Based on the Teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada
Twenty-first century Krsna consciousness is witness to a few new catch phrases. Among them are “inspiration” and “care for devotees,” Unfortunately, by themselves these terms are somewhat vague, so referring to Prabhupada may provide clarity. He used “inspiration” as follows: a motivation coming from paramatma or Sri Krsna,(1) an increasing attachment for Krsna impelled by His…
Thirty years ago I was doing the Prabhupada marathon at the Chicago airport. One afternoon, we devotees were so intoxicated by distributing books that we decided to show that one doesn’t have to speak to sell books, that book distribution just depends on our state of consciousness. So we didn’t speak.
Just after loading my bookbag with (20) maha books I tapped a man on the arm and…
From Back to Godhead
Through the ages Western man has alternately
pondered or ignored death, the most
persistent yet least understood fact of our existence.
In the year A.D. 138, the great Roman emperor Hadrian lay dying in a villa overlooking the Bay of Naples. For many years he had been the mighty ruler of the Western…
After some time, Lord Nityananda was approached by Madhai, where he said that “My Lord, You’ve pardoned me, You’ve given me Your mercy, but I am haunted by the idea that with my hand, I have struck You and I have caused You to bleed. And I am just obsessed with this thought that I have committed this offence to You and how can I actually be forgiven. Even though You’ve pardoned me officially, still I was thinking that I…
I often have to encourage devotees, especially those not living in the temples, to rise early in the morning and come to the temple for the morning program, or to have one at home. Devotees should generally rise by 4 am, which means that their lives must be organized in such a way that they get sufficient rest, meaning taking rest early.
Certainly there are many considerations for individual cases; however, we will see from the collection of quotes from…
“Shoot him,” said the man with the crowbar. Kshudhi felt the cold metal against his skull and chanted Hare Krishna like never before. His nimble nineteenyear old body was tucked under the bed. The other four men with guns hesitated. They attacked the house knowing that a Johannesburg vegetable merchant had kept cash there, but were they ready to kill for it?
Less than two…
I first see him just after crossing the Bowery at Houston Street. As he passes before the iron-mesh fence of a playground, I distinctly glimpse the aura of saintliness. I watch him through the rushing traffic and stumbling derelicts.
He strolls almost jauntily down the sidewalk. He is an old man whom age has never touched. Aloof from the people and bustle about him, he walks…
From Back to Godhead
A mother’s extraordinary love for her premature son draws those around her closer to transcendental knowledge of the soul.
In college Carol studied psychology and sociology, preparing for social work. Living in a Catholic convent during her first two years of college, she had hoped her aspiration to serve God and humanity would…
By Praghosa Dasa
At a recent public lecture I attended the speaker was asked the above question by a respectable Muslim lady. Her full question was; given that we all believe in God, why are there so many different religions? While the speaker understood exactly what she was asking he diverted for a moment to suggest that unfortunately we do not all believe in God. Rather there is a significant and powerful lobby making extensive propaganda…
Just from a logical deduction perspective, Sri Krsna has to be the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, one without a second. There is no one in the history of the universe that can compare to Him, in transcendental beauty, paraphernalia, qualities, pastimes etc.
(The following are names of some of His exquisite paraphernalia; His milk bucket, His signet ring, His…
Just after the 12 years of exile of the Pandavas was completed, they were considering where to spend the remaining 1 year incognito. While still in the forest, a brahmana came to them and reported that the sticks which he used for igniting his sacrificial fire had somehow gotten entangled in the antlers of a deer, and the sticks were now gone. The sage asked the Pandavas to see if they could possibly return the sticks.…
16 years ago, after graduating from UCL with a management degree, I opted to leave it aside and embrace monastic life instead. Ironically, it’s all come full circle; dealing with people, projects and practicalities is a sizable section on the modern monastic menu. I must have some management karma to burn off. Balancing spiritual immersion and practical politics, however, is…
Pravin Wakle Prabhu and his team of young Youth Forum devotees at ISKCON Chowpatty very enthusiastically distribute books after work. Pravin works at a software firm in Lower Parel. After work he and his devotee friends put up stalls at either D-mart or at some spiritual event happening around the Thane / New Mumbai area.
Here’s one of the heart-warming experiences he told us about.
On a Sunday we were…
After graduating from high school in 1966, my friend and I went to the Village in New York City to check out the scene. While there, we heard a, ‘ching, ching, ching, ching, ching, ching’ and turned around. Looking through the intense heat waves we saw, in double file, a group of somebodies or somethings in saffron orange clothes, singing, playing instruments, and floating down the hot sidewalk. I turned to my friend…
Wherever we see the greed for wealth, gold, power, prestige, name or fame – consequently we see a rise in hate, envy, fighting and war.
Greed is a source of misery because it never gets satisfied. Its demand increases more and more, despite of our efforts to pacify it. It is compared to feeding a blazing fire, no matter how much amount of fuel you put in, the fuel gets consumed in seconds. It always ends in dissatisfaction.
The harder…
After a decade-long struggle with the West Bengal government (formerly Communist-dominated), some good news is finally underway.
The 700 acres of Sridham Mayapura land, in titles of individuals, is soon to be amalgamated so that ISKCON can official own all of it. The land is valued at approximately…
How often you shout at your friends not to tag you on Facebook photos?
Did you ever had thoughts of wearing burka?
Did you ever fasted to loose weight & then after 1-2 days because of hunger ate whole fridge then sat & wept?
If you practice spirituality, did ever your yearning for God increase seeing a fresh line on your face?
Or did you once went…
By Jagat Sakshi dasa
Former Minister of foreign affairs Sri Sushma Swaraj ji is no more among us.
May Lord Krishna grant His mercy to this soul. In 1998, Sushma Swaraj ji inaugurated our ISKCON Delhi Temple with the then Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji.
Iskcon will always remember the work she did. He helped Moscow temple and…
By Chaitanya Charan das
Speaking on the Mahabharata outside Bharata – at Princeton
During my visit to Central New Jersey, 2016, Govinda Prabhu and I spoke at Princeton University on the topic of “Tragic Hero? Lessons from the life of the Mahabharata character Karna.”
Vineet Chander (Venkat Bhatta Prabhu) serves as the Director of Hindu Affairs at Pinceton…
