I do get overwhelmed by people’s kindness. For instance, Ravi opened up his house to us. We were fed, looked after, and he and his good wife also entertained us trough their six-year-old. Our whole troupe –Mahadeva, Anna Purna, Ryan – and I find children adorable, and this little one, Achintya, shows us both reverence and crankiness. Such is the way of childhood, and I might add that those traits may never leave us.
Enroute, we went to Moncton. I guess you could say it’s the place of monks. It’
Dandavats. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Brahmananda prabhu was virtually the first ISKCON devotee—senior to everyone. Actually, we are all here because of his invaluable service to Srila Prabhupada—especially in the early days when he so selflessly assisted Srila Prabhupada in starting ISKCON. For one example, anyone who has ever read Bhagavad-gita As It Is, owes an eternal debt to Brahmananda prabhu, who first arranged to publish it. He was able and willing to do anything Prabhupada wanted,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your departure from this world to be with Srila Prabhupada came very suddenly. I was in the ICU of ILBS hospital when I was informed of this news by Gopal Krishna Maharaja. I have been in the ICU for the last thirty days and was discharged to the general ward only yesterday. Although I wish that I were there for your memorial service, my present health condition does not permit me to travel to Vrindavan today. So I have asked
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By Satsvarupa Das Goswami
Bruce Scharf had just graduated from New York University and was applying for a job. One day an exroommate told him about the Swami he had visited down on Second Avenue. “They sing there,” his friend said, “and they have this far-out thing where they have some dancing. And Allen Ginsberg was there.” The Swami was difficult to understand, his friend explained, and besides that, his followers recorded his talks
During the community sankirtan festival in March in NZ, Krishnaloka and I were both unable to go out because of some unfinished projects.
However, Caitanya Vihar’s class in the morning was very inspiring. He stressed that we shouldn’t be unmotivated to distribute books just because we might not be able to do many hours in one day. A power hour, or even thirty minutes is beneficial. Or perhaps just ten minutes, if you’re really time poor!
He suggested that having a book on us at all times means
I was on South Street in Philadelphia, just about to leave for home, but my partner was in a queue in a store, so while waiting I was doing some books.
An African-American couple, Dana and Peter, appeared to be from around here, when I met them. I asked whether they had a busy afternoon planned.
They are Philly locals, but they had just gotten off a plane after a holiday in South Korea. They were walking around during the afternoon trying to stay awake, fighting jetlag.
I showed them Srila Prab
Mother Nature and the Glance of the Supreme
Where do nature's gifts come from? Not from factories or power plants.
Fifty centuries ago, the people of India enjoyed boundless natural prosperity. Queen Kunti was always mindful of the gifts and their source.
ime jana-padah svrddhah
supakvausadhi-virudhah
vanadri-nady-udanvanto
hy edhante tava viksitaih
Queen Kunti said: "All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full
Rambhadra Das, President of ISKCON Gurugram was invited to speak at the “Faculty Development Program” at Ambedkar University Delhi. The University, though only in the 15th year of its establishment, is already one of the top-ranked in India. Making in the top 150 ranked Universities in such a short span. It is renowned for its focus on innovation and research.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-gurugram-invited-to-speak-at-delhi-university/
One of our local community members, Hiren, led us on a cool walk near his home on a trail along the Chain of Lakes. The sun was upon us, the water to our side, trees every which way, and pedestrians sharing the path. It made for a good morning experience.
Back at Hiren’s home, we enjoyed brunch and, as anyone who knows me knows, I will insist on using or cooking what edibles we have in abundance. That, of course, is the delicious fiddlehead produce. Sorry to bring up the name of this superfood
At De Anza College, a student who showed interest in a book gave me various reasons for being unable to give a donation. When I agreed to give her the book free, she took a few steps away, but then she turned back and said, “I lied to you, although I have money. I was not feeling good about not giving a donation for a spiritual book.” She pulled out her card and told me to swipe a certain amount for the donation.
Another time, one student showed interest in having a book, but said that she coul
Scientific Views / The Bhaktivedanta Institute
Dr. Richard L. Thompson, a charter member of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, is a formally initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. After studying at the Stale University of New York and Syracuse University, he received a National Science Fellowship and completed his Ph.D. -in mathematics at Cornell, specializing in probability theory and statistical mechanics. His dissertation "Equilibrium States on Thin Energy Shell
Angiras, who is our gracious host, accepted diksha or initiation this morning. He took on the name Ambarish. He invited many of his friends to the ceremony, conducted by Kadamba Priya, and they were curious about this rite of passage. “Do you change the name on your passport now?” asked one comrade. As I mentioned in my talk at the event, which was a packed crowd in our host’s basement, “It doesn’t really change anything too much except that the candidate picks up speed in his/her spiritual ende
I met Adam, a young Maori man, at a small supermarket in Hamilton, New Zealand, as he got out of his van on the way to a pest control job. He immediately showed interest in the books. He told me that when he was young, instead of reading the normal Marvel style comics he would read comics from India. He mentioned Hanuman and recognized Ramacandra’s name.
After Adam gave a donation and took a Science of Self Realisation, he related to me that the night before he was lying in bed, wondering what s
With the sudden disappearance of the cowherd boys and calves,
Lord Krsna made sure no one not even their parents would know they were missing.
The Stealing Of the Boys and Calves
Fifty centuries ago Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared on earth in the village of Vrndavana, in northern India, and displayed His transcendental pastimes as a cowherd boy.
One day Lord Krsna brought His friends to the Yamuna River and said, “Just see how this riverbank is extremely beautiful becaus
According to Winston Churchill: “If two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary.”
The Lord has designed each of His human masterpieces uniquely, therefore the individuality of every living being is a fact. Hence disagreements are a part of everyday life. We are engaged in a casual conversation or trying to perform service in the temple. And suddenly a divisive hot-button issue comes up. How do we navigate the tension when there are drastically different perspectives? Is it possibl
How to Make It Take You Where You Really Want to Go
This grim scene is just an illustration, but it points up something that happens to all of us all too often. It shows how we set out for satisfaction and yet arrive at just the opposite.
Our material body is a lot like a chariot. It has five horses (the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell). Each of us is a spiritual soul riding within-we're the passenger. And to keep the horses on course, we have the reins (our mind) and the drive
A few months ago I was in Leeds City Centre, North England. I stopped a serious looking man from Nigeria and was trying my best to break the ice. All my jokes were failing, all my questions brought an abrupt “no”, and he seemed to have practically no inclination toward spirituality.
Then I noticed something amazing: a Nrsingha kavaca around his neck!
I pointed at it and asked what it was – he didn’t have an answer. Then I showed him the kavaca around my neck. He immediately became enlivened.
“Yo
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By Jayabhadra devi dasi, IGF preacher
Every year Amravati’s ISKCON Girls’ Forum team along with other matajis organize a Vaishnavi padayatra on International Women’s Day. This year, however, we didn’t get permission for the event and consequently, we were all morose and had given up hope for our padayatra. But our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, gave us back our lost hope.
His arrival at our Sri Sri Rukmini-Dwarkadish temple on March 25 awakened our desire for padayatra. W
India's greatest gift to civilization is her highly advanced spiritual culture, based on the eternal truths of the Vedic literatures. Sometimes, however, we hear the strange idea that this culture is not meant to be shared with others. I have heard more than one Western professor of Indian religion say, "The idea of preaching about God in a missionary spirit is not part of India's religion. That's something the Christians introduced into India a few hundred years ago." And self-styled yogis som
Srila Prabhupada…“The sunrays are open to everyone, but the capacities of the receptacles differ. Foolish people think that devotional service is flattering the Lord to get special mercy. Factually the pure devotees who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord are not a mercantile community. A mercantile house renders service to someone in exchange for values. The pure devotee does not render service unto the Lord for such exchange, and therefore the full mercy of the Lord is
