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In this audio issue (click here for the audio issue) of Illuminations, I talk with counselor Arcana Siddhi about self-forgiveness. Those of us on the spiritual path have high ideals, ideals which we often don’t meet. And especially for those who tend to be perfectionists, this can result in a lot of self hatred, guilt and shame. We fall short of our ideals, or worse, sometimes we fall flat on our faces and may not be able to forgive ourselves for it.

Or we have a self image of a good person, a go

In this recorded audio newsletter with my friend Akrura, we discuss how to coach a devotee who is trying to forgive. We focus much of the talk on dealing with the obstacle of thinking, “I just can’t forgive.”

We also discuss how you benefit the most when you let go of resentment. Why? Because devotees with deep issues of resentment usually find it more difficult to open their hearts to Krsna. Forgiveness requires compassion, and a compassionate heart is necessary for spiritual progress.

This conve

This issue of the audio Illuminations newsletter is about connecting with your dharma and mission in Srila Prabhupada’s service. Connecting to your personal mission is one of the best ways to remain enthused and inspired in Krsna consciousness.

How do you know you have connected with your dharma and mission? You look forward to your service. You gain energy just by thinking about it. You are happy and satisfied because you are working according to your nature.

In the absence of activities that dri

Tonight Sydney’s streets resounded with the sound of the MAHAMANTRA

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare!

Sixteen devotees joined us on the streets to participate in the dharma for this age. The bliss and energy from chanting the Holy Names was palpable. It is such a fun activity.

The city was crowded with people today and many of them felt compelled to sing and dance with us. The sound of Harinam Sankirtan is like nectar for the ear

We celebrate the passing of time
With a fearless ignorance
Like the beating of the heart
The seconds move forward in rhythm
and birth and death and birth
come and go around us

We are caged in time like a bird
We make our peace with it
Disguise it, hoping the sense of something
Beyond time will go away
So that we can enjoy
Hoping the gray hairs will look like silver
The sagging skin will be ignored

We are caught in time
Like a dog on a leash
Belonging to someone
Loyal and tail wagging
Waiting fo

A crayfish landed itself at the door of the temple last week. It caused a bit of alarm at first as some of us didn’t know what this strange looking, large creepy crawly was. A monster black scorpion? An alien, over-sized cockroach? It was 4am, half dark, and imaginations stirred by fear were running high!

Soon a devotee arrived who recognized it. “Ah, a crayfish,” he said with affection.
He got the snow shovel, gently invited the crayfish to get on board, and took him back to the creek.

There a

The rain whips against my window
and the newly blossomed trees
are fast loosing their pretty petals
to the ruthless cold and wind

I wish that my spiritual practice
could sometimes be like
that wild weather
and move me to the places
I know I want to be

Winds that could blow
my doubts out the window
rains that would wash
the material ego out the door
hot hot sun to dry
my petty hurts to nothingness
and cold air to shake the
bodily concept of life
out of my head

Oh wild weather friend
keep knockin

By: ISKCON-London Communications (With contributions from Bhaktivedanta Manor Communications)

It was on 13th July 1966 that ISKCON was incorporated. Exactly 50 years on, on Wednesday 13th July ISKCON-London celebrated this historic day in the most glorious way.

An all-day festival was held at the Temple. As the curtains opened for Deity Greetings, devotees witnessed Their Lordships adorned in illuminous new golden outfits offered to Them in honour of the occasion. The altar was decorated with

Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Srimad Bhagavatam, 4.24.11 Purport)
For Photos click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskAsYtdV

The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in New York by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in 1966, and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with 52 nationwide events in the UK. Last week in a gesture of appreciation to the City of London for making the Hare Krishna community feel so welcome, 5,000 anniversary cupcakes were handed out at London’s five major railway stations. The chocolate cupcakes made by Govinda were purely vegetarian, with no eggs and

A few years ago, while pursuing my postgraduate studies at USM in Penang, I happen to glance over the front page of the local newspaper to read the following headlines in large capital letters: WANTED: LEADERS. The statement was being made by the then Prime Ministry of Malaysia who was expressing his dismay at the lack of leadership within his country, especially in the context of educational institutions who seemingly were not able to produce highly qualified leaders. Not only was he pointing

I was checking for a document on my computer and came across a letter I wrote to a devotee who had recently come back to devotional service.

Over the years he had his ups and downs and wrote me out of concern that this pattern might continue. He feared that he might leave devotional service again.

You might say, “Well I haven’t fallen away from Krishna consciousness, so how does this letter relate to me?” I think we all constantly battle internally with falling away from Krishna consciousness.

Radhadyuti Devi Dasi: On the occasion of ISKCON 50th anniversary celebration, IDVM-India (ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry) launched Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra to spread the Holy Name and glories of mother cow in the villages on the inspiration of H.H. RP Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaj (IDVM-India minister). On the occasion the ministry plans to reach out atleast 108 villages and offer that endeavour at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
On 16thJuly, 2016, the Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar

On Sunday, 17th July, London witnessed its 48th Rathayatra festival in the heart of Central London. Their Lordships, Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra and Lord Baladev from ISKCON-London were carried in three beautifully decorated wooden chariots. In celebration of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary the chariots also carried the “ISKCON 50” logo.

The journey commenced from Hyde Park corner. The chariots bearing the bedecked deities were pulled by hand in a joyous procession of exultant devotees with much eu

In the 21st century more and more emphasis is being placed on the protection of animals, the reduction of violence towards animals, changes in the consumption of animals as food for humanity and the understanding that animals are sentient beings possessing feelings and emotions.

In fact the rights of our animal brothers and sisters are being discussed and debated within society as never before. 

The new booklet, “Do We Care? Australia’s First Home for Cow Protection”, is an offering written by

Colombia is joining the ISKCON 50 celebrations, which are taking place all around the world. Srila Prabhupada came to the United States in 1966 with the mission of delivering the most valuable possession to the Western culture. Srila Prabhupada eventually came to inspire a whole generation. A generation full of youth, full of vigor, full of hope, full of new ideas; these persons became the ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada envisioned.

50 years later, sitting under the same tree, Srila Prabhupada's f

Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami (the son of a Vyenkata Bhatta, a Sri Vaisnava brahmana) appeared in Sri Rangam, South India. Lord Caitanya once stayed four months in his home, and con­verted the family to Gaudiya Vaisnavism. A mere boy at this time, Gopala personally served the Lord.

Gopala Bhatta came to Vrndavana and became a dear friend of Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis. He did bhajana in Vrndavana for forty-five years, mostly at Radha-kunda.

On pilgrimage he obtained twelve Salagrama silas. Later

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to ma

Life can be miserable. Either it’s miserable for us at certain times, or we watch the misery of others and our hearts are broken. How do we not get overwhelmed by it all?

Knowledge and action. And knowledge comes first. There are many sources of our miseries but there are three main categories – nature, others, and our own mind.

Nature shows her brute force and has us all scrambling. It’s a power we need to respect, and generally don’t. She is an agent of collective karma, and will also bring m

The Bhagavad Gita is a scripture that is over 5000 years old and its knowledge and wisdom is still as relevant today as it was when it was first spoken. It is revered as the highest authority, as it is one of the only scriptures that is spoken by God himself. So who better to explain who we are than our eternal father, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! From my last post, we concluded that we are the soul and not the body, but where does the mind and intelligence fit in? Are we not the thought