It was good to see a number of devotees come from the US and other regions of Canada to our temple. The draw is a guru and sannyasi who has been involved in our Canadian project of ISKCON for decades. His name is Gopal Krishna Goswami, and it was a joy to spend some moments alone with him in the guest quarters catching up on the latest goings on in the world.
Yet, the world is not in the best state. Wildfires tax us. Floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves are creating chaos. Disasters are displacing
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
The UN 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign aimed at addressing gender-based violence and promoting respect and fair treatment of women. From a Gaudiya Vaishnava perspective, the campaign emphasizes the importance of treating all individuals with respect and recognizing their inherent worth, regardless of material circumstances such as gender. In Bhagavad Gita 12.15, Krishna identifies those qualities that endea
Every year, a cherished tradition unfolds as the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education’s staff, teachers, students, and guests unite to seek the blessings of Srila Rupa Gosvami by commemorating his Disappearance Day on August 26th and 27th at the VIHE.
VIHE is inviting devotees from around the world to join them for this auspicious event (in person at the venue or by joining us online), where we will engage in the recitation of slokas and astakas penned by Srila Rupa Gosvami himself. The pro
Radha Krsna Jhulan Yatra (or swing festival) starts on ekadasi of the waxing moon of Sridhara month. Many temples in Vrndavana celebrate Krsna’s swing festival, some for one day, others for more days.
Traditionally, many of the Deities of the Lord wear various clothing with green over this period until Balaram Purnima. It is a wonderful service for Their pleasure.
Monsoon season is humid and the temperature is hot despite the cooling rains. With so much water coming from the sky and just about
By Atma Tattva Das
Toowoomba, QLD: In a jubilant display of spirituality and community camaraderie, the city of Toowoomba witnessed its first-ever International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Ratha Yatra Festival on July 22, 2023. Organized by Hare Krishna Toowoomba, the event drew over 900 participants from both Toowoomba and beyond, making it a resounding success and an occasion to remember.
The vibrant procession through the streets of Toowoomba, Australia, was a culmination of d
What is a sangha really all about? It has everything to do with brotherhood, sisterhood – family. It appears that this weekend’s program has succeeded in establishing a bonding between some really great people.
In addition to the seminars presented at the meditation hall, there was an organized kirtan scheduled in town, yet rains came that really deterred outdoor events. Yet, one local woman had arranged something called “Evolution” which drew a group of free-spirited people to a beautiful lot.
Padayatra reached Zaregaon on July 17, 2023. It’s a small village in Karmala Taluka and Solapur district. The villagers welcomed us with beautiful garlands. The roads were decorated with rangoli. One of our devotees named Panduranga Jadhav belongs to this village. He invited us for prasadam and prepared Maharashtrian puran poli, a very famous Marathi dish. In all festivals, Maharashtrians make Puran poli. It was offered to our Lordships and we all honored prasadam.
The next day we went for naga
By Krishna Premarupa Dasa
At the age of 70+, Srila Prabhupada travelled fourteen times around the world and planted seeds of devotion to Sri Krishna wherever he went. It’s described in Shastra that wherever a pure devotee places his Lotus Feet, that place turns into a place of pilgrimage (1).
Last weekend we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s first visit to Switzerland (2). Srila Prabhupada arrived at Zurich Airport on Sunday, April 1, 1973. From there, his disciples brought
The poet’s vision is “to see infinity in a grain of sand and eternity in an hour.” In much the same way, a person who ponders Lord Krsna’s words in Bhagavad-gita can see the Transcendence even in the daily affairs of this material world.
Case in point: a recent article reported that each year, 20 million Americans suffer sports injuries. It seems a large percentage of these mishaps occur to people thirty-five and older who refuse to recognize that their bodies are aging. One prominent doctor qu
In our quest for a meaningful and fulfilling existence, we often encounter internal conflicts. One such conflict, known as cognitive dissonance, arises when we find ourselves unable to follow through with what we inherently understand to be right. This state of incongruity can leave us feeling confused and unfulfilled, tarnishing our peace of mind. To illuminate the path towards overcoming cognitive dissonance, we turn to timeless wisdom and insights.
By Thomas Haribol
Last week, the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) gathered thousands of people of faith, spirituality, and ethical convictions to Chicago, USA, for their 2023 convention. This year’s theme was “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights.” The historic gathering welcomed participants from around the world to the emblematic city where the first Parliament was held 130 years ago.
It is one of the world’s largest inter-faith gatherings, with 6,500 participatin
After quite the lengthy journey our ride from Gananoque to the current location in Quebec, the duet called Mahapurna and I settled in a heavenly lot with lake and massive meditation hall, a centre for “The Art of Living” folks. The occasion is something that occurs annually as “Vaishnava Sangha”. Vaishnava refers to those loyal to Vishnu (God). Sangha is defined as seeking association. The devotees of Ottawa organized the function which is highlighted by presenters on the science of devotion.
B
Devotees often ask me, “If Krsna is really merciful towards His devotees, why do so many devotees seem to experience misery? I hear in all these lectures that Krsna is so merciful but I don’t experience it – I just had an accident!” Others tell me: “A good friend distanced himself from me,” or “This great devotee is dying from cancer, so how can we make a general statement that Krsna is merciful to His devotees? Maybe He is merciful to Srila Prabhupada, but not to me or those I know…” I would l
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare,
Padayatra in Nepal had started on January 19, 2021. Brahmacari Sahastranam dasa from Ukraine, who had been serving in Nepal for twelve years engaged in community and farm services lead the padayatra.
Another devotee,Premharinamdasa from Pune, Maharashtra, who had participated in the Dindi-yatra and served in Padayatra India, joined Brahmacari Sahastranam. Then Sahastranam Dasa had to go back to Ukraine. Then I by mercy of my spiritual master took up padayatra services. Some devotees joined in be
Cherie Dillon runs a butterfly sanctuary and teaching garden and is quite passionate in sharing her information on nature’s way of evolution from a caterpillar to a gorgeous butterfly. Krishna Kalam made his turn with the steering wheel in the driveway of the sanctuary when Cherie came out for an early morning breath. Arjuna, who was the other passenger in the vehicle, asked to go for a pee when Cherie responded, “Just go to the edge of the lot by the bushes. The acid will be good for attractin
Question: Namaste Swamiji. It is said that we should always associate with selfless people, and that’s very critical. Then, how should we interact with the people who are selfish? As you say, we should also love them as they are also part of God. So, if we are surrounded by such people, how should we act?
Radhanath Swami: By being a good example. Of course, if those people open their minds and hearts for us to speak to them about higher virtues and higher truths in life, then that is our servic
By Radha Mohan Das
Bhaktivedanta Manor celebrated its 50th anniversary in style last weekend. Amongst a huge myriad of devotional activities, there was a grand procession of 14 beautifully decorated trained oxen across the centre’s 79-acre estate.
Her Grace Vishaka Dasi, current Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor, said, “We are absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to be celebrating 50 years of Bhaktivedanta Manor – this year marks a historic milestone for our Temple; from the extrao
