On the phone I said, “There’s this beaver in the water, just five meters away from me playing with a branch.”
“That is a real Canadian story, if ever I heard one,” said Nrsimhananda, my friend from the west coast. Our conversation in session had been interrupted when I saw the rodent acting in this way.
I continued, “I’ll get closer to him and I’ll bet he’ll slap his tail, in defensive warning, but no, he’s practically domesticated, used to humans.”
We were both fascinated by this, but I
A look at what the Srimad-Bhagavatam has to say about time, a concept that has challenged philosophers for centuries.
Time is a little difficult to define. Philosophers and theologians have tried for at least twenty-five centuries. Albert Einstein remarked, in the midst of slightly more esoteric statements regarding physics, that time was what his wristwatch measured. St. Augustine said that he knew what time was as long as no one asked him to explain it. And sounding a note of frustration in
By Jaya Vamandev Das
In the spiritually charged atmosphere of Vrindavan, over 450 brahmacharis gathered for the NIDC (North India Divisional Council) Brahmachari Retreat Camp, creating three days filled with learning, reflection, and heartfelt devotion.
The retreat was made especially memorable by the presence of revered senior leaders, including Guru Prasada Swami, Lokanath Swami, Bhakti Ashraya Vaishnav Swami, Radheyshyamananda Swami, Vrindavan Chandra Swami Prabodhanand Saraswati Swami, and
As we were making our way to the Marion Correctional Services, Akilananda and I were headed toward the moon. But that moon was slowly fading as it was the sun’s turn to take prominence. Trees were revealed, including Ohio State’s official tree, the Buckeye. Trees are always good to look at.
Our purpose in going to prison is not so much to view trees, but to visit Arjuna, a devotee from Ohio. He has four more years to go.
Arjuna met us in the section where visitors meet prisoners. After Akil
Do you know we have Seven Mothers ?
Yes we have Seven Mother According to Vedic Scriptures Let us see who are they :
ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī
brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ
SYNONYMS
ātma-mātā—one's own mother; guroḥ-patnī—the wife of the guru; brāhmaṇi—the wife of a brāhmaṇa; rāja-patnikā—the wife of a king; dhenuḥ—the cow; dhātrī—the nurse; tathā—thus; pṛthvī—the earth; sapta etā—these seven; mātaraḥ—mothers; smṛtāḥ—should be remembered as.
TRANSLATI
A Krishna Conscious mother plays a very influential role in the lives of her children, especially in the development of their Krishna consciousness.
A Krishna Conscious Mother selflessly serves her children in the service of Lord Krishna.
A Krishna Conscious Mother constantly prays to Krishna for the welfare of her children.
A Krishna Conscious Mother is the shelter for her children when the world’s ways trouble them.
A Krishna Conscious Mother guides her children to seek the shelter of the Sup
“There are very exalted spiritual understandings in Krishna consciousness. They are not fictional, imaginary, or concocted. They are facts, and every devotee can have the privilege to understand and indeed take part in Krishna’s pastimes if he is actually advanced. We should not think that the privilege given to Mother Yasoda is not available to us. Everyone can have a similar privilege. If one loves Krishna as one’s child, then one will have such a privilege, because the mother has the most lo
It is an odd development of the modern world that being excessively anxious about our children is considered a virtue. We consider ourselves good parents if we make life easy for them, reward them for the smallest achievement, and are anxious for their safety and well being at all times.
There is, however, a hidden message in all of this anxious attention and it’s not good. As a teacher and school principal for 20 years, I saw all kinds of kids and all kinds of parents. For those who had confid
(Rukmini Walker’s speech in honor of International Women’s Day at the Institute for Spiritual Culture, The Glories of Our Mothers Conference, in Mayapur, India, March 3rd, 2019.)
I’m very grateful to have been invited to speak at this conference, on the Glories of Our Mothers. Specifically, I’ve been asked to speak on the traditional Vedic aphorism that, in this world, we must honor seven mothers:
“Our own biological mother; a guru or wife of our guru; a queen or head of state; brahminis, or wi
We do not know the power of what one book will do. The Bhagavad-gita made me a devotee! It was a Bhagavad-gita that I got from a friend. My friend bought it, read it and then passed it onto me. I have no idea where that Bhagavad-gita ended up after me. I still had it when I moved into the temple but what happened to it after that, I cannot remember.
The books we distribute lives a life of its own and goes from one person to another. It finds people. It is not just that we find people; the book f
This talk centers on the spiritual significance of prasadam (food offered to God) within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, drawing from a passage in Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madhya-lila 14). The speaker begins by recounting how King Prataparudra, after receiving the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, humbly serves Him and later arranges an abundant offering of food for Lord Jagannath. The text vividly describes an extraordinary variety of offerings—fruits, sweets, milk preparations, grains, and de
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
On Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most auspicious days in the Vaishnava calendar, ISKCON Kolkata laid the foundation stone for a memorial at the birthplace of Srila Prabhupada in Tollygunge, South Kolkata, formally commencing a project that devotees hope to inaugurate on his 131st appearance anniversary in August 2027.
The foundation ceremony, which included Radhanath Swami installing an Anantashesha deity in the ground, drew Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from ar
By Sulochana Kanu Das,
On the occasion of Narsimha Chaturdashi Mahotsav, the “Sarvabighn Binashan Maha Narsimha Yagya 2026” was held on April 29-30th for the first time in Bangladesh. In addition to the thousands of devotees, the event included 508 priests. It was held at the Sri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha and Gaur-Nitai Temple located at ISKCON Mirzapur, Tangail.
On the first day of the two-day event, there was a Sankalp and Adhivas Kirtan. The next day, the program included Mangal Arati, a Kirtan M
The sun was attempting to burn through the fog. It succeeded although it brought on so little warmth to the day. At the Teaching Garden clear cups of corn substance were placed over the new seedlings. The chills of the last two days are unseasonable.
Personally I was charmed and warmed by the teacher in the garden Tapapunja, a disciple of Prabhupada, hails from north Michigan, but has been a resident of this village, New Vrindavana, for years. He is a true advocate of the motto “simple living
The Vedic scriptures reveal that Mayadevi, Lord Krishna’s deluding potency, works with certain energies that have the capacity to make material life seem like normal life.
As we go about our everyday activities in the material world, we are continuously confronted with the normality, or normalness, of material existence. In other words, we are constantly bombarded with the notion that material life, with all its mundane rationality, constitutes normal life and that this world
Exploring Your Word of Honor Being Committed in a Non-Committal World
By Mahatma Das
Imagine this scene. After millions of lifetimes you finally make it back to the spiritual world. As you approach the gates of Goloka you are asked to wait because Krsna wants to come and personally greet you. You are getting more excited at every moment. You can hardly believe you have finally made it back to your eternal home.
In the distance you see a beautiful blue form coming towards you. Finally, after tra
By Sankirtana Das (ACBSP)
1.Devotees need to educate the public as to why they are chanting on the public streets around the world. The holy name of Krishna is both a personal meditation for our own spiritual well-being and, as Prabhupada explains in the purport of Adi, 17.141, “for the reformation of all the anomalies of human society.” The chanting parties should distribute brochures or flyers to inform everyone who passes by and invite them to participate when they have the chance.
2. So many
By Satyanarayana Dasa
Especially in this time of crisis, Arabs and Persians alike are desperately seeking guidance and knowledge of God from the wisdom of India, which they deeply respect: Ancient spiritual knowledge above religion. And that’s what we are all about, and they know it!
In fact that is the very order of the Prophet Mohammed: “If you seek knowledge, go to the East!” To facilitate these sincere souls in obtaining this transcendental knowledge worldwide, and especially in their sacred
By Gurmann Saini
ISKCON Helsinki has launched an extensive renovation project to restore and modernize its temple complex at Malmi Manor—one of Northern Europe’s most important centers for spreading Krishna consciousness. For more than four decades, the temple has served as a gathering place for spiritual learning, kirtan, festivals, and community outreach.
Set within heritage buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple is not only spiritually significant but also culturally
Malati was showing signs of labor when I went to check on her at 6:45 am Monday morning. I had to do an airport run for some devotees but I mentioned it to Anandavidya before I left for Pittsburgh. Malati proceeded to disappear from the barn. Anandavidya was unable to locate her as she was nowhere to be seen. Morning milking takes place at 7. He was however worried about her and ventured out into the horrendously muddy field to search. She was found down the hill behind the Palace. After herding
