Question: Maharaj, sometimes we try to restrain our urges such as eating less. For some time we can but after a while we feel dissatisfied and cannot continue with our practices. How can we practically apply this in our lives and maintain the standard?
Answer: Everything should be done with moderation. There is a famous saying: ‘Haste means waste. Slow and steady wins the race.’ If we are given something very palatable we may say, ‘No, no. Take it away.’ But inside we are meditating on that sen
When I listen to Srila Prabhupada speak, I marvel at all the verses that he knows and recites and how his knowledge is flawless. I meditate on him sitting before his Guru Maharaja, hearing with rapt attention. I also think about where and when Srila Prabhupada was when he memorized each sloka that he knows. I pray that I can someday see all this.
Srila Prabhupada told us that he was very enthusiastic to hear from his Guru Maharaja even though at first he didn’t understand everything that his Gu
1. Do you talk about what’s wrong with people or do you talk about what’s wrong with yourself and how you can improve?
2 Do you procrastinate on your goals and tell others why you can’t achieve them or do you work on your goals?
3. Do you spend more time watching TV, surfing the net, and reading the news than you do hearing and/or reading sastra?
4. Do you allow yourself to become distracted when you chant japa or do you make an effort to be focused, present and prayerful?
5. Do you shy away fr
Conclude ISKCON 50 with an overlay on your Facebook picture.
By ISKCON 50 Global Office
The Global Office for ISKCON 50 has released a 50th anniversary overlay that can be used over your profile picture on FaceBook. The overlay which was developed by a team in India led by Advaita Das and Toshan Nimai Das to conclude the 50th anniversary with a high note on social media.
“We have seen several successful social media campaigns such as Digital India and the Paris solidarity movement after the bom
Finally available: the highly acclaimed memoir from
Srila Prabhupada’s personal photographer: Visakha Dasi
“Five Years, Eleven Months”
and a lifetime of unexpected love.
“Brilliant photographs … a talented writer … her descriptions are lyrical and evocative.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A brilliant work of introspection, candor, narrative, and hope from which I learned much, not only about Visakha, Yadubara, Srila Prabhupada, and their interactions and service, which have been described in vivid detai
Srila Prabhupada: “From your letter, I can understand that you are reading my books nicely and understanding our philosophy. This is wanted. By reading my books carefully, you will become enthused to distribute them more and more in greater quantities. If you continue in this way being very much determined to achieve success in this lifetime, following all the rules, chanting at least sixteen rounds, and reading my books, then all of your desires to advance in Krsna consciousness will be fulfil
By Nashvin Gangaram
Srila Prabhupada is the soul of ISKCON and ISKCON is his body. Because ISKCON is a spiritual organization, both body and soul are non-different. Srila Prabhupada continues to act effectively in this world so long as ISKCON remains the instrument of his will. He holds a unique position in ISKCON as its Founder-Acharya: “Just like if I am taken as the origin of this Krishna consciousness movement, that means I know everything directly and indirectly of all this movement. If I
Srimad-Bhagavatam is an unlimited source of spiritual knowledge and association. In his purport to SB 1.5.11, Srila Prabhupada notes that Narada Muni has personally appeared in the chapter!
This means by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam we actually associate with the Lord and His great devotees.
Those who develop an appreciation for the teachings and prayers of various great devotees in the Srimad-Bhagavatam become enlightened and enlivened, and there is so much one can choose from.
For example, in Sr
By Parasuram dasa
When the full moon, marking the beginning of the month of Kartik, rose in the sky, we knew this was the start of a new adventure on the open road. Everything is there on Padayatra, the Harinam, Prasad distribution, book distribution, Deity worship, cow protection and adventure. There is nothing like preaching in Vraj. The Brajbasis love kirtan, love to feed the devotees and have a great sense of humour. 9 devotees went out this year, coming from UK, Ireland, Russia, Czech Repu
As we move towards the end of the year we should be thinking how to do better in 2017. Endings are a natural time to reset, to take a good look at where we are and where we want to be. As chanting japa (mantra meditation) is one of the key ways we develop our relationship with Krishna the following excerpt by HH Sacinandana Swami shares some ways to be more focused and move to deeper levels of meditation in our chanting:
“At the very least, try to chant without external interruptions. Attach yo
I ran across this above image this morning on Facebook, and was inspired to do a post on chanting.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
“Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture & Initiation Seattle, October 20, 1968)
“…chant dance, take prasadam and be happy.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter to Saksi Gopala 6 December, 1975)
“Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness mo
December 13, 2016: ONLY TWO MORE PADAYATRAS TO REACH OUR GOAL OF 50 BY THE END OF 2016! We may even do more. Stay tuned, and even better, add your own to the list. One day walks are accepted.
Padayatras on the road all year long: 2
1- Padayatra India: on the road since Sept 1984; led by Acarya Dasa since September 2009
2- Andhra Pradesh/Telangana (India): on the road since the end of 2012; led by Visnuswami Dasa
Annual padayatras: 11
1- Odisha (India) : ISKCON Bhubaneswar’s annual walk since 19
By Dusyanta das
Now we can follow the Global Economic model and hear the comprehensive reports and opinions on Capitalistic health it has now become apparent that the capitalistic model is on the cusp of failing and disappearing. It’s not that an economic model that has been conceived by man will last forever as long as we maintain its veracity. All things created by man are imperfect, transient and liable to fail. And today in 2016 the Capitalistic model has reached its zenith and now is on th
IT’S EASIER TO DISTRIBUTE FIVE CASES OF BHAGAVAD GITA’S THAN TO DISTRIBUTE ONLY FIVE BOOKS IN THE STREETS
AN AUDIO SEMINAR BY H.H. BHAKTI MADHURYA GOVINDA GOSWAMI
Who would believe that is easier to distribute five cases of Bhagavad Gitas (160) or even ten cases (320) than selling five or ten Gitas in the streets. Some prabhus work very hard all day long for ten hours and are happy if they can sell 32 Gitas. In this audio seminar, however, you will learn how to distribute cases of Gitas very ea
Citraka dasa: One more useful vegetarian and vegan ingredient, discovered recently, for rendering Krishna’s cuisine more attractive.
Aquafaba is the name for the cooking liquid of beans and other legumes like chickpeas. You may know it as the typically discarded liquid found in retail cans and boxes of beans, or as the liquid left over from cooking your own.
To give you a brief glimpse of what you can do with aquafaba, here are just a few vegan recipes you can make: Raw: Fluffs, whips, nice cr
ISKCON 50th Anniversary.
Bhagavad Gita was distributed to all the 225 members of the parliament of Sri Lanka on the Gita Jayanti Day 10th December 2016.
The pictures show the Bhagavad Gita being handed over to the
Honorable Prime Mister - Mr.Ranil Wickramasinghe
Honorable Speaker of the House of Parliament- Mr.Karu Jayasuriya
Honorable Deputy speaker - Mr.Thilanga Sumathipala
Honorable Minister - Mr.V.S.Radhabhava Gaur Das
Honorable Member of Parliament - Mr.Yogeshwaran
The Temple President Ma
Drumila das: 1rst time was in San Francisco. I had never been out on Sankirtan before, I was only three months in the movement. A brahmacari named Hrdayagovinda dressed me up in a Santa suit, and put me on the streets of San Francisco, where I was immediately mobbed by about 15 kids attacking me, literally for the candy canes that I started to hand out. I started running and had to ditch them inside a building. I was petrified. Somehow I mustered up the determination to keep going and I became
Srimad-bhagavatam, (verses 1.2.17-18), describes the progressive stages leading to steadiness in devotional practice:
1. Unsteady practice of devotional service (anistha bhajana kriya).
2. The gradual cleansing of inauspicious elements in a devotee’s heart (anartha-nivrtti).
3. The attainment of steadiness in devotional service (nistha-bhajana-kriya).
One advances through these stages of devotional service by regularly hearing and chanting in the association of devotees.
One might ask, if I’m n
I want to acknowledge the boldness, heroism and humility exhibited by the US veterans, both men and women, and including Tulsi Gabbard -- a warrior and congresswoman. In solidarity, they joined the Native Americans and many others at Standing Rock. They are truly warriors and leaders. I practice the Vaisnava/Krishna tradition. And these vets, and indeed all who have gathered at Standing Rock, are for me paragons of my tradition. Three reasons:
1- There’s a Krishna prayer that "one should think
People are striving for wealth; they try to make material progress. This is not easy because we are not in control of destiny. One may get wealth but then, other circumstances may interfere and all the wealth may get plundered by some calamity. Therefore trying to secure wealth in the material world is an ongoing effort of hard work and one cannot be sure as to how destiny will unfold.
Today we are discussing a topic from the Bhagavad-gita of the eternal benefit of devotional service. Whatever
