Ekadashi means eleventh day of waxing or waning moon. Therefore, two Ekadashis fall in every month. Usually on Ekadashis, the devotees undertake fasting. Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi observed on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Moon (shukla-paksha) in the month of Jyeshtha (May-June) is called Nirjala Ekadashi because on that day the observer of the vrata should not drink even water. Since the vrata observed is in the month of Jyeshtha, it is known as Jyeshtha-shukla Ekadashi as well. Th
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Once Bhimasena, the younger brother of Maharaja Yudhisthira, asked the great sage Shrila Vyasadeva, the grandfather of the Pandavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekadasi fasts.
Bhimasena then spoke as follows, “Oh greatly intelligent and learned grandfather, my brother Yudhisthira, my dear mother Kunti, and my beloved wife Draupadi, as well as Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, fast completely on each Ekadasi and stric
Every year the North American office of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publishes an “Art Calendar” with all the most important Vaisnava dates for North America. This year, as in past years, we noted under Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi that one should observe a “total fast, even from water, if you have broken Ekadasi.” It has been pointed out to us that the only instruction Srila Prabhupada gave concerning breaking Ekadasi is that if one does so inadvertently one should observe Ekadasi fasting the next
On June 8, 2024, ISKCON Nairobi celebrated its 38th Annual Festival of Chariots, attracting over 2,000 participants from all walks of life. “The four-hour procession passed through the [capital city of Nairobi] with many onlookers joining in the vibrant Kirtan,” said Govinda Prema Dasa, Preaching Coordinator for East Africa. The festival ended with a sumptuous feast for all.
Celebrating over 50 years in Kenya, ISKCON has built meaningful relationships with many organizations in the vibrant cit
“The Krishna Capital Gate Centre was inaugurated with great enthusiasm and joy [on June 9, 2024 in Hainault, London]. This newly established centre marks a significant milestone in the efforts to support humanitarian aid and community service. The event was graced by the presence of the Mayor of Redbridge, Sheila Bain, who was the chief guest, Pushpita Gupta and Nav Johal the Councillors from Redbridge. We also had the presence of Dayal Mora Das, Temple President of ISKCON London, and Parasuram
On the north side of the St. John River in Fredericton is another stretch of the expansive TransCanada Trail. My heart always warms to see a sign indicating that I am on that very long trail of 28,000 kilometres from coast to coast. In this city it is rails-to-trails piece, relatively flat; the way I liked it.
Vyas, Nityananda and I met super-friendly folks, to the exception of one young man on a bike, headphones and all, on a road rage. As for as he was concerned, we didn't exist, although
From Back to Godhead
How the Gita teaches the eight steps of hatha yoga, the topic of Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras.
According to a survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, an estimated 13.4 million Americans practice yoga, and many more experiment with it every year. Yoga is everywhere—from Mumbai to Moscow to Monte Carlo. But while yoga is meant to bring one closer to God, many of today’s yogis have a different agenda, the most common being to keep their bodies in shape.
“They’re not
Just outside the city of Kazan in Tatarstan, a Muslim state in the Russian Federation, I was distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books near a market with a friend. We had planned to distribute for about three hours and then leave for lunch, but by the end of the third hour, I still hadn’t distributed a single book, so I started to pray.
Near us a few old ladies were selling knitted items and apples from their gardens. One of them—a small, elderly lady wrapped in a shawl—came over to me and started
It's morning time, 6am, and I'm noticing that all those young folks sitting cross-legged chanting on their meditation beads might just like my proposal to get out for a stretch and continue with their japa meditation.
"How many of you would you like to go for a japa walk?"
Spontaneously, I'see about a dozen of them spring off their mats and head for shoes. There we are, touching nature, breathing the best air, into a park's green and having a piece of each other. And that's what a brief, l
Date: June 9, 2024, Location: Hainault, London
By Yogesvara Gopinath das
The Krishna Capital Gate Centre was inaugurated with great enthusiasm and joy. This newly established centre marks a significant milestone in the efforts to support humanitarian aid and community service. The event was graced by the presence of the Mayor of Redbridge, Sheila Bain, who was the chief guest, Pushpita Gupta and Nav Johal the Councillors from Redbridge. We also had the presence of Dayal Mora Das, Temple Preside
By Atma Tattva Das
Akhandadhi Das (Martin Fleming) opened the workshop with a summary of Vaishnava Vedanta and Sankhya metaphysics which could address the problematic gaps in current thinking about the interaction of the conscious agent, the mind and the brain.
The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS) made a significant achievement by participating in the University of Arizona’s Conference on Consciousness in Science, April 22 – 27, 2024. The event brought together researchers, phi
Off to the east we go. Nityananda and I embarked on a flight to Fredericton and then a car ride, compliments of Vyas. It was a year ago that this man of good company took diksha or initiation and he is doing well as the co-ordinator for the local Krishna community. He drove us to the city of St. John and the Irving Nature Park for a 7 kilometre coastline trail walk.
As soon as we hit that lovely trail our nostrils were aroused with effervescent fragrances of soft wood trees and wild flowers. Wh
I wasn’t having a good day at all today. Breathing was difficult and I’d vomited blood in the morning and had a black out, and was generally unwell so when the phone rang I picked it up with a heavy heart, not really wanting to answer. It turned out to be one of my customers who I also send Harinama videos to every week.
I said, “Hello?” and I got a reply, “This is Ryan.”
I asked, “How are you doing?” and an eery silence followed. Eventually he said, “You remember I told you my wife was very i
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
The Krishna Center for Empathic Communication, an online platform under the guidance of Bir Krishna Das Goswami, is hosting an online workshop called “Seeking Harmony Within and Without” from June 16 to August 18, 2024, led by Madhuri Radhika Devi Dasi.
The workshop meets weekly for two hours, focusing on practicing Empathic Communication (EC) in small groups to promote harmony and cooperation through mutual encouragement and support.
Bir Krishna Das Goswami s
My final step before turning back to home, back to ashram, was on a park bench at the park, when a young man, James sat next to me.
"I'm just waiting for some buddies," he informed me. "Your day is full?" he asked.
"Yes, quite. I'm Bhaktimarga Swami. Swami for short."
"I'm James Ensley." We shook hands and it didn't end there. Like most people, meeting a monk is a first, let alone a walking monk.
I had a similar exchange just a few minutes before. I was sitting down to chant my gayatri ma
Both in living and in dying, this senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada's exemplified the essence of Krsna consciousness.
On June 5, 1986, Gauri-devi dasi passed from her body in the holy land of Vrndavana, India. For seventeen years she had been devotedly serving her spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Gauri was a sincere and dedicated preacher, giving herself fully to Srila Prabhupada's mission and working tirelessly to distribute his
On Thursday, the new Boeing Starliner made history by successfully docking with the International Space Station (ISS). One of the two astronauts aboard, Sunita Williams, brought some “essentials” along on the mission, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and some homemade samosas.
Navy Officer Williams was first selected for NASA’s astronaut program in 1998. This flight is her third space mission and the first time a woman has piloted a new orbital spacecraft. Williams, 59, the daugh
Over Memorial Day weekend 2024, more than 3,100 devotees gathered in Frisco, Texas, for the 11th annual US-based Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat, organized by Indradyumna Swami. The sold-out event was held at the Frisco Convention Center near Dallas, Texas and welcomed devotees from 46 states and 14 countries.
Attendees enjoyed 24 hours of joyful kirtans from Acyuta Gopi Dasi, Bada Haridas, Gaura Vani Dasa, Indradyumna Swami, Madhava Dasa, Mayuri Gandharvika Priya Dasi, Mukunda Datta Dasa, Vaisesika
The Bluffs, situated at the west coast of Lake Ontario, are a real gem to visit. The cliffs and accompanying what appears like huge ant hills are a sight to see, so for our Tuesday morning outing, our local Bhakti Academy students and I went for some hours to explore. The beach is clean, so is the water, the trails and trees are a paradise. The peninsulas formed (by man) are pleasant parks and to some degree protect the bluffs from erosion. The natural beauty and the human implementation are a
Bhakti-yoga involves practice, and therefore repetition, but done right, it never gets stale.
Like Lord Krishna Himself, the regulated practice of devotional service to Him never gets old when undertaken with seriousness and sincerity.
Srila Prabhupada had an extraordinary ability to say something repeatedly, something we’d heard him say many times before, but say it in such a way that we appreciated it afresh. We’d hear the statement as if we’d never heard it before, although in fact we’d hea
