Compiled by Mother Gandhari dasi Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Bhakti Yoga Instructor
Diwali comes from the word Dipavali which has two words dipa means light and avali means carrier. Therefore Dipa or Diya (1) signifies ‘coming to light’. In the Vedic Literature it is mentioned: “Tamasa Ma, Jyotir Gamaya” means ‘Do not remain in Darkness, Come to Light’, meaning ‘come to spiritual awareness or awakening’.
In the Bhagavat Gita Chapter four verse seven and eight Lord Krsna says: ‘yada yada hi dharmasy
From Back to Godhead
Variety is said to be the spice of life. Imagine a life where you eat the same vegetables daily, wear the same clothes, meet the same people, and visit the same places. So boring, right? This world is full of varieties seasonal changes in the form of summer, winter, autumn, spring; periodic appearance and disappearance of the sun and the moon; cultural differences among people of different nations; the language, the dress, and the eating habits in different parts of the wor
It was the summer of 1969. A brahmacari came up to me and said, “I’m going to Japan to open a temple and I need a wife. Do you want to get married?” I was in shock, as I had never even talked to him before, and I said, “Ask Srila Prabhupada.”
Being a new devotee and excited about Krishna consciousness, the last thing on my mind was getting married, but I wanted to surrender and do whatever Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna wanted me to do. Looking back now, I don’t think I would have done it
From Back to Godhead
Why hearing is the first and most important of the nine kinds of devotional service to the Lord.
When I first read that hearing is the most important of the nine kinds of devotional service, I was confused. I was twenty-one at the time and had been hearing all day every day for my whole life. What was so special about hearing? Then I read that the “hearing” prescribed wasn’t meant for mundane topics but for the activities and qualities of Krishna and His devotees. This hea
Lord Caitanya then inquired: What is the most profitable thing in the world, the essence of all auspicious events? Ramananda Raya replied that there is nothing as profitable as the association of pure devotees.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Page 341)
When did I meet Srila Prabhupada? The year Srila Prabhupada arrived in Butler, Pa. (Sept. 1965). Is it possible I was visiting my Grandparents in Butler? Did I happen to catch a glimpse of Srila Prabhupada? Or the following summer, at the age of 13
From Back to Godhead
After years searching and struggling, she finally found the right place to develop the natural connection she felt with God.
It was the third day in the hospital. The IV was still in my right arm. As I gazed through the window, a few leaves, colored yellow and red by the season, fell from a nearby tree. It was a beautiful fall day in Montreal, I was twenty, and I was trapped in here. How did it come to this?
I was raised in a middle-class, French Canadian, Catholic family
It’s still early morning, the sun is starting to rise over the horizon, and it’s reddish—it reminds me of Srimati Radharani’s tilak upon Her beautiful broad forehead. And the glowing of the sun, the rays that it casts everywhere, paint the village nearby and the field in front of me a golden color.
There are flowers everywhere, and those flowers are growing in tall grass, knee-high grass, which sways to one side and then another. It’s like the way the Brijbasi’s sway under the winds of their pr
Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin in February 2024. Following the ISKCON GBC Society’s Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by two GBC members, to be submitted by December 15, 2023. Note that no proposals will be entertained after this date.
Please follow the format for GBC Proposals linked as a fillable PDF here:
October 12, 2023
Dear Devotees of ISKCON,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Many devotees have contacted the Communications Ministry in the last day or two with concerns regarding the Peacock Studio’s film that will be released on October 24, 2023. It is named “Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder.”
The film is a 3-hour, 3-part production that Peacock has been working on for well over a year. We were told that all three parts will be released at once, via a streamin
The largest Hindu temple in the U.S. recently held a multi-day inauguration celebration in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Leaders from Hindu organizations worldwide participated in the festivities held on the 183-acre BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham property, named for its founding Hindu spiritual organization.
Madana-gopala Dasa, Co-Director of ISKCON Communications North America, was among the leaders of Hindu organizations welcomed by BAPS leaders.
“Speakers at the event included Swami Mukundananda
New ISKCON Temple Opens in Bengaluru, to serve as a Spiritual & Cultural Centre
ISKCON has brought great joy to the devotees of Sri Krishna by executing the inauguration ceremony of Sri Sri Radha Vinoda Temple & Cultural Centre (ICC) which also houses the shrines of Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev & Srimati Subhadra Mai, Sri Sri Gaura Sundara Nityananda Natavara at Kumaraswamy Layout, Bangalore. A separate altar has been dedicated for Srila Prabhupada, where his murti is installed.
Sri Sri Radha V
By Kaliarupa Jagannath Dasa
Dignitaries on the Dais- Left to right (audience perspective): HG Varada Krishna Das ( Temple President – ISKCON HBR Layout), HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami (Zonal Supervisor & ISKCON Coimbatore Temple President), Honourable Member of Parliament Sri Tejasvi Surya, Honourable Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, HG Narahari Chaitanya Das (Temple President – ISKCON South Bengaluru), HH Jayapataka Swami (GBC), HH Bhanu Swami (GBC), HH Bhakti Prachar Parivrajak Swami (Chairman – ISKCO
From Back to Godhead
In many places in his books Srila Prabhupada describes the wonders of prasadam, food prepared with devotion and offered to Krishna. Prabhupada discusses such merits of prasadam as how it effectively immunizes one against the contamination of the material nature, how it frees one from becoming a ghost after death, and even how it is considered ecstatic nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna. In the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila, 4.93, purport) Srila Prabhupada writes:
Th
By Bhakti-Rasa devi dasi
History was made on October 1, 2023, as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) proudly welcomed its first centre in the North West province of South Africa.
The event was a testament to the dedication of the Klerksdorp Hindu Samaj, established in 1963, to ensure that the years of hard work in developing its temple and community will continue to flourish under ISKCON’s care. The temple was built in 1983.
To mark this auspicious occasion, the Klerksd
ISKCON’s Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture held its first European Farm Conference with face-to-face attendees following a three-year gap due to COVID-19. The September 29th-October 1st event brought leaders from across Europe together to share the latest ideas and solutions for sustainable farming practices.
This year, the event was held at the Lark Hill Farm near Leipzig, Germany, the vision of Robert Kuene, who works the 300-hectare organic, arable farm dedicated to regenerative fa
In a momentous event that will be etched in the records of spiritual history, the grand opening of the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in South Bangalore was celebrated with great devotion. The inauguration of this sacred abode took place on October 1, 2023, and was graced by the honorable Governor of Karnataka, Shri Dr. Thawarchand Gehlotji, and Shri Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament from the Bengaluru South constituency.
HG Narahari Chaitanya Das, the esteemed Temple President of ISKCO
Markine Bhagavata-dharma – Boro Kripa Koile Krishna – by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Most of us glorify Srila Prabhupad daily by reciting ‘namaste Saraswate deve Gaura vani pracarine, nirvisesa suyawadi paschatya desh tarine’….paschatya desh tarine means deliverer of Western Countries.
Forty Six years ago, on Sep 17th 1965, Srila Prabhupad arrived in USA to preach the timeless message of Krsna Consciousness to Western World. He wanted to start with USA. He stepp
The popular film “HARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All” continues to reach a growing audience worldwide through multiple online platforms. The ground-breaking documentary was released in 2017 and garnered best picture at the Illuminate Film Festival.
One of the most well-known platforms, www.Tubi.com, has now made the film free (with occasional ads). It is available for viewing on Tubi in the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Sa
By Divya Prabhanda Das
This September, ISKCON Croatia celebrated its 40th anniversary with the Zagreb Ratha Yatra and the Maha-Abhisheka of Srila Prabhupada as the closing ceremonies. In 1983, ISKCON was registered in Zagreb not only for Croatia but for the whole of former Yugoslavia. Besides the devotees from all parts of Croatia, devotees from the Slovenian, Bosnian and Serbian yatras also joined the celebration.
The celebration started with the 9th Zagreb Ratha Yatra, attracting the attentio
During the September 6th Krishna Janmashtami festivities at ISKCON NYC, Jenifer Rajkumar, a member of the New York Assembly, 38th District, presented an official proclamation that honored the NYC’s Harinam Sankirtan devotees for their many years of service to the community. Their mission, according to their website, is “the propagation of harinam-sankirtan (the congregational chanting of the holy names of God) in the streets and subways of New York City daily for as many hours as possible.” Thi
