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By Syamala Devi Dasi and Malati Devi Dasi (ACBSP)  

With a heavy heart, I want to share that Devananda, affectionately known as “Pita,” passed away in the early morning hours of Sept 22, 2025. He leaves behind his beloved sons, Dwarka Van Pelt, Dhanan Van Pelt, and Chris Van Pelt. He has 5 beautiful grandchildren, Advaita, Anuradha, Gaura Lila, Sita, and Bhima.

Six months ago, he began the process of leaving this material world. Dwarka and his dearest sister, Linda Van Pelt, selflessly cared for

(An Excerpt from the book Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire, by Sri Nandanandana dasa–Stephen Knapp)

As we look over the various cultures and religions of the world, we may ask if all religious systems are divine. Though they seem to conflict with each other on various points, still there are many areas of truth in which they all agree. Or you could say that some of the same essential truths can be found within each of them. And by a careful comparison, we can trace the essence of that trut

From Back to Godhead

What is the effect of chanting Hare Krishna?

The names of the Lord in the maha-mantra Hare, Krishna, and rama are invested with His full potencies. Singing God’s names, therefore, is to contact Him through the medium of transcendental sound. Thus, the effect of chanting is the same as the effect of directly associating with the Lord. The following beautiful verse, written by Lord caitanya, describes the seven effects the Hare Krishna mantra has on chanters.

ceto-darpana-mar

From Back to Godhead 

Few of us realize as the farmer does how completely we’re at the mercy of nature. Even if the farmer lives not by selling crops but by selling cows for slaughter, still he’s keenly aware how much he relies on the bounty of the fields to fatten his herd. After he cuts his alfalfa, for instance, he needs two days to “make hay while the sun shines,” then more rain to make his crop grow for another cutting. And even if he irrigates his land, his river or well will go dry if ra

From Back to Godhead

Why Krishna’s holy names are the greatest treasure.

Some people fantasize about accumulating immense wealth and dream of what they would buy if they only had enough. To them, happiness hovers elusively on the other side of that new car, that big house, that diamond necklace.

While many of us will say, “Money can’t buy happiness,” do we really believe it? If not money, what is the solution to our hankerings? What is the greatest treasure that will bring true happiness? And h

From Back to Godhead

If God is inconceivable, as the scriptures state, can we really know anything about Him?

Sri Isopanisad states that Krsna is simultaneously very far away and very close. The Vedic scripturesencourage us: The best way to know Krsna and bring Him closer is to hear about Him.

As we open any book about Krsna, we’ll immediately feel the richness of the clear and scientific knowledge it contains. We’ll also come to understand that Krsna is by nature inconceivable to finite beings

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Pranada Comtois, author of the book The Bhakti Trilogy, has launched a comprehensive new YouTube series called “Exploring Bhakti” to provide modern seekers with a systematic and accessible introduction to the philosophy and practice of Bhakti. The series addresses a significant gap in online resources for those seeking to understand Bhakti philosophy in a methodical, comprehensive manner.

Pranada explained that the inspiration came after noticing the lack of q

King Yudhiṣṭhira was known as ajāta-śatru, or a person who had no enemy. Therefore, when all the men, demigods, kings, sages and saints saw the successful termination of the Rājasūya-yajña performed by King Yudhiṣṭhira, they were very happy.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “My dear King Parīkṣit, your grandfather King Yudhiṣṭhira was a great soul. His congenial disposition attracted everyone to be his friend, and therefore he was known as ajāta-śatru, one who never created an enemy. He engaged all the m

By Yogesvara Gopinath das

Date: September 21, 2025, Location: Ilford, East London

Sunday, 21st September was a very special day as the East London Hare Krishna Community got an opportunity to organize the 12th Jagannath Rathyatra Chariot festival in Ilford.

This was the annual Chariot festival when the Lord of the Universe (Lord Jagannatha) shows his mercy on everyone. There had been a lot of planning and management going around for more than 3 weeks to make this festival a success and a joyful

By Radhika krpa dd

In the year 2020, our beloved Guru Maharaja gave me the divine target of 1000 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets for distribution. With his causeless mercy and the blessings of Srila Prabhupada, I with my Peacefood Devotional Family; the sincere souls connected to me humbly kept striving year after year:

Progression of Sets Distributed: • 2020 – 425 sets • 2021 – 525 sets• 2022 – 565 sets• 2023 – 626 sets • 2024 – 805 sets

The Peacefood Devotional Family is a gathering of sincere souls, c

Developing the quality of empathy has many benefits for aspiring devotees of the Lord.

When I was doing my clinical psychotherapy internship in graduate school, a supervisor stressed connecting with our clients through realized empathy. Most of his interns came from privileged backgrounds, and he felt we needed more than just a theoretical understanding of our clients’ pain.

My first session in “experiential empathy” was with Doris, who suffered from schizophrenia. A slight woman in her early 3

Disagreement over issues is not as disruptive as disagreement over the importance of the disagreements 
When we see disruptive disagreements among friends who share our faith, we feel distressed. Why? Because we practice our faith to experience peace, not strife. Indeed, the specter of religious conflicts drives fence-sitters towards agnosticism, atheism or even anti-theism.
Why do such disruptions occur? Not because of the disagreements themselves; we can live with disagreements, and we often

Kartika month is observed this year from 16 Oct – 14 Nov , the most important month in our calendar, as it is very dear to Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. Just as there is no yuga equal to Satya-yuga, no scripture equal to the Vedas, and no place of pilgrimage equal to the Ganges, so there is no month equal to Kartika. During the Kartika month, millions of devotees worship Damodara Krishna with ghee lamps and devotional bhajans, glorifying His playful childhood pastime of stealing yogurt. And traditiona

When 15-year-old Kavan Pandya looked around his temple community at ISKCON Houston, he saw a challenge—and an opportunity. Every week, mountains of disposable plates, cups, and food scraps piled up after meals at Govinda’s Restaurant and Gauranga Hall. But instead of despairing, he decided to act.

“I am honored to share that our temple has recently launched a full composting program, making sustainability a core part of our service,” Kavan shared with an audience of North American leaders gather

From Back to Godhead

When Krishna leaves Vrindavana to become the ruler of a great kingdom, He remains the same Krishna, the treasure of His devotees’ hearts.

The Krishna deity worshiped at the Hare Krishna temple in Los Angeles, where I live, is named Dvarakadhisha, “the Lord of Dvaraka.” Dvaraka is the pristine island Lord Krishna rules in His adult years. (Although Krishna lived in Dvaraka when He was present on earth five thousand years ago, Dvaraka exists eternally in the spiritual world.

1 Sri Narada said: Asked by whom, and for what reason did Lord Krsna, the master of the universes, come to the earth? O best of the knowers of the Vedas, please tell.

2 Sri Narayana Rsi said: In ancient times, during the Varaha-kalpa, bearing a great burden and filled with grief, the earth took shelter of the demigod Brahma.

3 Accompanied by hosts of demigods, who were all unhappy at heart to be so troubled by the demons, she went to the assembly of Brahma, which is very difficult to attain.

4

“In the insurmountable darkness of sorrow in this world, the only light of hope is the association of pure devotees and their instructions on devotional service. “

Perfect happiness in this world is just a dream thing

Once there lived a king named Citraketu in the province of Surasena. Owing to his piety and righteousness, his kingdom flourished. There was one problem though. The king had no issue. Although he married one bride after another in order to have progeny, nonetheless all of them tur

From Back to Godhead

“Oh, these ropes of desires are strange indeed! A person tightly bound by them runs all around seeking happiness, but one freed from them stays calmly in one place.” (Niti-shastra)

“What’s it like to go back home to Krishna?” wondered ten-year-old Kiran at the weekly gathering for children from our congregation.

I responded by speaking about Goloka Vrindavana, our real home, where we aspire to

Dear devotees,

We are happy to announce that The Jolly Swami – Wit and Wisdom from Sridhar Swami is now available in eBook format worldwide.
His Holiness Sridhar Swami, lovingly known to all as the “Jolly Swami,” captured the hearts of devotees everywhere with his warmth, humour, and profound wisdom. Whether speaking from scripture, guiding in personal interactions, or sharing light-hearted reflections, his words carried deep spiritual strength and touched countless lives.

This collection br

Some suggestions on how to stay inspired.

Somehow, it happens that our motivation in Krishna consciousness may falter. Usually that faltering comes in the form of lacking the desire to do some practical service, associate with devotees, or develop our spiritual practices, such as improving the quality or quantity of our chanting or of our reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Whenever this happens to me or a friend, I realize the urgency and fragility of devotional service and the importance of