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In their new book, “An Endangered Species: ISKCON Ashramites in the West,” Kalakantha Das and Jitamitra Dasi posit that ashrams are still an important part of today’s ISKCON. They explain how to create an ashram program that attracts devotees from all backgrounds in the West, especially in North America.

“Some say that the idea of joining an ashram or commune is passé, a hangover from the drop-out anticulture of the 1960s that is not the way of today’s Millennials and Generation Z,” writes Akhan

This is the month of Kartik and I was asked to speak on the month of Damodar but although Damodar is so much on my mind, even more than that is the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada actually.

We will have arati in Srila Prabhupada’s room, by his bed. At the end of the arati, Srila Prabhupada’s chadar goes around, the big grey woollen chadar and it is heavy. When I felt that heavy chadar, I felt the weight of responsibility – now we have to do something; we have to do something to take up this m

“So at the time of death… Of course, those who are devotees, their position is different. People may say, “The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?” So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling t

I was walking and taking photos of a moose family, no the actual animals, which are the largest of the deer family, but effigies of the clan made entirely of white lights. I was in the middle of snapping shots from my phone when Godbrother, Krishna das, from Lindsay, called to talk about Diwali, the festival of lights.

Apparently he and I, as well as other God-siblings, will be conducting a Zoom presentation on the 18th. It is according to the Vedic calendar, the time of viewing lights and lamps

By Rukmini Krishna Das

With deep sorrow, we would like to communicate to the global devotee community the departure of His Holiness Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami Maharaja at around 6.00 AM on the 14th of November, 2020 due to a second cardiac arrest and complications arising out his surgery for cervical spondylitis and a cardiac arrest. He had been unwell for quite a long time. He was COVID-negative, when last tested a couple of days before being shifted from the hospital to the ISKCON Punjabi

Happy Dipavali. A Good News for You!
Welcome to Puri Parikrama 2020!

As Supremely Merciful as Lord Jagannath, His Divine abode Puri dhama is reaching to you, wherever you are, in any part of this planet and you can join us in Puri Parikrama Online everyday from 2nd Dec-5th Dec. Do not miss the mercy of performing Puri Parikrama on the specific day prescribed in Scriptures(on the tithi of Marga sirsa masa Pancami – the 5th day after Purnima, in the month of Marga sirsa, this year it falls on 5th

In 2018 and 2019, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Vrnda-kunda, where we offer our obeisances to Vrndadevi, who while arranging the pastimes of Radha, Krsna and Their associates, is also churning rasa. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Vrnda-kunda during Parikrama 2018 and Parikrama 2019.

It is Vrndadevi, who is the stage manager, always creating situations to provide joy to Radha and Krsna, to Krsna and His cowherd boyfriends, and also

In 2019, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to the Sri Sri Radha Madana-Mohana Mandir in Vrndavana in anticipation of the trip to Jaipur during that year’s parikrama. It is here where a shipwrecked captain constructed a temple for the Madana-Mohana Deity in accordance with the advice he received from Sanatana Gosvami. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan, lecture and tour below, along with a few photos, at the iconic Sri Sri Radha Madana-Mohana Mandir during Parikrama 2019. If you watch the w

On this eve of Remembrance Day we give homage to those who sacrificed their lives in defence of innocent citizens. I saw that pedestrians passing by the park bench where I relaxed were bearing the symbolic poppy.

Saurav, 19, a student at U of T, whom I sat with, is from a Punjabi descent and I assume he knows not a lot about the gruesome world war of the 20th century. However, his ancestors may well know of the years of British occupancy and of the Partisan riots. These events are just ugly all

Every year from 2014 to 2019, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Govardhana. In some years, we did a full parikrama of Govardhana, in other years we visited places of significance around Govardhana such as Surabhi-kunda and Puncari, and in other years we celebrated Govardhana-puja at the Krsna Balaram Mandir in Vrndavana. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans, lectures and puja below, along with a few photos, at and around Govardhana and also on Govardhana-puja during Parikramas 2015, 2017

I think of Giri Govardhana as being similar to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, because Giri Govardhana is Krishna Himself. But although he is Krishna Himself, according to the acharyas, he is in the mood of a devotee. And many devotees worship Giri Govardhana in that mood—that he is a devotee of Krishna and of the devotees of Krishna. There is a famous verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam in which the gopis, specifically Srimati Radharani, praise Govardhana Hill as the best servant of Lord Hari.

hantayam adrir

In 2017 and 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Surabhi-kunda, where Indra met Krsna after the Govardhana lila to ask for forgiveness for acting out of anger. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Surabhi-kunda during Parikrama 2017 and Parikrama 2018.

Indra allowed himself to fall prey to anger by being proud. When one is proud, one gives undue importance to oneself and everything that one experiences is extremely important. When we are

We wish you all a happy Diwali. Diwali, or Dipavali, marks the end of the year, and by the year’s end we want to pay our debts, rectify our relationships–and then try to do better the next year.

The Vedic literatures inform us that in the present age, Kali-yuga, the recommended process for self-realization, or God realization, is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Of course, we know that Lord Krsna appeared about five thousand years ago and spoke the Bhagavad-gita. At the end of the Bh

In 2016, 2017 and 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Prema-sarovara, where Radha and Krsna once met, and in a moment of separation, They shed so many tears that it formed the waters of this sarovara. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Prema-sarovara during Parikrama 2017 and Parikrama 2018.

In the Prema-sarovara, all the holy rivers manifest. There is a story explaining how all the holy rivers came here on a pilgrimage. This place ca

My cousin, Corry, her hubby, Eric, and our young Muslim friend, Victor, came together to talk spiritual. And it wasn’t a conversation devoid of opinions about the American election. Political opinions often tend to polarize people. It occupies many peoples’ lives. Spiritual conversations can do the same—occupy and polarize. At least our group succeeded in hitting common ground when talking stayed on the other-worldly thoughts.

I had shared my realizations with Gabriel of St. Mary’s. We dwelt on

In 2016 and 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Varsana, the village of Srimati Radharani. It is here that various deities such as Lord Brahma and Lord Visnu have manifested themselves in the form of hills, as they carry the Lord and His devotees on their heads. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Varsana during Parikrama 2016 and Parikrama 2018.

There is Goloka Vrndavana, Bhumi Vrndavana and a third Vrndavana – the internal Vrndavana.

By Giriraj Swami 

Today, Sri Rama-ekadasi, is a very special day. It is the first Ekadasi in the month of Kartik, or Damodara, and it has special significance as the day on which Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the most important book on the life and precepts of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which was originally published in seventeen volumes. Every devotee should read it. Actually, every devotee should read every book of Srila Prabhupada’s, from Sri Iso

Through the arched window

I see a couple crossing

The road of intensity

No pleasant walk night here
 

Through that lofty window

Men are thinning the tree

I don’t know why

I wish I did though
 

Through this broad window

I can view four homes

Sheltering good families

Our neighbours and friends

Through the part-frosted window

I admire binds in flight

Not destined for the south

They wish to stay here
 

Through that wood-framed window

I am blocked from the air

I hear leaves are rustling

And people