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I had been asked by organizers of these ISKCON Leaders Meetings to begin the two sessions of each day with warm-up exercises, both vocal and physical.  It worked out marvellously for me, because I felt like I was contributing something.  What I offered was much like what I do for theatre arts workshops, or what we do for warm-up exercises before we get into the play practices that I conduct.  

This is not what I do in the higher echelons of our mission.  Our twice a year meetings for the Govern
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By Haridhvani Devi Dasi

In 1995 I went to India and that year was the 25th anniversary of HH Jayapataka Swami taking sannyasa, so his mother actually came to Mayapur at festival time. I and a few other ladies got the chance to take care of her while she was there. We would try to see to her comforts- is she hot, is she thirsty, is she hungry, would she like to go shopping? It was nice because we figured that Maharaja would be pleased if she was happy and cared for so we did our best.
I remember

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By Madhava Smullen 

Devotees from ISKCON of New Jersey appeared on TV Asia’s live call-in talk show, “Focus Live,” on January 2nd at 8pm Eastern Time to answer questions and present Krishna consciousness to an audience of 1.5 to 2 million viewers.

First founded in the UK in 1990, TV Asia was also the first coast-to-coast entertainment and information channel for the South Asian community settled in the U.S. It airs regularly scheduled programs in Hindi, English, Gujarati and other regional l

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Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Invitation

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 It is a pleasure to invite you to attend the 30th anniversary of the Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama. This year Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama will take place  from 27th Feb to 4th March.

Every year about ten thousand devotees from around the world attend the parikrama and receive the causeless mercy of the acharyas, Lord Nityananda, Lord Gaurasundara, and Sri Navadvipa Dham. This year we are starting a new group for the devotees from South India, making a total of six parikrama groups: English, Rus
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Going Smooth by Bhaktimarga Swami

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The meals are light at Rockwood Manor, especially when you show up late like I did.  I had to catch a nap during this retreat workshop.  I'm exhausted from insomnia three nights in a row.  And when breakfast is not to my liking (there are uttapams) I'm more inclined to forgo.  I'm not complaining.  Just stating facts about the way of the world.  Nothing's perfect with these bodies. 
 
But, oh how I’m enjoying the meetings.  There are lots of young representatives from across the U.S. and Canada
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By Parijata dasi

The first meeting of the Advisory Committee for the development of Mayapur Heritage City was held on 9 January 2020 at Sajjan Jindal’s office.

The meeting was initiated by Devakinandan Das, Zonal Secretary and Vice Chairman of Member of Mayapur Executive Board (MEB), and saw the participation of some of the most distinguished members of the corporate world namely Sajjan Jindal (Chairman – JSW Group & Advisory Committee), BK Goenka (Chairman – Welspun Group), Ajay Piramal (Chai

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From Canto 11 of the book, Bhagavatam, I spoke on the Chapter ‘Aila Gita’, which details the teachings and realizations coming to an affluent king, Pururava.  Oh, how in love he was with his lady, Urvasi, a heavenly beauty!  At one point in the relationship, deciding to terminate it all, Urvasi left him, and the separation for him was too much.  Time lapsed and he realized just how attached he was to this world and to his body, a mass of marrow, bones, sinew, blood, etc.  "This body," he reflec
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The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is very happy to announce the release of a new website, www.bbt.info, your ultimate guide for all things BBT. Visit this website to learn more about BBT, its mission, organization, and governance, the unique relationship between BBT and ISKCON, and more.

Other key highlights from this website:

1. BBT Global’s Financial Statements, as well as more information about BBT Grants.

2. BBT Affiliates with information about BBT Media—the reliable source for BBT ebooks and a

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The Ministry of Education invites devotees to a symposium designed to bring together the many ISKCON-members involved in Education:

"Dear ISKCON educator and leader, 

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

We are delighted to inform you that the ISKCON Ministry of Education, will be hosting its 2nd Annual International Symposium of Education “Viplavah 2020” on February 21st & 22nd, 2020, at ILS Venue in Sridham Mayapur. 

We were very encouraged by the huge numbe

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From Plane to DNA by Bhaktimarga Swami

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 I sat in seat 16 F, on an Air Canada flight—en route to Washington’s Dulles Airport—which was slightly delayed, and outside my window was the right wing of the plane.  It was ever so inviting to walk that wing had the window been open.  The aircraft stood there so long, and I felt rather crammed in the seat with no motion happening.  A deterrent to walking the wing was the fact that it was just de-iced.  Imagine the slippery nature of that dynamic; It might be the only meaningful stepping for
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Do you remember me? by Caranaravinda Dasa

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I was distributing in Byron Bay, Australia. When I approached a man, he asked, “Do you remember me?”

“No, sorry, I don’t.”

“Three years ago, you gave me the Bhagavad-gita, and I gave you a donation.
I thought it might help me through my troubled times. I had lost my business and my family, so I was drinking a lot. Basically I wanted to drink myself to death. Miserable.

“I would drink and then read a few words from the Gita. Then I would drink more, then would read more. This went on for quite a

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HG Satyasena prabhu ACBSP left the mortal world yesterday evening in Belgaum (India). By Krishna’s mercy, just before leaving the body, he was in the temple – all good, chanting, listening class and all of a sudden he left!
He left his body in Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti was just the day before yesterday) in the temple – while chanting, listening katha in the association of devotees, his family was there, HH Bhakti RasamritaSwami was also there – so surely he has gone back to his eternal service

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How To Memorize Verses by Dravida Prabhu

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1. Study Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide and learn how all the letters are pronounced and what consonants and the long and short vowels are.
2. Read the English translation of a memorable verse and become familiar with it.
3. Study word-for-word meanings for the first line of verse.
4. Determine the meter of the first line of the verse (more below).
5. Chant the first line of the verse repeatedly until memorized, always keeping the meaning of each word in mind.
6. Proceed to the second line, then

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By Damodarleela dasa and Arjuna Krishna dasa

Recently the Maharashtra Padayatra was at Koregaon in the Sangli district, a village enriched with devotees. Cintamani devi dasi, the daughter of a brother of Lokanath Maharaja, stays here and as part of a Vaishnava family she naturally follows the same spiritual path. Her son, Caitanya dasa, who studies in gurukul, was also at home to welcome padayatra and he sang and performed kirtan with us. They have a combined family, a rarity nowadays, and all

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pil1_slideshow.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710xTo assist the vision of Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee to develop spiritual tourism in the Ganga Sagar belt, ISKCON is ready to launch a permanent, semi-mechanized, modern and compact kitchen, which will be capable to prepare up to 10,000 meal per day at the Sagar Island, West Bengal, India, during the Ganga Sagar Mela in 2020. ISKCON’s management hopes this initiative will be helpful to serve the pilgrims and devotees by fulfilling their prolonged demand to have an adequate prasadam  facili
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Best Breakfast by Bhaktimarga Swami

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It was at Tyendinaga, in Mohawk Territory—where in the summer of 2012, I napped in between the rows of soy beans,  and swam in a creek for a break, and where the fish bit Daruka's chest—that Jaya and I had a great breakfast this morning.  Yes, indeed, Jay and I stopped at "the Twins’ farm" (as we call it) and took food for fuel.
 
Graham and Dhyanachandra are identical twins, who used to live in Toronto, and do janitorial services at the Krishna centre.  Dhyanachandra is spending the winter in
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I had the opportunity to visit Mauritius for a few days along with a few devotees from Goa. I am sharing my experience of being in this small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean for those who haven't had the opportunity to be here. Mauritius is very much like India or more specific, very much like Goa but it is definitely more beautiful than Goa. 

THE BLUE ISLAND

One of the most striking feature of this place that really stands out is the colour of the ocean here. The crystal blue, transp
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If one has drunk the poison of offending a devotee, one should, with that same mouth, drink the life-giving nectar of sincerely praising (and serving) that devotee. Haridasa Thakura says, “If anyone offends a sadhu in a moment of delusion and madness, he must fall at the sadhu’s feet and bitterly repent; weeping with full contrition, he must beg for forgiveness. He should declare himself a fallen wretch in need of a Vaisnava’s grace. A sadhu is very merciful; his heart will soften and he will e

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One of the Monks... by Bhaktimarga Swami

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One of the monks visiting at the Montreal ashram did not wake up at the usual time.  I went to him reminding him of the hour.

"It's 6:30 a.m."
 
"I was thinking to rest a little more," he said.  
 
Not argumentatively, but with a slight firmness, I expressed, "Well, that's eight and a half hours.  That's not enough, really?"  This chap is actually a good person but just once in a while…. 
 
The excuse was: "I woke up in the middle of the night so my sleep got disturbed."  

My response was: "I
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