All of the material existence, the universes, outer space, galaxies, stars, planetary systems, planets, continents, countries, cities, and everyone’s body, are all on fire. In worldly consciousness, our illusory task is to deny this fire at every turn, or recognizing the fire partially, to create structures to protect us from being burned, keeping that fire “over there,” overseas, or in another neighborhood, and not in our view. However, as much as our societies, elders, and parents are trying
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In many years of chanting, not every day was an optimal one. I have chanted when I was tired, when I was ill and injured; I have chanted in cars, planes and boats. Once I also chanted on a horse racing track! The quality of my rounds has varied due to my own physical condition and the external circumstances and to the state of my consciousness. But the Holy Name has stayed as an integral part of my life, the Holy Name is like a friend – always there, soothing my mind, creating stability in the
Finding Help in the Bhagavad-gita.
Jayapataka Swami: The Bhagavad-gita now has readers all over the world. Krishna personally came down from the spiritual world & gave His teachings of Bhagavad Gita As It Is. In this material world there are many situations. People are in great stress & suffering. There is a forest fire of illusion & by this mercy given through the books they are free from that burning fire. People are suffering in so many ways and they don’t know which way to turn. Srila Prabh
Looking at the ruins of what we’ve been calling until recently Western civilization, I can say that the mankind is illogical and irrational. Led by misguided and selfish leaders, people themselves planned and led their existence to its end, such as we knew it. How come we got here? Couldn’t the ruination of our world be prevented? Couldn’t any of the world leaders remember the bitter lessons of the millenary bloody history of mankind? And why the progress of material science and modern techno
Freelance writer, Bridgitte Jackson-Buckley, recently conducted on interview of Yogesvara Dasa (Jushua M. Greene) who is the author of "Swami in a Strange Land". Please note, if you would like to purchase a copy of this book, we have them available at our temple! Check out the article below:
Imagine, if you will, boarding a cargo ship at 69 years-old to leave your home country for the first time in your life. You’ve set out on a month-long journey to go to a country where you don’t know one
The man takes a drink: No one takes their first drink with the desire to become alcoholics. They think that they are just having some fun; they are being cool; they are fitting into the crowd. They believe that they can drink without becoming drunkards.
But drinking moderately is like walking too close to the edge of a road that has no fence and that borders a deep valley. Just by staying close to that edge, they run the entirely unnecessary risk of slipping and falling off.
The drink takes the
Damian Collins, Conservative Party MP for Folkestone, tweeted: “It is always fantastic to see new businesses opening in #Folkestone it was a pleasure to open the Atma Lounge today”.
In the sleepy seaside town of Folkestone, known for its tourism and harbour trade, is a little oasis for spiritual awakening right on the old High Street called: Atma Lounge.
The official opening was on the 20th of January with the attendance Damian Collins and the landlord and Former Mayor of Folkestone Philip Cart
Dog
Dogs bark. One dog barks at another dog or another human when the dog senses some territorial clash or some trespassing. Dogs also are faithful to their masters. So this dog-like mentality of barking and faithfulness is inculcated to human beings right from kindergarten, believe it or not!
When a child enters kindergarten and continues education all the way up to graduate school, the child who becomes a student of modern knowledge is taught to divide, categorize, analyze, and conclude. This
As explained on the cover of the record album, this transcendental vibration — by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare — is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all t
The best way to chant is to chant at the same time every day. The best is to chant sixteen rounds in one go and not to break it up. The breaking up of rounds is not good – four here, four there, six and then the leftovers; this is not good. The best is to just stop everything and chant sixteen rounds in one stretch. This is the best. Or a few rounds before mangal arati and the rest after, that’s even better. Or all rounds before mangal arati is the very best! And the worst are those late night
The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry serves to help inspire and educate devotees in the art of deity worship. To help facilitate this, the Mayapur Academy was established to offer devotees a four-month intensive training course equipping devotees with the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to better serve in their home temples. Successful graduates receive a diploma in arcana.
Mayapur Academy has had great success over the past 10 years, yet it is not always easy for devotees to be away from
Bhakti Centre is a unique project, inspired by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who wanted to open a Youth Hostel in London to distribute Hari Katha. Ideally located, Harrow-on-the Hill tube is only a few minutes’ walk away. Central London is just 18 minutes by train. It is therefore perfect for students or young working professionals.
At present Bhakti Centre is open to men only between the ages of 18-35. The hostel is run to Krishna conscious standards with prasadam (sanctified ve
It’s a scene that has been repeated countless times on the thoroughfares of cities throughout the Western world-from Hollywood Boulevard and Fifth Avenue in America, to London’s Oxford Street and the Champs Elysees in Paris. There, in the midst of traffic, shops, restaurants, and movie theaters, people suddenly find themselves confronted by a group of young persons singing and dancing to the beat of cylindrical drums and the brassy cadence of hand cymbals. The men are dressed in flowing robes a
1. When taking over a position, department, project, preaching center, temple, etc., to immediately begin making drastic changes.
2. To play favorites or to speak against or criticize certain sections of devotees.
3. To do or say anything that will instill a lack of trust in a devotee’s spiritual master.
4. To not give devotees facility to offer suggestions and ideas, voice opinions, or express observations in a way that will be given attention and be responded to.
5. To expect devotees to be e
In the Gita, Krsna says that only one who is free from sinful life can engage in His service with determination:
“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Bg. 7.28)
Souls conditioned by material nature become used to obeying the demands of the senses.
One Vaisnava poet has compared the senses and their unhealthy dema
New Delhi – 21st January, 2017: ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) won a prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Award for India on 18th January in Madrid, leading over 55 countries in the category of ‘Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations’.
The UNWTO awards are recognized as one of the world’s most coveted awards in the global tourism sector. The 13th edition of this award saw 139 applications from 55 countries.
Govardhan Eco Village, spread over 70 acres in Wada n
Indradyumna Swami: An update on my condition. Unfortunately, the bacterium infection which I contracted from my prostate biopsy has developed into Septicemia, a serious and dangerous blood infection. I am in a good hospital here in South Africa with the best doctors and they are administering strong antibiotics. Once again I am humbly appealing for your prayers that I may quickly recover and continue with my services to Srila Prabhupada.
Jayapataka Swami: The sankirtana devotees were cooking fo
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Introduction
Jiva Gosvami (1513-1598) is the youngest of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana[i] who are honoured as genuine representatives of the teachings and faith of Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534). All of them, except Jiva Gosvami, were personally inspired, instructed or commissioned by Caitanya. (Kapoor, 1984, 54). It seems that Jiva did not have the privilege to associate with and learn from Caitanya; in 1535, at the time he joine
“Life was tough from the start … a slap on the backside. But at age four came my first hard taste of reality.”
THIS IS THE STORY of my life. Or better yet, the story of two lives: the one my spiritual master saved me from, and the one he gave me. Both concern the same person, but one life was temporary, ignorant, and full of suffering, and the other is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. This is the story of the miracle, for me at least, of how I was delivered from the ocean of material
My life took many unexpected turns. I made plans but I could not fulfill many of them and I had to face many surprises – sometimes pleasant and sometimes unpleasant. I lived in many countries. Many people think that I am from Holland but to tell you the truth, I am not! Even in this life, my birth was in Vrindavan because my spiritual life began in Vrindavan and thus Holland feels like a last life. I can remember it only vaguely. I’m from Vrindavan actually! But there also, I faced ups and down
