When walking by the Christmas trees in Yorkville, Toronto, I was contemplating on how responsive people were in Cuba during our recent week-long visit. Their nods, smiles and, “Olas” are endearing, but I should not fail to neglect the many tourists from Quebec, Ontario and other designations, also showed receptiveness.
For instance, as our group at the resort in Varadero were waiting for our airport bus, a person by the name Vince came to us with the greatest curiosity. You wouldn’t think that
At its November 2, 2022 meeting, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON resolved to again put a moratorium on women devotees accepting disciples in ISKCON. (The resolution can be found at the end of this article.)
The topic has been debated and discussed in various forums in ISKCON for twenty years and has evoked strong feelings (as well as lengthy papers and lists of oppositional sastric [scriptural] references) on all sides of the issue. In 2014, for example, the GBC held a special 3-d
I could swear I was in Vaikuntha (heaven). White sands, aqua-coloured water calm as anything, the sky boasted multiple blues to purples. The air was clean.
It was 7am when Ugresh, Urvi, Vallabha, Emile and I dove into the sublime liquid of ocean minerals. We were submerged, as were the school of fish milling around our legs. We were early.
Practically no one else was out. It’s understandable. There is entertainment at the resort and rum is freely given, so judging by the night excitement and no
Devotees often ask, “What was Prabhupada like?” I prefer to answer this question by relating what we personally experienced in our hearts in his presence, and how those feelings changed us, uplifted us and inspired us to fully give our youth to him. It is somewhat of challenge to relate how we felt in the presence of a pure devotee, but I hope to give you some glimpse of what it was like to be and serve Srila Prabhupada.
More than what he said, it was the unique experience of his darsana, and h
When we send our children to school obviously we hope that they will be taught the truth. Well, at least some of the time. It seems that painful truths may have to wait, such as the non-existence of Santa Claus. A teacher who recently made the grave error of informing children in her class that Father Christmas was not real found herself out of a job. Parents were furious. “My Joshua came home in tears,” said one anguished mother. “I didn’t know what to say.”
We want our children to be happy an
“Sharing that’s the heart of Christmas!” chimes Better Homes and Gardens. “To celebrate, people share traditions from gift-giving to party-going with family, friends, and acquaintances too. And food plays a special part in these yuletide activities. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the aroma of the festive bird and baked goods wafting through the kitchen! … Once the sharing begins, and you’ve sampled our treats, you’ll realize that fellowship and food go hand in hand in making your
“Now these Christmas holidays have begun in your country. Throughout the whole month of December you’ll observe nice festivities. Why? It began with God consciousness. Jesus Christ came to give you God consciousness, and in relation to him these festivities are going on. It may have degraded into another form, but the beginning was God consciousness. Now we may have lost it. But people cannot be happy without reviving God consciousness. It may be named differently—‘Krishna consciousness’—but th
I was pleasantly surprised to see a recent article on ISKCON News: “Christmas Drama Has Audience Enthralled.” I understood immediately that the Bhaktivedanta Players wanted to bring the sacred elements from the East and the West together in their performance from the East The Bhagavad Gita,and A Christmas Carol from the West. I understood because these texts also hold a special connection for me. I’ve offered performances based on them, playing the roles of Arjuna and Ebenezer Scrooge respect
If I wrote an article telling you how to double your money in ten days, would you be interested? Of course you would. Well if I knew how I’d tell you. But I don’t, so sorry.
But I can tell you something better. I can tell you how to double your blessings in ten days. Are you as interested? I hope so. After all, the more blessings the merrier, right? So read on and learn how to have a doubly blessed Christmas and thus make Christmas really, really merry.
May you always think of Krsna.
By Mahatma
In the sixth episode of Vartalap, we were blessed with the opportunity to interview one of the very first disciples of Srila Prabhupada, HG Rukmini mataji. She has been practicing Krishna Consciousness for more than half a century and is an activist in women’s spiritual empowerment and interfaith dialogue. She leads workshops and retreats internationally.
We hope this episode will empower you in Bhakti and deepen your relation with Srila Prabhupada
Following is the list of questions that were a
By Mayesvara Dasa
In 1992 Locamangal prabhu performed the extraordinary Nandula play with Peter Konikow prabhu in my back yard for the devotee audience. Peter had applied all the blue makeup in LA before coming to Ojai and he said he caused a lot of head turning attention as he drove up the Ventura Highway with Lokamanga for the evening performance. It was an extra ordinary event that charmed everyone beyond belief. If you are not familiar with this extraordinary performance of this charming t
Srila Prabhupada speaks about the qualifications to see God, who is all around us.
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, lecture given on April 9, 1971, in Bombay
Although Krishna is invisible to ordinary persons, He tells us how we can become extraordinary and thus able to see Him always.
“Srimati Kunti said: O Krishna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You a
By Maharishi Das
My customer ( friend ) Rob drove four and a half hours from Devon to pick up a bespoke hand crafted amplifier. When he arrived HG Titiksu Prabhu was just leaving and greeted him as he walked by on his way out. Rob paused for a moment, then commented “All your friends seem special,” and when I asked why, he said, “They have a certain glow.”
I explained that Titiksu Prabhu has a certain glow as he has been selflessly serving God for many years. I mentioned to him that prior to co
There was a sweet briskness in the air as we set out for a 7am exercise session of Chi Gong in the zoologico. The local folks, mostly retirees, were in Chinese silk garb, while us visitors from Canada were attired in our usual Indian dhoti and kurta. The session, held in gorgeous, natural greenery, was so relaxing. I wish that our temple and ashram had sessions like this, even for fifteen to twenty minutes a day.
It was time for our taxi to arrive and to bid farewell to Laksminath, who has been
I met a pathologist recently who works with cancer patients. She explained to me that there is a certain kind of pancreatic cancer that is most deadly and that one who contracts it can survive only a few months, at the most.
She said that because of the often-depressing nature of her job, she and her colleagues have a way of speaking among themselves to lighten the emotional impact when they receive bad news about a patient’s prognosis.
For example, when they read a patient’s lab results and fi
What is the process of sense control by Krishna Consciousness? In fact, what are senses in the first place and why is it so important to control them?
Senses are compared to venomous snakes (BG 3.58 purport). Snakes are known to be hypnotic, sneaky, fast and extremely poisonous. They have no mercy. Doesn’t sound very friendly, right? But nonetheless, all the conditioned living entities within this material world are constantly trying to satisfy these cruel masters lifetime after lifetime in o
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Goloka’s door;
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the light or its decor.
But it was the devotees in Goloka
That I was amazed to see;
I knew them all on the earth
But they had so little bhakti.
There stood my sankirtan leader
The one who stole Krsna’s money twice;
Next to him was my old TP
Who was never ever nice.
Krsna Das, who never preached,
Who seemed so insincere,
Was sitting ecstatically with Krsna,
To whom he seemed so dear.
I asked my guru,
Holding their ‘Gita Trophies’ inside the Argentine Embassy in Paris after they won the World Cup :-)
By Janananda Gosvami
Above and beyond all the challenges and events in the world around us this week, the “World Cup” has stolen the show. Such a climax with adrenaline running at top pitch. Billions glued to the box enwrapped in one of maya’s most entangling nets – not only the football nets – but the very intoxicating effect of national identity. Like the game or not, it’s my country. ‘Oh God
I met with the President of the Republic of Mauritius, His Excellency Sri Prithvirajsing Roopun, G.C.S.K, at the State House, Le Reduit. He was pleased to accept from me Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and my I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story and Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective. He is a pious man, is very encouraging and supportive of ISKCON, and has taken darshan of Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari in Juhu and Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath in Durban. He wished m
ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) today released a resolution regarding Anirdesya Vapu das (formerly known as Bhaktividya Purna Swami). The decision, while overlapping with the Child Protection Office’s (CPO) earlier decision (see article here), sets restrictions on Anirdesya Vapu das that are self-standing. The resolution also clarifies the status of the former guru’s disciples. Like all GBC resolutions, this decision is pending SABHA review before becoming ISKCON Law. The full resoluti
