Uddhava and I had a pleasant trip on the GO train to the Mount Pleasant station in Brampton where a most amicable person, Anjit, picked us up for a home program, which, by the way, was also pleasant. To get to the GO station I decided to walk from our Midtown temple at 243 Avenue Road to the greater building, Union Station. I ended up detouring at Old City Hall. The distance was 4 kilometres. It was the interactions with pedestrians that made the walk better than pleasant.
At Yonge and Dundas
By Swasti Devi Dasi
The International Gita Scholarship Test (IGST), organized by ISKCON Navi Mumbai, is scheduled to be conducted in May 2026 as a global online examination designed to engage youth and adults in a structured study of sacred texts. With differentiated question formats for participants aged 15 and below and 16 and above, and preceded by an 18-day worldwide digital festival titled Gita Amrit Mahotsav, the initiative aims to deepen scriptural understanding while remaining accessib
Sri Govinda Ghosh, an intimate associate of Lord Caitanya, was known for his sweet kirtans at the annual Jagannatha Puri Ratha-yatra festival. Lord Caitanya would at once begin to dance whenever Govinda Ghosh would sing. Govinda Ghosh and his brothers Vasudeva and Madhava are eternal associates of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda Prabhu.
He made his home in Agradvipa, Vasudeva in Tamluk, and Madhava Ghosh in Dain Hat. Govinda Ghosh Thakur’s house is not far from Agradvipa in Kashipura Vishnuta
My beautiful day started with a mouse. At that auspicious time of 4:25 AM I saw him lying in front of the altars. It was motionless, dead. I don’t know the cause of its departure ,but I was rather happy for it simply because where the little creature was positioned was a nearness to God.
One of our stalwart devotees who attends the first service of the day at the temple responded to my pointing at the departed mouse. He knew of a broom and dustpan and proceeded to use it in some form of last
Sometimes people think that the ancient Vedic literature no longer has any real usefulness in this day and age. That it is little better than an antique of foregone days. However, this article shows the universal and ever-relevant nature of the Ramayana, and how it explains the symptoms of society when there is no ruler, or when there is an unqualified leader. This is from the discussion between Markandeya and the great sages and Visishtha when they urge him to install a proper king onto the th
From Back to Godhead
“Both the Vaishnava theists and the materialists each present their own set of amazing stories. The choice is . . . which set of amazing stories to believe.”
It is the grand conceit of the materialistic worldview that “man is the measure of all things.” When we dig a little deeper, we find that this premise is based on a profoundly arrogant presumption, namely, that all reality can ultimately be subordinated to our sense perception and intellect.
At the same time, many
Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the explanation of Amalaki Ekadasi which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February–March), and now I wish to hear about the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra (March–April). What is its name, Oh Lord, and what results can one attain by observing it?"
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, replied, "O best of kings, for the benefit of everyone I sha
HH Krishna Kshetra Swami gave a conference at China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan, where he was invited to speak on Yoga and Psychological Stress Relief. In the talk, he discusses how the ancient Indian yoga tradition understands the problem of stress and the importance of preparing the mind through practices such as meditation and mantra chanting. Drawing on traditional sources including the Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, and Atharva Veda, he explains how yoga is meant to calm the mind and
Our Rishikesh Kirtan Fest was created to give people a genuine taste of the spiritual world. With the chanting of the holy names at the very heart of the event a deep spiritual atmosphere has been resonating for over a month now, both in the streets of Rishikesh and within the kirtan hall of our large ashram.
Each evening concludes with the distribution of a sumptuous vegetarian feast and together these elements have proven to be a most effective formula for awakening Krsna consciousness in the
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
The Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC), in collaboration with Dev Publishers, will release the South Asian edition of A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti: Essential Teachings of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda by His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami, edited with Introduction and Conclusion by Dr. Graham M. Schweig (Garuda Das), PhD.
This publication will mark a significant moment not only for devotees and scholars of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism but also for ISKCON
His Grace Vasuttama Dasa, a devoted disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, departed from this world on March 8, 2026, at ISKCON Radhadesh. Earlier that day, after attending the joyful Holi feast at the temple community, he went to rest in his room and peacefully left his body. Devotees remember him as a gentle and deeply sincere soul who constantly spoke of Srila Prabhupada with heartfelt gratitude, reverence, and love.
Over many years of service at Radhadesh, Vasuttama Dasa contribut
I am back at my service and I went around asking our resident devotees what was eventful on this day when Holi is celebrated by many people from India, especially.
Vatsal: I came back from work at Boosters Juice to the temple, and I noticed some people with their faces covered with that coloured powder and I had a major flashback that took me to my childhood when there was so much fun and colour in the atmosphere.
Jiva Doya: I went on an early morning walk after a long time, saw the eastern
The North America Vaishnavi Ministry is participating in the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), from March 9–20 at UN Headquarters in New York City. In-person participants include Govind Priya Devi Dasi, Syama Mohini Devi Dasi, and Ila Hatwal.
In addition to attending the international gathering, the representatives will also speak at a parallel event hosted through the NGO/CSW (Non-Governmental Organization/Commission on the Status of Women) Forum, contributing a f
The ISKCON Environmental Initiative (IEI) is encouraging devotees and communities worldwide to deepen their commitment to sustainable living by sharing new resources focused on children and community well-being. Rooted in the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, the initiative promotes values such as simplicity, gratitude, and responsible stewardship of Krishna’s creation. As environmental concerns continue to grow globally, the initiative aims to help temples and congregations adopt practices that r
On this Gaura Purnima Day I offer this poem:
RESPONSE TO THE RAGES
There is a major unrest on the globe
Public air travel has somewhat slowed
Replaced by war missiles in the sky
At a speed that defies species that fly
Hatred has escalated to a major peak
Reducing mountains to a level that's meek
Such rages arise from a misidentification
Perceiving spirit as self is clarification
The mammoth lie is to say "the body is me"
When sticky attachments do not permit one to see
But who wants a pat a
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
Translation (SB 11.10.17)
Although the performer of fruitive activities desires perpetual happiness, it is clearly observed that materialistic workers are often unhappy and only occasionally satisfied, thus proving that they are not independent or in control of their destiny. When a person is always under the superior control of another, how can he expect any valuable results from his own fruitive actions?
Purport
Although materialistic persons reject Kṛṣṇa consciousness and instead pursue t
The purpose of this paper is to both establish the importance of the seva of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books as well as understanding the essence of the message in Prabhupada’s books which is the performance of devotional service, regardless of one’s role or place in society.
Firstly I would like to present my own personal reading resume: I have read the Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta five times, the five-volume set of the unedited letters of Srila Prabhupada three times, the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
The Boat Festival has its roots in Goloka Vrindavan, the spiritual eternal realm. One of the boat pastimes is described in detail in Gopal Champu by Srila Jiva Goswami. One day the gopis, loaded with pots full of yogurt and butter, came to the banks of Manasi Ganaga, wishing to cross the river. They met a boatman who gladly agreed to help. When the boat was already far away from the bank the boatman stopped rowing, saying that He was too hungry. The gopis gave Him whatever food they had in thei
The video features a brief interview with two long-time devotees serving in the Hare Krishna temple community in Hong Kong: Shereimony and Suchandra, both disciples of their spiritual teacher. They discuss what inspires them in Krishna consciousness and how they deal with challenges.
Shereimony explains that her greatest inspiration comes from associating with other devotees and participating in congregational singing (kirtan). Although studying scripture is valuable, she feels that direct assoc
