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By Hridaya Caitanya Prabhu

We’re spirits inside material bodies. If we do something about our own spiritual life—like find out who we really are and what we’re meant to do—life can only improve. We generally prefer consciousness to unconsciousness, except during surgery. Putting zero effort into finding our true identity and purpose while keeping our bodies and minds pleasantly occupied is like always stopping for gas but never eating. What good is keeping our car’s fuel tank full if we’re starv

By Kamala-sundari Dasi

We may find ourselves in need of a “get away” from time to time, to abandon the chaos and search out a serene environment to de-stress body, mind, and soul. Circumstances do not allow us to up and leave when we feel the need. So, wouldn’t it be wise to make our home that place of tranquility? Being unable to relax in our own home is a peculiar scenario.

What would we say is the current focus and activities at home? To sit in front of the TV, munching on snacks, whilst fix

Question: Prabhupada told us to “Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy”. I have been chanting the maha mantra since two years and I am following the rules and regulations but I am still very unhappy. I guess that there is a problem somewhere with me. My life is a mess. Krishna gives me too many tests which I can’t handle. I have been struggling with my spiritual life and I am tired now. I am helpless.

I was engaged with a devotee for 1 year and we were planning to get married after our studies. Recen

Verse: Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.15 Speaker: HH Varshana Swami Location: ISKCON New Vrindaban

agnau gurav atmani ca sarva-bhutesv adhoksajam bhutaih sva-dhamabhih pasyed apravistam pravistavat

TRANSLATION: One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one’s self and in all living entities-in all circumstances and conditions-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, has simultaneously entered and not entered. He is situated externally and internally as the full controller of eve

Bhakti takes two forms in this world. On the one hand the form of activities you perform with body, voice and mind, and on the other hand the form of feelings. These devotional feelings are the inclination to serve Krishna in a favorable way, in other words giving pleasure to Him. The feelings of bhakti-bhava also include eagerness, gratitude and being moved by genuine love. 

Just yesterday I developed another feeling: urgency. This is what happened.

I was on parikrama around Govardhan Hill,

By Giriraj Swami

In the first verse of the Bhagavad-gita, the low-minded king Dhrtarastra asks his secretary, “O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?” Kim akurvata: “What did they do?” Srila Prabhupada says that this is a foolish question. The two armies had gathered to fight, so what is the question of what they did? Srila Prabhupada gives the example that if someone sits down before a plate of foo

[Eight Verses Glorifying Srila Prabhupada]

by Sriman Kusakratha dasa, inspired by a Sanskrit poem, with versification by Dravida dasa

1) sri-sri-navadvipa-para-pradipah sandipyamanah satato bhuviha cetas-tamo hanti hi yasya yatnat tam kirtayamah prabhupadadevam

The transcendental lamp of Navadvip, Gaurangadev, He took with great endeavor ’round the world the souls to save Who long had dwelt in darkness, never chanting Krsna’s name , the vast renown of Srila Prabhupada I now proclaim.

2) sri-

By Dhirasanta Das Goswami

Once when the Kurukshetra war was declared, Duryodhana sent messengers to every part of the globe to seek the assistance of various kings. But Krishna was so powerful that He warranted a personal request. Also Duryodhana knew that Krishna was the main support of the Pandavas, and if Duryodhana could get His assistance, then the Pandavas would stand no chance in winning the war. Arjuna also thought of Krishna, so both of them decided to go to Dwaraka.

When Arjuna arriv

By Sivarama Swami

With proper guidance, anyone can turn ordinary food into a spiritual substance.

The phenomenon of something changing from material to spiritual is an extraordinary one, but it is something we as devotees are involved in daily—often several times a day. It happens when prasadam (unoffered food) becoming prasadam, or food sanctified by the Lord.

When I was a new devotee in Montreal, we arranged a program that was to be given on campus at McGill University. The leaflet advertisin

By Parasuram dasa

This was our 32th Kartik Padayatra tour of Vraj, (the 12 forests of Vrindavan.) Usually in the Western World we go on Harinam, preaching to people who know nothing about Bhakti Yoga, or the Supreme Lord Krishna. Most people are not even vegetarian and have never heard of our principles of devotional service.

However when you go on Harinam in Vraj, it’s a different ball game, these people love Krishna and the Holy Name. They are certainly not ordinary people. The Vrajabasis a

By Damaghosa das

This is a short summary about the life of Sukadeva das (ACBSP)

I have known Sukadeva das since the early 1970’s where he was TP in Seattle Wa USA.
We have been great friends for all those years and later as he traveled from LA Calif to our farm in Wash several years in a row to lead our Janmastami/vyasa puja festivals.

He joined the movement in LA California back in 1969 and was formally initiated personally by Srila Prabhupada who gave him that name because he could see that h

By Satsvarupa Das Gosvami

Writing the last chapter of the Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita was an intense experience for me. Prabhupada was teaching “the final lesson,” and I relived the day-by-day remembrances of being with Srila Prabhupada and serving in his ISKCON movement in the final days leading up to his disappearance. Those days were like a drama unfolding. Would Prabhupada stay with us? What would we do without him? And again I felt the grief at his departure. I was also reminded that Prabhu

By Madhava Smullen

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Written by Vasanti dd

By Sadbhuja Das

Finishing work on the exterior of the temple continuous at full pace with marbling of the walls and Jaipur sandstone windows. Detailed decorative design work has also commenced in the Chatri Tower Wings. The waterproofing of the Utility Room is also almost complete, as are the Nrsimhadeva and Planetarium wings.

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By Sacinandana Swami

Recently we celebrated Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram, just by the side of Govardhan Hill. Several Prabhupada disciples were present and spoke about their offerings to Srila Prabhupada and their realizations. Interestingly, a golden thread ran through the individual minds and realizations, this was “Find your Jaladuta”.
Srila Prabhupada had received an instruction to go to the West from his spiritual master and he took a ship called “

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2014, Mayapur, India, Siksastakam Seminar: Verses 1&2, Part 1)

The process of glorification of Krsna through his name is actually our means of purification. So we are preparing to chant and the first reason why we chant, is for purification, whether it is in kirtan or japa. Injapa, we are exposed because in japa we are alone. When you are in kirtan, you can become so swept up in the kirtan that you think you are almost approaching bhava! Then, when you are chant

By Bhakti Caru Swami

ISKCON is a spiritual organization personally established by Srila Prabhupada. We must take care that it doesn’t become material. Anything (husband-wife relationship, Deity worship, even prasadam) can turn material by one’s consciousness. In any Society, there must be some organization and management, otherwise there will be chaos. Even in the spiritual world, Krsna’s friends are subdivided and supervised (Lord Balarama is group leader for his cowherd boy friends; Candraval

From Back to Godhead

By Yamuna Devi Dasi

With spiritual fasting, you may not make headlines,
but you’ll make headway on the path back to Godhead.

What do Mahatma Gandhi, Dick Gregory, Jane Fonda, Norman Mailer, Bolivian dissidents, British suffragettes, and Irish revolutionaries have in common? Well, for one thing, at one time or another and for one reason or another, they’ve all fasted. Materially their fasting was somewhat successful, whether it was undertaken to free India from British domin