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
On June 15th, the center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where a Namahatta group met for many years became an official ISKCON temple.
The following Sunday June 17th, new GBC Anuttama Das met with the congregation, officially announced the center as ISKCON of Harrisburg, and introduced himself, the new temple board members, and new temple president Anasuya Dasi.
The largely Indian congregation had previously been running a Namahatta group since 2003, and renting various halls to
Vrinda Kund
We greeted the beautiful Vrinda Devi deity who was looking out over a small, but powerful, Vrinda Kund (bathing ghat). The green parrots of Vrindavan are said to be the messengers of Vrinda Devi, who debate among themselves whether Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead or whether Srimati Radharani is, in fact, Supreme since She completely controls Krsna.
Vrinda Devi is the stage manager of the Lord’s past times and she makes all
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
By Giriraj Swami
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
“In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.” (SB 11.5.32)
This verse refers to Lord Caitanya. Those who are intelligent (su-medh
By Gita Jayanti National Committee
As part of the Gita Jayanti Festival 2018, devotees in Bali, Indonesia organised a wonderful seminar about the importance and significance of the Bhagavad Gita on the 19th November 2018. The seminar was conducted by the ISKCON Gita Jayanti Committee in collaboration with the students of Udayana University. The overall program was lead by HG Nitya Lila das.
There was around 250 participants in the seminar and many VIPs were present; the Vice Governor of Bali, t
Gopasthami is a very auspicious day in the holy month of Kartika. In Mayapur we got the most astounding darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhav Asta-sakhi, Sri Pancha-Tattva, Sri Nrisimhadeva with the very rare and merciful darshan of the Lotus Feet of Srimati Radharani and all Asta-Sakhis. The beauty was indescribable. After Darshan Arati in the morning, devotees went to Mayapur Goshala to celebrate the day by bathing and feeding the cows. Opposite to Goshala in Vaishnava Academy HH Indradyumna Swami
By London College of Vedic Studies
The London College of Vedic Studies (www.facebook.com/londoncvs) recently organised a 2-day seminar on ‘Home Deity Worship’. The College serves as the educational department of ISKCON-London, offering a wide range of educational, spiritual and practical courses, seminars and workshops aimed at developing character, personal fulfilment and spiritual progression.
This workshop was facilitated by the Head Priest of tISKCON-London, HG Murli Manohara dasa. It was s
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Sincerely, your servant
By Pancharatna das
Last month ISKCON Online completed the launch of Chantnow.com and we have started our marketing. We are gradually building a following on social media and getting some good initial response to our advertising. Here’s an article about it – https://iskconnews.org/chantnowcom-makes-bhakti-yoga-relatable-to-total-newcomers,6748/
When we began this project one of our primary goals was to provide a way for devotees, especially book distributors, to connect people they meet with a f
By Urmila Devi Dasi
CELIBACY IS SUCH an important part of Vedic education that the Sanskrit word for student is brahmacari (“celibate”). The pressure to give up celibacy begins, of course, in adolescence, the most dangerous ageand often the turning point of one’s life. Young adults need guidance before and during the teenage years to recognize and follow the right path.
Celibacy trains adolescents for self-restraint, whether they stay single or get married. It develops their inner strength, sel
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.3-5.
“Piety refers to the process of cleansing the heart. As recommended by Lord Caitanya, one has to cleanse the dust from the mirror of the mind, and then advancement on the path of liberation begins. Here also the same process is recommended. Malam means “contamination.” We should learn to despise all the causes of devastation, beginning from irreligion and cheating, and then we shall be able to make advancement in a life of piety. The
By Purushottam Nitai Das
Imagine if a message suddenly flashes on the sky: “Due to a technical fault the supply of oxygen will remain unavailable for some time all over the world. Next update about the issue in another hour”. What would happen to us? There won’t be just utter chaos but soon the earth will become a graveyard. Not even vultures and jackals would be alive to feast on the dead bodies. But has it ever happened? Never. Can it happen in future? Sceptics and agnostics may say, “Yes”. B
