We all have heard Srila Prabhupada warn us that television and media strengthen our materialistic mentality and divert us from service to Krishna—our consciousness being formed largely by our association. However, it is often difficult to keep our children away from the influences that are so pervasive in our culture.
Aggression and Television Viewing: The problems associated with children watching TV go beyond moral and spiritual concerns. There is mounting evidence of the many negative psycho
My dear devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In a letter to me dated December 1971, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Go on increasing books and go on increasing my pleasure.” December is a special opportunity to focus on Srila Prabhupada’s desire that we distribute books—and thus increase his pleasure. As he wrote in the same letter, “I am most pleased especially to hear that you are distributing many books.”
tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slo
Initaitive
Under the guidance of H.G.Kamalalochan Prabhuji (ISKCON Miraroad temple President ) devotees from Miraroad temple particularly teachers running the Narsimha Institute of Children’s Education (Sunday school) took this initiative of making students of schools and colleges light the lamp. Approaching Schools Teachers of NICE institute (Narasimha’s institute for children education) approached schools in Mira Road, Borivali, Kandivali, Dahisar,Bhayender,Surat, Ahmedabad ,Rajasthan. With m
“Often the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees, but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us.”
— Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Nair, a devoted nurse, had just completed a demanding night shift and was en route to her home. Despite being a single mother of three, juggling a
full-time job, and even working overtime today for extra income, her passion for her profession radiated through her.
Her beaming smile conveyed not only her love for serving the sick
This year’s Festival of the Holy Name, held over Thanksgiving weekend (November 24-25, 2023) in Alachua, Florida, was another spiritual success, welcoming hundreds of devotees to the two-day kirtan event.
The annual gathering is “fully organized and subsidized by second-generation devotees; the festival attracts every member of our local temple community as well as friends and congregation members from all over Florida and beyond,” said Mukhya Devi Dasi, Temple President at ISKCON’s New Raman R
I love the lines of Shakespeare that made me think a little bit more about Diwali, the light festival of optimism. Here it is from William Shakespeare, “How far that little candle throws its beams. So shines a good deed in a weary world.”
I had to ponder on what kind deed did I execute today? Well, here goes. I had to dredge memory, but could only come up with something miniscule compared to the heroic deeds of others. It was on my night walk when the sidewalk got tight and with a municipal tre
“The throne is yours, Bharatha. All yours.” The words dripped from Kaikeyi’s lips like sweet poison, enchanting yet deadly. She held the world in her hands and was handing it to him, gift-wrapped. Only a fool would walk away. Did it matter that her delicate fingers were steeped in blood and tears? His father’s blood and the tears of all of Ayodhya?
Power, such a seductive thing. It begins when we are infants and learn that a shrill cry can get you immediate attention. First we cry because we ne
There are bumper stickers that say, “I’d rather be hang-gliding”. For devotees of Krishna it could read, “I’d rather be distributing books”. Book distribution is that beautiful experience that melts the heart and is not
easily forgotten.
However, sometimes we neglect to distribute books, so Krishna sends certain reminders. Here are several reminders I have experienced:
Once I was standing outside the LA temple when a couple approached me. “Don’t you remember us? You gave us a calendar.” I vague
Like Ravana of the Ramayana, the heroes and heroines of today’s movies have a fatal flaw.
The Ramayana is an ancient Vedic saga of action, romance, wisdom, and adventure; a saga that has inspired a quarter of the world’s population for millennia; a saga that depicts a past when beings of celestial might both divine and demoniac interacted on our terrestrial realm; a saga of the struggle between good and the evil; a saga in which God descends and teaches virtue, righteousness, and spirituality b
Food for Life Hungary reached a historic milestone on 17 November when the head of the humanitarian program, Bhakta Vatsala Dasa, received the “For the City of Budapest” award from the capital’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony. The honor, given on Budapest’s 150th Birthday, also conferred honorary citizenship on Bhakta Vatsala. The 150th celebration commemorated the unification of the three historical parts of the city: Buda, Pest, and Óbuda.
Dozens of honorary citizens, artists, and celebrities who h
INSTED OF A JACK'O'LANTERN, A DEVOTEE FROM VANCOUVER CARVED OUT OF A PUMPKIN THIS EXTRAORDINARY PIECE DEPICTING KRISHNA LIFTING GOVARDHAN HILL.
I get so fascinated by Shyamasundar’s book, “Chasing Rhinos.” There were a few spots that I shared with Cory and Uday.
One of George Harrison’s acquaintances, David Wynne, had connections with the Queen. He offered her a Bhagavad-gita As It Is. According to David, she read the book for about half an hour and remarked, “How marvelous it would be to compl
Certain phrases and ideas tend to be especially memorable for devotees who regularly read Srila Prabhupada’s books. One such idea is that we must know not only that God is great but also how He is great.
Here’s one example of Prabhupada making this point.
The highest summit of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one is firmly convinced of the different opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional service. Generally people know that Go
The third verse of the Siksastakam is trnad api sunicena – “one should be humbler than a blade of grass.” You may wonder, “How can I be humbler than a blade of grass?” Let’s look at one way this is possible.
May you always think of Krsna.
Mahatma Das
Do Not Resist
Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that grass doesn’t resist when it is walked on or thrown around. It doesn’t complain or scream out, “How dare you step on me or throw me here and there?!” As we say in California, “It goes with the flow
We concluded our last discussion on the existence of the self with the recognition that accepting our own existence somehow or other implied the existence of God, quoting Srila Prabhupada’s words “One can understand the nature of the Supreme by thorough study of oneself” (Bg 2.16, purport) (http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12367#more-12367).But by what process can this understanding be achieved?
Descartes concludes from his first two meditations that the self exists. He begins to ponder the nature o
ISKCON Malaysia Headquarters, Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur created a record this year where a team of devotees conducted Damodara Program or also known as Deepa-Damodara Programs at a total of 25 local primary schools (ages 5 to 12) in the whole of Damodara month (from 27th Oct to 29th Nov). This is a grand milestone for Sri Jagannatha Mandir, with a total lamp shown at 104,747 and with 8656 total plates of Prasadam distributed.
The Damodara Month preaching was inspired by HH Srila Jaya
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Staff and well-wishers join Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s global Minister of Communications, to celebrate the opening of the new office; asking for Srila Prabhupada’s blessing.
The ISKCON Mayapur Communications Department, which temporarily closed due to budget constraints and the challenges posed by the 2019-2020 COVID-19 crisis, has officially reopened in Room Number 204 of the Lotus Building, ISKCON Mayapur.
The reinstatement ceremony featured respected personal
By Atma Tattva Das
Earlier this year, devotee Texito Langa released his latest musical offering, a single titled “Oh Afrika!” that is a poignant call for collective spiritual awakening and intentional unity to overcome the many struggles that plague the continent. This musical endeavor not only reflects Texito’s personal journey but also carries profound significance for the broader International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) community on the mother continent.
Texito’s journey in t
By Prishni Sutton
The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS) hosted its second international conference, “Cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana: Current Research on History, Philosophy, and Science,” on November 17–19 at the BIHS Headquarters in Gainesville, FL. Use of this lovely facility, the former home of the president of the University of Florida, was secured with the generous support of Hridayananda Das Goswami.
This conference was a natural outgrowth of three prior BIHS cosmology
Journalist Thomas Paine in 1776 sparked the American Revolution by writing and widely distributing his pamphlet, Common Sense. Fidel Castro – while in a Cuban prison – crafted his speech History will Absolve Me, had it smuggled it out of the prison and distributed to the masses. The result? The Cubin public overthrew the government and installed Castro as their leader.
And for thousands of years, our own acaryas have invested their time and energy to write and publish transcendental literature
This conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and physicist Gregory Benford took place in October, 1973, at the Los Angeles Krsna center.
Dr. Benford: You are probably familiar with what Western theology calls “the problem of evil”: Why does evil exist?
Srila Prabhupada: Evil is the absence of good, just as darkness is the absence of sunlight. If you keep yourself always in the light, where is the question of darkness? God is all-good. So if you keep yourself al
