The United Nations General Assembly in accordance with the call of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is celebrating World Yoga Day on June 21. This is the day of the Summer Solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and a day considered significant in many traditions. The fact that scores of countries all over the world, including many Islamic countries, are observing the day is testimony to yoga’s universality.
Unfortunately, in India, this occas
By Thomas Haribol
On June 13th, a Food for Life – Odesa team arrived by police escort to serve the Ukrainians in Kherson who have been devastated by the ongoing military conflict and now face the challenges of extensive flooding caused by the recent dam breach.
Odesa devotees arrived in Kherson wearing body armor and helmets while being escorted by the local police. Rasagya Govinda Das, Bhaktin Irina, and their team of blissful devotees engaged the flood victims with both kirtan and prasada.
W
By Thomas Haribol
On June 12, devotees returned to survey the condition of the ISKCON Kherson Temple in Ukraine, which was damaged during the ongoing conflict there. The Kherson region has also been in the news this week because of the bursting of the Kakhovka dam the previous week. The breach unleashed floodwaters across a portion of the war zone and has had devastating effects on thousands of area residents and animals.
“Over a year ago, the devotees had to leave their beloved Temple in Khe
I stumbled upon this freshwater lake that locals call ‘The Rez’ (short for ‘reservoir’), And it has this well-maintained trail that skirts around it. I was accompanied by birds on this walk. I spotted those striking goldfinches, deep red Cardinals, ducks, geese; most of them appeared as couples in their respective species. My favourite fowl of this morning was the loon coming in for a landing to contact the waters. He went solo, and he made his cool sound before splashing.
It wasn't the birds a
By Mahābhāva Dāsa
International Yoga Day is an eagerly awaited event that will be taking place in the picturesque location of Radhadesh, Belgium, on June 17-18th. With 100 participants expected to attend, these two days will provide a unique opportunity for individuals to relax and immerse themselves in various yoga practices.
This weekend will be the 9th time the tranquil surroundings of Radhadesh will welcome people from all walks of life to this annual celebration of yoga and mindfulness. Pa
By Khusboo Basan
Noted for her welcoming smile and joyful service as a book distributor, Malini Priti Devi Dasi (Meera Thuraisingam) is an exemplary disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami, serving locally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but inspiring devotees worldwide.
Raised in Krishna Consciousness, her first book distribution service started at fourteen during a Hindu festival called Thaipusam, celebrated for Lord Kartikeya. In addition to this, she served at BBT Malaysia for a few months after her co
Srila Prabhupada wrote me in Madras, “The fact is that I am the only one in India who is criticizing not only impersonalism and demigod worship but anything that falls short of complete surrender to Krishna. My Guru Maharaja never compromised in his preaching, I will never compromise in my preaching, and similarly, none of my disciples should ever compromise in their preaching. You must declare it boldly that people should not dream of world peace unless they are prepared to surrender to Krishn
While much of Canada is consumed in forest fires (and there are videos out there of a hazy New York skyline to prove it), wherever I have been travelling within the land of the Maple Leaf, I see nothing but water, whether it be the West or east. You certainly don't hear of blazing flames in the far north.
As Nakula and I make that drive South towards the south, we encounter clouds and rain, and for a fraction of the day, that welcoming sun bursts through. Global warming? Well, I don't see avoca
By Gauranga Darshan Das
“A brief outline of the twelve cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam that represent the bodily limbs of Lord Sri Krsna and present ten transcendental topics.”
Of all the sacred Vaisnava scriptures, Srimad Bhagavatam is considered the topmost. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu hailed the Bhagavatam as the spotless authority (pramanam amalam) amongst the Vedic literatures. Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu declared that hearing Srimad Bhagavatam is one of the five most po
By Cintamani Dhama-dasi
Many devotees undergo so much material tribulation in life. Despite the fact that we have given up the four sinful activities and we daily engage in Sri Krishna Sankirtan…still we suffer from financial problems, severe health problems, relationship problems, political persecution….Why? In this exchange between the imprisoned kings and Lord Krishna we get an amazing insight why this is all actually the mercy of the Lord on His devotees:
“The time element is so strong that
People like to hear about other people’s problems. It’s fun for some. That’s the reason why some of the most popular magazines in the world just focus on scandals. Recently, a champion golfer got into some scandal. It’s like a rule in this world—that such news must be known to everyone, that such news must be the event on every television and news channel. That scandal was all that the people were talking about, for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks. Ironically, nobody cared that much when he
By Gandharvika Prema Dasi
On May 20th, 2023, Hungary’s largest and only active ox-powered treadmill was inaugurated at ISKCON Krishna Valley. The treadmill is a power-generating machine that uses animal power rather than fossil fuels. Power generated from the treadmill will be used to press oil, produce wood chips, mill grains and fodder, and generate electricity for the community.
The inauguration of the treadmill house helped kick off the upcoming year of festivities marking the 30th anniver
I am certain that the saffron apparel stood out against the grey and gloomy atmosphere for motorists on their way to work. It's not a usual part of the landscape of residential North River Street in Charlottetown this morning. I was on a spriteful walk to Shoba’s home at 7:00 AM, racing with time to take part in a mini sadhana of chanting, shastra (scripture) Reading and a breakfast. Do try hummus on toast with fiddlehead sauteed in olive oil to top like we did.
Ambarish And I drove then to the
This morning I boarded the metro to go to my office, and it was more packed than usual. Almost all the seats were taken. As usual, I was reading the Srimad Bhagwatam during my journey. At Sikanderpur Station, the people sitting next to me left the train, and a new person sat beside me. He was gazing at my book. I could see from the corner of my eye that he was interested in knowing what I was reading. My station was still three stops away, so there was time to try to distribute books.
I told hi
This video describes HH Indradyumna Swami’s visit to a large and surprising Botanical Garden. He expresses his amazement at its beauty and discusses the significance of nature in Krishna Consciousness. Maharaj reflects on the peacefulness and harmony of nature, contrasting it with the bustling city life. He mentions the importance of living in the mode of goodness and the benefits of a simple life focused on Krishna Consciousness. Indradyumna Swami wishes for more parks and gardens like this t
Vani School, a new online learning platform, aims to connect subscribers with established and professional teachers from the diverse yoga landscape and culture and features many devotees known to the ISKCON family. The initiative was inspired by the vision of Radhanath Swami to offer a single platform to showcase some of the most influential young Bhakti yoga teachers who are serving throughout the world. Users can access a select collection of video master classes covering a wide range of topi
It was determined by one or two of my benevolent organizers of my maritime trip, that today, by some chance or mistake, that nothing be scheduled; that it be a day for downtime. Certainly, we can say that everything was meant to be. So be it. I was, at this last minute of a meagre miscommunication regarding the day's itinerary, when I called a couple I know residing in the Moncton area to see what they were up to.
Jason and Nicole are about the sweetest couple you could ever imagine, and while t
By Sachin Bhardwaj and Arundhati Devi Dasi
Devotees recently celebrated the Ratha Yatra festival in the streets of Eindhoven, Holland. Their Lordships, accompanied by marching bands and patriotic floats, bestowed darshan upon the enthusiastic crowds of Eindhoveans.
The ISKCON Eindhoven community has been organizing this annual Ratha Yatra Festival there every year since 2007. This year, more than 3,000 visitors enjoyed the Ratha Yatra and Indian culture with food, Indian clothing, and artifa
Without hesitation, a group of local enthusiasts for walking met at 10:00 AM with the intention to go as far as possible for a trek to the ‘0 MILES’ Monument in downtown St. John's, which is a mere 13 kilometres (somewhere in that neighbourhood).
We began the walk from the major parking lot, and from the start, high winds and drizzle were enough to detour anyone. But, NO! This crew is a bunch of troopers, and not poopers. By the time we headed West into the tree zone and away from barren boulder
I was recently looking at new property for our ladies’ ashram in Wellington. We moved out of a large house and needed to store our things before moving into our next location, so we needed a storage facility fast!
That’s when I was introduced to an Indian man named Raj. Gokula-lila recounted how Raj had spent some time at The Loft in Auckland around 2010. His brother and father also often spend time at the The Loft and Bhakti Lounge in Wellington.
Owing to the encouragement and persistence of M
