About my Vrindavan days from “By his example”:GOVARDHAN HILL
A few days hence, before sunrise, with a group of about thirty people, we began our walk around sacred Govardhan Hill. The entourage included the Maharaja of Bharatpur, two queens, the prince, various relatives, zamindhars (landowners loyal to the king), agents, a doctor, and eight soldiers dressed in Jat military uniforms, part of the Maharaja’s private army. Twelve servants carried the supplies and the largest incense sticks I have
After years of collective dedication in devotional service by the community, in December 2019 the management of New York’s Bhakti Center made the final mortgage payment to own the 25 First Avenue building outright.
It was the community members’ heartfelt contributions have made it possible for the people of New York to find their spiritual home and enter the family of Srila Prabhupada, Sri Gaurachandra, Sri Sri Radha Muralidhara and the beloved community of devotees for generations to come.
Message from the Director
When we started our OCHS journey twenty years ago, I was focused on the study of my own Hindu denomination. I thought it time for that tradition to engage in a critical assessment of itself. We should use the apparatus of scholarship to compare its perspectives with those of other world views, and provide a basis for discussion and dialogue in a more public and global context.
In the association of wonderful scholars, such as Prof. Keith Ward, Peggy Morgan, and Prof.
By Vidura Dasa ACBSP
In Nairobi, many moons ago, Kenya was hosting the annual meeting of the African Union where the heads of state of all countries in Africa gather. We happened to have recently received a container of Bhagavatams and Gitas cleared through customs. I went to the Kenyatta Conference Centre and tried my luck at getting in. If you think Western politicians are paranoid about security you should see these African ‘Boss Men’ and their ever nervous heavy dudes. Somehow, in dhoti, ku
By Jayapataka Swami
[It says that one who hears the pastime, when they leave the body they will get the benefit of leaving in the Ganges.] Lord Caitanya’s father, Jagannath Mishra, he would go to his guru’s ashram regularly. So one night he came back and suddenly got a high fever. So Sachi Mata started crying and she didn’t know what to do. At that time Lord Caitanya was still a small boy, maybe nine years old. He said everybody in this world leaves, as a human being everyone dies. So why are y
By Akruranatha dasa
“And so the reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance. Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long, that they have come to esteem the religious, learned, and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, because they feel them to be assaults on property.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self Reliance” (1841)
The 19th century American philosopher and essayist, Ralph Waldo
An actual pair of shoes worn by Srila Prabhupada that are kept in safe custody in Radha Govinda Mandir (NYC), benedicting HH Radhanath Swami. RGM’s temple President Hansarupa Prabhu is holding them.
Another weekend of uplifting association, in New York City. Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vaisesika prabhu, and my Guru Maharaj Radhanath Swami, among others.
Last night, at the event in Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn, we had the opportunity to obtain a priceless set of Srimad Bhagavatams, with the sig
This year’s Vraja Mandala Parikrama was special due to there being a confluence [sagam] of padayatris from three different padayatras:the All-India Padayatra, the Maharashtra Padayatra, and the Uttar Pradesh Padayatra. Also present were the devotees from the soon-to-be-inaugurated (on October 17) Andhra Pradesh Padayatra.
Normally in our Vraja Mandala Parikrama tent city we have tents of various groups such as volunteers, matajis, and prabhujis, but this year we had tents named after the padaya
Worse than being alone is to be with a person who doesn’t like you; too many people have experienced the anguish and chaos caused by an incompatible marriage. Such travesties are systematically avoided in Vaishnava culture because, besides training and restraint in behaviour prior to marriage, all care is taken in matchmaking: “Formerly, boys and girls of similar dispositions were married; the similar natures of the boy and girl were united in order to make them happy.” (SB 3.21.15) “The centra
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him that well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work, which has helped bring me closer to my spiritual grandfather.
We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna Caitan
Today is the divine disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada and an exalted acharya on our parampara. I am sharing a very enlightening quote by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur where he speaks about the position of acharya or jagad-guru and those who come after him as spiritual masters or diksha gurus.
Question: If Jesus Christ was a jagad -guru and his instructions are capable of bringing us deliverance, why do we need a spirit
“Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes; preaching do?—but if they buy one book, it may turn their life. So make this your important task, to print our books…and distribute widely, and that will please my Guru Maharaja. Never mind it takes little time to make progress, our process is slow but sure, and we are confident that if we continue in this way we shall go one day back to home, back to Godhead.” - Srila Prabhupad
By Radha Mohan Das
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made an impromptu visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor last Sunday, when worshipers at the Manor were surprised to see an entourage of MPs, including the Home Secretary Priti Patel and numerous security share their Sunday worship. Priti Patel went to school in Watford and her family live in Hertfordshire.
The Prime Minister was taken through the £10 million Sri Krishna Haveli, a multi-purpose community facility, which is nearing completion. He was
"True story by Malika Mala Devi Dasi, a preacher in Russia and Kazakhstan"
Malika-Mala: Once with Mataji Kirtirani, we performed some festival in Astana, Kazakhstan. We did not have time to have dinner and rushed to the plane because we were going to be late for the flight. The local devotees handed us a big bag with Prasadam.
I said: Krishna! The flight from Astana to Alma-Ata is just an hour and a half. We don’t need anything. Especially at night.
But Kirtirani said- I’m hungry!
Devotees insi
Today he sits on the sidewalk, in minus degree temperatures, holding a ragged sign which reads “give me hope.” It’s a familiar sight that I’ve become somewhat desensitized to; I don’t think I can truly understand his situation. Seeing him sleeping rough, a few people throw in some coins, someone else gifts him a Costa coffee, while an occasional passer-by stops to offer a few comforting words. All nice gestures. But, my heart says, what he really needs is hope. In that sense we are all beggars
A few weeks ago, I exited from the Whatsapp platform after using it for years. Here are few parallels I drew between the experience of leaving "the WhatsApp world" and the experience one has of leaving this world.
On November 16th, devotees in London celebrated the life of one of Srila Prabhupada’s greatest warriors, who continues to inspire and motivate ISKCON members to this day – Tribhuvanatha Das, who passed away in 2001.
The remembrance festival was in honor of Tribhuvanatha’s birthday or ‘appearance’ day, which is on November 27th according to the Western solar calendar, and on Gita Jayanti day according to the Vedic lunar calendar (December 8th this year).
About seventy to ei
