A few evenings ago HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I gave class together at ISKCON Juhu. During the questions and answers, a devotee asked, “How can I recognize a pure devotee?” and in response I quoted Srila Prabhupada’s reply to a letter from Tusta Krishna dasa asking about pure devotees: “We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerel
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By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
ISKCON Fiji will celebrate their Festival of Fiji on September 14th-22, 2024, as part of the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Fiji and the 20th anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha Golokabihari in Suva, the capital city.
Devotees are preparing for the festival after a gap of four years due to the global pandemic. The last Festival of Fiji was held in 2019, with 300 devotees from different parts of the world. The festival’s primary
By Atma Tattva Das
Krishna Gana Das, the culinary pilgrim whose journey across Australia echoes the spiritual rhythms of devotion, embarked on a unique odyssey that not only defined his path but enriched the lives of those touched with his unwavering commitment to Krishna consciousness. From his days at ISKCON New Govardhan in beautiful eastern Australia to his food truck adventures where he joined music festivals across the country, Krishna Gana’s story is a tapestry woven with the threads of
On May 30th, 1845, a ship landed at the Trinidad shoreline with a massive group of indentured labourers from India. They were promised by the British a life of labour and love. Love was somewhat questionable, because life, at the time, was one of great sacrifice. A century later, one of those pious Hindu fellows, from that strain, asked for permission to build a temple. Authorities said, “No!” The man’s name was Sadhu Seva.
He decided to build a small peninsula by bringing stone after stone,
From Back to Godhead
By Karuna Dharini Devi Dasi
Desiring to drown everyone in the flood of love of God, Lord Caitanya made a special effort to capture misinformed impersonalists.
In 1486 CE, Lord Krishna appeared in West Bengal as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Though Krishna Himself, Lord Caitanya comes in the mood of a fully Krishna conscious devotee and teaches us pure bhakti, the personal, loving, service relationship of the soul with the Supreme Lord. To awaken that relationship, Lord Caitany
I first see him just after crossing the Bowery at Houston Street. As he passes before the iron-mesh fence of a playground, I distinctly glimpse the aura of saintliness. I watch him through the rushing traffic and stumbling derelicts.
He strolls almost jauntily down the sidewalk. He is an old man whom age has never touched. Aloof from the people and bustle about him, he walks proudly, independently, his hand in a cloth beadbag. He wears the saffron robes of a sannyasi, and on his feet are quain
From Back to Godhead
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Lecture given in Vrindavan, India on October 26, 1972
Any contact with Krishna purifies our consciousness and gradually qualifies us for eternal loving exchanges with Him.
Pradyumna Dasa, Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit editor, begins reading The Nectar of Devotion, Introduction: “Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Per
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
ISKCON Auckland, New Zealand, orchestrated a splendid series of Rath Yatras spanning from November 25 to December 16, 2023. This grand celebration magnetized thousands of people who assembled fervently around the majestic chariots carrying the Deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra.
In 1976, Srila Prabhupada installed the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra in Auckland, and since that auspicious installation, the annual Rath Yatra, a f
The GBC Executive Committee, on behalf of the GBC, extends a warm invitation to all Temple Presidents for the upcoming International Temple Presidents Meeting scheduled for 27th February 2024 in Mayapur. According to the invitation letter, “This sanga provides an opportunity for Temple Presidents from ISKCON temples across the world to converge, connect with the GBC, share experiences, and contribute to shaping the future of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada saw the Temple Presidents as dynamic leaders
Now there isn’t actually anything wrong with a sadhu, or holy man, going to the beach. As long as that person, in my case, a monk, keeps to his self-disciplines and the intent is good.
Every year that I’ve come to Trinidad, it has become an annual event to go to the oceanside with the community to meet those waves, feel the sand and sun, and have that fun. We swim, we play, we eat, we talk again after opening a Prabhupada book, then we laugh, and we go for a second dip. We’ve bonded.
And
During our residence on this planet, humanity has experienced many horrors- slavery, apartheid, concentration camps and many other nasty histories. Many countries celebrate independence from foreign subjugation, which were in many cases far from peaceful. Thus we can see what can go wrong when we become dependent on selfish leaders- Exploitation. Exploitation may be gross or subtle. People fear exploitation, but in general, we find exploitation everywhere. Some people are exploited and these sa
“One who is inquisitive to understand the ultimate goal of life must approach a proper guru,” says Srila Prabhupada in this lecture given in Mumbai, India, in November of 1974. Then he explains what that ultimate goal is, how that approach must be made, and who is the proper guru.
suta uvaca
dvaipayana-sakhas tv evam maitreyo bhagavams tatha
prahedam viduram prita anviksikyam pracoditah
“Sri Suta Gosvami said: ‘The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyasadeva’s. Being encouraged and pl
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) held an online Live to Give 2023 Celebration call on Sunday, January 28th, hosted by HG Vaisesika Dasa, who shared the results of the combined efforts of devotees worldwide. The 2023 goal was to distribute 3.7 million copies of the Bhagavad-gita, which devotees exceeded by distributing 3,784,233 copies worldwide. Vaisesika offered his heartfelt thanks to all those who are striving to “continually expand the distribution of transcendental knowledge to benefit th
In honor of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the GBC Executive Committee is encouraging ISKCON leadership and congregations to gloriously celebrate the auspicious occasion. Committee members, including Revati Raman Das, Guru Prasad Swami, and Tapana Misra Das, have offered some suggestions for the observance of this festival:
— Organize an exhibition within your temple showcasing the life,
achievements, and teachings of Srila Bhaktisidd
By Go-Palak Krsna Das and Lila Sundari Devi Dasi
Devotees in Singapore have been visiting local prisons for the past 20 years to bring the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness and meaningful association to inmates. Around ten devotees regularly participate in this weekly service. They have aimed to share spiritual teachings from the Bhagavad-gita, lift inmate morale, build good character values, and provide mental solace for the incarcerated men. The devotees are enthusiastically welcomed by pri
It was the third consecutive Hindu Temple I attended during my short stay in the Caribbean area of Trinidad and Tobago. What is unique about this morning’s temple, under construction, is the management by a recent initiate of a Hare Krishna guru in the movement. He is doing the fund-raising for this gorgeous temple which is adorned with various Vedic deities. He is a pandit and a most favourable spiritualist who insists on the presence of our guru, Prabhupada, in picture form, on the altar, alo
The world around us is changing at an ever-increasing rate. The notion of keeping up with the changing world may have relevance in devotional service. But is this perspective relevant in all areas of our practices of bhakti? Are there some elements of devotional service that must always be constant? Srila Prabhupada wrote:
The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities. … Whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact
In an article entitled “Born to Bun: Labels to Tell Meat’s Life Story” (New York Daily News, April 4, 2013), journalist James Warren informs us about the Obama administration’s recent move to get new information on food labels in the supermarket, specifically on meat products. They now want to let consumers know where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered. Might this be too much information?
The USDA argues that such labeling is a step toward transparency, benefiting consumers on many le
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) will offer an online Bhakti-pravesa course from 14 February to 16 April, 2024. This course is specifically designed for those budding devotees who are seeking to learn and explore the path of bhakti. The curriculum includes the topics essential for a strong foundational knowledge into the new spiritual journey of any aspirant.
The course aims to give persons who have recently come in touch with ISKCON a clear understanding of the philosophy of
By Atma Tattva Das
In the midst of a looming threat of a second Cyclone warning over Mauritius, the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) continue to exhibit resilience and spiritual strength. Srinjay Das, the Director of ISKCON Public Relations and Communications in Mauritius, provided an uplifting update amid challenging circumstances.
In a heartfelt message to fellow devotees, Srinjay expressed gratitude for the collective success of recent devotional endea
