When I come to this holy place, New Vrindavan, there is never a problem to gather a small group to form a walking team around the pond for some japa meditation. It's a clockwise direction we take, and it is very calming and reassuring, especially when the understood rule of thumb is 'no talking'. Both men and women are involved. It goes for a half hour or so – not too long. I want people to repeat the program and to come back tomorrow.
New Vrindavan has 25 resident peacocks, some of which are a
FIRST CONTACT WITH THE HOLY SOUND
My life took an apical turn when I stumbled across the Hare Krishnas. Being born in India I had some knowledge of “Krishna” but I was like most Indians are – conscious of Krishna but not Krishna Conscious. Being just “conscious of Krishna” didn’t mollify my thirst for happiness. When I was introduced to the programs conducted by the Hare Krishnas near our college campus new hope dawned upon me. What mesmerized me the most in these programs was the chanting of t
Wikipidia defines Vaisnavism as “one of the major Hindu denominations.” This definition is misleading. To be a Vaisnava transcends any religious, social or ethnic designation. A Vaisnava can come from any caste, or any racial or ethnic group. Bhaktivinoda Thakura referred to this as “the principle of natural brotherhood.” This depicts a state when people give up their biases, hatreds, and separatist religious mentalities. And only then, Bhaktivinode explains, “the people of all castes and count
The Monk’s Podcast with Radhika Raman Prabhu is an immensely penetrating and relishable discussion on Harmonizing faith and reason in bhakti.
Faith and reason are both sources of authority upon which beliefs can rest. Reason is generally understood as the principles for a methodological inquiry, whether intellectual, moral, aesthetic, or religious. Faith, on the other hand, involves a stance toward some claim that is not, at least presently, demonstrable by reason. Thus faith is a kind of attit
From ISKCON Israel: “Hare Krishna! Please accept our obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. On behalf of the leadership of ISKCON Israel, we inform you that due to the outbreak of the War, there are no casualties among the devotees. HH Bhaktivigyana Goswami Maharaj [flight has left safely for Dubai]. HG Audharya Dhama Prabhu is also safe…Many prabhus have been drafted into the army and are now on the front line. Young mataji soldiers too. Many families have sons and husbands now in the co
By Anuttama Dasa
The Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON has released a decision clarifying initiation standards in ISKCON. The decision came, in part, as a response to a thorough paper produced by ISKCON’s Sastric Advisory Council (SAC) entitled “Brahma-gayatri Mantra in ISKCON -Varnashrama, Bhakti – Principle or Detail?”
The SAC paper was studied in detail by the GBC in plenary sessions and by an ad hoc GBC Committee. The committee drew from the paper what they considered the essential
Coyotes sounded in the night just as the bonfire was about to begin. We were lucky to secure veteran monk, Varshana Swami, resident sannyasi in the rural community of New Vrindavan, who spoke about the pastimes of walking monk, Chaitanya.
Sometimes people naturally ask which Vrindavan is better – the original in India, or New Vrindavan in the hills of West Virginia. The explanation by our founder/teacher, Prabhupada, is that they are non-different. Indeed, both of the locations are of a transce
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
HH Jayapataka Swami at Udupi yesterday for the footprint installation ceremony of Lord Chaitanya.
HH Jayapataka Swami: We are going to install the lotus footprint of Lord Caitanya in Udupi. So, Syamarasika das arranged for me to do the abhishek of the lotus footprint here in the Mangaluru temple, which will be later installed in Udupi. So, I did the abhishek of the lotus footprint while devotees were chanting Hare Krishna. Many devotees, including Nama Nistha das, Varada Krishna das were prese
It's always a pleasant ride to the Appalachians where trees are now giving a hint of fall with orange and green tones. Five carloads of bhakti yogis were off for the journey from the Toronto area all in preparation for this years 'MAN-tra Retreat'. This is our sixth year for the gathering, and we did survive during the pandemic, fortunately, by going online. Back we are again in person. Hurray!
In the vehicle that I was in, we were remembering Krishna, Prabhupada, and it came naturally to recal
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
By Yogesvara Gopinath Das
The vibrant streets of Ilford came alive with color, music, and fervent spirituality as the community gathered to celebrate the 10th Annual Jagannath Rathayatra, the Chariot Festival. This auspicious event, steeped in tradition and devotion, marked a decade of joyous processions and community celebration.
Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=112085
Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s Global Minister of Communications, was in the Senate wing of the US Capitol on Tuesday when the House of Representatives voted to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position, a first in congressional history. It was a front-row seat for an event that offered significant lessons for ISKCON in these difficult times.
The US Speaker of the House is a crucial figure in the US federal government, as they are second in line for the presidency after the Vice President. Their
Recently, I was handed one of those leaflets from Scarboro Missions "Sacred Green Teachings" highlighting different faiths' sayings. Here they are:
Bahai: "Know that every created thing is a sign of the revelation of God."
Buddhism: "Cut down the forest of desire, not the forest of trees."
Confucianism: "Does Heaven say anything? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced. Does Heaven say anything?"
Christianity: "Let the field be joyful and all that th
Celebrating the Grand Opening of ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in South Bangalore
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 Bengalur
A fundamental tenet of Krishna conscious philosophy is recognising who is in control. Not just in theory, but at every moment. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna repeatedly declares himself to be the supreme controller (e.g. 5.29, 9.12, 18.61) and consequently tells us to “never consider ourselves the cause of the results” of our work (2.47). This is self-evident. Despite our best endeavours, we may never achieve that vast fortune we hoped for, or amass those ten million followers on social media. W
By Aseem Krsna Das
Life is sublime when we are in the association of the pure devotees of the Lord. These pure devotees carry the Supreme Lord within their hearts and so they are endowed with all the six opulences as are possessed by the Supreme Lord himself*. Moved by their compassion, these pure devotees travel to deliver the common people from the whirlpool of this material world. They feel pained on seeing the sufferings of the common men but are overjoyed on seeing them progress in their
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Gauranga Darshan Das, an educator, TEDx speaker, and spiritual author of over 32 books, has recently published “Dhruva: Relationship & Success Sutras from the Story of a Celebrated Prince” under the Penguin Ananda banner from Penguin Random House. The book has received immense appreciation from authors and motivational speakers. It explores the intricacies of dealing with relationship problems with wisdom and knowledge.
In one of the testimonials mentioned, HH
By Hamsa Avatar Das
ISKCON’s Mayapur Academy has announced its International Diploma Course in Deity Worship to be held from October 21, 2023 – February 26, 2024, at ISKCON Mayapur, situated on the banks of the Ganges River in West Bengal, India. The course will be taught in English.
The prestigious course promises to be a life-changing experience and a dive deep into the profound world of deity worship and everything in connection with it.
The Mayapur Academy curriculum was developed and is
