From Back to Godhead
The ideas of the Western philosopher Kant come close to the concept of dharma.
For some, duty is a dirty word—we want to do what we want to do. Period. To hell with duty. But let’s consider this more seriously: What is duty, and should I be concerned about it? Clearly, duty means different things to different people. And yet it’s not uncommon to wonder: What am I meant to do? Is there a reason I was put on this earth?
Duty is a term loosely applied to any action or course o
During the September 6th Krishna Janmashtami festivities at ISKCON NYC, Jenifer Rajkumar, a member of the New York Assembly, 38th District, presented an official proclamation that honored the NYC’s Harinam Sankirtan devotees for their many years of service to the community. Their mission, according to their website, is “the propagation of harinam-sankirtan (the congregational chanting of the holy names of God) in the streets and subways of New York City daily for as many hours as possible.” Thi
On September 6th, BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought episode was entitled “My Spiritual Inspiration” and presented by devotee Nimai Devi Dasi (Nima Suchak). Her reflection, an homage to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was part of the week’s theme, “To Go Boldly.”
“Prabhupada was fearless because of his conviction in the teachings he had received from his own guru…For his bold journey was one which changed the course of my life and of thousands of others,” said Nimai.
Nimai De
My Story and Ode to Srila Prabhupada
Born into dense illusion, one of countless conditioned souls;
doomed to endless births and deaths while playing different roles.
My life a hell that made no sense, trying drugs I took my chances;
searching faces on streets and buses, hoping to find someone with answers.
Religion as I knew it seemed a total farce,
and the diet of dead animals weighed heavy on my heart.
So, trapped, I studied different books, became an avid reader:
Leary, Huxley, Buddhism, a s
It is wrap up time for my visit to B.C., and I am receiving all kinds of gifts (such as a watch) that I'm not worthy of, a pack up lunch for the plane, hugs and goodbyes of all sorts and kinds. Satyabhama has been so sweet with daily unch during my stay here, and her son, Arjuna, in his teens, offers comic relief. Vishnu Priya pops by for gifts too, and Makunda Madhava, who offered me teabags of valerian for my insomnia, stood there to hear my testimony on how this substance worked for me for t
By Thomas Haribol
ISKCON NYC Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir is undergoing extensive renovations as part of its Transform Campaign. The ambitious initiative is restoring, in part, some of the original features of the Brooklyn building while creating a more welcoming facade to engage the increasing foot traffic in the neighborhood. The new elegant large front doors will bring more light, and hopefully visitors, to the growing and engaged spiritual community. The second-floor renovations include a l
Srutakirti dasa: We were on an airplane from Mexico City to Caracas, and Prabhupada started taking his puffed rice and peanuts. He ate for about ten minutes, and then he just looked and said, “Okay.” So I moved the puffed rice over, and I gave half to Paramahamsa and had the other half in front of me. After a few minutes, a stewardess was walking down the aisle and she stopped right in front of us and reached over, put her hand in my plate, and grabbed a handful of puffed rice and threw it in h
The Vancouver Krishna community celebrated the birthday of Balarama with chanting, class and feasting. I took the opportunity to read my poem, "About Balarama", a synopsis of his pastimes and why we honour him so. He is just one of those many avatars that enrich the lives of bhakti practitioners. He is indeed colourful and precious. When we chant the Maha Mantra, the words Rama Rama refers to Balarama. Being the half-brother of Krishna, he is bound to demonstrate wisdom, love, and playfulness.
My dearest Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you on this most auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja.
In 1969 you wrote the following in a letter to one of your disciples:
Just as you have already understood the benefits of this Krsna Consciousness Movement, try to realize and assimilate it more and more and distribute it to the suffering humanity. Our movement is the greatest gift to the human race. They may not immediately app
The next day was Vyasa-puja day, the celebration of Prabhupada’s seventy-fourth birthday. That morning a package arrived from New York containing several copies of the Vyasa-puja booklet, a twenty-five-page paperback filled with homages from Prabhupada’s disciples.
Months before, one of the devotees had discovered an old issue of a magazine published by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati; the magazine contained a Vyasa-puja homage Prabhupada had written commemorating the appearance day of his own
A talk given on Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja seeking to understand the unparalleled contribution he has made to the history of Gaudiya Vaisnavism This picture showing Srila Prabhupada with godbrothers and friends is both rare and revealing. Rare as it is one of a kind. Revealing because Prabhupada is very animated, with most others setting their gaze on him. While we cannot be certain, it is reasonable to assume that this conversation could be about the epic journey that Prabhupada was soon to
By Sri Nandanandana dasa (Stephen Knapp)
(An Excerpt from “Advancements of Ancient India’s Vedic Culture”)
As devotees and followers of the Vedic path, we already accept the premise that Lord Krishna appeared 5,000 years ago and spoke the Bhagavad-gita in the Mahabharata war. But it is always nice when scholars, other researchers and science can add support to what we already propose. So let’s take a look at this.
One aspect that can show us the early nature of Vedic society, and with a little
By Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
It was Janmastami, the annual celebration of the advent of Lord Krsna some five thousand years before. Residents of Calcutta, mostly Vaisnavas (devotees of Lord Krsna) but also many Muslims and even some British, were observing the festive day, moving here and there through the city’s streets to visit the temples of Lord Krsna. Devout Vaisnavas, fasting until midnight, chanted Hare Krsna and heard about the birth and activities of Krsna from Srimad-Bhagavatam, one of
By Atma Tattva Das
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the Padayatra celebrations in the Czech Republic, establishing a legacy that transcends generations. The event, which involves a spiritual journey on foot, has been a steadfast symbol of devotion, culture, and community for ISKCON devotees worldwide. In an exclusive interview with the second-generation leader Nrsimha Caitanya Das, the dynamic spirit and enduring impact of this Padayatra is explored.
As this year’s Czech Republic Padayatra ma
I spent some time today with two bhakti friends in Central Park with tall trees to shade us. It was by the edge of this calming space that Karuna Sindhu and I walked that last day of my last walk across Canada. It was the end of June 2014, and we encountered a drizzle most of that day.
As I wrote in The Saffron Path, "It was the final day of my fourth trek across Canada. I was walking with companion monk, Karuna Sindhu, through a wet west coast drizzle. There was no plan for a major reception,
Coming Soon!
Jhulan Yatra is starting from August 27th to August 31, 2023.
Sri Janmashtami, September 7th
Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day: September 8th
The appearance of Srimati Thakurani, September 20th
Sri Lalita Shasthi, September 21st
Radhastami: Appearance of Srimati Radharani, September 23rd
With all these auspicious festivities fast approaching and very closely packed, we want to first use the opportunity to thank all our esteemed donors who took the month of Purushottama ve
It gives us great bliss to inform that we at ISKCON Ujjain got the wonderful opportunity to spread the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada to hundreds of villages in Madhya Pradesh
MP Government (MP Jan Abhiyan Parishad in association with the Cultural Department, Public Relations Department, M.P. Tourism Department, and Acharya Shankar Sanskriti Ekta Nyas) organized a Sneh Yatra in all 52 districts of the M.P. State.
The objective of this Yatra was to create harmony among
Mayapur Clean & Green has expanded its service to address one of the most dangerous kinds of waste for one’s health and the environment: electronic or e-waste, including phones, computers, cables, earphones, refrigerators, batteries, AC units, and similar items.
Mayapur Clean & Green is an initiative formed by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi to fulfill the need for an effective garbage management system in Mayapur. For the last two years, she has been working with her team, which includes Marvi, Vrajaj
At the Science World we did gather
And took a strike right at her
This illusion, maya, who is not
Received a black eye, yes, she got
We ripped through the condo town
From the street I took a look around
Chanters blocked, so I peered up
Yes, my eyes then veered up
And viewed the people from the balcony
Do they approve of our modality?
There were drum beats, loud voices galore
For some it's a bore, others a score
Religious stuff, forget it!
Free fun, let's give it some credit
We live in a world,
