Krisztina Danka is an award-winning film maker and she sent me a message today, on behalf of “Karuna Productions,” that a short film (eleven minutes) was released, hoping I’d like it. It’s called “Play, Pray, Walk, Laugh,” subtitle “The Journey of Bhaktimarga Swami.”
I wrote back to her team saying I really liked it. Frankly, I forgot about the interview she conducted in February 2020, just around the time Covid was starting to make inroads.
The film is informative (“touching,” said a person wh
Welcome to Global Puja for Ukraine, a virtual prayer event, connecting participants from devotional and yogic communities around the world.
A global event to raise awareness; collectively pray for peace in Ukraine and the world; and support aid initiatives.
At the heart of the event lie three powerful, traditional pujas to Sri Narasimha, the deity of divine protection.
When: April 3, 2022
Where: LIVE at youtube.com…. (here we will insert the youtube link)
The event will span 3 distinct parts, c
One Prabhupada saying that often lingers in my ears is “It is better to chase the rhinoceros. If you fail, no one can say you have failed – everyone knows you cannot capture a rhinoceros, But if you succeed, they will say he has done the impossible.”
During last year’s lockdown, my wife and I were pondering how to reach out to the community in Longmont, Colorado, with Prabhupada books. We happened to see little house-shaped structures full of books on the front lawns of houses in our neighborho
In the attached photo is Olga from Ukraine. I was ending my 4-mile japa/ cardio walk at Haile Plantation, Florida. I approached her and asked her whether she likes to read. She was so happy to get Srila Prabhupada’s books.
She said, “I was just sitting here, asking God what I should do.” I told her that nothing happens by chance and God, Krishna, answered her prayer.
Always carry books as you never know who Krishna will send!
Source: https://www.iskconbookdistribution.com/just-sitting-and-aski
By Jayabhadra devi dasi
A one-day padayatra is a nice way of sensitizing villagers to ISKCON and the most-powerful holy name. As a Tuberculosis Officer in Maharashtra, I am continually sensitizing people to the disease, how to avoid it and control it, but we are all suffering from the disease of bhava-roga, repeatedly taking birth, and we need to bring this to people’s attention.
On February 19, 2022, the day of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja jayanti, I accompanied several devotees to a one-day pa
Exactly twenty years ago, with a group of three people, I came to the ancient Russian city of Suzdal to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. It was a bold decision to go to a place where almost every second resident is a nun or a priest, and almost every corner has a church or a temple.
On the first day, inspired by the morning program, I was walking around this exotic little town for about nine hours and offering books everywhere I could, but was unsuccessful. All the residents refused as if t
By Gaurangi dasi
Warsaw has been busy as always. Every day we have had groups of adults and children, approximately 60 daily transiting or staying in our temple or at the temporary rented house. Devotees who are only transiting through Poland are being supported by Ksenya and her husband, a lovely Ukrainian couple who live in Warsaw. They help them with further connections, checking the best routes, getting tickets as even though the travel is free, you still need to get a free ticket personally
Madhava Mohini, Gita Govinda, and I were in Waipukarau for one day of the mid-year marathon, and we had permission to set up a book table in front of New World.
About mid-way through the day, I called over a mature Maori lady (named Liz) with the line, “You look peaceful. Have you tried meditation?”
She didn’t answer the question, but she came straight to our table. She seemed captivated by the books and pictures on display and flicked through the books one by one. She fully focused on looking
Abdul Hasan Abdul Nisar, a native of Akot in Maharashtra’s Akola, has became the first person to ace ISKCON Ayodhya’s 18-day Bhagvad Gita online course by answering all 50 questions correctly.
The 27-year-old said, “All religions offer different paths to reach the same goal of oneness with an Almighty. I want to imbibe the best from the teaching of Lord Krishna which he gave to Arjuna on battlefield"
Nisar’s feat offers hope in the current environment of religious animosity.
The course titled Bh
More and more devotees are fleeing Ukraine every day and taking shelter in safer neighboring countries, like Hungary. All the devotees have their own stories and experience – these two young ladies were ready to share theirs with the community of devotees all around the world. Listen to how Nikunja-devi Devi Dasi and Ekantarani Devi Dasi left Kyiv and how Krishna helped them find shelter.
Reporter: Gandharvika Prema Dasi, ISKCON Communications Hungary
Source: https://iskconnews.org/interview-w
“Life exists not because of a functioning body, but despite being in an inherently dead body.”
Life after death is a popular philosophical topic with varying opinions about its possibility. The Bhagavad-gita is clear about it – life is eternal, unimpeded by death.
“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another bo
Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Manager Premaniketana das, security man Lila Jagannath das, and now Congregational Care officer Kanhaiya das have traveled to Hungary to help the devotee community there to distribute vegetarian food (prasadam) as well as practical supplies to the needy. The same team is now active on the Polish and Romanian borders.
As a result of the generous donations in response to the joint campaign by Bhaktivedanta Manor and the Lotus Trust, Temple Manager Premaniketana das, security
The following reports have been sent to ISKCON News by the Share Your Care Team
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/ukrainian-stories-from-the-frontlines/
On March 17, around 8 PM, 150 men tried to forcibly occupy a parcel of land owned by ISKCON Bangladesh. The property is a ten-minute walk from ISKCON’s main temple in Dhaka, the Swamibag Temple, and is adjacent to a smaller ISKCON temple on nearby Lalmohan Saha Street.
“We were using the land for storage and plan to develop it in the future,” said Jagatguru Gauranga dasa, ISKCON Co-Regional Secretary for Bangladesh. “The men showed up with three large trucks and began looting the things we keep
There is one thing that The Supreme Personality cannot tolerate, and that is pride. It is false pride. Whenever a living being takes great pride, then Krsna will make arrangements to cut down that pride. And of course what reason do we have to be proud? Because after all, we are dependent. We are never fully independent. We are dependent on the Lord for everything we do. It is by the grace of the Lord that we can do anything. Otherwise, we are completely powerless. Whatever power we have is a g
The fun thing about walking is that when you turn a corner there is something new for the optics. Always a surprise. For instance, you can be on a straight walkway, sheltered from wind, but you turn that corner and suddenly you’re hit by harsh cold or turbulent warmth by the gust. It’s also a change of scenery.
When you turn that corner and, with welcome, a streak of sun can dart at you; especially at dusk. It’s a nice feeling.
Once our guru, Prabhupada, said “Around every corner there’s a brah
By Gurushakti Dasi
I returned to Reading today where I met Noddy, aged 83. Having successfully stopped him in his tracks, I introduced him to the Bhagavad Gita. I explained it contains the oldest writings known to man.
This attracted Noddy’s interest and he was fascinated by our scriptures wanting to know more. We spoke for some time whilst I expanded on the essence of the teachings. Noddy revealed his wife had passed away three years ago and he still feels incomplete without her. Whilst being o
We are deeply saddened to see the suffering faced by people who are victims of the escalating war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people are in need of our sincere prayers. While we are staying warm and comfortable in our homes with our families, in Ukraine it is getting harder and harder for people to get hot food, shelter, medications, and in some places, even drinking water.
We are doing all we can to support the humanitarian aid efforts of The Lotus Trust UK team who are c
In the light of the severe humanitarian crisis that is being brought about by the current war in Ukraine we want to dedicate Kirtan Mela 2022 to pray to our merciful Lords Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Panca Tattwa, and Lord Nrisimhadev for the protection of their devotees affected by this war, for protecting their lives and their Krishna Consciousness, and give them all the hope and support we can. We also want to use this event to render some practical service, to see how you can help the Ukrain
By Caitanya Chandra Das
ACCOMMODATING REFUGEES in Hungary
As far as accommodation is concerned, to date, 90 Ukrainian devotees have come to Hungary, including 32 children. Some devotees were in transit and just stayed overnight, others are staying longer term to rest and weigh up their options.
Presently there are 60 Ukrainian devotees (18 children) in Hungary, some are housed with devotees, some in the Budapest temple and others in the New Vraja Dhama farm community. Five families (7 Vaishnavi
