He’s 24. He drove me around to places I needed to go such as Brampton and Uptown Toronto, and he didn’t say anything about it being his birthday. That’s humility, I would think. Moreover, he’s funny and always smiles. He has a keen love for kirtan and like to serve those in the mission. He has a respect for all, whether the men or the women in the Bhakti Academy. He also has a knack for distribution of the books published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
The above is a list
By Sankirtana Das
ISKCON’s North American Leadership Conference was held October 4-6th at New Vrindaban, West Virginia, gathering over 120 leaders from across the continent. Sankirtana Dasa, a long-time resident of NV, reflects on its relationship to Srila Prabhupada’s mood and mission, his experience and realizations attending some of the sessions, and insights from interviews with leaders over the multi-day gathering. He also includes participant feedback on the conference and the host communi
When three of our young men from Bhakti Academy came into Prabhupad’s quarters to do an interview with me, they were quite impressed. Not having been in this sitting quarters before when I was present, one of those men asked, “Is this your room?”
“No, this is our guru Prabhupad’s room. Then I showed the next room, the bedroom where His Divine Grace had his rest for three nights in June of ’76. “Is this your room?” came the question again.
“No, this is Pra
By Sitalatma Das
Part of our ISKCON folklore is a story of early devotees wondering who were those māyāvādīs Śrīla Prabhupāda always rallied against – because no one knew any particular māyāvādī at the time, and then it hit them – they (we) are the māyāvādīs! Not by our professed ideology but by our attitudes and by the quality of our relationships, which were often very impersonal in nature. A lot of Bhāgavatam classes were spent on uncovering impersonalism in our lives afterwards. Otherwise a
From Back to Godhead
Reciting Shlokas that glorify Lord Krishna can awaken the soul to eternal knowledge.
Today, as I came by bus in the morning,” reported our ethics lecturer, “a person was repeating a Shloka. What is the purpose of such muttering? What is the use of such repetition of words such as modaka hasta (with the modaka sweet in hand)? This is a silly practice.”
This statement came as a real surprise to me as I had been taught many Shlokas as a child and I enjoyed chanting them too wh
By Radha Mohan
On the auspicious occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from throughout the UK were invited to Bhaktivedanta Manor to worship Srila Prabhupada, make offerings of gratitude to him, and receive a special gift.
The gift, made by devotees in Russia headed by Madan Mohana das, was a small deity of Srila Prabhupada in a box that opened into an altar.
Srila Prabhupada’s disciples were delighted to receive this treasured form of Srila Prabhupada a
By Atma Tattva Das
Kirtan, the sacred practice of chanting and singing the names of The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, is a profound tool for meditation and self-expression. For Premanjali Dasi, kirtan is not only a complete devotional activity but also a transformative experience she aims to make accessible to all. Through her innovative Learn Kirtan initiative, she has opened the doors for individuals—particularly those new to bhakti—to embrace the art of kirtan as a means of med
I love to give class. The themes were “Planning”, “Expanding” and “ What we love about Krishna”. I am not always proud of my presentations, like today, but I am basically glad if more of the listeners fell asleep. That’s one way that I gauge success in delivery. Did I make anyone laugh. That to me is another criterion at a class.
Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, was a laughologist, but that did not form the bulk of his presentation. It was a component of a class whether it was based on the Gita, B
“By performance of yajña, the conditioned souls gradually become Krishna conscious and become godly in all respects. In the Age of Kali, the sankirtana-yajña (the chanting of the names of God) is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya for the deliverance of all men in this age. Sankirtana-yajña and Krishna consciousness go well together. Lord Krishna in His devotional form (as Lord Caitanya) is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5
Hare Krsna movement is not a "For Ascetics Only" club.
Five centuries ago Lord Caitanya, who is the Supreme Lord. Krsna, Himself and the founder of the Hare Krsna movement, predicted that in every town and village around the globe God's holy names would be heard. Twenty-four years ago His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a devoted follower of Lord Caitanya, journeyed from India to the West and began to vigorously introduce Krsna consciousness. As a result, people everywhere hav
By Radha Mohan
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, invited faith leaders from different traditions to join him for breakfast on Thursday, November 14th.
Visakha Dasi, representing ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor, was pleased to hear Mr Starmer emphasise the importance of faith to the fabric of UK society. “That was especially evident”, Mr Starmer said, “during the pandemic when great numbers of people turned to places of worship for shelter and solace in a time of international uncertain
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, invited faith leaders from different traditions to join him for breakfast on Thursday, November 14th.
Visakha Dasi, representing ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor, was pleased to hear Mr Starmer emphasize the importance of faith to the fabric of UK society. “That was especially evident,” Mr Starmer said, “during the pandemic when great numbers of people turned to places of worship for shelter and solace in a time of international uncertainty.”
For more de
They were on fire. It was unique for me and I’ve been to many weddings. This one – the union of Venkatesh and Mansi, started with a bang! A vintage New York fire truck came along outside the banquet hall with its siren on full blast and then gave way to some bangra number where all the guys friends of Venkatesh , the groom, gyrated atop the vehicle. They were having a blast. Everyone joined into the spirit.
Inside the banquet hall a more grave approach to the ceremony commenced.
The Panditji
By Rupali Chadha, MD
Over the years I have been approached by many a devotee in distress. Though I grew up in ISKCON and have been slowly cultivating my own Krishna consciousness, I am very much a neophyte. I was blessed by Krishna’s will in that I became a physician. I went forward to specialize in general and forensic psychiatric medicine. It is for this reason, I am often approached by devotees when their emotional life becomes overwhelming. Often they are told to chant better rounds or seek
In each of its twelve cantos, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the “flawless ripened fruit of all Vedic scriptures,” tells of miracles and mysticism, of the esoteric and extraterrestrial. We hear a cow, bull, elephant, monkey, and bird speaking deep philosophy. We learn of the four-headed creator who sits atop a lotus flower, of a magnificent aerial mansion, and of a five-year-old who pushes down half the earth with his toe and makes demigods suffocate. We learn of people giving birth to tens of thousands of
I offer my humble obeisances and deepest respect to His Divine Grace Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. I am posting this with a heavy heart, but because it is my duty to share my experience with the assembled devotees for the highest good of all. It is embarrassing and uncomfortable to share this story, but it is so important that I choose to do it anyway. I sincerely pray that you will learn from my mistakes and remain strong in your devotional service to your Spiritual Master. It is the most imp
By Pitambara Das
The 2024 Zone 1 Leadership Conference, held from November 8th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, brought together over 60 leaders from more than 25 ISKCON centers across Canada and six northern U.S. states. Under the theme “Think Big, Do Big, Act Small,” the conference focused on a shared vision for ISKCON’s growth and mission, guided by Srila Prabhupada’s principles and the spirit of Krishna Consciousness.
Inspired by Bhaktimarga Swami, this annual gathering highlighted collective p
Sri Namamrta
1. The Holy Name Revives One’s Dormant, Eternal Krsna Consciousness
2. The Role of the Holy Name in the Progression of Devotional Service
3. The Holy Name Frees One from the Reactions to Sins
4. By Chanting the Holy Name, the Mind Becomes Controlled
5. The Holy Name Protects One from Pride
6. By Chanting, One Develops Forbearance
7. The Holy Name Eradicates Material Desires and Sinful Activity
8. The Holy Name Cleanses the Heart and Frees One from Material Contamination
9. The Holy
By Atma Tattva Das
Since 1972, the Prabhupada Book Marathon has inspired ISKCON devotees to share the spiritual wisdom of Srila Prabhupada’s books with the world. Now celebrated as the “Live to Give” campaign, this annual effort aims to “cover the earth” with copies of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, including its recent milestone of even delivering Gitas to Antarctica. This achievement fulfilled a longstanding aspiration of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) to bring Krishna consciousness to every
