Preaching will not become successful if we are not endearing ourselves to Krsna. Preaching does not just depend on some techniques otherwise we could all learn hypnosis and with hypnosis, we could take over the world! There are yogis like that who can bring people under their will, “Chant Hare Krsna!” and look into their eyes. This is not the way we want people to chant – by force! We want people to chant voluntarily. We want service to be voluntary.
When Prabhupada invited everyone to come to
Lismore High Religious Studies School Students Visit Iskcon’s New Govardhana Farm Community, Australia.
Damodara Pandit dasa: Lismore has always been a great place to visit and tell people about Krishna, so it was no surprise when the local Lismore High School contacted us requesting a visit. On Wednesday, 26 October, myself and Ambarish dasa made the journey down south. It was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by Paul Von Bratt, the Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher, who was extremely ha
By Members of Krishna Sambandha
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, please accept my humble obeisances
Hare Krishna dear vaisnavas. I would like to share with you this historical preaching program in our Country.
November 29, for the first time in the history of Chile and its Courts of Justice, a concert was held in the Hall of Honor of the Supreme Court. Never before had there been a musical presentation in this space of great patrimonial and historical value for our country. The concert, consist
The new Mayor of Auckland, New Zealand, Phill Coff, bathing Srila Prabhupada’s murti.
Kalasamvara Das: He also promised to join us for Rathyatra in Queen street on the 10 December.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, please accept my humble obeisances
“Why distinguish between chanting and book distribution? These books I have recorded and chanted, and they are transcribed. It is spoken kirtanas. So book distribution is also chanting. These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing. Book distribution must not be neglected.”
*His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada *Letter to Rupanuga
– Mayapur 19 October, 1974
Here’s a recent letter from Vaisesika Prabhu to the devotees in Africa.
It’s actu
Jayapataka Swami: “Here we are in Mayapur dham, Srila Prabhupada said that Mayapur is the spiritual headquarters. Here, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has descended from Goloka Vrindavan. He was known as Vachaspathi. As Vachaspathi he was the husband of Lakshmi and expert in speaking. He would tell everyone to chant the holy name. In his hand he would always carry shastra.
Those days people didn’t have books, but they were very intelligent so they would realize the Shastra. You know people today are
Srila Prabhupada: Since all the great sages and devotees apply all energy and all activities in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there must be some transcendental pleasure in the toes of His lotus feet. The Lord licks His toe to taste the nectar for which the devotees always aspire. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.33.4
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/7OBFMl
We have a nice farm in southeast Germany called Simhacalam. Lord Nrsimhadeva is the presiding deity. While taking prasada there, I asked a book distributor, Advaita Simha Dasa, how he came to Krsna.
Advaita Simha said, “A monk in the street once approached me, and proposed to give me a book. I gave a donation and received a book with the title “Science of Self-Realization”. At first I thought it was about a cult, so I was curious to hear what they had to say. But after reading a few chapters I
By Chirag Dangarwala
Selfish is described in the dictionary as –adjective
1. devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
2. characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives.
From the above definition, one can understand that generally Selfish people are not liked and this quality is considered not a very good quality to possess. It indeed is not a very good quality from ma
This morning I was reading from the Fourth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, wherein Narada Muni was discussing about material intelligence…
The great sage Nārada continued: The word pramadā mentioned in this regard refers to material intelligence, or ignorance. It is to be understood as such. When one takes shelter of this kind of intelligence, he identifies himself with the material body. Influenced by the material consciousness of “I” and “mine,” he begins to enjoy and suffer through his sense
The bane of routine. When we perform a sequence of actions regularly everyday like a fixed program, it falls in a routine and we just do it like we are on auto-pilot mode. In the beginning, when I came to Krishna consciousness, it was all new and fresh and the added lifestyle change was a fresh of breath air for me. The holy names could not have been holier and the prasadam any less tasty. However, as we reach the zenith of what we can do daily and settle into a routine habit, over time, spiritu
In preaching, we should not throw Krsna consciousness like a ton of bricks on people’s heads and all at once tell them, “You have to follow everything!” and then runaway, never to be seen again. No, preaching means that we have to be sensitive, depending on which stage a person is at, and offer them the next step – that is preaching!
There is no stereotype lesson for everyone. No, each person is at some level and the preacher has to check them out partially by asking some questions and by being
By ISKCON Coimbatore
“Goloka Goshala” was inaugurated at ISKCON Coimbatore temple premises on 27th November 2016, for the pleasure of Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, by the chief guest, Sri S.P. Velumani. Hon. Minister of Tamilnadu Municipal Administration, in the auspicious presence of HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami Maharaj, Temple President and Zonal Secretary of ISKCON.
A special plaque marking the occasion was also unveiled by the chief guest. The inauguration function
Tulasi
We can understand how pure is the service which Tulasi offers to Sri Krsna. So we should always endeavor after becoming the servant of Tulasi devi. I do not know who has taught you that part of a Tulasi plant may be cut off and then replanted? From the Tulasi plant you can cut off only leaves for offering them to Krsna, never for cutting and planting. That is an offence. The manjaris (seeds) can be offered in water and it makes the water fragrant and tasteful. And the manjaris can be pla
Sutapa das, UK: Prayojana prabhu is cleaning and maintaining the temple running… but he puts up a book table outside the shoe room so he can do his bit for the marathon. Now that’s what I call the sankirtan spirit! I’m going over to buy a book from him just to receive it from his transcendental hand :)
Mother Kulangana is also right there, encouraging and inspiring the marathon at every step. We are blessed to have such vaisnavas… Their spirit is the fuel behind this endeavor to please Srila Pr
Indradyumna Maharaj:
I was remembering this evening one incident about how merciful Lord Caitanya is to even the most fallen, sinful rascals. As Prabhupada mentions, Jagai and Madhai–they were not comical characters; they were deeply sinful criminals. I remembered how once we were doing a Christmas marathon in Paris and we would send our devotees to the train stations. The girls particularly would go on the trains and distribute books to the people just before the train left. As the train start
Voltaire wrote: “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
And in her prayer about the power of bhakti, Queen Kunti uses the word, “grnanti” (“appreciating”) to say that those who appreciate other’s devotional service are themselves performing high grade devotional service, just by deeply appreciating how others are doing their service. Queen Kunti says, these “appreciators” will come to see the Lord directly.
As we become purified, our abili
Radha Damodar dasa: Srila Prabhupada asked that his disciples go out and distribute his books. In the early days the main engagement of the devotees was to go to the busiest part of the city and blissfully sing the Hare Krishna mantra accompanied at first by guitars and kartals (cymbals) and later by mrdunga drums and kartals. So, we started to also ask the passing people to buy a book or maagazine and even went door to door to sell books but the result wasn’t satisfying. People weren’t interes
“Prabhupada: …I.A.S. civil service examination before one man is posted in some responsible office. Similarly, to be recognized by Krsna, as He says na ca tasman manusyesu, one has to pass examination, severe test of examination. All the big, big devotees we see. Narada Muni, before becoming Narada Muni, he had to pass through severe examination, test. That chance is there in the human form of life, to pass the examination, test. But they are passing this human life with ordinary animal propens
