“For centuries, people have taken many paths in search of lasting happiness. Most have come to the same conclusion: that the most powerful force is love and a life of benevolence - reaching out to the divine and others is a life imbued with the joy of devotion.”
These opening words of the film The Joy of Devotion, directed by Krisztina Danka (Krishna-Lila dasi) film-maker and executive director of Karuna Productions and her international team, perfectly encapsulate the film's essence.
On Thur
There is one thing I want to say about charity – vaisnava charity is not about giving donations here and there because when a vaisnava gets charitable, he does not just give some of his wealth, a vaisnava gives himself. This is the greatest charity, when we give ourselves.
This is how it works in devotional service, vaisnava generosity goes beyond logic; it goes beyond calculation; it goes beyond the limits and somehow or other Krsna helps…
Of course, there is such a thing as over endeavour. Ov
Studies disclose serious health risks from chemical cosmetics marketed for the ancient Hindu practice of adorning the forehead with red powder
By Tirtho Banerjee, Lucknow, India
The recent New Jersey case in which a couple and their 13-year-old child were diagnosed with serious lead poisoning due to regular consumption of sindoor as a food coloring has come as a shock. Sindoor was never meant for use in any type of eatable. Sindoor or kumkum as it is known in the South, is meant for use as a fo
From “MEMORIES OF SRILA PRABHUPADA” class by HH Krishna-kshetra Swami
(October 1994)
Story happens at L’Ecole de Architectur, Paris, July 1972:
At the end of one of lectures Srila Prabhupada asked for questions. One middle-aged man – apparently a Christian – stood up and said, “I am afraid there is no religiosity present here whatsoever!”
Srila Prabhupada responded immediately, with a look of genuine concern, “Oh, you are afraid?”
His simple question so clearly cut to the core of the man’s igno
When the acarya disappears, a dark period comes, just as a patch of black cloud covers up the effulgent sun. It is an unfortunate time, but it is temporary. That cloud will go away. A violent storm may come and disperse the cloud, and then the effulgent sun will come out. If you trace out history you will find that after the disappearance of an acarya, this period comes. That period came after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Then his disciple Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami appeared like
Srila Prabhupada: The best policy to control the mind is to desire how to spread Krsna consciousness. This is the best. Kamah krsna-karmarpane. Narottama dasa Thakura has said that you cannot be free from desire. That is not possible. This is useless attempt. They say that “You become desireless.” No, that is not possible. How can I…? If I become desireless, I become dead. So long I am living entity, I must desire. I cannot check it. Therefore kama means desire. So at the present moment, we are
Hare Krsna, I have updated the links on this site.
Dear Devotees,
Hare Krishna.
I have created a Site for the Self-study & Testing of
Srila Prabhupada's books.
You may find this useful for lectures, to follow along in class,
as a study tool, and as a quick reference.
Please share this link with all of your devotee friends.
Part One: The Greatest Sorrow
By Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
Edited by Madhavananda Das
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta, madhya 8.248, it is mentioned how once Mahaprabhu asked Ray Ramananda, duḥkha-madhye kona duḥkha haya gurutara?— “Which sorrow is the most intense?” Ray Ramananda answered, kṛṣṇa-bhakta viraha-vinā duḥkha nāhi dekhi para — “Being separated from a kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a dear devotee of Krishna, is the most grievous sorrow and unhappiness.” If someone becomes separated fro
The ethics of the non-theistic moralists are compared to those of the scorpion who once requested a favor from a camel.
The scorpion wanted to cross a deep river but could not find any way to do so. Seeing a camel nearby, the scorpion approached him and asked the camel to carry him across. The camel refused, saying, “You will sting me.”
“No, no. I am an ethical scorpion. I promise I won’t sting you.”
The camel agreed and, taking the scorpion on his hump, began crossing the river. Halfway across
From Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
Hawaii
When Srila Prabhupada visited Hawaii, he had to deal with controversial persons who claimed to be his followers and yet who denounced the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada wanted to encourage everyone to go on chanting Hare Krsna, yet at the same time he wanted to clearly establish that his sincere follower works within ISKCON. The questions and answers after his lectures in Hawaii often dealt with these matte
We had rented a house in Santa Cruz, CA. About 6 or 7 Brahmacaris trying to start a preaching center. I guess it was about 1981.
Some of us were doing prasadam distribution and some were selling incense. I was one of the guys selling incense. I remember it was pretty tough and usually I couldn’t collect much. One day I approached a young couple and tried to distribute something. You know the line “we’re passing these out today and just asking a donation” The man said “could you use a car”? I sa
God Does Exist!
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, “I don’t believe that God exists.” Why do you say that,” asked the customer.
“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Wo
How can we face things all alone in this world!? But one who is with Krsna is never alone. When we are in a relationship with Krsna, when we are actively trying to please Krsna then we are never alone because Krsna reciprocates. It is not that we are just working hard in devotional service and hopefully there will be a reward at the end. For a whole life you have to slave day and night for Krsna – get up at an impossible time, live a really austere lifestyle and if you do it very well then at t
WASHINGTON, DC–Last week Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) celebrated her re-election to US House of Representatives and was sworn into session. She took her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita once again.
After the ceremony, family, friends, and supporters gathered together and visited Rep. Gabbard and congratulated her.
“Tulsi shared how the Bhagavad Gita continues to serve as an inspiration in her life, and how grateful she is to the people of Hawaii for allowing her to continue to serv
A party of 50 devotees assembled at the ISKCON Lomé temple
On December 17th 2016, ISKCON devotees of Lomé, a small town in a small country (Togo has about 6 million people), held a small but ecstatic padayatra for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Several devotees from three other West African countries had joined the 45 devotee Togo team: three from Ghana (Yuga Prabhu, chairman of the West African Executive Council Board, Bhaktin Emma and Bhakta Abraham), one from the Republic of Benin (Bhakt
Q. 1. Since free will is operating with every soul’s choices, how is Paramatma’s guidance operative in relationship to this free will?
Q. 2. Another dimension is this: Sri Isopanisad says every other choice other than Krishna’s will, is degrading. So how can we exercise a free will choice that is within the realm of non-maya, or the spiritual realm – that may not be a predetermined choice?
Romapada Swami: Krishna dynamically responds to the free will choices of living entities. As Srila Prabhup
“Oh, Lord, the ocean of compassion and nectar! You are the dwelling place that is attractive for all. I offer You my respectful obeisances again and again. You - the only one who frees the fallen souls of this world. But how do you do it, very few people can understand. O ocean of mercy! Again and again I bow before You. ”
“Oh, Lord Jagannatha! Please save me. Oh, fallen friend, I again and again bow before You. Please deliver me from this terrible ocean of material suffering. After gaining You
Divya’s Kitchen, New York City’s first authentic Ayurvedic restaurant, cares not just about your taste buds – although it rewards them very well – but also about your health and wellbeing.
Whether you’re a New Yorker or an ISKCON devotee, as soon as you walk into the East Village eatery, with its homey amber lighting, pure cedar wood furniture and live plants, you’ll know you’re in for a new kind of casual fine dining experience.
Divya’s Kitchen, located on the ground floor of the Bhakti Center
Without giving attention to and genuinely caring about relationships, situations and aspirations, how can we achieve any real traction in life? Where the attention goes, energy flows, and results invariably show. Simultaneously, however, wisdom teachers constantly remind us to remain detached and aloof; everything in this world is a fleeting reality destined for destruction at the ruthless hands of time. We are building castles in the sand. So what’s the balance? When does genuine concern and r
You might not have heard of Jaya Caitanya Das, the thirty-year-old who’s been the number one book distributor in the U.S. for the past two years.
Even if he sold 85,000 of Prabhupada’s books this year alone.
That’s because until recently, the young man was living at home with his parents in Orange County, California.
Jaya Caitanya grew up in a Vaishnava Hindu family who were not ISKCON devotees but kept Krishna in the center of their lives.
During his teenage years, however, like most young men
