I screamed when I saw the huge bug dangling off the edge of the towel I. I flung it to the far corner of the room and shivered as I carefully watched for movement. I called my son for help and we slowly approached the towel. The large black bug seemed flat and lifeless, as if it had been dead for a while. As we got closer, our fears turned to laughter as we saw that not only was the beetle dead, it had never been alive in the first place. It was a plastic beetle.
Reality that wasn’t even real.
‘A photograph speaks louder than a 1000 words’
And it is your chance to tell a story.
We are delighted to inform you that 2016 marks the golden jubilee of incorporation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Over the past 50 momentous years ISKCON has nurtured human society through spiritual education and training. At present there is an international network of 600 spiritual universities in 75 countries all over the globe.
Members of ISKCON practice Bha
We are delighted to inform you that 2016 marks the golden jubilee of incorporation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Over the past 50 momentous years ISKCON has nurtured human society through spiritual education and training. At present there is an international network of 600 spiritual universities in 75 countries all over the globe.
Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness in their homes and also worship in temples. They also promote b
We have completed our first bracket for the Kalash on the Planetarium Wing Dome.
The bracket weighs 850 kilograms (1,874 lbs). The brackets for the Main Dome will be twice the size and will weigh 1,200 kg (2,646 lbs) each. Each Dome will have 24 brackets, and we have 3 Domes. Thus, the GRC factory will produce a total of 72 brackets.
The brackets are very ornate and detailed. They will help support the base of the Kalash. In a few days, we will lift the bracket in a crane up to the Planetarium
“Here in this material world, everyone is envious of someone else. Even in religious life, it is sometimes found that if one devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious of him. Such envious devotees are not completely freed from the bondage of birth and death. As long as one is not completely free from the cause of birth and death, one cannot enter the sanātana-dhāma or the eternal pastimes of the Lord. One becomes envious because of being influenced by the designat
Urmila Devi Dasi Seminars – Manah Siksa-01-04-08 – 2016-04-05 Houston
O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy and develop intense, unprecedented love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaishnavas, the brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the fresh young couple of Vraja, Radha and Krishna. O Mind, don’t concern yourself with the pious and impious deeds described in the Ved
The appearance day (birthday) of Srila Prabhupada is a very special occasion for all Hare Krishna devotees. Srila Prabhupada appeared on Nandotsava – the day that Nanda Maharaja had a big festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Krsna (Sri Krsna Janmastami). This year, Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja falls on Friday, August 26, 2016 and celebrations will be from 11am-3pm at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple.
This day is known as Vyasa Puja because the spiritual master is a representative of Sril
‘Sixteen rounds done! It’s over! The happiest moment of the day!’ Is this our spiritual life? Is this how we are practicing every day? Was there any attentive round? Can you remember one moment today when chanting was attentive? Can you then remember any moment, while chanting was attentive, that you actually felt something for Krsna?
Rupa Goswami said, ‘Give me millions of ears and millions of tongues while chanting Hare Krsna!’ This is when everything becomes magic; when Krsna consciousness
Growing every year in size and popularity under a second generation team, Toronto Rathayatra has inspired younger devotees to take on more and more leadership in their community, and senior devotees to hand more and more to them.
Seventeen years ago, when he was only eighteen, just one second generation devotee, Kevala Bhakti Das, became part of the Rathayatra organization team. Today, the festival is put on by thirty-two younger devotees from high school kids to thirty-somethings, heading up
The recent incident in Gujarat of what has been called “cow vigilantism” has attracted widespread condemnation. While cows are immensely sacred for us, the followers of the Vedic tradition, most people in today’s world don’t share this sentiment. In fact, many find our caring for cows so incomprehensible that the term “holy cow” has come to be used as an informal expression of astonishment or disbelief. In an increasingly post-modern world, trying to impose one’s values on others backfires badl
The Berlin air, hot and stale, hung heavy above us as sleepy passengers slowly shuffled forward to the immigration desk, one by one.
"What's your final destination?" the German man in uniform barked.
"Hopefully, Vaikuntha" I joked, muttering under my breath as I handed my father our passports.
My father's eyes were merry, but his face shone no hint of amusement as he turned back to face the immigration officer. As Indian citizens that were U.S. permanent residents, we seemed a little out of
In spiritual life we follow four regulative principles: no intoxication, no meat eating, no gambling and no illicit sex. However, in the present age of Kali people think that happiness in life is derived by breaking these principles. Sadly, this sometimes results in incarceration.
ISKCON Vrindavan’s Namhatta Department has been visiting various local prisons and the devotees are seeing a miraculous turnabout on the part of the prisoners whose lives were previously centered around breaking thes
I’ve been encouraged by Vijaya Prabhu, Bhrgupati Prabhu, and the Los Angeles Temple President, Svavasa Prabhu, to write this story. I would like to include a name and picture of the main person in the story, but considering the situation, it could be a bit risky. For now I’ll call my friend “Al”.
After the 2016 Orlando shootings due to religious violence, I was having a lot of doubts in my mind. I wasn’t too sure about Islam, and I was considering whether this was truly a bona fide religion. H
Krishna-kripa Das: Dhirashanta Goswami, as part of his japa workshop at the Vaishnava Summer Festival (Baltic), graded devotees’ bead bags on a scale of 1 to 10. Cleanliness counts for a lot. He advises to wash them a minimum of once a week. Mine was not washed since the Czech Padayatra and Polish Festival tour and thus I only got 4 of 10. I shall try to keep the standard of washing once a week from now on. :-)
Kenneth R. Valpey (born December 18, 1950) is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St Cross College (1999–2004). While there, he conducted his research at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He has a D.Phil. from Oxford University, where his dissertation was on Chaitanya Vaishnava murti-seva. He is also a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in which Krishna Ksetra Das (spiritual name given to him by Srila Prabhupada) acts as an initiating
“The Walking Monk” made a stop in Omaha on Tuesday as part of his journey across America to celebrate his faith and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.
“It’s about going back to the basics,” Bhaktimarga Swami said. “Like Gandhi said, a simple life, high thinking. I see this as doing both of those things.”
Swami, 63, is a Hindu monk from Canada. He is walking from New York to San Francisco to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hare Krishna religious movement, which emphasizes spiritual w
Ananda Vrinavana Devi Dasi: In spiritual parlance there are ‘thin’ places in the world. These are holy places, sacred spaces, where the line between the spiritual and materials worlds is very thin and the ability to feel and perceive our relationship with Krishna is heightened. It’s easier to chant there, to call Krishna deeply from the heart, and thus to call ourselves to experience our spiritual selves.
There are also thin days (and even thin times in the day). Janmastami is one such day. Al
We all like a good story. It makes our day, inspires our heart, and we experience a gamut of emotions. When it comes to Krishna’s birth story he doesn’t disappoint. In Sanskrit, stories about God are called Lila. This is to remind us that His stories are not of the world, although sometimes taking place in the world.
There are many reasons Krishna comes here, and they converge, layer upon layer, story upon story, to create ”Lila”. For his birth Lila, Janmastami, we’ll pick up the action in the
In the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, near Durbuy, lies the fairytale castle of Petite Somme. The castle has a long history which now houses the spiritual community, Radhadesh Ardennes. The new residents have thoroughly restored the castle and transformed it into a true spiritual oasis where you can explore the colorful culture of the Indian traditions. The castle is now one of the main attractions of the Ardennes and is open to visitors every day.
History of the Castle
The earliest record we
La Reunion Island is located southwest of Mauritius and forms part of a region of France. The La Reunion padayatra lasted a total of three days and traveled through the towns of Saint Pierre and Saint Louis located in the southern part of the island. The organizers were myself, Narasimha Tirtha Dasa from Mauritius, APREVA[1] (Association Pour le Rayonnement des Enseignements Vediques Authentique) and a group of nama-hatta devotees from the island lead by Bhakta Jean Marc. In total we were a gr
