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We are entering the New Year, and on such occasions we take stock of what and how we did in the previous year and what we want to do in the next. Studies have shown, and probably many of us have experienced, that most New Year’s resolutions are broken during the first week. Still more are broken in the first month, and almost all are broken within the first three months.

Why does this happen, and what can we do? We are creatures of habit. We have developed certain habits over however many years—

The Sydney New Year’s Eve celebration in various places around the city is viewed by millions. The biggest crowds always come to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House area, where it is packed from the early afternoon. There are two fireworks displays, one at 9.00pm and the other at midnight.

The Harinama devotees come to the earlier event because the later one is too difficult to navigate because of the huge crowd. As usual, the devotees were ecstatically chanting, dancing and waving to the crowd

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12226

Pocket Meditations.
As we settle into the rhythm of the New Year here are some pocket meditations to carry with us every day. These small reminders can bring quality to our lives and thus help us feel more alive. As the Joseph Campbell quote goes – “I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
For those practicing bhakti, that means being alive to our relationship with Krishna and others. It’s all about relationship. N

By Janananda Gosvami

Hey that’s not what Prabhupada said. You’ve got it the wrong way round. He said ” resolution, then revolution, then dissolution—no solution!

What do you mean revolution? Another ISKCON reform, a changing of the guards, change the structure of the management, get rid of the tyrants at the top, throw out the guru system, bring in the uttama bhagavata, a philosophical revelation. Aha! An unveiling of the hidden mysteries of ISKCON history, the latest solve the problems techniq

“For us, every day is a New Year. Nava-nava-rasa-dhamany. Our Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more you advance, the more you see new year, new year. That’s all. Nothing is old. People are seeing that ‘They are simply chanting the same old slogan, Hare Krishna.’ But we are feeling new pleasure in every moment. Take any other chanting, you cannot chant more than a few hours. But the Hare Krishna mantra we can chant perpetually. So, unless there is new enlightenment, how we can do that?”

In t

How to Change this Year? You Need to Freak Out!

Our cultural conditioning tells us we should make resolutions for the new year. Of course, the perennial problem is that most of us haven’t followed through on our previous year’s resolutions. And it can even get depressing to think about how many times this has happened. So maybe it is better we don’t make any resolutions this year. This way we’ll have nothing to lament about in early February when we haven’t followed through.

Well, actually I th

By Giriraj Swami

“For us, every day is a New Year. Nava-nava-rasa-dhamany. Our Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more you advance, the more you see new year, new year. That’s all. Nothing is old. People are seeing that ‘They are simply chanting the same old slogan, Hare Krishna.’ But we are feeling new pleasure in every moment. Take any other chanting, you cannot chant more than a few hours. But the Hare Krishna mantra we can chant perpetually. So, unless there is new enlightenment, how we c

HH Niranjana Swami: The renewed inspiration devotees feel when going out to distribute books does not come from taking breaks, but from pleasing Srila Prabhupada by sharing Krishna consciousness. Book distribution naturally forces one to speak about Krishna, fulfilling Lord Chaitanya’s instruction to tell everyone about Krishna and “become a guru.” Even if books are presented in different ways to attract people, Krishna is present on every page, and even reading a single line can have spiritual

By Murali Shyam Das, 

The two-day Navarasa Festival, held on December 20-21, 2025, organized by ISKCON Youth Forum Patna, unfolded as a vibrant celebration of spirituality, culture, and youth empowerment under the inspiring theme “Bliss of Bhakti.” The festival witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 1,000 youths, all dressed in traditional dhoti-kurta and tilak, symbolizing cultural rootedness and devotional unity.

By Dr. Nitai Madhav Das,

The years 2026 and 2027 mark a significant milestone for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) —60 years since its founding and 50 years since the disappearance of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. These years provide an important opportunity not only for commemoration but for collective reflection, recommitment, and purposeful action.

The Indian Continental Committee (ICC) 60–50 Committee in India has been constituted to guide

Since the new year is around the corner, it’s natural to talk about new year’s resolutions. You might be thinking about doing something you’ve put off or making some changes for the new year. You might even be making the same resolutions you made last year at this time. Or maybe you just don’t make them anymore because you never follow through on them anyway.

“There’s hope”

Do You Just Want It or Are You Committed to Get It?

Srila Prabhupada cites Dhruva Maharaja as a perfect example of determi

By Sesa Das

OK, I admit it. I’m a junkie, a New Year’s resolutions junkie. Every year I make so many resolutions, and every year I fail to keep them. I know I am not alone in this. Is there a support group out there?!

This pesky little urge to make a commitment to a project or to reforming a habit to mark the beginning of each New Year is not new and seems to be quite universal. Brooke Williams’ article, The History Behind New Year’s Resolutions, published in The Colonnade, The Official Student

1) ( omitted )
2) To see myself as a survivor rather than a victim.
3) To see how I truly am the architect of my own destiny and how my feeling, thinking and willing determine how my life takes shape.
4) I resolve to reaffirm my dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON with a view to take very seriously his statement that ISKCON is his body and become determined to heal that body or die trying.
5) I resolve to set my sights on the highest possible goal. Srila Prabhupada said he would know his mov

“Maintaining the prominence of Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON.”

Kuladri Prabhu’s talk centers on Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON’s founder-acharya and eternal link, emphasizing the extraordinary magnitude of what one pure devotee accomplished in a short lifetime. Rather than philosophical analysis, he shares historical reflections and personal reminiscences to illustrate Srila Prabhupada’s surrender, determination, humility, and empowerment.

Key themes include:

Srila Prabhupada’s early life: his birth ju

2nd Generation

“I have built the skyscraper skeleton, now you all intelligent American and European boys and girls fill in the spaces nicely in good taste. Do not deviate from our high standard.” (Letter to Sridama, 22 Dec 1971)

3rd Generation
• If the second generation has created the basis for unity, the diversity should now be explained and harmoniously formulated. • Direct witnesses of the founder’s activities arc disappearing.

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116930

In society in general there is not much focus on God. We find so many different traditions of faith but none of them give a deep understanding of our real purpose or a proper process for spiritual advancement. Vaishnava devotees feel very indebted to Srila Prabhupda for giving crucial answers to life’s questions. In this film we hear devotees in Bergamo, Italy talking about how they feel inspired by Srila Prabhupada and how he has given them so much solace in their lives. It was a nice experienc

“If we want to unwrap the real meaning of Christmas, then we need to look beneath the tinsel and feel grateful to the Giver of all things before even opening the box.” – Rukmini Devi Dasi.

In this reflective talk, Rukmini Devi Dasi explores gratitude as a transformative spiritual practice that brings happiness, deeper relationships, and a richer sense of meaning in life. Drawing from her decades of service within ISKCON and her experiences across cultures, she frames gratitude not as a sentiment