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Week Ahead 7-11 March – In Preparation of Lord Chaitanya’s Appearance

admin : 7 March, 2014 10:14 am : Uncategorized

Dear Friends,

We celebrate the appearance anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on the following Sunday, 16 March. We have decided to host a festival over the entire weekend starting with a kirtan on Friday night and ending with a feast on Monday morning.

Lord Chaitanya introduced the simple and sublime method of developing love for God by the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Prior to Lord Chaitanya, spiritual knowledge and practice were only available to the brahmanical class but Lord Chaitanya changed the course of history by opening it to all who desired real love. It is unfathomable to think that this maha-mantra can awaken our love for God and is the real peace formula. Therefore Lord Chaitanya is accepted by all the great spiritual masters as the most munificent incarnation. The dictionary explains munificent as “characterised by or displaying great generosity”.

We at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple have made special arrangements for everyone to honour Lord Chaitanya. On Saturday, 15 March we have scheduled a spectacular boat festival. You can also bring food offerings to offer to our larger-than-life deity of Lord Chaitanya and there will be chanting parties all over Durban.

On Sunday, 16 March, Sri Gaura Purnima, you are invited to mangal-arati at 4.30am. Sri Sri Radha Radhanath will be offered a new outfit. As a special offering to Lord Caitanya, we are creating a chanting park where anyone can come and chant 108 maha-mantras, thereafter you can sign a register and your name will be read to Lord Chaitanya on the altar. It will be your personal service to Him. The festival will have the usual elements: abhishek, discussions on Lord Chaitanya, kirtan, etc. The main arati of the festival is sandhya-arati at 7pm. We encourage everyone to come and raise your arms in the air like Lord Chaitanya taught us, and let the holy name resound. After the arati, maha-prasad will be distributed from the altar. More details will be published early next week.

Sunday, 9 March

Vyasa-puja of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami – Special Love feast

You can read about Maharaja in the attached article. Devotees are invited to bring bhoga offerings for Maharaja.

4.00pm Srila Prabhupada’s guru-puja

4.15pm Arati and kirtan

4.35pm Love Feast class on Lord Caitanya by His Grace Prabhanu Prabhu

5.15pm Video of Bhakti Tirtha Swami followed by guru-puja for Maharaj

6.00pm Feast prasad

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328 | F: 031 4034429 | temple@iskcondurban.net

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/DurbanKrishna | Twitter: http://twitter.com/DurbanKrishna

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Week Ahead 26 February – 5 March

admin : 26 February, 2014 2:04 pm : Uncategorized

Dear Friends

Gaudiya Vaishnavas will observe the auspicious occasion of Shivaratri on Friday, 28 February. In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.30, Srila Prabhupada guides us on how to honour Lord Shiva and how Lord Shiva himself, worships Lord Krishna and His devotees:

“It is said, vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh: Lord Siva is the best of all devotees. Therefore all devotees of Lord Krishna are also devotees of Lord Siva. InVrindavana there is Lord Siva‘s temple called Gopisvara. The gopis used to worship not only Lord Siva but Katyayani, or Durga, as well, but their aim was to attain the favor of Lord Krishna. A devotee of Lord Krishna does not disrespect Lord Siva, but worships Lord Siva as the most exalted devotee of Lord Krishna. Consequently whenever a devotee worships Lord Siva, he prays to Lord Siva to achieve the favor of Krishna, and he does not request material profit. In Bhagavad-gita (7.20) it is said that generally people worship demigods for some material profit. Kamais tais tair hrita jnanah. Driven by material lust, they worship demigods, but a devotee never does so, for he is never driven by material lust. That is the difference between a devotee’s respect for Lord Siva and an asura‘s respect for him. The asura worships Lord Siva, takes some benediction from him, misuses the benediction and ultimately is killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who awards him liberation.

“Because Lord Siva is a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he loves all the devotees of the Supreme Lord. Lord Siva told the Pracetas that because they were devotees of the Lord, he loved them very much. Lord Siva was not kind and merciful only to the Pracetas; anyone who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very dear to Lord Siva. Not only are the devotees dear to Lord Siva, but he respects them as much as he respects the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, devotees of the Supreme Lord also worship Lord Siva as the most dear devotee of Lord Krishna. They do not worship him as a separate Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the list of nama-aparadhas that it is an offense to think that the chanting of the name of Hari and the chanting of Hara, or Siva, are the same. The devotees must always know that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that Lord Siva is His devotee. A devotee should be offered respect on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sometimes even more respect. Indeed, Lord Rama, the Personality of Godhead Himself, sometimes worshiped Lord Siva. If a devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by other devotees on the same level with the Lord? This is the conclusion. From this verse it appears that Lord Siva blesses the asuras simply for the sake of formality. Actually he loves one who is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Thursday, 27 February

In Anticipation of Shivaratri

Understanding and Glorifying Lord Shiva, An audio-visual presentation by Sri Hari Das at 7pm

Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

Sunday, 2 March

Love Feast from 4pm with Swarup Damodar Das. He will discuss vandanam, or prayer as a process of bhakti-yoga.

Included in the Sunday programme will be a special presentation on Food For Life.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328 | F: 031 4034429 | www.iskcondurban.net | temple@iskcondurban.net

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/DurbanKrishna | Twitter: http://twitter.com/DurbanKrishna

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Swarup Damodar’s Festival of Chariots Message and the Week Ahead 20-27 February

admin : 19 February, 2014 1:32 pm : Uncategorized

Dear Friends and Devotees,

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Appreciating the successful impact of last year’s social cohesion themed Festival of Chariots, the eThekwini Municipality approached me in November 2013 to consider hosting two festivals—the traditional Ratha-yatra Festival of Chariots in April and a social cohesion festival in September. We were glad to accept this proposal which would afford us much more scope to cater for the vastly different audiences and more opportunities to share the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

Another progressive development is that we have decided to merge the Phoenix Ratha-yatra into the Durban Festival of Chariots – there will be one major Festival of Chariots over the Easter weekend (18-21 April 2014) and will be held at the Old Durban Drive-In site. This festival will engage our resources from all over Durban, KwaZulu Natal, and South Africa under the leadership of His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. Although there will no longer be a separate Phoenix Ratha-yatra, the organizers of both festivals are excited to consolidate their efforts to make a bigger impact in spreading the mercy of Lord Jagannath.

We are just eight weeks away from the start of the four-day Durban Festival of Chariots, one of the largest spiritual gatherings outside of India and much effort is required from all of Srila Prabhupada’s followers. Please share in this important service of hosting the Durban Festival of Chariots. For general festival information and for ideas on how you can assist contact Merumala Devi Dasi (0836760844 | merumaladd.kks@gmail.com). For a full listing of the festival departments and its heads:

We look forward to your inspired and enthusiastic participation in the preparation of the Durban Festival of Chariots.

Hare Krishna.
Your servant, on behalf of the festival organisers,
Swarup Damodar Das

Your Week Ahead

Thursday, 20 February
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Anniversary
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master. He advised: “Look within. Amend yourself, rather than pry into the frailties of others.”
We will fast until noon and honour him with pushpa-puja and guru-puja at midday at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

Tuesday, 25 February
Ekadasi
Fast from all beans, grains and legumes

Wednesday, 26 February
Break fast time: 05:44-10:00

Thursday, 27 February
Shivaratri
Special evening programme to honour the greatest of Vaishnavas – Lord Shiva.
Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple at 7pm.

Subscribers to Back to Godhead magazine can expect the magazine in the mail later this week.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328 | F: 031 4034429 | temple@iskcondurban.net
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/DurbanKrishna | Twitter: http://twitter.com/DurbanKrishna

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Bhaktivedanta College 2014 Course Highlights

admin : 14 February, 2014 11:20 am : Uncategorized

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Lord Nityananda Meditations

admin : 12 February, 2014 9:35 am : Uncategorized

“Lord Nityananda, who is Balarama Himself, the first direct manifestation or expansion of Krishna, is the original spiritual master. He helps Lord Krishna in His pastimes, and He is a servant of the Lord.” Cc. Adi 1.44, purport

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krishna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauòa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.” Cc. Adi 1.84

The appearance of Sri Krishna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda has surcharged the world with happiness. Cc. Adi 1.87