By Jayaprakash Ramsaran
One day, many years ago, I was standing in line at a grocery store. Some politician was on a television screen saying things that disturbed my mind. And then I thought, “Well, why am I listening to it? I’m standing here watching! It’s my own fault.” There’s a song lyric that says, “I don’t know what you expect, staring into the TV set.” The channel we watch is always our choice.
Deliberately find out how to change the channel. Or, cut the cord–just be sure to unplug it
By Madhavi Kumari devi dasi, Bhubaneswar
My husband Sundar Govind dasa and I recently joined the Utkala-Banga Padayatra for four days. Our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, always says, “Each one should join padayatra or if can’t at least do one-day padayatra,” and when padayatra reached Jatani, our hometown and suburb of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, we welcomed the padayatris and made arrangements for their accommodation.
The best part was I did book distribution with my daughter and son, Radha
702.02: Diksa-gurus [Title] – Increasing the Number of Diksa-gurus – 2021
[Meeting] – Online AGM (passed on July 29, 2021) [Category] – Statement
Whereas connection via diksa to the parampara is essential for anyone aspiring to advance in Krishna consciousness.
Whereas ISKCON needs a sufficient number of initiated devotees to perform many essential services, which can only be performed by properly initiated devotees
Whereas ISKCON still has a similar number of diksa-gurus as at the end of the
By Kamala Radha Devi Dasi
Bhakti Kids Sanga had started out with having devotional activities for families, resources for parents, and even yoga classes for children, but they heard a need in their community. There has seemed to be an influx of Hare Krishna podcasts popping up, but nothing geared towards children and family. “I’ve even noticed parents on Facebook groups for homeschooling say they wish there was a podcast” Abhidheya devi dasi shared with us.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/b
By Krishna Dharma Das
Some years ago, the GBC commissioned their Sastric Advisory Council (SAC) to produce a paper on ISKCON’s responsibility to protect its members from choosing unqualified gurus, versus the disciples’ responsibility to undergo due diligence in testing their prospective guides. This is from the GBC’s request to the SAC:
“Srila Prabhupada states that it is the responsibility of the prospective disciples to examine and test their prospective guru prior to initiation. Given that
A few of us created another Zoom Gita Study Group, with a west coast crew. It was our orientation day, but I must not forget to include three families from Saskatchewan, where they are encountering a terrific snow blizzard. “Not to worry,” I ensured Vivek and Amee. When the freak of nature rears its ugly head, we go into our holes and there’s nothing better to do on a wintry night than to cuddle around the comforting words of Bhagavan.
I want to thank those who joined today, and for every altern
The legendary singer and most recorded artist in the world (Guinness World Records) passed away on February 6, 2022 at the age of 92. I had the good fortune of meeting her in 1976 and spending several hours one on one with her over a three-day period.
In the summer of 1976, I received a call from Jagatpurusa das from Mumbai. He said that Lata (she told me to call her by her first name) and Mukesh were coming to Houston to perform in a concert and requested if I could arrange daily prasad for her
By Manojna Devi Dasi
Patanjali Muni das is head of the kitchen at Bhaktivedanta Manor, and he also oversees the preaching activities in ISKCON South Korea. Recently he ceremoniously received the life-size murti (sacred image) of Srila Prabhupada in the temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra, which is situated on the border of South Korea near to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which divides the South from the North.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/srila-prabhupada-arrives-in-south-korea/
By Snigdhamayi Sudevi Devi Dasi
India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) is a US-based non-profit charity. They aim to support the poverty-stricken people of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Their focus is to empower poor people through means of education and skill development, thereby making them capable of living a sustainable life. They serve beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, and color.
In January 2022, IDRF extended its support to the India Tribal Care Trust (ITCT) through the Internationa
Shortly after my father passed away in 2008, I wrote a poem in his honour, a way of saying “Thanks!” It will be his birthday on the 1st of February. He was born in the Netherlands, the place of tulips, in 1919. As a member of the Vaishnava tradition, bhakti yoga, we have a natural obligation to feel for our parents who did so much for us. Here’s my poem:
About Dad
Dear Creator
You struck a good balance
When you linked the leaf and petal
Came a man of heart and muscle
Smooth as silk, hard as me
By Snigdhamayi Sudevi Devi Dasi
Lord Nityananda was born in Ekachakra, a small village in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, around the year 1474. He was born to Hadai Ojha and his mother Padmavati. Nityananda Prabhu was born on the auspicious thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Magha month. As a child, Nitai would love to enact the different pastimes of the Lord. So much so that the entire village would be immersed in the love of Godhead. Once while he played the part of Lakshman and
From Back to Godhead
A gang intent on stealing Lord Nityananda’s jewelry eventually surrenders to Him, and He mercifully awards them pure love of God.
When I was eight or nine years old, my parents took me to the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. After meandering through myriad halls and galleries, we came across an exhibit of valuable gemstones in the Museum of Natural History. I remember being particularly struck by the famous Hope Diamond, a large bluish diamond pendant surrounded by s
𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑮𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒍!
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬:•❁•◈ ISKCON Mayapur ◈•❁• presents
◈• ✿ • ─── ❖ ─── • ✿ • ◈
🎊 A very special, 🎊
3 day online event ,
” Sri Nitai Kathamrit ”
on the most Auspicious occasion of
🌕 Sri Nityananda Trayodashi. 🌕
◈• ✿ • ─── ❖ ─── • ✿ • ◈
📌 These 3 days , 10 esteemed Vaishanas will share the nectarean pastimes and teachings of Lord Nityananda .
📌 So get ready to immerse in the soul quencher ocean of nectar of “Sri Nitai Kathamrit”.
📆 Event schedule 📆
▶️ 11th February ◀️
🎤 HH Bhakti Purushottam Maharaj
🎤HH Bhakti Vasud
How did all these cows, cowherd boys, cowherd men and cowherd women fit under Govardhana Hill? How? The answer is, simply by Krsna’s shakti. Mathematically, it was not possible. If you measured it with a measuring tape and calculate the area that these cows and other living beings would be taking, it would not be possible that they could all fit under Govardhana Hill. No way, they would have to stack the cows on top of each other. But no, by Krsna’s shakti, they all fit. This was an amazing thi
– bhajatam priti-purvakam
Author: Parasuram das
Blurb:
Valentine’s Day originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine.
Before execution, rather than cursing his unjust killers, Saint Valentine cured the jailer’s daughter of her blindness and execution in those days were pretty grim So basically Valentine’s Day is traditionally about making a sacrifice for a spiritual result, yes it has changed with time.
So this is a humble offering going o
Today is the disappearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri R
Dear follower of Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Kindly submit your homage to Srila Prabhupada for his Vyasa-puja book by April 7.
In addition, if you’re a direct disciple of Srila Prabhupada, please check out www.sptributes.com to learn about a Vyasa-puja book open to all his disciples. The deadline for submission to this book is April 15.
The standards for submitting an offering to the Vyasa-puja book published by the Bhaktivedanta Book T
Some years ago, the GBC commissioned their Sastric Advisory Council (SAC) to produce a paper on ISKCON’s responsibility to protect its members from choosing unqualified gurus, versus the disciples’ responsibility to undergo due diligence in testing their prospective guides. This is from the GBC’s request to the SAC:
“Srila Prabhupada states that it is the responsibility of the prospective disciples to examine and test their prospective guru prior to initiation. Given that the GBC gives tacit ap
