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13208886062?profile=RESIZE_584xRecently, the Duluth High School auditorium in Duluth, Georgia, USA, was transformed into a lively spiritual haven as GitaWise hosted its annual day celebration, an extraordinary event dedicated to the reverence of Lord Krishna. The event, attended by nearly 400 community members, featured over 90 talented students who took to the stage, enchanting the audience with mesmerizing dances and thought-provoking dramas.

The September 7th event was distinctively themed “Back to the Future,” a reference

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Bangladesh Crisis Update By Anuttama Dasa

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November 27, 2024

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) expresses deep concern over the volatile situation in Bangladesh, particularly regarding the safety of Hindu minorities and members of our Hare Krishna ISKCON community. We urge all authorities to ensure the security and well-being of all citizens during this challenging time.

We call upon the government of Bangladesh to safeguard the rights of all minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others, by up

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By Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen)

I recently heard a woman say, “least but not last.” She meant to say the usual, “last but not least,” but somehow, due to a slip of the lip, or perhaps because of some mild form of dyslexia, she inverted the words in this somewhat humorous way. And this got me thinking about humility, which people sometimes confuse with low self-esteem, thus viewing it as an inferior quality. To think of oneself as “least” is the last thing one would want to do.

Our Krishna-c

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The Self at War by Yogesvara Das

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The hero of India’s epic Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, is at a crossroad. He is intelligent, well-intending, and overwhelmed by a dilemma we all might recognize: the apparent incompatibility of worldly responsibilities and other-worldly aspirations. Arjuna is a warrior who feels the call to a more peaceful, non-invasive life. On the verge of a mammoth war he refuses to fight, even though the enemy is an aggressor who must be brought down. Like Arjuna, once we acknowledge the call to a more enlightened

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On the morning of November 26, 2024 (Bangladesh time), ISKCON Bangladesh released the following official statement:

Statement from ISKCON Bangladesh regarding the current situation in Bangladesh and the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das

We express our serious concern and strongly denounce the recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the “Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot”. We also condemn the subsequent violence and attacks against Sanatanis in various regions of Bangladesh. W

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Forest Bathing by Shanky Kumar

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I really enjoyed the Diwali festival held at Sattair Community Centre.

To get there I chose to trek there via a piece of the Trans Canada Trail which flies through the forest. I just completed a poem which will appear in my next book, “ The Walking Monk: Poems 2”.

 

Forest Bathing

You may enter with a dirty mind
Host in spirit, perhaps to another time
By the end of the stretch
You feel less of a wretch
In understanding that forest bath
Down a soft green path
Well, it may not be green
But a mu

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By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

The Gift Prabhupada Project is an initiative undertaken by a group of devotees to gift a miniature (54 mm) brass murti of Srila Prabhupada, particularly to his direct disciples. Alloyed within the brass murti are coins donated for Srila Prabhupada’s books from each of the 25 countries he personally visited, symbolizing the global impact of his teachings. 

The box enclosing the murti features a backdrop that includes fragments from the original jackfruit tree un

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Obstacles to Recruiting by Kalakantha Das

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Obstacles to Recruiting

During his amazing eleven years of personal worldwide preaching, Śrīla Prabhupāda proved Krishna consciousness could transform everyone into Vaishnavas, regardless of their birth. People today can still be transformed, regardless of how social externals have changed over the years. However, in many parts of the world, today’s ISKCON constituencies have changed. In this chapter we will look at three principle obstacles to local recruiting and a solution for each.

Obstacle

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Festival Fun by Shanky Kumar

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The very endearing pastime of Krishna’s heroic deed in protecting the residents of Vrindavana is being celebrated in Burnaby, Vancouver’s suburb. I flew for a visit here. Immediately, I was slotted into a program to explain the significance of Krishna's doing so, in the most extraordinary way by raising a popular and prosperous hill called Govardhan. Indra, the god of rain, was relentless in creating a flash flood through endless rains. Krishna sited swiftly to remedy the calamity and everyone

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13185763271?profile=RESIZE_584xBy Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Vrajmohan Das has crafted a unique board game, “To Every Town And Village,” inspired by the classic game Monopoly. As the name suggests, the goal of the game is to help sponsor temples, develop projects, and spread Srila Prabhupada’s mission to every corner of the globe. Blending elements of fun, strategy, and devotion, the game offers an immersive journey into spiritual growth and global preaching, celebrating the legacy of ISKCON’s early years.

Vrajmohan Das

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Building Bridges at St. Alban’s Cathedral

13185736475?profile=RESIZE_584xRecently, a vibrant interfaith program took place at St. Alban’s Cathedral, bringing together individuals from various religious backgrounds to share their faiths to foster understanding, and work towards a stronger, more harmonious community. This event was a testament to the power of dialogue and mutual respect, where members of different traditions had the opportunity to showcase how their beliefs contribute to the betterment of society.

For the full story, click here.

Source: https://iskcon

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Day of Treats by Shanky Kumar

13185546886?profile=RESIZE_400xWhile people on the streets were seriously engaged in dancing and ghoulishly attired to the tune of “Thriller”, at the temple practitioners of the bhakti movement were swaying and singing to the great mantra, “Hare Krishna”. Two celebrations were going on- Halloween and Diwali. Those attend the Diwali New Year were at their best dress and best form singing and also listening to the pastimes of Rama and his victory over tyrant , Ravana. It was an unexpected number who came to worship Rama and Kr

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Sometimes people think that the ancient Vedic literature no longer has any real usefulness in this day and age. That it is little better than an antique of foregone days. However, this article shows the universal and ever-relevant nature of the Ramayana, and how it explains the symptoms of society when there is no ruler, or when there is an unqualified leader. This is from the discussion between Markandeya and the great sages and Visishtha when they urge him to install a proper king onto the th

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From Back to Godhead

Taking into account the many descriptions of Godhead found in ancient books, scriptures and the eternal wisdom heard by disciples from their venerable masters, the Absolute Truth may be defined as follows: He is by Himself and for Himself; He has all knowledge, strength, opulence, fame, beauty and renunciation; He is the Fountainhead of limitless energies and the Fountainhead of infinite qualities all of which are identical with Himself. He has infinite forms, all of which

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Our lives are like canvases that we are meant to paint on. And just as with painting, from time to time, it helps to step back and return with a fresh perspective.
 
The great painter, thinker, and scientist Leonardo da Vinci expressed this in Renaissance Italy:
 
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgement will be surer; since, to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement.”
 
Answers to questions I persona
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Dussehra (Durga Puja) by Ramai Swami

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The festival of Dussehra, also known as Vijaya dashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. According to the great scripture, the Ramayana, Lord Rama performed chandi-puja (holy prayer). This was carried out in order to invoke the blessings of Durga for the killing of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Sri Lanka who had abducted Sita, wife of Lord Rama.

Durga divulged the secret to Rama on how he could slay the great Ravana. Hence upon vanqui

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At Mayapur Academy, we recently concluded the Jewelry Making Unit for the Deities, skillfully facilitated by Her Grace Hariballabhi Devi Dasi. ✨
As part of the course, each student was tasked with designing and creating a choker, a waist belt, earrings, bracelets, armlets, and a long mala for the deities. Remarkably, none of the students had prior experience in beaded jewelry-making. However, through a week of focused practice and dedication, they successfully crafted and submitted exquisite p
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13177108301?profile=RESIZE_584xWe had the good fortune of going for Darshan of Sri Sri Madan Gopal with some friends

He’s just so very beautiful and looks amazing for 1700 years old!

This is in Belpukur, a big 20 minutes from mayapur, and where Saci Mata grew up. This deity of madan gopal belonged to Mahaprabhu’s maternal grandfather Nilambar Chakraborty

The last photo is of saci Mata’s very own 600 year old deity of krishna which she brought from Bangladesh

If you look closely, you can see His slippers!

— with Kripanidh

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Since many of our ISKCON congregational members are of South Asian Indian descent and may be interested in participating in this program described below, we are publishing this story. We recognize it’s not relevant or open to many of our readers. However, because a sizable number may be interested in this opportunity to visit India (with many expenses paid for by the Indian government), we share this as a “public service announcement.” ISKCON News does not recommend or endorse this program, but

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On November 19, 2024, Guruttama Dasa, one of the managers of ISKCON Finland, attended an important meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, hosted by the President of Finland, Mr. Alexander Stubb. The gathering brought together religious leaders from different faiths in Finland. The meeting offered a platform for discussion on various important topics: importance of religious practice, promoting the inter-faith dialogue and efforts to combat racism and discrimination.

Guruttama Dasa expre

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