Most resolutions take the form of “do’s”—things I resolve to do—and “don’ts”—things I resolve to not do. And Vedic wisdom tells us that all do’s and don’ts should support one main do—always remember Krishna (God)—and one main don’t—never forget Him.
Now, practically, what can we do to always remember Krishna and never forget Him? The item most favorable for remembering Him is chanting and hearing: chanting and hearing His holy names—the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—and chanting and hearing His tran
By Deena Bandhu Das
Hare Krishna Dear devotees,
On this Auspicious Disappearance day of HH Srila Jiva Goswami and Sri Jagadisha Pandita, Sri Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt left this world!
He was a profound seer of the Madhava Sampradaya and a close admirer of Srila Prabhupada and a dear friend of HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj! He was the one who first accepted the Teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu among the 8 Mutts of Udupi
My Humble Obeisances to the Departed Soul of Swamiji and my d
December is the month in which Krishna spoke Bhagavad gita to Arjuna. The exact day, also known as Gita Jayanti, falls on Moskshada Ekadasi. December is also the month in which book distribution exploded in the west in seventies. Since then devotees in ISKCON have worked hard to keep the same spirit alive. Come December and all over the world ISKCON devotees come out on the streets to distribute Bhagavad gita to the general public, its also called book marathon. As Gita Jayanti month comes to a
From Back to Godhead
Srila Prabhupada once wrote of Back to Godhead magazine, “This paper is the beginning of my spiritual life.”
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
To commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of Back to Godhead, we present Srila Prabhupada’s opening article of his first issue of the magazine, which he launched on the appearance day of his spiritual master in 1944. The world was at war
It’s Monday morning. It’s cold, wet and windy. It’s time to face the world. It’s another day on book distribution!
I remember returning from my first day on book distribution and being advised to do the unthinkable – “go and have a cold shower!” What! I’d already been standing in the freezing cold all day! The logic was that a warm shower cleanses your physical body, but a cold shower cleanses your subtle body – all the negative energy that we absorb from a day in the urban jungle is cleansed a
In July 1969, George Harrison produced the Radha Krishna Temple album with the first group of devotees in London.Fifty years later, in December 2019, a group of devotees are back in the iconic Abbey Road Studios to record the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra once again.
The producer of the new record, known as Youth from the band "Killing Joke," is a highly accomplished award-winning musician and producer who shares spiritual interests with the devotees. He also has connections with Beatles members,
On November 27 the All-India Padayatra was in Navsari, the ninth biggest municipality of Gujarat state, where we presented several programmes. That evening I received a call from a devotee asking after padayatra’s location. While we do post updates on social media, we regularly get telephone enquiries from devotees so that if we are nearby, they can join us for a day or two and experience the bliss of padayatra. I told the devotee we were at Na
The Yamuna River is worshipable, for her greatest pleasure is to serve Krsna and His pastimes in Vraja. One of these pastimes in which the bank of the Yamuna served as a backdrop was Krsna’s killing of Vatsasura, which is described in Bhagavatam Canto 10, Chapter 11, Verses
41-45. Krsna had just begun caring for the calves in the nearbye Vrajabhumi forests.
Srila Jiva Gosvami describes Kamsa’s mood as he sent Vatsasura to his death, which came in the form of his attempt to kill Krsna:
Srila Jiva Goswami made his appearance in 1533 and disappeared from view at the age of 85 in 1540.
As a child, Sri Jiva took up the worship of Rama-Krsna Deities. Carefully decorating Them, and offering bhoga and arati, he served Them attentively. Even when playing, Jiva’s games were often connected with Lord Krsna’s pastimes.
Later, in a dream, Sri Jiva saw that Rama-Krsna had taken the forms of Nitai-Gauranga, and They were dancing. Giving him the dust of Their lotus feet, the two Lords then
A new ISKCON-endorsed online training program, Karuna Care Education (KCE), is equipping students with the basic tools to offer people in crisis competent, well-informed emotional support and spiritual care. https://karunacare.iskcon.org/
KCE provides introductory, lay interfaith ministry education for second-initiated ISKCON devotees who wish to provide compassionate care in hospitals, hospices, prisons, airport chapels, college campuses, psychiatric hospitals, homeless s
"Attraction to distraction causes serious inhibition in one's devotion."
This Christmas season, students from Alachua’s Bhaktivedanta Academy (BANA) participated in “Outreach Week” from December 16th to 20th. A tradition stretching back decades, and since 2008 in its current form, it’s designed to give students a positive experience of sharing Krishna consciousness.
“We carefully craft the experience, making it age appropriate,” says principal Visvambhar Aguilera. “For example, our youngest students visit a devotee’s home on the temple proper
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.6.
“In discharging such devotional service, as ordered by Brahmaji to Narada in the preaching of Srimad-Bhagavatam, sometimes a representative of the Lord engaged in preaching work meets various so-called difficulties. This was exhibited by Lord Nityananda when He delivered the two fallen souls Jagai and Madhai, and similarly Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by the nonbelievers. But such difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees
Nirakula comes to visit us every six months, along with her husband, Vaisesika, to encourage the sharing of wisdom. It is significant at this time of year in December, when the ‘giving spirit’ is the strongest. Classes are lined up, beginning with today, to express the joy of giving. Some devotees from different cities have come to hear how to best achieve the act of giving.
It was today, before I went for a five kilometre walk, that I received a call from a bhakti follower from Canada, who
By Radhavallabha dasa, AP Padayatra leader
The Andhra Pradesh Padayatra is currently walking towards Ahobilam, covering about 18km a day. As we passed through the villages around the city of Chittoor, we were often invited to programmes at devotees’ homes.
MLA comes for darshan
On December 6, we reached the small town of Chandragiri where we performed sankirtan in the main square. As news spread that padayatra had arrived, the Chandragiri constituency member of the AP Legislative Assembly,
Fifty years ago, on December 26, 1969, in Boston, Srila Prabhupada awarded me second initiation. He said, “Sucih means purified. And another meaning of sucih is brahman. A brahman means purified. Those who are going to be sacred-threaded today should remember that they are being accepted as sucih, as brahman. After chanting for six months or one year, it is supposed that he has already become purified. Now he should be recognized that he is purified. So this sacred thread means recognition. Sac
By Madhusudana Das
With mixed emotions, we would like to convey to all her Godbrothers and Godsisters that Vaikuntha Murti dasi peacefully passed away after being released from the hospital and being in hospice.
The few days at her home was filled with many well-wishers and video chats with a couple of her very dear friends. So, she left knowing that she was loved and appreciated.
Although she suffered physically for many years her passing was quick and peaceful.
Thank you Srila Prabhupada for
Historically, ISKCON Brooklyn, New York, was perhaps the greatest center of book distribution in the world. In the 1970s, ISKCON Press printed Prabhupada’s books at 32 Tiffany Place near the Henry Street temple. The huge amounts of books distributed from Brooklyn, meanwhile, contributed much of the funds to build flagship ISKCON centers such as the Juhu temple in Mumbai, and Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir.
For the past twenty years, however, book distribution came to a comple
