Blog

By Madhava Smullen

Radha Sivyer, a second-generation devotee and member of the Bhaktivedanta Manor community in the UK, is currently demonstrating his impressive woodworking skills as a contestant on Channel 4’s Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker.

Also known as Radha Vinode Das, Radha was born and raised in Wales, and moved with his family to the Watford area near Bhaktivedanta Manor, England at the age of 12. Over the years, his services included participating in yearly getaways with the Panda

From a rickshaw puller to a pilot flying high in the sky, from a government employee to a head of the government, from a beggar on the street to a business tycoon, from a baby in her cradle to a man knocking at the door of graveyard – all continuously search for happiness.

But in spite of our obsession with ‘happiness’, ‘miseries’ continuously accompany us like a shadow. Misery can be physical or can be psychological and it has a knack of appearing and disappearing at its own whims.

Scriptures

PM Modi meets Indologists, Sanskritists, ISKCON and Italian Hindu Union members, Sikhs in Rome Prime Minister meets the representatives of Italian Congregation for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) 

Source: https://dandavats.tumblr.com/post/666454191464726528/pm-modi-meets-indologists-sanskritists-iskcon

Contrary to popular belief…

Strength lies in humility
Whereas weakness does in pride
Our base, set in simplicity
Puts complexities to the side

Pleasures ignite from stimulus
But that is so short lived
Long term comes from vigilance
When cheap thrills we’ll outlive

Entertainment may lift us up
But education takes us higher
Spectators don’t always see close up
It’s through wisdom we’re inspired

We define ourselves in bodily terms
Yet the body is just a shell
Our observing the shell confirms
That i

The opening salvo of the preface for The Nectar of Instruction begins thus: “The Krsna consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Srila Rupa Goswami.” What does it mean to have this role? How actively involved is Srila Rupa Goswami in our everyday lives? Is he literally supervising all of us?

Before understanding this supervisory function, we need to know who Srila Rupa Goswami is in relation to ourselves, our spiritual masters, and the previous acaryas going back to the time

From: Working with Hindu organizations for common causes, The Monk's Podcast 167 with Mahaprabhu Prabhu.

Mahaprabhu Dasa (Martin Gurvich) was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1963. He is the son of well-known artist Jose Gurvich and Julia Anorga. Mahaprabhu Das studied Political Science at Syracuse University, USA.
He joined the Hare Krishna Movement in 1982 in Paris, France.He has performed many different services in the movement and at present is ISKCON Communications Director for Europe, Preside

We all know our capacity. We have our limits in all directions. All these limits are expanded through empowerment which comes from mercy.

Source: https://www.kksblog.com/2021/10/empowerment-comes-from-mercy/

I am picking up my pace, since knee surgery on July 20, so I’m doing quite well three months later, though my distances are short. I’m happy to pull off 3 kilometres per day and could do more. I get busy, frankly, and a lot of that business lately entails helping orchestrate a major protest-chant across Canada. Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax – 8 cities – are geared up for chanting in defiance of recent violence incurred by extremists in Bangladesh.

My godbrother Bhagavata Asraya Prabhu told me the following story, which he heard from our godbrother Gunarnava Prabhu.

Srila Prabhupada was visiting Bombay for what turned out to be one of the last times. Although the building was still under construction, at his request his quarters had been hastily prepared, and he had moved in.

Srila Prabhupada was by this time in poor health, and everything was a great effort for him, but still he was giving darshan to some devotees and guests. At one poin

Krishna is fascinated with the land and people of Vrindavan.
The Bhagavatam says (10.1.28): “The city and district of Mathura,” Vrindavan is part of that, “are very intimately connected with Krishna, for Lord Krishna lives there eternally.”Nityam sannihito harihi – He is there eternally.

“It is there,” writes Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur, “that Krishna appears and becomes visible to the people of the world. And He stays there forever.” He does not descend from Vaikuntha, one of His many spirit

Indradyumna Swami: “Endangered Species: ISKCON Ashramites in the West,” nicely outlines the shortfalls of ISKCON’s past while providing valuable advice and direction for ISKCON’s future. The strong statements in this book will remind ISKCON leaders about the benefits of ashram training. In addition to being very much a part of the Vedic tradition, ashrams were integral to ISKCON’s initial worldwide growth. Krishna House proves that such ashram training is stil

“Let us trust God and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs,” said Patrick Henry at his last public speech in 1799.

Such also was the sentiment expressed by former Congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard over the tragedy on Hindu/Vaishnava minorities in Bangladesh. In her words, “It broke my heart to see such hate and violence directed towards devotees of God in their temp

At the time of initiation, even if the vows are taken sincerely, how deep is our sincerity? Even in the best scenario, when the disciple very sincerely from the heart says, “I am going to give my life to you”, how deep is that sincerity anyway? By the definition of Kunti Devi:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir
edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai
tvam akincana-gocaram 
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.8.26)

Kunti Devi points out that unless one is materially exhausted, unless one has no more attachment

In any relationship, the nature of the reciprocation and rasa that evolves between loved ones will naturally be very much influenced by their quality of speech ⎯ their verbal exchanges. This is particularly so in Vraja ⎯ a land where the culture is sublimely subtle and ever-so-fascinatingly sweet. It’s a land where Krsna not only loves everyone and has loving exchanges with everyone but speaks to them all in their own language!

An old woman in Vrndavana, present at the time of Krsna’s pastimes,

By H.H. Mahavishnu Goswami
(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

“Ashram doesn’t matter really, whatever ashram we are, we have to remember Krishna’s words.”

caatur-varnyam mayaa srstam
guna-karma-vibhaagasah
tasya kartaaram api maam
viddhy akartaaram avyayam

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet

Purification is a realistic element of life. A lot people nowadays go into some therapy with an idea that they can overcome something within themselves. In the Vedic culture, purification is essential in life. It says that everyone needs to purify themselves. In principle, it is understood that every living being has a higher and lower nature. The higher nature is elevating us. It is bringing out noble qualities and it is bringing us to a point of being free from causing suffering to others. Ac

In the wake of a darkness regarding oppression of minorities in Bangladesh, I was compelled to write the following:

VIOLENCE IS NOT GOLDEN

Violence is not golden

But action with intelligence stolen

The insecurities that a person may feel

Arise from that which is not real

A mistaken notion that the body is me

When I am its engine, a soul identity

If someone has a belief of a different view

Does it mean then that they are askew?

No!  Me and my group are not the center of all

That is the beginning

By Madhava Smullen 

Faced with challenges such as a seriously deteriorating building and a pandemic, the Krishna House in Tallahassee, Florida recently came close to closing its doors for good. But the efforts of dedicated devotees brought it back from the brink, and the project is now steadily reaching out to students at Florida State University (FSU) with Krishna Lunch and other regular programs.

ISKCON of Tallahassee was first established by early Prabhupada disciples Brahmananda and Gargamu