The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) will be holding its annual “Festival of Chariots” on Sunday, September 30.
The procession will disembark from Redbridge Town Hall, in High Road, at 12pm and end in Melbourne Field, in Valentines Park, Cranbrook Road.
Raj Nagulapally, one of the event organisers, said: “It goes back to tho
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
When is the perfect time to take initiation from one’s spiritual master?
I do not know if there is a perfect time for someone to take initiation. I compare it to jumping into a pool. You know, first you put your toes in and go, “I don’t know. This is too cold for me. I’m not ready to go in there.” But then you start to think, “No, come on now. Jump! Jump! Jump!” And at some point, you finally have to jump! Before you take initiation, you must be able to for at least for
By Giriraj Swami and Sri Prahlada dasa
In honor of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America, we shall sing the poem he wrote on the ship Jaladuta as he arrived in the Boston harbor.
Song [translation]:
1: My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
2: But I guess You have some business here. Otherwise, why would You bring me to such a terrible place?
3: Most of the population here is covered
Are our abilities and expertise valuable assistance for our devotees? Are we confident that our positive-thinking techniques and service input is pleasing to all because devotees depend on us? Is satisfaction and contentment a common feeling earned through our ‘big’ endeavours and peer acceptance? Then beware, because we could be pleased for the wrong reasons – self-empowerment can be mistaken as genuine Krishna empowerment.
One can achieve all the above successes by NOT being very Krishna cons
By Subhangi Devi Dasi
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupad! All glories to all of the Vaishnavas, especially the preachers who are saving the world from hell! All glories to your service!
Have you ever heard of terminal restlessness? Probably not, unless you are a doctor or a nurse. But although the name is new, the condition is described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada says:
“And similarly, miserable condition of death. When one is lying in coma, so many
Ananda: There is a great connection between stillness and listening. “Don’t move” we say when we hear some noise around the house in the middle of the night. In yoga we hold the body still in order to hear the breath. We will hold the shoulders of our child while we tell her something important.
In the tradition of mantra meditation, the repetition of a sacred sound, how we listen, how we hear the mantra is the difference between a successful practice or not. Although in the Krishna Bhakti prac
By Sri Ramadasa
We are unabashedly ecstatic to announce that the Bhadra Campaign has launched in India with a resounding success this year! The full moon of good fortune rose on Bhadra Purnima, which was on 24-25 September 2018, *with 4485 sets of Srimad Bhagavatam* being donated to homes, offices, schools, libraries, prisons, and hospitals located across India. Devotees even distributed sets of Srimad Bhagavatam to eminent personalities and current gurus of other Vaishnava Sampradayas in Ind
From Back to Godhead
The Graduate: A high school graduation inspires thoughts on raising a child in Krsna consciousness.
My husband and I take a seat on the shiny varnished bleachers in the large arena used for basketball games. The well-dressed crowd sits in anticipation as their sons and daughters, filing through the rear entrance in dark blue caps and gowns, prepare to graduate from high school.
I spot my son, Narayana, standing in the procession. His searching eyes meet mine, and we exchang
Dandavat Pranaam.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
This is shyam sundar,Youth Representative of ISKCON Youth Forum Guntur. As a Part of 'Sri Krishna Janmastami Celebrations' on the final day September 7th,ISKCON Guntur has conducted a Youth Awareness Rally on the theme 'Say No To Bad Habits-Save The Youth' which is organised by ISKCON Youth Forum Guntur.Iam attaching the link of Facebook Album also.We feel honoured if an Article is published in our Website ISKCON Desire tree.
Around 1500 studen
On September 28th, 2018, Sacinandana Swami has published a new book on chanting, entitled as The Living Name.
Just as the five life airs animate the body with life, the five powerful practices in The Living Name can enliven the chanting of the Holy Name and turn it into a dynamic and transformative experience.
This guidebook one will first learn how to align body, mind and heart (Yojana) to overcome distraction and thus embark on the path of full absorption. From here chanting in deep conne
The Sri Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Sangha, an assemblage of 55 Gaudiya Maths celebrated the 181st Appearance day of Srila Sacchidanand Bhaktivinod Thakur, most prominent Acharya of Gaudiya Vaishnava society, at Surabhi Kunja, Swarupgunj, Nadia district on Saturday 22ndof September. Thousands of devotees of Indian and foreign origin of various Gaudiya Maths and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness attended the festivities.
The celebration began with bhajan
By Caitanya Carana Dasa
The Moment we turn away from Krishna our misery begins.
The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty, by David G. Myers, is one among several books that use telling facts and revealing statistics to examine the reality behind the globally glamorized American dream of the happy life through wealth and sensual enjoyment. Since 1960:
• The divorce rate has doubled.
• The teen suicide rate has tripled.
• The recorded violent crime rate has quadrupled.
• The pri
By Caitanya Caran das
Imagine a person working on a computer that has viruses. He is busy typing, but the computer is hung. A computer expert informs him, “Sir, you need to install an anti-virus.” He responds curtly, “Don’t disturb me; I am busy.” The expert points out, “But Sir, your computer is not working; so all your work will be fruitless without the anti-virus” He retorts, “I will not be affected by your pessimism.”
Could we be like this thoughtlessly busy person? The Vedic texts explain
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
Can you tell us a bit about the time you entered into the grhasta ashram. How was that a factor in your spiritual life?
Generally sanyasis do not speak about their purva janma (previous life) but since you are asking, I will briefly tell you. I was married for 24 years before I took sannyasa. My former wife is also from the Netherlands and she came to Krsna consciousness 1 year after I did. Even though she was drawn to Krsna consciousness, she was not so sure about the m
From Back to Godhead
Making sense of Vedic Rituals
Are traditional rituals mere acts of blind faith, or are there scientific reasons behind following them?
An envelope protects and carries something valuable. It is the inner content of the envelope that’s actually precious. Similarly empty, meaningless rituals are like an empty envelope: devoid of any substance at best or downright offensive at worst.
Going beyond the externals of religion
Twenty five year old Nitin Sawant, a software engineer,
Written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in 1958,
Published December of that Year in Gauḍīya Patrika,
The Magazine of the Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti.
Verse 1.
I am sitting alone in Vṛndāvana-dhāma
In this mood I am getting many realizations.
I have my wife, sons, daughters, grandsons, everything,
But I have no money so they are a fruitless glory.
Kṛṣṇa has shown me the naked form of material nature,
By his strength it has all become tasteless to me today.
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
“I
By Karnamrita dasa
I have been thinking today of friendship and its power of influence over us which indicates the secret meaning of association. What drives us to seek friends and close relationships and what will be the effect on us?
Our heart is compared in the scriptures to be like a clear crystal that reflects what is before it. We become like who we associate with closely or intimately. That means that when we open our heart to someone, and they open their heart to us there is an exchange
An Infallible Justice!
Chaitanya Caran das: Why me! What did I do to deserve this?“ The outraged cry that comes from a person who feels he has been unfairly singled out for suffering by cruel providence.
"Why do bad things happen to good people?” The perplexing question that haunts the minds of many when they see pious people victimized by painful reverses in life.
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
“The problem of evil” has been the bane of Western theologians and thinkers for centuries together. In simple t
