Blog

Today is Shiva-ratri. Vaishnavas generally do not celebrate Shiva-ratri, and to begin, I will explain why, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita. We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 7: “Knowledge of the Absolute.”

TEXT 23

antavat tu phalam tesam
  tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam
devan deva-yajo yanti
  mad-bhakta yanti mam api

TRANSLATION

Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods,

Frontline servants: Remembering the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta publishing marathon

Join GBC SPT to meet the veterans and know what happened behind the scenes when Srila Prabhupada engaged his disciples in publishing Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that turned into a marathon.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93775

It had been a busy day. Some of that busyness had to do with the fact that our Govinda’s Dining Room, open only for takeout, is under the same roof as our temple/ashram. People are coming for the food. We are cooking extra. I hopped into the kitchen to pitch in. I crafted a mixed veg prep — cauliflower, squash and baby potatoes with curry leaves and a host of spices. No chilies!

Dwarkanath, our food chief extraordinaire, made a big batch of dahl. That was triumphant. All the regular fare and ex

Video: Click here

By Urban Devi

On February 28, the monthly Urban Devi sanga featured Manjuali Devi Dasi sharing her personal reflections, daily actions, and the gifts of fellowship of the bhakti path. She revealed how contemplative prayer, daily practice, and an enthusiasm to meet life’s daily challenges with awareness, support our quest for self-realization and a loving relationship with the Divine. She shares her insights from a life dedicated to bhakti on how to trust our inner guide and, at

A new documentary POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE (12A) directed by Paul Sng and Celeste Bell is released across the UK and Ireland on March 5th. 

Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain, with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk

Temperatures were mild. There was a thaw. My ceiling told me so. A slow leak of brown water was coming through. It’s interesting how it travels from the roof. Clumps of snow and ice meet the sun and hence a drip makes its way from the rooftop to the floor in the bedroom.

“We’ll get it fixed,” says our maintenance man.

“Great!”

Whenever a bit of humidity makes its entrance, arthritic joints feel it. Today is a good example of the elements visiting this second building — the body. Legs, knees and

About Jagattarini Devi
Her Grace Jagattarini Mataji joined ISKCON and first met Srila Prabhupada in America in 1970 (many of you may have heard of this famous story of a successful actress becoming a devotee). Through her connections with the Movement, Jagattarini met her husband, Bhurijana Prabhu, and together they pioneered a nama-hatta center in Hong Kong. Srila Prabhupada encouraged her to use artistic talents in attracting people to the cultural side of devotional service. Some years later

About Kusha Devi
She became a devotee at the age of 17, moved into the temple as soon as she turned 18 in 1969. Govinda dasi deputed Jayasri Prabhu and her to grow the first Tulasi plants in the western world. In 1970, Govinda dasi was asked by Srila Prabhupada to make Gour Nitai Deities. So she deputed Kusha Devi to sculpt the clay form of Lord Caitanya, the first in our Iskcon. She was put on the board of Trustees of the Vrinda Kund Project, maintaining a non profit corporation in which to ra

By Madhava Smullen

After over a decade of dedicated service, Krishna-lila Dasi is moving on from her position as managing editor of ISKCON News. An award-winnning professional filmmaker, she will continue to work with ISKCON News as a freelance contributor of short films, an exciting new development for the website.

A scholar, teacher, filmmaker, and activist, Krishna-lila holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literary Studies from the University of Budapest, and a Certificate in Screenwriting from New

A prominent sun dominated the sky and when it was time for it to make its ever so graceful exit a reigning powerful king in the form of the moon set itself firmly in the heavens.

During the hours of light devotional activities prevailed at the temple, beginning with a guru-puja; honouring of the guru just after darshan; the viewing of the deity of Krishna. As the sun rose I was feeling gratitude to the devotees from the Atlantic zone for sending that sun to us. The sun enlivens.

I thought of ou

In the mood of visiting the Dham when you can’t physically go to the Dham, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) is bringing the Dham to you!

About Chandan Yatra Das
Chandan Yatra Das is disciple of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. He live in Canberra, Australia. Since 2009, he has travelled to various Holy Dhamas across India, especially covering the holy places connected with pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His associates, Vaishnava acarya’s and Lord Krishna. He has prepared over 60 articles

“You can associate with me by reading my books.” Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk — Toronto, 7 August 1975.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93686

By Indradyumna Swami

In light of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the development of COVID-19 vaccines, many of my students have inquired whether they should get vaccinated or not.

As a result, I wish to share my views on this matter with my students and those who look to me for advice. Of course, the final decision whether or not to get vaccinated rests with each individual.

After consulting several devotee doctors who have literally saved my life on five separate occasions (thre

Srila Prabhupada would describe how sometimes during the rainy season in Mayapur, the Ganga is flooding its banks and the entire area goes underwater. And sometimes, Mayapur is almost two months in a lockdown underwater, imagine that! I remember spending some time in that flood during a year and it was quite an experience. We would have to swim from one building to another and we were not the only ones swimming. There were also cobras swimming to add some excitement. Some had rubber boats and t

Much of the snow has turned into water, trapped between heaps of white and bordered by slush. The reason is the mild temperature. It got up to 8°C and that meant wrapping my jacket around my left arm, leaving a full orange cloth exposure. People noticed. It stands out; especially with snow patches as a backdrop. It’s been a while since I strolled into the daytime. There’s a lot more pedestrians out.

“Hey, that attire really is something,” said one service/repair person.

Monks are rare. Period.

About Radhika Raman Das
Radhika Ramana Das, also known as Dr. Ravi M. Gupta, is a notable Vaishnava scholar. Presently, he is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and a member of the faculty at Bhaktivedanta College. He received his doctorate from Oxford University on the topic of Jiva Goswami’s Vedanta,and has a Post Doctoral Fellowship from Linacre College.He grew up in Boise Idaho where his academic accomplishments were docume

By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader

Taking a detour from our route padayatra reached Jasdan, a municipality town in the Rajkot district, the home of Mahavishnu Maharaja disciple Ganshyam dasa. When Ganshyam and his wife had darshan of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar in Belgaon, Maharashtra, he prayed to Their Lordships for blessings so that he could become a good grihastha devotee. He had served in padayatra for six months and also in Vraja-mandal Parikrama where he received the blessings of R

ISKCON Ujjain celebrated the 15th anniversary of its temple inauguration on 25th February 2021, Nityananda Trayodasi, the day of the divine appearance of Lord Nityananda.

On 10th February 2006, the beautiful temple of Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan ji, Krishna Balarama and Gaura Nitai was inaugurated in the auspicious presence of many GBCs, sannyasis and senior devotees of ISKCON. HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja had constructed this beautiful marble temple in a very short time of 9 mo

Many years ago a great Krishna Bhakti teacher, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, penned the following 4 principles of community building:

1. Treat everyone you encounter as if the success or failure of your spiritual life depends on the quality of your interactions with them.

2. Think of the person you love the most and aspire to treat everyone with that same quality of love.

3. View all conflicts as your own fault first.

4. Realize that people in your present environment might very well be the people with