I know Partha Sarati from the youth bus tour days when he came to join us in the summer of 2008. An American who now lives in the Netherlands, he is retired from the forces in Iran. They were tough years.
He heard I was in Holland and came to join me on a walk by the canals and windmills. He’s a fun guy, but reminds you of the struggle and the ugliness of war. We lunched at Ritam’s apartment, and then he went about his way back to be with his daughter.
In the evening, I was driven to
When Alexander the Great lead his men through the Gedrosian Desert, the loss of life was colossal. He sent phalanxes of his army in search of water. After many hours they came back with just enough to fill a helmet. The parched army handed over the precious liquid to their commander. He clasped the helmet in both hands and to the dismay of his troops, poured its contents onto the sand. Alexander proclaimed, “If the men don’t drink, then I don’t drink”. This selfless act forever forged an impene
Are you a Dharmic business owner, entrepreneur or innovator? Are you looking to fund a Dharmic Initiative? If so, we at The Dharma Endowment Fund can help!
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This event marks Maharaja’s return to the UCL campus after 20 years, and the discussion covers fascinating and pertinent topics including disruption, practical spirituality, problems of modern day religion, stigma and sectarianism, interfaith, gender and discrimination, religious institutions, blind faith, relationships, purpose, monkhood, and Maharaj’s life at university and beyond. This talk is universally accessible and relevant, both for devotees and outsiders.
Source: http://www.dandavats
TRANSLATION
Compassionate Mahatma Vidura could not stand to see the Pandavas distressed at any time. Therefore he did not disclose this unpalatable and unbearable incident because calamities come of their own accord. [SB 1.13.13] PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
According to Niti-sastra (civic laws) one should not speak an unpalatable truth to cause distress to others. Distress comes upon us in its own way by the laws of nature, so one should not aggravate it by propaganda. For a compassionate soul
ISKCON Devotees gathered in Sri Mayapur Dham to inaugurate a beautiful, shaded public shelter at Gada Bhavan near the TOVP, which included a soothing water feature.
Among the speakers was Anuttama Dasa, Global Minister of Communications, who recalled the austere conditions for devotees visiting the dham in the 1970s. “When I first came to Mayapur there was one kitchen…and no shelter. There was the sun, there was the asphalt, and there was the long line waiting for prasadam. That was one of the m
Cremo receiving award at the LA event.
Michael A. Cremo (aka Drutakarma Das) received the Pioneer Award on Friday, February 7, at the 2025 Conscious Life Expo Awards Ceremony from Jimmy Church, a Los Angeles media personality. The event, held at the Los Angeles (LAX) Hilton, featured cutting-edge speakers and authors, including a lecture on Sunday, February 9 by Cremo entitled “Forbidden Archeology and the Consciousness Paradox.” The award honored Cremo for “breaking boundaries in archeology and
At Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, I was greeted by some smiling devotees, and it was Ritam who graced me with a garland of fresh flowers (it’s Holland, you know), accompanied by Namen, wife Violeta, their two kids, and other enthusiasts of the Vaishnava genre. From there was destination Alpen aan Den Rijn, a town by a canal, by a windmill, and amidst flat, black fields of green. The greeting meal was kichari and palak panir, Indian dishes. From that I was fuelled enough to go over the canal by w
For anyone interested in spiritual progress,
gambling is more than just a harmless amusement.
High’s convenience store is bustling with last-minute shoppers picking up odds and ends for a holiday dinner. Having run out of milk, I find myself in the crowded store, standing in a line that wraps around the food aisle. I resign myself to the waiting, and chant the Hare Krsna mantra softly to myself.
An elderly shabbily dressed woman at the counter draws my attention. She’s frantically scratching awa
Ananda Murari Das, a devoted singer-songwriter and practitioner of Krishna consciousness based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, has carved out a unique space in devotional music. His journey, shaped by his monastic life, academic pursuits, and deep family connections, influences his creative work. Through his evocative music and dynamic performances, Ananda blends tradition with innovation.
Ananda Murari’s creative process often stems from quiet moments of reflection, inspired by reading sacred texts or
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Transformative Contributions to Lord Chaitanya’s Movement.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (1874–1937) stands as a monumental figure in the revitalization of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the devotional tradition inaugurated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 16th-century Bengal. His life’s work redefined the propagation of Krishna consciousness through strategic reforms, technological innovation, and unyielding opposition to religious corruption. This report
Many of us struggling sadhakas know that overcoming laya, sleepiness, during chanting, hearing and meditating is not always an easy thing. Some devotees struggle year after year, regularly wandering in a realms of tamo-guna and sleep while Srimad Bhagavatam-class, japa and gayatri.
Surrendering to Krsna and guru and having their mercy, developing service attitude are the essence for increasing our taste and first appreciation to the process of chanting, but there are several commonsense externa
The first phase of the TOVP A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Legacy Museum is opening on February 18, 2025, showcasing rare personal paraphernalia, artifacts, books, letters, and other historical material for the glorification and perpetuation of the spiritual legacy of ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In keeping with our understanding that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was the greatest proponent of Vedic wisdom in history, and specific
There are many things which we aspire for and even worship, which have no intrinsic value. They have value inasmuch as they are attached to values, and thus can serve perverted or promoting aims. Thus, though they have no value, they have a use. These things which we attach value to, are actually tools for values to be attached to. For example, a knife is neither good nor evil, but can be used for good or evil. It has a use, but no value.
What is it that we worship as human beings that is essen
GBC Communications has released Highlights Reports from the GBC Annual General Meeting held on February 14th and 15th. Readers can click on the links below to read .pdfs from both days.
February 14th Highlight Report
Vaishnavas C.A.R.E. is hosting a webinar titled “Well-Meaning Words Gone Wrong: What NOT to Say to a Grieving Devotee” to help devotees offer compassionate support during times of loss. Led by Sangita Devi Dasi (ACBSP), an experienced hospice nurse and grief counselor, the session will explore common mistakes in offering condolences and provide practical strategies for sensitive communication. The webinar takes place on Saturday, March 1, with live translations in multiple languages.
In times of
Abhidheya Devi Dasi, the founder of Bhakti Kids Sangha and a mother of two, has recently introduced her book, Varnamala: Garland of Syllables, a child-friendly two-volume series for learning the phonetic sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet from the very beginning. With its thoughtfully curated content, this book is an invaluable resource for parents seeking to introduce their children to Sanskrit—a sacred language central to the Vedic tradition.
Abhidheya Devi Dasi actively conducts workshops, hosts
Over the years modern science has speculated and researched to find out the number of species on earth, the method that main stream science has adopted is experimental which is commonly known as “seeing is believing”, but without going much in detail regarding the imperfectness of this method, which is based on imperfect senses of the human being and imperfectness of the instruments developed by the human beings by these imperfect senses, it is extremely difficult to understand or gauge the vas
From Back to Godhead
One of the basic principles of Krsna consciousness is that one may utilize whatever talent he has in the service of the Supreme Lord. And it is a symptom of a bona fide spiritual master that he is expert in engaging everyone in practical transcendental devotional service. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has thus engaged a number of very talented artists in the service of the Lord by asking them to use their natural artistic inclination in painting pictu
One day, a small opening appeared in a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then, it seems to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a withered body. It was tiny and shrivelled wings.
The man continued
