By Mahatma Das
Humility Means No Resistance
The third verse of the Siksastakam is trnad api sunicena – “one should be humbler than a blade of grass.” You may wonder, “How can I be humbler than a blade of grass?” Let’s look at one way this is possible.
May you always think of Krsna.
Mahatma Das
Do Not Resist
Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that grass doesn’t resist when it is walked on or thrown around. It doesn’t complain or scream out, “How dare you step on me or throw me here and there?!” As w
Met these “transcendental twins” in Norwich. They were with devotees in 80’s and one of them lived at Radhadesh. Over time they had lost touch. One of them asked for some beads – I said take two. Another asked for a book – I said take two. They looked at me and said – maybe this is take two of our spiritual journey!
Magical, mystical, memorable, miraculous and moving… what more can I say? The mission goes on… Sankirtan forever.
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
If you come to the temple once a week, that is spiritually poor! It’s a poor lifestyle. You don’t get much spiritual wealth. We must seek out devotees all the time. We must be eager to be with devotees. Even if it is at a distance, somehow or other, we must be there all the time as much as possible. That is eagerness.
By Devaki Devi Dasi
Envy is a very subtle and deep-rooted anartha within our hearts. It comes about because we want to be the supreme enjoyer, proprietor and controller. Therefore we tend to use any relationship for the purpose of establishing our superiority-no matter whether it is in relation to a superior, equal or junior. It is a certain state of heart and consciousness which externally manifests in any relationship. We have been carrying these tendencies with us in the subtle material body
The following is an excerpt from Purnacandra Goswami’s “Unspoken Obstacles on the Path to Bhakti”
Thrown from the Horse
Have you ever experienced an emotion rearing its head and throwing you? I was thrown off a horse at the age of twelve. I was winded and desperately gasped for air.
My riding teacher told me, “Get back on and try again.”
I could hardly breathe and thought, “No way!”
He continued with firm conviction, “If you don’t get back on now, you’ll never ride a horse again.”
Sensing the w
By Varsana Swami
The efforts, austerities, and practices involved with the acceptance as a disciple do not end with initiation. Rather they begin, in a formal sense, at that point. Whatever outer challenges or inner demons we have, will be overcome by Krishna’s grace for those who persevere in their vows. It is only those who quit who will suffer defeat.
Even as the connection and dependency between the words “disciple” and “discipline” are obvious, some devotees tend to be more attentive to
By Yamuna-devi dasi
I found this talk by Yamuna-devi, from the Pune Yatra 2001, so profound and powerful, I wanted to share it with you all. If you wish to learn more about—and from—this extraordinary devotee and disciple of Srila Prabhupada’s, you may visit the beautiful new website Unalloyed: The Yamuna Devi Legacy Project (www.unalloyed.org). —Giriraj Swami
Radhanath Maharaja has requested that my godsisters and I speak something. Last night, after we left the transcendental program and befo
Krishna Ksetra Swami: Prof. Ravi M. Gupta poses holding the book we co-authored: The Bhāgavata Purāṇa: Selected Readings. This is at the recent American Academy of Religion annual conference in Denver (a conference which some 8000 members attend). This photo is at the Columbia University Press booth, one of ca. 200 publishers of academic books on religion who display their books at the conference. What’s interesting is that Columbia has featured our book, setting a stack of them out in front. T
*MARATHON MEDICINE*
Well, feeling a bit slow and down in old age. Digestion problems, sleep probs, things ain’t what they used to be in ISKCON either and I got no taste for chanting and hearing. Where’s the movement going so many ask.
Maybe we should ask where am I going.
Well speak for myself I’m going on the Marathon – at least as much as possible with all the other services going on simultaneously.
I would recommend giving it a go no matter how slow.
*Join the marathon – miracle cure for su
Cultural appropriation has been a hot topic lately, in society and in particularly on university campuses. At its heart the term refers to disrespectful, offensive and ignorant use of another culture’s sacred symbols and traditions.
For instance, Native American ceremonial clothing has been worn in frivolous settings. The images of Deities or religious figures have been placed on tennis shoes. Or to use a particularly upsetting historical example, the sacred Hindu Swastik
December is a very special month. It is the month when all the ISKCON devotees, armed with sankirtan weapon, march in all the streets, knock at every door to distribute the most valuable treasure of books of Srila Prabhupada. They are determined to bestow all auspiciousness to every living entity, so that they have a very bright new year coming up!
ISKCON Mayapur Sankirtan buses go from villages to villages, to distibute books during this Marathon month & throughout the year. On 23rd Nov, inaug
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
I think it would be really nice if my disciples would have real, genuine relationships amongst each other – positive vaishnavarelationships. It would be something that would have power; power for ourselves. Such relationships would nourish us and it would attract people from everywhere, because the whole world is looking for deep and genuine relationships.
I have always looked for friendships in ISKCON, for real friendships. Sometimes in our movement, people ask, “Is tha
By Sutapa Das
Vrindavana is like a hall of fame. Everywhere you turn there are stories, landmarks and temples commemorating the saintly people who lived here. Ironically, they never wanted any fame. In fact, they actively avoided it – unassumingly absorbed in their daily devotion, quietly dedicating every moment of their time to forging a deep spiritual connection. They walked bare foot, meekly begged for their sustenance, bathed their minds in sacred sound, and curtailed all bodily demands. T
By Drutakarma Dasa
Providing a strong challenge to established academic perception and methodology, Drutakarma Dasa presents the Vaisnava Hindu worldview on the fundamental concepts to the approach to and interpretation of the archaeological record. His presentation is articulate and thorough and the extensive research he has undertaken to support his thesis is very impressive. He contrasts the currently accepted time concept, which closely resembles the Judaeo-Christian model, with the ancient
Verse: SB:9.9.7
Speaker: HG Jananivasa Das
Date: 6 Dec 2018.
Listen in this class, HG Jananivas prabhu explains in detail on the position of Lord Shiva and different Shiva deities worshipped in Navadvipa dhama.
dhārayiṣyati te vegaṁ
rudras tv ātmā śarīriṇām
yasminn otam idaṁ protaṁ
viśvaṁ śāṭīva tantuṣu
Translation:
Like a cloth woven of threads extending for its length and breadth, this entire universe, in all its latitude and longitude, is situated under different potencies of the Supreme
By Karnamrita Das
At at a couple's retreat in South Africa in 2009 my wife and I gave couples different tools to help their marriages, and also different ways of thinking about themselves and their problems. One of my topics was family or couple's prayer. The subject of prayers groups I feel "passionately" about—i.e, strongly, intensely--since I have first hand experience of its power. Here is one way to think about prayer which might help you see it differently.
Everything in existence is ene
By Niranjana Swami
So, this afternoon I just opened up and started to read from this book Amrta-vani, teachings from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. I read a lot from this book, I like different references that are given here. They are very philosophical and I see how Prabhupada was speaking so much about these points.
Of course, someone may say, “Why don’t I just read from Prabhupada’s book? Because these points are there in Prabhupada’s books”
But this book was made availabl
By Madhava Smullen
About 150 students, professors and other interested persons attended a one-day open conference at Utah State University on October 18th entitled “God and Smog – The Challenge of Preserving our Planet.”
Subtitled “Scholars and Religious Leaders Confront the Issues,” the event was organized by USU’s Religious Studies Program, headed by Director Dr. Ravi Gupta (Radhika Ramana Das).
Darren B. Parry, tribal council chairman for the Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation, led the c
A breathtaking new single printing of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, dubbed “The Astounding Bhagavad-gita,” will measure 2.80 x 2.00 meters (9 x 6.5 ft) and weigh an astonishing 800 kgs (1,763 lbs).
The giant book is funded by ISKCON Italy through donations and designed by the Mediterranean branch of the BBT, which claims it will be the largest sacred text in the world.
Trustee and managing director Madhusevita Das clarifies that while there are bigger books
