It was with great satisfaction that I conducted a Kirtan Standards course along with the Bhakti Academy students. The feedback that I received from this three hour interactive workshop/presentation were words like “informative,” “educational” and “clarification on things.” It was felt that before these students develop some habits regarding Kirtan (chanting) that fall in the realm of divergent, why not get it right in the beginning?
It was the founder-acarya of the movement, Prabhupada, who est
From Back to Godhead
What do the Bhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada have to say about these universal concepts?
At the beginning of his first book, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Dedicated to the scientists of the world.” Perhaps it was Lord Krishna’s special plan that Srila Prabhupada’s first book be related to science, and space in particular. By this dedication, Srila Prabhupada is inviting scientists and any inquisitive thoughtful people to explore the science in the
Our spiritual practice should nourish us, it should supply us with a taste that is better than the taste that material activities and sense gratification provide us with. When our spiritual practice lacks this taste, the temptation of material life which then allures us with a seemingly greater taste is always close to us. And at that time we are in danger. However, if we can find taste in our spiritual practice we are safe on the spiritual platform.
The chanting of the Holy Names is recommende
By Mahavrata Devi Dasi
Nigerian devotees were excited to perform the annual World Holy Name week which started on the 17th of September. Devotees all over Nigeria were seen chanting on the streets, distributing Prabhupada books and singing to the glory of the Lord as chanting enters day 3.
By Satyaraja Dasa
Most systems of Indian philosophy endorse the notion that, in some sense, all living beings are one with God. Some would say that spiritual philosophy in general – East and West – is based on the premise of oneness, suggesting an ontological unity for
all that is. The reasoning is straightforward: Since everything emanates from God, and since God is absolute, then His emanations partake of His essential nature, even if they exist in temporary forgetfulness.* Thus, ultimate spir
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaja is one of the senior disciples of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder acharya of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He holds a BA Degree in Oriental fine arts history from the University of British Colombia. He joined the Hare Krishna movement in India in 1970. Initiated in 1971 by Srila Prabhupada, he took sannyasa vows in 1984. Bhanu Swami was personally instructed in the art of Deity worship by Srila Prabhupada,
The Bhagavad-gita teaches, “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” Gita 2.14
There are many emotions we feel throughout the day; sadness is one of them. It often sweeps across us like grey clouds on an otherwise bright day. It may be trigge
The smaller communities we have established in recent years are all doing well in terms of governance, attendance and participation. Financially things are also doing all right. Even during the pandemic, none of our places of education and spiritual wellness suffered in a major way. At least not in “Zone One” of North America, which I am responsible for. This is, by the way, the krpa of God — mercy from the Universe.
Two such centres were on my visiting list today – Scarborough and Milton. Scar
The Goddess
The embodiment of beauty
The spirit of purity
Her complexion resembles gold
While Her senses are controlled
She is calm, composed, collected
To all souls She remains connected
She is the epicenter of radiance
As A flower’s essence is fragrance
She is the master in the cuisine
After Her craft She keeps it all clean
She is a teacher of surrender
Holding no place for a pretender
And those who are morose
To Her just can’t come close
She is the epitome of the feminine
Spontaneous in lo
We are just having fun, that is what life is all about. We do not suffer and if there is any suffering, then we make sure that there is maximum care. Someone may have one leg, but that is okay because we can give that person an electronic one. If someone has lost both legs, then no problem, we will give them two electronic legs. The point is that we attempt to turn everything in this material world into enjoyment. I mean, I would rather not lose my legs if I get to choose. Electronic legs are n
Recently, I was distributing at Orange Coast College, and a student came to the table and showed an interest in getting Bhagavad-gita. I explained it to him a little. Then he opened it, to see what he could get out of it. He opened it to text 4.22: “He who is satisfied with gains that comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.” When he read that he said, “All right, I’ll take it
The bhakti tradition acknowledges the personal and impersonal aspects of the Absolute Truth, but values one of them as the more desirable of the two.
For hundreds of years, philosophers and theologians have debated whether God is ultimately personal or impersonal. After all, the nature of God plays a major role in our fate. If God is a person, then we have the potential for a loving, eternal relationship with Him. But if God isn’t a person and is instead impersonal, like a light we merge into,
PRESS RELEASE
ONE DAY FOR UKRAINE festival will take place on Saturday, October 1st, 2022 in Alachua, FL (15 minutes outside of Gainesville) and will aim to bring awareness to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This will be the first interfaith event for the community, uniting people of various cultural, religious, social and economic backgrounds, around a great humanitarian cause. The event will welcome members of the greater Gainesville, Orlando, St. Augustine, Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville
Mitch poked his head in the doorway of the temple room when we were engaged in drama practice. He just had a nutritious meal at Govinda’s Restaurant along with his companion. I haven’t seen Mitch for quite some time (due to covid), when he would bring his philosophy students to hear from us about the Gita. He just retired, doesn’t look 65, in fact he’s energetic and has a youthful zest. His companion, Tyler, will take over the course. Tyler possesses the same kind of enthusiasm as Mitch. I thin
During the questions and answers sessions, I read the following quotes from Caitanya Bhagavata. When I was asked for the references, I said I would post them in a blog. For those who are interested, here they are:
Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Madhya Khanda, Chapter Five
TEXT 140-141
vaisnava-himsara katha se thakuka dure
sahaja jivere ye adhama pida kare
visnu pujiya o ye prajara pida kare
puja o nisphale yaya, ara duhkhe mare
What to speak of being envious of the Vaisnavas, if one causes pain to
From Back to Godhead
Even in the most hopeless situations there is hope—when we turn to Lord Krishna.
“Can you please speak to my relatives,” a doctor friend requested me after a Sunday feast program in our temple. “Their youngest son died in an accident recently, and they are much traumatized.”
I agreed and went to meet the family in a corridor outside the temple hall. The father told me how the son had gone to a picnic with his friends and had drowned in a river. He was just eighteen. I liste
Of all reading material that comes my way in a natural devotional setting – the Gita, the Bhagavatam and anything else which is a publication of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, I also include the occasional more secular material (even an occasional newspaper) – I confess to my favorite amongst all.
I just love hearing or reading of the past times of Prabhupada. There is a wealth of material out there on the subject of His Divine Grace, the founder and acharya (teacher) of the great bhakti movemen
The light winds aroused the spirits of people as I walked on Bloor St., West. It was a struggle at intersections to get my dhoti (lower robes) to behave. But I was having fun with pedestrians.
The first one to approach me was like an elder hippie who came up beside me and said, “Are you on the path of enlightenment?”
“I’m on it,” I said. “It’s truly a work in progress. How about you? Are you taking steps to get there?”
To this he responded, “I’ve taken them.” We reached a red light and he made
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees.
Please accept my humble obeisances, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
We have reached that auspicious time of the year after the Bhadra Purnima festival when we will celebrate the 3rd edition of the annual Book Are The Basis Week. 11th to 17th September this year is dedicated on the ISKCON calendar to encourage Srila Prabhupada’s followers to read the Bhaktivedanta purports everyday. The GBC Executive Committee Chairman, His Holiness Bhanu Maharaja, has kindly offered
By Srigarbha das
Hare Krishna, this year Janmastami festival was celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in Bangladesh. Thousands of devotees gathered together for a huge extravaganza. Janmastami festival is celebrated as the holy appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. Srimad Bhagavatam told, Krishna is the only God and all others are his expansions. Various acharyas like Shankaracharya, Madhavacharya, Ramanujacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have accepted Lord Sri
