By Daamodara Dhananjaya Das
Today, one of the best avenues to reach out, not just to the masses, but also to the upper most class of people, is through the Press or the Print Media (Newspapers) and the Electronic Media (TV News & Entertainment Channels and Radio Channels). Reading newspapers and watching TV News Channels, is now one of the preeminent necessities of life. These days apparently oxygen seems to be of the secondary importance, as compared to the need of the Media. So much so that t
Bhutatma das: I had made friends with a noted religious scholar, Mark Juergensmeyer, one of the professors in the Religious Studies Department at Berkeley University.
I asked him, “What do you think about having a program with Srila Prabhupada and some of the faculty?”
Juergensmeyer was enthusiastic and one of the people he invited was Dr. Staal, who had already had scholarly exchanges with Prabhupada about chanting the mahamantra. That exchange was printed as a brochure that we distributed t
Hundreds are expected to attend the upcoming Hare Krishna festival next Friday.
Next week the Hare Krishna festival will be held at the Fairway Hall, in Brook Close, Borehamwood at 7pm with live music, dance and vegetarian food and is open to the public.
ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and local members of the Hare Krishna movement have teamed up to invite the public to the festivities.
Giridhari Das, a Hare Krishna monk who heads the UK festival team, said: “Probably b
It can sometimes be tough being an intellectual in Iskcon. The tendency to keep one foot in the empirical camp and the other in the devotional arena can cause incompatibilities of faith, especially when continuing to grapple with “oddities” like elephant sized mangoes, airborne mountains, talking hyenas and bodily exuded cosmic bubbles.
Almost everything is interesting for an intellectual. How things work, or don’t. Statistics and comparisons, complex and more complicated, beyond comprehension
As part of the ISKCON50 program series, Vaishnavas in Hungary organized a two-day national book distribution event, taking place at different locations of the country. The book distribution was coordinated by the two main centers -- the by the ISKCON temple in the capital city Budapest, and the internationally well-known farm community, Nava Vraja-Dhama.
During the two days, 36 participants from the farm sold 619 books, while the 195 devotees on the streets of Budapest distributed 2,650 books.
A new Yoga Pavilion currently being built by ISKCON New Vrindaban’s own devotee construction crew, and aiming to be open next year, is expected to draw a large Western audience.
“We have been highly focused on reaching out to Indians living in the USA,” says temple president Jaya Krsna Das. “But Srila Prabhupada came to preach to Westerners, so we want to now make a major concerted effort to reach them too.”
Yoga, of course, is an interest that both Indian and Western people share. According to
Our Yogendra Maharaj is a very powerful preacher and he was giving a lecture in India. At one point, he asked the crowd, “Who is ready to give his life to Krsna.” There was no response. Are YOU ready to give your life to Krsna? (Audience: yes) Some are hesitating. Some are smelling a rat. Are you ready? (Audience: yes) ARE YOU READY? (Audience: loud yes) This Christian thing (laughter), I knew it would get much result, it is amazing.
Anyway, Yogendra Maharaj did something like that and he carri
“Although superficially Vrindavan is just a cowherd village, the opulence of Vrindavan far exceeds the opulence of Vaikuntha. But, because the mood of sweeteness (madhurya) prevails, it covers the mood of opulence (aisvarya) even though the opulence of Vrindavan is greater than that of Dwaraka or Vaikuntha. For example, say there is a mixture of 100 gallons of lime juice and 100 pounds of sugar. Then there is another container with 10 gallons of lime juice and 1 pound of sugar. The lime is like
Lecture on Vrindavandham Katha by HG Vishwarup Prabhu on 05 Sep 2016 at Dhanuka
(HG Vishwarup Prabhu delivered professional and spiritual discourses to medical professionals in UK and USA in 2007-2008.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Pastimes of Srimati Radharani by HG Jananivas Prabhu on 09 Sep 2016 at ISKCON Mayapur.
(HG Jananivas Prabhu, the head pujari of Mayapur and the most senior and respected pujari in ISKCON. On order of Srila Prabhupada, he shifted to Mayapur and took up the seva of being a pujari.)
To Listen and Download - click here
Lecture on Only Real Solution by Urmila Mataji on 15 Jun 2016 at London
(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto - 11, Chapter - 03, Text - 35)
(HG Urmila Mataji has mainly served ISKCON since 1973 till the present time as book distributor, assistant secretary for the BBT, pujari, temple cook, actress, writer, traveling preacher, editor of BTG since 1990, primary and secondary teacher for 27 years, school principle for 18 years, member of Sastric Advisory Council to the GBC. )
To Listen and Download - click here
Vrindavana das’s departure.
In our sadness, we are feeling separation from Vrndavane Das, as Prabhu 67th (AcBsP) who passed away from this mortal world. The transformation took place on Friday (August 19th) on a highly illuminated night, by the light on the waning moon, at 9:45pm…in Tampa, Florida. He was found at just a few foot-steps away from the Temple’s entrance.
He had given up driving in April due to martial differently and was riding his bicycle everywhere! At 9:45pm, I was putting the
Sutapa das: One of my fellow monks is an extremely prayerful person. He has regular stories of the reciprocation and interaction that comes from conversing with God. Though inspired, I personally find it difficult to pray. It usually feels unnatural and artificial; probably a combination of my impersonal character, hard-heartedness, lack of faith, and general life philosophy of “work hard and be practical.” Someone, however, recently offered me an interesting antidote – “pray for other people”
The team of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium is touring Cape Town, South Africa for the purpose of achieving support for the completion of the construction work. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra says, “My dear Lord Krishna, my dear Lord Rama, O energy of the Lord, Hare, kindly engage me in your service.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.69 Purport)
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra in a message sent on 16th September, praised ISKCON for its ’50 years of glorious achievements and service to humanity’.
He praised ISKCON for the dissemination of what he called the ‘glorious Vedic wisdom including the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam’. The Chief Minister also praised ISKCON’s philanthropic activities and youth preaching programmes.
He concluded his statement by saying: “It is commendable that ISKCON is working with a view to spreading divi
Niranjana Swami: This morning (Wed, 2016-09-14) I received news that one of my early disciples, formerly from Ukraine, Gopana Daksa devi dasi, left this world in Vrndavana at 15:15, yesterday, September 13, 2016. She was a very serious and sincere disciple, who always displayed great determination in her spiritual life since the day I first met her in the early 1990’s. She relocated to Vrndavana many years ago, and for years, every year she would send me the results of her book distribution eff
During the questions and answers sessions, I read the following quotes from Caitanya Bhagavata. When I was asked for the references, I said I would post them in a blog. For those who are interested, here they are:
Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Madhya Khanda, Chapter Five
TEXT 140-141
vaisnava-himsara katha se thakuka dure
sahaja jivere ye adhama pida kare
visnu pujiya o ye prajara pida kare
puja o nisphale yaya, ara duhkhe mare
What to speak of being envious of the Vaisnavas, if one causes pain to or
Each single verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam tastes like transcendental condensed milk of a Surabhi cow mixed with kesar, simply delicious and a nectar most satisfying to even conditioned souls (although it is meant to be tasted by paramhansas – liberated souls). No wonder that, along with Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam is the specific scripture meant for kali-yuga.
I am sharing another transcendental verse and its nectarean purport by Srila Prabhupada, for the pleasure of devotees, describing cau
It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious for their safety and well being at all times.
There is, however, a hidden message in all of this anxious attention and it’s not good. As a teacher and school principal for 20 years, I saw all kinds of kids and all kinds of parents. For those who had confid
