PRABHUPADA TEACHINGS
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was born in 1896, in Calcutta, in a Vaisnava family.Srila Prabhupada was an extraordinary author, teacher, and saint.
SRILA PRABHUPADA SAYS… Two Lords, Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; they have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. They are more kind then Krishna. Krishna, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Krishna demands that first of all surrender. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu even does not demand surrender. He is so kind. (Voice choking) So take shelter of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and be happy. Thank you very much.
He managed to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world, through his writing and preaching. His writings comprise of many volumes and are the basis of Krishna consciousness not only for his disciples but for his grand-disciples, affiliated members of the disciplic succession, and for the public at large
His works include Bhagavad-Gita as It is, the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, the multivolume Caitanya-caritamrta, The Nectar of Devotion, Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Sri Isopanisad, The Nectar of Instruction, and dozens of small books.
Prabhupada Books
Of all his various contributions, Srila Prabhupada considered his books most important. In fact, he would often describe his work of translating and explaining the ancient Vedic texts as his very life and soul. In 1970, Srila Prabhupada founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, now the world’s largest publisher of Vedic literature. Through its work over the last three and a half decades, millions of people have read at least one of Srila Prabhupada’s books and have felt their lives genuinely enriched. Here is a brief introduction to the spiritual knowledge you will find within those books.
Srila Prabhupada’s Books –
1. Highlight the Importance of the Human Form of Life
2. Reveal the Perfect Knowledge of the Vedas
3. Present a Universal Science of God-Realization
4. Explain the Difference Between the Self and the Body
5. Easy Journey to Other Planets
6. Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers
7. The Science of Self-Realization
8. The Path of Perfection
9. Search for Liberation
10. The Journey of Self-Discovery
11. Message of Godhead
ShriMad Bhagvatam
The Bhagavad-gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita’s seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide to the science of self realization. No other philosophical or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe and the Supreme.His works include Bhagavad-Gita as It is, the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, the multivolume Caitanya-caritamrta, The Nectar of Devotion, Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Sri Isopanisad, The Nectar of Instruction, and dozens of small books.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is uniquely qualified to present this English translation and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world’s foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself.
ShriMad Gita
His works include Bhagavad-Gita as It is, the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, the multivolume Caitanya-caritamrta, The Nectar of Devotion, Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Sri Isopanisad, The Nectar of Instruction, and dozens of small booksHis Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is uniquely qualified to present this English translation and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world’s foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself. Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, this one is presented as it is–without the slightest taint of adulteration or personal motivation. This edition is certain to stimulate and enlighten with its ancient yet thoroughly timely message.
Spiritual Heritage
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was incorporated in New York in 1966. However, it is not a new religion. Its founder, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, represents a tradition tracing back to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. And Chaitanya Himself appeared in a succession of teachers dating back thousands of years in India. This lineage, called the Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya, is one of the four principle traditions of Vaishnavas, those who worship Lord Krishna or Lord Vishnu as supreme.
Key figures in the tradition Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna and his consort Radharani themselves. He was born in Bengal in 1486. He taught the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra while travelling for six years throughout India and He spent His final eighteen years in Jagannatha-puri. There he displayed the sublime emotions of one absorbed in love of God.
Chaitanya’s immediate followers, the Six Goswamis (Rupa, Sanatan, Jiva, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Bhatta and Raghunath das) drew on Vedic evidence to consolidate and document His teachings.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur (1838-1914) was a highly influential figure, and he re-established the moral and philosophical integrity of the tradition. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarawati was the son of Bhaktivinode and the disciple of Gaura Kishor Babaji. He was a life-long celibate and a brilliant scholar. He established sixty-four centres throughout India and requested his disciples to spread the message of Chaitanya worldwide in the English language.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada took initiation from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in 1926. As a married man he tried to execute the desire of his spiritual teacher to preach the message of Chaitanya through the world. He took sannyasa (vows of renunciation) in 1957. In 1965 he sailed for New York and established ISKCON the following year. In eleven years, he spread Krishna consciousness
Vegetarianism
There are two principles of Hare Krishna philosophy which are expressed practically by the practice of vegetarianism. These two principles are:
Non-violence
Non-violence means not to stop the progressive life (materially or spiritually) of any living being. According to the laws of karma and reincarnation if an animal is killed before its allotted time in that particular body has ended then it has to take birth again in the same type of body in order to complete its remaining days and be promoted upwards to the next species. Thus its evolution upwards through the different species of life is checked. Therefore, the killing of animals simply to satisfy the demands of the palate is an act of both material and spiritual violence.
Service to God (Krishna)
As far as service to God is concerned in Bhagavad-Gita it is said: “If one offers me (Krishna) with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.Before eating anything devotees of Krishna perform a ceremony whereby they offer their food to God Because in the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna says that he will only accept food if it is vegetarian then Hare Krishna’s only eat vegetarian food. This they do as an act of service to please God (Krishna).
Reincarnation
Reincarnation is the process by which the spiritual essence of any individual (commonly called “the soul”) passes from one body to another in a repeated cycle of birth and death.In the Bhagavad-Gita this process is explained using the following analogy:”As the embodied soul passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.”- (Bhagavad-Gita 2.13) Because the soul eternally exists then this process, if unchecked, is also eternal. In everyday life there is always some degree of distress and suffering & because the soul is eternal, as long as he is in the cycle of reincarnation, then he will be eternally suffering. The Hare Krishna philosophy explains how one can break this cycle of repeated suffering. This is exemplified in the Bhagavad-Gita which, in essence, is an explanation of how to break this cycle and achieve liberation.
SERVICES:
Vigrha Seva( Radha Krishna Diety Worship)
Like any personal relationship, we have to cultivate our relationship with the Lord. If there’s someone walking down the street we want to get to know, we can’t do it by just watching them walk by each day. We have to engage in conversation with them, inquire as to who they are, and begin to do nice things for them. That way a relationship can develop. In the same way, we have to progressively develop our relationship with Krsna via the various devotional processes. If we just take darshan without offering direct service, we can’t get the full benefit. Fortunately, Srila Prabhupada has taught us the many wonderful ways we can engage in that service mood by chanting to the Deities, bringing them gifts, helping to make their environment beautiful, hearing about Their Pastimes, etc., etc. The road may be long, but it’s so sweet to walk down.
Food Relief ( For poor people)
In 2003 our value education program was giving achievement certificates to our students in a public venue. At that time a government minister requested Radha Krishna Prabhu to help the government by distributing food to the ghetto schools of Mumbai where children were suffering horribly from hunger and malnutrition. After organizing with our Chowpatty congregation and receiving the blessings of the leaders of ISKCON in India the project began by feeding 900 students per day. The satisfaction of the students was overwhelming. As of today the Chowpatty congregation runs four state of the art kitchens in the Mumbai area and distributes nutritious Prasad in ultra hygienic facilities to over 120,000 children per day. Every month the number is substantially increasing.
Vastu Dan
Food for Life was born more than 30 years ago, elderly Indian Swami, known as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In 1974 when watching a group of village children fighting with dogs over scraps of food, the Swami became upset and told his students, “No one within ten miles of a temple should go hungry… I want you to immediately begin serving food.” [4] In response to his plea, members of ISKCON and volunteers around the world were inspired to expand that original effort into a global network of kitchens, cafes, vans, and mobile services, all providing free food, and establishing daily delivery routes in many large cities around the world. Since that day, Food for Life has grown into the world’s largest vegan/vegetarian food relief program.
Food For Life volunteers have provided food for the poor and homeless during several recent disasters. 2008 – Food For Life served freshly cooked vegan meals to survivors of Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike in the southern United States. 2007 – Food For Life volunteers were on the ground to feed many of the hundreds of thousands of survivors who were left homeless after the deadliest cyclone to hit Bangladesh in a decade. 2005 – Following the earthquake in Pakistan, Food For Life volunteers worked side-by-side with local military and police personnel, distributing drinking water, food, tents and blankets. 2005 – When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with deadly force, Food For Life volunteers were among the first responders, distributing up to 800 freshly cooked meals daily to needy families in Mississippi and Texas. 2004 – 2005 A killer Tsunami wreaked incomprehensible devastation in South Asia, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200,000 people. Food For Life volunteers joined the relief effort on the very day of the disaster, providing thousands of meals daily, along with medical care, clothing, and shelter in Sri Lanka and India. 1990s – Food For Life volunteers risked their lives in the war-torn countries of Chechnya, Bosnia and Abkhazia, distributing food to needy and frightened civilians.
Vidya Dan
ISKCON aims to provide information and resources on Hinduism, Vedanta and Vaishnavism to the academic and educational communities. See ‘The Heart of Hinduism’ website It publishes literature, provides guest speakers and arranges educational visits to Hindu temples, and provides artefacts and other resources. It also provides lecturers for initial teacher and in-service training, runs a free correspondence service for students and teachers, and arranges training, seminars, open days and resource evenings, as well as cultural events of music, dance and drama. ISKCON Educational Services’ own web site has details of the full range of resources and training offered.
Donations are accept for the following Devotional Activities
1. Construction Work
2. Free or Subsidized rate book for newly people
3. Daily Prasadhaan for Guest and Sadhu
4. Sunday Feast
5. Guru Purnima
6 .Ram Nawami
7. Janmasthami
8. Youth Preaching
9. Village Preaching
10. Diety Dress
Cow Protection
The Goshala at Govardhan Eco Village was started in 2003. Beginning with only 9 cows & bulls, the number today has increased to 57 and are expected to reach 100 in next few years. Allocating special zones for Bulls, Cows, Calves and milking Cows, a great amount of personal attention is given individually. Cows are treated as one of the family members at GEV and due care is given to them. To ensure proper medical care a veterinary doctor visits the goshala regularly and is locally available in case of emergency situations. Proper nutrition is ensured in the form of kadba, corn, and tuar and wheat barn. Lucerne grass, Yeshwant grass, Paragrass grown at our own farm land provide very good nutrition for our cows. With a view to provide excellent facilities for Cows and setting world class standards in Cow care, the GEV is also coming up with a new Goshala with rope free zones, fresh water, special calf care and many other practical considerations
Address:
B 27/80 Durgakund Road,
Near Durgakund Police Station,
Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh,
India – 221010
Phone: +91 9936108889 +91 (0542) 246422, +91 (0542) 222617, +91 09616125098
