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In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krishna refers to maya, the deluding material energy, as mama maya: “My maya.” We Vaishnavas accept His word on this, with profound philosophical implications.

The chief philosophical opponents of Vaishnavas are the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, who posit ultimate reality as one homogeneous impersonal energy, with no second thing: All the unique entities we perceive, whether things or living beings, are merely mirages. Variety and individual identity are illusion

My name is Ishan das. I created the Balaram mridanga in L.A. It is really quite a story. But I’ll give you the brief version.

If, in our marriage, we focus on what we need and negate the needs of our partner, the relationship can’t last. If we give up who we are to please our partner, we may suffocate and become frustrated, resentful and depressed. One who is self-controlled doesn’t need to lord it over another, and neither does that person need to be overpowered by another. Marriage is a balance between satisfying our self and satisfying our partner. It means maintaining an awareness of the other person and their desi

Every morning, I would arrive at the temple for Mangal Arati, and there he would be—opening the door for me with a broad smile, a hearty welcome, and the warmt

Kamalini Devi Dasi, with her husband, Apurva Dasa, shares new details from her escape from their car surrounded by flood waters.

On Tuesday, July 8th, ISKCON News reported on the miraculous escape of Kamalini Devi Dasi, a longtime ISKCON educator and servant, whose car was rapidly overtaken by floodwaters after heavy rainfall in North Carolina.

This weekend, she shared a video with ISKCON News, offering a firsthand account of the terrifying experience and reflecting on the deeper spiritual con

5 April, 1974

In the Mahabharata, Vidura explained to Dhritarastra, “Destiny determines the consequences of our actions, not our actions themselves.” This means that we are not like programmed robots that have no free will, or no choice. Our past karma does determine what will happen in our life, but it does not determine how we will react to it.

Destiny is something like a weather forecast on a journey. A weather forecast can tell us whether our journey from one place to another is going to be snowy or sunny

krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-kala-pathojani-bhrajita

The ISKCON Ministry of Education will host its Annual PAN America Mini-Symposium 2025 on Friday, July 18, bringing together educators, leaders, and practitioners from across the Americas in a two-hour virtual event. The symposium begins at 6:00 PM CDT (4:00 PM PDT / 7:00 PM EDT) and will be conducted online via Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube Live. To register for the event on Zoom, click here.

Balimardana Das, Co-Minister of North America’s Ministry of Education, said the event offers a unique op

 is relaunching its monthly educational talk series designed to raise awareness on key issues related to community wellbeing. The initiative, titled Caring for Our Community, will explore diverse topics intended to inspire thoughtful action and spiritual reflection. Talks will typically take place on the second Tuesday of each month, depending on speaker availability, and will be streamed live via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook. The format of the session may include a presentation, an interview,

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Bhakti Kids, an initiative of ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry, will be leading an inspiring new online course beginning this week titled Krishna – My Best Friend, designed to help children build a personal and loving relationship with Lord Krishna. The initiative, led by Gourangi Gandharvika Devi Dasi, seeks to cultivate spiritual values, devotional reflection, and emotional connection with Krishna in an accessible and engaging format.

The course inv

By Suniti Devi Dasi

Premkishor Das (Dr. Prashant A. Jani), a dedicated member of ISKCON Thunder Bay and Director of the Vedic Cultural Centre, has been awarded the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism 2025. This is one of the highest civilian honors presented by the Government of Ontario. Conferred upon only 20 individuals across the entire province each year, the award recognizes outstanding, long-term contributions to community development through volunteer service.

This

By Kenneth R. Valpey (Krishna Ksetra Swami)

Introduction

In recent decades we witness increasing public awareness about the profoundly damaging effects of accellerating human production, consumption, and mobility on ecosystems of the world; and this awareness is accompanied by a deepening sense of urgency that “something” must be done to stop the current trends of environmental destruction. Environmental activism is now a mainstream activity for all sorts of individuals and groups, not least per

In the section below, I have shown in italics, the relevant portions for our discussion on Conflicting roles of Sati:

It is said, “Satī was very much anxious to see her relatives at her father’s house, but at the same time she was afraid of Lord Śiva’s warning. Her mind unsettled, she moved in and out of the room as a swing moves this way and that.” [SB 4.4.1]

Satī felt very sorry at being forbidden to go see her relatives at her father’s house, and due to affection for them, tears fell from he

We may find ourselves in need of a “get away” from time to time, to abandon the chaos and search out a serene environment to de-stress body, mind, and soul. Circumstances do not allow us to up and leave when we feel the need. So, wouldn’t it be wise to make our home that place of tranquility? Being unable to relax in our own home is a peculiar scenario.

What would we say is the current focus and activities at home? To sit in front of the TV, munching on snacks, whilst fixated on a favourite DST

By Campakalata Fiorentino   

Our beloved Kamalini Devi Dasi, a respected disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has devoted her life to the distribution of his books and the education of our youth, experienced a harrowing brush with death — and a remarkable example of Krishna’s protection — as she made her way to New Goloka Temple for Mangala Arati.

At 72 years old, Mother Kamalini, a long-time resident of Efland, NC, was driving to attend Mangala Arati at 4:30 a.

Srila Sanatana Gosvami, one of the intimate associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is a well-known personality in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Mahaprabhu taught the sequence of advancement in devotional service through Sanatana Goswami.

Sanatana Goswami was the oldest and most venerable among the six Goswamis. He propagated the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Sanatana Goswami appeared in 1488 AD and lived for 70 years. He spent 27 years in household life and 43 years in Vrindavan as a renunci