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I have been watching for some time the videos of devotees distributing Bhagavatam sets, so I vowed that I will also do a Bhagavatam set each week.

I adjusted my approach and applied two new principles to achieve this raised bar that I set for myself:

1. Actually carry a set with me on my weekly book tours.
(Previously, I’d leave the sets in the storehouse and take it with me only after someone had placed an order.)

2. Display the whole set to every person that shows even a half-hearted interest

When Illness Takes Hold: Hopeful Words for Sadhakas explores the challenges and opportunities we face when dealing with illness (or losses and other obstacles) while practicing bhakti.

The book has three essays exploring the authors’ personal experiences and the spiritual solutions they found; a question and answer section; and a collection of quotes from our acaryas that are meditations for coping with illness.

Pranada dasi and Arcana-siddhi dasi, both disciples of Srila Prabhupada, have each

Many of the Vaishnavas CARE — Philadelphia Team along with other temple Devotees and Congregational Members who Volunteered at the Holistic Health Fair gathered for a photo after a blissful day of serving our new friends in the neighborhood.

Neighbors living near ISKCON Philadelphia spent the afternoon at the temple for a pleasant introduction to Krsna consciousness.

By Sangita devi dasi (ACBSP)

On Saturday, October 8, 2022, ISKCON Philadelphia and our Philadelphia Vaishnavas C.A.R.E. Team pre

Modern materialistic science is not sure about the origin and nature of most psychic phenomena including dreams. This information can be found in Vedic scriptures.
Srimad Bhagavatam 6.16.53-54, 7.7.25 or 7.15.61 describes three material states of consciousness:
1. jagrata, awakened state (beta, 14 – 20 Hz)
2. svapna, dreaming state (alfa, 7 – 14 Hz)
3. susupti, deep sleep (theta, 4 – 7 Hz)
Beyond them is the fourth state (turya) which is non-material (SB 6.5.12, 7.9.32, 7,15.54). On this level

This was a very inspiring day, one where we were commemorating the birth anniversary of one of our outstanding teachers in the bhakti lineage, Madhavacharya. He was a great scholar who challenged the philosophy of Mayavada with his doctrine on dvaita, personalism. He was born in 1238 and passed away in 1317.

It was perfect to be outside in the joy of the day as we had scheduled a visit to the spectacular Scarborough Bluffs. Our Bhakti Academy trainees and I took a brisk walk by the shores of m

Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, visited Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire to mark the start of the Hindu holy month of Kartik.

On arrival, the Labour leader was greeted and garlanded as part of a traditional ceremony to welcome guests, and met with the Temple President, Her Grace Visakha Dasi.

Sir Keir spoke to Her Grace about being the first female President of a major Hindu Temple in the UK and recognised her endeavour in keeping the Temple open during the pandemic.

Sir Keir

By Kripamoya Das

I try never to miss Monday evenings with the devotees online, but last night I had been invited to a dinner. Not a 40th anniversary dinner, although that would have been good too, but with Sir Keir Starmer and his inner circle of staff and advisors. They loved the prasadam of bindi subji, paneer, dahl, chapatis rice and gulabjamuns. The Labour leader told me he cooks his own dahl, and that his entire family is vegetarian.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=102873

It was hard to believe when the cake came out. I was visiting my sister Pauline in North York, as did two other sisters, Connie and Rose-Ann (I also have two brothers who live a distance away), and presented before me was a one-level, vegan cake with the number seventy pressed into the top. 

What was shocking to me was not the delicious flavor that the desert was, rather it was the number indicating seven decades of experience in this body. Yes, in this lifetime I have gone through “stuff” but

By HH Sacinandana Swami

Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us.
As I sit here in Vrindavan, I sometimes ask myself, “Does Krishna see my efforts? Does He care for such an insignificant and useless person?” I’ve seen many sincere practitioners of bhakti ask this question.

The answer is: yes, Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us. The Brihad- bhagavatamrita describes this in the instance when Lord Narayana welcomes Gopa Kumar after a long jo

By Sukanti Radha Devi Dasi — Bhaktivedanta Medical Association

The intensive care unit can be a very daunting area for most people. By having some understanding about how the bedside of an intensive care unit operates, it can help to put things in perspective and relieve a lot of anxiety of the unknown. One can then start to appreciate the wonderful service that takes place around the intensive care bedspace for the speedy recovery of a patient.

Here is the link to the rest of the article :

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Kartika

In the Padma Puräëa it is said, “The Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee, but after some devotional service has been executed, particularly in Mathurä during the month of Kärttika, the devotees want only to attain pure devotional service unto the Lord.” The purport is that the Lord does not award devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But even such unserious persons who execute devotional service according to the regulative principle

By Brahmatirtha Das

ISKCON, Chowpatty, in academic collaboration with the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies in Gainesville, Florida (BIHS) and the Bhaktivedanta Research Center in Mumbai (BRC), will be hosting an international hybrid conference at the Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) just north of Mumbai, November 4 – 6, 2022, entitled, “Puranic and Siddhantic Cosmology: Within an Experiential Mathematical Framework.”

For people trained in the modern sciences, Vedic knowledge offers many con

The Child Protection Office has an excellent service that you can engage in whether you live in, near, or far from a temple community. This much-needed Seva is one that you can do on your own or with others, such as your family or a reading group. Together we will compile a repository of all quotes and references from the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada related to the protection of children.

The quotes may directly reference children or the duty to protect other

My first class for today was held in Stouffville, a new and upcoming urban sprawl place. Along with it comes young families who are adherent to the culture of the Vedas. In the quaint lobby of a relatively current plaza unit is pinned on the wall’s bulletin board an invitation to talk about “The Nine Goddesses.” I thought that was a Vedic concept for sure. “Nine Mothers” is what some of us call it. 

Inside the main presentation room, which comfortably sits around fifty folks, the intensely pain

When a budding sculptor approached his master for guidance, he received some cryptic advice. After quizzing him on his purpose, the young craftsman replied: “More than anything else, I would like to sculpt a beautiful elephant.” Without the blink of an eyelid, the master set a block of stone and some tools in front of the young boy. “Here is some marble, a mallet, and a chisel” the master said, “all you have to do now is carve away everything that does not look like a beautiful elephant!” Simpl

Being sick is a serious ordeal these days. If it is a serious illness, it is double trouble. Willpower and wallet are put to test. Gauranga Dasa, a devotee from Odessa, found himself in such a difficult situation.

In March 2022, after an emergency operation for peritonitis, Gauranga Prabhu heard a terrible diagnosis – cancer.

There was a difficult operation where some of his intestines were taken out and his stomach was put in place, followed by an exhausting 5 cycles of chemotherapy. By the Lo

Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, visited Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire to mark the start of the Hindu holy month of Kartik.

On arrival, the Labour leader was greeted and garlanded as part of a traditional ceremony to welcome guests, and met with the Temple President, Her Grace Visakha Dasi.

Sir Keir spoke to Her Grace about being the first female President of a major Hindu Temple in the UK and recognised her endeavour in keeping the Temple open during the pandemic.

Sir Keir

Today is Bahulastami or appearance day of Radha-kunda . In this month of Kartik, the presiding deity of the month is Srimati Radhika and in the same month is also the appearance day of the lake which is the embodiment of the Love of Radharani. On this day, devotees from Mayapur visit Sri Caitanya Mutt and take holy dip in Radha Kunda snana on Bahulatami & do Parikrama.

Following is the description of Radha Kunda in Navadvipa Dham by Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Bhakti vinoda thakura and Sri Chaitanya

There were two of them – twins – just babies, Ronik and Ronok at six months are at an age where they receive their first grains in the form of kheer, a rice pudding, which signifies that they are entering a period of growth. This sweet ceremony where a brahman or priest feeds the first spoonful is a samskara, or sacrament, and is called anna prasanna. I was the priest.

One of them, held in parent’s hands, didn’t take too well but the other relished it like anything. When it came to their choice