The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken on the battlefield and so one of its teachings is to know when self-defense is necessary. It was the will of Lord Krishna that all the soldiers on both sides, except for the Pandavas, would not go back home. It made no difference whether Arjuna took part in the war or not. Arjuna was merely an instrument that Lord Krishna used to destroy the soldiers on both sides. Even before the war started, Lord Krishna showed Arjuna, the soldiers being destroyed.

There have always

Due to the impending major flooding of the Mississippi River in and around New Orleans, the organizers been forced to cancel the Rathayatra Festival, scheduled for May 21 and 22.

The scope of this flood event is practically unprecedented, and the ISKCON devotees in New Orleans ask all to extend their prayers and best wishes to all those whose well-being and property may again be at risk in the thrice hard-hit region.

The tentative new festival date will be sometime in November, around the 19th.

Sri Abhiram Thakur, also known by the name Sri Ramdas, was one of the twelve gopalas or cowherd boys, of Vraja. In the eternal lila he is Sridam, one of the key members of Krishna and Balaram’s gang.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur writes, “There is a small town called Khanakula Krishnagar, in Hooghly district, where the temple in which Sri Abhiram Thakur worshipped is situated. The temple is located in Krishnanagar, near the kula (bank) of the khana(Dvarakeswar River). Therefore this plac

Mayapur Jhulan Yatra - 25th Anniversary

Dear devotees and fellow gurukulis,

Dandavats. With great pleasure we invite devotees worldwide to participate  in the annual 2011 Jhulan Yatra Festival at Sri Dham Mayapur.

(A personal invitation)
“Imagine a lake surrounded by flowering shrubs, illuminated by thousand of  twinkling colored lights and with cooling water fountains shooting colorful  droplets of water in the air, that gently cascade with a splashing sound,  that accompanies the sweet kirtan

Honesty

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a  successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his  Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called  all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for  me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of  you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going
to give each one of you a SEED today - one v

One professional reciter was reciting about Bhāgavata, and he was describing that Kṛṣṇa, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. There was a thief in that meeting. He thought that "Why not then go to Vṛndāvana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take all the jewels." That was his intention. He was serious that "I must find that boy. Then in one night I shall become milli

On the subject of the supreme goal of life, Ramananda first proposed observance of the four orders of social and spiritual life and executing one's duties in accordance with these. Next, one after another, he mentioned renouncing the fruits of one's activities, rendering formal service to the Lord, serving the Lord in devotion mixed with knowledge, and finally pure devotional service.

Though Mahaprabhu assented that the rendering of pure devotional service is the entrance into the ultimate goal

1) Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain. Just pray for a better umbrella. That is attitude.

2) When flood comes, fish eat ants & when flood recedes, ants eat fish. Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

3) Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on you what you make with them, Wall or Bridge? Remember you are the architect of your life.

4)Every problem has (n+1) solutions, where n is the number of solutions tha

 Devotees who have attended every annual “Festival of Inspiration” for the past eleven years in the hills of New Vrindaban, West Virginia, have called this year’s event “the best yet.”

Eight hundred devotees and seekers from North America, Canada, Europe and India attended the festival, desgined to recharge spiritual batteries and held as usual on Mother’s Day weekend from Friday May 6th to Sunday May 8th.

The event was inaugurated on Friday morning with the traditional morning program in front of

During the last European Leadership Meeting conference a presentation was made on Child Protection in regard to the book “My Karma, My Fault” published by an european ex- gurukuli, who was physically, psychological, and sexually abused in ISKCON schools and communities.

During this discussion, it was emphasized the importance of creating awareness and educating leaders, teachers, community members, parents, and children on this matter, in order to prevent to the best of our ability future cases o

There is a devotee, Bhaktibhava devi dasi, from Houston, texas U.S., and a disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, who is in a cancer hospital in Kerala, India. She is in Kerala for ayurvedic treatment for cancer. She is reaching out and asking for any devotees who are in the area to please contact her.

Updated contact info:

To train a new man is like training a wild animal to be a pet. Just like the tiger is trained in the circus and later on they are dancing to the tune of the master. So the point being stressed is training. A preacher should always be tolerant.

-By H.D.G. Srila Prabhupada

By HH Sivarama Swami

Krsi goraksya vanijya. Krsi means ploughing or agriculture and goraksya, cow protection. These are the staples of society, this is what people live on. All living entities subsist on grains. So the ksatriyas may direct and instruct people, the brahmanas may perform their yajnas, but if they don’t eat then giving shelter or instruction is not going to work.

That eating is therefore the most essential aspect of life and this is why the vaisyas and their assistants, the sudras, a

Arati songs by composers not in our parampara 

Q) I have a question regarding arati songs. Is it mandatory to sing only Gaura arati irrespective of the Deity we have on the altar? I have Lord Rama's Deity and while serving the Deity, I sing some particular songs which glorify Lord Rama. If there is not a single word in these songs that are not in line with Shastra, can these be sung and followed by singing of the Maha-Mantra? Though these songs do not come directly from our parampara, can't they