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Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.46 – Mahatma das – 10 Mar 2023.. New Govardhana To read the complete article and/or watch the video please click here: https://bit.ly/3JAnTv6

Essential Technologies For Empowered Management. By Bhakti Tirtha Swami The metaphysical technologies listed here are simple yet profound tools that you may want to incorporate into your management style. To reap the greatest benefits from these principles, you can include meditation on these ten technologies in your daily regimen. 1. What is it? What for? So what? This meditation is designed to help us realize that many illusions can influence or enslave us. Leo Tolstoy once wrote about a transition in his life when he began to question everything, despite his great success. Following Tolstoy’s example, in this meditation envision yourself as possessing great material abundance such as exorbitant wealth, worldwide fame, vast knowledge, or dazzling beauty. Consider each of these areas in turn and, others if you wish, realizing that it can not be the ultimate goal of life. Ask yourself the questions, “What of it?” “What for?” “So what?” 2. Not this body This reflection helps us realize that we are more than just the physical body. Therefore, we should not overreact or be overly attached to the material stimuli. The exercise consists of saying attentively: “I have a body but I am not this body”; “I have a mind but I am not this mind”; “I have a job but I am not this job”; or “I have a house but I am not this house.” Insert any problem into this meditation to help yourself release any attachment to temporary phenomena. 3. The other person’s point of view This practice helps us become more sensitive to another person’s perception of the situation, particularly during interpersonal conflict. Choose a conflict that has been troubling you. Write a letter to yourself as if you were the opposing party trying to convince yourself of the opposite point of view. Employ this letter-writing technique for any conflict. 4. Seeing God everywhere This contemplation helps us give more of ourselves to others and receive more love from people in general. Practice seeing everyone as an energy of God. 5. Everything has a purpose There are no coincidences. Because higher agencies are controlling the universe, each encounter has come to us for a particular reason. We are subject to a spiritual law similar to law of physics; every action produces a corresponding reaction. Therefore, we can try to discover the lessons in every occurrence. The exercise is to turn negative events into positive ones and positive events in to even better ones. If we learn from all events, then everything that happens can become a positive occurrence because we have become wiser. 6. Accountability The knowledge that we are monitored by the Supreme and His angelic hosts will encourage us to live more righteously in order to be rewarded rather than punished. The exercise is to imagine that we are always being monitored by God’s all-seeing eyes. 7. Call for love This practice helps us appreciate the many forms in which a call of help can come and reminds us to always examine ourselves to see how we have helped others. The exercise is to see all interactions as either a giving of love or a call for love. 8. Love in action This technology helps us shower everyone and everything in our environment with vibrant love. The exercise is to see ourselves as embodiments of love in action. 9. Near death Imagine that your doctor has just informed you that you have a serious case of cancer or AIDS, and you are going to die in three months. If this were your fate, how would you live each of your last days differently? This reflection helps remind us that we can never be certain how much longer we will remain in this material body. Therefore, we must not procrastinate or have a weak list of priorities. Important things essential things must be done now! 10. A second chance We must live each day in readiness to depart if our appointment with death arrives. The exercise is to imagine that you are dying right now, and can see what you are leaving behind and the effect that your death will have on others. What are your last thoughts? What are your regrets? What things you have left undone? You should do these things today.

Cooperation in Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. ISKCON Cape Town To read the complete article and/or watch the video please click here: https://bit.ly/3FGdHPx

A place for Oxen in Europe. To read the complete article and/or watch the video please click here: https://bit.ly/3J41lS0

Manor Garden Report - Bhaktivedanta Manor - Hare Krishna Temple Watford UK As anyone who gardens knows, the end of winter and beginning of spring can be a harsh time weather-wise. Despite multiple ‘big freezes’ and gloomy weather, Bhaktivedanta Manor’s garden team, alongside devotee volunteers and WWOOFers have been working hard outside. Throughout the winter they have collected fallen leaves to keep the roads and drains clear. These leaves are then used as mulch in the Manor’s various gardens or composted for later use. They have removed some older trees around the property, which had become dangerous. Prema das finished off the drainage stream to prevent the driveway from flooding following very wet weather. They have also been preparing the gardens and polytunnels for the growing season, keeping the roads and paths safe in icy conditions. Over the last three months they have also planted over 300 trees, such as Rowan, Oak, Silver Birch, Hazel and Wild Cherry, throughout the grounds. These trees were kindly donated by Delrow House and eager volunteers managed to plant them all in just 2-days! They were also given a huge donation of shrubs and flowering bulbs by the local charity Gratitude: Bluebells, Tulips of many varieties, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Iris, Crocus and Allium bulbs. As the weather warms up, visitors will notice these spring beauties along the driveway and in various areas around the Manor. In total they managed to plant over 10,000 bulbs and 500 shrubs and plants. “The garden team would like to again thank all who helped out over the past few months, and we look forward to working on some more projects with our enthusiastic volunteers, in hopefully, some warmer weather! Hare Krishna!” exclaimed Head Gardener Narahari Rupa das. To read the complete article and/or watch the video please click here: https://bit.ly/3ZXCJlj

H.H. Svayam Bhagavan Keshav Swami Maharaja_Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta_CC Ādi 2.18_13.03.2023 (video) Translation He who is described in the yoga-śāstras as the indwelling Supersoul [ātmā antar-yāmī] is also a plenary portion of Govinda’s personal expansion. Purport The Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature joyful. His enjoyments, or pastimes, are completely transcendental. He is in the fourth dimension of existence, for although the material world is measured by the limitations of length, breadth and height, the Supreme Lord is completely unlimited in His body, form and existence. He is not personally attached to any of the affairs within the material cosmos. The material world is created by the expansion of His puruṣa-avatāras, who direct the aggregate material energy and all the conditioned souls. By understanding the three expansions of the puruṣa, a living entity can transcend the position of knowing only the twenty-four elements of the material world. One of the expansions of Mahā-Viṣṇu is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Supersoul within every living entity. As the Supersoul of the total aggregate of living entities, or the second puruṣa, He is known as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. As the creator or original cause of innumerable universes, or the first puruṣa, who is lying on the Causal Ocean, He is called Mahā-Viṣṇu. The three puruṣas direct the affairs of the material world. The authorized scriptures direct the individual souls to revive their relationship with the Supersoul. Indeed, the system of yoga is the process of transcending the influence of the material elements by establishing a connection with the puruṣa known as Paramātmā. One who has thoroughly studied the intricacies of creation can know very easily that this Paramātmā is the plenary portion of the Supreme Being, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Watch it here: https://bit.ly/3LmIgx4

Encouraged by a recipient of Prabupada’s books | ISKCON Book Distribution. For a whole week I’d experienced a profound sense of detachment while distributing books at the southbound platform within the illustrious Broadway-Lafayette subway station in New York City. My steadiness and purity of mind were unprecedented. I jotted down notes to myself on how one must be kind and smile at everyone, regardless of their response. Be light. That was the key. The next week I attempted to employ the realizations Krsna had compassionately offered me. As the recently elected sankirtana leader, I felt it my duty to grow into a position of steadiness and lightness. What I met with, however, as a result of my efforts, was unremitting and exquisite torture from one subway stop to the next. Everyone I approached knew me by name and didn’t want to hear it anymore. Had I burned my home base completely? Grand Central Station was fresh but no more merciful. And just as I was pushed to my limits, ready to break, I called out, “Krsnaaa! This has to stop! I’m not going to let everyone walk all over me. It’s insane. It stops now!” My scores picked up somewhat, but mostly I was overcome with a low sense of confidence and self-worth, a struggling infantryman for Srila Prabhupada, out on the front lines. During one exchange, I distinctly felt myself a puppet in Lord Caitanya’s hands. The vigor with which I spoke the same lines of an age-old sankirtana mantra was completely foreign to me. But the challenges did not end there. In urgently trying to reconcile the two conflicting realizations of kindness and firmness, lightness and gravity, from one week to the next in my new position of sankirtana leader, I found myself again at my wit’s end. I wondered what my Lord had in mind with this transcendental trickery. It was on another day at West 4th St.’s underground transport lair that I found my answer while pushing harder and harder to distribute the law books of human society for transition into the spiritual abode. Meditating on the doggedness of not becoming a doormat rather than on the sweetness and lightness of mercy flowing from above, I persistently spoke with an older Hispanic man who declined to purchase a book. I did not know at the time whether what I was doing was good or even all right, but I felt I had no choice. I had to vie for Prabhupada while there was still a window of opportunity! The next thing I knew I had a twenty-dollar bill in my hand and the man had a “Journey of Self-Discovery” in his. Unfortunately, I could not continue on such a high platform of distribution. Rather, I struggled onward at a snail’s pace. One hour. Another hour. Losing steam. Losing inspiration. Just one hour left. “Maybe I should call it quits early today,” I thought. No! I refused to go home with my tail between my legs. “Anything is possible out here,” I told myself. I pushed on. And on. And on. And then I stopped. I had nothing left in me. I shut my eyes and called out, “Krsnaaa! I feel totally disconnected from these people! I feel totally disconnected from You! I don’t like this. I feel horrible, like a fraud, to act so impersonally before You. Please help me.” I felt so very low. I reluctantly approached a fair-skinned boy who was reading a book. He was extremely attentive to my every word. Then he responded with softness in his voice: “I’m going to buy this and share it with my mother. She is really into karma and dharma.” Then he repeated several times: “This is so nice of you, Ari.” As I bid the boy farewell, having provided him with my email address and encouraged him to stay in touch, he looked up at me and, raising his right arm triumphantly in the air, declared, “You have to distribute these books!” Ten seconds later I encountered a heavyset man with awful teeth and gray hair. Towering over me, he quickly took a book and offered me ten dollars and a priceless smile. Your Servant, Ari

IC Newsletter Vol.8, Issue 11, 12. March 2023. My open advice...