Continuing with our series “Photos by Gurudas”. The following series is the famous “Portrait”.
click on images to enlarge
Photos by Gurudas “Portrait”
30 May 2015 Leave a comment
in Photos by Gurudas Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Gurudas, photos by Gurudas, Portrait of Srila Prabhupada, prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada
Whatever Happened to the Revolution?
29 May 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement Tags: Allen Ginsberg, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Hare Krishna Movement, Jack Kerouac, Janis Joplin and Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, Owsley Stanley, prabhupada, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Srila Prabhupada, the Hell's Angels, The Peace Formula, The Yoga of Love, Timothy Leary
My dear friend from the Prabhupada Connection, Padmpani Prabhu, sent me the following post in my mail box the other day and gave me his permission to post it. So with great pleasure we are posting it here.. Please, if you havn’t already, check out his famous site The Prabhupada Connection
Whatever Happened to the Revolution?
For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating through the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. “The establishment” was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the world would unite and be free from the chains of oppression. Or so we thought.
At the time, it appeared that massive cultural changes were about to sweep away the capitalist system (or the “military industrial complex,” as we used to call it). Every day there was a new victory for change. Underground newspapers proliferated, broadcasting the latest progress reports: the sit-ins, the love-ins, the be-ins, the antiwar and civil rights demonstrations, the Democratic National Convention of 1968, the Chicago Seven Trial, Woodstock, etc. Something was happening here, and it was big.
Prabhupada (Free PDF Download)
28 May 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, guru, prabhupada, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
The following PDF file entitled “Prabhupada” is a very nice little pamphlet describing Srila Prabhupada’s Journey to the West, the society he formed, his teachings, ect. It is very nice and you can click on the following link to view it or save it to your comuputer.
click of the following link to veiw or save pdf file Prabhupada
Asssociate Derectly with Srila Prabhupada by Reading His Books
05 May 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada vani, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, direct association, Mahesh Raja das, prabhupada vani, reading srila prabhupada's books, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books, vani, vapu
Sometime back I saw this article on the Prabhupada News website that I saved to my files because it is a good assortment of quotes.
You Can Directly Associate With Srila Prabhupada by Reading His Books
compiled by Mahesh Raja
…. it is described here that ONE HAS TO ASSOCIATE WITH LIBERATED PERSONS NOT DIRECTLY, PHYSICALLY, BUT BY UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND LOGIC, THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE. (Srimad-Bhagavatam – 3.31.48 Purport)
Prabhupada: JUST FOLLOW HIS ORDER. SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ALONG WITH YOU BY HIS WORDS. Just like my spiritual master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words. (Lecture – London, August 18, 1971)
How to Increase Attachment for the Lord
04 May 2015 Leave a comment
in Devotional Service, Maharaja Ambarisa, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, attachment for the Lord, Krsna, lotus feet of Krsna, Maharaja Ambarisa, material desires, renunciation, SB 9.4.18-20, Srila Prabhupada, Supreme Personality of Godhead, worship of the Lord, yukta-vairagya
This morning I happened to read about Maharaja Ambarisa, a great devotee of the Lord, who was famous as one who offered everything to the Lord.
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṇa or about Kṛṣṇa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’s temples and Kṛṣṇa’s places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord’s devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.
Photos by Gurudas
01 May 2015 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Jayananda, Jayananda and Srila Prabhupada, Jayananda Thakur, Jayananda's disappearance day, photos by Gurudas, Srila Prabhupada, Yamuna Devi Dasi
In honor of Jayananda’s disappearance day we are posing a few more photos by Gurudas, taken in San Francisco.
Disappearance of Jayananda Thakur
01 May 2015 Leave a comment
in Jayananda Thakur Tags: disappearance of Jayananda thakur, Jayananda Thakur, Srila Prabhupada, TKG
Today we honnor the disappearance day of one of my dear Godbrothers; Jayananda Thakur. He was well loved by the whole society, and an inspiration to many.
Jayananda Thakura’s Disappearance
from Tamal Krishna Goswamis Diary
3rd May 1977: Today we received word that Jayananda Prabhu had given up his body. When Srila Prabhupada was informed he said, ‘”Yes, sooner or later we must all go.” Afterwards, tears came to His Divine Grace’s eyes. “He was one of my very best disciples. He was the first to give me five thousand dollars, which was used for printing Teachings of Lord Caitanya. He used to drive me in the car, and while driving he would be chanting.
I asked Prabhupada about Jayananda’s destination, “He is not lost. He will be promoted. If he still has some desire for sense gratification, then he will be promoted to the higher planets where he will live for ten thousand years with full enjoyment. By then, he may have perfected his devotional service and he will be transferred back to Godhead. Or, if he has not yet perfected his devotional service, he will be reborn in a very high, aristocratic, pious family But if he was thinking of Krishna, then he can have gone directly to Krishna-loka.”
Photos by Gurudas
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in Photos by Gurudas, Srila Prabhupada Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Gurudas, morning walk with Srila Prabhupada, parikrama, photos by Gurudas, Srila Prabhupada
As Promised we continue with our series entitled “Photos by Gurudas”. This set is called “Parikrama”
Qualities of a Devotee
27 Apr 2015 1 Comment
in Qualities of a Devotee Tags: 26 qualities of a devotee, A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, devotees, Does not quarrel with anyone, elevated qualities, Equal to everyone, Fixed in the Absolute Truth, Kind to everyone, liberated from material entanglement, Lord Visnu, Maharaja Prthu, SB 4.20.16, Srila Prabhupada, transcendental qualities, yoga
For some time now I have been meaning to look up the 26 qualities of a devotee and print them out. This was the topic of a discussion we had with a fellow devotee some time back. None of us could exactly remember all 26 qualities, but we were pretty sure that we were not in possession of them all in full. After a little searching we found them, and share them with you.
…These qualities of a devotee,twenty–six in number, are listed as follows: (1) kind to everyone, (2) does not quarrel with anyone, (3) fixed in the Absolute Truth, (4) equal to everyone, (5) faultless, (6) charitable, (7) mild, (8) clean, (9) simple, (10) benevolent, (11) peaceful, (12) completely attached to Krsna, (13) has no material hankering, (14) meek, (15) steady, (16) self-controlled, (17) does not eat more than required, (18) sane, (19) respectful, (20) humble, (21) grave, (22) compassionate, (23) friendly, (24) poetic, (25) expert, (26) silent. (from purport to SB 4.20.16)
Conversations from India
25 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in Back to Godhead, Devotee's, Krsna Consciousness Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, BTG, Jayadvaita das, krsna consciousness, Krsna consciousness in India, Srila Prabhupada, Tamala Krsna Goswami, transcendental land of Lord Krishna, Vrndavana
As a young bhakta/book distributor back in 1975, I daily distributed Back to Godhead Magizines along with Srila Prabhupada’s books. I remember one day when the heat was oppressive, I took a break and sat beneath a shade tree and read the following article from the BTG. Reading this article sparked my desire to visit India, and planted the seed that would later bring me there. We share it with you along with some of the accompanying photos.
Conversations from India
excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine Volume 10, Number 02, 1975
A senior member of the Hare Krsna movement tells how Krsna consciousness has gone from East to West and back again.
Last March, when hundreds of devotees from all over the world gathered in India for a pilgrimage to the holy cities Mayapur and Vrndavana, I had the opportunity, after four years, to again have the association of my senior Godbrother, His Holiness Tamala Krsna Gosvami Maharaja. The ISKCON temple in Vrndavana was then under construction, and Tamala Krsna Maharaja had a small grass-and-adobe hut nearby, which he used as a headquarters for chanting, reading and executing his various Krsna conscious duties.
After Srila Prabhupada, our spiritual master, first brought some of his devotees to India in 1970, he entrusted to Tamala Krsna Maharaja the responsibility for overseeing the Society’s various preaching programs in India. I knew something about these programs from pictures, news clippings and letters I’d received from devotees, but still I felt that I didn’t have a clear picture of what we were really doing there. However, Tamala Krsna Maharaja is always eager to talk about Krsna consciousness, and so he kindly agreed to tell me about what our movement has done in India during the past four years.
So, there in his hut in Vrndavana, the transcendental land where Lord Krsna Himself had appeared 5,000 years ago to display His transcendental pastimes, Maharaja and I spent several mornings simply talking about Krsna consciousness—and especially Krsna consciousness in India. Here is an excerpt from our conversations, which we taped to share with readers of BACK TO GODHEAD. We will print more in a future issue.
—Jayadvaita dasa; Editor, BACK TO GODHEAD
The Worshiping of Srimati Tulasi-devi
24 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in Tulasi Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sri Radha, Srila Prabhupada, Srimate Vrinda-devi, Tulasi plant, worship of Srimati Tulasi devi
This morning I happened to notice that the Tulasi seeds which were planted on Earth Day were already beginning to sprout, being encouraged by the Sun, on the warm, well lit window sill. So it seemed a good day to do a post about the Glories and Worship of Srimati Tulasi Devi.
For devotees aspiring to enter the eternal realm of Vrindavan, service to Vrinda-devi is essential. Srila Prabhupada stressed this by making Tulasi puja a daily part of our morning program. Tulasi-devi is an expansion of Vrinda-devi in this world. Every morning we pray to Vrinda-devi:
“ye tomara sarana loy tara vancha purna hoy krpa kori koro tare vrndavana-vasi“
“Whoever takes shelter of you, all his desires are fulfilled and by your mercy he becomes a resident of Vrndavana.”
Bangalore Temple Wins Court Case !
11 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, ISKCON, Iskcon Bangalore, ISKCON History Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Acharya of Iskcon, Bangalore Temple Wins Court Case, initiating guru, Iskcon, ISKCON Bangalore, ISKCON Mumbai, Sri Amiya Vilas Swami, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Srila Prabhupada
Bangalore Temple Wins Court Case !
Karnataka High Court dismisses appeal of ISKCON Mumbai followers
Honourable High Court of Karnataka dismissed an appeal filed by some of the followers of ISKCON Mumbai on April 9th, 2015. Honourable Justice Anand Byrareddy was hearing an appeal filed by followers of ISKCON Mumbai seeking to get control of ISKCON Bangalore Society (Regn. No. S.49/78-79), claiming that they are the actual Governing body members. Earlier the same application was filed in the City Civil Court as OS 1758 of 2003 in Bangalore by ISKCON Mumbai followers and had been dismissed.
Photos by Gurudas
29 Mar 2015 1 Comment
in Gallery of Images, Guru das, Photos by Gurudas, Radha Damodar Mandir, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Conversations Tags: Gurudas, photos by Gurudas, Photos of Srila Prabhupada, photos of Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodara, Radha Damodara Mandir, Srila Prabhupada
Continuing with our series “Photos by Gurudas” we have some nice pictures of Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodara Mandir in India.
We have also included the following pictures as full size images as well as in a slidshow format.
“Your Bhagavad-gītā Reading is Perfect. You have Taken the Essence.”
10 Mar 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Conversation with Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavad-gita, Krsna Arjuna, Srila Prabhupada
click on image to enlarge
When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India…He saw one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And people were joking him, “Oh, Mr. brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?” Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brāhmaṇa was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gītā. So they were joking. But the brāhmaṇa did not car. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brāhmaṇa. So He asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?”
So he could understand “This persons is not joking with me; He is serious.”
So he explained, “My dear sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets.”
“Why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?”
So he said that, “My spiritual master knows that I am illiterate, but still, he has asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā. What can I do? Therefore I have taken this book. I am seeing simply. I do not know how to read.”
“Oh, that’s all right. You cannot read. But I see that you are crying. How you are crying if you are not reading?”
“Yes, I am crying. Of course, there is cause.”
“What is that?”
“As soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā, I remember Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sitting as driver and Arjuna is hearing. I have heard the story. I know something of the instruction but cannot read. So as soon as I take this book, this picture comes before me and I simply think, ‘Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is nice that He has become a charioteer of His devotee. He is so great. Still, He has accepted a menial service of His devotee.’ This gives me so much pleasure that I cry.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him, “Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect. You have taken the essence.” So this is the thing. If you simply remember Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna and Arjuna is hearing, if you simply remember the picture, that is sufficient. Even if you think that you cannot read. (Bhagavad-gita talks with Srila Prabhupada 11/25/1968)
Full Conversation More
Over 78000 Copies of Bhagavad-gita Distributed During Book Marathon
07 Mar 2015 Leave a comment
in Book Distribution, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Iskcon Bangalore, Madhu Pandit das Tags: Book Distribution, ISKCON Bangalore, Madhu Pandit Das, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books
I am always happy to see Srila Prabhupada’s books being distributed. When I saw this book distribution report on facebook, I couldn’t help but post it here. ISKCON Bangalore seems to be doing an outstanding job distributing these transcendental books, and in 5 different languages as well! Very inspiring. Glories to all of Srila Prabhupada’s book distributors. Hare Krishna!
Over 78000 Copies of Gita Distributed During Book Marathon
The book marathon program of ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna temple, Bangalore which commenced on 7th Dec 2014 during the auspicious occasion of Gita Jayanti, went on till 8th Feb 2015 and concluded with a prize distribution ceremony on 15th Feb, 2015.
Book distribution is one of the major activities of ISKCON centers around the world as it was the desire of Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON to spread the teachings of Vedic literature all over the world by distributing his books to the people at large as ordered by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. In fact, Srila Prabhupada considered it as his life and soul. He instructed, guided and encouraged his disciples to engage in book distribution more and more and that would please him very much.
Bringing the Holy Name to Germany
07 Mar 2015 Leave a comment
in Hansadutta das, Sivananda das, The Hare Krishna Movement Tags: Europe Krsna consciousness, hansadutta das, Iskcon, Krishna consciousness, Lord Caitanya's mission, Mahabhrata, sankirtan, Sivananda das, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, temple in Germany, the Hare Krishna Movement in Germany
Sivananda Prabhu
Temple in Germany
Bringing the Holy Name to Germany
by Hamsaduta Dasa
Excerpted from; German ‘Back To Godhead’ Magazine
click on above link to view the original German Back to Godhead Magazines. Great Site!
In August of 1968, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced Krsna consciousness to the European continent. At that time Srila Prabhupada was visiting the Montreal, Canada, branch of his newly founded ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The leading devotee of the Montreal Center, Sivananda dasa brahmacari, approached Srila Prabhupada and informed him that he had saved a thousand dollars that he had intended to use for his enrollment at London University. As a surrendered soul, Sivananda offered to engage this money directly in the service of his spiritual master. He submitted to Srila Prabhupada that he no longer felt that the best use of the money was to finance his education at the university, but he suggested that he might be allowed to go to Europe to open the way there for Krsna consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada at the Bhaktivedanta Manor
23 Feb 2015 Leave a comment
in Photos by Mathuranath Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Photos at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, photos by Mathuranath das, pictures of Srila Prabhupada, s, Srila Prabhupada
Some years back, a devotee friend of mine gave me a disk containing thousands of images of Srila Prabhupada. In one folder containing hundreds of beautiful photos taken at Bhaktivedanta Manor, and titled “Photos by Mathuranath”, I have selected the following and presented them as a slide show. They were obviously all taken at the same time but are not necessarily in any sequential order.
Great Potential @ New Vrindaban
16 Feb 2015 Leave a comment
in Devotee Business's, New Vrindavan Tags: New Vrindaban, reduce reuse recycle, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's vision for new vrindaban, Utility building
Utility Building
Ya, I know, it doesn’t look like much now…but it has “Great Potential”
Great Potential @ New Vrindaban
by Vyasasan das
In some of my previous posts entitled Ox Barn Project and the Eco Village I have been chronicling some of the positive changes that are beginning to happen here at the New Vrindaban Farm Community in West Virginia. Although there is so much that needs to be done, some of the improvements that are taking place, are beginning to change the atmosphere, and enliven some of its residents and the locals as well. For too long, New Vrindavan was caught in some kind of ‘time warp’ where things were simply neglected and had fallen into a state of disrepair and abandonment. Roofs were leaking, floors were caving in, post and beams were beginning to rot, and the elements of Nature were reclaiming the land once again.
Mahatma; Great Soul
21 Jan 2015 1 Comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Mahatma, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, always chanting My glories, chanting the flories of the lord, divine nature, great soul, Krsna, krsna consciousness, mahatma, mahatmanas tu mam partha, Srila Prabhupada, Supreme Personality of Godhead, The Hare Krishna Movement, thoes who are not deluded, transcendental qualities
This morning I happened upon the above picture of Srila Prabhupada, and my mind immediately thought of the following two verses from the Bhagavad-gita:
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. (Bg 9. 13)
Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion. (Bg 9.14)
…In this verse the description of mahātmā is clearly given. The first sign of the mahātmā is that he is already situated in the divine nature…The mahātmā does not divert his attention to anything outside Kṛṣṇa because he knows perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a mahātmā, or great soul, develops through association with other mahātmās, pure devotees.
…The mahātmā cannot be manufactured by rubber-stamping an ordinary man. His symptoms are described here: a mahātmā is always engaged in chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. He has no other business. He is always engaged in the glorification of the Lord. In other words, he is not an impersonalist. When the question of glorification is there, one has to glorify the Supreme Lord, praising His holy name, His eternal form, His transcendental qualities and His uncommon pastimes. One has to glorify all these things; therefore a mahātmā is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (from purports)
I find that for me personally, thinking about Srila Prabhupada is one of the best forms of meditation, is good for my Krishna consciousness, and makes me feel very fortunate to be a part of The Hare Krishna Movement.
Full text and purport More
The Cause of All Causes
18 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter a Day Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhagavad-gita, Brahma, brahmaji, Cause of All Causes, chad, chapter a day, demigod, disciplic succession, jnanam, Krsna, Lord Brahma, Narada, Narada Muni, parampara system, quailified spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, transcendental knowledge, Vedic literture
As we continue to update one of our other sites Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by posting a chapter at a time, of that great literary work by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, we will continue to share the progress with our readers here at The Hare Krishna Movement.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 2: “The Cosmic Manifestation”
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Canto Two, Chapter 5
The Hare Krishna Movement 
