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The Uber Man by Bhaktimarga Swami

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Ruben was our Uber driver to get to the Prasher home. From Africa, but now in Toronto, he took a real liking to Connor and I and our lifestyle.  During our conversation, we spoke about books. Ruben seemed rather intelligent, yet admitted that he didn't read big books.

"Well, what's your favourite book?" he asked Connor.

"The book called Bhagavad-gita,” said Connor, and as he said it, I happened to be reading a passage from a copy I had brought with me while sitting in the back seat.

"Here,"
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Everything In The Name

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"By the power of the Name one will know what cannot be known, one will see what cannot be seen, one will speak what cannot be spoken and one will meet what cannot be met. Incalculable is the gain that comes from repeating the Name of God." - Tukaram Maharaj.

In this world, we are all looking for happiness, peace, joy and abundance. We are all searching for nectar in life. This is the sole purpose of everyone in this world. We are searching for it in relationships, in places and in things. We
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Walk to Yoga

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By Bhaktimarga Swami

Stephen, Connor, and myself  headed straight south on Avenue Road to the Yoga Show.  Yes, it was happily on foot that we stepped, and it was very much in a straight line, except for a curve at Queen's Park, and then a clean right at Front Street to get to the Convention Centre.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BvokoHzg2gZ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=xafr76165h3k
 
The weather was absolutely conducive for the trek. Optimism was in the air.  After all it was Friday night. 
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By Achyut Gopal Das
 
"Perhaps someday I'll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow." - Sylvia Plath, American poet and writer.
 
Who doesn't like stories. Stories have always been loved by human civilization for eons probably because in the story of others, humans find semblance of their own stories. Some stories are entertaining, some inspiring, some touching and some enlightening. Here is one such story fro
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By Mukunda Bhakti Das 

Chatigram (Chattogram), Bangladesh, was blessed by the divine appearances of some of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabu's important eternal associates such as Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi Thakur, Sri Basudev Dutta Thakur, Sri Mukunda Dutta Thakur, Sri Dhananjaya Pandit, and so many other great souls. 

Recently, with the divine blessings of their lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva , Sri Subadra Maharani, Sri Sri Goura Nitai and His Divine grace A.C. Bhaktiveda

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Events
 
By Madhava Smullen

Since 2016, the ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture has been organizing farm conferences all over the world, to share best practices, create networks, and inspire new projects. Now the fruits are starting to show, with more exciting plans on the way.

UK Parliament Commends ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture

During the European conference in September last year in Karuna Bhavan, Scotland, Karuna Bhavan devotees invited UK MP Dr. Lisa Cameron.

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Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 3.10.

“The Lord created this material world to enable the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajñas (sacrifices) for the satisfaction of Visnu, so that while in the material world they can live very comfortably without anxiety, and after finishing the present material body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the whole program for the conditioned soul. By performance of yajña, the conditioned souls gradually become Krsna consciou

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Two People by Bhaktimarga Swami

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Richard Longley, a well-educated lovely man and journalist, spent two and a half hours with me, asking a few questions.  Of course, he was curious about my long walks, but his real purpose in visiting was to take photos of the temple and restaurant, and view how we are utilizing a space which was once a Methodist Church.
 
Richard has written a number of articles for "Now" magazine, articles particularly centered on heritage buildings. In any event, he liked what he saw and heard, about us and
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Doing The Needful

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By Achyut Gopal Das

If everyone does what they want, who will do what is needed?"

During the world-famous Rajasuya ceremony of Yudishtira, when Lord Krishna was worshiped as The Supreme Person, Shishupala - the envious cousin of Krishna couldn't control his envy, he burst out with words of severe criticism. One of his main complaints was that no-one knows what the Varna (ordained duty) of Krishna is - sometimes He acts like a Vaishya, a cowherd boy and sometimes He acts like a Kshatriya, a warr
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By Purushottam Nitai Das

With just his tail, Hanuman effortlessly burned the entire city of Lanka. But he too wasn’t successful in burning the lust and ego of Ravana, the powerful king of Lanka. In fact Ravana’s real well wishers such as his brother Vibhishana and his chaste wife Mandodari had tried their best to counsel him several times against kidnapping Sita, wife of Lord Rama. Ravana not just refused to listen to them but he even humiliated them. Upon being reminded by Vibhishana that ki

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Approximately 160 visitors from China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan recently came to Mayapur with His Holiness Giridhari Swami on pilgrimage. They came in two groups – the first group, of about 40 people, visited in late December of 2018, and the second group, of about 120 people, came in late January of 2019.

The tours were arranged by ISKCON Mayapur’s Visiting Devotee and Leader Care Department. Prior to visiting Sridhama Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the depar

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Power of A Book

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By Achyut Gopal Das

"Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light." — Vera Nazarian

Here is a simple yet powerful story which shows the world "the power of a book". This is a real life story of two boys named Richie and Willy which happened during the 1970's, in the city of California. One day while walking on the streets of California, Richie bumped across the Hare Krishna devotees and one of the devotees convinced him to buy a magazine that they we
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Indoor Ecstasy by Bhaktimarga Swami

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Although the weather was just perfect for a stroll, I was confined to our building, the temple.  That is not a bad deal, necessarily, because there are at least four sections of the place where I can conveniently pace back and forth to compensate for an outdoor absence.  I usually chant at that time.   https://www.instagram.com/p/BvkA8ynF6NE/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1tbicusswsist

What kept me pleasantly locked-in today, was the attention I needed to give to people's needs.  I look at
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By Achyut Gopal Das
 
A moments insight is sometimes worth a life's experience." - Oliver Wendell Holmes.

We are all looking for transformation, isn't it. Transformation of heart, transformation of consciousness and transformation of our experience in life. We all want to experience higher levels of love, bliss and freedom. How long does it take for transformation to happen? It can take a long time or can happen in a moment. It all depends on whether we are tuned-in to the moment at hand. Go
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By Shaunaka Rishi Das

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, the world’s leading Centre for Hindu Studies, celebrated its 20 years at the House of Lords at the River Room, hosted by Lord Dholakia.

It was attended by invitees from Hindu Mandirs, organisations from up and down the country. Key guests included Lord Popat, Virendra Sharma, MP, Subhash Thakrar and CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. People came from Ireland, Edinburgh, Swindon, Manchester, Birmingham, Leice

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The Missing Tapes of Mohan prabhu

By Yugala Kishor Gour das

First of all I think it is important to introduce Mohan prabhu, for those not knowing him, and then explain my search for his missing tapes. Mohan prabhu was born in Manchester UK as Michael Gulley on 2nd April 1950. He joined Iskcon in his hometown in 1972 and was initiated by Srila Prabhupada around 1973. He moved to the Manor soon after the property was acquired. He served on rewiring the building and maintaining and reparing Srila Prabhupada’s dictaphone when nee

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I began my service with the Mail Order Department in September of 1969 and although two and a half years had gone by since that ad not much had changed nor was there much growth. The address had changed from 26 Second Avenue to 61 Second Avenue and two more books, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya and the abridged edition of Bhagavad-gita had become available.

The fledgling order dept. operated out of the “office” on East 10th Street where Brahmananda and previously Rayarama had worked. The very fir

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Events
 
By Sri Radhika Dasi

All are invited to a first-of-its-kind Krishna Homeschool Convention, to be held at ISKCON Chicago on Saturday, July 13th and Sunday, July 14th! 

For the first time in a decade, homeschooling-pioneer Aruddha devi dasi will be presenting a seminar with both her illustrious sons, Radhika Raman das and Gopal Hari das. However, the unique feature of this convention will be multiple panelists and presenters with experience in homeschooling. Topics to be discussed will include

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Activism
 
By Madhava Smullen

A new initiative by ISKCON’s Harmony Collective in Ypsilanti, Michigan, dubbed “Each One Carry One,” asks devotees to commit to carrying Srila Prabhupada’s books and prasadam for distribution everywhere they go.

“People would talk about the early days of ISKCON in a nostalgic way, and I thought, what can we do to recreate that magic?” says Harmony Collective director Deva Madhava Das.

“The principle of Prabhupada’s time was that everybody had the hope – even the expectati

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By Sacinandana Swami

There are two elements that have to come together for a healthy and responsible relationship between guru and disciple. The first element is that the disciple needs to be free of the motive to improve him- or herself materially by this relationship. The second element is spiritual good fortune.

The first element presupposes a sense of exhaustion with material illusions. The disciple needs to understand: “I need solutions to overcome material illusions. I understand that I c

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