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The Language of Dance by Kanva das Posted June 22, 2009
It was Bharat (of which there were a few who had that name) who was told by Lord Bhramha at the end of the Satya Yuga, that men were becoming more interested in women that mediation So then Lord Bhramha told the great sage to teach dance which could be followed very eagerly by all men....
Please accept the blessings of their Lordship Sri Sri Radha Govinda Hari, Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. Here is the Web site for Iskcon Youth Forum Nepal. Please click on the following address and give your feed back: visa.iskconnepal.org
Please contact us at servantofservants@gmail.com
IN THIS ISSUE: "The Devotee's Duty" by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada "Spiritual Housecleaning" by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami "How Much Are You Worth?" by His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami
"Devotee Spotlight" His Grace Partha-sarathi dasa
Started in 2001 as a humble attempt to serve Srila Prabhupada and the preachers of the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is especially meant for devotees who were interested in going deep into the tradition and literature of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Our policy from the beginning has been to simply focus on krishna-katha - no politics, exposes, revolutions, or institutional bashing or promotion. Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo - our conviction is that krishna-katha and krishna-nama automatically changes everything for the better. They are the ultimate solutions to all problems in this world. In the words of Srila Saraswati Thakur, "The person who determines that there is scope for reform of the world himself stands in need of reform. ... As soon as Krishna enters the listening ear, he clears up the vision of the listener so that he no longer has any ambition of ever acting the part of a reformer of any other person, because he finds that nobody is left without the very highest guidance. It is therefore his own reform that he is increasingly able to realize, by the eternally continuing mercy of the Supreme Lord." [Read the complete article in Bindu 177 Click Here] Bindu has featured many first-time translations, including stories and songs from little-known works, such as Sri Tilak Ramdas' "Abhiram Lilamrta", Yadunandan Das' "Karnananda", Jagadbandhu Bhadra's "Gaura-pada-tarangini", Gopijanavallabha Das' "Rasika Mangala", Krishnadas' "Syamananda Prakash", Jiva Goswami's "Gopal Campu" and Padma, Nrsimha, Brahma-vaivarta and other Puranas. Bindu comes out twice a month, on every ekadasi. Each four-page issue begins with an inspiring article from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and nearly every issue includes something from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Thakur Bhaktivinode. Articles by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami are a common feature as well as contemporary articles by the Bindu editors. Bindu is a free service. To subscribe, write to: minimag@gopaljiu.org Below are some of the kind words of encouragement about Bindu received over the last 8 years:
I would like to subscribe to your publication. I looked at some back issues
and enjoyed the contents very much. I have stopped looking at the ISKCON web
sites except for our local site, because they are all obsessed with politics
and nonsense. Your publication is very nice. We just need to chant together
in a humble and loving frame of mind in order to solve all the problems.
Thank you, prabhus.
Your publication is an invaluable source of inspiration and important
sastric reference.
Please include me in your subscribers' list for KK Bindu. I enjoyed the
fourth issue very much. May all of your efforts be crowned with success, and
may this meet you in the best of health and blissful spirits.
Your magazine is the best on the earth.
It is my great happiness to see that instead of joining the
revolting political debates and fights continuously taking place amongst the
vaishnavas of different groups, the sisyas of Gour Govinda Maharaja are
peacefully engaged in distributing pure, universal hari-katha without
propagating any institution in a sectarian way. You are doing a wonderful
job for the pleasure of Sri Guru and Gauranga. I wish you all success in
your service.
My sincere congratulations and gratitude for putting together a fine Gaudiya
Vaisnava online publication that we can all feel proud of.
Thanks for all this nectar.
Your Bindus are WONDERFUL!
With great happiness I received your wonderful e-mail and devoured it
immediately. The Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is simply ecstatic. Short,
concise, thick with nectar, and fully authorized and in line with our
glorious sampradaya as revealed by Srila Prabhupada. It is just what a
preacher needs who wishes to inspire people. Please keep the good stream of
nectar flowing!
Thanks for the latest KK Bindu. As usual, it was nectarean and a pleasant
ekadasi surprise for my wicked mind. I especially appreciate the
non-partisan spirit of the publication. I can hardly read anything on the
internet these days that isn't trying to promote, argue pro or con, or
solicit. There is a place for that I admit. I have my opinions, too. But
it's easy to forget our real business in life. At least I am reminded, by
your kindness, on a bi-monthly basis. Thank you.
Aapko bahut dhanyavaada!!!
I always look forward to receiving Krishna Kathamrita Bindu. It's just the
right size and just the right substance -- so short that I can easily devote
the time to it yet so juicy that a few drops go a long way. A newsletter
with nothing but pure Krishna-katha -- so refreshing! This is the real need
of the day. Thank you so much!
Many thanks for a copy of the book, "Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu, Issues
1-17" which I have just finished reading. In fact, I was not able to take up
any of my other works until I finished this book. I am happy to tell you
that one can really have a taste of sindhu reading the said issues of the
Bindu.
Your wonderful writings have been so inspiring to devotees all around the
world. I can truly say I have always looked forward to every new
presentation. My own copies have been marked many times. I have shared them
with so many other devotees. Somehow each time they have appeared it has
been so timely.
Someone recently directed me to your site and it is encouraging to see this
kind of preaching continuing some years now after Sri Gour Govinda Maharaja
has departed.
I heartily approve the spirit of this message.
I'm a journalist from the "Economic Times", Bangalore edition, trying to be
a vaishnavi. I have always loved "Krishna Kathamrita Bindu" and the
excellent books you publish. "Krishna Kathamrita Bindu" and "Mathura Meets
Vrindavan" are so good. I repeatedly tell stories to people from them while
preaching. Watch Nrsimha Chaturdasi live on www.mayapur.tv this Friday Featuring extra live cameras, interviews with devotees, and much, much more! Watch the festivities unfold on www.mayapur.tv.
Special programme timings:
Submitted by the Mayapur.tv team
The latest movie on this year's Gaura Purnima festival has been uploaded and can be seen at:
Click Here
The latest issue of the Bhaktivedanta Academy newsletter is now online. Click Here to view it.
The Bhaktivedanta Academy (formerly New Raman Reti School), a Krishna-centered educational institution located in Alachua, Florida, currently serves 50 Pre-K thru 6th grade students, making it the largest devotional school in North America.
The Gita Nagari website has been updated. Please visit: www.gitanagari.org/ We are in the process of replanting the orchard. The trees in the original orchard do not carry any more fruit and have to be removed. Check the site and find out how you can help.
For pictures of the Gita Nagari Gaura Purnima celebration, please visit Click Here
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New Website Launched By Gopal Jiu Publications by Madhavananda Das Posted July 1, 2009 Gopal Jiu Publications is pleased to announce our completely new and reconstructed web site: Desiring to serve devotees, scholars, and aficionados of Krishna-katha, www.gopaljiu.org now offers: 1) Downloadable PDF extracts from all of our books and magazines 2) Some complete books available for reading online 3) Downloadable PDF articles 4) Over 200 back issues of our free email magazine Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu 5) A search engine accessing all the past issues of Bindu and other articles on the site 6) Over 200 photos of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja 7) Over 250 MP3 audio recordings of Maharaja available for free listening or download 8) Video lectures of Maharaja available for free viewing or download 9) A calendar of upcoming Gopal Jiu Publications parikramas 10) Facility to purchase all of our books and magazines online 11) Reviews of Gopal Jiu Publications books and magazines from various senior devotees 12) Immensely improved design and functionality
And more...
Title: Memorizing Bhajans made easy - Word by Word translation Start date: 6/10/2009 (approx 10 hours of instructions) Tuition: None. Course is free. Enrollment: www.bhaktistudies.ning.com Questions: igvt.hbg@gmail.com
We live in times best characterized by the need to define the spiritual, times ripe for the resurgence of metaphysics. Not only has science failed to retire the "why" questions that arise spontaneously in human consciousness, but philosophy has also thought-drained its well dry. Bridging the metaphysics of the East and the philosophical traditions of the West, we propose a return to active discourse between humanity and divinity, which is the essence of revelation. This holds far more potential for fulfilling humanity's essential needs than unbridled intellectual exercise and the licensing of technology to change the nature of nature. In such dialogue, reason shines as an aspect of faith, and faith itself is the illuminating embrace of truth, rather than mere belief. Science, technology, and philosophy should all be harnessed-tied to revelation-in pursuit of improving the quality of life and knowing well the truth of material impermanence, which facilitate not only the betterment of our material conditions as long as they last, but our quest for enduring happiness as well. Therefore, Please check out The Harmonist, a Web site dedicated to bridging the gap between East and West, between mind and spirit, between philosophy and revelation. The Harmonist seeks to both facilitate and take part in this discussion-conversation that is the human response to revelation grounded in Vedanta. Our focus is devotional Vedanta and the school of Sri Caitanya-Gaudiya Vedanta-in particular. We publish articles illuminating the philosophical conclusions of Gaudiya Vedanta, often by way of interfacing with other spiritual and philosophical traditions in a way that honors these traditions in their own right. We also publish articles commenting on issues of the day, both within the Gaudiya Vaisnava community and in the world at large. We also include news articles relevant to the greater spiritual community and the value of sustainable living, which we view as the best way of living in this world while pursuing transcendence.
In addition to articles, a classroom, videos, and comics, the Harmonist encourages lively discussion among members and visitors with a robust comments feature. Check out www.harmonist.us and join the discussion!
Our June 2009 Care for Cows Newsletter has been posted early as I will be out of India most of June 2009. Please review it at your earliest convenience. (careforcows.org/downloads/newsletters_0). In this edition of 18 pages (1.6 MB) we present reports on: 1. The Royal Oxen of Thailand and their performance of the Ploughing Ceremony. 2. The secret recipe of a hearty smoked cheese. 3. New Arrivals which include four full-grown oxen to power more bull driven school buses. Thanks for your participation and support. I hope this finds you experiencing the happiness and inner satisfaction that accompanies cow protection. Jaya Sri Gopal!
Your friend and servant, May cows stay in front of me; may cows stay behind me; may cows stay on both sides of me. May I always reside in the midst of cows. Hari Bhakti-vilas 16.252 New Harinama / Food for Life Website Launched! by Ila devi dasi Posted May 21, 2009
This website aims to promote the congregational chanting of the Holy Name across the nine islands, as instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself: "The Lord ordered all the citizens of Navadvipa to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and in each and every home they began performing sankirtana regularly. [All the devotees sang this popular song along with the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.] "Haraye namah, krishna yadavaya namah/ gopala govinda rama sri-madhusudana." When the saìkirtana movement thus started, no one in Navadvipa could hear any sound other than the words "Hari! Hari!" and the beating of the mrdanga and clashing of hand bells. PURPORT The International Society for Krishna Consciousness now has its world center in Navadvipa, Mayapur. The managers of this center should see that twenty-four hours a day there is chanting of the holy names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, with the addition of haraye namah, krishna yadavaya namah, for this song was a favorite of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's. But all such sankirtana must be preceded by the chanting of the holy names of the five tattvas-sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda... Chanting of these six lines should go on so perfectly well that no one there hears any vibration other than the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. That will make the center spiritually all-perfect." - Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-Lila 17:121-123 Furthermore the website aims to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desire to ensure that "No one within 10 miles' radius of any ISKCON Temple should go hungry," a desire he expressed with tear-filled eyes in the following story told by HH Jayapataka Swami: "Usually when Prabhupada wanted something he would say, 'Bring my secretary.' But in Mayapur he would call everyone. He would want everyone to hear what he was saying. At that time the devotees were just 'recovering' from a big feast. When Prabhupada called, all the devotees came down rushing. "What is Prabhupada calling forā What's happeningā" They saw Prabhupada intently looking out of the windows with tears in his eyes - he was crying! They looked out and saw a big pile of leaf plates thrown at the back of the temple after the feast. There were about fifteen dogs and about fifteen to twenty boys and girls and girls, little kids between eight and fourteen years, picking through the leaves and fighting off the dogs. They were eating the leftovers and licking the leaves. They were ordinary village children who were basically clean but poor. Then Prabhupada revealed his mind, "How hungry they must be! They are picking the prasadam from the pile - they must be so hungry! We must arrange for their prasadam! If you want to make this mandir a house of Krishna, then you must see that within 10 mile radius, no one goes hungry. That will be success. Krishna is everyone's father. How can the son go hungry in the presence of the fatherā Immediately arrange to distribute prasadam.' The Mayapur Nagar Sankirtana Department has for the past three years been trying to execute the above two instructions - to distribute the Holy Names and Prasadam in all the villages of Mayapur. Please visit our website:
www.HarinamFFLMayapur.com
www.mahavishnuswami.com
Dear Friends, Jai Govinda! Our May 2009 Care for Cows Newsletter has been posted. Please review it at your earliest convenience. (careforcows.org/downloads/newsletters_0). In this edition of 18 pages (1.2 MB) we present reports on: 1. The rescue of an unwilling full-grown injured street bull. 2. A brief update on Sudevi Dasi's exemplary sacrifice to serve abandoned cows. 3. New Arrivals which include two calves born at CFC and several other interesting members. Thanks for your participation and support. I hope this finds you experiencing the happiness and inner satisfaction that accompanies cow protection. Jaya Sri Gopal!
Your friend and servant,
May cows stay in front of me; may cows stay behind me; may cows stay on both
sides of me. May I always reside in the midst of cows. Vanipedia Celebrates First Year Online by Labangalatika dasi (SDA) Posted March 29, 2009 March 21 marked the first anniversary of Vanipedia, the multifaceted and ambitious web-based encyclopedia dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. "Vani" is a Sanskrit term which refers to words; instructions; messages; teachings. Operating from the popular and powerful Wiki platform, Vanipedia's goal is to compile the complete range of Srila Prabhupada's archived teachings from all angles of vision and make them freely accessible via internet. The Vanipedia project contains seven components. At present, two of the seven are up and running: Vanisource, which contains the full text of all of Prabhupada's books, letters, conversations and lectures, and Vaniquotes, the comprehensive mapping and compilation of Prabhupada's teachings. Project activity is currently focusing on Vaniquotes. Here, quotes from Srila Prabhupada are extracted, catalogued, presented and linked back to Vanisource. Organized in categories thematically, lexically, by scriptural reference and via reference to scriptural personalities, Vaniquotes places the quotes into wiki pages which in turn link to the categories for ease of identification and research. Since its official launch on Gaura Purnima of 2008, Vaniquotes content has grown substantially. As of March 21, 2008, the site contained 875 categories, 4,702 pages and 15,386 quotes. One year later, it tallies at 4,780 categories, 10,601 pages and 57,637 quotes. Pages have more than doubled, quotes have nearly quadrupled, and categories have increased by nearly 5½ times. And the pages themselves are filling more and more, with 6,350 now complete and 4,251 in process. The goal: 100,000 completed pages containing between one and two million quotes. "This is a great result, but when looking back on the year I consider the greatest achievement of all is how the devotees have come forward to offer seva and to bless me with their inspired association," says Visnu Murti Dasa, the founder, visionary and director behind Vanipedia. The project is based on a decentralized, collaborative model of participation by volunteers from around the globe who contribute via internet from their homes. This "Vaniseva" is the heart of Vanipedia. Vanipedia's vision is to gather participation from the broadest possible base of contributors, to bring together any and all persons desiring to penetrate and propagate Srila Prabhupada's teachings in a collegial, service-oriented atmosphere. One example of this working model comes from Singapore. The first volunteer, Archana Dasi, stepped forward to serve as a compiler in September 2008. Inspired by her personal experience, and enthusiastic to share that experience, she has gone on to bring 14 more compilers from Singapore to join the project in the last six months. Vanipedia's organizers look forward to the continued development of such regional teams from around the world. In addition to the group from Singapore, contributors from India, Europe, Australasia, North America and South America are actively involved with Vanipedia, and the first participant from China has started training in Vaniseva. At this stage, Vanipedia is being developed in English. The larger vision is that it be developed it in other languages as well. "Opportunity for participation in Vanipedia is wide open," says Labangalatika Dasi, who joined the project in December 2008. Originally looking to spend two or three hours a week on Vanipedia, she now serves full time as a compiler, editor and tutor for Vaniquotes. "Compiling is the entry point," she explains. "Vaniquotes invites you to study Prabhupada's works in a focused and disciplined way, serve his mission and maintain good devotional association, all at the same time. For my part, it offered an efficient way to do what I really wanted and needed to do." "There's amazing depth and breadth to this experience," Labangalatika continues. "It's missionary, it's exploratory, it's devotional. As compilers, we approach the texts with a determination which requires us to understand what we're reading and present it faithfully for others to understand easily and clearly. In the process, we associate intimately with Prabhupada and the Krishna-conscious philosophy. We grow on two levels: inwardly through the thoughtfulness, introspection and self-cultivation that follow our absorption in the teachings, and outwardly through our propagating spiritual education and culture." "And it's not that you have to be an especially saintly or scholarly type of person to do this, either," she adds. "That's the beauty of Vaniseva. All we are doing is re-presenting. Prabhupada is the power." Although there is plenty of technical expertise at work behind the scenes, Vaniseva doesn't require technical savvy. "It doesn't take a lot to get started compiling," says Labangalatika. "All you need is a good internet connection, a bit of time to give, and the desire to do it." "This project operates a lot on inspiration. Each of us has our own personal offering and connection with it, and the inspiration comes to us in an endless variety of ways." One volunteer, Sahadeva Dasa, offered to research and develop pages related specifically with the personalities portion of Vaniquotes. In addition to his contributing pages to Vaniquotes, he pursued an idea he had to utilize a mind map software for the project. Sahadeva is now perfecting a graphic presentation of the Bhagavatam family tree which will be available for viewing in Vaniquotes and linked to Vaniquotes pages on the respective personalities. Radha Madan Gopal Dasa contributes to Vaniquotes as his schedule allows. "Through Vaniseva we get more hands-on with the authority of the scriptures and their practical application," he says. "This seva is also very good for preachers because it reflects different moods and intricate issues which Prabhupada resolved from time to time in a very simple way." Sixty-four-year old Serene Ramasamy has experienced compiling in a very heartfelt way. "When reading the letters by Srila Prabhupada to the devotees," she relates, "I came to know the hardship he went through as a single man at the beginning, and I couldn't stop admiring his courage and determination. We have the chance to learn a lot, not only about the scriptures and the material and spiritual worlds, but also about Prabhupada's commitments. It is very impressive and inspiring. My only wish now is that, if I'm given the opportunity, I would like to work with Vanipedia until the last day of my life in this world. I'm sure all the Vanisisters and brothers will have the same feeling after reading about Srila Prabhupada." Vaniquotes, along with Vanisource, will provide the basis from which the rest of the Vanipedia project will be realized. Vanictionary will be a Sankrit-to-English and Bengali-to-English lexicon based on Srila Prabhupada's definition and use of Sanskrit and Bengali words. Vanibooks will be thematic compendiums of Srila Prabhupada's teachings similar to the books Siksamrta by Ajamila Dasa and Preaching is the Essence, Sri Namamrta, and Spiritual Master and the Disciple by Subhananda Dasa. Vaniversity will be the educational vehicle of the site aimed at levels ranging from children's activities to college-level coursework. Vanimedia will present all of Srila Prabhupada's audio, video and photographic recordings, and Vanipedia, the centerpiece, will contain articles introducing readers to the various parts of the project. The Vanipedia project is one of years in the making. The vision was seeded in 1987, when Visnu Murti started a thematic compilation of Srila Prabhupada's letters from the 5-volume Letters from Srila Prabhupada. In subsequent years the vision grew through Visnu Murti's service with the Bhaktivedanta Archives, publishing and distributing Prabhupada's teachings to devotees. In 1995, Visnu Murti founded the non-profit Bhaktivedanta Library Services (BLS) based adjacent to ISKCON Radhadesh in Belgium. In 2006, Prabhupada Vani Research Academy was established as a department of BLS, and it is through this branch of the organization that Vanipedia is being developed. "We are presently constructing additional office and living space at BLS for Vanipedia core participants as well as for other devotees who wish to visit Radhadesh for their own little Vaniseva retreats," says Visnu Murti. "Our new facility will offer a great opportunity for devotees who want a profound experience studying Srila Prabhupada's books." Vanipedia currently has seven core team members who serve as facilitators, coordinators, and specialists in various aspects of the project. Service opportunities include beginning and advanced compiling, IT coordination and website promotion. Visnu Murti looks to 2015 to have all seven Vani components running - specifically 4 October 2015, the fiftieth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's arrival on Western shores. As yet, Vanipedia is still in its beginning stages. As Visnu Murti puts it, "A baby of one year does not manifest much glory, but everyone knows that over time if the baby stays healthy, it will grow into a strong adult. Vanipedia is growing, and after one year he has a clean bill of health."
To learn more about Vanipedia, start by visiting vanipedia.org. For information and access to Vaniquotes, go to vanipedia.org. To inquire about service opportunities with Vanipedia, email vaniseva@pamho.net.
After being offline for a few months, The Prabhupada Connection is back by popular demand. We've received many letters urging us to continue and so we hope to serve you for a long time to come. Please drop by and enjoy Srila Prabhupada's online association. You're also invited to participate by sharing your Prabhupada memories, photos, artwork and offerings. Every day we have many new readers from around the world and they're all eager to hear about and learn from Srila Prabhupada and his followers. Kindly help us to introduce and inspire them in Prabhupada's service and Krishna Consciousness. The Prabhupada Connection is for everyone. Our humble aim and purpose is to spread appreciation and love of Prabhupada to as many people as possible. Oftentimes they're searching for information on famous persons like George Harrison or Allen Ginsberg, for example, and they end up reading about Srila Prabhupada. This is a wonderful way to inform others about Krishna's pure devotee in the privacy of their own homes or offices. We receive and write on average a thousand letters per month. That's approximately 70-80,000 letters over the past seven years. And with nearly 2,000 pages on the website -- and growing -- The Prabhupada Connection is filling a niche. So please come and join us and tell your friends and family. We're looking forward to seeing you -- and hearing from you -- soon. Thank you very much.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Over the last few months I've been working on an essay bringing together the external evidence we have about Srila Prabhupada's internal life. It turned into a rather long piece, and it was great fun to write. This essay gives us access to the diverse indications given by Srila Prabhupada by which we may understand his love for Krishna. Intimate stories from disciples The realizations of sadhus Signs from Srila Prabhupada's life Srila Prabhupada's own statements. I've made this article free online in two versions, one you can read online and one you can download as a pdf. If you find it interesting, feel free to share it with anyone you think might also find it interesting. You may find this essay at cowdust.us/, where you'll be given the choice of either reading it online or downloading it. Please note that there's a link for leaving comments at the end.
I hope you'll find it enlivening and thought provoking. And fun!
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Please see the link below for the May 2009 issue of B.T. Swami Reflections.
Bhaktistudies is pleased to announce a new and UNIQUE course per details below:
Hare Krishna.
Chakra is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.