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Inspired by the announcement of the upcoming “Safe Families, Strong Communities” campaign from ISKCON’s Vaishnavi Ministry, 15-year-old devotee Ila H. shares her reflection “From the Eyes of Our Youth.”

“Earlier this year, I wrote an essay focused on the role of gender equality in sustainable development; part of this essay was focused on Goal 5 of the “2030 Sustainable Development Agenda” adopted by the United Nations in 2015.

This goal specifically targets gender equality in sustainable d

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Saturday Night Fervour by Bhaktimarga Swami

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When shastra (scripture) expresses, like in today's verse from Canto 10, that God has nothing to do, the phrase that actually refers to Krishna having nothing to do in a mundane sense; and secondly, that the cosmic world runs on automatic power without any strain on the part of God. He does keep busy, however, and when claiming to be a follower (as I do), I am also inclined to keep active.

At noon, friends and family drove from New York, Toronto, and locally, to honour the one year anniversary

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From a multi-billionaire to pauper in the street, everyone is seeking the wealth of love. The gaudy gizmos, exotic holidays, luxury cars, sports bikes, late night dance parties, Valentine ‘s day, thousands of friend lists on Facebook, millions of followers on Twitter and 70 mm celluloid screens, may titillate or stimulate the senses and mind, but in the real reel of our life it cannot quench the thirst of love in our heart.

This thirst can be better apprehended by the analog of the gardener. A

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Devotees gathered for the Sunday Feast in Kyiv, with over 30 newcomers attending on average.

In October, HH Niranjana Swami shared his “Third Report from Ukraine” with North American leaders.  Along with Zonal Supervisor Acyuta Priya Das, they detailed a broad range of topics on the current state of the community and ongoing service in the country.

Among the highlights were exciting updates on the translation and printing of Srila Prabhupada’s books in Ukrainian and the daily distribution of hi

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In July, ISKCON News reported that Krishna devotee Gopal Patel (Gopal Lila Das) was invited to speak at TED’s Countdown Summit, the invite-only gathering held in Detroit, Michigan, on July 11-14th.  The event welcomed the world’s top leaders in technology, science, business, government, philanthropy, and faith to explore solutions to the growing problem of climate change.

TED invited 15 religious leaders from multiple traditions to bring their unique perspectives to the problem and solutions fo

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Remembering His Grace Prabhupada Dasa

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His Grace Prabhupada dasa will be remembered for his dedication to ISKCON from the early days of Srila Prabhupada in London to crossing the globe and spending his latter years in Australia. He was fortunate enough to have association with Srila Prabhupada and assist with the legal battles against Bury Place.

He is mentioned in several parts of Ranchor Prabhu’s book “When the Sun Shines – the Dawn of Hare Krishna in Britain” as Vishnu Sharma: “Ever since his encounter with Prabhupada at Conway H

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A Train Ride by Bhaktimarga Swami

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It looks like security has been stepped up at Union Station in Toronto. During my arrival at 4:50 a.m., a uniformed personnel member said, "Via Rail opens at 5:30," and so a group of us train travellers tried to be patient at the corridor. I, however, decided to pace outside in front of the station.

There's the Royal York Hotel in front of me. In the western sky is the CN Tower. At the entrance of Union is the "Monument to Multiculturalism" by Francesco Perelli. Images of optimism.

Security beg

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The Story of Puranjana

King Puranjana had unlimited desires for sense enjoyment. Consequently he traveled all over the world to find a place where all his desires could be fulfilled. Unfortunately he found a feeling of insufficiency everywhere. 27.12.

Once, while wandering I this way, he saw on the southern side of the Himalayas, in a place named Bharata Varsa a city that had nine gates all about and was characterized by all auspicious facilities. 27.13

 

While wandering here and there in th

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12294619271?profile=RESIZE_584xISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture is hosting an online event Celebrating Gopashtami: Krishna and His Cows on November 19th. Join them and expert cowherds from around the globe for a delightful Zoom meeting on November 19th, 7:30 am EST | 9:30 am BR | 12:30 pm UK | 13:30 pm CET | 18:00 pm IST | 18:30 pm Omsk RU to hear about topics like :

– The Dharma of Cows

– Leading an Ahimsa Dairy in the West

– The Culture of Milk in Nandagram

– Krishna’s milking pastimes

– Starting a Gosha

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Gopashtami Celebration In Mayapur 2023!

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As we come together to celebrate this day with our hearts filled with devotion, woven with threads of remembrance and reverence, let us pray to always be in the mood of pure love for Sri Radha and Krishna. Today is not just the celebration of Lord Krishna’s enchanting pastime as a cowherd boy; it is also a day to honor and reflect upon the divine departures of three exalted souls: Sri Gadadhara Dasa Goswami, Sri Dhananjaya Pandit, and Sri Srinivasa Acharya.

Gopashtami, the festival that mirrors

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People Along The Way by Bhaktimarga Swami

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On occasion, I deliver a meal from our Govinda's Dining to Subuddhi, a godsister in her 80s, on a three-kilometre walk away. She is not too mobile these days, and but for a young male renter upstairs, she calls herself lonely. Being a perfect sunny day, there was nothing stopping me from carrying rice, veggies, dahl soup, gulabjamin, chappati, and samosa to her home off Christie Street. The walk was pleasant. I had brief encounters on the way.

As I crossed Davenport Ave., a young fellow talking

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The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS) would like to invite ISKCON News readers to join online for its upcoming conference, “Cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana: Current Research on History, Philosophy, and Science,” to be held on Nov. 17–19, 2003. The Bhaktivedanta Institute has invited speakers from around the world to discuss the rich cultural heritage of the Puranas engaged within a contemporary context involving cosmological perspectives drawn from Sanskrit texts such as the B

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12293881077?profile=RESIZE_584xBy Atma Tattva Das

By advancing spiritual and academic discourse within ISKCON, the recently revived ISKCON Communications Journal (ICJ) has emerged as an annual platform for engaging in theological and philosophical discussions and addressing contemporary sociological and institutional issues. Doing so reflects ISKCON’s intellectual vigor and an openness to contributions by sympathetic outsiders. The articles written by devotees are rooted in the teachings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedant

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12293879859?profile=RESIZE_584xBy Sunanda Das  

Miracle in the Making is an awe-inspiring video shot by HG Prananatha Das depicting the rise of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Mayapur, West Bengal, India – Future Wonder of the World – and the opening of its Nrsimhadeva Hall, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world, from February 29 – March 2, 2024.

At a time when turmoil, strife, and all the symptoms of Kali-yuga are at an all-time high within the world, we need to pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva for His interventi

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Uday and I had planned a night walk; however, the weather became very unfavourable. You could say it was a type of slush coming down. There are few things that deter me from stepping outside but once in a while.

Uday came to my room in any event, and so did Navi. Both of them ran some simple errands for me and then I pondered on what we could do with extra free minutes – something fun, something transcendental. I reached out for a copy of the Gita that I keep hand. I brought it over to where Na

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As we read the scripture and hear from the spiritual master, we will hear both easy and difficult instructions. We’ll naturally be attracted to those that seem easier to follow, but the two types of instruction have a unity of purpose.

One of the most encouraging verses I have found in Bhagavad-gita is 2.40: “In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” A similar verse can be found in the ninth chap

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In the vast canvas of life, surrendering to the divine is akin to finding solace and protection in the arms of a benevolent force. To illustrate this profound concept, let's draw a parallel with the lives of dacoits—individuals who, armed with guns, live in perpetual fear, constantly on the run, much like rats scurrying in the shadows. These outlaws emerge briefly from hiding, seize what they need, and swiftly return to cover, forever haunted by the ghost of violence.

Now, picture a transformativ

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Verse: Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.15 Speaker: HH Varshana Swami Location: ISKCON New Vrindaban

agnau gurav atmani ca sarva-bhutesv adhoksajam bhutaih sva-dhamabhih pasyed apravistam pravistavat

TRANSLATION: One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one’s self and in all living entities-in all circumstances and conditions-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, has simultaneously entered and not entered. He is situated externally and internally as the full controller of eve

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Steadiness By Sivarama Swami

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Devotees often ask what the meaning of steadiness is: some consider that chanting sixteen rounds a day and following the four regulative principles means that one is steady, while others say it is steadiness in one’s service; yet others give different variations of what they consider steadiness to mean. But these things mentioned—regularly chanting and regularity in serving—are physical symptoms that may or may not indicate real steadiness.

Suddha-bhakti-cintamani deals with the subject of stea

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Today, November 17, 2023, is the Disappearance Day of Srila Prabhupada.

Abhay Charanarvinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1st Sept 1896 – 14th Nov 1977), was a devout Krishna Bhakta in the line of Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession and a dedicated preacher of Krishna Consciousness all over the world. It was due to him that Hare Krishna and Bhagavad-Gita became a household name all over the world. According to the Hindu Calendar he left for the spiritual world on the fourth day of shukla p

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