Water gives life, a refreshing newness to one's feelings, a refreshing invigorating reincarnation. After an invigorating time in the water of Lake Superior's pristineness and supportive play with some of the guys from Winnipeg and the local area, I contemplated deeply on the lack of water experienced by some of my best devotees friends in the fiery basin in Venables Valley.
I'm speaking about the village of Sarangati in British Columbia where not only in the village itself but the towns around
From Back to Godhead
In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krishna refers to maya, the deluding material energy, as mama maya: “My maya.” We Vaishnavas accept His word on this, with profound philosophical implications.
The chief philosophical opponents of Vaishnavas are the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, who posit ultimate reality as one homogeneous impersonal energy, with no second thing: All the unique entities we perceive, whether things or living beings, are merely mirages. Variety and individual
“Shoot him,” said the man with the crowbar. Kshudhi felt the cold metal against his skull and chanted Hare Krishna like never before. His nimble nineteenyear old body was tucked under the bed. The other four men with guns hesitated. They attacked the house knowing that a Johannesburg vegetable merchant had kept cash there, but were they ready to kill for it?
Less than two years before, Kshudhi had purchased a copy of Teachings of Lord Chaitanya from a book store in Los Angeles. The book introdu
The situation in Bangladesh remains tense due to the continuing political unrest. ISKCON devotees and friends are asked to continue their prayers for the Bangladeshi devotees, Deities, and temples, and the Bangladeshi people.
As of 4:30 PM BST (Bangladeshi Standard Time), Wednesday August 7th, the report from Bangladesh is as follows. Despite extensive rioting, just one ISKCON property, a rented flat in Meherpur (Khulna division) was attacked and caught fire two days ago. While the Deities were
I was proud to be at the wedding for Sukavak and Dola. Sukavak, 29, I knew at birth. A nice guy, mrdunga drumming, is a banker, and overall is a nice human being and good devotee. I’m truly happy for the couple.
I read my poem "Love and Marriage” to the crowd and the message is all about commitment.
Before any of the ritual commenced I was whisked off to the airport and after a 2 hour flight I landed in Thunder Bay for the festival of India at Marina Park. My God ! I missed the mini parade
Shri Mukunda Dasa, Shri Madhava Dasa and Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura were three brothers who lived in Shri Khanda. Shri Mukunda Dasa Thakura’s son was Shri Raghunandan Thakura. Mukunda Dasa Thakura was the doctor in the court of the muslim king. He was always absorbed in Krishna, whatever work he did.
Every year Mukunda Dasa, Madhava Dasa and Narahari Sarakara would go to Jagannatha Puri to take darshan of the holy feet of Shri Chaitanya and to dance and chant in Rathayatra kirtan. One day,
Excerpts from OBL Kapoor’s “The Saints of Bengal” (Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrother)
Vamsidasa Babaji was a siddha-mahatma in the disciplic succession of Sri Narottama Thakura. The name of his diksa-guru was Harilal Vrajavasi and the name of his vesa-guru was Ramananda Vrajavasi. But it was difficult to know that he was siddha, because he lived far away from the world in a solitary place on the bank of Ganga near Baral Ghata in Navadvipa, as if he was renounced by the world, as an idiotic and wort
By Yudhisthira Dasa
The process of devotional life, as delineated in the four Vaishnava paths, is so systematic and detailed that almost one billion people in the world are considered followers of the Vaishnava tradition.
For nearly 50 years, I have generally thought sravanam kirtanam or hearing and chanting (the first two from the list of the nine primary processes of devotional service found in the Nectar of Devotion) applied almost primarily to hearing and chanting during japa meditation. Ho
The ISKCON Temple in DC, with its spacious and beautiful new facilities, is able to serve as a significant venue for large gatherings and events in the nation’s capital. This not only benefits the devotees but also strengthens the Temple’s partnerships with community organizations. One such partner, the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), recently held its biannual meeting with its Maryland Partners on July 26th at the Temple.
“The Capital Area Food Bank leads our region’s efforts to provide equitab
I was destined for the northern city of Barrie which is practically the intersection to cottage country. But before this anticipated destination at beautiful Lake Simcoe, the Bhakti Academy asked me for that sunrise walk on the Beaches Boardwalk, the very place where our guru Srila Prabhupada, took his stroll with entourage in the summer of ’75. This is a special treat for the group, especially when I topped off the program with a reading under a maple tree from the book, "Transcendental Diary
India is currently experiencing a significantly heavier monsoon season than normal with widespread heavy rainfall affecting many regions. In response to these challenging conditions, Hare Krsna TV, a prominent 24×7 ad-free channel, has stepped up to provide much-needed assistance.
The channel has distributed custom-designed umbrellas to over 100 temples and centers across India, benefiting brahmacharis, full-time staff, and devotees. These umbrellas have been met with immense appreciation, arri
As most ISKCON News readers will know from public media reports, the nation of Bangladesh has been witnessing increasing violence, rioting, and destruction of private and public property for days.
Today the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned and fled the country. Official reports are that hundreds of people have been killed including ordinary citizens and police.
The situation is very unstable and precarious. We ask that all ISKCON devotees and friends offer their ardent
What’s this thing about Peterborough. It is a city of more or less 80,000 people. It has a beautiful downtown with that warm Victorian-type of architecture. Two colleges attract students from around the world. Close to my heart in the TraNs Canada Trail running through it next to the Otonabee River.
A major yoga fest has taken place with two hundred attendees in the out-of-doors on an annual basis. That went well until cover set in, however, I’m told there are several groups conducting Kirtan
In a small town situated close to the banks of the River Yamuna there lived a man called Amrita. Nothing in life caused him more anxiety than his fear of death. One day he had an idea that if he befriended Lord Yamaraj, he would be able to keep death at a distance, and so Amrita practiced austerities and meditated upon the Lord of Death, who was verily pleased and granted him a vision.
Lord Yamaraj said, ‘I know by the aid of my divine powers that you seek to befriend me – your wish has come tru
atas tvam rsi-mukhyebhyo
yatha-silam yatha-ruci
atmajah paridehy adya
vistrnihi yaso bhuvi
TRANSLATION:
Therefore, today please give away your daughters to the foremost of the sages, with due regard for the girls’ temperaments and likings, and thereby spread your fame all over the universe.
PURPORT:
The nine principal rsis, or sages, are Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrgu, Vasistha and Atharva. All these rsis are most important, and Brahma desired that the nine daughters alr
Reflections on Bhagavad Gita, As it is Chapter 1, Text 19
“Translation
The blowing of these different conch shells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Purport
When Bhīṣma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pāṇḍavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhṛt
By Chandrika Sarva Kanti Devi Dasi
Welcoming Our Beloved Residents
It is by the Lord’s Mercy that Krishna’s Home Assisted Living is now a sanctuary for four wonderful souls who have journeyed from afar to be in a Krishna-conscious home that supports their daily needs. As we reflect on the first month since our grand opening, it is with immense gratitude that we witness the harmonious transition of these cherished individuals into our care here in Tucson, Arizona.
A Refuge of Devotion
Many of o
ISKCON Toronto celebrated its much-anticipated 52nd annual Ratha Yatra festival this past month, marking the event as the largest in its history and in North America with over 60,000 participants.
Commencing on Friday, July 12th, the festivities kicked off with its famous 12-Hour Kirtan from 10am to 10pm. Participants from around the world flew in to be part of this epic day of dancing and chanting, led by renowned kirtan leaders. This year’s theme, “Spark your bhakti flame by chanting the hol
Caru from Utah, has been helping me a lot. He has been kind to facilitate my Gita zoom classes for this week including today’s which is the South African group. They showed particular interest in his Colour Fest, popular throughout the world and something he initiated back in 1995/96. Moreover, he is a good presenter of the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness and knows how to relate to all ages.
Meanwhile at the temple ashram, residents are little by little, or perhaps a lot putting all the ite
Sometimes people say that they want to see God, or that God is not perceivable. And this is confirmed in the Vedic scripture, but with additional points of instruction on how we can perceive the Supreme Being. The Svetasvatara Upanishad (4.20) explains “His form of beauty is imperceptible to mundane senses. No one can see Him with material eyes. Only those who realize, through deep pure-hearted meditation, this Supreme Personality, who resides in everyone’s heart, can attain liberation.”
Krishna
