By Praghosa dasa
Congratulations to Tarakanatha Prabhu and all his team for securing this wonderful new property in the heart of Cardiff which will serve as the main ISKCON temple in Wales as well as ISKCON’s headquarters there. Wales has produced many wonderful devotees over the years, so it is very encouraging to now see the yatra itself develop and expand in the way that it is.
By ISKCON Sankirtana Leaders Team – India
This December, devotees in India face a unique challenge in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Due to recent actions taken by the Government of India viz., the demonetization of large currency notes, everyone here is literally in a cash crunch, whether or not one is a millionaire as per the bank accounts. And distributing books in such a scenario could be tough if we follow the usual techniques of hand to hand distribution on streets, or at doors, w
There’s not a more charming or mysterious place in the universe than Govardhana Hill in Vraja Mandala. Apparently, the word is spreading because nowadays, during Karttika season, millions of pilgrims come here to perform parikrama.*
[*Literally, “parikrama” means “walking around.”] Only by the mercy of the Vaisnavas have I been allowed to stay for a while here in this magical place under the shelter of the Bhaktivedanta Ashrama, nestled at the base of Govardhana Hill, presided over by HH Keshav
Giriraj Swami: Srimad-Bhagavatam contains a discussion between Dharma, in the form of a bull, and the Earth, in the form of a cow. Eventually he asks her, “The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and
On September 23rd, 2016 Radhanath Swami spoke to a packed house at the Nancy Tessman Auditorium in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah on the message “Redefining Happiness”.
George Pratt, a well known local Attorney coordinated the event and gave the opening address. Caru Das, president of the Utah Krishna Temple gave the introduction.
After an enchanting kirtan led by Jai Krishna & his band, Radhantha Swami signed copies of “The Journey Within”.
Visitors which included dignitaries from all walks of
The Namas Te India restaurant chain in Norwich has distributed no less than 10,000 copies of The Higher Taste. Restaurant manager Mr Vijay Jatani and his family became devotees through the local Nama Hatta (meeting) group. They have two vegetarian restaurants in the city and over the last five years they have distributed the books as complimentary gifts to their customers.
One of the annual events at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, in the UK, is the Ayurvedic retreat, conducted by Dr Vasant Lad. Hailing from Maharashtra in India, Dr Lad is one of the foremost authorities in Ayurveda and comes from a long line of practitioners. Ayurveda is the Vedic science of healing that incorporates medicine, diet and herbology. Ayurvedic practices even featured in the Ancient epic Ramayana, specifically when Sushena ordered Hanuman to retrieve the Sanjivani herb to revive Laxman from
Resistance to surrender comes from maintaining material attachments even after receiving so many instructions on this subject matter. This is what holds us back! But how do we overcome this obstacle? We do so by being brave in Krsna consciousness, by being brave to choose for Krsna. We cannot just be ordinary devotees and just let our spiritual life go along. No, we have to be brave to do something special for Krsna. This is what is required! Let us try to be the exception. Let us not be of ave
Reporter: But the bad gurus…
Çréla Prabhupäda: And what is a “bad” guru?
Reporter: A bad guru just wants some money or some fame.
Çréla Prabhupäda: Well, if he is bad, how can he become a guru? [Laughter.] How can iron become gold? Actually, a guru cannot be bad, for if someone is bad, he cannot be a guru. You cannot say “bad guru.” That is a contradiction. What you have to do is simply try to understand what a genuine guru is. The definition of a genuine guru is that he is simply talking about
ISKCON-London celebrated the 47th Anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara on Sunday, 29th November. This special 50th Anniversary year of ISKCON, themed “The Joy of Devotion”, has been filled with many joyous celebrations both in London and worldwide. This particular event was one of the signature events this year. Held at a big theatre-style venue in central London, the cultural programme started with a sumptuous prasadam feast followed by a line-up of dance, drama, and s
A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days . The unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. Within half a second the jaws clamp shut and digestive juices dissolve the bug.
This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way our material mind can devour us if we are lured into thoughts of enjoying this material world for selfish purposes, tempting us with a new experience, convincing us that living righ
In Bhagavad-gita 17.16, Krsna says that satisfaction is one of the austerities of the mind.
There are plenty of circumstances while traveling to analyze the fluctuations of the mind. A friend of mine once said, “When you’re home, you get what you want. When traveling, you get what you get.”
Moving from place to place requires adjusting to new environments and situations and gives ample opportunity to practice satisfaction of the mind.
Noteworthy is that satisfaction is not dependent on our exte
Passing of HG Narayan Prabhu.
Dear Godbrothers and Godsisters,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Unfortunately, our dear Godbrother, Narayan Prabhu, left his body yesterday in a car accident. He was rushed to the hospital, but had left by the time he arrived.
He was very dear to me, and my first temple president. He opened the Costa Rica temple, and spear-headed sankirtan and preaching throughout Central America. Afterwards he participated actively in the lega
By Krishna Nandan Das & Bhagavati Kripa Devi Dasi
On the most auspicious occasion of ISKCON celebrating 50 years and ISKCON Mira-road celebrating first year after inauguration, which took place in September 2015, HG Kamalalochana Prabhu – President of ISKCON Mira-road, instructed his team of devotees to invite 10,000 school children for Brahmotsava. To fulfill this instruction Bhaktin Samhita came up with a very beautiful brochure to attract the Principals of different schools, so that they wou
IMPOSSIBLE DREAM? Some people think that the existence of the soul and God, what to speak of a relationship between them, is delusional and unproductive. Others may doubt that one can have a spiritual practice to understand them, or that the Ultimate Unlimited Absolute is personal in its highest aspect, what to speak of being Krishna. Or those on the path of bhakti for many decades may doubt that they can make much advancement in this lifetime, but hope against hope for a miracle at the time of
“HH Krishna Ksetra Swami (Dr Kenneth R. Valpey) of the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies and a team of professional filmmakers are preparing to embark upon a quest to uncover the secrets of the jewel of Indian transcendental literature, Bhagavata Purana in a feature documentary.
HH Krishna Kshetra Swami says that "I would like to make a documentary on this great literature to make it more widely known in the West. The Bhagavata Purana invites us to participate in a nontemporal, ever-expanding rea
Question: What if I can only chant Hare Krsna right now, but I can’t do much service?
Answer: Chanting Hare Krsna is service. However, when you are chanting “Hare Krsna,” you are also requesting service. After chanting, don’t be surprised when you are awarded more service.
And then when Krsna gives you service, there may be a question about how much service you should take.
On the one hand, Krsna advises in the Gita (18.66) that we simply surrender to Him. And this is actually the main business
(more photos: https://goo.gl/X4SDgL)
By Nayana Manjari Dasi
Day 1
El Chorro the road of the ancient Incas
On a Friday, September 23rd our team embarked on a second padayatra in Bolivia in honour of ISKCON’s 50thanniversary. This time our route followed the ancient Inca roads found in the Andes Mountains. We walked for three-days along a road known as ‘El Chorro’ which starts in the mountains and ends in the rainforest 52 kilometres away. This road is between 500 and 1000 years old and was built
Do you have a friend who asks, “How are you, you ok?” In one fell swoop. Or maybe a mother who tires incessantly to hook you up with anything that remotely resembles a spouse (a pulse being the sole requirement). Are you acquainted with a vocabulary littered with the phrase “this thing” coupled with “and all.” Prepare to be astounded by the versatility of “this thing.” “This thing” can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, conjunction and even a person’s name. Should this resonant with you like t
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