By Mahabhagavat Das SDA

In Toronto’s brutal winter, Srila Prabhupada transforms the cold into spiritual gold by encouraging remarkable Sankirtan efforts, exceeding a total of 110 outings in 2025 against all odds for one humble warrior. Battling frigid temperatures and indifferent crowds, Srila Prabhupada tirelessly inspires diverse audiences, from skeptical Sikhs to curious Muslims. Each cold encounter becomes a lesson in humility to the Sankirtan warriors, the transient nature of recognition, and the deep connections formed within fleeting moments. Amidst dismissals and challenges, he ignites a spark of spirituality, guiding strangers towards timeless wisdom with every book offered. Dressed like a warrior against the harsh elements, the Sankirtan warriors are inspired into urgency into Srila Prabhupada’s mission: spreading enlightenment, one icy encounter at a time.
 

I am a formally initiated disciple of His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari. My spiritual master was initiated by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1971. He is the author …

Mahabhagavat Das SDA


Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117112

ISKCON’s Ministry for Book Distribution is inviting devotees and communities worldwide to submit nominations for the 2025 Book Distribution Awards, recognizing outstanding leadership, innovation, creativity, and resilience in the global sankirtan movement.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/global-call-for-nominations-to-honor-sankirtan-excellence-and-innovation/

By Priyagovind Das

As the sun transitioned into Capricorn for Makar Sankranti on January 14, 2026, Ayodhya Dham was transformed into a sea of devotion. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, fresh from their holy bath at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, arrived at the feet of Lord Ram. To honor this sacred arrival, ISKCON Ayodhya scaled its Food for Life initiative, distributing over 100,000 free prasadam meals.

This massive humanitarian effort is rooted in the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita: “The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal enjoyment, verily eat only sin” (3.13).

Gita Manishi Devshekhar Vishnu Das, ISKCON Ayodhya’s Project Director, emphasized that this service goes beyond mere charity; it is a tool for social cohesion. “The Magh Mela teaches us that we are all interconnected in our spiritual journey,” he said, “Our ‘squirrel service’ this year in Ayodhya Dham, home of Lord Shri Ramchandra Ji, isn’t just about filling stomachs; it’s about breaking down social barriers. When thousands honor prasadam together, there is no high or low, no rich or poor. We want to send a message that true spiritual progress is inseparable from social responsibility. By serving the pilgrims and protecting our environment with eco-friendly practices, we are practicing ‘Bhakti in Action’—healing the heart and the Earth simultaneously. We are all dedicating this service to our Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada and guru parampara.”

To accommodate the surge in devotees traveling from the Triveni Sangam, ISKCON Ayodhya expanded its distribution network to 11 distribution pavilions across the city.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-ayodhya-serves-100000-meals-during-magh-mela-2026/

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit our Adelaide temple again where the presiding deities of Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara are amongst my favorite deities in ISKCON.

The new temple room was beautiful and many devotees and visitors attended. A team worked to prepare Lord Jagannatha’s Rathayatra cart for the upcoming Australia Day parade on January 26th.

Source: https://ramaiswami.com/adelaide-temple-visit/

From Back to Godhead

Understanding the levels of instruction in the Bhagavad-gita can help us comprehend the overall unity of Lord Krishna’s message.

The Bhagavad-gita is no doubt a major spiritual treatise and one of the world’s greatest classics. Understanding that a hierarchical concept of reality characterizes the Gita can help us see coherence of the Gita’s message.

The Bhagavad-gita speaks on two major levels of reality and a third, intermediate, one. We can use the Sanskrit words dharma and moksha to treat the two main levels, and the word yoga for the third. Dharma refers to a set of values representing duty, religion, morality, law, order, and justice, which together sustain civilized human life. Yoga refers to the attempt to detach oneself from worldly life while trying to yoke oneself to the liberated state. Moksha refers to the liberated state of perfection and eternal existence in pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. The level of dharma represents the human or worldly condition, the level of moksha represents the real or absolute condition (liberation), and the level of yoga is intermediate. We can also define these three levels as the finite, the intermediate, and the infinite.

We can distinguish each level in terms of values and “being.” For dharma, the general rule in terms of value is to prosper. At this level, one desires worldly happiness and prosperity, seeing these as good. In terms of being, one see the living entity as the body, whether as a human being or as some other species.

On the second level (yoga), one rejects worldly prosperity, valuing instead detachment from the world and indifference to both worldly happiness and worldly distress. On this level, one also yokes oneself to a higher reality, that of moksha. In yoga, one values the superiority of being equal-minded towards both happiness and distress and seeking absorption in Brahman. In terms of being, one no longer perceives of oneself or others as the body but as eternal spirit souls bound by the laws of samsara.

On the third level (moksha), one replaces the indifference and detachment of the second level with deep love and attachment for the Supreme Person. As for being, the awakened spirit soul of the second level now becomes a pure servant and a lover of the Supreme Person.

The three levels represent internal mental states or attitudes. Thus, one who sees the world from the point of view of the first level is convinced that he is a human being and that his aim is to prosper. On the second level, one is convinced that he is an embodied spiritual self and that his aim is to get released from that condition. On the third level, one sees the Supreme Lord everywhere and tries to love and serve Him.

We can use a three-story house as a metaphor. Each story contains unlimited opportunities and paths. Moreover, the residents of each floor have their own language, terms, and assumptions. In a sense, the Bhagavad-gita speaks in three languages and constantly moves between the three levels. Once we recognise which level a particular text or section is on, that text or section becomes intelligible and we can see how it is consistent with the rest of the treatise.

An Example of the Bhagavad-gita’s Shifting Between Metaphysical Levels

When Arjuna argues against fighting the war, he does so from the first level. We can examine his arguments according to the two parameters previously mentioned: values and being. Regarding values, it is clear that underlying Arjuna’s speech is the desire to achieve worldly prosperity. One of his main points is that the war would cause the decline of dharma and the rise of adharma, and thus suffering would come upon the world. As he believes that prosperity is good, he objects to the war. In terms of being, Arjuna thinks of himself and the others there as human beings.

Krishna doesn’t answer Arjuna directly, but raises the conversation to the second level. In Krishna’s reply the values He propounds are utterly different; Krishna does not accept the idea that worldly prosperity is good, but calls for indifference to (and endurance of) both worldly happiness and worldly distress. He says these are impermanent and produced by sensual perception alone. As for being, Krishna does not refer to the soldiers present as human beings; rather, He refers to them as spirit souls.

By not directly answering Arjuna’s doubts about fighting, Krishna performs a kind of a “Copernican revolution,” changing the underlying assumptions of the conversation. Arjuna argues that killing his relatives is bad, an obvious first-story statement that assumes that people are subjected to death and that death is to be avoided as far as possible for the sake of a prosperous life. Krishna doesn’t answer Arjuna’s arguments, but shifts the conversation to a different level altogether and speaks out of different assumptions. Basically He says that death doesn’t exist at all (a second-story assumption) and therefore He doesn’t see much logic in Arjuna’s arguments. Also, Krishna challenges Arjuna’s idea that worldly prosperity and happiness are good and to be desired. He propounds the idea that indifference to both happiness and distress is good and desirable. As such, He speaks from a second-story position.

The Bhagavad-gita’s Transformational Aspect

As a practical scripture, the Bhagavad-gita offers the means for crossing the gap between the first level (dharma) and the third (moksha). Mere following of dharma while avoiding adharma is not sufficient to attain the stage of moksha. One needs a different type of endeavor or path. This process or enterprise is sometimes called self-realisation, and it involves a transformational path by which one progresses step by step, thus making advancement from the lower level to the higher one. What practical means or system does the Bhagavad-gita offer?

A major question raised in the Bhagavad-gita is whether one should choose the path of action or the path of contemplation. Arjuna raises the question twice, at the beginning of the third and fifth chapters. The Bhagavad-gita clearly recommends the path of action as the means by which the performer is to be elevated all the way from the level of dharma to the state of moksha. One performs this uplifting action according to one’s dharma and continues to work within the dharmic framework all along the way. Thus, Krishna encourages Arjuna throughout their conversation to follow his dharma and fight. However, as the text progresses, Arjuna’s motives for fighting are refined. Krishna shows Arjuna how he can fight in higher and higher inner states of consciousness. Thus, although externally we continue to carry out our prescribed duty, we undergo an internal transformation through sublimation or purification of our motives for performing action. In this way a kind of ladder is formed, by which one rises higher and higher, from dharma to moksha, along the path of self-realization.

Textual References for the Ladder of Motives

At the lowest stage, one’s actions are motivated by utilitarianism, or the desire to achieve something for oneself. Krishna first uses a utilitarian argument to try to convince Arjuna to take up arms. He assumes that Arjuna aspires to accumulate gain, such as fame, and argues that by withdrawing from the battle, Arjuna will loose his fame.

Krishna’s next argument is also utilitarian, but is somewhat higher in that it accepts scriptural authority by stating that warriors who die in battle attain heaven. Thus we can call the stage on which this argument is based the stage of “religious utilitarianism” or “dharmic utilitarianism.”

In other words, Krishna advises Arjuna to follow dharma to achieve some end in this life or the next. Still higher is following dharma for its own sake, or performing one’s duty for the sake of duty. That stage represents a pure mode of action, free from desire for its fruits, and is one of the central teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. It is still within the first story, however, as it doesn’t include an awareness of the ultimate good, which according to the Bhagavad-gita is release from samsara. Still, those who follow dharma for its own sake reach the top of the first level and can progress further, into the next stage.

The next stage rejects the value of the Vedas, considered to be engaged with worldly gains, in favor of a higher ideal: the attainment of Brahman. We can call this stage “action for the sake of the highest good (Brahman).” He who thus acts is situated in the second level, characterised by various yoga processes. He may act now in karma-yoga; uninterested in the fruits of his actions, he offers those fruits to the Supreme. He may practice jnana-yoga, ashtanga-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. All these yoga practices have the common goal of detaching oneself from worldly existence and attachments and fixing oneself to the Supreme. Enlightenment and renunciation characterize the stage of yoga. Having perfected that stage, we finally elevate ourselves to the third story, that of moksha, and continue to carry out our duty in a deep, pure, spontaneous, and unalloyed mood of loving devotion unto Krishna.

Summary

We’ve added some steps to our basic three-step ladder. Now we can summarize the stages as simple utilitarianism, dharmic utilitarianism, duty for its own sake, acting for the sake of the highest good or Brahman, the stage of yoga, and the stage of moksha or pure devotion. On this ladder of motives, the higher one’s motive for action is, the higher one is situated in the Bhagavad-gita’s metaphysical structure. In this way the Bhagavad-gita encompasses the entire realm of existence while encouraging all to ascend the ladder of motives, thus distancing oneself from samsara and absorbing oneself in Brahman. Following this structure, a student can make sense of the Bhagavad-gita as a coherent theological-philosophical treatise, firmly tied together as a single and unified text. It can offer a model for a three-story house in which the whole world can reside.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=22066

In spite of the fact that everything comes from the Supreme Being, He is still aloof from it all. He does not disengage Himself from His eternal pleasure pastimes with His devotees in the spiritual realm. So, in the process of creating the material worlds, the Supreme expands Himself into various forms, which are His plenary parts. Krishna is the primeval Lord, the original Personality of Godhead, so He can expand Himself into unlimited forms with all potencies. They are no different from Him, but may exhibit differences in form.

He first expands Himself into Baladeva, or Balarama, who is considered Krishna’s second body and brother. Balarama assists in Lord Krishna’s innumerable spiritual pastimes in both the spiritual and material realms.

Lord Balarama is also Lord Sankarshana, the predominator of the creative energy. He creates and is the shelter of the material and spiritual worlds. By the will of Krishna and the power of the spiritual energy, Lord Balarama creates the spiritual world, which consists of the planet Goloka Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets. 1

Lord Balarama especially assists Lord Krishna in the creation of the material worlds. After Balarama has expanded Himself into Lord Maha-Sankarshana, He expands Himself into four different forms, including: 1) Karanadakashayi Vishnu [Maha-Vishnu], 2) Garbhodakashayi Vishnu [the expansion in each universe], 3) Ksirodakashayi Vishnu [the Supersoul in each individual], and 4) Sesha, also called Seshanaga. These first four plenary portions assist in the material cosmic manifestation. Sesha is Balarama’s form who assists in the Lord’s personal service. He is also called Ananta, meaning unlimited, because He assists the Lord in His unlimited variety of pastimes. 2

* * *

To explain more clearly, all expansions of the Lord begin with Sri Krishna. For His pastimes in one of the highest levels of the spiritual realm, called Dvaraka, Sri Krishna expands Himself into Balarama, who then expands Himself into Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These four expand into a second quadruple which is present in the unlimited Vaikuntha planets of the spiritual sky. The second quadruple is known as Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. They are changeless, transcendental expansions of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. In this second quadruple, Vasudeva is an expansion of Krishna, and Sankarshana is a representation of Balarama.

In the Vaikuntha sky there is the pure, spiritual creative energy called Shuddha-sattva that sustains all of the spiritual planets with the full opulences of knowledge, wealth, power, beauty, etc., all of which pervade the entire spiritual kingdom and are fully enjoyed by the residents there. This energy is but a display of the creative potencies of Balarama, Maha-Sankarshana. It is also this Sankarshana who is the original cause of the Causal Ocean where Karanodakashayi Vishnu (Maha-Vishnu) sleeps, while breathing out the seeds of innumerable universes. When the cosmic creation is annihilated, all of the materially conditioned, although indestructible, living entities merge back into the body of Maha-Vishnu where they rest until the time of the next creation. So, Balarama as Sankarshana is the origin of Maha-Vishnu, from whom originates all of the potencies of the material manifestation. 3

So, to summarize, for His spiritual pastimes in the Vaikuntha realm, Lord Krishna has four original expansions, namely Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Maha-Vishnu is an expansion of Sankarshana; Garbhodakashayi Vishnu is an expansion of Pradyumna; and Ksirodakashayi Vishnu is an expansion of Aniruddha. 4

* * *

To begin explaining the purpose and function of these expansions, the Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.6.42) describes that, “Maha-Vishnu (Karanadakashayi Vishnu) is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord in the process of creating the material worlds. He is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, elements, material ego, the modes of nature, senses, the universal form of the Lord (Garbhodakashayi Vishnu) and the sum total of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving.”

Then Maha-Vishnu lies down in the Viraja River, which is the border between the spiritual and material worlds. 5

Lord Maha-Vishnu is the source of thousands of avataras in His thousands and thousands of subjective portions. He is the creator of countless individual souls. He is also known by the name of Narayana, meaning the shelter of all the individual jiva souls. From Him springs forth the vast expanse of water known as the spiritual Causal Ocean. Maha-Vishnu then reclines in the waters of the Causal Ocean in a state of divine sleep, called yoga-nidra. Thus, it is said that the universal creation is but the dream of Maha-Vishnu. 6

Since the waters of the Causal Ocean, known as the Karana Ocean, come from the body of Maha-Vishnu, it is completely spiritual. The sacred Ganges is but a drop from that ocean, which can purify the fallen souls. 7

Lord Balarama also expands into the great serpent known as Ananta, or Seshanaga. He reposes on the Causal Ocean and serves as the couch upon whom Lord Maha-Vishnu reclines. 8

That Ananta-Sesha is the devotee incarnation of God who knows nothing but service to Lord Krishna. With His thousands of mouths He always sings the endless glories of Lord Krishna. He also expands Himself to serve as Lord Krishna’s paraphernalia, including such items as the umbrella, slippers, bedding, pillow, garments, resting chair, residence, sacred gayatri thread, and throne in the pastimes of Lord Krishna. Thus, He has attained and exhibits the ultimate end of servitude to Lord Krishna. 9

At the time of creation, after the Supreme has been sleeping for some time, the first emanation from the breathing of Lord Maha-Vishnu are the personified Vedas who serve Him by waking Him from His mystic sleep. They begin to enthusiastically sing His glories, pastimes, and praises, just as a King is awaken in the morning by poets who recite his heroic deeds. 10 This shows the eternal nature of the Vedic literature. They are not merely the writings of men, but they are spiritual vibrations that exist before and after the material creation, and which emanate from the Supreme Lord.

Once the Lord is awoken, He casts His glance upon the material energy of maya. Then she becomes agitated. At that time the Lord injects the original seeds of all living entities. This glance is how the Supreme impregnates material nature with all the living entities. Thus, the Lord does not personally touch the material energy, but by His functional expansion He places the living entities into the material nature by His glance. 11 This functional expansion of the Lord takes the form as Shiva, which will be explained later.

After agitating material nature into three qualities, which are the modes of nature in the form of passion, goodness, and ignorance, they become active and material nature begins to give birth to the total material energy known as the hiranya-mahat-tattva. This is the sum total of cosmic intelligence. Thus, material nature becomes agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls as determined by the influence of the modes of nature. 12

Simply by the glance of Maha-Vishnu consciousness is created, which is known as the mahat-tattva. The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Lord Vasudeva, another expansion of Lord Krishna. This explains how the material energy is like the mother of the living beings while the Lord is the Supreme Father of everyone. Just as a woman cannot give birth without the contact of a man, or at least his seed, so material nature cannot create without the contact of the Supreme Being.

So, first the total material energy is manifest, and from this arise the three types of egotism, which are the original sources of all the demigods [the minor controlling deities], the senses, and material elements. By combining the different elements, the Supreme Lord creates all of the unlimited universes. Once the material elements have been manifested, and the full potential for creating the universes has been established, the innumerable universes begin to emanate from the pores of the body of Maha-Vishnu, and from His exhalations. They appear just like atomic particles that float in sunshine and pass through a screen. When Maha-Vishnu inhales at the time of the universal annihilation, they return to His body. In this way, Maha-Vishnu is the Supersoul of all the universes. 13

Brahma, the demigods, and each universe remain alive for the duration of one of His exhalations. 14 However, there is no limit to the exhalations of Maha-Vishnu. 15

Once all of the universes are created, which are unlimited, Maha-Vishnu expands Himself into unlimited forms and enters each universe as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu. Once He is in each universe, He sees that there is no place to reside. Then, after some consideration, He fills half of the universe with water from His own perspiration. He then lays down on the water, again supported by the bed of Seshanaga. 16

Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, who is known within the universe as Hiranyagarbha and Antaryami, the Supersoul, is glorified in the Vedic hymns. He is the master of each and every universe and shelter of the external or material energy. However, being transcendental, He is completely beyond the touch of the external energy.

Next is the third expansion of Vishnu, called Ksirodakashayi Vishnu, who is the incarnation of the quality of goodness. He is the universal form of the Lord and expands Himself as the Supersol within every living entity. He is known as Ksirodakashayi Vishnu because He lies on the ocean of milk on the island of Svetadvipa. These are the three expansions of Lord Vishnu who oversee and make the creation of the material world possible. 17

In this way, we can see how all of the expansions of the Lord, and also all of His energies that are manifested to bring forth the cosmic creation, all originate from Lord Krishna. Therefore, the reason why Lord Krishna is considered the ninth incarnation is only because this is the order in which He displays His avatars before He displays His own pastimes. Basically, if we can further understand this description, everything is but a pastime of the Lord.

A few additional verses that clarify this topic include the 3rd chapter of the 1st Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam which describes the principle incarnations of the Supreme Lord. Having done that, verse 28 says:

ete camsha-kalah pumsah

krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

indrari-vyakulam lokam

mridayanti yuge yuge

“All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.”

Also in Brahma Samhita (5.1) Lord Brahma says:

isvarah paramah krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

“Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

In this way, the Vedic literature agrees that Krishna is the source of Brahma, Shiva and all other demigods. In the Atharva Veda (Gopala-tapani Upanishad 1.24) it is said, yo brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo vai vedamsh cha gapayati sma krishnah: “It was Krishna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past.”

Then the Narayana Upanishad (1) says, atha purusho ha vai narayano kamayata prajah srijeyeti: “Then the Supreme Personality Narayana desired to create living entities.” The Upanishad continues, narayanad brahma jayate, narayanad prajapatih prajayate, narayanad indro jayate, narayanad ashtau vasavo jayante, narayanad ekadasha rudra jayante, narayanad dvadashadityah: “From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana the patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from Narayana the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven Rudras are born, from Narayana the twelve Adityas are born.”

This Narayana is an expansion of Krishna as previously explained.

It is further said in the Narayana Upanishad 4, brahmanyo devaki-putrah: “The son of Devaki, Krishna, is the Supreme Personality.”

In the Moksha-dharma Sri Krishna Himself says,

prajapatim cha rudram chapy aham eva srijami vai

tau hi mam na vijanito mama maya-vimohitau

“The patriarchs, Shiva and others are created by Me, though they do not know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory energy.”

Lord Brahma continues to pray and explains in his Brahma Samhita (5.46) how the potency in Krishna’s expansions spreads from one form to another:

diparchir eva hi dashantaram abhyupetya

dipayate vivrita-hetu-samana-dharma

yas tadrig eva hi cha vishnutaya vibhati

govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

“The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations.”

Thus, the Vedic knowledge clearly accepts Sri Krishna (Govinda) as the original independent causeless fountainhead of all of His various personality manifestations known as the various Vishnu avataras (forms/personalities).

CHAPTER NOTES

1. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.255-6

2. Ibid., Adi-lila, 5.4-6, 8-11

3. Ibid., Adi-lila, 5.41 & purport

4. Ibid., Adi-lila, 2.56, purport

5. Ibid., Madhya-lila, 20.268-271

6. Brahma-samhita, 5.11-12

7. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 5.54

8. Brahma-samhita, 5.47

9. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 5.120-124

10. Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.87.12-13

11. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.272

12. Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.26.19

13. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.275-282

14. Brahma-samhita, 5.48

15. Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.324

16. Ibid., Madhya-lila, 20.284-6

17. Ibid., Madhya-lila, 20.292, 294-5

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=70584

ISKCON Visakhapatnam was honoured to host the Pan-India ISKCON Leaders’ Summit from January 5th to 11th. Set against the serene backdrop of the beautiful seafront, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, where the gentle waves kiss the shore and the morning sun bathes the horizon in golden light, the summit created a spiritually uplifting atmosphere for reflection, discussion, and fellowship. The week-long summit brought together esteemed leaders, including Lokanath Swami, Bhanu Swami, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami, Dayaram Das, Radheshyam Das, Gauranga Das, Mahaman Das, and Basu Ghosh Das, representing diverse ISKCON communities from across India for purposeful deliberation, strategic alignment, and collective vision-building.

The summit was convened to strengthen ISKCON’s core mission of spiritual education, devotional service, and outreach. Leaders engaged in focused discussions to enhance cooperation and unity among ISKCON communities across India, develop strategic approaches for sustainable growth and outreach, and ensure that all initiatives remain aligned with the teachings and vision of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-visakhapatnam-hosts-pan-india-iskcon-leaders-summit/

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,

Students from Our Little Vaishnavas school in Mayapur recently hosted their annual children’s market day, turning classroom lessons into real-world business experience. Through small booths and creative projects, the children practiced entrepreneurship while embracing Srila Prabhupada’s vision of self sustenance, learning teamwork, responsibility, and practical life skills along the way.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/young-entrepreneurs-bring-prabhupadas-vision-to-life-at-mayapur-school-market-day/

Q.
Dear Bada Haridas,
I led my first kirtan yesterday evening! I was wondering what is the role of the kirtan leader? I know that practically speaking they are playing an instrument and singing the mantra for the group to repeat, but what is their job spiritually?

I felt a little bit nervous to take on the task at first and was wondering if you could share some of your wisdom in that regard. Hare Krishna!

A.
Glad to hear you are leading kirtan. Thank you for asking such a nice question and for taking it so seriously. (Serious doesn’t mean it’s not blissful!)

We could speak about kirtan for a long time. There’s way more to it than it may seem. Briefly, the kirtan leader’s role is to help people connect with Krishna and you can’t do that if you’re not connected. So really the focus is internal. Try to be present in the moment, hearing attentively, sincerely calling out, asking for service and purification, singing for Krishna’s pleasure, thinking of the Lord, and begging for mercy. Chanting is all about re-establishing our relationship with the Lord.

As the kirtan leader it is best to be in the mood of serving the devotees. When Krishna is pleased, as Supersoul within their hearts, He pleases them, and that’s how we serve them. It’s not a show, or a performance.

Srila Prabhupada wrote, “The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then He will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such a place.” Letter to Subala, November 12, 1967.

Another important thing to remember is that a good kirtan happens by the mercy of the Holy Name alone. We can’t “make it happen.” We can sincerely call out (like a child crying for it’s mother) but it’s up to Him if He will appear or remain hidden. We have to try our best to serve, but we’re completely dependent on His mercy. So kirtan is a dynamic process of experiencing Krishna’s reciprocation in different ways. It’s never the same twice. It’s a discovery process.

Still, the more we actually love Krishna, the more He will want to come to us during kirtan.

One practical point: Try to sing melodies that are fairly easy for people to repeat. At the same time, try to make it musically pleasing and appropriate for the crowd and the circumstance.

Hope this helps. Thank you again. All the best. Hare Krsna!

Your servant,
Bada Haridas

—-
Part Two
When Krishna hides

Q.
You were saying we can call out to the Lord and sometimes He can make Himself known, whereas at other times He may remain hidden. What were some experiences you have had in situations like these?

A.
Krishna is present in His Name. He is there when we are chanting. Sometimes when we chant, by His mercy, we really feel His presence. We know He is there and the kirtan becomes very wonderful. I experience this in different ways, never quite the same. The Lord in His deity form, Srila Prabhupada, or other spiritual personalities, appear in the mind. Sometimes spiritual feelings arise.

Although Krishna is always there, sometimes we don’t feel His presence. He keeps Himself hidden, and I feel like a stone and the chanting seems empty. Krishna does this so that we will examine our heart and, with greater humility and sincerity, call out to Him. It’s not automatic or mechanical bliss, there is a reciprocation going on. Somehow, we need to chant and hear. But that is our time to be with Krishna and we need to be aware of what is happening in our relationship with the Lord.

If this seems like too much work sometimes, you can always go back to the basic instruction of chanting and hearing, and bringing the mind back to being present with each mantra. This is the basic instruction Srila Prabhupada gives and we don’t have to over think this. Chant with the tongue and hear with the ears. But it is natural that, as the mind settles down and you become absorbed in chanting, devotional feelings come.

Your servant,
Bada Haridas

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=47847

Freedom from painful impediments

In Kingdom of God, there is no hunger, thirst, birth and death, old age, disease, etc. Thus without these sufferings that draw our consciousness in the material world, keeping us absorbed in sorting out problems of life in material world, one can simply focus on service to Supreme Lord without any impediments.

Freedom from material desire

The Vaikuntha residents while travelling in their Airplanes condemn the fragrance of Madhavi flowers in ponds, which indicates that they don’t care for insignificant sense gratification in comparison to the joy they derive in Lord’s service.  The only desire the Vaikuntha-vasis have in their hearts is eternal loving service to Lord and nothing else.  They have no desire even for Mukti, what to speak of Bhukti or Siddhi.  Such purity of desire renders one’s heart clean, fit and offerable to Supreme Lord.

Freedom from craving for opposite sex

Sex life is eulogized as the ultimate in the material world and it is being promoted everywhere especially in the modern times through media, bill-boards, sensuous movies, love songs, romantic novels etc.  Even though the devotees of God practice devotional service and develop higher taste, still the attraction for opposite sex keeps lingering in one’s consciousness thus weakening one’s determination to serve the Supreme Lord whole-heartedly.  In Kingdom of God, though Vaikuntha men and women are extraordinarily beautiful, they have no attraction for sex life due to attraction for Lord’s service.  This is a great hope to aspire for a sadhaka.

Freedom from envy

Material world is characterized by Envy, cut-throat competition, craving after position power and political influence over money, followers, property etc.  Such mentality burns the heart of living entity creating enmity between man and man, family and family, state and state, one country and another.  In Vaikuntha, all living beings joyfully serve the Supreme Lord without any envy for Him and without any malice for the special living entities like Tulasi or Bumble bee who attract Lord’s special mercy.  Even as practicing devotees envy, like a disease of heart, does not allow us to appreciate other devotees’ good qualities.  Vaikuntha gives us hope for a healthy heart devoid of envy and prejudice.

Easy benedictions in lord’s service

In Vaikuntha, one gets an Airplane made of Lapiz lazuli simply by bowing down to Lord only once!  On the other hand, if a man in the material world wants to give up a scooter and go for purchasing a Santro car, one has to do some hardwork to earn money.  There are kalpa vriksha desire trees in spiritual world which provide anything one may desire to engage in Lord’s service.  Thus spiritual world is a great hope to give up futile hard material endeavours that one is forced to do in material world, for making two ends meet.  Lord’s service is the only activity and all facility is provided for it.

No prestige or status issue

Even beautiful goddess Laxmi, dressed and decorated with costly garments and ornaments, engages in sweeping marble floors, while twirling lotus on her other hand.  This she does, to gain the favor of Lord Visnu, to please Him.  In the material world everybody wants to show off their greatness, as someone possessing money, position or influence.  Spiritual world is filled with people, whose hearts swell with love for Lord’s service without any reservations, even upto Laxmiji, who is Lord’s consort.  Such freedom from false prestige, renders our minds free of burden of want for respect from others.  Thus one can remain happy, joyful and peaceful in Lord’s service without material ambitions.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=52746

A story from

Krishna,

the Supreme Personality of Godhead

by His Divine

Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The King of Vidarbha, Maharaja Bhismaka, had five sons and a young daughter known as Rukmini. Many saintly persons used to visit the King’s palace, and from them Rukmini obtained information about Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply by hearing about the opulences of Krishna, she desired to surrender herself to His lotus feet and become His wife. All the relatives of King Bhismaka agreed that Rukmini should be given in marriage to Krishna, and after hearing how Rukmini was a reservoir of all transcendental qualities—intelligence, liberality, exquisite beauty, and righteous behavior—Krishna Himself decided that she was fit to be His wife.

However, Rukmini’s brother Rukmi arranged for her to be married to Sisupala, a determined enemy of Krishna. When the black-eyed, beautiful Rukmini heard of this settlement, she became very morose. But, being a king’s daughter, she could understand political diplomacy, and therefore she decided to take immediate steps to acquire Krishna as her husband. After some deliberation, she wrote a letter to Krishna and entrusted it to a brahmana
messenger. Without delay, she sent him with her letter to Krishna’s capital city of Dvaraka.

Reaching the gate of Dvaraka, the brahmana
informed the doorkeeper of his mission. and the doorkeeper led him to Lord Krishna, who was sitting on a golden throne. After the messenger was duly greeted according to his brahminical status, he carefully read Rukmini’s letter to the Supreme Lord:

“My dear Krishna, O infallible and most beautiful one, I have heard of Your transcendental qualities. I may be shameless in expressing myself so directly, but You have captivated me and taken my heart. I am an unmarried girl, young in age, and You may doubt the steadiness of my character. But my dear Krishna, since You are the supreme lion among human beings, the supreme person among persons, any girl not yet out of her home, or any woman of the highest chastity, would desire to marry You, being captivated by Your unprecedented character, knowledge, opulence and position.”

“I know that You are very kind toward Your devotees. Therefore I have decided to become Your eternal maidservant. My dear Lord, I dedicate my life and soul unto Your lotus feet. I have selected Your Lordship as my husband, and I request You to accept me as Your wife. You are supremely powerful, O lotus-eyed one. Now I belong to You. It would be ludicrous if what is enjoyable for the lion is taken away by the jackal. Therefore I request You to immediately take care of me before I am taken away by Sisupala. Please come here and catch hold of my hand so that I may not be touched by Sisupala and his men.”

Lord Krishna was very pleased to hear Rukmini’s statement. He shook hands with the messenger and said, “My dear
brahmana,
I am very glad to hear that Rukmini is anxious to marry Me, since I am also anxious to get her hand. I can understand that Rukmini’s brother has arranged her marriage with Sisupala in a spirit of animosity toward Me. So I am determined to give him a good lesson. Just as one can bring forth fire from ordinary wood by proper manipulation, similarly, after dealing with the demoniac princes, I shall bring forth Rukmini like fire from their midst.”

When Krishna heard that Rukmini’s marriage was scheduled for the following day, He decided to leave for the kingdom of Vidarbha immediately. He ordered His driver to harness the horses to His chariot and prepare for the journey, and they started at once. Within a single night they rode one thousand miles to their destination, the town of Kundina.

Krishna’s elder brother, Lord Balarama, soon received the news that Krishna had left for Kundina accompanied only by a brahmana,
and that Sisupala was there with his ally Jarasandha and a large number of soldiers. Suspecting that they would attack Krishna, Balarama took strong military divisions of chariots, infantry, horses and elephants and rode to the precinct of Kundina.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Rukmini was expecting Krishna to arrive. But when neither He nor the
brahmana
messenger appeared, she became full of anxiety and began to think how unfortunate she was. She thought, “There is only one night before my marriage day, and still neither the
brahmana
nor Krishna has returned. I cannot understand this.”

Being the Supersoul of all living beings, Krishna could understand Rukmini’s anxiety, so He sent the
brahmana
inside the palace to let her know that He had arrived. When Rukmini saw the brahmana,
she was elated. She smiled and asked him whether or not Krishna had come. The brahmana
replied, “The son of the Yadu dynasty, Sri Krishna, has arrived!” He further encouraged her by saying

that Krishna had promised

to carry her away without fail. Rukmini was so thrilled by the brahmana’s
message that she wanted to give him in charity everything she possessed. However, finding nothing at hand suitable for presentation, she simply bowed down and offered him her humble respects.

When King Bhismaka heard that Krishna and Balarama had come, he invited Them to see the marriage ceremony of his daughter. He arranged to receive Them and Their soldiers in a garden house. As was the Vedic custom, the King offered Krishna and Balarama honey and fresh washed cloth.

Meanwhile, Rukmini came out of the palace to visit the temple of the goddess Durga. Rukmini was dressed very beautifully, and as she proceeded toward the temple, she was very silent and grave. Her mother and girl friends were by her side, and she was surrounded by royal bodyguards. In this way she entered the temple and offered her prayers to the deity. Ordinary people pray to Durga for material wealth, fame, strength and so on. Rukmini, however, desired to have Krishna for her husband, and therefore she prayed to the deity to be pleased with her and bless her. Then she caught hold of the hand of one of her girl friends and left the temple, accompanied by the others.

All the princes and visitors who had come to Kundina for the marriage were assembled outside the temple to see Rukmini. When the princes, who were especially eager to see her, caught sight of Rukmini leaving the temple, they were struck with wonder. Indeed, they thought she had been especially manufactured by the Creator to bewilder them! She appeared to be just a youth not more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Her body was well constructed, the middle portion being thin. The beauty of her green eyes and pink lips was enhanced by her scattered hair and different kinds of earrings, and around her feet she wore jeweled lockets. All in all, the bodily luster and beauty of Rukmini, which was specifically intended to attract the attention of Krishna, appeared as if painted by an artist perfectly presenting beauty following the description of great poets.

Although the princes gazed upon her beautiful features, she was not at all proud. Her eyes moved restlessly, and when she smiled very innocently, her teeth appeared just like lotus flowers. Expecting Krishna to take her away at any moment, she proceeded very slowly toward her home. The motion of her legs was just like that of a full-grown swan’s body, and her ankle bells tinkled very mildly.

The princes assembled there were so overwhelmed by Rukmini’s beauty that they almost became unconscious, and they fell from the backs of their horses and elephants. Full of lust, they hopelessly desired Rukmini’s hand, comparing their own beauty to hers. Srimati Rukmini, however, was not interested in any of them. In her heart she was simply expecting Krishna to come and carry her away. As she adjusted the ornaments on the fingers of her left hand, she happened to look upon the princes. Suddenly she saw that Krishna was among them. Although Rukmini had never seen Krishna before, she was always thinking of Him, and thus she had no difficulty recognizing Him.

Ignoring the other princes, Krishna immediately took Rukmini and placed her on His chariot. He then proceeded slowly, without fear, taking Rukmini away exactly as a lion takes a deer from the midst of jackals. Meanwhile, Balarama appeared on the scene with the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty.

Jarasandha, who had previously been defeated many times by Krishna, began to roar, “How is this? Krishna is taking Rukmini away from us without any opposition! What is the use of our being chivalrous fighters? My dear princes, just look! We are losing our reputation by this action! It is just like a jackal’s taking booty from a lion!”

All the princes, led by Jarasandha, then became very angry at Krishna for kidnapping Rukmini. They stood up and properly armed themselves with their bows and arrows. However, as they began to chase after Krishna on their chariots, horses and elephants, the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty turned and faced them. Terrible fighting between the two belligerent groups ensued. The princes opposing Krishna were all very expert fighters, and they shot their arrows at the Yadu soldiers just as a cloud splashes the face of a mountain with torrents of rain. Determined to defeat Krishna and recapture Rukmini from His custody, Jarasandha and his companions fought with Krishna’s army as severely as possible. Rukmini was seated by Krishna’s side on His chariot. She became fearful when she saw the arrows of the opposing party raining onto the faces of the soldiers of Yadu, and she looked at Krishna, grateful that He had taken such a great risk alone. She felt very sorry. Krishna understood, and He encouraged her with these words: “My dear Rukmini, don’t worry. Please rest assured that the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty will kill all their opponents without delay.”

Lord Balarama and the commanders of the Yadu soldiers did not tolerate the defiant attitude of Jarasandha’s army. They started to strike them with their arrows. As the fighting progressed, the princes and soldiers of the enemy began to fall from their horses, elephants and chariots.

Read more: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116389

In 1973, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), arranged for several of his disciples to go to Mayapura, West Bengal, to study the traditional art of putul (dollmaking). These unfired clay figures are composed of raw materials gathered from the riverbank of the Ganges, traditionally created for holiday festival worship and then submerged back into the Ganges at the end of the season.

Inspired by his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who conceived of the theistic exhibition by using putul figures to depict the pastimes and teachings of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Prabhupāda envisioned diorama exhibitions as a staple in ISKCON.

“I want very extensive doll exhibits in every center. My Guru Mahārāja used to spend lots of money on doll exhibitions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So I am sure that if we make doll exhibitions very prominent, many tourists and visitors will throng in our temples.”
—Letter to Jagadīśa, September 14, 1974

After a year of training, the team returned to the West and established the First American Transcendental Exhibition (F.A.T.E.) in the ISKCON Los Angeles “New Dvārakā Dhāma” community. The exhibition officially opened for the Janmāṣṭamī festival in 1977. F.A.T.E., now the Diorama-museum of Bhagavad-gītā, consists of eleven diorama exhibitions that survey the spiritual teachings spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna in the Gītā.

Thereafter, F.A.T.E. studios created a second diorama museum for the Fisher Mansion in Detroit. Additionally, the team, which had expanded exponentially to include sculptors, painters, costume designers, mold makers, electricians, and architects, produced numerous projects — including sculpting the Pañca-tattva deities for the Laguna Beach and Hawaii temples, and the Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya deity for the Fiji temple.

Several of the original F.A.T.E. artists have come together to personally oversee and execute the museum’s restoration. Through this campaign, they are restoring and preserving Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vision for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness through visual storytelling.

The Restoration Project
Since its opening almost 50 years ago, the Diorama-museum of Bhagavad-gītā has undergone several minor restorations to repair figures and update audiovisual components. Recently, the Changing Bodies exhibit suffered critical damage, sparking a grand renovation project to:

Repair dioramas

Repair and update architecture

Revamp audiovisual technology

Reconfigure lighting

Replace outdated electrical components

Secure exhibits in a climate-controlled environment

50th Anniversary
The restoration project seeks a grand reopening in the summer of 2027 to celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary.

The Diorama-museum of Bhagavad-gītā of the Los Angeles New Dvārakā Dhāma community is the first diorama museum produced by ISKCON. It is the only diorama exhibition personally supervised and directed by Śrīla Prabhupāda, who visited the F.A.T.E. studio and the museum during its development. The museum also contains the first life-size murti of Prabhupāda, now a fixture in every ISKCON temple.

The Diorama-museum of Bhagavad-gītā is the heart of New Dvārakā and sets the gold standard for ISKCON theistic exhibition.

In addition to restoring and upgrading the exhibits, an exhibition catalog is being produced to honor the F.A.T.E. artists and narrate the museum’s unique story within the history of ISKCON’s arts and culture.

The 50th anniversary is both a culmination of restoring the exhibition and preserving its history, and a mark of a new era of community engagement and artistic tradition in ISKCON.

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=115886

By Lila-sakti Devi Dasi, 

On November 30th, 2025, the ISKCON New Goloka community in Hillsborough, North Carolina, joyfully gathered at the site of our new temple foundation to mark a significant milestone in the ongoing expansion of our sacred space. The moment reflected our commitment to better serve our loving congregation, to welcome all sincere spiritual seekers, and to expand our outreach operations in the mood, mission, and service of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Kurmadeva and Ananta Sesa were lavishly worshipped and invited to reside in the new temple foundation, supporting the throne of our presiding deities of New Goloka Dham, Sri-Sri Radha Golokananda.

Strategically located in a North Carolina suburb, at the intersection of the Triad and the Triangle, New Goloka Dham has witnessed tremendous population growth in the last 15-20 years. Humble beginnings in the early 1980s established the powerful presence of the first Radha-Krishna temple in North Carolina, and from there, the temple and community have grown through friendly, tireless, and patient cultivation. 

More recently, the post-COVID pandemic brought out the need to connect (or reconnect) with what is most important in life, creating the impetus within our growing community to reach out and share the valuable gem of Krishna consciousness with others. Conversely, many sincere souls are reaching in and are finding their way to New Goloka Dham to immerse themselves in Bhakti through chanting, hearing, and feasting. Our aim now is to increase capacity, efficiency, and safety, and, most importantly, invite everyone to chant, dance, and be happy. 

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/new-goloka-dham-rises-to-embrace-a-growing-spiritual-community/

In the last thirty or forty years, the rapid pace of technological progress has been dazzling. I still remember my first desk-sized computer, with its massive 20 megabytes of storage, its MS-DOS operating system with the old C: prompt, and the modems that emitted a kind of high-pitched banshee wailing. Ah, those were the days. Now, the phone in my pocket is a thousand times more powerful, and my laptop can handle tasks unimaginable back then. With AI, it seems the sky is the limit. Soon, we’ll all be sitting in the sun with our feet up as robots jump to our remotely issued commands and do everything. Sounds wonderful, but is it actually increasing our happiness? Personally, I find that the onslaught of information, news and social media simply increases my anxiety levels. I need to unplug every so often to recover my peace of mind. I’m seriously considering deleting all my social media accounts and trading my smartphone for something a lot dumber.   

Maybe that’s a bit drastic, and I’ll probably find it hard to do, but I do think the exponential growth of technology has its downsides. First of all, where is it all going to? Do we have any specific goal in mind, beyond making life easier? What shall we do with our easy lives? I don’t know about you, but I find sitting around idly rather boring. Is a life of pure recreation fulfilling? I once took a three-month vacation with my true love, complete with sun, sand, and surf, but by the end, I couldn’t wait to get back home. It comes back to the first point of spirituality: we are spiritual beings meant for spiritual happiness. No matter how much pleasure we indulge in, we are never satisfied, and eventually it becomes jaded and even nasty.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/a-vulture-like-civilization/

Discovering Spiritual Knowledge

There is a general perception that the modeling industry is far from goodness and that it has been vulgarized. In your Instagram profile, you expressed gratitude to a number of people and shared that your path was different. Could you please tell us more about that?

I agree that modeling is far from goodness. At the same time, I think it all depends on a person. If you see the negative in everything, then you will be surrounded by the negative. Similarly, if you see positivity in everything, then you will be surrounded by the positive. That is number one. Number two, spiritual practice plays a big role. Since I discovered it, my surrounding has changed dramatically. In the same manner, my work clientele has changed as well. I started attracting vegetarians, people who were interested in spirituality, and spiritually practicing people. As you can see, everything depends on us. If we know how to think and act right, then we can survive even in this kind of environment. I do not consider my work to be bad. Good things exist everywhere, and I do my best to maximize them. However, I cannot say that I want to be a model for the rest of my life. Actually, I have much more exciting plans for the future.

You travel a lot and meet a lot of people, do you think they are interested in any philosophy? Do you get to talk to them about anything?

Absolutely! That is yet another reason why I love my work, as it gives me multiple opportunities for preaching.  When you are simply out there with a japa bag, everybody wants to come up to you, and that is a good reason for a half an hour conversation! What’s this bag? What are beads? What is japa? The last trip to Hanjoy, China turned out to be very special. Many people became interested in karma: how it is created, how to avoid bad karma, and how to improve one’s karma. I was so happy to tell them about that! While I am still new to this and there are many things I do not know, it is so cool when you know an answer to a particular question. That is how I get to preach while I am out traveling. At the same time, there are people who refuse to accept this philosophy, but I do not force them to be engaged in a conversation, because it is our personal business – to accept or not accept it.

Recently I was in New York attending an initiation ceremony. As I watched the new devotees, young and old, take their vows, I reflected on my own beginnings.

Over 35 years ago I sat before the fire and took the same vows. I am grateful to still be practicing. Later that day I heard a talk which shared 4 reasons why devotees sometimes give up the process of Krishna consciousness, the one they once started so enthusiastically. Turning them into positives, here are 4 things, if we do them well, that can bring us success in our spiritual endeavor, which is to awaken love for Krishna and live to in congruence with that wholesome truth.

1) Humility – the heart of a spiritual practice is humility, accepting the fact that we can’t succeed alone, we need help. As the years go by we gain knowledge and spiritual insights and feel our relationship with Krishna deepening and sweetening. This is a good thing. It means the process, the practice, is working. However, we may also grow the weeds of pride, making us feel like the big cheese in the spiritual community. We should watch out for those thoughts and throw them out the window. We are as big as our gratitude to, and utter acknowledgement of the role, of our spiritual teachers and fellow devotees in our spiritual journey. Anything other than that will trip us up and cause us to struggle.

2) Offenses – when we hurt, disrespect, or in any way short change other devotees of the Lord, we are offending. It can be by speech, by action, or by inaction. In any number of ways, offending brings clouds of discontent to our life. If we are feeling discouraged, or have little taste for our daily chanting, we can often trace it back to offending others. We may compound that by blaming everyone else but ourselves. Press the pause button. Slow down. Go for a walk alone or talk to a trusted spiritual advisor. Recognise the grip offensive or negative attitudes may have over your way of living in the world and change it. Small offences can build up over time so be careful to treat everyone with affection and care. After all, they too are trying their best to serve the Lord.

3) Sanga – sanga means association, a gathering of those interested in spiritual subject matters. Make sure you have time in your week to be together with devotees to hear and chant about Krishna, to serve together or to have meaningful conversations. When we have good friendships with other devotees it not only makes the good times better, but we have support and love when we are facing difficulty. Who we ‘hang out with’ shapes who we become. Find good Krishna devotee association and make time in your life to be with them. It is one of the most essential aspects of a successful spiritual practice.

4) Knowing the Path – this last one is perhaps the one we might neglect the most. Life, and also spiritual life, is full of ups and downs. When times get rough we might think – “Krishna, what’s going on? I’m serving you and why are things not going my way?” When we expect difficulty, and expect to be challenged as part of the growing process, the purifying process, we are ready for it when it comes along. Oh, there you are – now what am I to learn from this? What I am to change or grow into?

When we make a commitment to the practice of Bhakti Yoga, to following strong principles and compassionate teachings, we make a commitment to make ourselves better. Such a practice has the potential to bring us extraordinary results, beyond even our wildest imagination. Don’t sell yourself short. Dive into the deep end, swim with courage, and honor the wisdom of those who have gone before us. If we do, we’ll make it to the end in one piece (and more).

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=47092