Listing here my personal annoyances (pet peeves) and also listing what I like (soft spots) at the temple/ashram.
Pet Peeves
When:
1) … the temple and washroom are not clean
2) … a poor brand of incense is being used for the deities
3) … there is dissension amongst resident monks
4) … we lag behind in building repair
5) … the front yard is overgrown by weeds
6) … classes are delivered without eye contact and in monotone
7) … shoes are not placed in the designated area
8) … bugs enter and we don
By Snigdhamayi Sudevi Devi Dasi
Srila Prabhupada is featured in the "Saints of India" chapter by one Indian high school textbook published in the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) this year. This chapter describes different sages of India and begins with Srila Prabhupada.
At this time we have no additional information that the government of India has initiated this textbook inclusion or if this textbook is being used across India.
"There is the government entity which formulates th
Artwork: Shyamasundara Das
There had never been a day like this, nor night
Planets repositioned to create a heavenly sight
Prominent was the star, Rohini, so bright
A pervading peace kept at bay any tendency to fight
Such was the cosmic sky on that day, and what of the Earth?
Lotus flowers, trees, and rivers were welcoming a new birth
Unbounded joy, lightness, and expressions of mirth
Were centered around a bundle of Absolute Worth
Tucked away in a royal prison was a woman, a man
And a person,
Dr. Sunil Sachdev decided he wanted to fly in, from his home in Vancouver, for a visit to help me during my rehab. He is a specialist with eyes. He had a vision and a heart to see how he could pitch in. So, this morning we phoned an Ayurvedic clinic which offers natural healing through a system of panca-karma. He also booked me in for shiatsu. I do have friends in this field but you have to know Sunil. He gets over excited with service; either that or most other people I know usually under achi
By Syamasundara Dasa
I wanted to layout some likely consequences and a possible plan how cow protection can be shaped to supply the needs of a city of 50,000 people in a modern setting. I have chosen India as that setting as it relates to a desire for our own ISKCON Mayapura City in West Bengal to have a population of 50,000.
The setting is important as it influences the types of breeds of cows you can select as your herd base and the likely yields of milk etc that can be expected. For example
By Damodarlila dasa, Maharashtra Padayatra leader
Having gained spiritual strength in Pandharpur dhama for our preaching mission, on July 27 the Maharashtra Padayatra resumed and headed for Kasegaon village 10km away. Our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, blessed us for the journey ahead and he and several temple devotees walked with us to the outskirts of Pandharpur.
As we made our way towards Kasegaon singing and dancing, we stopped briefly for a rest. We unyoked the oxen and were all sitt
By Kamala Radha Devi Dasi
A Facebook report from August 18th states that the most viewed post by American users was not political or misinformation, but a post from ISKCON Mumbai's own Gaur Gopal Das.
The story on this viral post was reported on by Indian-based news agency The Print and can be watched here.
Source: https://iskco
Radha Govinda Jhulan Yatra Mahaotsava takes place in the month of Sravana from Ekadashi till Baralama Purnima. Radha Govinda are deities of abideya or the process of devotional service. The festival is a special opportunity for the devotees to render some personal service to Them. Service is the medium to express our love for the Lord. This festival is similar to Ratha Yatra where the Deities come down from the altar to receive service from everyone.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/swing-fest
Adam was coaching me once again as my physiotherapist and said, “You’re doing really good.” He gave some more exercises to add onto the regimen I already have. At one point he cautiously grabbed the weakened left leg and held it to a certain angle which caused some mild spasms to arise. I knew he knew what he was doing, being an expert in the field. I’m grateful.
He knew that my home (the ashram) was 3 km away because I mentioned it last week. “Are you doing three a day?”
“I’m not there yet but
By Madhava Smullen
This year, ISKCON is celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of its Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, born in 1896 in Calcutta.
Among his many contributions, Srila Prabhupada taught his disciples how to prepare food with love for Krishna, or God, and how to offer it to the Lord and accept the sanctified food as “prasadam,” meaning “mercy.” Under Prabhupada’s direction and inspiration, there are now around 110 restaurants serving pure vegeta
To honor the fiftieth anniversary of the installation of Sri-Sri Rukmini-Dwarakadisa, as well as the inception of Their beautiful worship, a commemorative festival will be held. Special guest speakers from the time of those glorious beginnings will speak, and a variety of special Krishna Janmastami worship and kirtan will be performed throughout the two-day festival.
The celebration will take place on August 28-29 as well as on Janmastami Day, because the Deities were installed in August fif
By Snigdhamayi Sudevi Devi Dasi
On July 18th, ISKCON Malaysia released stamps to commemorate the arrival of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in Malaysia fifty years back in 1971 from the 3rd to the 8th of May. A private stamp was released, under the Setemku service by Post Malaysia. It is not an official stamp released by the Government of Malaysia for public usage.
During his stay in the country, Srila Prabhupada traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Teluk Intan, Ipoh, and P
This weekend the Scarborough ISKCON team held their Ratha Yatra, starting at 6:30 AM on Saturday and completing near midnight. What I’m hearing from some of the different centres we have is that the Covid approach to this festival may be better than the usual way of doing things. Several items make the event more favorable such as:
1) It reaches more people as a vehicle with Jagannatha inside, goes to the neighborhoods where people get curious
2) Less-to-no permits required
3) Easier to organi
By Madhava Smullen
The San Francisco Rathayatra, ISKCON’s first, returned on August 14th after missing the year 2020 due to the pandemic, with a bright and colorful celebration for the Lord of the Universe at Golden Gate Park.
With the exception of last year, San Francisco Rathayatra has been held annually since 1967, when Srila Prabhupada sketched a truck with a four-pillared canopy on the back and organized his early disciples in introducing Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra to North Ame
Today is the appearance day of Lord Balarama, the Personality of Godhead who is the first expansion of Lord Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead. As Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7):
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.” Lord Krishna says, srjamy aham: “I manifest
WOOOAHHH! That’s it!” I said when I came across the German word sehnsucht (ZEN-zookt). “That sums it all up!”
Sehnsucht means “longing,” “yearning,” or even “craving,” but it also carries implications of “intensely missing,” as when pining for something as if one’s life depended on it. The word hearkens to the need a person feels when addicted to hard drugs, an addiction so intense one’s entire being calls out for it.
The word also indicates the feeling that one’s life is unfinished or imperfec
By Kalyana Giriraja das
On August 10, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Kloeckner chose the ISKCON Bhakti Retreat Center Goloka Dhama in southern Germany as the start of a tour with e-bikes in her ongoing election campaign. The minister is running for the federal elections on September 26, 2021, and Goloka Dhama in the small village of Abentheuer is part of her election district.
Source: https://iskconnews.org/federal-minister-julia-kloeckner-visits-goloka-dhama-germany,7956/
My third visit for Physio on my left knee went well. Adam, the trainer for today was pleased. According to him there’s still work to be done even though I walked in crutch free. After the visit I walked towards home and was feeling so much appreciation for a medical system that really does care for the individual. That’s how I feel about Adam and Kathy from the week before and also Kevin on the first visit.
And, I guess, I’ll give all the thank-you’s I can when the physician confronts my right
By Sakhi Rangadevi Devi Dasi
The birthplace of Srila Prabhupada at Tollygunge, Kolkata, is now under the ownership of ISKCON. After toiling for several decades, the devotees of ISKCON Kolkata have achieved something commendable to make as an offering to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on his 125th birth anniversary: August 31st, 2021. A live-streamed festival will take place on that day and all are encouraged to watch and participate.
On the 11th of August, Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata, R
