Guru

In the afternoon of August 7 th 2013, I was attempting to bank Krishna’s laksmi. My bank is a very good bank because its employees often buy Krishna’s books. I use a different bank than Iskcon. At one Brisbane branch, one lady recently bought three Kurma vegetarian cookbooks for her vegetarian daughter. This particular non-Brisbane branch was no exception. One lady not only confirmed that she already owned some Krishna books but agreed then and there to add a copy of Renunciation Through Wisdom to her existing collection.

What is this? Oh my, Srila Prabhupada appearing with Allen Ginsberg? On the same stage? How is it possible?

Such speakers charge money from the organizers and innocent devotees. They have spoiled the whole essence of Bhagavat Dharma by such cheap propaganda. When Sukadeva Goswami spoke this divine message to Pariksit Maharaj and assembled sages, no money was charged. When Suta Goswami repeated it to Saunak rishi and sages no money was charged. But the professional reciters have spoiled the whole show and charm by their lustful agendas and charging lakhs of rupees in name of Bhagavatam hearing.

Diary of a Traveling Monk – Volume 13, Chapter 4 – September 7, 2012

I sat in my room in the temple building in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, taking prasadam and listening to a bhajan by devotees downstairs in the temple itself.

“That’s such a sweet bhajan,” I said to a devotee, “and it’s been going on for hours.”

“Yes, Maharaja,” he said. “The Macedonians are very musically inclined. We love to sing and play musical instruments. We even have our own form of a tamboura here, a four-stringed instrument. Devotees use it often in bhajans.”

“Where is your tilak?“ Candramauli Swami asked us as we gathered in front of Karlovac vege restaurant club, managed by local devotees, preparing to go for a preaching progam in a nearby prison. Quickly running to refresh my already invisible vaisnava marking, I overheard Maharaja quoting Prabhupada on the importance of wearing tilak and vaisnava clothes and remembered Sridhar Maharaja’s instruction, 

If you are unable to preach by explaining philosophy, just dress as a Vaisnava and go out. You will be a walking advertisment for Krsna consciousness.

Diary of a Traveling Monk – Volume 13, Chapter 3 – September 5, 2012

By Indradyumna Swami

As my flight landed in Skopje, Macedonia, I couldn’t hold back a smile when I saw that the airport was named after one of my childhood heroes, Alexander the Great. Like many other boys, I had been fascinated by the adventures of the young Alexander as he conquered much of Asia, even part of India.

Diary of a Traveling Monk – Volume 13, Chapter 2 – September 4, 2012

By His Holiness Indradyumna Swami

“There’s something special about going to a place for the first time, “I said to Rasikendra dasa as I threw my bags into the back of his van. “I’m looking forward to visiting the devotees in Macedonia.”

“Fine,” he said, “but hurry. Traffic’s heavy on the way to the airport.”

HH Gopal Krishna Goswami met the honourable President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on 12th June, 2014 at the President’s official residence in New Delhi and presented him the BBT’s deluxe edition of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is along with the maha-prasad of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi.

Maharaj thanked the President for inaugurating ISKCON’s Pune center last year and invited him to inaugurate ISKCON upcoming center in Kanpur later this year, and presented him with a brochure of this 12 acre project and explained him the different activities that would be held there.

“One night, Abhay had an unusual dream. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared before him, beckoning. He was asking Abhay to leave home and take sannyasa. Abhay awoke in an intensely emotional state, “How horrible!” He thought. He knew it was not an ordinary dream, yet the request seemed so difficult and unlikely. Take sannyasa!