By Ravindra Svarupa Dasa
Each morning in ISKCON temples we pay homage to our Founder-Acarya Srila Prabhupada by singing Sri Guru-vandana together while offering him guru-puja.
Sri Guru-vandana is a Bengali song composed by Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. In the hymn’s second stanza, that great acarya directs our attention to the words or speech (vakya) issuing from the guru’s lotus-like mouth (guru-mukha-padma). Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says we should make those words one (aikya) with our he
By Giriraj Swami and Sri Prahlada dasa
In honor of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America, we shall sing the poem he wrote on the ship Jaladuta as he arrived in the Boston harbor.
Song [translation]:
1: My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
2: But I guess You have some business here. Otherwise, why would You bring me to such a terrible place?
3: Most of the population here is covered
Srila Prabhupada: More one reads Bhagavad-gita the more he gets the appetite to read and understand it, and each time he gets new enlightenment. That is the nature of the transcendental message. Similarly, we find that transcendental happiness in the Śrimad-Bhagavatam. The more we hear and chant the glories of the Lord, the more we become happy.
SB 3.25.2, Translation and Purport: Śaunaka continued: There is no one who knows more than the Lord Himself. No one is more worshipable or more mature
By Tirtha Pavana das
Sochi, Moscow, summer 2017. GBC College steps out of India. It is the first time ever when GBC College was held outside of India, this time in Sochi, in the south of Russia. The Regional secretaries and the next generation of future leaders came together from all over Russia as well as some neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan, Belorussia and Turkmenistan to get inspiration and experience from the current GBC members and other senior devotees.
The residential involved
There comes a time, sometimes regularly, where we may feel, Oh, Krishna. I can’t do this anymore. This ‘this’ will be different for everyone. It happened to Arjuna in the Gita – he wanted to give up, not to fight, and go off to the forest to be alone. He did not want to deal with people and life’s problems. He told Krishna: I’m not fighting, I can’t do it, I can’t see the point, better if I don’t act and move to the side.
If it can happen to Arjuna, who had everything going for him, including
In Racitambara’s great desire to find the absolute truth, she traveled throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States studying different religions. Finally, she gave herself fully to God, knowing He would surely help her.
Racitambara Devi Dasi: I was 22 and it was November 17, 1972 when I left home with only the clothes on my back and the prayer, “Please, God, help me find You.” After about two hours of praying and walking in Vancouver, Canada, I was standing on the corner of Georgia and Gra
By Bhakti Charu Swami
A Vaishnava does not want to criticize anyone. For example, in Vrindavan, there was one very, very exalted Vaishnava.
One day, there was a mahotsava, a festival. Many people were invited. This person noticed that one Vaishnava was not there, so he questioned what happened to him.
Somebody said that he has done this and that, so we did not invite him. This very senior Vaishnava got up and started to walk to the door. When asked why he was leaving, he said, “For such a smal
By Sacinandana Swami
One may ask why Indra was so angry? There are 1000s of Indra yajnas all over the world. No one in the Svarga has ever seen him so angry. Though he has 1000 eyes he was blinded and could not see Krsna. The intoxication that blinded him was not wine or honey, but false ego.
The moment you are proud, you lose your vision.
Humility grants perception of reality.
In the words of the Bhagavatam, “the earth appears spinning due to one’s spinning his eyes around” – that happens due
By: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Sept. 1, 2017
Teacher Mani Manjari Dasi (front right) guides children in summer activities in the Little Avanti classroom
As part of the efforts to revitalize New Vrajamandala, a beautiful 300-hectare farm near Guadalajara, Spain, devotees are set to open a primary school affiliated with the renowned Avanti Foundation in the UK on January 8th, 2018.
New community president Yadunandana Swami, who formerly served as principal in Belgium’s Bhaktivedanta C
Sept. 7, 2017, Lisbon, Portugal.
World Holy Name Week starts on Sept. 9th and culminates on Sept. 17.
“Srila Prabhupada arrived in Boston, USA, and I began my celebration of World Holy Name Week early by a series of Harinam events in Boston. Even after the long flight today from Boston, USA, I felt fresh and inspired in the sea breeze of the port city of Lisbon, Portugal. The locals and tourists were blissfully smiling, waving, dancing, taking selfies with us and chanting along with us in the
We are now calling for nominations for the ISKCON Europe Excellence Awards (IEEA) for 2017. The IEEA recognizes the sincere service of devotees who have dedicated their lives to the mission of Srila Prabhupada within Europe. These awards are to encourage such exemplary devotees and also to inspire all other devotees by their example.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR NOMINATIONS*
1. Nominations can be made by anyone but the nomination should be endorsed by a temple president or an authority who is eq
Deity forms of Sri Sri Radha Krishna came to us this month - gifts from a kind pujari in Radha Kunda. Gandharvika Giridhari are their names. To celebrate Janmastami, we worshipped them with an abhiseka bath, kirtan and arati. Then we fed 120 Radha Kunda widows a sumptuous feast and gave gifts of clothing, sweets, and laksmi to them and to our workers. We were grateful for Tulsi Mataji’s service to our ladies during her visit to Radha Kunda. Thanks also to you, our sponsors who made this festiva
Paramatma: God as the Source of Inspiration and Insight.
By the late Dr. T.D. Singh.
According to Vedanta [summative Vedic techings], the Supreme Lord expands and accompanies each and every living entity in order to guide his/her activities. This is seen in the form of inspiration or a sudden flash of insight experienced by scientists at the time of discovery, and by poets and artists in different circumstances.
Let us consider the example of a spaceship. We make these spaceships and send th
The Cause of Crime.
Krishna Dharma Dasa: There are 80,000 people incarcerated in Britain’s prisons, twice as many as there were ten years ago - and the number is still rising. Strangely, though, crime figures are supposedly falling. That’s a debatable point, because many will argue that people are increasingly disinclined to report petty crimes, seeing that hard-pressed police are unlikely to respond, and even if they do it will serve little purpose. The chance of getting back stolen goods or
By Kesava Krsna Dasa
If we look back into Vedic history we will probably find many incidents that contravene modern-day standards of human rights and discrimination. If say, a liberal human rights monitor group were to go back 5,000 years, they would likely report negatively to the UN.
Ekalavya, Romaharsana, Radheya, (How many of us felt sorry for him?) and many others like them, suffered, or benefited from their fair share of discrimination based on social standing, and other issues. There ar
From Back to Godhead
By Vishakha Devi Dasi
Why are some people by nature outgoing and talkative while others are quiet and shy? What are the forces of nature that compel people to act the way they do? How do these forces work, and who is controlling them?
Dr. and Mrs. A. B. Bright and their two children have a small home, just suitable to their needs, in a peaceful country town. Dr. Bright is the local, M.D., a thoughtful, qualified man, respected for doing his job honestly and selflessly. His
By Mahakarta Das
On the occasion of the 66th birthday on 03rd of September 2017, the President of Sri Lanka had special offerings at the Dehiwala Vishnu Temple in Sri Lanka and released a cow from the slaughter house and handed it over to Mahakarta Das – the temple president of ISKCON Sri Lanka. The pictures attached show the details of the ceremony.
ISKCON Sri Lanka conducts cow protection program in the name of ISKCON Goshala. There are more than 50 cows including calves and bulls protected
2. Story of Puranjana
King Puranjana had unlimited desires for sense enjoyment. Consequently he traveled all over the world to find a place where all his desires could be fulfilled. Unfortunately he found a feeling of insufficiency everywhere. 27.12.
Once, while wandering I this way, he saw on the southern side of the Himalayas, in a place named Bharata Varsa a city that had nine gates all about and was characterized by all auspicious facilities. 27.13
While wandering here and there in that
By Anantaram das
Devotees often find themselves immersed in conflict with other devotees and thus see their development come to a halt. This has certainly happened to me. By the mercy of Hari-Guru-Vaisnava, this is changing and I am slowly progressing in my spiritual life. I simply try to focus on chanting the holy name and on not committing offenses against any living entities, especially against devotees. I will share with you some excerpts from three books that have profoundly changed my lif
namo bhaktivinodaya saccidananda-murtaye
gaura-shakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te
I offer my obeisances to you, O Bhaktivinoda, the form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, the incarnation of Gaura’s potency and the best of the followers of Rupa Goswami.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, formerly known as Kedarnatha Datta, was born in 1838 in Birnagar, West Bengal. Growing up, Kedarnatha Datta preferred to sit and talk with the gate keepers and soldiers, and listen to them recite pastimes of Lord Kris
