ISKCON devotees in Sweden and Scandinavia who had his association for close to 45 years.

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Diploma Program Launches Online in July
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In an era where spiritual seekers increasingly turn to online platforms for authentic learning, Vedavarsity is set to launch an intensive three-month diploma program covering all 12 cantos of the ÅšrÄ«mad-Bhāgavatam. The program, scheduled from July 1 to October 2, 2025, offers students a rare opportunity to study each canto of what scholars call the “ripened fruit of the Vedic tree” in a structured, systematic manner.

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St. Louis Chariot Festival Draws Diverse Crowd at Scenic Setting
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ISKCON St. Louis celebrates its annual Rathayatra festival at the popular Creve Coeur Park on June 8th. To attract a more diverse crowd, the chariot was called the “Festival of Joy.”  The atmosphere was vibrant and filled with a variety of engaging experiences that brought people together in celebration. 

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Dandavats

Courtesy of dandavats.com

The Greatness of Ancient Vedic India’s Developments
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By Sri Nandanandana dasa

When we talk about the planet's earliest civilization, we are talking about the world's earliest sophisticated society after the last ice age. This means that according to the Vedic time tables, various forms of civilization have been existing for millions of years

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The City of Nine Gates: A Complex Model for Mind/Body Dualism from India’s Bhagavata Purana
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One barrier to acceptance of interactionist models for mind/body dualism is a shortage of conceptual resources. Turning to the ancient Sanskrit writings of India, we find in the Bhagavata Purana of India the allegory of the City of Nine Gates, which provides a complex model from mind/body dualism. This model, rich in imagery, allows one to account for such varied phenomena as phantom limbs, out of body experiences, past life memories, traveling clairvoyance, and perception of qualia. Is there a ...

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In 1986 I stopped in Singapore with a devotee for a few days before attending the 500th anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s advent in Sridham Mayapur. We visited Govinda’s Boutique, a small shop that sold many items, including Srila Prabhupada’s books  Walking around after visiting the boutique, we heard a big boom  A...

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The “Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada’s Order: The GBC as ISKCON’s Ultimate Managing Authority is an official GBC paper and an important presentation which traces the vision and instructions of Srila Prabhupāda in establishing the Governing Body Commission (GBC) as the ultimate managing authority of ISKCON. Drawing on key historical events, correspondence, and foundational documents, it...

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Statement from the Executive Committee of the Governing Body Commission Regarding Trivikrama Swami
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“The Governing Body Commission members will continue to pray for Trivikrama Swami and we ask ISKCON members to do the same. We are grateful for his many years of service and friendship. We hope that he will take to heart the severity of his mistakes, the need for guidance and purification, and the need to...

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Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada’s Order: The GBC as ISKCON’s Ultimate Managing Authority 2
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“The beginning of this paper takes us to Vrindaban in the early 1960s. We see Śrīla Prabhupāda sitting alone in his rooms at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. He is looking out at the samādhi of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and meditating on the state of his spiritual master’s mission: what it had been when his Guru Mahārāja...

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Guided by Grace: The Miraculous Arrival of a Nilagai at Krishna’s Temple
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By Karuna Dharini dasi

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By Rishika Gitta

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Go to Krishna Now
Go to Krishna Now

By Rishika Gitta

Life is no less than a roller coaster ride: we cannot expect what we’ll have to face next. Life may pull us down into its deep and dark gorges, or it may make us soar high in the open blue sky. Naturally, all that most people are concerned about is how to lead a more comfortable life tomorrow, and thus schemes are hatched for this end which may not always be honest, sensible or thoughtful. The efforts for obtaining material comforts become moral and spiritual pitfalls and one is pulled down instead of being able to rise.

...

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Tapasa Prabhu (1956-2025)
Tapasa Prabhu (1956-2025)

On June 15 at 10:45 PM Tapasa Prabhu, leader and TP of ISKCON Stockholm, Sweden, and a veteran Scandinavian devotee, left his body surrounded by devotees chanting the Hare Krishna-mantra. His departure is truly a loss to ISKCON devotees in Sweden and Scandinavia who had his association for close to 45 years. Tapasa Prabhu ...

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The Holy Name
The Holy Name

By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

My heart is like a desert, hot with the rays of the sun. This is my internal mental condition. The desire for temporary, material things cannot satisfy me because by nature they are death producing. And not one or two, but thousands of such death-producing desires have taken shelter in my mind. So, my subconscious region is always burning. This is my condition. But somehow, by the grace of sadhu and my guru, the holy name of Krishna with its infinite prospect has entered through the ...

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Offerings with Love
Offerings with Love

By Mohini Radha Devi Dasi

Even a child can manifest symptoms of sincere devotion. About fourteen miles from Jagannatha’s temple stands the temple of a deity named Ålarnatha. Lord Brahma installed this four-armed deity in Satya-yuga, millions of years ago, and since then the worship has been the responsibility of certain brahmana families. Once, it was the responsibility of Sri Ketana, who had a son named Madhu. When Sri Ketana had to go out for several days to beg alms for the templ...

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Expanding Our Love
Expanding Our Love

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

To love means to be concerned for the other person's benefit. That is real love. I love you for your benefit; you love me for my benefit. If I so-called love you for my benefit, that is lust. In this material world there cannot be love. It is not possible, because the so-called love is for our own sense gratification. A young boy loves a young woman for his sense gratification, not for her sense gratification. Similarly, she also...

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Krishna is conquered by the Love of His Devotees
Krishna is conquered by the Love of His Devotees


HG Vaisesika Das, 26 June 2025: Fan the Spark

 

Watch Now

 

 

 

 

TOVP News

Courtesy of tovp.org

Temple of the Vedic Planetarium – The Next Matchless Gift
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium – The Next Matchless Gift

Recently, I was in New York for the 50th annual Rathayatra down the city’s grand 5th Avenue, while on our TOVP fundraising tour. During my visit I also attended the welcome ceremony of Srila Prabhupada’s life-sized murti to the first temple in New York at 26 Second Avenue, now a museum and sacred tirtha for devotees to visit. For those who don’t know, in 1966 this storefront came with a prophetic sign above its front window that read, ‘Matchless Gifts’.

Read More

TOVP Presents: The Visions of the TOVP Flipbook
TOVP Presents: The Visions of the TOVP Flipbook

The TOVP Communications Department is pleased to present our newest online flipbook, Visions of the TOVP. This inspiring 88-page book is viewable, downloadable and shareable.

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TOVP Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva Campaign Launched
TOVP Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva Campaign Launched

The presence of Srila Prabhupada in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in his murti form offers another wonderful opportunity to serve His Divine Grace and simultaneously help finance TOVP construction. The TOVP Fundraising Team is very pleased to announce the new Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva campaign to our ever-growing list of Seva Opportunities.

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

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

God and the Laws of Physics
Srimad Bhagavatam 2.10.10
Alachua, Florida - September, 1994

Sadaputa Dasa (Dr. Richard L. Thompson) offers his oft-used tinkertoy analogy to illustrate the implausibility of simple physical laws producing the complex varieties of life. Who would expect to produce a model of the Empire State Building by randomly assembling tinkertoy pieces? Clearly, a guiding intelligence is required.

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.

1 July, 2025 (Tuesday)
Hera Pancami (4 days after Ratha Yatra)
Sri Vakresvara Pandita -- Disappearance

5 July, 2025 (Saturday)
Return Ratha (8 days after Ratha Yatra)

6 July, 2025 (Sunday)
Fasting for Sayana Ekadasi

7 July, 2025 (Monday)
Break fast 04:55 - 09:26 (Local Mayapur Time)

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

Email: office@iskconconnection.org

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