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13519930481?profile=RESIZE_584xThe Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) Marathon 2025 Euro Tour has been officially announced, promising a spiritually uplifting journey across Europe to inspire unity, devotion, and support for the completion of the TOVP in Mayapur, India. Scheduled from April 10 to May 13, the tour will visit key cities across the continent:

– Sweden: April 10-12 & 16 (Stockholm & Goteborg)
– Germany: April 20-24 (Lielberg & Cologne)
– Austria: April 25 (Vienna)
– Hungary: April 26-28 (Budapest)
– Croatia: Apri

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13519928894?profile=RESIZE_584xMany sacred events are taking place; the worship of param guru, Bhaktisiddhanta, the opening of a museum in honour of the Founder/Acharya, Prabhupada, and many more features of this year’s festival.  In the meantime, our cultural events keep going on, especially the drama.  The more unfortunate thing is some of these important features are clashing with each other.

Puja (worship) is consistent in the headquarters of ISKCON.  Every day I walk by the bhajan kutir, or the place where our guru, Sril

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13519669057?profile=RESIZE_584xThe following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.

Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin?

Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from?

Disciple: He doesn’t say.

Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect.

Disciple: Scientists say the

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13519666697?profile=RESIZE_584xThe Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja book team, made up of Ananda Tirtha Das, Praghosa Das, Satya Medha Gauranga Das, and Kaisori Devi Dasi, has issued a call for submissions for the 2025 Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja book reminding us “the most wonderful day of the year is fast approaching: Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja day! Please sharpen your pencil or boot up your keyboard and let your love and appreciation flow for the most wonderful personality, whom we’re so fortunate to have as our eternal mast

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13519665067?profile=RESIZE_584xOn Friday, August 13, 1965, a small, beat-up cargo ship set sail from Calcutta. In addition to the crew, one passenger, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, disembarked in New York City with 40 rupees, a three-month visa, and a mission to bring Krishna consciousness to the Western world. 

60 years later, thanks to vigorous public engagement, widespread distribution of religious literature, and the highly visible practice of chanting “Hare Krishna” in public spaces, the success of Bhaktivedanta Swami’s miss

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This is several questions made in the form of an article. I find them intriguing and aspire for answers. I beg kind insightful devotees to offer insights, and, if they find time, to evaluate or critique the answers which i have offered according to my own limited understanding. The very questions are written in bold text. The purpose of this is for my insignificant self to gain clearer understanding on the subject. That would help me in completing a written presentation on Vedic culture, which

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I MET SAM by Bhaktimarga Swami

13519663453?profile=RESIZE_584xThis young man, who looked European to me, was going around on the campus grounds picking up neglected trash.  He had a specific bag in hand for his collection.  I could tell it was a service of a volunteer nature and that softened my heart.  I let him know, “It’s great what you’re doing.”  I moved when I discovered he was behind me.  He identified himself as “Sam!”

 
Sam is from the UK and does dramas at the Manor outside London.  He has a tattoo on his neck which reads “27.”  For those who d
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Poem for Kadambha Kanana Swami

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OUR KK SWAMI (Dedicated to Kadambha Kanana Swami)
 

Life was good when he was young
He then got wed, then became a monk
A man of the Dutch touch genre
In venturesome pursuit he found Chaitanya
Intelligent, musical, with so much talent
He also displayed a warrior's trait so valiant
Like most of us in the early days of the mission
Active responsibility was the only true vision
He became an admin at the Vrindavan temple
For cleaning up a ring of sin – nothing simple
He received a vengeful bullet i

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The day after Gaura Purnima is celebrated as Jagannath Mishra Festival. Just as Nandababa celebrated Nandotsava in joy the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna, similarly, the wonderful appearance of the Lord increased the happiness of everyone in Srimati Sacidevi’s house. Both Sri Jagannatha Misra’s and Srimati Sacidevi’s hearts heaved joyous waves while looking at the Lord’s beautiful face. 

Sri Visvarupa would pick up his brother in his arms and smile gleefully at the Supreme Lord, the abode of a

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By Giriraj Swami

Today we are celebrating the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna, who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious,

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Today we continue our celebration of the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full-moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as was recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious, a

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A young devotee named Bhakta Kevin, serving at the Los Angeles New Dvaraka temple, has broken multiple book distribution records enthusiastically distributing stacks of Srila Prabhupada’s books newly translated into the Farsi language. As soon as the new books arrived at the BBT warehouse from the port of Los Angeles, Bhakta Kevin immediately made beautiful, ribbon-tied stacks of them, which were named the “Four Kumara Stacks.” He drove straight to a local area called “Little Persia” and proce

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Navadvip Mandala Parikrama Adhivas 2024!

“Wandering in Navadvipa is the best of all opulence, the best of all religious principles, the best of all kinds of worship, the best of all perfections, the best of all glories, and the best of all oceans of sweetness.”

Sri Navadwipa Dham, crafted by Srimati Radharani as her divine offering to Krishna, and it became the abode of all holy places upon Lord Krishna’s request. Navadwipa Dham, synonymous with Vrindavan, stands as the merciful land, Audharya

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Becoming Free From The Flaw Of Envy

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“The word ‘envy’ is applied in many places and is used in connection to various things – envy of another’s good fortune, being disturbed at seeing the wealth of others, displeasure and jealousy etc. are some of the various examples. Wherever the word ‘matsarya’ (envy) has been explained in the Vaisnava scriptures, it is fully understood that its influence is the competitor of divine love (prema).

dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam

“The path described in the Bhagavatam is

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Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

SB 4.8.5, Translation:

My dear Vidura, I have summarily explained the causes of devastation. One who hears this description three times attains piety and washes the sinful contamination from his soul.

One should chant of the character and activities of Dhruva Mahārāja both in the morning and in the evening, with great attention and care, in a society of brāhmaṇas or other twice-born persons.

SB 4.12.48, Translation and Purport:

The great sage Maitreya reco

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13189307486?profile=RESIZE_584xBhakta Dasa, Communications and Interfaith Director for ISKCON Australia and Australasia recently had his reflection entitled, “How a schoolyard bully set me on my spiritual path” published in the opinion section of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. The Herald is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia and considered to be the most widely read.  You can read his full article here. Please note, access to the article may be restricted or limited depending on your country.

Sour

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Surrender By Kavicandra Swami

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We often get questions about surrender, like “how can we surrender”. Recently I was reading one old BTG, 2001, and found a nice practical statement from Srila Prabhupada. If we search “surrender” on the vedabase we find 7445 hits, so we know it is an important topic. And we all know the conclusion of the Bhagavad Gita:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami mä suca

TRANSLATION

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall de

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I think by Bhaktimarga Swami

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I think we've all had the experience. Someone comes to mind that you've known and you haven't seen or heard of them for years and shortly after his/her image pops up mentally, they suddenly appear physically.

That was the case of Udayananda, tall, healthy looking and extroverted boy from Detroit. There he was, much older than when I last saw him, in the session of the morning called tulasi puja, when we worship or honour the sacred green.

I invited him to our japa, meditative walk after a bi

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The degree to which you are able to turn to Krsna while chanting reveals the depth of your relationship with Him and how healthy you are spiritually. If you are unhealthy, you simply cannot turn to Krsna. Your mind will dislike the idea of chanting. It will be very rebellious and everything but Krsna will appear in your mind at that time. Every relationship starts with giving attention, and your relationship with Krsna is no exception. Therefore, you must learn how to chant with attention. It i

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Spiritual Narcissism by Jeremy Caris

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Although narcissism is a broad subject, it is marked by an exaggerated self-importance and perceived superiority, abnormal levels of selfishness and entitlement, and extreme self-centeredness. Generally speaking, a narcissist is a person who thinks too highly of themselves and continuously feeds on the egotistic admiration from others, typically rooted in unresolved and exaggerated feelings of inferiority and shame. As a result, they often manipulate and exploit others to fuel their delusions a

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