Avatar Art: Neo-Vedic Paintings Celebrating Life by Steven J. Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa) and co-author Kaisori Bellachoffers a beautiful artistic smorgasbord of the most popular figures in India's array of avatars, gods, sages, and demons. The alluring paintings of which this volume is comprised, portrayed by contemporary artists, mostly ISKCON devotees, focus on stories from the Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), the Mahabharata, and the Caitanya-caritamrta. The text illuminates the art.
Here,
Time is ticking and I’m reflecting on what I’ve actually contributed to the world. Though trying to avoid the egotistical desire to ‘make a mark,’ we are impelled to share the ‘fruits’ we have received. Spiritually, morally, and even legally, knowledge brings a certain responsibility. In certain circumstances, to withhold information that can greatly assist others would be considered violent and unethical. Thus, I often consider how to develop myself into a better instrument to proliferate spir
In his list for society at large, Bhismadev mentions, “To equally distribute wealth.” So, are we speaking here about communism? It sounds like Bhismadev is the pre-runner of Karl Marx! No, to equally distribute wealth means that there should be no excessive poverty, that no-one should be deprived of their basic needs of life. It is not that everyone should be equally wealthy. This is not appropriate. Reward should be there relating to endeavour and there is also the influence of karma – some ar
750+ Ahmedabad youngsters participated in youth fest ‘UMANG’ - ISKCON Youth Forum Ahmedabad.
Umang, festival of Joy, was an enlivening experience for all the 750+ participants whose level of enthusiasm soared as the festival changed gears, bringing new twists and turns for the young blood.
Thought provoking and intellectual talk was presented by HG Sundar Gopal Pr, graduate from IIT Delhi, who explained scientifically the dynamics of ‘Pleasure Hunt’.
Through his scientific and logical presenta
Bhakta David: Please find below a few phone snaps of the Vyasana and bhoga offerings from Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day 2016 at Bhaktivedanta Manor.
A small murti of Srila Prabhupada was given abhishek earlier in the day, pushpanjali was performed after the 12:30 arati, and many devotees read out heart-felt offerings.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/obkvXD
If you are in the UK and can come to London please join our maha harinama sankirtan party THIS SATURDAY EVENING (5th November). It wil
ISKCON Youth Forum (IYF) is the youth wing of Sri Sri Radha Govind Temple, a branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). IYF is aimed towards nourishing the hearts of today’s youth with the sublime message of the scriptures and helping them flourish in their lives in a wholesome manner.
Happiness and the true fulfillment of the soul and unending success have been the goals of humanity from eternity. The purpose of life is a life of purpose and what makes a life valua
Indian lady: How does one contact the spiritual master? Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?
Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.
Syamasundara: “Can you associate through a book?” she asked. Prabhupada: Yes, through books, and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s A
On the 4th of November 2010, 22:25 PM Moscow time Purnacandra Goswami passed away. It is a great loss for the entire ISKCON community.
On September 15th Maharaja was hospitalized with internal bleeding, and from October 19th he was in coma. Despite deep coma he manifested some signs of consciousness every time when devotees would come to him to chant the holy name.
Purnacandra Maharaja joined Srila Prabhupada’s movement when he was 17 years old. For more than 38 years he served ISKCON with grea
In order to understand Shri Nityananda Prabhu’s image in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, we have to know the Avatara doctrine, which describes the way the Lord appears in this world in behalf of His spiritual energies. Shri Nityananda Prabhu is a manifestation of compassion, of mercy and of divine love. He is the supreme Person, God himself who stepped into history and made His appearance in this world in the second half of the sixteenth century, according to the Western calendar. Like in the
1896: (September 01) Srila Prabhupada was born in Calcutta.
1901: Srila Prabhupada conducted a Ratha Yatra festival in a suburb of Calcutta.
1902: Srila Prabhupada began worshiping Radha-Krishna.
1916: Srila Prabhupada joined as Student of Philosophy at Scottish Churches’ College.
1918: Entered married life (grihastha ashrama)
1921: Appointed as assistant manager of Bose Laboratory. Joined Mahatma Gandhi’s movement.
1922: Met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
1925: V
Lately I’ve been wrapped up in the non-essentials of spiritual life: work, family, money, car problems, entertainment, sense gratification, etc. The only glimmer of devotional activity in my life right now is listening to Srila Prabhupada lectures on my commute to work. Even that has become sketchy lately, as I’m usually only half paying attention or zoning out.
I feel no enthusiasm for the devotional process right now. I don’t feel eager or excited to chant. I don’t have much desire to make t
From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya
bhutale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine.
I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace Prabhupada A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having
taken shelter of the lotus feet of that ever-youthful, beautiful,
transcendental Lord,
who, alone, in his seventieth year, threw family, society, friendship, love
to the wind, left mother India and set sail around the earth to foreign,
unknown
In acquiring knowledge, it is said that what we can know depends on what we know. On seeing pale fingernails, a layperson sees just the discoloration of the nails, but a doctor sees signs of anemia. As the doctor knows more about the body’s functioning than a layperson, the doctor can come to know more about its possible malfunctioning on seeing symptoms that mean nothing to the uninformed.
Similarly, the more we come to know about bhakti and especially about the challenges of sharing bhakti wit
There are lessons to be learned from all sources. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna uses the humble tortoise to illustrate sense control: “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.”
Here are some other lessons we can learn from a tortoise:
1. Slow and steady
Yesterday is gone and we yet don’t have tomorrow. We only have today and really only this moment. I like to call this “everyday eternal.”
Today marks the festival of Dipavali. Dipavali [Diwali} Sunday, October 30, 2016 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India time]. The Dīpāvalī festival takes place on the dark-moon night in the month of Kārttika (October-November).
Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere) is one of the major festivals of Hinduism. It spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over i
“Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding.” (Bhagavad-gita
The entire TOVP Team wishes to publicly take this opportunity to recognize and thank the managers and devotees of the worldwide BBT/BBTI for their cooperation and service to the TOVP project since its beginnings in 2009. To date over $1.7 million has been given by the BBT/BBTI to the project, a most significant amount.
Many devotees are unaware of the financial commitment made by the BBT/BBTI to fund the construction of the TOVP. This is in accordance with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions that t
Very few souls take to the path of pure unmotivated loving devotional service to God. This is because the gross or subtle egoistic disposition of the typical soul of this world prevents him/her from whole heartedly serving someone whom he/she considers "someone else". The typical soul wants to serve himself or those closely related to him materially.
This false ego is the fundamental reason for souls being averse to God. Once one understands that God is actually his most intimate relation, the
I ran across this interesting compilation of quotes this morning on the Prabhupada News website, by Vidura Prabhu. This is a nice reminder that Krsna is present today, through His spoken words on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and by chanting his holy names. And that Srila Prabhupada is also present today, through his words and instructions. I have done some slight editing (highlighting), and have included the full text and purports to SB 1.15.27-31 at bottom of post. -Vyasasan das
Arjuna Teach
This is the month of Kartik and I was asked to speak on the month of Damodar but although Damodar is so much on my mind, even more than that is the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada actually.
We will have arati in Srila Prabhupada’s room, by his bed. At the end of the arati, Srila Prabhupada’s chadar goes around, the big grey woollen chadar and it is heavy. When I felt that heavy chadar, I felt the weight of responsibility – now we have to do something; we have to do something to take up this m
