Blog

By Giriraj Swami

If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God–for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and will, and to walk, talk, and sense–we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God’s kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us.

Often we take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditat

By Niscala Dasi

There are many things which we aspire for and even worship, which have no intrinsic value. They have value inasmuch as they are attached to values, and thus can serve perverted or promoting aims. Thus, though they have no value, they have a use. These things which we attach value to, are actually tools for values to be attached to. For example, a knife is neither good nor evil, but can be used for good or evil. It has a use, but no value.

What is it that we worship as human bei

By Sacinandana Swami

Krsna says, “This process is the supreme intelligence of the intelligent and the cleverness of the most clever, for by following it one can in this very life make use of the temporary and unreal to achieve Me, the eternal reality.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.29.22)

Why is bhakti the most intelligent thing you can practice? Because you can take something that is useless – the temporary – to attain something that is very, very extraordinary. It is like investing a penny and then

By Kesava Krsna Dasa

So, we think we know it all, do we? We may have earned our Iskcon degrees, or may be senior devotees, and therefore do not have to hear from ‘less qualified’ or junior devotees when they give class. Will senior devotees want to hear from a ‘proud’ younger devotee, and will ’learned’ younger devotees want to hear from a senior ‘un-degreed’ devotee full of practical experience?

These thoughts will arise if the possibility of vaisnava etiquette is breached, or simple pride ca

By Giriraj Swami

For Balarama Rasa-yatra, we shall read from Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, called Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—about Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavan after He and Krishna had been away from Vrindavan for many years.

In our meditation on the deity of the Lord, we begin from His lotus feet and then gradually progress upward to His ankles, knees, thighs, waist, navel, chest, neck, and face. Srimad-Bhagavatam is also a form

”I have a great desire to translate the Valmiki Ramayana because that is authorized…I wish to translate Ramayana exactly the way I have done with Srimad Bhagavatam.” ( letter to Dinanatha N.Mishra dated 26 July 1975)

We are happy to inform that on the day of Rama Navami, Canto 1 (Bala-Khanda) in 3 volumes , translated by HG Vidvan Gauranga das was released by HH Jayapataka Swami at Sri Mayapur dhama.

Details of this edition can be seen at www.ruparaghunathavani.com.

To place order for the book,

Students of the Bhaktivedanta Academy ( Mayapur Gurukula ) performed Bhimarata shanti homa on the auspicious occasion of the 70th appearance of HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja.

Source: http://www.mayapur.com/2019/bhimarata-shanti-homa/

Readers of the Ramayana, the great epic of ancient India, cannot help but love Hanuman. Hanuman is considered one of the greatest servants of Lord Rama (an avatar of Krishna). How has this wild monkey won the hearts of all? And what does he teach us about living our best life?

1. He is always ready to serve: Hanuman sits next to Lord Rama with one knee on the ground ready to spring into action. Love is not just an emotion nor a noun…it’s a verb. Love means service. When Hanuman found Rama he d

The devotees around the world will put extra focus on the essence of Gaudiya Vaishnavism—loving service to God—as we celebrate the appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, God’s form as the ideal leader. And who better to follow as the perfect example of selfless, devoted service than Lord Rama’s greatest devotee, the monkey warrior Hanuman?

We cannot, of course, imitate Hanuman’s actions. This is someone, who, as a newborn baby, tried to eat the sun because he thought it was a delicious-looking fr

By Madhumati Pushkarini

Coming from a traditional family in India, the land of myriad ceremonies, rituals and customs, my mind was conditioned to all of it. Quite naturally. As a child I rarely questioned about anything we were ‘asked’ to do such as offering obeisance to parents first thing in the morning, then the deities at home, refraining from tea, coffee, watching TV only in rationed quantities and so on. In fact I got so conditioned to all of it that I would feel guilty when I would sway

By Vishakha Devi Dasi

A life that allows us to reunite with mother earth and offer her products to Krishna favors our spiritual growth.

Srila Prabhupada writes, “Whatever is taken from the earth—either from the mines, from the surface of the globe, or from the atmosphere—should always be considered the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should be used for Yajna, Lord Vishnu. As soon as the process of yajna [sacrifice] is stopped, the earth will withhold all productions—vegetable

By Chaitanya Charan das

The soul is spiritual. The mind, intelligence and false ego are all part of the subtle body. In general, they are differentiated, based on function rather than structure. The gross elements namely the earth, water, fire, air and ether can be differentiated in terms of structure because they are made of different things. However, the subtle elements, as described in the third canto of the Bhagavatam, in the chapter titled, ‘Fundamental principles of material nature’, are

By Damodar das

Giriraj Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.23-25.

“Ravana wanted to steal the property of the Lord and enjoy it for himself. We, in our own ways, may have that same inclination—to be the proprietors, the enjoyers, and the controllers. The materialistic mind and false ego put us in competition with the Supreme Lord. And it is a great process to become free from the sense of false proprietorship.”

Source: http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=14254