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A gift that the Lord has given to everyone is the opportunity to choose, and especially to make enlightened choices that bring us out of the dark periods of our lives back to a life of enthusiastic Krsna consciousness. It is never appropriate to say “I am a victim of circumstances.” I have seen in my life: no matter the circumstance we can always take shelter in Krsna. You may not always find relief, but you can always find shelter. What do I mean by that? When we are tired we find relief by sle

I liked our discussion this morning at the Bhagavatam class, from Canto one, wherein two questions were posed by the last of the Yadus, King Pariksit. Question one lodged towards the sage, Sukadev: What should I be doing with my life despite any circumstances? The Second question gets more specific: What is the best way to spend the remaining days knowing I will die soon?

With our usual younger temple members, the Bhakti Academy, on a few days outing, I was in the company of a smaller mature gr

By Rasa Krida Parayana dasa

We dedicate and offer to your lotus feet a newly formed Bhaktivedanta Consulting Group. We are committed to work with ISKCON leaders in a totally confidential, objective, and transparent manner challenging boundaries and thoughts.

We are grateful for the talented devotees you have already sent to work with us. We pray you bestow the Bhaktivedanta Consulting Group with more of your dedicated servants so we may serve ISKCON better.

Srila Prabhupada, we seek your endles

Question: I have heard that Bhakti Yoga helps us to give up bad habits. But how exactly does it work?
Radhanath Swami: My dear godbrother, Shyamsundar, he is an example of how bhakti can transform a heart, to help us give up very difficult habits.
In 1967, Srila Prabhupada asked Shyamsundar to carve the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra from the little model that they had. He was in his room working, very, very hard. One day, Srila Prabhupada came into the room to examine how the

I do not know all my trees but I can pretty well identify the white pine on my walks and here in the near north, there are plenty of them. In Bracebridge you have awesome trees and in the greater Muskoka area in general, people love their trees. If you’re caught cutting down trees on your property or even what seems like an attempt at deforesting, the town authorities get on your case. I think that’s good.

In walking along Manitoba Rd, Vyasacharya, Jaya Gopal as well as Nimai and I noticed the

Video: Click here

Translation
As the spider very easily creates the network of its cobweb and manifests its power of creation without being defeated by others, so also you yourself, by employment of your self-sufficient energy, create without any other’s help.

Purport
The best example of self-sufficiency is the sun. The sun does not require to be illuminated by any other body. Rather, it is the sun which helps all other illuminating agents, for in the presence of the sun no other illuminating a

Radhastami is a special festival in Mayapur. Srimati Radharani is Navadvipeshwari, the giver of Navadvip dhama. In her divine abode, join us in celebrating Her Divine Appearance Day. A two day festival with Radha Prem dhan Kirtan Mela and Adhivas festival on 3rd Sep and on 4th sep, new otufits will be offered to Sri Sri Radha Madhava Asta Sakhis. Unparalleled glories of our Divine Mother will flow as nectar in the morning Special Radhastami class. At 11 am, we will bathe or offer Maha Abhisheka

[During a lecture Srila Prabhupada interrupts his discourse on the Srimad-Bhagavatam verse when he notices some of his disciples leaving the lecture, apparently to attend to other services] Srila Prabhupada: Why they are going? They are busy in some other work? Eh? Ugra-karma.
Without hearing, what will he do?
Nonsense? Sravanam kirtanam, this is our main business. If you don’t hear, what will you do? You will simply do sense gratification. That’s all. So this is the difficulty, that we are not

It happens and will continue to happen – someone says something to us, or about us, and we feel the emotions rise. We get ‘bent out of shape’, can’t stop the replay in our mind, and practice all kinds of imaginary ways to respond to it. This may go on for days, weeks, or even years. Resentment cooks like that. We don’t like how we feel and yet we don’t know how to shake it off. Here are some Krishna Bhakti guidelines to help:

See it as a test. We have taken up the spiritual practice of making l

Diary of a Traveling Monk
Volume 15, Chapter 20 August 28, 2022
“Our Bus Driver”
Our summer tour was coming to an end, and I noticed a mixture of joy and sorrow pervading our tour base. We had spent the best part of summer sharing our good fortune with others, so there was a great deal of joy. But it was late August and autumn was in the air; the summer was almost over and some sadness began settling in. It had been a tough summer with a lot of hard work for the devotees, but the reward was see

Dear Editor,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I think your readers might find of interest the enclosed article from The Guardian which explains how Allen Ginsberg taught Robert Kennedy how to chant Hare Krishna mantra. He received this mercy just months before being assassinated several years ago.

Incidently, the article also mentions how Walter Reuther, (who is my wife, Lekhasravanti’s late father) was the person who requested Robert Kennedy to help Cesar Ch

My flight back to Toronto was a blessed one because of some good fortune. I met someone special. His name is Nitai Ram, who was enroute to Toronto on Air Canada flight 126. Before boarding the redeye flight we had a good chat. He was on his way to see his parents in St. John, New Brunswick.

With about three minutes of rest on this overnight flight, I deplaned and got picked up by Chris and Amy from Hamilton. Ryan joined us as I needed his company and his good djembe planying. The venue for toni

Three-year-old Ram the ox was proudly led into his pre-made enclosure in the playground of the Manor School. He was ready to say hello to all the children!

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/ram-the-ox-goes-to-school/

There is excitement in the air, not just here, in the Greater Vancouver area, but everywhere. Preparations are being made for the birthday of Krishna, and He is so important to us. That is what all the fuss is about.

Tents are rising. The boys are erecting them and setting up signs to give direction to the coming crowds. Girls are making garlands. And all are adorning the temple, inside and out, with decorations galore. Cooks are making tasty preparations. Schedules are being sent in virtual an

ISKCON of Central NJ (ICNJ), Plainfield, NJ celebrated Sri-Jagannath Rath Yatra at Oak Tree Road, Edison as part of the India Independence Day Parade.
 

On Sunday 8/14/2022 Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra was celebrated at Oak Tree Road, in Edison, New Jersey as part of the India Independence Day Parade.

Every 2nd Sunday of August, the India Independence Day parade is held on Oak Tree Road, Edison. A huge chariot was assembled nicely by Akhilananda Das ACBSP.

Lord Jagannath with the His supreme sibli

By Govinda Priya Devi Dasi   

The GBC College for Leadership Development and Tulsi Books Publications are elated to announce the book launch of the book ‘Being Srila Prabhupada-anugas’ on the occasion of the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada’s 125th birth year celebrations. This book by Rasikraman Das is a compilation of Srila Prabhupada’s quotes on 51 themes of Leadership. It has been adopted as the official textbook of the GBC College, ISKCON’s Leadership School. The book will especially be rele

It was a day full and fun. Firstly, Krishnadas and I went for our morning walk. Then Sudevi had lined up a series of events that stretched throughout the day. A.T.O.M. (Ancient Teachings of Masters), our small Anchorage group, came to listen to a woman’s life journey and it was interesting; from the perspective of her presentation, her language and evolution.

By noon time we were set up for some pooja or worship at the newly constructed Ganesh temple. This location was the former center for A.T

End of life care and bhakti wisdom – Interview with HH Giriraj Swami 

HH Giriraj Swami was born Glenn Phillip Teton, the only son of a respected Chicago lawyer who was later appointed judge. In March of 1969, while studying at Brandeis University in Boston, he met His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), from whom, he felt, he learned more in one brief exchange than he had learned in his many year

This year’s Janmastami festival was the best attended to date. I think the post pandemic mood combined with a weekend day combined to encourage devotees and congregation to celebrate Krishna’s birthday in force. There was a blissful feeling throughout.
Thanking the many, many devotees who made this festival a joy to attend, in person or even online, is the cherry on the cake for me.
While the days of preparing are long, they aren’t arduous. Devotees take so much transcendental enjoyment in thei