By Nila Kamala das
On Sunday 16th December, devotees in Bali, Indonesia celebrated one of the biggest events of the year. Gita Yoga was the event and preparation for this event had taken months of determination and dedication. What is Gita Yoga?
Gita Yoga is an attempt by ISKCON Indonesia to share the teachings and importance of the Bhagavad Gita to the public. The event was held in the famous Bajrasandi Park. The day started early at 6am where the general public who flocked in by the hundreds
By Chaitanya Charan Das
If we see two people fighting over something trivial, we would naturally wonder: Why are they making such a big issue of this?
People fight not just because something is a big issue but also because they have nothing important in their life and so end up making something trivial important. The Bhagavad-gita explains that we all are pushed around by the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. And those who function in the mode of ignorance are giv
By Madhava Smullen
Around six hundred congregation members and newcomers visited ISKCON Philadelphia on December 8thto celebrate as the presiding Deities moved into Their beautiful, spacious new temple room.
The move had been planned for several years at ISKCON Philadelphia’s property in Mt. Airy, a diverse area where the temple attracts students, Indian community members, and local Americans of all backgrounds.
The property houses two multi-storey buildings – one a residence for householders
“Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes’ preaching do?—but if they buy one book, it may turn their life. So make this your important task, to print our books…and distribute widely, and that will please my Guru Maharaja. Never mind it takes little time to make progress, our process is slow but sure, and we are confident that if we continue in this way we shall go one day back to home, back to Godhead.”
– Srila Prabhupada
Gita Jayanti is the anniversary of Lord Krsna speaking Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna. It is celebrated all over the world, especially in ISKCON temples.
The first ISKCON Kurukshetra temple was built in the main part of town. The second ISKCON Kurukshetra temple is at the Jyotisar, where Krsna spoke Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna 5,000 years ago.
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada wanted to build a temple at this spot many years ago. The Haryana State Government kindly gave ISKCON 6 acres o
In present days, the word “jayanti” is loosely used for someone’s birthday. However, this word is not meant for mortal beings. What most people don’t know about Gita jayanti is, when Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, it was not the first time that He spoke it. Gita jayanti is not the birthday of Bhagavad Gita. It is the day when Bhagavad Gita was spoken the first time on this planet during this particular yuga cycle.
This is clearly mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita itself when Lord
“Time and time again I am coming back to this point because it has become quite a common practice in India to present somebody as God or present oneself as God. We can see that those people didn’t even read Bhagavad-gita, and even if they did read, they didn’t understand Bhagavad-gita. The extent of their understanding of Bhagavad-gita is karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana. [Bg 2.47] “You work like a donkey and don’t worry about the results. Give the results to me”, that is their interp
This morning I happened upon this nice Study Guide on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It begins with the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita, some notes on the Original Edition, the significance of the Bhagavad-gita, a philosophical synopsis, chapter by chapter summary, Q & A, and a suguested teaching syllabus. All in all ,a very nice presentation prepared by disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
We are offing it here as a free pdf download that you can
Vedic Stories for Children Volume 2, a CD produced by the world-renowned Bhaktivedanta Players, was launched during the Diwali and Annakut festivals at Bhaktivedanta Manor in England.
Over the two days the Bhaktivedanta Players peformed interactive skits, and The Kids’ Sankirtan Party, a group created by the Go Matsya book distribution team, performed a Ramayana drama. Meanwhile copies of the new CD were offered for purchase.
Volume 1 of the series was released on Gaura
By Sesa Dasa
Sesa Dasa, a member of ISKCON’s Ministry for Educational Development, looks at the place of ‘virtue’ in the lives of devotees. He notes the changes that thirty years of devotional practice have made to his outlook on life and takes lessons from Mahabharata about the apparent conflict between material and spiritual duty.
Thirty years is time enough. Thirty years, out of a life of fifty-one, spent in the Hare Krsna movement, is certainly time enough. A thirty-year period provides eno
An Address by Giriraj Swami to Leaders of Hindu Organizations October 23, 2009 Houston
The Bhagavad-gita is also known as the Gitopanisad and is considered one of the Upanisads. The title Bhagavad-gita is sometimes translated as “The Song of God.” Gita mean “song.” God, Krsna, is so sublime that whatever He speaks is music and poetry. The word bhagavan has been analyzed by Vedic authorities. Bhaga means “opulence” and is related to the word bhagya: “good fortune.” And van means “one who possess
ISKCON Mayapur management invites worldwide devotees for Gaura Purnima festival 2019, from 27th February to 23rd March.
This year, the most awaited Sri Panca-tattva Maha abhisheka will be celebrated on 3rd March 2019. Once in four years, the big deities of Sri Panca-tattva will be offered Maha Abhisheka.
Kirtan Mela will be from 5th March to 8th March , followed by Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama from 9th March to 16th March.
Gaura Purnima 2019 festival schedule:
27th February Devotee
By Madhava Smullen
In ISKCON today, we typically call everyone who joined the movement “the first generation.” We call all the children of those who joined “second generation,” no matter their age, and all their children “third generation.”
But now the gurukuli pioneers who first coined the phrase “second generation” have come forward to say that continuing to use the term to describe everyone across a thirty-year timespan is confusing and problematic.
In the late 1980s, those who had atten
Please come and chant with us…..in japa as well as in kirtan.
* Deepen your relationship with the Holy Name.
* Spend these days in seclusion in beautiful Ekachakra – away from all usual distractions.
* Hear about the glories of the Holy Name in the association of like- minded devotees and practically apply what you have heard in kirtan and japa.
* Experience a different reality – associate with Krsna in person, through His Holy Name.
* Open your heart and allow the Holy Name to do His mysterio
We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter Three: “Karma-yoga.”
TEXT 41
tasmat tvam indriyany adau
niyamya bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana-vijnana-nasanam
TRANSLATION
Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
The Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning so that he could curb the g
By Chaitanya Charan Das
We all have certain abilities that enable us to make a contribution and gain satisfaction.
When we use our abilities properly, we get a sense of self-worth and specialness. But sometimes those talents can also make us proud because we may feel superior to those who do not have such talents. To avoid such pride, we need to see our abilities appropriately. Gita wisdom explains that our talents are not our entitlements, that is, we are not entitled to have these talents. E
Visakha dasi ACBSP: Think of a topiary. A topiary is a shrub clipped to create a particular shape. When we look at a topiary, we don’t see the plant’s natural shape but the shape that’s been imposed on it. Topiaries may be visually entertaining, but when that “clipping” is applied to people and they are forced to function in ways that may be artificial for them, it leads to misery. To prevent someone from serving Krishna according to his or her personal proclivities is a kind of violence. No on
By Vaisesika Dasa
Journalist Thomas Paine in 1776 sparked the American Revolution by writing and widely distributing his pamphlet, Common Sense. Fidel Castro – while in a Cuban prison – crafted his speech History will Absolve Me, had it smuggled it out of the prison and distributed to the masses. The result? The Cubin public overthrew the government and installed Castro as their leader.
And for thousands of years, our own acaryas have invested their time and energy to write and publish transcen
By Gauranga Darshan Das
It’s best to act appropriately in a situation rather than regret later!
It’s better to regret for one’s poor response rather than justifying it!
It’s worse to justify one’s impulsive act and deny responsibility for its result!
Did someone ever mistreat you? Did you ever hurt someone? How had been your response in either case? A sensitive heart regrets when one fails to respond sensitively. Having said or done something that pained someone or yourself, one often thin
