This tall, lean fellow didn’t look like he had it all together. He saw me walking and started cursing. As he crossed the street, there was no shortage of colourful words directed to me.
“Why don’t yah go back where you came from?”
I wasn’t going to be silent. “I’m from here – born, raised, and bred in this country.” He carried on in a cross way with mouth and legs. A cigarette can was in his way, so he gave it a kick landing the can on the street after it had a good roll. A trash
A life that allows us to reunite with mother earth and offer her products to Krishna favors our spiritual growth.
Srila Prabhupada writes, “Whatever is taken from the earth—either from the mines, from the surface of the globe, or from the atmosphere—should always be considered the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should be used for Yajna, Lord Vishnu. As soon as the process of yajna [sacrifice] is stopped, the earth will withhold all productions—vegetables, trees, plants, fruit
In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krishna refers to maya, the deluding material energy, as mama maya: “My maya.” We Vaishnavas accept His word on this, with profound philosophical implications.
The chief philosophical opponents of Vaishnavas are the Mayavadis, or impersonalists, who posit ultimate reality as one homogeneous impersonal energy, with no second thing: All the unique entities we perceive, whether things or living beings, are merely mirages. Variety and individual identity are illusion
If, in our marriage, we focus on what we need and negate the needs of our partner, the relationship can’t last. If we give up who we are to please our partner, we may suffocate and become frustrated, resentful and depressed. One who is self-controlled doesn’t need to lord it over another, and neither does that person need to be overpowered by another. Marriage is a balance between satisfying our self and satisfying our partner. It means maintaining an awareness of the other person and their desi
They are just 2 or 3 weeks old – twins of parents, Parama Gauranga and Rukmini, and for these two boys it was their first visit to a temple. They behaved like a couple of rsis (sages), as quiet as could be. Basically, they slept through the whole ceremony, a name-giving ceremony. The oldest one has the name Nimai, and the fellow that was born following his brother received the name Nitai Rama. The crackling of the small firepit did not phase them in the least.
Well, that was a program
5 April, 1974
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Great experience it always is taking that special 6:30 AM trek through the Ramsden green. Neighbours who do the same as we do (minus the meditation beads) are seeing us as regulars. We came to the children’s playground section of the park. I led them there. Anyone who knows me knows there is a time in the day where I want to be like a kid. At the playground is a small cabin resembling a wood cabin like the type a hermit might take shelter of. It was good connecting with it.
As the
The public sometimes questions the words and behaviour of founders of various faith groups, whether it be Saint Peter, Mohammed, Moses, John Smith, or Brahma. Would such behaviour fit into a standard etiquette of current protocol? We mean no disrespect by raising the issue, but people do ask how Henry the 8th could do what he did.
On the first day of Chandan Yatra in Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava with Their Asta-sakhis are offered the Rasamandala Vesa, depicting the divine Rasa Lila pastime of Lord Krishna.
Thus hearing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, speaking to pacify them, the gopīs became very much pleased. They became completely relieved of the great suffering of separation, not only by hearing the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but also by touching His hands and legs. After this, the Supre
Monsoon season is upon us, or so it seems. Rain has been coming down with not much of a break. It certainly makes for cooler weather, easier to work with, especially relevant to the current practice I'm having with our drama crew. Nevertheless, for some of the roles played out, a good sweat is the outcome. It is a good workout.
Before we start rehearsal, we do some warmup exercises, but to take it easy this morning, I asked my sound man, Chaitanya, to play Holtz’s composition “Neptune: The Mysti
ISKCON’s Govinda’s vegetarian restaurants form a unique blend of outreach and entrepreneurship, nourishing bodies and souls alike. Established at temple sites worldwide, these cafés serve sattvic (pure vegetarian) prasadam at fixed prices, with devotees and visitors encouraged to “eat to their heart’s content.” The profits from Govinda’s underwrite temple operations – from cow protection to educational programs – ensuring that Krishna conscious communities can flourish sustainably. Over the deca
On a warm December morning last year, around 11:00 a.m., as I sought the association of the magnificent Lord and prayed to His dear most devotee Prahlada, I found myself involved in one of His temple lilas (pastimes), much to my astonishment
After offering my obeisances to the captivating Prahlada, who stands next to his beloved Lord with his hands folded and his small body decorated with fresh fresh flowers and beautiful ornaments, I prayed, "My dear Prahlada, you are expert in receiving all
Yesterday, we celebrated the appearance day of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and it truly felt like a day full of mercy.
From the very start, we were blessed to witness the abhishek of Their Lordships, surrounded by beautiful kīrtan and joyful faces everywhere. It was a moment of deep bliss.
Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is none other than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself in Gaura-līlā. Just as Rādhārāṇī is always by Kṛṣṇa’s side, in Gauralīlā, She manifests as Gadādhara Paṇḍita to quietly support Mahāprabhu throug
I was happy to see my dear friend, Kalakantha from Florida, come to visit us for a few days. He came direct from Delhi on a flight. Yes, he is jet lagged, but it was hard to tell by the expert delivery of his Bhagavatam class. Before going for his catch-up sleep, we chatted on the nature of how to advance the Krishna cause. Thinking out-of-the-box is our tendency when we get together. To be more specific, the theme of guru comes up, and in our attempts to answer the questions like, “What doe
Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of Alachua, Florida, the New Raman Reti community stands as a vibrant testament to the enduring legacy of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Established in 1977, this 127-acre spiritual haven has evolved into North America’s largest Hare Krishna community, blending ancient Vedic traditions with innovative sustainability practices. Through daily worship, educational programs, eco-conscious initiatives, and a deeply interconnected res
Glories of Varuthini Ekadashi
As narrated by Lord Krishna in the Padma Purana to Maharaja Yudhishthira
Maharaja Yudhishthira once humbly inquired from Lord Krishna:
"O Janardana, please describe to me the merits of the Ekadashi that falls in the dark fortnight of the month of Vaishakha (April–May). What is its name, and what benefits does one receive by observing it?"
Lord Sri Krishna replied:
O King! Varuthini Ekadashi is extremely auspicious, rare, and purifying. Fasting on this day destroys
It happens on occasion that someone enters the temple with good intent, but they are either not so stable, are on drugs, or both. This morning, we were blessed by the presence of someone like that.
A fellow came to the door, introduced himself and asked if he could sit down. His dress was casual, and to my dull recollection, he might have worn a poncho. He plopped himself down on the floor and pulled out of his long bag a number of stones – amethyst and crystals, and began praying or med
An important part of the Itihasas are the Puranas. The Puranas are the histories of the universe and contain many stories that took place on earth or even on other planets and dimensions, or in which superhuman powers are commonplace. As we pointed out earlier, Vedic knowledge often consists of information about things from beyond our own sense perception or experience. We can be assured of its authenticity because of the fact that many Vedic scholars such as Shukadeva, Maitreya, Madhva, Raman
