By Madhava Smullen
Throughout this year, ISKCON New Vrindaban is reaching out to local leaders, neighbors, congregation, and both present and past residents to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
New Vrindaban, established in the rolling hills of West Virginia in 1968 at the behest of Srila Prabhupada, is a unique place. It’s ISKCON’s very first farm community, and the first cow protection program in the Western World.
It was specifically defined by Srila Prabhupada as a place of pilgrimage, non-di
Whereas when Deity worship is done properly following the rules of worship and maintaining strict cleanliness and punctuality, the worship is enlivening to devotees;
Whereas, it has been seen that in temples where the worship is below the required minimum standard, it is often a result of zonal leadership, temple management, and/or the head pujari not knowing the proper standards of worship;
Whereas GBC members and other leaders of ISKCON may not have the time to learn appropriate standards for
[ISKCON Law]
Resolution A:
Whereas Srila Prabhupada has stated that the worship of Radha-Krsna is the “ultimate pinnacle” of worship and “must be done with the utmost caution and attention”;
Whereas there are Radha-Krsna Deities being worshipped with less than five aratis per day;
Whereas there are Radha-Krsna Deities being worshipped by, or cooked for by non-brahmanas;
Whereas improper worship of Radha-Krsna is having long-term detrimental effects on individual devotees, local communities, and
Whereas ISKCON does not have established formal Policies and Procedures to maintain ecclesiastical leadership standards within our Society regarding Sexual Misconduct of Leaders nor does ISKCON have methodologies to respond appropriately when a leader demonstrates Sexual Misconduct;
Whereas many large and global religious organizations have deemed it proper to establish such systems;
Whereas having such Policies and Procedures in place has many specific advantages including:
Leaders are tr
Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the modes of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease. Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people
The scriptures speak about ahankarawhich means material attachment or false ego. False ego implies identification with the body where we think, ‘I am this body and all the things in the world are mine – I and mine!’ This is the bodily conception of life – aham mameti. This is false ego but there is also purified ego. Purified ego means to know that we are the eternal servants of Krsna and this is the ego which is desir
Do you know God’s name, qualities, address, description, history dating back to billions of years, witnessed by millions, and proven?
If you can answer these questions, only then can you truly say you know God.
The Vedic scriptures are the oldest scriptures in the World and the only scriptures that can answer all these questions and in detail.
The Vedic scriptures completely describe God. His history, address, qualities, description, how he creates and maintains and so on. That God is Lord Kris
We all know that sastra predicts a 10,000 year golden age within this iron age of Kali, and that it began with the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We can see that the Krishna Consciousness Movement is spreading all over the world and we take it that this indicates the dawn of the predicted golden age. It will not simply be that a great number of temples and devotees will usher in this golden age. The society as a whole must undergo a transformation. Although the Krishna Consciousness Mov
By Ramai Swami
Feeling very sad (dukhi) over losing several children before his birth, his parents named him Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Upon taking diksha from Hrdaya Chaitanya he became known as Krishna Dasa. In Vrindavana, he joined Narottama Dasa Thakura and Shrinivasa Acharya to study the Goswami granthas under Shri Jiva Goswami.
“While living in Vrindavana, Krishna Dasa regularly swept the streets before dawn. He performed this humble service so that the Vaishnavas would not hurt their feet while
By The GBC
Resolution 320
(To read them all: http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads6/GBCRES18.pdf)
Dear Bhakti Vijnana Goswami,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Although this letter is delayed by the unforeseen change of agenda at the Midterm General Meetings in Ujjain, please accept our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the decades of service you have rendered on behalf of Srila Prabhupada’s GBC Body.
For twenty years, you have shouldered the
By The GBC
Resolution 317
(To read them all: http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads6/GBCRES18.pdf)
Whereas the GBC Executive Committee suspended Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami as an initiating guru effective May 8, 2017 due to his inappropriate and erratic behavior;
Whereas after meeting with Maharaja on February 8 2018, the GBC Body has decided that existing restrictions on him should be continued;
Whereas the GBC is the well-wisher of Maharaja and recognizes that he is not well and needs
By The GBC
Resolution 313
(To read them all: http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads6/GBCRES18.pdf)
The GBC directs the Mayapur Executive Board (MEB) to approve the request from the Jayapataka Swami Sisya Samuha to build a structure designated for the purposes of a Guest House, Devotee Care Facility, Offices, Archives and Museum on the five acre plot of land as proposed to the GBC on February 16, 2018.
The MEB should ensure the project goes through the standard review procedures with specia
Readers of the Ramayana, the great epic of ancient India, cannot help but love Hanuman. Hanuman is considered one of the greatest servants of Lord Rama (an avatar of Krishna). How has this wild monkey won the hearts of all? And what does he teach us about living our best life?
1. He is always ready to serve: Hanuman sits next to Lord Rama with one knee on the ground ready to spring into action. Love is not just an emotion nor a noun…it’s a verb. Love means service. When Hanuman found Rama he de
A statuette of Lord Hanuman is among few items that US President Barack Obama always carries in his pocket and seeks inspiration from whenever he feels tired or discouraged.
President disclosed this on a YouTube interview which the White House scheduled as a way to reach younger audiences as it promotes Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Asked to show off an item of personal significance during the interview with YouTube creator Nilsen on Friday, 54-year-old Obama pulled from
Many of you have discussed my health and it imposes some further limitations on me. What can I say!? I have to start thinking about going slow, what a boring thing but what to do!? Limited! The guru is limited so ultimately, at the end of the day, the ball is back in your court. It may go back and forth but then at the end, it is in your court. I will play, no problem, that ball will come back to you many times but at the end, it is in your court only and nowhere else and then it is up to you w
On the 25th March 2018 ISKCON Kathwada celebrated the first Ramnavami Festival (Appearance day of Lord Ramchandra). Decorated deities, Chappan Bhoga and Abhisheka was the main attraction of the festival.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam Lord himself say (SB 11.29.11 & 1.11.13):
prthak satrea vä mahyam
parva-yäträ-mahotsavän
kärayed gita-nrtyädyair
mahäräja-vibhütibhih
TRANSLATION
Either alone or in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal opulence, one should arrange to c
When deceitfulness and hypocrisy have become the way of life for the majority of the population, when humility is considered weakness and simplicity is looked upon as illiteracy, when selfishness is hailed as smartness and compassion is laughed at as sentimentalism, meeting a person who is unquestionably honest, unpretentiously humble, spontaneously compassionate and spotlessly simple at heart, yet impressively sophisticated, fiercely dynamic, awfully uncompromising and e
In 1968, Gordon John Erdman was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in Montreal, Canada, and given the name Jayapataka dasa. The name Jayapataka is translated as “victory flag,” and has proved to be truly befitting of His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, who has ceaselessly championed the cause of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu undeterred by any kind of challenges.
On Kamada Ekadasi, which falls on the 27th of March 2018, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s 69th Vyasa Puja will
By The GBC
(To read them all: http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads6/GBCRES18.pdf)
Whereas someone skilled and experienced is required to establish and develop the new ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office);
Whereas Champakalata dd has volunteered to take up this service;
Resolved:
That Champakalata Devi Dasi is appointed as the Director of the ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office) for a period of two yea
