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
At the beginning of January, 43 devotee youth from around the world gathered at the Radha Krishna Camp in Guararema state of São Paulo – Brasil, for a week of transformative spiritual experiences and memorable recreational activities.
The camp organizer, Vaikuntha Murti Das, said of the event, “The Radha Krishna Camp is the only project in South America that serves youth between 12 to 17 years old,” he said, “We welcome teens coming from Brasil as well as other Latin America countries like Chil
The travels which began on Sunday night are not over. The waiting, the sitting, seems endless. However, I have my japa beads to cling onto, and that is what sustains me. Finally, after four airports, three countries and a lot of patience, I met with Guyanese devotees, Prabhupadev and Sanjay, at the Ogle Airport.
The sun also greeted me with a 27 degrees Celsius temperature, a stark difference from the low minuses of Alberta. Once reaching the Nimai Nitai Study Centre in Georgetown, I indulg
Hare Krishna! On 2 Feb 13, Sat is the Disappearance Day of Sri Jayadeva Goswami, a great devotee of Lord Sri Krishna, poet and composer of Dasavatara-stotra, a poetic glorification of Lord Krishna’s main incarnations.
SRI JAYADEVA GOSWAMI
&
“SRI CHAMPAHATTI”
AT “SRI KOLADVIPA” ISLAND OF SRI NAVADVIPA-MAYAPUR DHAMA
SRI SRI GAURA-GADADHARA
The beautiful life-sized Gaura-Gadadhara Deities at Champahatti were installed and worshiped by Dvija Vaninatha, the younger brother of Gadadhara Pandita. They
Shri Jayadeva Goswami appeared in either the eleventh or twelfth century of the Shaka era. There is a difference of opinion about his place of birth. The majority opinion holds that he was from the village of Kendubilva, presently in the district of Birbhum. Others claim that he was born in either Orissa or South India.
Kendubilva is situated about twenty miles south of Siuri on the banks of the Ajaya River. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, it is stated that Jayadeva found his Radha Madhava
On New Delhi Television (NDTV), a panel of three experts, including Yudhistir Govinda Das, the National Director of Communications of ISKCON India, discussed the impacts of the Ayodhya Temple on India’s future, especially in terms of religious tourism.
Founded in 1988, NDTV is one of the most watched and respected news networks in India and a leader in online programming. NDTV noted in the segment that international brokerage firm Jefferies predicted in a recent report that the Ayodhya Temple c
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
The inaugural celebrations of the New Navadvip Dham from December 22-25, 2023, coinciding with Gita Jayanti and the 10th anniversary of the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, was a huge success.
The event embraced a familial ambience leaving an indelible mark on the 150 participants, including prominent local residents. The highlight of the event was cooperation among devotees. Govinda Caran Das, one of the organizers of the Sadhu Sanga Retreat said, “The response was overw
