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Once, this Azerbaijan devotee, Garuda Vahana Das and I were at the University of Utah, where practically everyone is fixed up in Mormonism, and we approached a student reading outside on a bench.
Garuda: (Russian accent) Excuse me, I have book for you, about Yoga, you know, meditation.
Student: That sounds great, but I think I’m okay.
(Garuda always wears common cloth, and I always go in dhoti, so at this time the kid starts seeing me and begins to understand what’s up)
Garuda: No this is a spi

Compiled by Mother Gandhari dasi – Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Bhakti Yoga Instructor

Diwali comes from the word Dipavali which has two words dipa means light and avali means carrier. Therefore Dipa or Diya (1) signifies ‘coming to light’. In the Vedic Literature it is mentioned: “Tamasa Ma, Jyotir Gamaya” means ‘Do not remain in Darkness, Come to Light’, meaning ‘come to spiritual awareness or awakening’.

In the Bhagavat Gita Chapter four verse seven and eight Lord Krsna says: ‘yada yada hi dharma

Kartik is a very special month when the mercy of the Lord is easily available for all of His devotees. My spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada told us that even ‘unserious persons’ who execute devotional service during this month are easily awarded the Lord’s personal service. To follow the kartik vrata (vows) can be as simple as offering a light to Lord Damodara each morning or evening, or both. Of course, for devotees who already have a daily spiritual practice (sadhana) kartik is a time when t

Processed fast food is very popular in the world today, and even devotees often take bread, chips and other items. You may be aware that many of those products are not healthy, but what some people don't know is that many of them are also not vegetarian.

Even if you read the label, it can be misleading. For example, "natural flavors" can often refer to non-veg items. Such ingredients are very common in processed food today. An article last year on CNN reported:

"In the Environmental Working Grou

* DAMODARA VRATA – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada speaks about some devotional activities for the month of kartika.
* DIVINE DEEDS OF DAMODARA – Some comments from Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja about the pastime of Krishna being tied to the wooden grinding mortar.
* BINDING THE BOUNDLESS – A fresh translation done for this issue of of an excerpt from Srila Jiva Goswami’s Bhakti-sandarbha.
* BLIND, DEAF, AND DUMB IN VRINDAVAN – Another fresh translation from Srila

Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Bhagavad-gita on December 25, 1975 in Sanand:
When we speak of knowledge, jnana, it must be learned from a person.
Vyasadeva does not say “Krishna uvaca [Krishna said],” but “Bhagavan uvaca [the Supreme Personality of Godhead said].” This is because sometimes people have differences of opinion about Krishna.
“If we approach some speculator, we cannot get real knowledge. So those who are speculators, they cannot understand what is God. Therefore they commit mi

Srila Prabhupada's 50th festival lights up Montreal's cultural landscape. 

As you walk  towards the twin-towered Complexe Desjardins, in the heart of downtown Montreal's popular festival district, just opposite the prestigious Place-des-Arts, you are beckoned  by the elegant Bharatnatyam dancer on the 15x18 ft. banner at the main entrance to come inside to explore the exotic cultural event of September 2nd and 3rd entitled as “Journey to the Heart of India.”

Upon entering the impressive central

Hare Krishna

Dear Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are happy to inform you of our latest addition to our book shelf. We now have the Bhakti Vriksha Teacher’s Handbook available.

This Book is a comprehensive guide to help the Bhakti Vriksha Servant Leaders in undertaking their classes.

Some Special Features of this Book:

* Set Aims and Objectives of each Week of the Module.

* Relevant topics given to the each week.

* Guide to conduct the Bhakti Vr

The search of love usually starts with a feeling of  loneliness, it is not just a problem of physical company, rather of awareness and inner power. Loneliness originates from a fragmented psychological image which as a consequence produces a kind of separation of a person from other people, from all the creatures, from the world and its Creator.

The solution of the problem of loneliness  is not to be found in a partner, so as to compensate the fear of being alone, nor it can be found  through t

Jananivas, Ambarisa, Svaha and Braja Vilas prabhus, along with the entire TOVP Team would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to His Holiness Bhaktimarg Swami, the Canadian TOVP Team, and all the Canadian Yatra devotees who have to date sent over $1 million to the TOVP.

Back in June, 2014 we published an article about the formation of the Canadian TOVP Team. Since then, and specifically during our TOVP Canadian Tour in 2015, $3 million has been pledged of which over $1 million has g

The idea that we should not try to see God but act in such a way that he feels pleased to look our way is one of the main philosophical contributions of Srila Prabhupada’s guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. He always made it clear that we are not the seers (that we cannot see God) but that we are the seen (that we can be seen by God). 

Imagine an ant crawling over your book while you read. It cannot see you from its position – you’re something the ant cannot understand because it is t

On October 4th, in Rome, Italy, an extraordinary event took place at the House of Representatives of the Italian Parliament. ISKCON devotees, friends, professors and politicians gathered to celebrate 50 years of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the world, and Srila Prabhupada as a messenger of peace and spiritual knowledge. 

A line of devotees in colorful sarees and shaved heads stood outside of the House of Representatives in a spirit of controlled euphoria. Rome, Italy’s

Charge, donation or contribution

I’ve been pondering these three words, how interchangeable are they and how easy it is to cheet if their misapplied

We often ask for a donation especially on book distribution, if you give me a donation you can have a book whilst showing them a wonderful book that will transform their life. Then we withdraw the book if the donation is small, or we go no it has to be £x; unwittingly we can cause offence, they asked for a donation I gave and they took away (I’ve ha

To realize one's utter insignificance is a critical milestone in life. It opens up significant opportunities for us to connect to something truly grand and important. This realization can come at any stage of our life, and come multiple times, each time helping us realize the majesty of something else that is truely magnificent.

The typical society encourages one to believe and imagine that we are very special and significant. That's what the self centred small mind wants to believe. Break free

Hare Krishna!! Dandavat pranam. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga. 

We wanted to give an update about the wonderful retreat we had at the Gita Nagari Farm from September 22nd (Thursday) to September 25th (Sunday).  It was a truly transformative experience where pioneers in healthcare and leaders of the society gave us seminars and presentations about how to bring Krishna consciousness into our daily life and everyday medica

A special Edition on the auspicious occasion of Sri Damodara Month. 
Nityam Bhagavatam Sevaya #48 features:

1. Killing Of The Demons Shakatasura And Trnavarta
Conversation Between Sukadeva Goswami and Maharaja Parikshit

2. Destroying Shakatasura and Trnavarta Within 
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

3. Recommendation By Maharaja Parikshit
His Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

4. Prakata-Lila And Aprakata-Lila
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur

5. Sri Vraja-Raja-Sutastakam
Eight Pra

Meditating on the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Muralimanohara, placing myself at the dust of Lord Caitanya’s feet, and respectfully offering obeisances to the great devotees of the Lord, who are so many oceans of transcendental virtue, I shall now happily begin to praise the transcendental opulences of Sri Vrndavana.

I am not strong enough to go to the far shore of the great nectar ocean of Vrindavan’s glories. Who can go there? However, because I love Vrindavan I will now dip into that ocean. I