Iskcon Kampala - Uganda

[07/27/20]   Hare Krishna dear devotees and every one here.
I would like to inform the iskcon community and the world at large that a new preaching center has been officially opened in kampala at kibuli hill. Every one is welcome🙏🏿
#Jaya prabhupada

Bhagavad Gita Class by H.G Jagat Bandhu Gauranga Das. BG 7.22/23

Please, every one is wellcome🙏🏿🙏🏿

Nairobi does it again, it was so...... Wonderful jaya Sri Bhankebihari mandir ki jaya...🙌🏿🙌🏿

Some of the extremely blissful moments with H.H Bhakti Narasmha Swami leading Kirtan.🙌🏿

Jai jai wonderful 🙌🏿

It was such a wonderful day of Lord Shri Jagannath Ratha Yatra.
Thank you dear devotees of the Lord for the seva done today jai jai jai🙌🏿🙌🏿

Today is our ISKCON Iskcon Kampala - Uganda annual Ratha Yatra. We welcome all city dwellers to take the blessings of Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladeva, Subadra.

Hare Krishna

janmastami

janmastami celebrations, thank you thank you dear devotees of the Lord for coming in such a great number

Here we go again, festive season 2019. All are welcome

Together, we would like to thank and also congratulate our brothers and sisters in Nairobi for organizing such a wonderful and beautiful Ratha Yatra.

It was so devotional.... Jai jai jai.

Farming projects going on at the ISKCON farm Seeta, Uganda ja........y

FOOD FOR LIFE AT SEETA FARM UGANDA,
Jai Gauranga.

ISKCON Iskcon Kampala - Uganda Invites all Krishna's People, Ugandans and all Kampala City Dwellers to this year's Gaura Purnima. The appearence day of His Lordship Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Today's Bhagavad Gita class by His Grace Umapati Prabhu, Regional Secretary East Africa

Hare krishna..Happy Janmashtami to all of you!

Yoga For Modern Age - Author: Vraja Bihari Das (Venugopal Acharya)

EXERCISE HELPS US CHANT HARE KRISHNA

by H.G. Vraja Bihari Das

“Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness” – Edward Stanley

The process of Bhakti yoga is independent of any external situations, including physical exercises. And a devotee of Krishna aspires to always remember and serve the Lord in every situation of his or her life.

At the same time, physical well-being is important to our practise of Krishna consciousness in general and to chanting of Holy Names in particular.

If we spend at least half hour daily on bodily exercise, then we have the physical fitness to take on the temptations and distractions that threatens to pull us away from Krishna. Every sportsman knows the importance of physical fitness. We too play a game of choice daily. We face the choice of connection to Krishna or a diversion to illusion, maya. For example during the middle of your early morning chanting, your mind may protest that you are tired and you need rest. The legs ache, the body seems heavy, and the japa session is a long drag. But if you have a culture of daily exercise and a regulated dinner, then it’s likely that you would avoid this needless struggle. You would feel fit and during chanting you could instead focus your energy on listening to the Holy Names of Krishna. The legendary American Boxer of the early twentieth century, Gene Tunney said aptly, “Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart”

A cricket player sometimes bats the whole day, for eight hours under the hot sun. Those who lack physical fitness get dehydrated, or succumb to the pressure, and throw away their wicket. A Hare Krishna chanter is also like a batsman who makes choices every moment of the day. Physical fitness gives us the mental agility to make the right choices.. Let’s say you eat a heavy meal before you sit to chant Hare Krishna.. It’s like a batsman going for the palate before his innings. Most likely he’d struggle to bat and could lose his wicket early on in the innings. Similarly if you chant the Holy Names by neglecting the bodily fitness, you may soon struggle to chant, and find it difficult to pull the mind back as it hurls one distracting thought after another.

Often devotees doubt if we are promoting bodily identification by emphasizing yoga or exercise. Srila Rupa Goswami, the foremost of Vaishnava teachers has explained that the first of the symptoms of surrender to God is to accept things that are favourable for our spiritual lives. And if exercise helps us chant Hare Krishna better, inculcating it in our daily practise is showing God our loving surrender.

If you are to drive from Mumbai to Delhi, you could drive really fast, and thereby ignore the basic needs of the car. Or you could meticulously take care of the vehicle’s tyres, seats and engine every ten minutes. The former approach could cause a fatal accident and the latter method may not even begin your journey. A balanced approach would be to focus on the destination and at the same time, take care of the car’s needs to ensure it helps you reach Delhi safely. Likewise the body, which is like a car, could help us connect to God. If we absorb ourselves in our spiritual practises so much that we ignore proper rest, diet and exercise- the basic needs of the ‘car’- we may not really connect to God. Our neglected body could abort the soul’s journey. On the other hand an obsession to take care of our physical well-being would distract us from a sacred human life that offers us a chance to go beyond the basic animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

The balance here would be to do the needful for the body.. A good six to seven hours of rest, a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits and a regular exercise helps us stay fit to chant our rounds daily. If however we artificially claim to not waste any time on material activities and instead absorb fully in chanting and other devotional activities, what would happen? Sooner or later the body would react to the neglect and abuse, and then our absorption would be less on God, but instead on the body.

The great Christian teacher, Hugh Blair of Scotland said, “Reflect first upon that great law of our nature, that exercise is the chief source of improvement in all our faculties”



Article written by HG Vraja Bihari Das
http://yogaformodernage.com/

yogaformodernage.com Author: Vraja Bihari Das (Venugopal Acharya)

Some of the best photos of the Ratha Yatra 2018 in Kampala.

A heavily, heavily attended Jagannath Ratha Yatra Kampala 2018.
We take this opportunity to thank all the devotees and well wishers who gave their best to see this through. Hare Krishna.

Harinam sankirtana on the streets of Kampala led by HG Gopinath Das temple president ISKCON Kampala. Hari Hari bol.

The first Rath Yatra at the new Iskcon center of eldoret, kenya was heavily attended. Glories to Lord Jaganath.

Mahavishnu Swami

I have lost a senior disciple on the African continent Bal Nitai Das from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was a brave warrior of the Holy Name and truly dedicated to the Mission of Srila Prabhupada in such a war torn Country like DR Congo. He ran our Mission in Goma Congo at the time when the M23 Rebels had fought and defeated Govt forces making Goma their Capital and later shifted to Kinshasha where our ISKCON DR Congo Headquarters are located but before that he had been managing our Center in Kampala, Uganda. He has been a translater and distributer of Srila Prabhupadas books in both French and Lingala. We request devotees allover the World to do Kirtan/Harinam for his sake. Having served Krishna without reserve we know that there is no loss.

It has been a very shocking moment this morning after hearing the news of the passing of one of the most dear Disciples of H.H Mahavisnu Swami Maharaja. H.G Bal Nitai Prabhu (in the middle of the picture) from D.R.Congo.
He has been one of the most prominent preachers in East and Central Africa preaching in one of the most dangerous and primitive places in Africa.
May the Lord Sri Krishna accept him in his abode (Krishna Loka)
Dandavats.

[09/12/17]   There are five basic relationships a devotee might have with the Lord; namely in the neutral stage (sānta-rasa), which is the stage of awe and reverence. Knowing that God is Great. Then there are four transcendental mellows (rasas); servitude (dāsya), friendship (sakhya), parental affection (vātsalya) and conjugal love (śṛṅgāra).

After giving today's Bhagavad Gita class from BG 5.23. His Grace Jagat Bandhu Gauranga Das led Harinam Sankirtan and book Distribution on the streets of Kampala.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Photos from Iskcon Kampala - Uganda's post

Rath Yatra 2017

Last year's Rath Yatra was blessed by Hon. Muluri Mukasa (Minister for Public Service) as a Chief Guest and His Holiness Bhakti Narashma Maharaj who handled over prizes to the Intergrity Award Winning Teachers in Primary Schools as seen in the Photo.

Iskcon Kampala - Uganda

Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra with Srila Prabhupada riding on a majestic chariot in the Streets of Kampala Uganda.

Photos from Iskcon Kampala - Uganda's post

Iskcon mbarara food for life.
All glories to srila prabhupada.

Yesterday's Gaura Arati in Kampala, all glories to srila Prabhupada.

Devotees attending Guru Puja in kampala.

H.H Gopal Krishna Goswami giving initiation on 8/1/2017 in Nairobi.