Guru Prasad Swami was trying to correct the devotee who throws the sacred water on the pilgrims. The Maharaja caught my eye and indicated that he should not throw from the front of people, but instead from behind, especially for those who wear glasses. We were in the middle of the arati ceremony when Guru Prasad mimed out to me windshield wipers swaying back and forth. He laughed. I laughed.
This small gesture started my day. Perhaps the jesting might strike an interest in a devotional
(From an old letter)
INDIAN/AMERICAN/HARE KRISHNA
I am a devotee of Krishna and have been one for the past seven years. I am also of Indian origin, and my story is a typical one.
I have been living in North America since I was nine years old. My parents came here to complete their higher education, and upon completion of their doctorates, they decided to settle down in this, their adopted country. As the family grew, came careers, households, mortgages, etc. Along with this material, success cam
The japa walk in the morning is the time to absorb all that is good – air, mist, sun, plants, trees, incense from puja sources. Me and my japa walking partners also take in a whiff of sewage once we get down to the residential area. There is this huge banyan that we come upon and we love it.
One woman from Siberia joins us. She quite likes our company, although she knows not a stitch of English. She is up for our mild brand of tapasya (austerity). We hit surfaces of bricks, soft sand,
“My father and the coach at UCLA were pleased with my volleyball successes, and my mother was satisfied with my academic work. But I wondered if Krishna was pleased.”
I was born in Los Angeles in 1949. My parents were avid volleyball players. My father had been one of America’s best, and my mother had been a third-team All-American. I started playing volleyball when I was four. I passed through school easily. Sports dominated my free hours, and generally my childhood was a happy one. With adoles
My devotee friend from the Netherlands acquired the most attractive brass deities of Chaitanya and Nityananda and asked if I would name them. They will play a major role at the Sunday School program recently started in Amsterdam. For good reasons I named them ‘Gaura Nitai Bhumi’.
We set them on a stool just prior to our drama practice when we do a series of voice and body exercises to warm up for our two productions for this year. I do have my personal shot at these exercises. There is
The Bhakti Yoga Conference, titled “Grace in an Age of Distraction,” is an online event running from March 1 to April 11, 2025, in collaboration with Harvard Divinity School. This series features over 35 esteemed scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders who will delve into the transformative practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of love and devotion. Participants will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Bhakti Yoga, cultivate a personal relationship with the Divine, and learn
Some good news came from a disciple/student regarding our beloved Srila Prabhupada.
“Today, at Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad awarded the prestigious title ‘Vishwa Guru’ to His Divine Grace Abhaya Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
“This historical moment certifies the incomparable contribution of Srila Prabhupada in the Renaissance of Sanatan Dharma and Bhakti mov
Our drama thespian group is working very hard to assemble, once again, The Age of Kali, with gorgeous costumes. Compliments to Girisha from South Africa who put the attire together so that the actors could feel the part with some enhancement. We have made incredible headway in one way, only because the actors truly believe in the piece and the message it brings.
When I see the rehearsals, I am taken by the fact that the main character, Kali, who is notoriously nasty, parallels many of the cur
An irresistible offer from the Supreme Lord
What is the current situation of the world? Miseries and suffering everyday. Terrorist attacks, global warming, deadly diseases, earthquakes, floods. The list goes on.
But there is hope.
God has decided to give an offer to uplift ourselves from this miserable condition of life. How? By giving personal loans of His special mercy. God is our father, our best friend, and our ever well-wisher. He is supreme, so He can give unlimitedly—so much that you can’
A conversation with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
In June 1976 at New Vrindaban, a Hare Krishna farm community in West Virginia, Srila Prabhupada fields questions sent to him from the editors of Bhavan’s Journal, one of Bombay’s leading cultural and religious periodicals.
Devotee: Here is the first question:
“It is said that the greatest strength of Hinduism is its catholicity, or breadth of outlook, but that this is also its greatest weakness in that there are very few re
I am in the sacred land of Mayapura. I started fresh for a day, and it is special. On our calendar for Hare Krishnas the world over, it is a day to honour one of our great luminaries. His name is Nityananda, responsible for, in a large way with his wife, Jahnavi Devi, spreading a consciousness of Krishna in the area of Bengal.
I took to a solo japa meditation walk towards the Tarampura Road where formerly you could see the two elephants. Unfortunately, they no longer reside there. Re
Saturday is the day when devotees choose a town, congregate at the centrum, city centre, or city square to share that blessed blast of the Name with the public. On the way, I saw forests that I wasn’t sure existed in this below-the-sea level country. Most of the Netherlands was swamp and sea before man grabbed a hold of it. One thing I notice in the rural areas is the countless number of birds, herons, ducks, geese, swans, doves, pigeons, magpies, and more.
Not too many cows that I’ve seen ex
For some time now, I was wondering if I would ever be able to find someone who might be able to pull of an acting portrayal of Sri Chaitanya, the monk avatar who ignited the culture of kirtan in India, and who, in his latter part of life, demonstrated his ecstasies of bhava. The performance by Naman (now initiated as Namacharya) was something he nailed quite well at a venue near Amsterdam where the devotees meet weekly. The drama, which was not named at introduction time, was a special treat f
God is one. Moreover, according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that one God is Krishna, the cowherd boy of Vrindavan, who chooses to expand Himself unlimitedly still remain the same one Supreme Person, just to increase His own pleasure. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28) designates this original Godhead as svayam bhagavān: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary energies. The first is antarańga–śakti, or the internal potency. The second is known as taṭastha–śakti, the m
Today in Sri Mayapur, the air is filled with devotion as Srila Prabhupada Connect Day began with the heartfelt association of his dear disciples, senior devotees, and sannyasis. The Festival Registration Booth is now open, welcoming all who wish to immerse themselves in the upcoming Gaura Purnima celebrations. A special joy filled our hearts as we witnessed the grand opening of the Srila Prabhupada Museum, a sacred space preserving his legacy for generations to come. With every passing day, Maya
I know Partha Sarati from the youth bus tour days when he came to join us in the summer of 2008. An American who now lives in the Netherlands, he is retired from the forces in Iran. They were tough years.
He heard I was in Holland and came to join me on a walk by the canals and windmills. He’s a fun guy, but reminds you of the struggle and the ugliness of war. We lunched at Ritam’s apartment, and then he went about his way back to be with his daughter.
In the evening, I was driven to
At Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, I was greeted by some smiling devotees, and it was Ritam who graced me with a garland of fresh flowers (it’s Holland, you know), accompanied by Namen, wife Violeta, their two kids, and other enthusiasts of the Vaishnava genre. From there was destination Alpen aan Den Rijn, a town by a canal, by a windmill, and amidst flat, black fields of green. The greeting meal was kichari and palak panir, Indian dishes. From that I was fuelled enough to go over the canal by w
For anyone interested in spiritual progress,
gambling is more than just a harmless amusement.
High’s convenience store is bustling with last-minute shoppers picking up odds and ends for a holiday dinner. Having run out of milk, I find myself in the crowded store, standing in a line that wraps around the food aisle. I resign myself to the waiting, and chant the Hare Krsna mantra softly to myself.
An elderly shabbily dressed woman at the counter draws my attention. She’s frantically scratching awa
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Transformative Contributions to Lord Chaitanya’s Movement.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (1874–1937) stands as a monumental figure in the revitalization of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the devotional tradition inaugurated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 16th-century Bengal. His life’s work redefined the propagation of Krishna consciousness through strategic reforms, technological innovation, and unyielding opposition to religious corruption. This report
Academic knowledge provides information of the world, but spiritual knowledge awards us eternal liberation
One of my friends in college was known for his immense general knowledge. He knew the names of all recent Hollywood and Bollywood movies, the actors, directors, and producers of each movie, and the winners of Oscar and Filmfare awards from every year. In sports, he knew the winners of each Grand Slam tennis tournament from every year as well as similar information about football and cricket
