By Parijata Devi Dasi
The Devotee Care Directorate, together with GBC SPT is endeavoring to extend tribute to all the devotees in ISKCON who have unfortunately departed in the current pandemic due to Covid as well as non-Covid related death during this period (over the last year).
As part of this initiative, the Devotee Care team is compiling a consolidated list of these departed devotees from across the world; their names and photographs, and will display them on the official site: www.devotee
I met Mother Balai through my sister Padyavali, who lived in Kinross in the Eastern Transvaal. Whenever I visited Kinross I would do as much sankirtana as possible, and soon, through the effort of the devotees, a nama-hatta was established.
Padyavali regularly brought prasadam for Mother Balai and her family, and soon Balai; her good husband, Lenny; and her children, Shamenderan and Priyenderan, took up the process of Krishna consciousness.
Mother Balai and the devotees, including two devotees
The tussle between “freewill” and “destiny” has been primordial. There is one famous Greek play titled “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. The main character Oedipus has the tragic destiny of marrying his own mother revealed to him by the soothsayer. Shaken by the revelation, he decides to escape his fate by leaving his royal parents and his kingdom, but ironically the more he tries to give a slip, nearer he gets to the prediction. Finally the fate takes the better of him. He later learns of the commis
By Madhava Smullen
In a five-day festival from May 22nd to 26th, ISKCON of Sydney, Australia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the installation of their presiding Deities Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha, Who were installed by Srila Prabhupada on May 10th, 1971.
The first Deities in Australia, the beautiful Sri-Sri Radha Gopinatha have a unique history. In February 1970, two devotees sent by Srila Prabhupada – Bali Mardana Das and Upendra Das – opened the very
By Madhava Smullen
Ireland’s main temple, on the Hare Krishna island of Inis Rath – also known as Govindadwipa and located on Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland – is set to undergo major renovations. These will include new deity worship facilities for the presiding deities of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda and new cottages for resident pujaris. Bedrooms in the temple will also be converted into guestrooms, set to open for retreat-goers in August 2022.
Inis Rath Island was originally owned
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees,
Due to the severe cyclonic storm, sea water has entered the ISKCON Gangasagar temple. The storm winds were not devastating, but due to the storm surge the sea level is at a height of at least 6-7 ft. The temple has become flooded with sea water. Gaura Nitai and senior devotees have shifted to a safer place. Please review the above details of what has occurred in the temple. Support is greatly needed now to restore the temple to functioning order. We need your prayers
The following is a partially edited transcription of a lecture on SB 10.58-8-10, given in Chowpatty. Radhanath Swami’s lecture is also included.
tam aha prema-vaiklavya-
ruddha-kanthasru-locana
smaranti tan bahunklesan
klesapayatma-darsanam
“So overcome by love that her throat choked up and her eyes filled with tears, Queen Kunti remembered the many troubles she and her sons had endured. Thus she addressed Lord Krisna, who appears before His devotees to drive away their distress.”
tadaiva kusal
Today my beloved disciple Balai Dasi, from Kinross, South Africa, passed away, due to Covid. She was a kind, generous, hospitable, staunch devotee—a mother to many—and she will be sorely missed. Please join me in praying for her auspicious onward spiritual journey.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
The most auspicious dvadashi tithi of the Krishna paksha in the month of Jyeshtha was blessed to be the glorious day when the author of Shri Chaitanya Bhagwat, Shrila Vrindavan Das Thakur, who was a dear devotee of Shri Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu and the disciple of Shrila Nityananda Prabhu, made his appearance on this earth to assist Mahaprabhu in his pastimes, which are most sweet and sublime. Shrila Vrindavan das thakur had taken birth from the womb of Shrimati Narayani devi, the niece of Shrivas
By Jayarama Das
From Back to Godhead
Navayauvana: What is your background as an artist?
Jayarama: I can say that my painting started off with music, because as a child I studied music more than I studied art. I spent most of my time practicing and playing the piano. When I reached sixteen or seventeen I started to become more interested in visual arts, and I began drawing quite a bit. Then I went to study drawing at Washington University, In St. Louis, at the school of fine arts there. I studie
It was our fourth time together. You may have heard of Vande Arts, an arts initiative driven to create a camaraderie among bhakti artists. Well, you might say that this next reincarnation of that direction is called BhaktiArt Hub S.O.S. Shaping Our Soul is a piece of our vision statement.
Through Zoom our group of a few, for starters, is comprised of Gaura Vani, the bhajan singer, a sweet couple from San Antonio, Texas by the names Bhagavan Narada and Naradi, Govinda Gopal from Jersey City, Par
I managed to keep a proper social distance from moose, bear and cougar while in the north country for the day. My companion, Jivan Mukta, and I escaped from the big city for a three-hour venture to a marvelous 200-acre property he just purchased, near Algonquin Park, for a potential yoga retreat site. En route we did witness a mishap. A young moose did get killed by a motorist. Sad news, but this is a reality when the world of modernity comes face to face with the natural world.
But back to ple
The divine counterpart of Sri Krishna is known as Sri Radha. Together, according to the ancient Vaishnava tradition, this dual-gendered divinity is God-male and female dimensions of the Absolute Truth. Sri Radha is the complete energy, and Sri Krishna is the complete energetic source. They are nondifferent from each other, just as musk and its scent are forever merged, or as fire and heat are inseparable.
Radha and Krishna are one, yet They have assumed two separate forms to enjoy loving pastim
Prabhupada explains that ISKCON is a branch of the Caitanya Tree, of that wish-fulfilling desire tree. So, in this way, it is described how the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is flowing and expanding, expanding through the vaisnavas to the whole universe. This process of harinama sankirtana is a personal process. It is a process about individual devotees taking up devotional service. And as such, that devotional service, which is performed by each and every devotee, then goes from one devotee
There were times when the mainstream media lumped us ‘Hare Krishna’s’ with the weird mix of pseudo religions and charlatan led cults, whose existence caused consternation among the establishment and parents alike. When out on book distribution, we would often be confronted with, “Are you sure you are not one of those dangerous David Koresh Heavens Gate suicide pact lunatics?” In many ways we had to plead our case as legitimate followers of the Vaisnava path, without being the glassy-eyed brainwa
It was another one of those interfaith sessions I participated in with attendees from Chicago, Atlanta and Toronto. Mostly Christians were present. Basically, it was a Korean-based organization, Christian by nature, who regularly have such events. Oh, how I wish I could be physically interacting with these folks as they do appear to be people of good quality and intent. Of course, there’s always the fear of fanaticism, which can arise from any denomination.
Our topic was to do with the differen
By Dharmatma das ACBSP
Another wonderful exemplary Vaishnava has left us to be with his worshipful Lordships in the Spiritual World. Bhuvanesvara prabhu has been serving Them in Vrindavan for 35 years and was such an inspiring soul. His sadhana was impeccable, he religiously cooked the Raj Bhoga offering daily, he led kirtan (whose heart could not be moved by his sweet and melodious chanting early in the morning before Mangala Arotik.) He was always was there for Tulasi Puja, Guru Puja, gave cl
By Madhava Smullen
On June 4th, Bhaktivedanta Academy – a Montessori school serving the New Raman Reti community in Alachua, Florida – will reach a successful end to its most challenging school year so far. The heroic effort from teachers and staff has provided primary to high school age students with a safe environment in which their education and social and mental health has been cared for during the pandemic.
It all began in March 2020 when Covid first hit and the State of Florida kept schoo
“You must be the guy my wife met the other day. Charming!” Said the middle-aged man who stopped while passing by.
“I could have been. I’m not sure,” I expressed with some surprise.
“Do you like the bench?” He asked, referring to the seat Sarthak and I sat on.
“It’s a great bench.”
“This bench is in honour of my father. But I won’t charge you,” he said jovially.
“Thanks! That’s a great favour,” I responded as he moved on. I couldn’t resist reading the plaque on the bench. The father’s name appea
The following account was given by Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Atma Tattva Dasa.
In the early ’80s, in Bangalore, I was required to make at least two Life Members a month. I was a bad Life Membership maker, and one month I had only ten days left. I was looking in the telephone directory for Bengali names, and I found a Ganguly. I phoned and said, “I’m from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I want to come and see you today.” Mr. Ganguly sounded positive. He said, “Oh, you are
