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Devotee – "When we are in the spiritual sky and serving Krsna, we have a perfect relationship with Krsna, what causes us to fall down into the material world, because we’re already serving Krsna?"

Srila Prabhupada – "Because you desire to fall down. Here it is explained don’t fall down!"

Devotee – "Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we should have an impure desire when we are already serving…"

Srila Prabhupada – "Because you have got little freedom, you have fee will. Why one is not coming he

It was a sweet-smelling, fruit-filled forest, but the demons threw
terror into all who came near. Except Krsna and His brother.

Fifty centuries ago, in the north Indian village of Vrndavana, Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead played just like a cowherd boy. Yet there were times when He performed wonderful, superhuman activities.

One day, as usual, Krsna went into the forest with His elder brother Balarama and His cowherd boyfriends, and on the way He played His flute. Vrndavana forest was

In recent years thousands of religious figures have taken up faith healing. They use all kinds of approaches, but basically they claim that through their charismatic prayer and laying on of hands, God acts: He cures everything from cavities to brain tumors, releases sexual inhibitions, and even increases earning capacity. The faith healers have gained so much influence that many believe their craft should be recognized as one of religion’s essential components. Says one elder healer, “People ar

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Q. I’m afraid I’m a rather materialistic person. I want a compatible mate, a reasonable amount of money, healthy children, and things like that. Can I still chant Hare Krsna?

A. Definitely. Whoever you are, whatever you do, and whatever it is you want out of life, just chant Hare Krsna, and your life will be sublime.

Q. I get the feeling that if I start chanting Hare Krsna, then sooner or later I’m going to have

I do get overwhelmed by people’s kindness. For instance, Ravi opened up his house to us. We were fed, looked after, and he and his good wife also entertained us trough their six-year-old. Our whole troupe –Mahadeva, Anna Purna, Ryan – and I find children adorable, and this little one, Achintya, shows us both reverence and crankiness. Such is the way of childhood, and I might add that those traits may never leave us.

Enroute, we went to Moncton. I guess you could say it’s the place of monks. It’

Dandavats. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Brahmananda prabhu was virtually the first ISKCON devotee—senior to everyone. Actually, we are all here because of his invaluable service to Srila Prabhupada—especially in the early days when he so selflessly assisted Srila Prabhupada in starting ISKCON. For one example, anyone who has ever read Bhagavad-gita As It Is, owes an eternal debt to Brahmananda prabhu, who first arranged to publish it. He was able and willing to do anything Prabhupada wanted,

Madhusudan Eulogy for Brahmananda prabhu.

At 18 years old, around the time I met Brahmananda, the first president of an ISKCON temple in early 1967, I was still suffering from the effects of delusion resulting from so-called “consciousness expanding drugs.” Wandering the streets late one night I knocked on the door of the temple when everyone was sleeping. Brahmananda, in his sober wisdom and seeing my state, would not let me in. A month or so later, after recovering a bit, I stated going regul

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your departure from this world to be with Srila Prabhupada came very suddenly. I was in the ICU of ILBS hospital when I was informed of this news by Gopal Krishna Maharaja. I have been in the ICU for the last thirty days and was discharged to the general ward only yesterday. Although I wish that I were there for your memorial service, my present health condition does not permit me to travel to Vrindavan today. So I have asked

              Video: Click here                             

By Satsvarupa Das Goswami

Bruce Scharf had just graduated from New York University and was applying for a job. One day an exroommate told him about the Swami he had visited down on Second Avenue. “They sing there,” his friend said, “and they have this far-out thing where they have some dancing. And Allen Ginsberg was there.” The Swami was difficult to understand, his friend explained, and besides that, his followers recorded his talks

Why such a question you might ask? In one sense anyone can lead a kirtan, but let us consider a few things first. I write this as much for myself as others as I too am prone to egoism and a lack of proper attitude at times in my service.

There are few leaders, such as Indradyumna Swami and Sivarama Swami, who will only have capable devotees lead a kirtan, those who know how to keep a steady pace and stick to the same melody. I am not of the opinion that
anyone can lead at any given time, maybe

During the community sankirtan festival in March in NZ, Krishnaloka and I were both unable to go out because of some unfinished projects.

However, Caitanya Vihar’s class in the morning was very inspiring. He stressed that we shouldn’t be unmotivated to distribute books just because we might not be able to do many hours in one day. A power hour, or even thirty minutes is beneficial. Or perhaps just ten minutes, if you’re really time poor!

He suggested that having a book on us at all times means

I was on South Street in Philadelphia, just about to leave for home, but my partner was in a queue in a store, so while waiting I was doing some books.

An African-American couple, Dana and Peter, appeared to be from around here, when I met them. I asked whether they had a busy afternoon planned.

They are Philly locals, but they had just gotten off a plane after a holiday in South Korea. They were walking around during the afternoon trying to stay awake, fighting jetlag.

I showed them Srila Prab

Near the home of Ravi, in Stellarton, the Albion Trail begins, which changes its name to Samson Trail as you approach New Glasgow along East River. It is a well-maintained earth path, soft on the feet, superior to asphalt, and it goes for a mere five kilometres – a perfect length for a person (me) on physio recovery.

Our forty-five-minute drive to Antigonish ended up being more of a sit-down at a gazebo with a creek to our side and green all around. The local news “The Casket,” took interest in

It is very important to understand that the individual jiva-souls are eternal persons, each with their own unique bodily form that can change voluntarily in the spiritual world according to Krsna's pastime.

This means each individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) has their own personality separate from Krsna's Personality, and the free will to make their own decisions to stay in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, or leave.

The eternal spiritual bodily form is anti-matter (spiritual energy as in

I was on sankirtana at Botafogo Beach in Rio de Janeiro. At a bar table, there were three fat old men. One told me, “We don’t want to buy anything! I’m an Evangelical. He’s a spiritualist, and he’s a Pai-de-Santo [a priest of Umbanda, an African-Brazilian religion].”

I continued the conversation, trying to find my point, until I said, “But look, this is one of Srila Prabhupada’s books!”

The Pai-de-Santo exclaimed, “Let me see this book of Prabhupada. Prabhupada is an enlightened person!”

I was i

At times I feel like I am imposing, along with whatever crew I travel with, when we stay at someone’s home. Afterall, there are four of us (Myself, Mahadeva, Annapurna and Ryan) and that might be hard to accommodate. It could be an inconvenience.

The feedback I get from our hosts, almost all the time, is that they really appreciate the stayover. It makes a difference to those benevolent hosts. I get remarks like, “Your staying with us has helped me to get up earlier.” Or, I hear them saying, “I

Voluntary association of servitude in the Kingdom of God is only fully achieved when two are involved in loving reciprocal exchanges nurtured and encouraged by Krsna.

In the Spiritual world's of Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets, loving devotional service is never a one-way or one-sided affair.

No, real loving exchanges or service is always expressed in a reciprocal voluntary two-way exchange in God's (Krsna) Kingdom.

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana personal voluntary expressions of lo

There is only one classification of jiva-souls, not two as some believe. 

Therefore each individual jiva-soul has two sides to their personality, they can either be nitya-baddha (eternally conditioned), or can be nitya-siddha (eternally liberated)

In this way the jiva-souls can choose for themselves to be with Krsna, or reject Krsna.

This is because each jiva-soul, as part of their spiritual constitutional make-up, has free will.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our

“Every living entity, beginning from Brahma, the first-born living being within the material world, down to the insignificant ant, desires to relish some sort of taste derived from sense perceptions. These sensual pleasures are technically called rasas. Such rasas are of different varieties. In the revealed scriptures the following twelve varieties of rasas are enumerated: (1) raudra (anger), (2) adbhuta (wonder), (3) srngara (conjugal love), (4) hasya (comedy), (5) vira (chivalry), (6) daya (m

Mother Nature and the Glance of the Supreme

Where do nature's gifts come from? Not from factories or power plants.

 Fifty centuries ago, the people of India enjoyed boundless natural prosperity. Queen Kunti was always mindful of the gifts and their source.

ime jana-padah svrddhah
supakvausadhi-virudhah
vanadri-nady-udanvanto
hy edhante tava viksitaih

Queen Kunti said: "All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full