Mystic perfection through Sankirtan

"This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again." Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His command that people all over the world should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The sincere devotees of the Lord should go all over the world repeating the Lord's command. In this way, they can share in His mystic opulence of giving orders that cannot be counteracted.

SB 11.15.27

Miseries of life

I met a student from Ryerson and he said he was not interested in yoga at all. I still showed him the Bhakti yoga and he told me it was no use for him and asked me why he should get it. Then I remembered what I had read in Vijaya prabhu newsletter about Srila Prabhupada asking us to preach directly. Prabhupada said you should tell people these books will teach you how to get over the miseries of life. So building up strength, I told him these books teach you how to get over the miseries of life. I told him you are so young but you know what stress and anxiety is – these books teach you how to get over it. Surprisingly he took the book and then I spent the rest of the day telling people to get Srila Prbhupada books as they will teach you how to get over the miseries of life.

A second meeting

A few months ago I met three girls during the Pride parade in Toronto. One of them was aware of the Krishna book and had read it before. They were really young and in high school but all three of them very enthusiastically took a book each. Today at Ryerson University I met one of them again and she started to talk to me. She was surprised I remembered and I was too. She was so excited to meet me again because she had already read the Bhakti yoga she had bought. She said she liked it very much and it was a very refreshing read. She and her friend wanted to come see us and were surprised to run into me. I told her if she read the Bhakti yoga then she should read the Bhagavad Gita. I explained some of the pictures in there. While she really appreciated the pictures she said she didn’t have money. I kept on showing her and then she said she had just 5 dollars to buy a text book from someone but that other person was late. So she gave me the text book money and said she would come for the gita discussion.

Bhagavad Gita to Krishna book

I a few months ago, early spring, I met a young man in Kensington and he was very keen to hear about spiritual knowledge. I showed him the picture about the 5 horses, each representing a sense and how the mind is dragged around with these senses. He really liked that picture and he took the Bhagavad gita at that time. When invited to Bhakti Lounge he said he was too busy with work as he had really bad working hours. So a few months passed and then again I saw him yesterday at Kensington market and luckily I recognized him and we started to talk. I asked him if he had read the Bhagavad-Gita and he said he had read about 40 percent of it and it was a little hard to understand but he was getting it slowly. I inquired if he had a question and surprisingly he did have a question – he inquired as to why the Gita says that the intelligence can control the mind. So I tried my best to explain it him and asked him if he could visit us. He had a tough job for past 12 years where he works in the mental health department of the hospital and his shift is from 6 to 12 pm. So I gave him the Krishna book, showed all the beautiful pictures that he admired and requested him for a donation. He left with a Krishna book and send me this text message: Hello there its Joseph, it was nice to see you again! I wish I could come to one of the sessions because the few minutes I spent with you today was very educational. Thank you for the Krsna book. I have started to read it at work!! Have a wonderful day!!

From Tennessee to Toronto

I was in Kensington market where I met a man and he seemed interested in topics related to yoga. So I showed him the Bhagavad gita and he explained he had a copy of it. I showed another book and he had that too and then I showed the science of self realisation and he had that too. I asked where he got them from and he explained that he had been to a music festival in Tennessee where he met a young devotee who gave him all three books. Due to his past experience he was already favourable and appreciative of Srila Prabhupada books. So I showed him Nectar of instruction and he took that one too for a small donation.

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!

An encounter in Vancouver

Arriving here in the beautiful Radha Madan Mohan temple in Vancouver I was waiting for the deity doors to open. So I sat near Srila Prabhupada and started to chant. Japa was really nice but i could see a young indian girl walk in with her father and they both sat in the corner while i continued to chant. As I was chanting, something in my heart was nagging me to go and talk to this girl. So to my big surprise I stopped japa and went to talk with this girl. I was little nervous as I knew no one in temple,  but something pulled me in her direction. We started to talk and she explained how she wanted to know who she was and do some good to world but dudnt know where to look. I remembered how I had recently read in the introduction to bhagavad Gita Srila Prabhhupada explain that this inquiry is primary to human life and called it Brahma jigyasa. So I requested her to read that paragraph and as soon as she read that she was hooked. I asked her and she agreed instantly to buy the book. We continued to talk and went for a walk in the beautiful gardens of vancouver temple. She started to explain how she was 24 and just out of a 2 year relationship and had seen devotees chanting on street and one devotee had told her 'soul is eternal' and she was very attracted to this and it made her come to temple. She had been coming to temple for 3 weeks and appreciating surroundings but she had not spoken to anyone yet. Just her appreciative attitude had made her so favourable. We sat together and made her read aloud sections from bhagavad Gita and nectar of devotion that spoke about her problems of identity and love. She explored japa and promised to come back in 2 days.let's hope she does but it was nice to see how slightest appreciation for Krishna's devotees completely changes the direction of one's life.