From Back to Godhead
With spiritual fasting, you may not make headlines,
but you’ll make headway on the path back to Godhead.
What do Mahatma Gandhi, Dick Gregory, Jane Fonda, Norman Mailer, Bolivian dissidents, British suffragettes, and Irish revolutionaries have in common? Well, for one thing, at one time or another and for one reason or another, they’ve all fasted. Materially their fasting was somewhat successful, whether it was undertaken to free India from British domination, turn public o
Mataji Ananda Vrindavani is a senior devotee, educator, and member of the Sankirtana harinama group in Mayapur.
Hare Krishna, dear devotees.
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Ananda Vrindavani mathaji sharing the story of near-death experience and the mercy of Lord Jagannath. So, with Their blessings, She is briefly describing this experience, hoping that it may help someone.
It happened in January 2020 while we were living here in Mayapur. Let me clarify that
This year, in anticipation of the opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing in October, we are happy to celebrate the 37th Anniversary of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s arrival in Sridham Mayapur from July 28-30, 2023. In July 1986, the Deities of Prahlad-Nrsimhadeava were completed in Chennai, India, and installed in Sridham Mayapur during a three-day celebration from July 28-30. This year commemorates the 37th Anniversary of that historic occasion.
The history leading to that event is extraordinary and
CROATIA – On Wednesday, July 19th, a severe storm with 150 km/hr winds raged across Croatia, killing at least four people and injuring hundreds. In all, 2,000 buildings were damaged in Croatia’s northwestern capital of Zagreb, including ISKCON’s New Jaladuta Temple. The deadly storm blew a substantial part of the roof off of the temple, carrying it 300 meters into a local backyard. “By Krsna’s mercy, devotees were saved. There is no electricity in the temple and no water, so Their Lordships
A group of us pre-arranged a dawn visit to cherry beach for a thrill. A dip in the shiny waters of Lake Ontario was novel for the rest at this hour, but nostalgic for me. In my earlier years as a novice monk, a companion or two (whoever was available) travelled by wheels to different parts of the country on behalf of the mission to share conscious living, and in the early spring, summer, autumn hours, our shower was the lake or river.
For this morning, friends, twenty of us, braved the waters a
Can Krishna and Guru be found within one’s heart? Then sent to find you, no matter where you are?
I remember the amazing story of a boy who went into an old Cathedral in Melbourne on February 18th 1972 to desperately pray to God within his own heart and within the Church for guidance and direction, crying out within, ‘Oh my Lord, please show me the way’.
He had entered that church in a totally helpless condition, prayed, and begged to God to ‘please’ show him the way. He felt totally useless a
Why do so many people find it hard to think of God as a person?
Whenever the press runs articles about faith, the idea that God might be person seems more or less abhorrent to the authors. Even those who may term themselves theists balk at the idea, offering all kinds of alternatives.
The Guardian (London) regularly prints a column dealing with different beliefs. In one article recently published, a professor of philosophy gave his opinion that it is time to discard the "old God concept of West
The ISKCON Ministry of Education will host its Annual Virtual Symposium of Education, “Pan-America Mini-Symposium 2023,” on Friday, July 28th, 2023, 6:00-8:15 PM CDT. The virtual event will be viewable on Zoom, Facebook, or YouTube Live.
“This symposium will provide ISKCON educators and leaders in Pan-America an opportunity to connect with other educators serving in Srila Prabhupada’s mission and expand their frame of reference by hearing from and sharing with them,” said Balimardana Das, Regio
By Thomas Haribol
Members of the Harmony Collective devotee community in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA, were awarded “Best Presentation” at the 2023 Ypsilanti 4th of July parade. This year’s parade was especially significant and well-attended because it marks the small town’s bicentennial (200th anniversary). “It felt extra sweet to get some formal appreciation from the parade crew on such a memorable mark in the city’s history,” said Deva Madhava, Community Director.
The community began as a preac
Brian Carwana Always manages to bring a great set of people over for a religious encounter experience. The last time he came was in May with folks mainly from the States. Today, he welcomed to our temple people from North America, including some Californians and those from Scotland. From our place he arranged for a visit to a First Nations centre, and then to the Hindu Sabha for an arati (service).
It is my opinion that the caliber of people Brian shows up with are about the best on the planet.
Through bhakti-yoga we can finally reunite with the person we’ve wanted all along.
The Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, discusses dhyana-yoga, or meditative yoga. Texts 13-14 say: “One should hold one’s body, neck, and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.”
Srila Prabhupada’s purport to these
We have entered the auspicious Purusottama-adhika-masa (extra month), which is considered three times more powerful than Kartik. One year, Srila Prabhupada was in Juhu during Purusottama-adhika-masa, and Dr. C. P. Patel, Srila Prabhupada’s regular companion on his morning walks on Juhu Beach, prevailed upon him to take bath in the sea. In an article published in Back to Godhead, Dr. Patel wrote:
“Every third year an extra month is inserted into the lunar calendar to bring it into line with the s
Dear devotees and well wishers, we need your help urgently!
Yesterday, 19th July 2023, the city of Zagreb was hit by one of the strongest storms recorded in its history, which caused enormous damage.
Unfortunately our temple also suffered a lot of damage. As you can see in the pictures most of the roof was blown away by the storm. The bramachari sankirtan ashram, along with the temple library, is completely devastated. The first floor is also flooded and leaking, and if the roof is not quickly
The unanticipated deluge of Yamuna River in Vrindavan wreaked havoc, leaving no time for warning or preparation. As the water levels surged beyond control, families were compelled to abandon their cherished homes, seeking refuge from the chaos.
Amid the flood’s devastation in Vrindavan, ISKCON’s compassionate devotee kitchen stepped forward, taking on the noble responsibility of providing nourishing meals to the families seeking refuge at the relief camp. With utmost dedication, they served who
By Thomas Haribol
A new video released by ISKCON Vrindavan shows the extent of the flooding of the Yamuna River as of June 16, 2023. Drone footage shows the impact upon key historical areas like the Keshi Ghat and the Bhaktivedanta Swami Goshala, home to 350 cows, bulls, and calves. The expanding waters of Yamunaji have reached the gates of the goshala, and steps are being taken to ensure the safety and relocation of the cows as needed. On July 17th, a Yamuna Arati was performed.
Food for Lif
In order to get some walking in today, I decided to start with earlier morning sunrays instead of the forecast steam to come later. I enjoyed the track from 1626 Pie IX all the way to Jeanne Mance Park. It's a clear 8-kilometre hike. Sunday morning couldn't be quieter. Of course, on the more commercial streets, one can witness the aftermath of a Saturday night fever. It's rather disgusting what party animalism produces in the way of refuse. This is not a criticism on the city of Montreal per se
By Chaitanya Charan Das
Dealing with arrogant people can be annoying and draining. To view such people positively, we can see interactions with them as opportunities to become humble.
The Bhagavad-gita (13.08) lists humility as a laudable virtue that is integral to knowledge. And humility is primarily a relational virtue; it is demonstrated and developed through our relationships with others. When people are polite with us, reciprocating similarly with them is relatively easy. But when someone
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
On several occasions, Srila Prabhupada expressed the desire for an ISKCON Constitution, to guide his followers in the future.
In 1971, for instance, he wrote: “We are in the experimental stage but in the next meeting of the GBC members they should form a constitution how the GBC members manage the whole affair.” (Letter to Giriraja, 12 Aug 1971)
Through the years, various attempts at writing the ISKCON Constitu
Last week a large rocket crashed into the Temple of ISKCON Kherson causing serious destruction. The roof needs replacing and all the windows are broken. Luckily no devotees were hurt.
The devotees in Kherson are incredible Vaisnavas. The go out on Harinam, book distribution and Prasad distribution daily. They led an austere life, take bucket baths outside like early days in ISKCON. The local people are highly impressed with the devotees’ selfless service in the face of constant bombing.
In Kher
On a peaceful 20-acre tract of land in Sealy, Texas, about an hour west of Houston, a few pioneering devotees have established The Bhagavata Academy Spiritual Retreat Center. It aims to create an immersive setting focused on transcendental education and spiritual nourishment, a kind of detox from the material world.
The Vision
The vision for the spiritual oasis came after years of contemplation and planning by one of its founders, Vatsala Dasa. He and his wife Shashikala Devi Dasi (along with t
