Appeal by the 50th Anniversary Global Office to mark the official start of worldwide celebrations
By ISKCON 50 Global Office
The 50th anniversary year of ISKCON starts from 1st January 2016, with many historical events scheduled all over the world. The Global Office for the 50th Anniversary has requested temples all over the world to participate enthusiastically by holding local and national events that can accelerate the preaching mission of Srila Prabhupada.
“The 50th Anniversary offers a on
Giriraj Swami and Guru Prasada Swami share more realizations of their lives in Krishna consciousness over the last decades.
“If we cry for Krishna, then we feel the effect of the holy name. Then the bond becomes so strong that when we are not chanting or not connected to Krishna for a moment it is like an infinity. Then we come to the final stage when we are really connected to Krishna and the holy name. Then it doesn’t matter what is happening in our life — whether I’m happy, whether things g
2016 is an historic year for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It marks the 50th anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s founding and incorporating ISKCON. All over the world ISKCON devotees will mark this occasion with special events. We hope to create some interest in Alachua County also. If you have any ideas on ways to glorify this occasion, please contact Mukhya devi dasi at the Temple Office, or let me know you’d like to be part of a planning team. Go towww.i
By Subhang Balaram Das
25th December 2015, marked the first day of the 14th ‘Bhagavat-Katha Saptah’ in Pune with HH Lokanath Swami Maharaja. Every year devotees from all over the world set aside the last seven days of the year and join Maharaja for ‘nityam bhagavata-sevaya’. Surely there is no better way than this to not only end a year, but also begin a new one. This katha proved to be a very special one as there was glorification of one dhama each day.
It was a feast for devotees accompanying
Our sacred plant, Tulsi devi, is doing very well this winter – not because it’s been a mild winter so far but because we have a new greenhouse positioned to get a large dose of the daily sun. Tulsi devi thrives on plenty of sunshine and we see such a difference in her plant health between this year and last.
Who does not love the bright sun on a cold winter day? It keeps our spirits up as it floods into our rooms bringing life and energy. Sunshine is also a metaphor used in the teachings of bha
Giriraj Swami and Guru Prasada Swami look back at their service in ISKCON over the last 50 years.
“I remember when a devotee came up to me and said. ‘Ten years ago I met you on the street and you gave me a book. From that book I found a temple and became a devotee.’ That is such a rewarding experience. Sometimes, when you distribute books or do any service, you feel a little overburdened because there is so much to do for Krishna. But, when you get that reciprocation from the deities or
Madhava Gosh Dasa, age 66, died peacefully at his home in New Vrindaban, WV, January 2nd, 2016, following a long struggle with post transplant liver failure.
He was a pioneer New Vrindaban inhabitant, having lived there since 1973. Inspired by the instructions of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, he was a lifelong activist of local agriculture and cow protection.
Madhava Gosh is survived by his wife of 41 years, Vidya Dasi; five children, Manjari, Madhu, Vraja, Marken & Tulasi; th
Radha Kunda Seva: December 2015 Photos and Updates (Album with photos)
A Blessed and Happy New Year to you all!
It is cold in Vraja now which makes that hot, fresh and wholesome meal all the more valuable to our Radha Kunda ladies. With your support, we are slowly and steadily feeding more and more widows. They enjoyed their usual monthly feast on the 23rd of December, and then were treated by special sponsorship to a Christmas Day feast of puri, sabji, hot pakoras, and vegetable pulau! Our re
Washington, D.C.—1966 was a significant year. Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’s “Little Red Book” was published for the first time. Despite mass protests, the United States began to bomb Hanoi, North Vietnam’s capital. The Soviet Union’s Luna 9 made the first soft landing on the Moon. Actor Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California. Indira Gandhi visited Washington. Walt Disney died. The Beatles performed their very last concert in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
And, on New York City’s lower ea
Over the last year the Auckland temple devotees organised about 10 Rathayatras in the area. The big cart was used for the city and a smaller cart for the suburbs and nearby towns.
A few days ago a Rathayatra went around the farm itself and the devotees danced and chanted ecstatically in front of Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi.
Washington, D.C.—1966 was a significant year. Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’s “Little Red Book” was published for the first time. Despite mass protests, the United States began to bomb Hanoi, North Vietnam’s capital. The Soviet Union’s Luna 9 made the first soft landing on the Moon. Actor Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California. Indira Gandhi visited Washington. Walt Disney died. The Beatles performed their very last concert in San
Honouring Srila Prabhupada to Kick Off 2016
Festival Report by: Smruthi Venkateshan
Pictures by: Sahil Srivastava
Though many of us may have been a bit tired after ringing in the New Year, the Toronto Hare Krishna community gathered up all their energy and enthusiastically celebrated the annual Srila Prabhupada Festival on the evening of January 1st, 2016!
The festival is celebrated annually to give tribute and thanks to Srila Prabhupada for starting the Hare Krishna movement in the West ther
Saturday night kirtans have moved from the Lotus Room in Sydney to Govindas Asrama nearby.
This is because the restaurant is so crowded that both the regular customers and those from the kirtans could not fit in at the same time.
Nevertheless, the program goes on nicely with beautiful kirtan and sumptuous prasadam.
We usually find dīkṣā translated as “initiation” because to “initiate” something is to start it, to set it in motion – and dīkṣā is the thing that starts us in a certain direction.
In bhakti-yoga, dīkṣā is the thing that starts our devotional practices, sādhana-bhakti. Dīkṣā is the beginning of yoga. By dīkṣa we are accepted into a “school” of yoga and begin to be given whatever techniques and materials the school employs in its educational process.
Dīkṣā must be followed by śikṣā, specific
ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada personally introduced the Life Membership Program in the early 1970’s. He invited everyone across the world to take advantage of residing in ISKCON temples – all over the world – for a couple of days, of attending spiritual programs and receiving Krishna conscious association.
A one-of Life Membership donation is $1,111.
Your spiritual honors:
The Eye to See the I features 121 reflections on the Bhagavad-gita that make its insights appreciable in brief, relishable nuggets of wisdom. The book published in hard copy on Janmashtami last year is already nearing the end of its first print run and will go for the second print soon. Recently released on kindle, it is now available free for five days from 6th Jan to 10th Jan.
Some of the reflections in the book are:
