May 26-29, 2023, was the 10th anniversary of the Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat held this year at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel and Convention Center in Texas. The sold-out gathering welcomed 3,000 devotees from 42 US states and 14 countries, including places as diverse as Iceland and Qatar. The event hosted over 24 hours of joyful kirtans expertly by the MC Sacinandana Swami. It featured Acyuta Gopi, Badahari Das, Gauravani Das, Indradyumna Swami, Madhava Das, Mahatma Das, Mayuri Gandharvika, Mu
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It was under a young oak tree that I sat with cell phone propped up on the picnic table in Victoria Park in Hamilton. It's just great to have these Zoom calls while enjoying the out of doors while going inward. Today's Gita Chat brought us to talks about yet another tree – the banyan tree. This tree of an allegorical nature is illusionary and represents our physical world in a topsy turvy manner. It is a tree with branches twisting and turning, very in tangling like life itself. From this tree,
By Thomas Haribol
After nearly 25 years of preaching and service in California’s Sacramento and Folsom areas, devotees are delighted to announce the imminent arrival of a new temple building to meet the needs of their growing community and outreach. Sacramento, California, is a vibrant city known for its rich history, diverse culture, and significant growth. Over the years, Sacramento has experienced an impressive transformation, with a thriving economy, expanding urban development, and a growi
After getting some dental cleansing done in Brampton, I was kindly driven to my home at 243 Avenue Road, Toronto. Nanda Drove me to the dentist, and Rasaraja drove me for the return. I took my walk accompanied by my japa beads. It was evening darkness now, and a couple passed by. I got that remark from the woman which is quite common, “That outfit you're wearing is really cool.”
“Thanks, and it's really comfortable.”
“Take care,” she said.
“Goodnight!”
I returned back from Ramsden Park, which i
By Thomas Haribol
Beginning this Saturday, June 3rd, 2023, ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry will offer an online “Bhagavad Gita Course For Children.” The exciting new offering, provided in both English and Spanish, will be taught by Nikunja Nivasini Devi Dasi. It’s aimed at children between 8 and 13 (each age will be given age-appropriate learning materials).
The course is designed to serve temples with established programs for children, parents who educate at home and as an alterna
Reincarnation, of course, is accepted as a given in India’s mystical literature, and, according to Eastern sensibility, its truth undergirds any genuine metaphysical understanding of life. We are spirit-soul, say texts like the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13, 21, 22, among others), and not the material body. We are a quantum of energy, and energy, we learn from the natural sciences, is never created or destroyed. It continues to exist in some form. God, too, is spiritual substance, and He/She/It reincarna
Like a normal day in my life, there is often time for a stroll, and for me, it came this evening after the sun subsided and the fireworks went off to honour the day known in Canada as Victoria Day. Mind you, not all of the country is so supportive of the monarchy. Almost half of Canada backs the current structure of having a king or queen on the throne. Well, it really depends on which survey you are looking at. For sure, ties with the British dynasty are fading, and I can't imagine French Cana
We have gathered at the lotus feet of the Pancha-tattva on this most auspicious occasion of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s cida-dadhi festival, the background to which can be found in his early life. Raghunatha dasa’s uncle and father, Hiranya and Govardhana Majumadara, were wealthy landlords in Bengal—almost like kings—and had a huge, opulent riverside palace, with boats that plied the river. Hiranya and Govardhana were generous and devoted to brahminical culture, and they practically maintained th
From Back to Godhead
Lord Caitanya launched His mission of mercy in
West Bengal. Five hundred years later, Srila Prabhupada
took that mission to heart and to the entire world.
The flat, verdant ricelands of West Bengal’s district of Nadia appear timeless and remote. Farmers till the soil with oxen and wooden plows in this land seemingly unconcerned with today’s modern world. Yet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared here five hundred years ago, predicted that the spiritual movement He start
By Atma Tattva Das
In a dynamic effort to strengthen and support women within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), The Women’s Collective – South Africa has emerged as a platform for empowerment, conversation, and sisterhood. Led by the dedicated Rasasthali Dasi, this independent platform for devotees aims to facilitate personal connections, provide support, and create a space where women can thrive in their spiritual journeys.
Rasasthali Dasi, editor for Hare Krishna N
One thing I find absolutely disgusting is the sexploitation that our children are exposed to. Recently, I saw footage of a drag queen displaying movements of a sexual nature in front of young children. How can any educational institution anywhere on this planet permit such a thing? What state of confusion do we anticipate will come of this? Is it not a kind of grooming?
When I think of the term sucks in the Vedic context, Sri Krishna speaks of kama as an act not contrary to dharma or righteousn
By Atma Tattva Das
In a groundbreaking move to spread the teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam and advance Vedic education, the renowned ISKCON Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya has launched a new educational program in collaboration with the Simhachalam community. With a vision to serve Europe and Africa, this initiative aims to provide a systematic and accessible platform for studying sacred scriptures.
Under the leadership of Govinda Dev Das, currently serving as the Temple President and facilitating the es
Madhavendra was a holy man
Definitely not a regular layman
He carried the title of brahmin
Perhaps he can be called a shaman
For when he reached a sacred hill
He felt a very tingling thrill
A trance had overtaken him
A genuine shaking in every limb
After a bath by the lake
He went to take a break
Beneath a tree he went to rest
Somewhere near a high bird’s nest
A young boy suddenly turned up
And woke the monk somewhat
He brought him something hot
It was milk in a rustic clay pot
“I brought you s
Nearly 100 fresh-faced devotees in their late teens and twenties flocked to New Vrindaban on Mother’s Day weekend for the Vaishnava Arts Festival on May 12-14. The largely Western-raised crowd enthusiastically attended mangala arati, performed kitchen and cleaning seva, and participated in the inspiring sessions seamlessly – although most had been practicing Krishna consciousness for less than five years, and some only a few months.
These bhaktas and bhaktins had something special in common: t
On Saturday, May 20th, devotees celebrated the 22nd year of the Festival of Chariots at the beach and Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville, Florida.
The popular gathering, attended by devotees and locals alike, served out more than 1,200 plates of prasad throughout the day. In addition, about 500 individually packaged date fruits with a “Have a DATE with us” invitation were distributed by Lilla Purushottam Das and his wife Rukmini Dasi during the first 10 minutes of the procession.
Many booths were
By Thomas Haribol
The famous Cedars of Lebanon have been prized for thousands of years for their resiliency and strength. Most famously, they were used in the building of ancient houses of worship (temples). Today, the modern republic of Lebanon, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and Syria, is home to nearly four million people, including a pioneering devotee family who moved there in 2010. Like the Cedars of Lebanon, their service to Krishna has shown great resilience and strength through ma
I'm not the biggest fan for rain as a medium to walk through, but I do see that plant life is favorable. It shows in its colour – green, and it all gives off a shiny surface. My walking becomes constrained to the indoors, but no problem, at the New Vrindavana temple, there is this corridor system running at the building's perimeter that makes it conducive to walkthrough. That channel, I took advantage of until the 5:00 am arati service, which was wonderful. I mean, everyone was on a thump with
My first visit to this sacred land of New Vrindavan was back in the summer of ’73 at Janmasthami time. It was a real treat because for some months after joining, I had been a bit claustrophobic from being in the city of Toronto. For twenty years of my life, I was accustomed to country living which included getting up at 5:30 am to milk our family cow. But when I arrived here in the Appalachian destination with Toronto pilgrims, I found it to be as country and rustic as could be.
All the visitor
On May 19th, about 120 devotees participated in the second Ratha Yatra in Israel (and in the entire Middle East) held at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, one of the largest parks in the country, with over 16 million annual visitors. Tel Aviv is also where the first preaching center was established in 1994.
In July 2022, the first-ever Ratha Yatra in the Middle East was held in the coastal city of Haifa, known for its openness to multiple religious traditions. In addition, Haifa is the worldwide headquar
By Visakha Dasi
Wanting to recognise and honour the contribution of diverse faith communities to modern Britain, as well as to encourage harmony amidst such communities, King Charles III of the United Kingdom featured leaders of different faiths in the regal pageantry of his coronation. In the history of British coronations, which date back a thousand years, it was the first time that faiths other than Christianity were included. As the representative of Bhaktivedanta Manor at this gala event,
