Blog

By Madhava Smullen

Fortunate People, a project started in the UK by Russian devotee Shaktyavesha Avatar Das, began in 2016 as an offering to Srila Prabhupada for ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary. Participating devotees distribute books and then film the recipients chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for the first time.

During the recent Prabhupada Marathon of December 2017, the project reached a milestone, collecting 10,375 videos of people chanting around the world.

The project is inspired by Srila

By Mahananda dasa

Our beloved Srila Prabhupada warns us that the material world is a very dangerous place. Krsna promises His devotee in the Bhagavad-gita that if he takes complete shelter of Him and fully depends on Krsna for protection, then He will certainly protect His devotee without a doubt. One should be convinced of this.
The body is not free and independent, but is under the strict laws of material nature and is in the tight grip of the three different modes of nature. The body is in t

By Sadbhuja Das

In less than a month the Grand Installation Ceremony of the remaining two Chakras onto Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s domes will take place. This historic occasion will be ISKCON’s most important event to date and represents almost a decade of effort on the part of all devotees to fulfill the vision of Srila Prabhupada to manifest the adbhuta mandir predicted by Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

Sponsoring one or both Chakras is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve th

Creation of Navadvipa Dhama

So in a discussion between Parvati and Lord Shiva on the creation of Navadvipa Dhama, Mahadeva explained that Srimati Radharani manifests Navadvipa Dhama  as Her masterpiece of creative art work to lure Krsna back from a competitor.  Of course, transcendental competition is different than anything in this world.  It’s all for the pleasure of Krsna.  There’s no rivalry.  There’s no jealousy.  There’s no loser.  Everyone wins and is stunned with intimate understanding

Q. One of my close friends has stopped chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra saying that since the mantra destroys all material desires, as a grhastha (householder), he needs the material motivation to support his family, and also that chanting the maha-mantra while maintaining material desires is offensive. He has taken to the chanting of Sri Lakshmi Suktam, which awards material prosperity and also indirectly reminds him of Lord Vishnu. How do I explain things properly to him? 
Romapada Swami

Govinda’s Restaurant has been listed as one of the best vegan food places in London by London Evening Standard. If you haven’t tried it, check it out the next time you visit us.
“Tucked away in Soho Square, just around the corner from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, Hare Krishna restaurant Govinda’s is known for serving a wide range of delicious vegan curries. Its location makes it a pretty ideal lunch spot for shoppers in the area and the healthy, affordable menu is one to try out. 10

Frustration gives way to illumination during one extraordinary night in the life of a prostitute.

While prostitutes are often depicted negatively in traditional literature, some religious texts depict them positively as testimonies to the transformational potency of divine grace. Thus, in the Gospel is found a story of a prostitute (considered by some to be Mary Magdalene) who was redeemed by Jesus. In Gaudiya Vaishnava literature such as the Chaitanya Charitamrita comes the story of the saint

By Mahatma Das

You may be wondering why I chose “No One Can Help You Like You Can” as the title for this article. This statement comes from a conversation in which a devotee asked Prabhupada for help, saying that he was not able to follow the four rules. Prabhupada looked sternly at him and said, “If you do not follow the regulative principles, then no one can help you’.”

Following the practices of Krsna consciousness is the platform from which help comes. It is not that we attract mercy by v

By Indradyumna Swami

Three days ago I flew to Australia to pay my final respects and say goodbye to my godbrother, Venu Gopal dasa, who is dying of cancer. A senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Venu Gopal prabhu has been instrumental in pioneering the Krsna conscious movement in Australia since the early 1970’s. Each day a steady stream of devotees visit his home, situated near the beautiful New Govardhana farming community, to show their love and appreciation for this most wonderful devotee.

By Vaikunthanath

The Montreal temple was going very well, but we always had a difficult time paying the monthly rent, and there was some danger that they would lose the temple at one point because they just didn’t have the rent money.
Prabhupada actually proposed the idea to me and Pradyumna that we should go out and meet people in the Indian community and explain to them that we are trying to establish this Radha-Krishna temple here and maintain this temple and that we would like their support

By Chaitanya Charan Das

Some people study scripture largely, if not entirely, from a historical perspective – they focus on when it was written, what was the general culture then, and what were the specific contexts for its statements.
Such a history-centered approach, though useful in understanding some aspects of scripture, misses its essence. Scripture essentially is divinity’s guiding revelation to humanity, offering wisdom on life and living whose relevance extends throughout history. The

By Purushottam Nitai Das

The stars are still smiling in the sky, the birds are still sleeping in their nests, the big trees and the small plants are curiously looking around enjoying the spectacle, the water in the nearby Ganges are resting peacefully, the cool breeze is singing shyly occasionally touching the sacred river gently and immediately racing to catch up with the devotees who are quickly walking towards the temple. Men, women, children walk briskly lest they miss the momentous opportu

In the age of kali, the general populace consists of two kinds of people – animals and hypocrites. Animals that are the blatantly degraded ones and hypocrites act as if they are not degraded but actually are! These are the only two classes of people will we can find in this age. Hypocrites walk around in nicely polished suits and with their snobbish noses are looking down on others that are so degraded but they too engage in so many sinful activities, hidden and secretly.

So without Krsna consc

Editors’s note: Quite often, those unaware of the knowledge treasured in India’s ancient Vedic scriptures get jitters at the idea that animals can be part of celestial beings and have their place in Hindu temples. This lack of knowledge induces them to conclude that such descriptions in the Vedas and Puranas must be mythology. The reality, however, is entirely different. Animals are very much a part of every civilization. The same is true for the civilizations of celestial beings, who are seen

What would you do if the White House were to announce that President Trump added India to the list of nations whose citizens are temporarily banned from entering the United States? What if the president announced that banning entry to majority Hindu countries is a small price to pay for keeping America safe? Such a scenario is at least worthy of discussion.

Does Bhakti have a role to play in current events? Since followers of Krishna consciousness benefit from First Amendment religious freedoms

I recently connected with a childhood friend who also became a monk. As you can imagine, we had lots to talk about, and lots in common. In his tradition, one of the monastic vows is to never touch money; and if he does, even by accident, he observes complete fasting for a day. Serious detachment. Admittedly, if I had adopted that vow I’d be dead and cremated by now – financial transactions seem a staple part of my daily life! But money is dangerous, and time and time again we see how it can att

Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE), is heartily inviting you to take part in the forthcoming 8th Annual International Vaishnavi Retreat, which will be held on March 20-25, 2018 at Govardhana.
Our beloved teachers for this year will be Her Grace Yasomati Devi Dasi, Her Grace Kisori Devi Dasi, Her Grace Damodara Priya Devi Dasi and Her Grace Prasanta Devi Dasi
The aim of the event is to facilitate spiritual association among women in bhakti. Focused on hearing and chanting, it offers

By Damodar das

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.17.

“A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entour

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Another point that I find is very nice in the purport of Gajendra, the elephant, is how Srila Prabhupada speaks of when Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord. We see how Srila Prabhupada’s mind works as he describes, “Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord,” and immediately he writes, “Similarly, Dhruva Maharaj assumed his spiritual body in this way,” and then goes to the arcana-paddhati, the process of d