I just noticed that it is 70 years ago today that Sadaputa Prabhu (Dr. Richard L. Thompson), who made a special and important contribution by writing many books on science and the Vedic worldview and who I worked with 17 years, appeared in this world. To honor him, I share with you my favorite quotes from his book, Parallels, which I recently proofread, because they are fresh in my mind, and I thank you for reading them:
“The inhabitants in a virtual reality actually exist outside of the false,
“Now our PhDs must collaborate and study the 5th Canto to make a model for building the Vedic Planetarium” proved a mandate from Srila Prabhupada that entered deep into the heart of his disciple Sadaputa dasa, in 1976. Having received his PhD in Mathematics from Cornell University just two years prior, he would soon be inducted as one of the founding members of Prabhupada’s Bhaktivedanta Institute.
In that capacity, he devoted over 30 years researching Vedic perspectives on cosmology and the na
Dear Devotee,
Recently an unmarried female devotee told me that a man was interested in getting to know her, and in their discussions he mentioned that ‘the husband is the guru.’ She asked me for guidance on the subject.
This article is what I wrote to clarify for her (and him) what it means for a husband to be a guru – and what it doesn’t mean; for misunderstanding what this means will be the cause of an unhappy marriage.
Even though Prabhupada writes that a failed marriage is usually the woma
Padayatra arrival lecture given by His Holiness Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja in Bhubaneswar, India (December 30th, 1995)
How long will you sleep in the lap of the ugly witch Maya? How long? You have already slept for such a long time, lakhs and lakhs of lives. Do you want to sleep in the lap of the ugly witch Maya? Mahaprabhu is your only well-wishing friend. He loves you so much that He descended here,
tomare loite ami hoinu avatara ami bina bandhu ara ke ache tomara
“For you I desce
Samapriya devi dasi: Betrothed by Srila Prabhupada the holy name to wed,
vowing not to put another in His sacred bed.
You rest upon my tongue, taking me a journey far,
throughout the worlds and inner space revealing who You are.
You are my husband and I pledge to stay with You forever,
I pray to keep You in my heart, no earthly thing will sever.
As Your wife I make an oath to serve You as I can,
placing You upon my lips surrendered to Your plan.
You are first in everything of duties I perform,
This evening, our meditation is on Lord Ramachandra, who appeared one million years ago and yet is still such a prominent personality that no one forgets. I was in India during the years that the television series based on the Ramayana was shown. It was very popular. At that time, people in India bought television sets just to see the Ramayana! And every week, when there was an episode of the Ramayana broadcast, the whole country would just stop! On the railways, people would just pull the emer
Kavicandra Swami: Gopinatha Acarya prabhu, (ACBSP) from Australia has left this world,
He was the first devotee to sell full sets of SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM.
He later took to cow and bull protection very seriously.
His body was found in the cow’s place
May he be surrounded by cows.
Srimati Krishna Kamani dasi passed away in Vrndavana.
She was from Chile and had lived in Vrndavana-dhama for many years. She kept herself as very insignificant, was extremely humble, simple living, and dedicated to her
Question: In Bhagavad-gita 2.47, Lord Krishna says, “…but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.” What does it mean here to be not entitled to the fruits of action? Does it mean that we aren’t the proprietors of the fruits that we get from our work, or does it mean that we don’t have a right to obtain or receive the reactionary fruit itself, good or bad, of anything that we do?
For example, consider that a student has appeared for an exam. Now does it mean that he does not have the right
Listen to your japa with rapt* attention.
Beware of plateaus* and comfort* zones.
Cultivate* humility*.
Remember that Krsna is the maintainer* of everything and everyone.
Say an encouraging* word to everyone you meet.
Drink lots of water, eat healthy* prasadam and get enough* rest.
Do the best* you can with what you’ve got at every moment.
*Definition of rapt: 1. Completely fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing. 2. Indicating or characterized by such a state of fascination. 3. Having been
I originally published this blog on February 15, 2011. Since I don't have time this evening to prepare a blog about Lord Nityananda, I thought I would post it again now. Wednesday, February 8th will be the observance of Lord Nityananda’s holy appearance day. I was blessed in 2011 to be able to give class to the devotees on that day. I am sharing with you part of what I spoke about then. On the one hand, I appreciate the special mercy that comes to one who is able to speak to the devotees about
Depression, according to recent statistics, is practically an epidemic, with over 70 million people suffering from its affects, such as a feeling of moroseness, uselessness, lack of energy, inability to sleep, and a poor attitude toward life in general, among other symptoms. Depression causes a pessimistic view of things. It also discourages enthusiasm and stifles one’s initiative. It may also produce despair and bring about sickness in the mind and body. It can make one resort to rash and thou
Open letter to those who seek spiritual healing
One turns to a Spiritual Master asking for guidance and care because someone told him, because he made up his mind, or he is convinced that he is suffering from a psychological, personality ailment or interpersonal problem or simply because he cannot accept the idea of death or suffering
However, health and sickness as well as adapting/non-adapting to the world phenomena are illusionary ideas, abstractions in a Maya context. First of all, you k
Mandakini devi dasi: Popular myotherapist and remedial massage healer Guru Prasad devi dasi decided last year to study Occupational Therapy (a specialized, four-year degree) at Southern Cross University.
Occupational therapy is a client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Therapists achieve this outcome by working with individuals and communities to e
EDITORIAL BOARD: Damodara Pandit dasa, Govardhana Seva dasa, Krishnarupa devi dasi (ACBSP), Urvasi devi dasi
(layout and graphic design).
Srila Prabhupada: Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.3 – London, August 4, 1973
Find it here: https://goo.gl/0XlLoq
Source:http
For the past ten years, the Mayapur Academy – run by the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry – has offered devotees a four-month intensive training course that equips them with all the knowledge, skills and values they need to serve as pujaris in ISKCON.
Many successful graduates have come away from the course with diplomas in archana. But it’s not always easy for devotees to travel so far and be away from their services or homes for four months.
To address this challenge, the Mayapur Academy is esta
On Sunday January 29th in a special program at the New Govardhana Farm in Murwillambah, Australia, Mukunda Goswami shared memories of the Mantra-Rock Dance he helped organize fifty years ago on January 29th 1967.
The Mantra-Rock Dance concert was a key event in both ISKCON’s early growth and in the counterculture scene of the time, and commemorating it is an important part of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
After Srila Prabhupada established his first American temple at 26 2nd Avenue in
World Holy Name Week celebrated the 50th anniversary of ISKCON this year in style, running for closer to two-and-a-half weeks, from July 28th to August 14th.
The celebration, organized by Lokanath Swami, Janananda Goswami, and Ekalavya Das, included several key sacred days throughout its run, including the disappearance days of Sri Raghunandana Thakura and Sri Vamsidasa Babaji.
Most notably it included the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON in New York on July 28th, and the 50th an
Creation of this universe starts with Brahma
The hard way but that is our choice. So when it is describe in the Bhagavat purana how the Lord creates this material world. Krishna personally has nothing to do with material existence, Krishna is Rasabihari, He is simply enjoying loving relations with the Brijwasi’s. Narayan of Vaikuntha He also has nothing to do with this material existence, He is simply enjoying with the goddess of fortune and the entire servant of the Lord. It is described tha
Pujaris from all over North America gathered in New Vrindaban, West Virginia in January to gain inspiration, support and training from two events organized by the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry: the inaugural North American Head Pujari Sanga, followed by the third annual Weekend Pujari Training.
First off, twenty-one head pujaris and deity department managers from seventeen temples gathered for the Head Pujari Sanga, from January 3rd to 5th.
Proceedings began with attendees taking the time to ge
On Saturday January 14th, Sura Das of ISKCON Los Angeles was invited to speak at Culver City’s 12th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Culver City Hall.
Sura serves as the secretary and treasurer of the Interfaith Council of West Los Angeles, and represents ISKCON Los Angeles on the Council.
This theme of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration was “Peaceful Warriors for Positive Change.”
Sura Das spoke to an audience of a few hundred people, including the Mayor and City
