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Moments of Lightness by Bhaktimarga Swami

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The first bright spot for me on this day happened as follows:
 
One of our visitors from India, who happens to be just a gem of a devotee, attended the morning sadhana, and just as I was about to deliver the class/talk, he excused himself from sitting there to listen.  The light moment came when his accent came through.
 
"I cannot be here.  I have to go to the Jew," he said.
 
"Sorry?” I responded.  I wasn't sure of what he said.  "Could you say that again?"
 
"I'm going to the Jew."

Which
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By Chaitanya Charan Das

Suppose we accidentally take a drink that acts like poison for us in our particular health condition. As soon as we realize what we are doing, we will immediately stop drinking it and take some antidote.

When we gain spiritual knowledge, we understand that sensual indulgence acts like poison, even if it tastes initially like nectar (Bhagavad-gita 18.38). Despite understanding this, we still succumb to sensuality because our conditions or conditionings highlight the initi

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Events
 
By Madhava Smullen
 

While devotees are often focused on caring for their spiritual health, our bodies are temples that we use to serve Krishna, and must not be neglected – especially as more ISKCON members become advanced in age.

“It is important to keep the body fit and healthy so that we will not meet the obstacle of ill health while serving Krishna,” Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter dated June 19th, 1975. “Ill health may hinder one’s service, so, we want to avoid it as much as possible

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Sri Kshetra Parikrama 2019

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WELCOME TO SRI KSHETRA PARIKRAMA
PURI DHAMA
14-17TH NOVEMBER 2019

On behalf of ISKCON Mayapur, we would like to welcome you to celebrate our 15th anniversary of Sri Kshetra Parikrama. This parikrama dates back to the time of Vidyapati, who was one of Lord Jagannatha’s most intimate worshippers, serving under the great King Indradyumna. Following the footsteps of our previous Acharyas, ISKCON Mayapur has been organizing this parikrama for the last 14 years. Honoring this tradition ISKCON Mayapur

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Kartika is glorified in the Puranas as very special for making spiritual advancement and the best place to be in Kartika is Sri Braja Dham. In fact this month is known as Damodar, since in the middle of this month, the Lord performed His very enchanting Damodar Lila. Kartika month also represents Radharani, and devotees perform special austerities to gain Her favor.
 
With great happiness in our hearts, we invite everyone to join in the auspicious Kartika Festival in Vrindavan. We have organ
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By Madhava Smullen

Govardhan Ecovillage, ISKCON’s 100 acre farm in the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range in Maharashtra, has won the 2019 National Energy Globe Award for India.

The Energy Globe Award was founded in 1999 by Austrian energy pioneer Wolfgang Neumann, and is one of today’s most prestigious environmental awards. Its goal is to present successful sustainable projects to a broad audience, to show that many of our environmental problems already have feasible solutions.

Every

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Srila Prabhupada: The bhaktivedantas are impartial in distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. To them no one is enemy or friend; no one is educated or uneducated. No one is especially favorable, and no one is unfavorable. The bhakti-vedantas see that the people in general are wasting time in false sensuous things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to reestablish their lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead. By such endeavor, even the most

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17 at a home program in Highland Park, Dallas.

“A moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead. Mad-dhama gatva punar janma na vidyate. In other words, a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life. A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eterna

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The Slowest Team by Bhaktimarga Swami

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I was told: "When you get out of the apartment building you're on Washmill Lake Drive.  Go right, then left on Main Street." 
 
I'm often impatient about waiting to go anywhere, so I decided to get a headstart on foot.  "Please pick me up," I requested.
 
"Sure.  We'll only be five minutes," said Marshall, our driver, who was going to take us to the popular Harbourfront in the downtown.  I was skeptical about the punctuality.  Anyway, a pleasant walk it was, though the sun was a bit much.  I
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Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
 

Bhaktivedanta Vidyapeet Research Centre and Govardhan Ecovillage are organizing a 4-day Certificate course on Sri Caitanya Caritamrita (Madhya Lila) (Affiliated to the University of Mumbai)
Dates:  29, 30 September & 1,2 October 2019 (4 Days)  
Conducted by: HG Gauranga Das
Language: English

Venue: Govardhan Eco Village, District: Palghar, Maharashtra, India
For bookings: retreats@ecovillage.org.in, +91-9049189171  

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.1-22.

“A devotee’s conclusion is that no one is directly responsible for being a benefactor or mischief-monger without the sanction of the Lord; therefore he does not consider anyone to be directly responsible for such action. But in both the cases he takes it for granted that either benefit or loss is God-sent, and thus it is His grace. In case of benefit, no one will deny that it is God-sent, but in case of loss or reverses one becomes

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Bhagavad Gita & the Youth by Ankit Sharma

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Presently, the young generation is disappointed from the increasing competitive life style, rapid technological advancement, and unending global problems. They are looking for change and hankering for stress free life style. They have accustomed to that, which is easy to use and gives instant result. This Krishna Consciousness is the best possible remedy for their problems. In this regard Srila Prabhupada says, “So our simple method—we go everywhere, all over the world, chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa ma

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By Guru Gauranga das

Venue: The Historic Thomas Center in Gainesville, Florida

Date of Conference: January 9-13, 2020

Gainesville – Sept. 17, 2019 – The ISKCON Law Department has announced that it will host the 1st ISKCON Global Conference of Devotee Attorneys at the Historic Thomas Center in Gainesville, Florida (USA) on January 9-13, 2020.

According to ISKCON’s general counsel, Devakinandan Prabhu, the 2020 ISKCON Global Conference of Devotee Attorneys will offer devotee attorneys, jurists a

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Radhanath Swami: Anandini Devi is a precious soul whose brilliant light of devotion illuminates our hearts with Krishna’s grace. In her special gentle, motherly way she embodies incredible courage, genuine humility, deep intelligence and profound wisdom. Her dedication to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga and to the well being of the Vaisnava community and to the world is glorious. Whatever situation came, Anandini Devi remained always focused on the essence of pure devotional service. The sweet power

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By Madhava Smulen
 

A new restaurant under the “Radha Govinda” brand, “Mandala by Radha Govinda,” opened on the 11th of September in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city.

The stunning 350 square meter (3,757 sq ft) space is in a prime spot in the city center and offers healthy vegan prasadam to cater to current trends.

A large variety of dishes from Indian, Balkan, Slovenian and Mediterranean cuisines, changing daily, are available from the salad bar and hot bar, along with a selection of swee

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One of Sripada Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja’s most prominent qualities is his deep love for Srila Prabhupada. Very soon after Maharaja met Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada included him in his personal staff and made him his secretary for Bengali and Hindi correspondence. Soon thereafter, Srila Prabhupada gave him first and second initiation and then sannyasa. And Maharaja personally served Srila Prabhupada throughout Prabhupada’s last days.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami is also very devoted to ISK

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Bridges of Consciousness by Bhaktimarga Swami

I believe most walkers love walking over bridges, especially if there's a wooden flooring which has a little bit of a spring to it.  Once a railway bridge, the Bill Thorpe Bridge crosses over the Saint John River, and is the length of five hundred and eighty-one metres, with a serious iron framing on each side.
 
A repair man on the bridge asked if we were monks, and we naturally said, "Yes." He was curious.  There were other repair crewmen ready to embark on a four-month workover of the bridge.
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Bhaktivedanta Manor is pleased to announce the appointment of Visakha Dasi as Temple President. In August, Visakha Dasi spent time at the Manor and met with various official bodies that represent the community, managers, and trustees. The outcome was a unanimous decision that she was most suitable to lead and inspire the temple community. Former president Sruti Dharma Das welcomed the news: “It is an honour to have such a senior Vaisnavi and disciple of Srila Prabhupada now at the helm.” 

Duri

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In the Bhagavad-Gita, it is mentioned that there is the austerity of the body, austerity of the speech and austerity of the mind. In the austerity of the body, there are things like offering respect to elders. In the austerity of speech, we speak truthfully and such things. In the austerity of the mind however, there is one interesting point. This point that is mentioned is ‘to be satisfied’.

So since when is being satisfied an austerity? Are we experiencing satisfaction as an austerity? 

Well,

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On Sunday, September 15, in Dallas, in the presence of Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji, Srila Prabhupada, and their followers, I was pleased to officially connect eight devotees to Srila Prabhupada and the guru-parampara through hari-nama initiation. Rajesh Sharma became Radha-vallabha dasa, Seema Sharma became Srimati dasi, Deo Pun became Divya Nama dasa, Manju Pun became Manjari dasi, Syamasundara Dasshort became Syama-vallabha dasa, Maria (Maggie) Caldwell became Madhuri Gopika dasi, Vanitha Sukum

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