This book distribution story needs a little background. It’s like many stories from so many devotees all over the world, which give us a sense of the unexplainable magic of book distribution.
Those deeply mystical points in time, those strange moments, when synchronicity only gives a vague explanation for what just happened. Points in time when you just know deep down in your soul that Paramatma, the Supersoul, is actually the person doing everything. He is in the heart of the distributor, He i
Yesterday we celebrated Gopastami in Sridham Mayapur, which was accompanied by the disappearance day of three auspicious personalities. From today the countdown has begun as we have just merely 6 days to go until the Kartik month comes to an end.
Coming up are auspicious dates to note.
From the 4th to the 8th is Bhisma Panchaka, this is the last 5 days of the Month of Kartika and is said to be very important for all observers of Kartik Vrata. In the Hari BhaktiVilasa, it is said that if one is
The class today was mine to move and shake a heart and brain. If I was able to do that with just a pinch or an inch of effectiveness then I consider it at least a minor success.
The topic of this morning was about the monk, Kapila. Born of outstanding parents, Kardama and Devahuti, he was an obvious product of pureness. In the book Bhagavatam he is put in the category of Mahajan, being one of twelve trail-blazing bhakti masters. He was a teacher of sankhya philosophy which delves into details o
We frequently hear that such and such exalted Vaishnava is an eternal associate of Krishna or Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Some other terms used for an eternal associate of Lord are Sangi or pāriṣada. Let’s hear from Srīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura what is the real significance of being called an eternal associate of Lord and what is the qualification needed to be called one.
The Gauḍīya: Ṭhakura [Narottama dasa] Mahāśaya writes, gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gane, nitya-siddha kari māne, se yāya braje
The ISKCON Environmental Initiative (IEI) Global Green Team is offering an online workshop Friday November 18 to discuss and promote environmental practices which can be implemented in temples, communities and private households. Attendance is free and open to all ISKCON devotees, leaders, friends and supporters.
Topics will include:
– Meet the Global Green Team
– Share Insights on Environmental Sustainability
– Plan Green Strategies
– Greening Your Local Community
The two-hour session will inc
This is the month of Domodhara, hence this poem, “Charm Boy”
He is both menacing and adorable
His sweet innocence reveals He’s not deplorable
Babyhood charm is written all over His face
And wherever He is he transforms that very space
That space is on earth and beyond the skies too
His parents impose upon Him a decent curfew
Yet He sneaks away at night under the moon
After plotting a rally of monkeys and friends by noon
The plot is to scout the neighbors’ homes
And swarm their butter stoc
By Jayaprakash Ramsaran
“The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.” Bruce Lee
The magnifying glass is a source of constant fascination for young kids; I know it was for my brother and me. We used them to learn wilderness survival. Ostensibly, if we were ever backpacking and got lost, we’d have to start a fire. So, we took advantage of that to see how many things we could start alight by using the heat of the sun.
There we were in the backyard, finding little pieces of pap
Prabhupāda: Be happy and make all others happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. That is Vedic idea. Everyone be happy. That is the benediction. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says also the same thing, that let this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement be preached in every village, in every town of the world. People will be happy. That is His foretelling. So any missions, any high ideals, should be preached just to make everyone happy. Because in the material existence,
Today is Gopastami, the day on which Krishna and Balarama and other boys Their age, who previously had tended the calves, were given charge of the cows. This event is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.1):
tatas ca pauganda-vayah-sritau vraje
babhuvatus tau pasu-pala-sammatau
gas carayantau sakhibhih samam padair
vrndavanam punyam ativa cakratuh
“When Lord Rama and Lord Krsna attained the age of pauganda [six to ten] while living in Vrndavana, the cowherd men allowed Them to take up the
“Bless My Son”
Living with Srila Prabhupada.
By Rukmini Devi Dasi.
The ultimate anxiety for every parent is how their child will fair in the world. Srila Prabhupada’s mother wanted him to study in London and become a barrister, akin to the current day I.T. specialist who scores a job in the USA. However, Srila Prabhupada lovingly describes how his father’s ambition differed. Gour Mohan De wanted Abhay (Srila Prabhupada ’s birth name) to be skilled in mridanga and the art of knowing and sharing
Mitch from Orangeville came by to join us on the prearranged walk to the Brickworks and beyond. Usually, I can pack in some japa on beads; chanting during these urban pilgrimages, which are actually located in ravines. However, today was just talking all the while. The topic of Tattva, philosophical truths, according to the devotional perspective and practical realities were what occupied our time. It was sweet. We even cited a beaver lodge.
Now, I am the first to admit that I am a trite bit be
The following account was given by Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Atma Tattva Dasa.
One Ekadasi during the Kumbha-mela in Allahabad, Prabhupada was sitting back with his eyes closed, his legs stretched under his desk, talking about Ekadasi. Prabhupada said, “Lotus pods fried in ghee are very good on Ekadasi.” Somebody immediately ran to the market to arrange for lotus pods, but just two minutes later a Ramanandi brahman and his nine-year-old son arrived, both wearing Ramanandi tilak. They paid thei
By Giriraj Swami
Early this morning Srila Prabhupada’s beloved disciple, my dear godbrother, Sankha Dasa departed this world. You can read about him and his wonderful service to Srila Prabhupada in Juhu in the following excerpt from my book I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story. I have no doubt that Srila Prabhupada has called Sankha Dasa back to him. He is in the front row at the far left in the attached photo.
After Nara Narayan left, we didn’t have a steady gardener for almost two years—u
MY FIRST VISIT TO ISKCON
Entered in the mood of INQUISITIVENESS
Accumulated thoughts to get ADDRESS
Darshan was CLOSE
To wait, I CHOSE
In the temple hall, I was ALONE
Saw shining statue on THRONE
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada- name was written BELOW
Who is he? How to KNOW?
Bhagavad-Gita As It Is was kept NEARBY
The same name written below- don’t know WHY?
He is an author, I GUESS
Opened it with EAGERNESS
Brief Introduction of Author in BOOK
Oh! Great! Let me LOOK
His
In some respects, it was a long hard day; a workshop on kirtan standards. It went well though and I was happy with the turnout at our ISKCON Montreal center. The course covers directions or standards on conducting chanting sessions either by those who lead or those who respond to kirtan. As usual, we go through the points of the mood behind chanting, the execution, the collaboration, the inclusiveness, the etiquette, etc.
Kirtan has become popular among our youth around the world and much of th
And people are so fool that they send their wife and their daughter for performing rasa-līlā. Things are going on like that. You know the Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s life? A similar rasa-līlā was going on. You know that story? Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was magistrate, and one person in Orissa, he declared himself that “I am Viṣṇu,” and in the village he was enticing young women and girls to dance at night. And some of them protested, and they lodged complaint to the government that “This person is doing
New Mayapur ISKCON Education Center has provided shelter for devotees who have been displaced in Ukraine.
The main task for New Mayapur currently is to increase its energy self-sufficiency as the vital infrastructure of Ukraine is being destroyed including power plants and electricity distribution networks. Now there are around a hundred Vaishnava refugees relocated to the education center.
To donate and help New Mayapura please visit Share Your Care’s website.
If you or your community would b
Mariupol is one of the biggest сities in East Ukraine. There used to be more than 500,000 people before the war broke out. However, now the сity is mostly destroyed. But those that could not leave remain to survive day by day.
The city has no gas, electric power, or water. Many people are living in the basement of buildings. They have to cook with firewood. As winter approaches, it is very important to provide them with a hot meal.
Ukrainian authorities reported outages in nearly 600 towns and
It is now my service to stay here in Vrndavana. This service of mine is not the service of all of you – you all still have to carry on. You still have to go back to all the different places of the world where you come from and spread Krsna consciousness there. That has to be done! I was thinking of Srila Prabhupada’s lions, and how Prabhupada was known as the simha guru. His guru was also known as the simha guru – the lion amongst all spiritual masters. And it is clear that Bhaktisiddhanta Sara
