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A few months ago I was in Leeds City Centre, North England. I stopped a serious looking man from Nigeria and was trying my best to break the ice. All my jokes were failing, all my questions brought an abrupt “no”, and he seemed to have practically no inclination toward spirituality.

Then I noticed something amazing: a Nrsingha kavaca around his neck!

I pointed at it and asked what it was – he didn’t have an answer. Then I showed him the kavaca around my neck. He immediately became enlivened.

“Yo

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By Jayabhadra devi dasi, IGF preacher

Every year Amravati’s ISKCON Girls’ Forum team along with other matajis organize a Vaishnavi padayatra on International Women’s Day. This year, however, we didn’t get permission for the event and consequently, we were all morose and had given up hope for our padayatra. But our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, gave us back our lost hope.

His arrival at our Sri Sri Rukmini-Dwarkadish temple on March 25 awakened our desire for padayatra. W

India's greatest gift to civilization is her highly advanced spiritual culture, based on the eternal truths of the Vedic literatures. Sometimes, however, we hear the strange idea that this culture is not meant to be shared with others. I have heard more than one Western professor of Indian religion say, "The idea of preaching about God in a missionary spirit is not part of India's religion. That's something the Christians introduced into India a few hundred years ago." And self-styled yogis som

Srila Prabhupada…“The sunrays are open to everyone, but the capacities of the receptacles differ. Foolish people think that devotional service is flattering the Lord to get special mercy. Factually the pure devotees who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord are not a mercantile community. A mercantile house renders service to someone in exchange for values. The pure devotee does not render service unto the Lord for such exchange, and therefore the full mercy of the Lord is

The Bedford Basin Yacht Club was the perfect venue for the marriage of local Haligonian Marshall Daley (a.k.a Mangalananda) and Ratri Saha (originally from Bangladesh). You have these still waters protected by Halifax harbour’s rock formations. It is a picturesque Maritime place.

The wedding, in Sanskrit it’s called vivaha yajna, attracted family and friends from both sides of the bride and groom. Rituals were performed outside, right next to ocean water, and the meal was inside the club. Anand

While distributing books at a university in Panama I went to a classroom to present our books. The professor liked what I had to present and asked me to speak to the students. We also chanted the Hare Krsna mantra. She liked what I said, along with the chanting. I mentioned to her that I have books that we distribute for donations and if the students want they can take the books. She liked everything so much that she told the students, “If you buy one book I’ll add .05 points to your final exam

We saw a yogi-type looking girl walking past our book table, so I called out, “Have you tried any yoga and meditation?”

She was super favorable and said, “Yes, I’m doing a yoga teacher-training course right now, and as part of my course I’m reading the Bhagavad-gita right now.”

Many times, people say that they are reading or own a Gita, but it is translated by some mayavadi, so I didn’t take her seriously.

I asked, pointing to Prabhupada’s translation, “Do you have this edition?”

To my surprise

After Thirteen Years With a "Yoga Cheater"

The path from the hatha-yoga ashram to the Radha-Krsna temple is a well-worn one. Many people who are now ISKCON devotees had in the past performed various stretchings, contortions, breathing exercises, headstands, and silent meditations before they learned of the higher yoga of Krsna consciousness. But Amala-bhakta's case is extraordinary: not only was he an expert hatha-yogi when he came to the Los Angeles temple in February of 1976, but he was also

My dear godbrother Kshudi Das Prabhu posted this:

I had a wonderful dream.

In the dream I saw my spiritual master, guide, and teacher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was talking with some important people. When he saw me, he came over to me. He took hold of both my hands. He looked right into my eyes like he used to do and said, “Do not worry. I am here for you. I will provide all the support and inspiration you need, just as I always have.” He touched my head and said, “I will stay i

One generous donor left us four hefty bags of the local fiddleheads from New Brunswick. The province boasts being the capital of this delicious forest edible. We had some for breakfast and some for dinner.

A sweet treat. Healthy. Green.

It was also our pleasure to make it to Sunnyside Mall in the next province over – Nova Scotia. Just north of Halifax is the community called Bedford, and it was advertised at this shopping centre that the Walking Monk, along with the dream team of musicians – Ma

May 4th, 2022 was a very special day at Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari Mandir, ISKCON Pune Camp temple as Dr. Arif Mohammed Khan, Hon’ble Governor of Kerala, visited the temple and participated in ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupad’s 125th Birth anniversary commemoration program. Along with him were also present Dr. Anant Bhagwat (President, GSPFP) and Shri Amitabh Gupta (Commissioner of police, Pune).

Amidst tight security arrangements, the chief guests w

ISKCON Newtown located in Kolkata, West Bengal India hosted a 4 Day Grand Deity Installation Ceremony from May 19th-22nd.  The Deities installed were given the name, Sri Sri Gaur Nitai by Jayapataka Swami. There was a huge assembly of devotees which Maharaj addressed by saying, “So you all are very fortunate Nitai Gauranga are being installed here. They are especially merciful.” He encouraged the spirit of service by exclaiming, “Service is the secret to success.”

The first day of the installat

We have information on the surface – Google. But if you get information from the Guru instead of Google, you go much deeper. Prabhupada was walking on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, and he was asking his disciples, “Why is the ocean so peaceful?” It is one of those questions, why is it so peaceful? Prabhupada then responded himself, “Because it is very deep.” So, if we go deep, we can become peaceful. If we live on the surface, that means we are dealing with things with the external energy, and

That happy sign “Trans Canada Trail” became visible as Ryan and I tread along the creek in a residential section of Fredericton. Its name is actually “The Great Trail.” It’s an old sign. In any event, when I see either signage it lightens my heart and I want to make use of the well-maintained trail, which is more than I can say for the roads.

“This is part of my physio,” I explained to Ryan. “Walking is the best exercise.” And while I was feeling the right knee to be more nimble and agile than

No time to be personal, I have my “to do” list. How can we help and encourage each other if we don’t take the time to know each other? There must be friendship among devotees and the time and space to develop it. Examples of friendship from the scriptures, Sudama, Arjuna etc. What is in our way is the tendency for impersonalism.

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By Acyuta-Bhava Dasa & Tarin Butterfield

May 15th, 2022 marked an important time in history for ISKCON Naperville (Illinois, USA); a special fundraising dinner for the construction of the new Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar Temple, with Member of Parliament and Bollywood star Hema Malini headlining the program.

The fundraising event was held at Ashyana Banquet Hall. The large banquet room was filled with promise and excitement, as all who attended were eager for the completion of this important proj

The Government of India through its National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) would soon begin the construction of ‘Prabhupada Ghat’ in the sacred pilgrimage town of Mayapur (India). The Bhumi Puja (ground-breaking ceremony) of the ghat took place on 13th May (Friday) at the existing Prabhupada Ghat site opposite ISKCON temple. The Director-General of NMCG, Shri G. Asok Kumar, participated in the program along with senior ISKCON leaders such Jayapataka Swami, HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami, and the Co-Di

Atheistic scientists and intellectual cynics rely totally upon their own brains for knowledge. Such brainpower has brought a little comfort for humankind, but at the expense of ruining our earth, atmosphere, and oceans. Human brains alone have caused more damage than good. In defence of this damaging progress, attempts are made to belittle religion.

Atheism Gets Romantic With Mammal Morality

It appears that a number of atheistic scientists have caught wind of the accusation of ‘No-purpose’ leve

I was sitting with monk Brhat Mrdanga and talking about the upcoming Bhakti Academy, a training for new men and women, when a call came in. It was the voice of a man.

“I am interested in a program for brahmacarya (celibate) life. I play basketball, and I really want to focus on the sport and not get distracted. I belong to a different faith than yours, but it doesn’t offer a program for what I want, the brahmacarya program.”

I was listening to his story and request for training and I turned the

When I open the window in the morning, I get a burst of a fragrant lilac explosion and that is early; before sun-up. By the time the sun does rise, the dynamic colour of this pleasant flower becomes an additional entertainer. Nature continues to surprise and charm us (also at times harm us).

Mahadeva, Annapurna, and I are putting the pieces together for a three-week trip to the east coast. In two days, the 18th, along with a young man, Bhakta Ryan from Montreal, we will depart for Nova Scotia t