Srila Prabhupada: In 1936, just on the 13th, December, I wrote him one letter. Not 13th. I think by the beginning of December, 1936, I wrote one letter to Guru Maharaja. I knew he was little kind upon me, so I wrote that “Guru Maharaja, you have got many disciples. I am also one of them. But they are doing direct service to you. Some of them are brahmacaris, some of them sannyasis, but I am a householder. I cannot…” Of course, I was giving sometimes some monetary help, but I could not give any
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A Talk by Giriraj Swami
December 19, 2005
San Diego
We are gathered on the most auspicious occasion of the disappearance anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada, the spiritual master of our Srila Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in Jagannatha Puri as the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who was a magistrate and the superintendent of the Jagannatha temple in Puri. At that time, during the British rule, the position
So, this afternoon I just opened up and started to read from this book Amrta-vani, teachings from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. I read a lot from this book, I like different references that are given here. They are very philosophical and I see how Prabhupada was speaking so much about these points.
Of course, someone may say, “Why don’t I just read from Prabhupada’s book? Because these points are there in Prabhupada’s books”
But this book was made available, and I’ve been re
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him very well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work.
We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy desce
Birthplace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
at Sri Jagannatha Puri Dhama
By Chandan Yatra Das
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was a foremost scholar and Lord Krishna’s devotee of his day. Born on 6 Feb 1874 at Jagannatha Puri, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is the child that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed to Lord Jagannatha for, wanting an able assistant to preach Krishna Consciousness. His divinity was evident from birth. When he was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped
By Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Sarasvati Thakura
In the early 1930s, the intrepid preacher of Krishna consciousness receives grand receptions from the devoted people of South India.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the spiritual master of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This article is an excerpt from Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava.
South India, 1930–31 and 1932
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted to install 108 pada-pithas (replicas of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s f
By Arya Devi Dasi
The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies Launches New Podcast Series “The Insight Stream: Science Meets Philosophy.” The podcast aims to bridge the gap between scientific inquiry and philosophical exploration, fostering a deeper understanding of topics such as consciousness, intelligence, ethics, and the nature of the universe. By encouraging dialogue between scientific and philosophical perspectives, The Insight Stream seeks to inspire curiosity and engagement in the pur
By Yudhisthira Dasa
In 1976, Michael Cassidy (Mangalananda Dasa) wrote and recorded a song called “A Change of Heart,” which captivated tens if not hundreds of thousands of listeners. I remember playing it again and again, singing along to the lyrics. Fond memories. Here is a link to the song and lyrics which say:
A caterpillar changed his mind, and woke to find himself defined
His old self had to die for him to be a butterfly.
He tired of walking on the ground, and so around himself he wound
A
It was a whole night and half a day that I was up in the air, I’m not always stepping on the ground. It was such a pleasure to be greeted in Argentina by Muktinath, one of the actors I’ll work with, Daksha, who runs a successful Veg restaurant, an Meru devi, coordinator for the weekend Chariot Fest. Once we reached the ISKCON Centre, I wasted no time.
I was graced with a welcoming committee doing kirtan, got well fed and dove into practice for the play, “ The Jagannatha story” in Spanish. I a
By Atma Tattva Das
This year, the Krishna Balarama Youth Group (KBYG) in Johannesburg marks a monumental milestone—21 years of fostering devotion, community, and transformation within ISKCON South Africa. Over two decades, KBYG has been a beacon of inspiration, not just for youth in Johannesburg but for devotees and seekers across the nation and beyond. As they celebrate this occasion, they reflect on their journey, challenges, contributions, and the enduring spirit that has shaped the platform
By Sunanda Das
Since construction began on the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Sridham Mayapur in 2009, many devotees have argued back and forth about whether the TOVP is the Adbhuta* Mandir referred to in a prediction by Sri Nityananda Prabhu while taking Jiva Goswami on a parikrama of Navadvipa mandala.
The exact quote from the Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is as follows:
eka adbhuta mandira ei haibe prakasa
gauranga nitya-seva haibe vikasa
“An astounding temple will
I arrived just yesterday from a flight from Edmonton and this evening I depart for Buenos Aires, Argentina. To keep some semblance of good health I must walk. At 4 pm I left on foot in a northwest direction. When on Bathurst Street a middle aged man crossed the street to greet me. He saw my japa beads in hand and spoke.
“You are praying for us? And I guess he meant for humanity to which I responded with a “yes” and I put his hands together with mine and he gave a smile. I carried on. The traf
“Man proposes, God disposes” has been the cause of immense frustration for humanity since time immemorial. The best plans are often foiled forever in a single moment by factors beyond human control. Misery can be said to be the condition in which we are unable to get what we want and / or are forced to accept that which we don’t want. A thoughtful person can perceive that misery is an unavoidable, inescapable companion during the sojourn through this world (Bhagavad Gita 8.15). Everyone is put
An allegory from the Srimad-Bhagavatam sheds light on the mind/body connection.
This article was originally presented at ‘Toward a Science of Consciousness,’ an international conference attended by leading scientists, physicians, philosophers, and other scholars, and hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Is There A Conscious Self distinct from the physical mechanism of the body? Is there a mind distinct from the brain? Those who answer yes to such questions are called dualists, and th
From Back to Godhead
A brief analysis of Bhagavad-gita 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6.
The Bhagavad-gita is one of the world’s perennial wisdom texts. Because it offers knowledge of the Absolute Truth, some of its texts can be difficult to understand. Few are as difficult as verses four and five of Chapter Nine: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Alt
By Adi Purusa Krsna Dasa
The construction of a new temple extension hall at ISKCON Adelaide, South Australia, was finally completed, and its doors opened to the public on Saturday, December 7, 2024. The occasion was celebrated with a grand inaugural ceremony, which was accompanied by mantra-chanting, ecstatic kirtans, and gaiety.
We faced many trials and tribulations during this arduous journey. Still, ultimately, by the mercy of the presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara, we prevailed.
According to science, compassion is not something that we are born with or that we have or don’t have; it is cultivated by deliberate effort. In November 2024, Bhaktivedanta Academy’s 7th-10th grade students in Alachua, Florida, were engaged in a month-long project entitled “108 Random Acts of Kindness.” To see highlights of the initiative, click here.
To follow Bhaktivedanta Academy, please visit their website and like/subscribe to their Facebook and YouTube accounts.
Source: https://iskconnew
On the first Wednesday of every month I have the privilege of being virtually with the Caribbean devotees for one of those Gita chats. I am on regular calls with people interested in the Gitas dynamism and what this great documented conversation has done for meaningful transformation. I relish each call. What a treasure it is to hear from the words of God and sharing it.
One thing I have noticed is how each group of people has its own personality. The devotees on todays call (we missed Wednes
If time is relative, what about space? How to make time go slowly, or faster?
Most of us live constantly busy, living with the idea that there is not sufficient time. It would not be nice if we could stretch and contract the time at will, getting more time to do things we want, making pleasurable moments last for an eternity, and painfully experiences pass in a moment?
The good news is that time is relative. Time works differently in different parts of the cosmos. It can be stretched or contrac
Developing the quality of empathy has many benefits for aspiring devotees of the Lord.
When I was doing my clinical psychotherapy internship in graduate school, a supervisor stressed connecting with our clients through realized empathy. Most of his interns came from privileged backgrounds, and he felt we needed more than just a theoretical understanding of our clients’ pain.
My first session in “experiential empathy” was with Doris, who suffered from schizophrenia. A slight woman in her early 3
