We are entering the New Year, and on such occasions we take stock of what and how we did in the previous year and what we want to do in the next. Studies have shown, and probably many of us have experienced, that most New Year’s resolutions are broken during the first week. Still more are broken in the first month, and almost all are broken within the first three months.

Why does this happen, and what can we do? We are creatures of habit. We have developed certain habits over however many years—

Pocket Meditations.
As we settle into the rhythm of the New Year here are some pocket meditations to carry with us every day. These small reminders can bring quality to our lives and thus help us feel more alive. As the Joseph Campbell quote goes – “I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
For those practicing bhakti, that means being alive to our relationship with Krishna and others. It’s all about relationship. N

1) ( omitted )
2) To see myself as a survivor rather than a victim.
3) To see how I truly am the architect of my own destiny and how my feeling, thinking and willing determine how my life takes shape.
4) I resolve to reaffirm my dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON with a view to take very seriously his statement that ISKCON is his body and become determined to heal that body or die trying.
5) I resolve to set my sights on the highest possible goal. Srila Prabhupada said he would know his mov

By Sesa Das

OK, I admit it. I’m a junkie, a New Year’s resolutions junkie. Every year I make so many resolutions, and every year I fail to keep them. I know I am not alone in this. Is there a support group out there?!

This pesky little urge to make a commitment to a project or to reforming a habit to mark the beginning of each New Year is not new and seems to be quite universal. Brooke Williams’ article, The History Behind New Year’s Resolutions, published in The Colonnade, The Official Student

“For us, every day is a New Year. Nava-nava-rasa-dhamany. Our Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more you advance, the more you see new year, new year. That’s all. Nothing is old. People are seeing that ‘They are simply chanting the same old slogan, Hare Krishna.’ But we are feeling new pleasure in every moment. Take any other chanting, you cannot chant more than a few hours. But the Hare Krishna mantra we can chant perpetually. So, unless there is new enlightenment, how we can do that?”

In t

How to Change this Year? You Need to Freak Out!

Our cultural conditioning tells us we should make resolutions for the new year. Of course, the perennial problem is that most of us haven’t followed through on our previous year’s resolutions. And it can even get depressing to think about how many times this has happened. So maybe it is better we don’t make any resolutions this year. This way we’ll have nothing to lament about in early February when we haven’t followed through.

Well, actually I th

By Giriraj Swami

“For us, every day is a New Year. Nava-nava-rasa-dhamany. Our Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more you advance, the more you see new year, new year. That’s all. Nothing is old. People are seeing that ‘They are simply chanting the same old slogan, Hare Krishna.’ But we are feeling new pleasure in every moment. Take any other chanting, you cannot chant more than a few hours. But the Hare Krishna mantra we can chant perpetually. So, unless there is new enlightenment, how we c

Since the new year is around the corner, it’s natural to talk about new year’s resolutions. You might be thinking about doing something you’ve put off or making some changes for the new year. You might even be making the same resolutions you made last year at this time. Or maybe you just don’t make them anymore because you never follow through on them anyway.

“There’s hope”

Do You Just Want It or Are You Committed to Get It?

Srila Prabhupada cites Dhruva Maharaja as a perfect example of determi

A Talk by Radhanath Swami January 2, 2010 Bhaktivedanta Manor England

When we asked His Holiness Giriraj Swami what tonight’s topic would be, he said, “I will lead kirtana and see what emerges from my heart.” I will try to speak a few words on some of the primary themes of His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja’s beautiful dissertation.

Maharaja was stressing how much suffering comes to us in this world when we individually and collectively forget the purpose of life. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thak

Two thousand twenty-four
A year that we scored
On God’s back side, if any
Problems were plenty
Leaders let us down
How did they get crowned?
We are all to blame
Incompetent with our aim
But enough of that already
Let self-discipline be steady
Rise early in the morning
Giving its much-deserved glory
Lend ears to an uplifting sound
And to promises we are bound
Commitments we make
With strength we won’t break
Let’s look at our health
Stretch life to a good length
With rest, food, and exercise
For t

A sign went up at the entrance of Govinda’s. “Closed for January 2”, it read. That’s today. I conjectured that the staff for Govinda’s Dining were bushed, exhausted from the two prior days. The crowds were overwhelming.

A nice problem.

The donation income from the eating facility is doing well and is now the temple’s major source of income. It was our guru’s desire that the distribution of sacred food be implemented. People would benefit. 

My eyes caught a glimpse of the sign just prior to my P

Happy, happy New Year,
I wish you, O my dear,
Have a blissful life,
Free from lust and fear. |1|

The enemies within,
Which, cannot be seen,
Are lust and anger,
Those force us to commit sin. |2|

If we remain sinful,
How can we be peaceful?
O my dear, I have to tell you,
Awake, arise and be careful. |3|

Life is very precious,
We have to be serious,
To make the best use of it,
And prevent the greatest loss. |4|

The greatest loss,
Is failure to cross,
The cycle of birth, old age,
Disease and death.

Stop—where are you running?
Everything you seek lies inside:

Soul, God, happiness, and joy.
You might miss it all
If you keep searching outside.

(Found on the walls of a medieval monastery)

Please consider that the most essential things in life are invisible. Breath, life force, love, soul, and God; all can’t be seen with our present eyes nor touched with our hands. Nevertheless, they are what matters most. Without them, all the things we surround ourselves with are like a big meal without sal

या नया साल पिछले साल जैसे ही दोहराएगा?

The New Year is traditionally the time for resolutions. The turn of the calendar brings both the opportunity to reflect on the last 12 months and the chance to begin planning for the next dozen. As you think about yours, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) brings to you live interview with Sri Radha Govinda Dasi to help you keep up with the resolutions, better decision making, leading through crisis and grow tall in Krishna Consciousness.

About Sri Radha Govinda Dasi

Sri Radha Govinda Dasi was bo

From New Raman Reti’s Temple President, HG Mukhya Devi Dasi (Alachua)

No one could have imagined the many changes to our lives that the COVID virus pandemic brought in 2020. But there was always the feeling that 2021 would have us back to ‘normal’, the way it always had been.
Instead, we are seeing a new normal, new ways of coming together, more online seminars, classes and kirtans. Online reading groups and study groups, getting to know devotees around the world through their talks, reflections

ISKCON Mayapur presents New Year Shubharambha – Auspicious Beginning…

In order to invoke auspiciousness to begin the year 2022 ISKCON Sri Dham Mayapur invites world wide devotees to take part in our special New Year’s Shubharambha program, which includes:

•    Special Narasimha Puja
•    Feeding the cows
•    Go Puja
•    Ganga Puja
•    Kirtan

You can all participate in this auspicious beginning by donating only Rs.3000 by which you and your family will receive the immense good fortune of welco

A new day was just about to come,

And a new year lapsed when the cold made us numb.

We rough and ready were all bundled up,

We held back conserved energy like a young pup.

In anticipation, which was so very high,

Our drum mallet beats began entering the sky,

At location—Old City Hall—with its new face,

Still on Queen’s Street at its usual place.

Everyone was appareled in holiday cheer,

For an annual rite set for the New Year.

Hope was triggered for a better tomorrow,

Putting behind any of yester

I would like to express a happy new year to all the readers and also say that we should not be so torn by the social circumstances of these days. This is the play of the mundane world. There is always some agitation.

At noon I had lunch with one of our ashram residents, Uttamananda. He brought up a topic that is indeed upsetting. As he is driving through the day he sees how the big chain box stores are permitted to be open for business. However, “The small persons doors are required to be shut d

Auspiciousness is the most sought-after element of human society today given the fact that we are compelled to carry a large baggage of the pandemic. Though the beginning of the end is in sight now . What better way to repose our faith into Spirituality than dedicating our time, energy and emotions in chanting the names of The Lord, while saying good bye to the year which we all would perhaps like to erase from the book of our life.

Scriptures say problem may be material but solution is always s