On this day number 2 of a walk with Bhakti Academy we landed ourselves at a picnic table to attempt a concentrated session with the maha mantra. At this hour, 6.45am, we could find no disturbances externally, perhaps internally. Everyone could speak for themself on this, but chronically that agitating does get in the way. As it was put by one of the callers later on in the afternoon on the Gita zoom, "I'm lucky to have just one minute of internalization."
Such is the nature of the monkey mind.
Why Follow Caturmasya?
“The real purpose behind the vow taken during these four months is to minimise the quantity of sense gratification. This is not very difficult.”
Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya Lila 4.169, Purport
In the purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 4.169, Srila Prabhupada explains that the Caturmasya period begins in the month of Ashadha (June-July) from the day of Ekadasi called Sayana-ekadasi and ends in the month of Kartika (October-November) on the Ekadasi day known
Writing the last chapter of the Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita was an intense experience for me. Prabhupada was teaching “the final lesson,” and I relived the day-by-day remembrances of being with Srila Prabhupada and serving in his ISKCON movement in the final days leading up to his disappearance. Those days were like a drama unfolding. Would Prabhupada stay with us? What would we do without him? And again I felt the grief at his departure. I was also reminded that Prabhupada’s last days were fille
It was 6am when I announced to members of the Bhakti Academy that I'm walking. They knew what I was hinting at and that it was an invitation to hit the sidewalk. I had a route in mind. It was a mix of residential park green space, ravine forest and more stately home - a one hour trek and a very new one for them.
Off we went!
Some were used to the Prabhupada speed. Our walkers at the back could easily be labelled as members of the Turtle clan.
The forest section is "better than Vrndavan in Indi
We’re back on the Baltic Sea coast in Poland with our summer ‘Festival of India’ for the 34th year running. It never ceases to amaze me how thousands upon thousands of people attend our festival programs through July and August each summer and enjoy the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness. Each year we strive to present a high class, professional show imbued with Bhakti to touch their hearts. Srila Prabhupada, thank you for the great privilege of carrying on your misssion in this world. Pl
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
The ISKCON New Gokula Farm in Australia’s Hunter Valley celebrated their 2024 Rath Yatra on July 7. The 550-acre property, renowned for its large organic vegetable gardens and orchards, is situated just two hours north of Sydney and the presiding Deities are Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda.
Srila Prabhupada, in his lecture in San Francisco on July 5, 1970, glorified the significance of Rath Yatra. He said, “Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advance
After a great rest at the home of Shreyas, I opened the shutters to the window and saw the sun's rays drawn in. Usually I'm up and around by this time of day-up before sign of Surya, the sun god, but we played hard in Ottawa, singing and then swimming. Hamm! Maybe I should do more of this if it guarantees an attack on insomnia.
Mahadeva and Annapurna picked me up headed west but before we hit the infamous 401 Highway, we encountered some mechanic difficulty in the exhaust area. Mahadeva always
The Islamic population in Bangladesh constitutes approximately 91.04%. Although spreading Krishna Consciousness in Bangladesh has faced its challenges throughout the decades but still devotees are enthusiastic and are trying their level best to continue preaching throughout the country. As declared by Srila Prabhupada, related by Vaiysaki Das " I put on my head the dust from the feet of whoever preaches in the Muslim countries." p? thivite ache yata nagaradi-grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora na
:
On July 13th, ISKCON celebrated the 58th anniversary of its incorporation by our Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada. As part of the incorporation, Prabhupada composed the “Seven Purposes of ISKCON.”
To commemorate this anniversary, the ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team held a transformative online gathering called “Envisioning a Krishna Conscious World,” hosted by Pancharatna Das. This broadcast delved into ISKCON’s seven purposes and the innovative ways these powerful principles can be applied i
By Atma Tattva Das
On July 7, 2024, the city of Kolkata witnessed a historic moment with the inauguration of the Bhaktivedanta Sarovar, previously known as Victoria Square Park. This significant event coincided with the annual ISKCON Kolkata Ratha Yatra festival, marking a monumental day for the ISKCON community and the city’s residents alike. The inauguration of this park represents the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream of Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, to create a serene and spi
July the 1st is the grand birthday of Canada. Canadians often are caught saying "eh" at the end of sentence. It's a joking point and if you ask any of them to spell out the name "Canada" you'll catch them using the phrase "eh" at least three times, so the expression can't be denied.
Our guru Prabhupada, came to visit this country that many times - in '68, '75 and '76. We are blessed that he touched this soil.
On this day, the nation's birthday, devotees of Krishna descend on the capital ci
An enlightened person sees with equal vision a learned scholar,
a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.
Attempts to establish equality among all people are naive and superficial unless supported by spiritual understanding. Materially, we are not equal. Some people are geniuses; others are fools. Materially, the rule is not unity but diversity. Ours is a world of diverse bodies, diverse faces.
And it is in terms of these diversities that we think of our selves. We think, "I am a man" or "I a
“Lord Jagannātha is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and the Ratha-yātrā festival is a festival celebrating Lord Kṛṣṇa’s coming out from His temple to see His devotees and to give His blessings to all.” (Lecture, Ratha-yātrā, San Francisco, 27 June 1971)
Source: https://dandavats108.blogspot.com/2024/07/ratha-yatra-in-sydney.html
According to the June report, two temples shared their highest scores to date and two new metrics are now available: the first is books distributed per capita giving smaller countries proper recognition for their commensurate service, and the second is the percentage of increase or decrease in book distribution from one month to another.
Click here to see the full report, including inspiring stories and photos from the field.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/european-sankirtan-report-reveals-
By Atma Tattva Das
In 1973, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), touched down at Zurich Airport, marking the beginning of a memorable visit to Switzerland. On April 1, 2024, ISKCON commemorates the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s momentous journey to Geneva with a series of celebrations at the United Nations, where his teachings continue to inspire global peace and unity.
The celebrati
Before our temple sadhana a dedicated time for japa meditation and walking didn't seem like a bad idea for the three of us. We chose the trail which is connected to the boardwalk, a floating one, over the water. And as we took to that bouncy trek we had coming our way a frisky what seemed like a young cyclist with long, flowy white hair.
The closer we got the more he could recognize us. Of course, we stand out. I'm in my monk suit. Mahadeva and Annapurna in sari, also look other-worldly.
"
The saintly king Yudhishthira Maharaj said, “Oh Keshava, what is the name of that Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June – July)? Who is the worshipable Deity for the auspicious day, and what is the process for observing this event?”
Lord Sri Krishna replied, “Oh caretaker of this Earthly planet, I shall gladly tell you a wonderful historical event that the deva lord Brahma once narrated to his son Narad Muni.
One day Narad Muni asked his father, ‘What is
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
More inspiring news is flowing out of New Navadvip Dham in Rio Grand Valley south Texas which witnessed the arrival of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas. Jananivas Das, Braja Vilasa Das, and Sunanda Das accompanied the Padukas from Mayapur to bless New Navadvip. The expansive farm has also recently harvested more than 27 million pounds of watermelons, and rescued over 66 cows bound for the slaughterhouse.
New Navadvip Dham is an expanding “Simple Living High Thinking
On Monday, July 8th, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow. At the Carlton Hotel, Modi was met with a lively kirtan offered by members of ISKCON Russia. Their joyful welcome was shared on many Indian TV channels, further spreading the Holy Name.
The following day, Modi held a special meeting with the Indian community in Russia. Sadhu Priya Das, the Regional Secretary for ISKCON Moscow, presented the Prime Minister with a photograph taken during Modi’s visit to the ISKCON temp
