A small padayatra was held in Malaysia on August 14th. It was organized by ISKCON Teluk (Mayapur Baru) and commemorated ‘World Holy Name Week’ and ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. Srila Prabhupada visited the town of Teluk Intan located in the Hilir Perak district of Malaysia in 1970. He also visited the Mariamman Temple here. Now, years later it was decided that this temple would be the starting point of the commemorative padayatra.
The padayatra was set to take place at 5:30 pm. There were around 5
On August 9th at 11am devotees gathered at the Lenasia Civic Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Srila Prabhupada had met the people of Lenasia 41 years ago at this very center. This marked the first padayatra held in the province, and commemorated ISKON’s 50th anniversary as well as ‘National Women’s Day’.
Spreading the word
Once the date was set devotees rallied together to advertise the event –from Facebook to Twitter, to ISKCON newsletters and Sunday Love Feast announcements, everyone was
A recently published news story quickly caught my attention. It suggested that there are principally four types of personalities. After carrying out a research project of its own style, researchers in Spain have concluded that the four distinct personality types are: Optimistic, Pessimistic, Envious, and Trusting. They also suggested there is a fifth one but the computer algorithm they used couldn’t accurately identify it. What I found interesting was the concept of four types of personalities,
One of the highlights for me at the recent Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat was an instruction on mantra meditation. It was spoken by Sacinandana Swami in reference to the Gayatri Mantras that are chanted when one receives advanced initiation in the practice of Bhakti Yoga, but it’s a guide that can be applied to any mantra meditation practice: “Don’t starve your mantras”
Our devotional yoga involves the chanting of many mantras, the main one being the Hare Krishna mantra. A successful chanting pract
Sacinandana Swami: As practitioners that chant the holy name we all know how difficult it is to connect the mind with the holy name because by definition, the mind is only able to grasp material things. The mind can think of holidays at the beach or any other material subject. It is especially attracted to think about how to increase one’s wealth and how to engage in sexual activities. These are things we can easily think about because the mind is shaped like this. It wraps itself around money
Q: You mentioned in your video, diksha refers to getting the mantra and shiksa refers to getting instructions on how to chant it…
Dīkṣā means acceptance into the educational process (aka “sādhana”) of a given school. This acceptance is accomplished by giving the student the school’s study materials (mantra and śāstra)
Q: We already got the mantra from some devotee, we may not even remember whom. Would a formal initiation ceremony benefit us?
Hearing a mantra from someone on the sidewalk is a hap
More than 2,000 people gathered for the Rath Yatra festival Sept. 17 at the Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago as part of the national kickoff celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna Movement.
Prior to the advent of ISKCON movement Jagannath and the “Ratha Yatra” were relatively unknown in the West. However, after its founding, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, founder of ISKCON popularized the festival when he selected Jagann
"A natural human sentiment, compassion finds its highest expression in the works of devotees of the Lord.
The tenderness of the heart experienced toward Krishna is known as bhakti. All other jivas are servants of Krishna. When one experiences tenderness of heart toward them, it is known as daya, compassion. Therefore, compassion is included within bhakti."
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Jaiva Dharma, p. 179
I was aware of the concept of compassion before I met Srila Prabhupada. While studying at Br
Bhakta Priya Devi Dasi: Dear devotees and friends, I urgently need your prayers! My husband, Jagajivan Das is in intensive care, in a critical condition. His heart is giving up. The doctor said that he can leave his body any moment. But we all know how powerful Vaisnava prayers could be. Miracles can happened and he still can pull through. There is still a chance for him to recover. I beg you at your feet to pray for him. Your humble servant, Bhakta Priya dd
More than 2,000 people gathered for the Rath Yatra festival Sept. 17 at the Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago as part of the national kickoff celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna Movement.
Prior to the advent of ISKCON movement Jagannath and the “Ratha Yatra” were relatively unknown in the West. However, after its founding, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, founder of ISKCON popularized the festival when he selected Jagann
I found today’s blog in a shop window. ‘Give Presence’, the sign said. How clever I thought. In the gifting season of the year, the greatest gift of all is the gift of our presence, on all levels. Whether it is being present in a conversation, being present with our meditation, being present while driving – what does ‘being present’ or ‘giving presence’ mean?
It’s simply ‘being with’. Not half being with, not almost being with, but fully being with. We can’t do this all the time, but we surely m
Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati, the lord of devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war; and of bodies of water I am the ocean. (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 10.24)
…And of all bodies of water, the ocean is the greatest. These representations of Kṛṣṇa only give hints of His greatness. (from purport)
Full text and purport
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Ten, Text 24
purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ
viddhi pārtha bṛhaspa
THE VEDAS DESCRIBE the cow as our mother (go-mata). Why? Because she gives the milk that nurtures and nourishes us from infancy to old age. When the cow is happy, satisfied, and well taken care of, she produces far more milk than her calf requires. We can use this milk for our dietary needs.
Srila Prabhupada writes, “Foods such as milk, milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables are the foods that best aid health and increase life’s duration.” He calls milk “the most wonderful o
SCHOLARS OFTEN restrict the meaning of the term “Vedic” to that which relates only to four original Vedas Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva and the period in which they assume they appeared. Authorities within the tradition itself, however, usually expand the meaning to include not only the Vedas but their corollaries as well. They give the corollaries at least equal status to the Vedas and refer to them as Vedic literature. Following are some references to support that view:
“One should expand and
Sivarama Swami’s latest book, the fourth volume of the Krishna In Vrindavana series, is hot off the press. Shri Damodara-janani weaves a captivating tale of the glories of Mother Yashoda. No other person has ever received the unique mercy that Krishna showed His own mother, teaching devotees for all time that the binding force of love for Him is more powerful than even His own supreme will.
The dedication
A pastime that stopped the demigods in their tracks, captivated the residents of Gokula,
Devotees of ISKCON Brahmapur in the Indian state of Orissa made a unique offering to Srila Prabhupada on 16thAugust for the 50th anniversary: they have opened a permanent book store inside their local railway station with the permission of the railway authorities.
“This is the first time in the world that ISKCON has received official permission and support to open a permanent book store inside a railway station,” said Pancharatna Das, President of ISKCON Brahmapur. “The railway authorities arr
I regard this article as a supplement to my book, Śrīla Prabhupāda: Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON. It expands upon discussions relating the importance of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, especially in light of the philosophical and spiritual significance of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s parent temple, Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, in Māyāpur.
As I write, the resplendent Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, its central dome now towering 350 feet above the alluvial soil of Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, continu
Every year over 100,000 people line the streets of Towoomba in Queensland Australia for the Grand Floral Street Parade. This year on the 17th Sept Iskcon Bhakti Centre Gold Coast participated with our Rathyatra cart.
Jaganath, Subhadra and Baladev were so well recieved that we won first prize. The theme is flowers so who does flowers better than the Hare Krishnas? The cart was decorated by Sukla Devi Dasi, Rasarani Devi Dasi and Dhruva Das who worked on it for 5hours before the parade. So many
On this date, Sri Visvarupa, the elder brother of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, took sannyasa. It is also the date on which Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa.
“If Srila Prabhupada hadn’t taken sannyasa and come to us, where would we be? We wouldn’t be anywhere—I shudder to think where we would be. So that renunciation is necessary. Sat-nyasa. Nyasa means to give up, and sat means the Supreme. One takes sannyasa to give up everything for the service of the Supreme, Krishna. Many of our acharyas have ta
He had a massive cerebral hemorrhage to the right side of the brain. The devotees there got him into the hospice facility. Soon after left his body.
Swarup Das: I remembered that Nitai Das and I had some very wonderful personal exchanges using the message facility here on facebook - he wrote me the following in 2012:
“Swarup Prabhu, you said you were with ISKCON Press in Boston in those early days. It reminded me of one of my early Krsna conscious memories. I had met the devotees in LA in ‘69 w
