Featured Posts (13141)

Sort by

2515289356?profile=original

Honorable Minister of Tourism, Govt. of West Bengal, Mr. Gautam Deb visited ISKCON Mayapur. He attended temple arthis, had a tour of ToVP, Goshala, Srila Prabhupada Pushpa Samadhi Mandir, Gurukula, bhajan kutir, Ganga ghat and full dome theatre. He actively participated in developing Mayapur and viewed presentations on various projects of Mayapur.

He noted in guestbook that, “I stayed two days long with my friends. It’s a life time achievement. The coming up project is amazing and I wish lacs o

Read more…

By Sangita devi dasi

On Sunday, April 21, 2019, Her Grace Savitri devi dasi, a beloved member of our ISKCON Philadelphia Temple peacefully passed away. Surrounded by her closest friends who were chanting the Hare Krishna mantra at her bedside, Savitri departed from this world with a Deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva above her head, a small Deity of Lord Jagannatha and a photo of Srila Prabhupada on her heart, Srila Prabhupada chanting in her ear and a photo of Radha Krsna to her right.

For over 25 year

Read more…

Dramas and Plays by Bhaktimarga Swami

image2.jpeg
 
image5.jpeg
 
I'm off on Turkish Airlines to participate in (actually to direct) yet another drama called, "Grandsire," regarding the life of General Bhisma.  It is another one of those stories of a Vedic tragic hero.  I'm going to arrive, hopefully, early enough to get a few days of practice before staging this ambitious production.  I call on miracles to happen because I do want to do justice to the character of this fine warrior.  He is detailed in the epic, Mahabharat.  Audiences in Durban, South Af
Read more…

Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama

2515289246?profile=original

It is our great pleasure to announce ISKCON MAYAPUR’s 7th annual six-day Kartik Navadwip Mandal Parikrama during the most auspicious month of Kartik (organized by the Mayapur Chandra’s). The Parikram begins on 1st of November 2019 and will end on 7th of November 2019.

There will be one day break, for Gopasthami (4th of November ) so that devotees can participate in the festival.

For this year also, the parikrama will not stay overnight; we will leave each day from the ISKCON Mayapur campus at 5

Read more…
image1.jpeg
 
Went for a night walk
Stepping through every block
With street lights lit
I passed by he and she
Appearing happy to be
Then saying that magic word
Sweeter than the best bird
In this chill of early spring
Warmth is slow to bring
And pedestrians are but few
Faces worn in a mood of blue
Why if you have all
Can't you pass a bright ball
Why the air of being down
Why the look with a frown
If you have the right spirit
The world is fine, don't fear it
But bankrupt are some
I'm passing a sign for CHUM
Read more…

Is God Partial?

By Gauranga Darshan Das

How would you feel if your parents are partial towards your sibling? Would you be comfortable when your teacher is biased towards your classmate? It is natural to expect from one’s superior or guardian a similar treatment as one’s equals receive. Any discrepancy in that leads to disappointment. Perception of partiality is painful and could demotivate people and slacken their spirits. What if one sees partiality in God?

Isn’t God Equal to All?

Yes. God is equipoised. He i

Read more…

Earth Day

By Giriraj Swami

Anticipating Earth Day, I thought of a prayer that resonated with me in my youth: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord.” (Ps

Read more…

Sri Balarama’s Rasayatra

By Deena Bandhu Das

From 5th Chapter of Bhakti-ratnakara

Balarama, the son of Rohini performed his rasalila in Ramaghat. This place is situated quite a long distance from where Krishna had his rasalila.

Balarama was the second body of Krishna himself and the depth of his real self was like the depth of a million oceans. He came to Vraja from Dvaraka and stayed during the two months of Chaita and Vaishakh to console Sri Nanda, Yasoda and the others. He pleased his sakhas in various ways. There a

Read more…
Activism
 
By Madhava Smullen

The ISKCON temple in Nyali in Mombasa, Kenya has recently completed the second phase of its construction – an apartment building to help care for the congregation and cultivate their spiritual lives.

The four-storey building includes ten apartments. Four of them are nearly 2,000 square feet each with three bedrooms; four are 1,600 square feet with two bedrooms; and two of them are 800 square feet each with one bedroom. All apartments also have their own kitchens.

In addit

Read more…

The Six Waves of Time – Part 1

2515289007?profile=original

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

So the Lord is described as kāla-srota – waves of time. It is very interesting these waves of time. We see how it is described as the ṣaḍ ūrmayaḥ – the six waves. Actually everything comes into being, it grows, flourishes, and it gives off some by products. It begins to dwindle and then it ceases to exist. So these are also known as the six transformations – the ṣaḍ-vikāra. So the waves of time they follow a script which is the script of the Supreme Personality of Godhea

Read more…

Swans, Stars and Shakespeare

By Bhaktimarga Swami
 
It was an opportunity for one of those Tuesday excursions, when Jay had a day off and he could be the driver and companion for Connor and I.  Today's mission was to visit the Patels in Stratford, in their recently secured "Festival Inn" and then venture through some of the downtown shops of Victorian grandeur.  Maybe we could sneak by the Festival Theatre where Shakespearean dramas have entertained audiences since 1953, situated along the Avon River.
 
Well, we did those t
Read more…
mother_son_wallpaper.png
 
By Achyut Gopal Das
 
"It may be possible to gild pure gold but who can make his mother more beautiful" - Mahatma Gandhi
 
We all exist because of our mothers. We owe our entire existence to them. But the scriptures explain that we have not one but a couple of them. Being connected to them is the way we can fill our life with love, nourishment and a sense of security. 
 
MOTHER OF BIRTH
A few days ago, while I was traveling in the train from Mathura to Delhi, I saw a young mother with her lit
Read more…

Gratitude for God’s Gifts

2515087324?profile=original

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

Read more…

What is essential anyway?

2515087400?profile=original

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

Read more…

I Do At Times by Bhaktimarga Swami

image3.jpeg

I do at times make use of the elevator on my way to the meetings.  I don't want to be late.  To join me on the lift was a delivery man with a bag full of coconuts and a pail of sugar cane juice.  We reached the elevated state of the fourth floor.  I'm glad he delivered even though it was our last day of meetings.  My preference is the bael juice that is also an option.  Bael cools down the bodily temperature, which is great because it's getting mighty hot these days.  It's the bael fruit that
Read more…
Comments: 0

The Unique Proposal of Bhakti-yoga

2515286428?profile=original

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

Read more…

Too Proud To Hear

2515093407?profile=original

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

Read more…

Sri Balarama Rasayatra

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

Read more…

Changing World by Bhaktimarga Swami

Vatsal is an outstanding brahmacari (monk) from Moscow, and he's spending a week with us in Toronto, which means the number of Russian-born bhakti-yogisfrequenting the temple ashram is increasing.  It's a delight to have him with us.  In general, I like the rigidity of our Russian followers.  They take their commitment more seriously than our regular North American contingent.  The Krishna Conscious following in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe is huge.

And so the world is changing.

I went t
Read more…

Gaining By Giving - Winning By Serving

o-GIVING-facebook.jpg
 
By Achyut Gopal Das
 
"Life is like a game of tennis - in order to win, you have to serve well."

For two consecutive years, 2011 and 2012, we organised a contest for the school children across Goa called Gita Champions League (Henceforth referred to as GCL). We had a massive success with 3800 children participating the first year and 8600 children participating the second year. But, all this didn't come easily, we had to literally slog it out. Well, for that matter nothing wonderful comes ea
Read more…