Hare Krishna - Hamilton ISKCON New Zealand

Keep in touch with ISKCON Hamilton

Abhay Charan Das — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:28:37 +0000

This website is not updated anymore - so if you want to see what is happening with the Hamilton ISKCON community – please check out my Facebook site: Abhay Caran Das http://facebook.com/abhayNZ

Friday Night Harinam

Abhay Charan Das — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 04:55:49 +0000

Here is an image of our Friday night harinam party, chanting in the Hamilton CBD on 11 June 2010 – 9pm

Cool advice from PETA

Abhay Charan Das — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:56:25 +0000

Rasaparayana Birthday 6 June 2010

Abhay Charan Das — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:07:20 +0000

Here are some images taken at the 60th birthday celebration of my dear friend and god-brother Rasaparayana Prabhu. A large gathering of devotee well-wishers were present at the New Varshana Auckland temple for the surprise event.

Tui Beer Ad: Jesus is watching you fry

Abhay Charan Das — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:28:01 +0000

There is some deep philosophy contained in this fridge magnet. If you aren’t familiar with the Tui ads in New Zealand – it is a form of sarcasm that appeals to the Kiwi sense of humour. This fridge magnet is in my staff tea room – and I was intrigued by this message that one of my staff had constructed: “Jesus is watching you fry, Yeah Right” The import of this is that Jesus would hardly enjoy seeing any of us frying for all eternity in hell. The truth is God is giving us every opportunity to come back home to be with Him. It was the Christian belief in eternal damnation that first made me think about finding a more rational and loving philosophy. Krishna consciousness teaches that hell does indeed exist – but it is temporary. No one is ever disqualified from returning to the spiritual world. We can choose to remain suffering for as long as we wish – but no matter how sinful we might be, redemption and atonement are always available to us. Just as a parent could never cast out their child for all eternity, God likewise can never turn His back on any of His children. A parent can never be happy knowing that their child is suffering; and God never gives up on us knowing that we are separated from Him and suffering here in the material world. So the Tui Ad fridge magnet statement is very accurate – God never condemns us. God is always waiting for us to take a step towards Him. He is very near and very dear.
Abhay Charan dasa

Christians wanting to convert the Hare Krishna’s

Abhay Charan Das — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:33:08 +0000

We had an interesting confrontation on last Saturday’s harinam in Hamilton (24 April 2010). An elderly woman sidled up to us and offered to give us her testimony as a Christian. She said Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and no one can come unto the Father except through Jesus. I thanked her for her testimony and encouraged her to be a pure follower of Lord Jesus. She quickly recounted that she couldn’t claim to be pure but Jesus had saved her since he died for her sins. She went on to say that she would at the end of her life go to heaven to be with Jesus. I asked her what she understood she would be doing in heaven for all eternity. She looked at me blankly and admitted that she didn’t know. I politely suggested to her that if she wanted to be with Jesus in heaven she should perhaps make some enquiries from her church minister to find out what happens in heaven; and what would be her relationship with Lord Jesus. She thought for a moment and then said it didn’t really matter. When I asked her which Christian denomination she followed she wouldn’t tell us. Like so many sincere Christians, this nice woman had a sincere sentiment of love for Lord Jesus but was sadly lacking in any philosophical knowledge. We understand that religion without philosophy is simply sentimentality. An intelligent person will combine loving devotion for God and bona fide philosophy. We wondered afterwards why the Christians often thought it their duty to particularly try to convert Hare Krishna devotees. Perhaps they are too afraid to approach Muslims; or see Buddhists as too impenetrable; and Jews as perhaps too close to Christianity to bother with. Hare Krishna’s on the other hand are clearly in need of saving and desperately in need of conversion to the one true religion. Such a poor fund of knowledge they have; and what self-importance they have to try to impose their quaint sentimentality on the practitioners of original sanatan dharma – eternal religion.

Harinam Sankirtan – 16-17 April 2010

Abhay Charan Das — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:39:44 +0000

We have two harinam parties arranged for this coming weekend:

Friday evening 16 April – starting at 8pm on corner of Victoria and Rostrevor Streets.

Saturday 17 April – we will be going to Rotorua for harinam – leaving Hamilton at 10.30am. We will be taking prasadam for a picnic afterwards in Rotorua. So far we just have one car going (Rasarasika Prabhu’s) but let us know if you also want to join us.

Your servant Abhay Charan dasa

Friday and Saturday (5th & 6th March)

Abhay Charan Das — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:58:35 +0000

Sorry – but this coming weekend we will not be holding our weekly harinam sankirtan party in the city. Devotees are travelling away from Hamilton – to India and Christchurch. But if anyone is still inspired to go out and chant the holy names in the city – please do so with our blessings. If you go out alone, Lord Caitanya will be very, very pleased with you.

Gabriella Joins Our Harinam

Abhay Charan Das — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:56:23 +0000

Here’s a couple of shots of young Gabriella joining the devotees on Saturday 27 February 2010 in Garden Place.

Abhay Charan, Gabriella and Satya

Jitendra, Gabriella and Satya

Join Us On Friday Nights

Abhay Charan Das — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:18:55 +0000

Every Friday Night at 8pm the Hamilton devotees go on harinam in the central city area – the population are out enjoying in the bars and cafes – and the devotees are also enjoying distributing the holy names. Please join us for this nectarian festival.