Faithful followers of the BBT have adopted March 14th as “BBT Only Day” in recognition of a significant instruction Srila Prabhupada issued to all temples and members of the Society on March 14th 1974 in the following letter:
As is evident from this letter:
· Srila Prabhupada was concerned that devotees (“centres”) producing his books independently was undermining and potentially threatening the viability of the BBT.
· “This must not go on” illustrates an unambiguous desire on his part to stop
I often get asked questions by people who are looking for a guru: “What sort of teacher should I be looking for?” is shortly followed by: “And where do I begin looking for someone like that?”
After they’ve thought a few moments the next question is: “What sort of things do I have to do before I can become someone’s student?” “What happens if I don’t quite measure up?”
Some time later the questions are more about what will happen after they become initiated: “What is he supposed to teach me?” “H
Markendaya Rsi Prabhu took his sannyasa initiation from Jayapataka Swami. His new name is Bhakti Mukunda Swami. We wish him well and success in preaching!
Sankirtan Yajna Prabhu distributed Srila Prabhupada’s books directly to students at the Festival of India at George Mason University. This is one of the Universities where Festival of India has been sponsored to set-up our exhibits, tents, and distribute Krishna Prasadam and Srila Prabhupada’s books. Please contact us for details how to bring the Festival to a University near you. This is a sure way to get Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Krishna’s mercy.
As Lord Krishna says in the 68th and 69 vers
Was there ever a time when we underestimated someone? We judged a book by its cover? And rained down our prejudices from on high, suspecting intellectual inferiority or a flawed disposition, unworthy of our dignified consideration; then the person concerned turns out to be eminently more qualified than we thought.
Such behavior not only causes fatal friction worldwide, but can severely hinder our spiritual development if we dare to do likewise to vaisnavas who care not to advertise their exalte
From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: February 28, 2017
Speaker: HG Bhrgupati Das
Subject: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.22
TEXT 22
kuru tvaṁ preta-kṛtyāni
pituḥ pūtasya sarvaśaḥ
mad-aṅga-sparśanenāṅga
lokān yāsyati suprajāḥ
TRANSLATION
My dear child, your father has already been purified just by the touch of My body at the time of his death. Nonetheless, the duty of a son is to perform the śrāddha ritualistic ceremony after his father’s death so that his father may be promoted to a planetary syst
Those who think that there is nothing beyond their current lifetime, try to enjoy to the fullest with their senses. They are always striving to make arrangements for enjoying using their senses, because, after all, they believe, there is just one lifetime, live it fully! Eat, drink, enjoy!
On the other hand, those who believe that life is eternal and can perceive the current body as a temporary and troublesome dress for the soul, try to mould their life around spiritual principles. They strive t
A genuine spiritualist is never impressed by material accomplishments of anyone. Of course, the spiritualist does not despise or envy material accomplishments, just that they are irrelevant for him. They are just ordinary, no matter how extraordinary they are in the eyes of the general public.
Instead a spiritualist is impressed by genuine spiritual advancement of others. He considers such persons extraordinary irrespective of their material aspects like wealth, education, beauty, fame, power, s
After travelling to Tenkasi we headed for Trevelli, but somewhere along the way we lost track and ended up in a different village. The residents here were happy to see us, and welcomed Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar by paying obeisances. They seemed to know very well who Their Lordships were and how They were travelling all over India distributing mercy.
Ramanuja Dasa
We were quite astonished by how they knew all of this. One resident approached us and asked where we were going to stay the night. We
Srila Prabhupada: It is said that it is the nature of a devotee to constantly apply his mind, energy, words, ears, etc., in hearing and chanting about Krsna. This is called Krsna consciousness, and for one who is rapt in hearing and chanting Krsna, the subject matter never becomes hackneyed or old. That is the significance of transcendental subject matter in contrast to material subject matter. Material subject matter becomes stale, and one cannot hear a certain subject for a long time; he want
Today marks the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu otherwise known as Gaura Purnima. We will honor it today with a fast till moonrise followed by a feast. The following post is a beautiful biography on Lord Caitanya, written by Stephen Knapp.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
by Stephen Knapp
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu [pronounced Chaitanya] (February 27,1486 to 1534 A.D.) was born in Navadvipa, Bengal, on a full moon night during a lunar eclipse. It is typical for people to bathe in the Ganges during an
Today as we are celebrating the appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu we are further reminded of the great senapati bhakta Srila Prabhupada who Lord Caitanya foretold would take the sankirtana movement everywhere.
…Lord Caitanya foretold the coming of an empowered devotee who would take the sankirtana process everywhere: “I want to flood the whole world with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood India with harinama sankirtana, chanting of the holy names. And My
“Thus in the year 1407 of the Saka Era [A.D. 1486], in the month of Phalguna [February-March], in the evening of the full-moon day, the desired auspicious moment arrived.” (CC Adi.13.89)
Discussions regarding astrology, that is jyotish shastra, are found in many places in the writings of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. But in only one place is a full horoscope recorded in some detail, and that is the chart of the Supreme Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu’s birth det
(This is Part Two of a historical record written by Jyotirmayi Dasi in 1998. You may read Part One of the article here: http://iskconnews.org/women-in-iskcon-in-prabhupadas-times-part-one,6071/)
After the first six years of the movement, at the beginning of the 1970’s, a first change took place, which of course was not contested by anyone. Instead of being mixed in the temple room without any distinction of sex, men and women devotees were separated and were placed on each side of the temple ro
It’s been seven long years since kirtan band The Mayapuris released their debut album “Mridanga,” hitting the top five in the iTunes World Music chart.
The Mayapuris were one of the original second generation ISKCON groups to bring Gaudiya Vaishnava kirtan to the forefront of the burgeoning mainstream kirtan scene.
Since their debut, others have continued to forge the path, with Madi Das and his Bhakti Without Borders charity album winning a Grammy nomination.
Inspired by Madi’s achievement, th
In Vancouver, Canada, a group of young professionals have established a unique and non-sectarian Krishna conscious outreach program, with no goal to convert visitors.
Instead, the focus is on finding out what needs people have, fulfilling those needs, and building caring relationships.
The group of ten first and second generation devotees behind Kirtan Vancouver includes a school teacher, a holistic nutritionist, one member who works in the financial sector, and another doing their Masters in c
MY PRESSING QUESTIONS IN LIFE: Examining my heart, how are my material attachments still impeding my full practice of bhakti, or causing me to remain a mixed devotee? What do I want in my heart of hearts, and how is that causing me to act, or not act? In deep honesty, what truly moves and inspires me? As a result, what do I actually want to be absorbed in, demonstrated by my consistent thoughts and actions? What types of people I do think about or are attracted to in my daily life? Who do I wan
Body is an important medium to serve Lord krsna in the material world, so it's necessary to take care of the body and keep it healthy. But however natural, pure and healthy lifestyle and diet you may be having there will be circumstances in life when you will have to get admitted to hospital or you will be asked to give rest to the body. Because it's a nature of the world that one who is born he has to go through other 3 stages(miseries) of life that is old age, disease and death. One can skip t
During the earthquake, back in 2011, in the temple, pujari Sevananda Das had just finished offering midday arati, and several devotees were singing kirtan when intense tremors began shaking the three-foot marble deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra violently.
Sevananda held tightly onto Them to protect Them, but Their Lordships were flung off the altar, taking Sevananda with Them. The heavy wooden altar followed, flying through the air and crashing on the ground, barely missing Sevananda.
“Lyi
About this time of the year most Indians traditionally let their hair down and indulge in throwing bright colored powders and scented water at one another as they celebrate Holi, the festival heralding the onset of spring.
Until some years ago in the United States, only the Indian-Americans were seen celebrating the festival at their homes, or gathering in small groups in neighborhood parks, flinging ‘gulal’ or colored powders at each other and chanting ‘holi hai’. Amused non-Indian bystanders
