Maha Mantra Festival:- Sep 10-20th

On September 18, 1965, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada got off the ship 'Jaladutta' and stepped on the American soil. The rest is history. After Srila Prabhupada came to the US, within 12 years he was able to establish over 100 temples, and inspire thousands of followers, sharing with them the strength of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra! Today, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has grown to a world-wide confederation of over 500 centres around the world!

Starting Sat, Sep 10th, ISKCON centres all over the world will celebrate the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in the West 46 years ago, the day that changed the life trajectory of millions all over the globe.

The celebrations this year in ISKCON Toronto will be marked by 10 days of non-stop activity as the MAHA MANTRA FESTIVAL! We encourage you to make the most of this occasion, participate in the numerous activities, help organize them and most importantly - spread the word around!

Daily Highlights:

* Morning Conference Call readings: daily from 7:15am to 7:30am (starts Sat, Sep 10th) From the book - Sri Namamrta, the Nectar of the Holy Name - the perfect way to start your day!
Conference line dial-in: 647-847-1525; Passcode:- 6118889#

Special events during the Maha-Mantra Festival (Sep 10-20th):

* Double Decker Bus Harinam: Sat, Sep 10th, 1:00pm to 5:00pm (pre-registration required)
For the third year in a row, the popular bus harinam is back! Enjoy the chance to do kirtan aboard a double decker bus as we drive around Toronto. For a modest fee of $25 for the upper level and $10 for the lower level, get your tickets fast as seats are limited!

* Srila Prabhupada Movie Night: Thu, Sep 15th, 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Movie night about Srila Prabhupada with popcorn and juice at the Hare Krsna Temple!

* Downtown Street Harinam: Fri, Sep 16th, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Harinam down the streets of Yorkville, the heart of the International Film Festival! (meet at the Hare Krsna Temple)

* Sankirtan at Beatles Festival in Orillia: Sat, Sep 17th, 7:00am to 9:00pm (pre-registration required)
Opportunity to share the holy name, prasadam and books at the famous Beatles Festival in Orillia!

* Grand Finale Kirtan & Pizza Party: Tue, Sep 20th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
An extremely grand way to cap off 10 days of fun and bliss with a special kirtan night at the Hare Krsna Temple!

It is going to be busy & fun 10 days, and we hope to see you at these events!

How Krishna engages the favourable in Sankirtan...

One day I was standing there contemplating if today was going to be a difficult test of my determination, after but a few rejections, when a young man, wearing a cap with a Che image stopped, and said he had been on a quest to find this knowledge, that he'd read many books on this matter, he mentioned titles but I forgot all but "Tibetan Book of the Dead" and something about the "Law of Attraction". Leo is his name, and he is from Argentina, and it was really no surprise to note that he was artistically inclined, played the Piano and was learning to play the Guitar. We talked, I was trying to explain too many things to him, but admitted that I couldn't even begin to delve into the depths in that short meeting... He was telling me about some psychic he was in touch with. But I didn't even have to go the whole way with my pitch, he just took out his wallet and asked how much. When I explained that we're not selling but gratefully accept any donation, he gave me what was a generous donation. And just like that, in less than 10 minutes of being on the street, the first copy of Bhagavad Gita was travelling in another backpack with a sincere seeker. Krishna was going to Leo's home, and Srila Prabhupada was following closely behind.

Shortly after, Patrick, after walking by a couple of times, stopped. He was in a hurry, before I could say much, he'd thrust some change in my hands, took the Bhagavad Gita "No, not the small ones, I want the big book" and was in his car driving away, while, in all the fumbling, the change he'd given me slipped from my hands onto the sidewalk. As I gathered Laxmi from the sidewalk, I reflected how miraculous it was that Krishna had arranged for Leo to give me a little bit more so Patrick could take Him home too. Leo gets the benefit of book distribution already, just by reciprocating with Krishna once, Krishna arranges for Leo to get the benefit of distributing a copy of Bhagavad Gita to Patrick.

Patrick didn't know Leo, and Leo didn't know Patrick was going to benefit, but Krishna sits in His Paramatma feature in the hearts of Patrick, Leo, and me, so, like an expert orchestra conductor, he waves his wand and does magic.

( Image originally from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Russian_Hare_Krishna_Devotee_on_Sankirtan.jpg)

Mar 27th (Sat) 10th MSF - Bringing Sita Back to Ram!

This coming saturday, March 27th is our 10th Monthly Sankirtan Festival and it's Ram Navami Special!

The theme for this MSF is Bringing Sita Back to Ram. In the spirit of serving our most beloved Lord Ramacandra, just as the army of monkeys and squirrels picked up boulders and stones to construct the bridge across the ocean, let's also contribute, whatever we can, to bring the most auspicious sankirtan movement in the hearts of the residents of GTA!

Our motto is A Lot of People, Each Doing a Liitle Bit!

To help us organize better we request that you RSVP no later than March 25th, thursday. Please bring your friends and family, you're certainly in for an unforgetable treat.

Looking forward to serving with you.

In your service,

Toronto Sankirtan Team

Marching towards 20,000 in 2010

Schedule for Sat, March 27th:-
9:00am :- arrive at the temple
9:30am :- Training on "how" and "what" of going out experience
10:30am : - Team assignments
10:45am :- Drive to various locations
11:00am-2:00pm :- Harinama Sankirtan at different locations
2:00pm :- Final harinam & Wrap up
2:30pm :- Return to temple for lunch prasadam