ISKCON Bangalore Lectures: Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa

Lecture by His Grace Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa on May 03, 2013 at International Society For Krishna Conciousness (ISKCON) Bangalore, Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

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SB 2.9.29_HG Chanchalapathi Dasa_May 3.mp3

Month: May
Day: Friday
Date: 03
Year: 2013

Speaker: Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa

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Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra Drashan, ISKCON HKM Group

Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra (Sri Krishna and His Eternal Consort Srimati Radharani) Darshan as on May 03, 2013, at "Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra Mandir", International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), The Akshaya Patra Campus, Chattikara, Vrindavana, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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Mohini Alankara - Brahmotsava 2013 Celebrations at ISKCON Bangalore

Mohini Alankara - Brahmotsava 2013 at International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

The eighth day of Sri Brahmotsava festival Sri Krishnachandra was adorned in Mohini Alankara.

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Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Entrance in Dvaraka

In one of our previous posts entitled “Lord Kṛṣṇa's Transcendental Conchshell” we were describing Lord Krsna’s entrance in Dvarka. This post is a continuation from that chapter, describing the citizens presentation and prayers to the Lord. Very nice!
The citizens arrived before the Lord with their respective presentations, offering them to the fully satisfied and self-sufficient one, who, by His own potency, incessantly supplies others. These presentations were like the offering of a lamp to the sun. Yet the citizens began to speak in ecstatic language to receive the Lord, just as wards welcome their guardian and father.
…Lord Kṛṣṇa’s attraction is so powerful that once being attracted by Him one cannot tolerate separation from Him. Why is this so? Because we are all eternally related with Him as the sun rays are eternally related with the sun disc. The sun rays are molecular parts of the solar radiation. Thus the sun rays and the sun cannot be separated. The separation by the cloud is temporary and artificial, and as soon as the cloud is cleared, the sun rays again display their natural effulgence in the presence of the sun. Similarly, the living entities, who are molecular parts of the whole spirit, are separated from the Lord by the artificial covering of māyā, illusory energy. This illusory energy, or the curtain of māyā, has to be removed, and when it is so done, the living entity can see the Lord face to face, and all his miseries are at once removed. Every one of us wants to remove the miseries of life, but we do not know how to do it. The solution is given here, and it rests on us to assimilate it or not. (Excerpted from purport SB 1.11.10)
…Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the primeval Lord, the Supreme Truth, is compared to the sun. Without Him all our knowledge is either false or partial. The opposite of the sun is the darkness, and similarly the opposite of Kṛṣṇa is māyā, or illusion. The devotees of the Lord can see everything in true perspective due to the light disseminated by Lord Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of the Lord the pure devotee cannot be in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore, it is necessary that we must always be in the sight of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that we can see both ourselves and the Lord with His different energies. As we cannot see anything in the absence of the sun, so also we cannot see anything including our own self, without the factual presence of the Lord. Without Him all our knowledge is covered by illusion. (Excerpted from purport SB 1.11.9)
Full Text and Purport
Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto 1, Chapter 11, Text 4-10
tatropanīta-balayo
raver dīpam ivādṛtāḥ
ātmārāmaṁ pūrṇa-kāmaṁ
nija-lābhena nityadā
prīty-utphulla-mukhāḥ procur
harṣa-gadgadayā girā
pitaraṁ sarva-suhṛdam
avitāram ivārbhakāḥ

tatra—thereupon; upanīta—having offered; balayaḥ—presentations; raveḥ—up to the sun; dīpam—lamp; iva—like; ādṛtāḥ—being evaluated; ātma-ārāmam—unto the self-sufficient; pūrṇa-kāmam—fully satisfied; nija-lābhena—by His own potencies; nitya-dā—one who supplies incessantly; prīti—affection; utphulla-mukhāḥ—cheerful faces; procuḥ—said; harṣa—gladdened; gadgadayā—ecstatic; girā—speeches; pitaram—unto the father; sarva—all; suhṛdam—friends; avitāram—the guardian; iva—like; arbhakāḥ—wards.
The citizens arrived before the Lord with their respective presentations, offering them to the fully satisfied and self-sufficient one, who, by His own potency, incessantly supplies others. These presentations were like the offering of a lamp to the sun. Yet the citizens began to speak in ecstatic language to receive the Lord, just as wards welcome their guardian and father.
Purport
The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is described herein as ātmārāma. He is self-sufficient, and there is no need for Him to seek happiness from anything beyond Himself. He is self-sufficient because His very transcendental existence is total bliss. He is eternally existent; He is all-cognizant and all-blissful. Therefore, any presentation, however valuable it may be, is not needed by Him. But still, because He is the well-wisher for one and all, He accepts from everyone everything that is offered to Him in pure devotional service. It is not that He is in want for such things, because the things are themselves generated from His energy. The comparison is made herein that making offerings to the Lord is something like offering a lamp in the worship of the sun-god. Anything fiery and illuminating is but an emanation of the energy of the sun, and yet to worship the sun-god it is necessary to offer him a lamp. In the worship of the sun, there is some sort of demand made by the worshiper, but in the case of devotional service to the Lord, there is no question of demand from either side. It is all a sign of pure love and affection between the Lord and the devotee.
The Lord is the Supreme Father of all living beings, and therefore those who are conscious of this vital relation with God can make filial demands from the Father, and the Father is pleased to supply the demands of such obedient sons without bargaining. The Lord is just like the desire tree, and from Him everyone can have everything by the causeless mercy of the Lord. As the Supreme Father, the Lord, however, does not supply to a pure devotee what is considered to be a barrier to the discharge of devotional service. Those who are engaged in the devotional service of the Lord can rise to the position of unalloyed devotional service by His transcendental attraction.
natāḥ sma te nātha sadāṅghri-paṅkajaṁ
viriñca-vairiñcya-surendra-vanditam
parāyaṇaṁ kṣemam ihecchatāṁ paraṁ
na yatra kālaḥ prabhavet paraḥ prabhuḥ
natāḥ—bowed down; sma—we had done so; te—unto You; nātha—O Lord; sadā—always; aṅghri-paṅkajam—the lotus feet; viriñca—Brahmā, the first living being; vairiñcya—sons of Brahmā like Sanaka and Sanātana; sura-indra—the King of heaven; vanditam—worshiped by; parāyaṇam—the supreme; kṣemam—welfare; iha—in this life; icchatām—one who so desires; param—the highest; na—never; yatra—wherein; kālaḥ—inevitable time; prabhavet—can exert its influence; paraḥ—transcendental; prabhuḥ—the Supreme Lord.
The citizens said: O Lord, You are worshiped by all demigods like Brahmā, the four Sanas and even the King of heaven. You are the ultimate rest for those who are really aspiring to achieve the highest benefit of life. You are the supreme transcendental Lord, and inevitable time cannot exert its influence upon You.
Purport
The Supreme Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, Brahma-saṁhitā and other authorized Vedic literatures. No one is equal to or greater than Him, and that is the verdict of all scriptures. The influence of time and space is exerted upon the dependent living entities, who are all parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The living entities are predominated Brahman, whereas the Supreme Lord is the predominating Absolute. As soon as we forget this clear fact, we are at once in illusion, and thus we are put into threefold miseries, as one is put into dense darkness. The clear consciousness of the cognizant living being is God consciousness, in which one bows down unto Him in all circumstances.
bhavāya nas tvaṁ bhava viśva-bhāvana
tvam eva mātātha suhṛt-patiḥ pitā
tvaṁ sad-gurur naḥ paramaṁ ca daivataṁ
yasyānuvṛttyā kṛtino babhūvima
bhavāya—for welfare; naḥ—for us; tvam—Your Lordship; bhava—just become; viśva-bhāvana—the creator of the universe; tvam—Your Lordship; eva—certainly; mātā—mother; atha—as also; suhṛt—well-wisher; patiḥ—husband; pitā—father; tvam—Your Lordship; sat-guruḥ—spiritual master; naḥ—our; paramam—the supreme; ca—and; daivatam—worshipable Deity; yasya—whose; anuvṛttyā—following in the footsteps; kṛtinaḥ—successful; babhūvima—we have become.
O creator of the universe, You are our mother, well-wisher, Lord, father, spiritual master and worshipable Deity. By following in Your footsteps we have become successful in every respect. We pray, therefore, that You continue to bless us with Your mercy.
Purport
The all-good Personality of Godhead, being the creator of the universe, also plans for the good of all good living beings. The good living beings are advised by the Lord to follow His good advice, and by doing so they become successful in all spheres of life. There is no need to worship any deity but the Lord. The Lord is all-powerful, and if He is satisfied by our obedience unto His lotus feet, He is competent to bestow upon us all kinds of blessings for the successful execution of both our material and spiritual lives. For attaining spiritual existence, the human form is a chance for all to understand our eternal relation with God. Our relation with Him is eternal; it can neither be broken nor vanquished. It may be forgotten for the time being, but it can be revived also by the grace of the Lord, if we follow His injunctions, which are revealed in the scriptures of all times and all places.
aho sanāthā bhavatā sma yad vayaṁ
traiviṣṭapānām api dūra-darśanam
prema-smita-snigdha-nirīkṣaṇānanaṁ
paśyema rūpaṁ tava sarva-saubhagam
aho—oh, it is our good luck; sa-nāthāḥ—to be under the protection of the master; bhavatā—by Your good self; sma—as we have become; yat vayam—as we are; traiviṣṭa-pānām—of the demigods; api—also; dūra-darśanam—very rarely seen; prema-smita—smiling with love; snigdha—affectionate; nirīkṣaṇa-ānanam—face looking in that mode; paśyema—let us look; rūpam—beauty; tava—Your; sarva—all; saubhagam—auspiciousness.
Oh, it is our good luck that we have come again today under Your protection by Your presence, for Your Lordship rarely visits even the denizens of heaven. Now it is possible for us to look into Your smiling face, which is full of affectionate glances. We can now see Your transcendental form, full of all auspiciousness.
Purport
The Lord in His eternal personal form can be seen only by the pure devotees. The Lord is never impersonal, but He is the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, possible to be visited by devotional service face to face, which is impossible to be done even by the denizens of higher planets. When Brahmājī and other demigods want to consult Lord Viṣṇu, the plenary portion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they have to wait on the shore of the ocean of milk where Lord Viṣṇu is lying on White Land (Śvetadvīpa). This ocean of milk and the Śvetadvīpa planet are the replica of Vaikuṇṭhaloka within the universe. Neither Brahmājī nor the demigods like Indra can enter into this island of Śvetadvīpa, but they can stand on the shore of the ocean of milk and transmit their message to Lord Viṣṇu, known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore, the Lord is rarely seen by them, but the inhabitants of Dvārakā, because of their being pure devotees without any tinge of the material contamination of fruitive activities and empiric philosophical speculation, can see Him face to face by the grace of the Lord. This is the original state of the living entities and can be attained by reviving our natural and constitutional state of life, which is discovered by devotional service only.
yarhy ambujākṣāpasasāra bho bhavān
kurūn madhūn vātha suhṛd-didṛkṣayā
tatrābda-koṭi-pratimaḥ kṣaṇo bhaved
raviṁ vinākṣṇor iva nas tavācyuta
yarhi—whenever; ambuja-akṣa—O lotus-eyed one; apasasāra—You go away; bho—oh; bhavān—Yourself; kurūn—the descendants of King Kuru; madhūn—the inhabitants of Mathurā (Vrajabhūmi); vā—either; atha—therefore; suhṛt-didṛkṣayā—for meeting them; tatra—at that time; abda-koṭi—millions of years; pratimaḥ—like; kṣaṇaḥ—moments; bhavet—becomes; ravim—the sun; vinā—without; akṣṇoḥ—of the eyes; iva—like that; naḥ—ours; tava—Your; acyuta—O infallible one.
O lotus-eyed Lord, whenever You go away to Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Hastināpura to meet Your friends and relatives, every moment of Your absence seems like a million years. O infallible one, at that time our eyes become useless, as if bereft of sun.
Purport
We are all proud of our material senses for making experiments to determine the existence of God. But we forget that our senses are not absolute by themselves. They can only act under certain conditions. For example, our eyes. As long as the sunshine is there, our eyes are useful to a certain extent. But in the absence of sunshine, the eyes are useless. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the primeval Lord, the Supreme Truth, is compared to the sun. Without Him all our knowledge is either false or partial. The opposite of the sun is the darkness, and similarly the opposite of Kṛṣṇa is māyā, or illusion. The devotees of the Lord can see everything in true perspective due to the light disseminated by Lord Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of the Lord the pure devotee cannot be in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore, it is necessary that we must always be in the sight of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that we can see both ourselves and the Lord with His different energies. As we cannot see anything in the absence of the sun, so also we cannot see anything including our own self, without the factual presence of the Lord. Without Him all our knowledge is covered by illusion.
kathaṁ vayaṁ nātha ciroṣite tvayi
prasanna-dṛṣṭyākhila-tāpa-śoṣaṇam
jīvema te sundara-hāsa-śobhitam
apaśyamānā vadanaṁ manoharam
iti codīritā vācaḥ
prajānāṁ bhakta-vatsalaḥ
śṛṇvāno ‘nugrahaṁ dṛṣṭyā
vitanvan prāviśat puram
katham—how; vayam—we; nātha—O Lord; ciroṣite—being abroad almost always; tvayi—by You; prasanna—satisfaction; dṛṣṭyā—by the glance; akhila—universal; tāpa—miseries; śoṣaṇam—vanquishing; jīvema—shall be able to live; te—Your; sundara—beautiful; hāsa—smiling; śobhitam—decorated; apaśyamānāḥ—without seeing; vadanam—face; manoharam—attractive; iti—thus; ca—and; udīritāḥ—speaking; vācaḥ—words; prajānām—of the citizens; bhakta-vatsalaḥ—kind to the devotees; śṛṇvānaḥ—thus learning; anugraham—kindness; dṛṣṭyā—by glances; vitanvan—distributing; prāviśat—entered; puram—Dvārakāpurī.
O master, if You live abroad all the time, then we cannot look at Your attractive face, whose smiles vanquish all our sufferings. How can we exist without Your presence?Upon hearing their speeches, the Lord, who is very kind to the citizens and the devotees, entered the city of Dvārakā and acknowledged all their greetings by casting His transcendental glance over them.
Purport
Lord Kṛṣṇa’s attraction is so powerful that once being attracted by Him one cannot tolerate separation from Him. Why is this so? Because we are all eternally related with Him as the sun rays are eternally related with the sun disc. The sun rays are molecular parts of the solar radiation. Thus the sun rays and the sun cannot be separated. The separation by the cloud is temporary and artificial, and as soon as the cloud is cleared, the sun rays again display their natural effulgence in the presence of the sun. Similarly, the living entities, who are molecular parts of the whole spirit, are separated from the Lord by the artificial covering of māyā, illusory energy. This illusory energy, or the curtain of māyā, has to be removed, and when it is so done, the living entity can see the Lord face to face, and all his miseries are at once removed. Every one of us wants to remove the miseries of life, but we do not know how to do it. The solution is given here, and it rests on us to assimilate it or not.

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Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple in Bangalore

My mind rest in peace, when, last month I made a visit to Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple in Bangalore. A week break from the monotonous routine schedules has offered me the pleasure of being in close contact with the Almighty. Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, South India boasts of India's largest ISKCON temple. Every year devotees, irrespective of caste, creed and religion take a trip to the Krishna temple and purify their thought-process with holy bhajans and mantras.

ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was established in the year 1997 and is one of the cultural landmark in the South India. The temple represents the Neo-classical style of architecture and its surrounding is embellished with arches and water jets. The spiritual environment within the holy complex welcomes tourist, who lingers on in search of peaceful temple tour in India.

ISKCON- An Institution For Spiritual Education
Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple is dedicated to more than just a place of worship. Founded by the A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the shrine is an institution for spiritual education. It aims to form a cultural and religious chain among all age group in all classes of the society. Chanting of religious hymns, inspirational sayings goes on round the year. During festivals, the number of visitors in the temple goes beyond expectations.

Attractions in ISKCON
The entire ISKCON complex encompasses an area of over seven acres. There are 5 temples, a multi-vision theater, an open-air auditorium, an organic products outlet, an art and craft outlet, Vedic library. Also, there are Akshaya Patra mechanized kitchen and and a pure vegetarian restaurant, which provides sumptuous food to foodies. Tourist, who are member of the temple, can manage accommodation for some days at the guest house and residential complexes.
To know more about the temple and its founder, Swami Prabhupada, tourist can contact with officials at the administrative offices.

How to reach
The revered shrine sits a top Hare Krishna hill in Rajainagar, located 10 Km away from Vidhana Soudha. It is situated 7 Km from the Bengaluru railway station and 35 Km from the Bangalore International Airport. Henceforth travelers can easily access the temple, when in the city.


This post was posted by: Mithi Dey as a part of Article submission



Publisher end note:

You can also contact ISKCON Bangalore at: guesthouse@iskconbangalore.org

Thank You for your wonderful article Mithi Dey, we hope you have enjoyed every single moment at ISKCON Bangalore.

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ISKCON Bangalore Lecture: HG Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa as on April 7 2013

Lecture by His Grace Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa at Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Bangalore, Hare Krishna Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore updated as on April 07, 2013

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SB 1.3.5_HG Stoka Krishna Dasa_April 7.mp3

Month: April

Day: Sunday, 
Date: 07
Year: 2013 

Speaker: Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa
Place: ISKCON Bangalore

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Brahmotsava - 2013 at ISKCON Bangalore, Come and Join Us

This festival Commemorates "The divine appearance of Their Lordships at Hare Krishna Hill". Come and join the festival.

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 Sri Brahmotsvam Begins in ISKCON Bangalore on 24/04/2013

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ISKCON Bangalore Lecture: HG Sri Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa as on April 05, 2013

Lecture by His Grace Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa delivered at Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON Bangalore, Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Updated as on April 05, 2013

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SB 2.9.26-27_HG Chanchalapathi Dasa_April 5.mp3

Month: April
Day: Friday
Date: 05
Year: 2013
Speaker: Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa

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ISKCON Bangalore Lecture: HG Sri Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa as on April 03, 2013

Lecture by His Grace Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa delivered at Srila Prabhupadas ISKCON Bangalore, Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore. Updated as on April 04, 2013.

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SB 2.7.38_HG Stoka Krishna Dasa_April 4.mp3

Month: April
Day: Thursday
Date: 04
Year: 2013

Speaker: Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

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ISKCON Bangalore Lectures: HG Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa

Lecture By His Grace Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON BANGALORE, Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India on March 19, 2013

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SB 3.3.11-13_HG Madhu Pandit Dasa_Mar 19.mp3

Date: 19
Day: Tuesday
Month: March
Year: 2013
Speaker: HG Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa

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ISKCON BANGALORE Lecture: HG Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

Lecture by His Grace Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa at ISKCON BANGALORE, Hare Krishna Hill, West of Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India on 18 March, 2013

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SB 1.3.2_HG Stoka Krishna Dasa_Mar 18.mp3

Date: 18
Day:  Monday
Month: March
Year: 2013
Speaker: HG Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

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Harinam Sankirtan ISKCON Bangalore

Harinam Sankirtan

Harinam Sankirtan is the yuga dharma for this fallen age of Kali, the only way of deliverence.

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ISKCON Bangalore Lectures: Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

Lecture by His Grace Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa on October 17 at Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Bangalore, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.

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SB 2.7.22_HG Stoka Krishna Dasa_Oct 17.mp3

Month: October

Day: Wed, 2012-10-17

Date: 17
Year: 2012
Speaker:  Sri Stoka Krishna Dasa

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Iskcon Bangalore Uniques

ISKCON BANGALORE Goshala Photo gallery   Updated Lately:(

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ISKCON Bangalore Lectures: Madhu Pandit Dasa

Lecture by His Grace Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa on Oct 18 at Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Bangalore, Chord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore

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SB 3.2.9_HG Madhu Pandit Dasa_Oct 18.mp3

Month:  October

Day: Thursday
Date: 18
Year: 2012

Speaker:  Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa

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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Today the 17th of October, we take a moment to analyze how poverty is affecting our children and how we can find ways to ensure that they are not affected. 

World leaders in Millennium summit committed themselves to cutting by half by the year 2015 the number of people living in extreme poverty - people whose income is less than one dollar a day.

Tue, 2012-10-16

Promote to events

World leaders in Millennium summit committed themselves to cutting by half by the year 2015 the number of people living in extreme poverty. The most vulnerable are the children. Every statistics point at children, How can we make a difference? We at AkshayaPatra are trying our best to reach as many children as possible, you could too. Join us today!!

Find more by Clicking Here.

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Get a Copy of Original Books of Srila Prabhupada

Original Books of Srila Prabhupada @ Facebook

Below is a link that has been suggested we include from our site. We are strong proponents of making the Original Writings(books) of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada available again, and are urging the printing and distributing of all of Srila Prabhupada’s great original works, throughout the world. So with great pleasure we submit the following Facebook link.

https://www.facebook.com/Original.Books.of.Srila.Prabhupada

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ISKCON Bangalore Lectures: Sri Amitasana Dasa

Lecture by His Grace Sri Amitasana Dasa on October 14 at Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Bangalore, Cord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore

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SB 1.2.15_HG Amitasana Dasa_Oct 14.mp3

Month: October

Day: Sunday
Date: 14
Year: 2012

Speaker: Sri Amitasana Dasa

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Appearance Day of Srila Haridasa Thakura

28 Sep 2012[Lately Updated]. Today we honor the Appearance Day of Srila Haridasa Thakura, an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura daily chanted 300,000 names of the Lord. Certainly the chanting of 300,000 holy names of the Lord is wonderful. No ordinary person can chant so many names, nor should one artificially imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s behavior. It is essential, however, that everyone fulfill a specific vow to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said that liberation and freedom from the reactions of sinful activities are only by-products of chanting the holy name of the Lord. If one chants the holy name of the Lord purely, he attains the platform of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 5.24.20) Sri Caitanya-caritamrta 1975 Edition By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Madhya-lila, Chapter 7, Text 37 tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-gaṇane jala-pātra-bahirvāsa vahibe kemane tomāra—Your; dui—two; hasta—hands; baddha—engaged; nāma—the holy name; gaṇane—in counting; jala-pātra—waterpot; bahir-vāsa—external garments; vahibe—will carry; kemane—how. TRANSLATION “Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting the holy names, how will You be able to carry the water pot and external garments? PURPORT From this verse it is clear that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting the holy names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvāmīs used to follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura also followed this principle. Concerning the Gosvāmīs-Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī-Śrīnivāsa Ācārya confirms: saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 6) In addition to other duties, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-gaṇane). Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to count on His fingers. While one hand was engaged in chanting, the other hand kept the number of rounds. This is corroborated in the Caitanya-candrāmṛta and also in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Stava-mālā: badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthīn kaṭī-dorakaiḥ saṅkhyātuṁ nija-loka-maṅgala-hare-kṛṣṇeti nāmnāṁ japan (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 16) hare kṛṣṇety uccaiḥ sphurita-rasano nāma-gaṇanā- kṛta-granthi-śreṇī-subhaga-kaṭi-sūtrojjvala-karaḥ (Prathama-Caitanyāṣṭaka 5) Therefore devotees in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and this is the number prescribed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Haridāsa Ṭhākura daily chanted 300,000 names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names. There is no need to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura or the other Gosvāmīs, but chanting the holy name a fixed number of times daily is essential for every devotee.

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Chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra (Japa)

It has been requested that we do a post on Japa Meditation, so on this auspicious day of the appearance of Haridasa Thakura, we share with you some instructions on the chanting of Japa. …Since God is all-powerful and all-merciful, He has kindly made it very easy for us to chant His names, and He has also invested all His powers in them. Therefore the names of God and God Himself are identical. This means that when we chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama we are directly associating with God and being purified. Therefore we should always try to chant with devotion and reverence. The Vedic literature states that Lord Krishna is personally dancing on your tongue when you chant His holy name. You can chant these holy names of the Lord anywhere and at any time, but it is best to set a specific time of the day to regularly chant. Early morning hours are ideal. The chanting can be done in two ways: singing the mantra, called kirtana (usually done in a group), and saying the mantra to oneself, called japa (which literally means "to speak softly"). Concentrate on hearing the sound of the holy names. As you chant, pronounce the names clearly and distinctly, addressing Krishna in a prayerful mood. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sound of the Lord's names. Chanting is a prayer to Krishna that means "O energy of the Lord [Hare], O all-attractive Lord [Krishna], O Supreme Enjoyer [Rama], please engage me in Your service." The more attentively and sin¬cerely you chant these names of God, the more spiritual progress you will make. Since God is all-powerful and all-merciful, He has kindly made it very easy for us to chant His names, and He has also invested all His powers in them. Therefore the names of God and God Himself are identical. This means that when we chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama we are directly associating with God and being purified. Therefore we should always try to chant with devotion and reverence. The Vedic literature states that Lord Krishna is personally dancing on your tongue when you chant His holy name. When you chant alone, it is best to chant on japa beads (available at any ISKCON temple). This not only helps you fix your attention on the holy name, but it also helps you count the number of times you chant the mantra daily. Each strand of japa beads contains 108 small beads and one large bead, the head bead. Begin on a bead next to the head bead and gently roll it between the thumb and middle finger of your right hand as you chant the full Hare Krishna mantra. Then move to the next bead and repeat the process. In this way, chant on each of the 108 beads until you reach the head bead again. This is one round of japa. Then, without chanting on the head bead, reverse the beads and start your second round on the last bead you chanted on. Initiated devotees vow before the spiritual master to chant at least sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily. But even if you can chant only one round a day, the principle is that once you commit yourself to chanting that round, you should try and complete it every day without fail. When you feel you can chant more, increase the minimum number of rounds you chant each day—but don't fall below that number. You can chant more than your fixed number, but you should maintain a set minimum each day. (Please note that the beads are sacred and therefore should never touch the ground or be put in an unclean place. To keep your beads clean, it's best to carry them in a special bead bag, also available at our temple.) Aside from chanting japa, you can also sing the Lord's holy names in kirtana. While you can perform kirtana individually, it is generally performed with others. A melodious kirtana with family or friends is sure to enliven everyone. ISKCON devotees use traditional melodies and instruments, especially in the temple, but you can chant to any melody and use any musical instruments to accompany your chanting. As Lord Chaitanya said, "There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Krishna." Golden Rules for Japa Meditation To obtain the full blessings of Lord Krishna for good meditation, chant the Pancha-tattva maha-mantra first (jaya) sri krishna chaitanya prabhu nityananda sri adwaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura-bhakta-vrinda Chant the full maha-mantra on each bead: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare Chant each syllable aloud and clearly. Listen very carefully & concentrate on the sound of the maha-mantra Some text pasted from; Iskcon Bangalore http://www.iskconbangalore.org/chanting-hare-krishna-mantra

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