Initation ceremony in Melbourne

On wednesdey morning (09.02.) there was an initiation ceremony in the Melbourne temple. One Mataji received second initiation and three devotees became first initiated: Gaurakishore Dasa, his son Harinamananda Dasa and a mataji, with the new name Maha Lakshmi Devi Dasi. HH Kadamba Kanana Swami gave a wonderful lecture to inspire the devotees, which you can view in a post below.

Melbourne Class and Krishna-Feast in Crossways

Wednesday night Kadamba Kanana Swami went to a program in the Crossways restaurant in Melbourne. After the lecture Kadamba Kanana Swami let a mind-blowing Kirtana.
In addition there are some pictures of the classes given by him in Melbourne temple.

Leaving Sydney and arriving in Canberra

These are the pictures of Kadamba Kanana Swami's stay at the Saturday program in Sydney and of the Sunday program in Canberra. Maharaja sang amazing Kirtanas and concluded by very deep and inspiring lectures.

Click here if you can't see the slide show: flickr.com

Maharaja is going full steam In Australia

If you are lucky to live "down under" then join Kadamba Kanana Swami in Melbourne for his tour. See details below :

 

See you there mate!

All arround Sydney

HH Kadamba Kanana Swami held several programs in the Sydney temple as well as in Govinda's restaurant. Here are some nice pictures of the different programs.

If can't see the slideshow- click here flickr.com

Leaving Jo'Burg and arriving in Sydney

Here are some pictures of the last days in Johannesburg and of
the first few days in Sydney.
If you can't see the slideshow below then please visit: flickr.com

[International Society for Krishna Consciousness] Urban Yoga: 9 & 10 March

News Item link:
http://www.iskcon.net.au/folkNews/2011/03/02/Urban-Yoga-9--10-March

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Title: Urban Yoga: 9 & 10 March

By: Guna Mani Nitai dasi, 2/03/2011; 6:27:19 PM.



Next week, the 3rd level of our Crossways Restaurant will be hosting two powerful kirtaniyas two days in a row:

Kadamba Kanana Swami and Madhava Prabhu!

Ain't we so fortunate to be in Melbourne and getting the enlivening association of such great souls who visit frequently?

Make sure you grab as much of that mercy as you can!

KKS in Sydney- March 2011!

SCHEDULE:

Tuesday March 1st – Evening class – 7:30pm

Wednesday March 2nd – Srimad-Bhagavatam class – 7:45am

Thursday March 3rd – Srimad-Bhagavatam class – 7:45am

Friday March 4th – Srimad-Bhagavatam class – 7:45am

Friday March 4th – Sri Caitanya-caritamrita seminar– 7:30pm

Saturday March 5th – Wentworthville Hall Program – 7:00pm

Saturday March 19th – Ratha-Yatra Sydney CBD – 12:30pm

Sunday March 20th – Gaura-Purnima discourse – 6:00pm

Are you getting Ready for Queensday ??? You should....!

We like to invite you to the most auspicious Vyasa-puja and Queensday  festival on April, 29th and 30th. The preparations have started. Again, like last year, the vyasa-puja festival will be held in Radhadesh, Belgium, and from there we will go to the Queensday celebration in Amsterdam. It promises again to be two big huge wonderful ecstatic festivals with lots of kirtans, association and fun.

• Registration

• Latest News & Updates

• Vyasa-puja Book & Offerings

• Donations

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

28 Apr : Arrival, Disciple meeting and Cultural program
29 Apr :
Vyasa-puja festival (morning)
Initiations (Afternoon)
There will be no evening program due to Queensday

30 Apr : Queensday Amsterdam
Buses will leave at 5:00 am from Radhadesh.
Arrival in Amsterdam around 9:00 am.
Start Queensday parade : 10:00 am
Finish Queensday parade : 19:00h
Back at Radhadesh around 23:00h

1-2 May : Departure from Radhadesh

FESTIVAL FEE

The festival price this year will be €33 for dormitory and €42 for shared room facilities.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Since the costs for flowers, bhoga etc. are considerable, we kindly request those devotees who do have some money to give a donation. Please let me know in advance if you want to contribute something. This is a very nice opportunity for Vaisnava seva, so please don't miss it!

Please donate

BBTA Conference in Pretoria

In Pretoria, South Africa, the BBTA (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa) was organized in the "Dr. Miriam Makeba Concert Hall". Here is a nice slideshow with images from this event. If you cannot see the slideshow below then please visit flickr.



The BBTA event was well organized and there were many speakers planned to speak. After an introduction, Jayadvaita Swami presented his concerns and conclusions about the activities of the BBTA, especially concerning the printing and distributing of books. Many other speakers followed, who gave their reports about the various progresses in relation to the BBTA. It really was amazing to hear how some of them tried to bring Krishna Consciousness in completely untouched countries. One devotee even started preaching in a new country on his own!

Pancha Tattva Prabhu stated, that that mood reminded him of the old days, where Srila Prabhupada would just send some devotees out, to open centers in completely untouched places.
Kadamba Kanana Swami gave a lecture about the necessity of the Prabhupada marathon. He emphasized how the marathon gives a very good opportunity to get out of one’s routine in Krishna Consciousness.

Sannyasa Report- 2011

Sannyasa Report for 2010

General

In 1997, now fourteen years ago, I received sannyasa in the Bhaktivedanta Manor. Since then I have done a lot of travel and preaching not just randomly, but in a regular pattern, because it appears more effective to me to build up relationships with full-time devotees and the larger congregation in various areas. During these fourteen years I have attended a lot of festivals, for last year I have counted 23 festivals and 4 retreats. Gradually with the increase of age I am aiming to minimize my involvement with events and reach people in other ways for example through writing and education. In between the action, I am building in rest periods,not just for health, but also for some quality sadhana. This year I invested in an ebook reader, which made many books more easily accessible,and reading more easy.

Europe

I continued a program of traveling and preaching in the same areas as in previous years. My New Year begins in Germany with the sankirtan festival at the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Devotees gather from Czech republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Germany of course to gather for a festival after the book distribution marathon. The presence of leading devotees is of great importance to inspire book distributors from many countries. I also consider this temple project, dedicated to lord Nrismhadeva, a place of pilgrimage for entire Europe. I go there twice a year to get some mercy, and to do a little service to the Deity by adding to festivals that attract many devotees.

From there I went on to Radhadesh, another substantial landmark, for one week to teach a course on the Caitanya Caritamrta, which is also annual event. I think the college fulfills a need in our movement and adds to the Radhadesh community. Teaching is a good way to enter in to a topic and the Caitanya Caritamrta is a great source of inspiration in my life. In general I come to Radhadesh regularly and last year I visited more often. I annually support the summer festival, since it is a predominantly dutch affair. Radhadesh continues to offer inspiration to devotees from all over Europe and beyond, through festivals and education and is also a place where the -kulis have their melas.

In the UK I try to visit other temples besides London. I keep a regular relationship with Leicester and also visited Birmingham, Scotland and New Castle and of course London is a dynamic, stimulating place, full of programs,activities and developments.

The Czech Republic , is the first place I went after taking sannyasa in 1997 and since then I kept a regular relationship with the Yatra. Occassionally I also visit Slovakia. Prague is just a few hours by a pleasant journey on a German train, from Leipzig or Berlin. So these areas are a convenient, contiguous preaching field.

I also have a good connection with Sweden and visit Stockholm from time to time. They don’t get that many visiting preachers, so some years ago I decided to put energy there. I have good relationships with the local devotees, I have become a member of the family. The pace of life in Sweden is not as high as in central Europe and the BBT offers very nice facility, in this way Sweden is a rest-point for me. Once a year I go to Helsinki, Finland as well.

I went to the Serbian summer camp and to Croatia for Janmastami,but I can’t do much more in these areas than some sporadic visits.

South Africa

Besides Europe , South Africa is a major preaching field for me. I have been involved there for at least three months a year, since 1995. I feel at home here, in general people are quite open and devotees have a nice service attitude. I am trying to stay connected with all devotees in the yatra, at the same time I try to especially help to facilitate african devotes to become part of our movement. The demographics of South Africa are 90% African, 8% from European descent and 2% of Indian origen, ISKCON is just the opposite; so to remain relevant to society we need to attract more african devotees. I have arranged funding to start several preaching centres, I have started a Ratha Yatra in Soweto, since a few years, and try to support individual african devotees.

In recent years HH Jayadvaita Swami has taken responsibility as a trustee to develop a BBT division for the entire Africa. In South Africa, I try to help by promoting and facilitating book distribution, so last December I went their during the book marathon.

I would like to carry on with my service in South Africa for many years to come, Krsna willing. Even if in the future I would have to minimize other services , I would give priority to South Africa.

Australia

In 1984, my health was weak, due to extensive problems with malaria in India, Bhavananda send me for one year to Australia and my health improved tremendously. These days also Australia, with mild winters and sunny climate, still does wonders for my health as a welcome change from the drab European weather. So I’ve kept it as part of my itinerary throughout the years. Australia has nice temples and is well organized and there are ample of preaching opportunities.

India

The roots of my spiritual life are in India, I joined in Vrindavan and also by Krsna’s grace was allowed to serve for a substantial amount of time both in Vrindavan and Mayapur. These days I still do a little service on the Vrndavana Executive Board, although I am thinking of retirement. After spending a few weeks in Vrndavana, I went to Mayapur for one month to teach in the Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibahva courses. This is a time of rejuvination rising early at 1:30 am chanting and studying, along with a morning program, although I confess I may regularly listen to Bhagavatam class on the radio. On the weekend I lead parikramas through the Dhama. This coming year in Kartika I am planning to take a group of devotees to Bangladesh, to visit holy places like Advaita Acarya’s birth place, or Pundarika Dhama, Kethuri and more. After that I will lead a study group on the CC in Mayapur and in the end we will publish a book with essays from the paricipants. I am looking forward to all of this. In the long run as my health will have higher demands I am planning to spend more time in Mayapur.

Hoping that my humble service may give some pleasure to my spiritual master,the vaisnavas and Krsna,

Vaisnava dasanudasa,

Kadamba Kanana Swami

Latest Pics from Berlin!!!

Hare Krishna Everyone, enjoy the latest pics from Berlin - in ten minutes we are going to the aiprport and going to Radhadesh. There will be a big Kirtana festival with Maharaja, Sacinandana Maharaja and Madhava Prabhu.
This is my last part of my 6 month journey with Maharaja. Do stay tuned, I will be releasing many videos of lectures and kirtans that have been recorded onto the Blog.

Yesterday's Pics!

Yesterday We went for a long walk in the cold!!

Lord Nrshimadeva: Personification of soft-heartedness

Lord Nrshimadeva is the personification of soft-heartedness. That is particularly the manifestation of the Lord of soft-heartedness because why did he become roaring mad?? Out of his deep affection for Prahlada... out of deep affection for his devotee. So actually the external thing is His anger but the real thing is His deep love for His devotee. For me that is an important point in my relationship with Nrshimadeva that He came due to soft-heartedness - because then one can go beyond the fearsome... nails like thunderbolts and teeth like thunderbolts!

Kadamba Kanana Swami

20 December 2010

Cape Town, South Africa

Pics from London Visit 2011

The London visit was a full steam ahead, busy as ever, ecstatic couple of days. Right now Maharaja is in Leipzig writing, writing and more writing!!

STRICTNESS but not FANATISM

Srimad Bhagavadam 7.8.34

Let’s be devotees but let’s not punish ourselves, “I am a failure, I am not humble!

I am a failure, I am not honest! I can’t chant properly, I am a failure...”

We punish ourselves and all our Krsna consciousness becomes black and gloomy because we have a standard and day-by-day we are failing that standard. Therefore I am a failure and so sinful...loser! My whole spiritual life is just stress.

We need not bring this type of mentality into Krsna consciousness. It is not required. We just pick up from we left off and go back to the standard. That’s the system of spiritual life.

I often stress the point of rising early because it gives us so much time for spiritual activity because the day is full of so much activity and passion, therefore it is nice to read and chant in the morning. I am recommending that one is strict in trying to rise early. But what does it mean to be strict with oneself??

Strictness means that when sometimes health is really bad or exhaustion goes into the red, at that stage it may be wise to say that I am resting. Strictness means that I should take shelter of the standard of rising early and no matter what happens, I will always go back to it. And at one stage it becomes a culture, a habit. Like for me, these days rising at 4 am I consider sleeping in. But there are different cultures. My point is that in spiritual life there is STRICTNESS but not FANATISM. Strictness in the mode of goodness. Spiritual life is joyful (BG 4.2).

Kadamba Kanana Swami

20 December 2010

Cape Town, South Africa

Krsna is our only shelter

Everyone needs shelter in this world. We know this very well. Today it was shelter from the heat and sometimes it is shelter from the cold. Shelter from dangers in the world – always SHELTER, SHELTER, SHELTER!

But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet. There is no other shelter. Everything else is illusory shelter. We feel secure when we lock the doors but then someone else also has the keys – so what security is there anyway. Real security and shelter is found in Krsna and that’s really the essence of spiritual life. When we are new in spiritual life then we think and feel that we are advancing. We feel things are changing; our lives are changing and we are getting serious. But after we have been involved for a longer period of time, we feel that we are not making any progress at all. Why is that??

In the beginning, the progress is very measurable. It is about how many principles you follow... how many rounds you are chanting? But later it is different because later it is about the state of purity of the heart and that‘s more difficult.

Throughout centuries, the culture of worship of Krsna has been existing in India. The worship has been preserved but what about the state of the heart? That is another matter. That you won’t get from culture alone. The culture contributes – within the culture the respect, worship and name of Krsna is there but the state of the heart is what Krsna is asking for at the end BG 18.66. To surrender unto Him. So this topic of surrender is a very big challenge to rise to. Now to say: It’s only Krsna!

Kadamba Kanana Swami

20 December 2010

Cape Town, South Africa

Friendship between Vaishnavas: Conquer the Heart

The family of vaishnavas is somehow or other our support. Prabhupada made this movement a very personal one. In the beginning, we overlook how important relationships are because we are not used to it. In the material world, when a relationship doesn’t work, you just cut it off and try another one.... then another one and another one.

Now I’m not talking just about friendships... so many friends came and went in our lives in the material world but spiritual relationships are very different. Spiritual friendships are different because devotees are very rare. Therefore devotees are precious and the relationship with the devotee is precious and once broken it is difficult to repair. Not like a broken pot that can be glued back together.

Therefore with devotees we can’t just afford the mentality that if it doesn’t work, get rid of this one and get another one! Because the day will come when we will need all the devotees. The day will come when we will very much depend on devotees because the vaishnavas are sustaining us in our spiritual life and without them it becomes so difficult. The day will come when all artificial behavior in our relationships will have to go because that cannot sustain us and time will test us. As they say: it all comes out in the wash! It means that sooner or later it has to get real.

In the beginning maybe one can have a Shakespearean performance of Krsna consciousness but at one point we need genuine relationships and genuine friendships. This is very important therefore we must be very careful to make sure we avoid unpleasant exchanges between devotees even for the sake of service. Sometimes it may be necessary that a devotee is not doing it proper and you have to straighten him out.

We sometimes have to chastise but it’s an unfortunate thing to do because in the course of it we may break a relationship. That’s just one thought that comes to my mind: friendship between vaishnavas. Friendship is not just by declaration, not just Facebook friends or face-value friends, friendship means more.

In the Caitanya Candrodaya Nataka, in the pastime just after Lord Caitanya takes sannyasa, Nityananda sends a message to Advaita Archarya that all the devotees are in separation that very soon Nityananda will arrange that somehow the Lord will come to his (Advaita Archarya’s) house. Advaita Archarya starts dancing and calls out: Nityananda, Nityananada! What a friend, he has conquered me!

And he keeps repeating that: What a friend, he has conquered me!

So there is a very deep lesson in there – that friendship is based on conquering on the heart. Actually all relationships are based on conquering the heart. We see that in our tradition parakiya rasa is the highest. Not the marital relationship but the extra-marital relationship of lovers, the forbidden relationship. That is the relationship between Radha and Krsna – stolen moments! Not of out obligation but by conquering each time again and again. In parakiya rasa Radharani has to each time conquer the relationship with Krsna and sometimes the other way around also. So this is the nature of true relationships: not take anyone’s affection for granted for a moment.

In our relationship with Krsna, one can never take Krsna for granted. The devotee may think, “Now I have got him.”

At one stage, one may come to the point of nistha and surrender saying: Krsna, I am Yours.

One really means it but as one becomes more advanced to the stage of bhava or asakti, the one says: Krsna, You are mine.

Kadamba Kanana Swami

21 December 2010

Cape Town, South Africa

Audio from Radhadesh- January 2011!

New lectures available from the Radahdesh website. You can download them individually here by clicking on the link below:

4 Jan- Jaya Radha Madhava

4 Jan- SB 4.30.20

5 Jan- Jaya Radha Madhva

5 Jan- SB 4.30.21 

7 Jan- SB 4.20.23

Bhagavatam class in Mayapur, Nov 2010!

Srimad Bhagavatam morning class in Sridhama Mayapur, 18 November 2010, by Kadamba Kanana Swami. Here's the link to the video below:

http://www.mayapurtvarchives.com/2010/11/hh-kadamba-kanana-swami-speaks-on-sb.html