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
It was just a busy beehive at 1626 Pie IX Boulevard, the centre for Krishna Consciousness. The sun was shining, and the humidity was on. At the intersection of Sherbrooke and Ste. Laurent, The chariot, a handsome piece of craftsmanship built and owned by Abhay Charan, a local devotee, was all in spiffy decorum and ready to roll, and not rock, on Ste. Laurent.
First, coconuts were to be smashed on the streets, a ritual for purification. A priest from the platform of the chariot came down hard w
By Atma Tattva Das
To unlock the spiritual potency of the rare month of Purusottama, the ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry (CDM) has launched an initiative to encourage and facilitate devotees worldwide to observe this auspicious period in the Vedic calendar. Purusottama Month, also known as Adhik Maas, is a sacred time that occurs approximately every three years and is highly cherished by Lord Krishna’s devotees.
The addition of the Purusottama Month to the Vedic calendar is predicate
By Taravali Devi Dasi
The Vaishnavas C.A.R.E. project continues to expand as a new chapter has formed at ISKCON Delaware, USA. In April 2023, two of the three Vaishnavis who started the local Delaware Vaishnavas C.A.R.E. team attended the official “Art of Caring for Vaishnavas” seminar that took place at ISKCON Philadelphia, presented by Sangita Devi Dasi. Bhaktins Jenna and Sherri were inspired by this much-needed service and formed a team with Bhaktin Staci to assist devotees during their ti
We are entering the sacred month of Purusottama, which comes once every three years and is said to be three times more potent than Kartik. During this month, devotees increase their chanting and hearing, and in particular they read Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad-gita, “Purusottama-yoga,” daily.
In a previous age during the Purusottama Month, Kaundinya Muni repeatedly chanted the following mantra every day throughout the sacred Adhika Masa:
govardhana dharam vande
gopalam gopa rupinam
gokulotsavam
