The Art of Management...

"Do not centralise anything. Each temple must remain independent and self sufficient. That was my plan from the beginning… why are you thinking otherwise. Once before you wanted to do something centralising with your meeting and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed.

One of the most popular events in the holy town of Vrindavan, India - where Lord Krishna appeared 5,000 years ago - is the celebration of Jhulan Yatra, the Radha-Krishna swing festival. In Vrindavan among the local villagers and inhabitants this festival lasts for 13 days. In Vrindavan this is one of the biggest festivals of the year and Vrindavana is very crowded at this time, literally hundreds of thousands of people from surrounding towns and villages visit Vrindavan over this period in the auspicious sacred month of Shravana (July-Aug). Opulence or simplicity, but often the swings are made of gold or silver.

In Sri Vrindavan for five days, in many of the 5000 temples there, the small Utsav-vighraha functional Deities (Vijay-utsav bera) are taken from the altar and placed on an elaborately decorated swing in the temple room. After receiving the traditional arati worship, the Deities are pushed on Their swing. Members of the congregation are invited to participate. Each person offer

Srila Prabhupada Speaks about his Gaudiya Math Godbrothers

I can understand someone getting a little bewildered about our relationship with Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers before his letters and conversations were published, but what excuse does anyone have now? Any of Srila Prabhupada’s so-called disciples who still insist on associating with Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers or godnephews after reading the quotes below are obviously not very sincere or very serious about following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions.

Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please keep in mind, while reading the quotes below, that Srila Prabhupada has never retracted any of them. Some extremely self motivated people might say that he apologized to his godbrothers on his death bed, but how can this be considered any more than just polite talk, or setting an example for his disciples of how to try and make amends before leaving this material realm?

Also, I have never h

Vamsidas Babaji was a Gaudiya Vaishnav sadhu who lived at Swarupa Gunj, Navadwip during the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. He was respected by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and he used to see to it that Vamsidas Babaji was provided with grains and so on by Gaudiya Matha brahmacharis.

Srila Vamsidas Babaji appeared in the village of Majidpur in the Jamalpur district of Bangladesh. Before the partition of India, this city was formerly in the district of Mymensing. His father’s name was Sanatana Malobrahma and he was previously known as Bhairava. Babaji Maharaj came to Nabadwip from East Bengal.

He lived as a total recluse, far away from the hubbub of the town in a solitary place on the bank of Ganga near Baral Ghata in Navadvipa, as if he was a mad or crazy person. His only possessions were an old kaupina, karanga and kantha. Vamsidasa Babaji lived in a world of his own. His world centered round his deities-Gaura-Gadadhara, Nitai, Radha-Krishna and Gopala. For the service of his

vyuhas tritiyah pradyumnah priya-narma-sakho’bhavat

   Externally, he appears to be a physician to the king who is engaged in government service. But internally, he is filled with divine love. Who would be able to know his love? (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.120) 

h

Once whe

by Satsvarupa Dasa Gosvami

July 13, 1966. 26 Second Avenue, New York City: A few sympathetic, interested people gather in a small downtown storefront to help an Indian swami's mission by adding their signature to a legal document.

Today, ISKCON has branches all over the world. Millions of lives have been transformed by the Hare Krishna mantra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita—thanks to the vision of Srila Prabhupada and the efforts of his sincere followers.

But in 1966, no one (except Prabhupada himself) could foresee how this society could ever manifest on such a scale.

Here's an excerpt from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrita, a detailed biography of Srila Prabhupada, describing the humble yet momentous event of ISKCON's incorporation.

1966: The Lower East Side, New York.
The building was humble, the membership small,
yet Srila Prabhupada's vision encompassed the whole world.

by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Amid the cacophony of a storefront at 26 Second Avenue in New York, Srila Pra

Lokanatha Goswami is mentioned as follows in the Chaitanya Charitamrita :
sange gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha, raghunatha bhatta-gosai, ara lokanatha.
When Rupa Goswami stayed at Mathura, he was accompanied by Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Lokanatha dasa Goswami.

Shri Bhaktivedanta Swami gives the following information about Shri Lokanatha Goswami:
"Shri Lokanatha Goswami was a personal associate of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord.
He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of Yashohara in Bengal.
Previously he lived in Kachnapara.
His father's name was Padmanabha, and his only younger brother was Pragalbha.
Following the orders of Shri Chaitanya mahaprabhu, shri Lokanatha went to Vrindavana to live.
He established a temple named Gokulananda.
Shrila Narottama Das Thakura selected Lokanatha das Goswami to be his spirtual master, and he was his only disciple.
Because Lokanatha dasa Goswami did

If the king or government becomes demonic, it is the duty of a saintly person to upset the government and replace it with deserving persons who follow the orders and instructions of saintly persons.

   Shri Gopal Bhatt Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, was born in 1503 on the 13th day of the dark moon in the month of Pausha. Shrila Gopal Bhatt Goswami lived for 75 years and left this world to enter into the eternal pastimes of the Lord in 1578.