Blog

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

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

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

In this week the construction of the bas-relief on dedicated to the first Saint of ISKCON near to the Samadhi of Śrīman Jayananda Thakur, on the wall behind the Samadhi in the temple of Lord Jagannātha, was completed. Three sections of the bas-relief depicted scenes from the life of Jayananda his outstanding contribution to the development of the mission of Lord Caitanya, his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada’s love and gratitude to him.
Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhu, the sculptor of the project is a

On Sri Advaita Acarya’s appearance day, I share with you a talk about Him by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, given on April 6, 1975, in Mayapur, India.  —Giriraj Swami

advaitam harinadvaita
  acaryam bhakti-samsana
bhaktavataram isam tam
  advaita acaryam asraye

“Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acarya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefo

 "Sripada Madhvacarya took his birth at Udupi, which is situated in the South Kanarada district of South India, just west of Sahyadri. This is the chief city of the South Kanarada province and is near the city of Mangalore, which is situated to the south of Udupi. In the city of Udupi is a place called Pajaka-ksetra, where Madhvacarya took his birth in a Sivalli-brahmana dynasty as the son of Madhyageha Bhatta, in the year 1040 Sakabda (A.D. 1119). According to some, he was born in the year 1160

Appearance of Bhishmadeva.

Geneology:
From Vishnu were descended in the following order - Brahma-Atri-Candra-Budha - Pururavas - Ayus - Nahusha- Yayati - Puru - Janamejaya - Prachinvaa - Pravira - Namasyu - Vitabhava - Shundu - Bahuvidha - Samyati - Rahovadi - Raudrasva - Matinara - Santurodha - Dushyanta - Bharata - Suhotra - Gala - Gardda - Suketu - Brhatksetra - Hasti - Ajamidha - Riksha - Samvarana - Kuru
- Jahnu - Suratha - Vidaratha - Sarvabhauma - Jayatsena - Ravyaya - Bhavuka - Chakrodd

Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday I went out with devotees on a Food For Life program in a Zulu township near Durban here in South Africa. As we drove to the township Vrindavan Candra das, who heads up Food For Life in Durban, told me the township was one of the most notorious in the country.
“On average there are 10 murders each weekend”, he said. “The situation is so bad that the police rarely, if ever, enter the township.”
“And we’re going in there?” I asked a little surprised.
“Lord Caitanya is