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A short educational video titled “Life Comes from Life” released on YouTube presents the Vedic philosophical perspective that living beings originate from a higher source of life rather than from inert matter. Beginning with reflections on the vast and orderly cosmos, the video notes that, despite scientific advances—such as mapping the universe and studying cellular biology —fundamental questions about the origin and purpose of life remain unresolved. It argues that modern theories proposing th

By Dr. J. Chakrabarty, Florida State University

The concept of evolution of species, generally attributed to Charles Darwin, actually had its origin thousands of years ago in ancient India, and formed the basis of the illuminating philosophy of the Vedas. Since Darwin lived at a time when the profundity of the Indian wisdom already made an indelible impression on the minds of the western savants, it is hard to imagine how Darwin could possibly have escaped the compelling influence of the Indian

By Gandini devi dasi 

Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS), in cooperation with ISKCON’s North America Regional Governing Body (NA-RGB), will offer a new six-month online course titled Consciousness Studies: Ancient & Modern Perspectives, beginning January 10, 2026. Designed as a university-level program, the course equips devotees to present Bhāgavata philosophy within contemporary scientific and intellectual discourse through weekly live and recorded classes.

Śrīla Prabhupāda envi

By Radha Mohan Dasa 

ESSAYS brings together over three decades of unpublished research by the late Sadāpūta Dāsa (Dr. Richard L. Thompson)—a remarkable polymath whose intellect ranged across mathematics, physics, philosophy, cosmology, and the practice of bhakti-yoga. This collection offers a rare glimpse into the evolving mind of a thinker who sought to bridge the rational world of science with the metaphysical depth of the Vedic tradition.

These essays trace Thompson’s intellectual journey fro

By Gandini Devi Dasi 

The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS) invites you to the Summer Discovery Series, a free online event hosted via Zoom, unfolding over three weekends—July 12–13, July 19–20, and July 26–27. This global gathering brings together 18 distinguished speakers to share insights on some of the most pressing and profound questions of our time. Designed to explore the deeper dimensions of science, consciousness, and human values, the series features a diverse group of

The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.

Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin?

Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from?

Disciple: He doesn’t say.

Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect.

Disciple: Scientists say th

Statement Regarding Unfounded Poison Allegations

ISKCON Communications
Anuttama Dasa, Minister
April 25, 2025

Summary

The recently resurfaced poison allegations regarding the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada rely on the same inconclusive sources cited over the past two decades: much-debated audio recordings and an analysis of hair samples.

These claims have already been extensively reviewed, with no conclusive findings to support the theory. In addition, the statements of Srila Prabhupada’s i

The Institute for Science and Spirituality (ISS), a scientific research wing of ISKCON East of Kailash, Delhi, has taken a significant step toward bridging the gap between science and spirituality with the launch of its new podcast, QUEST Samvada. Founded in 2011 and inspired by Gopal Krishna Goswami, ISS has been dedicated to exploring the intersection of scientific inquiry and spiritual wisdom.

QUEST stands for “Questioning the Universe with Exploratory Science and Spiritual Thought.” The po

As any student of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa will attest, its descriptions of the universe are difficult to comprehend when compared to contemporary understandings. These differences have long challenged Vedic scholars, who have tried in various ways to find reconciliation.

The Bhāgavata Purāṇa‘s significant position as a foundational spiritual text in the Vedic tradition has made this imperative. Richard J. Cole’s Exploring Purāṇic Visions of the Universe briefly examines many of these scholarly ex

Sadhana Siddha Das presents a copy of his book, Evolution of Consciousness, to the Vice Chancellor of the यूनिवर्सिटी University.

Sadhana Siddha Das’s journey in Krishna Consciousness is a story of dedication and growth that spans continents, temples, and personal study. His early years in Bangladesh, his work as a preacher, and as a Sanskrit student all led to his first book, Evolution of Consciousness, which he created to help clear up common misconceptions about the nature of consciousness.

D

The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and some of his disciples took place in July 1975 on an early-morning walk in Chicago.

Srila Prabhupada: Where does Darwin begin?

Disciple: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fishlike animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where did the ocean come from?

Disciple: He doesn’t say.

Srila Prabhupada: Then his theory is not perfect.

Disciple: Scientists say the

Cremo receiving award at the LA event.

Michael A. Cremo (aka Drutakarma Das) received the Pioneer Award on Friday, February 7, at the 2025 Conscious Life Expo Awards Ceremony from Jimmy Church, a Los Angeles media personality. The event, held at the Los Angeles (LAX) Hilton, featured cutting-edge speakers and authors, including a lecture on Sunday, February 9 by Cremo entitled “Forbidden Archeology and the Consciousness Paradox.” The award honored Cremo for “breaking boundaries in archeology and

From Back to Godhead

For a long time scientists have been asking, 
What’s going on? And some of them 
have tried to find out, 
What’s behind it all?

Sir Isaac Newton once made a remarkable model of the solar system. Thanks to a clever hand-cranking mechanism, all of the tiny spinning globes orbited a small “sun.”

On entering Newton’s study, one of his colleagues, a materialist, couldn’t help noticing the model. He was flabbergasted.

“Dr. Newton,” the man stared, “who made this wonderful cont

Over the last few years, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) has been gathering helpful videos on the Cosmology of the Srimad Bhagavatam. These insightful presentations, offered by several well-known ISKCON devotees, authors, and scholars, provide diverse perspectives on the rich subject matter.

The TOVP offers a helpful introduction to the content, emphasizing the need for an open mind. “The subject is extremely complex and sometimes confusing because we are dealing with a subject that

By Leif Asmark Jensen

(Lalitanatha dasa)

Presented at The Consciousness in Science Conference, Gainesville, Florida, January 20, 2019

Consciousness is our most immediate experience. Yet, when it comes to studying consciousness beyond one’s own conscious experience, we can only study circumstantial evidence. One such category is studies of the symptoms of a conscious action on events or physical objects. This is known as the argument from design.

An argument from design refers to the inference t

By Jonathan B. Edelmann

This phenomenal world or material world in which we are placed is complete in itself because the twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, according to Sankhya philosophy, are completely adjusted to produce complete resources which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. There is nothing extraneous, nor is there anything needed. (A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

An understanding of God’s relationsh

In a recent study of 22 sets of twins published in the Journals of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network), researchers found that “a healthy plant-based diet offers a significant protective cardiometabolic advantage compared with a healthy omnivorous diet.”

The results confirm earlier findings from researchers in Norway, which showed a plant-based diet can add up to 10 years to one’s life. You can read the full study here.

ISKCON devotees advocate a lacto-vegetarian diet, strictly avoi

For a long time scientists have been asking, 
What’s going on? And some of them 
have tried to find out, 
What’s behind it all?

Sir Isaac Newton once made a remarkable model of the solar system. Thanks to a clever hand-cranking mechanism, all of the tiny spinning globes orbited a small “sun.”

On entering Newton’s study, one of his colleagues, a materialist, couldn’t help noticing the model. He was flabbergasted.

“Dr. Newton,” the man stared, “who made this wonderful contraption? The planets mov

For decades, the usual academic hero was depicted as the detached, unbiased, value-free, objective observer revealing the secrets of nature to us. This view is now largely regarded as a pious myth. We can’t get away from it even if we tried: knowledge is state-specific. Our state of consciousness determines what we can know. Devamrita Swami elaborates on the yoga of subjectivity in a lecture given at New York University:

I’d first like to present to you the possibility that in your studies you’