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The Ministry of Education invites devotees to a symposium designed to bring together via Zoom/Online with the global ISKCON-members involved in Education:

Dear ISKCON educator and leader,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are delighted to inform you that the ISKCON Ministry of Education, will be hosting its 2nd Annual virtual Global Symposium of Education “Viplavah 2021” on July 29th 7:00 PM CDT/ July 30th 5:30 am IST until Aug 1st 2021 via the Zoom/FaceBoo

By Radhapriya Chawla

The pandemic is heavily affecting ISKCON devotee communities around the world as there is lack of resources and access to medical equipment and facilities especially for those in rural devotee communities such as Mayapur and Bangladesh. Over 7000 devotee families in Mayapur and Bangladesh are struggling to feed and take care of their families because of the situation. It is heart-wrenching to see these devotees suffering, leaving their bodies, having no access to any basic

Effective communication is vital in any organization, and this is especially true in ISKCON which carries the sacred mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. 

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnavas in this, His Divine Grace's 125th birth anniversary year we humbly request your valuable participation in the Inaugural ISKCON Communications Global Conference. 

When I returned from the park, after a short walk, and came close to the driveway I heard a noise coming from the dumpster. It was a scratchy and squeal-ish kind of noise. I figured that maybe two raccoons were creating a ruckus and perhaps they were accidentally trapped inside. The dumpster was newly arrived and, I am sure, empty as renovation debris didn’t yet have a chance to make it into its walls.

I was able to peek inside. It wasn’t raccoons but three squirrels going chaotic. Upon my seei

अध्याय पैंतीस - कृष्ण के वनविहार के समय गोपियों द्वारा कृष्ण का गायन (10.35)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: जब भी कृष्ण वन को जाते थे गोपियों के मन उन्हीं के पीछे भाग जाते थे और इस तरह युवतियाँ उनकी लीलाओं का गान करते हुए खिन्नतापूर्वक अपने दिन बिताती थीं।

2-3 गोपियों ने कहा: जब मुकुन्द अपने होंठों पर रखी बाँसुरी के छेदों को अपनी सुकुमार अँगुलियों से बन्द करके उसे बजाते हैं, तो वे अपने बाएँ गाल को अपनी बाईं बाँह पर रखकर अपनी भौंहों को नचाने लगते हैं। उस समय आकाश में अपने पतियों अर्थात सिद्धों सम

Dear Devotees,

With a very heavy heart we would like to inform that on May 27, 2021 (Pratipat & Appearance tithi of Sri Narada Muni), H. G. Mahaprabhu das left his body. He was a very good health and spirits till his last breath and finally left due to a cardiac arrest, at his home in Mumbai.

Mahaprabhu Prabhu had joined ISKCON at Mumbai on the inaugural day of the Juhu Temple in 1978. Since then he was involved in serving as a legal advisor for various matters of ISKCON India. In his initial y

Are you looking for a summer internship? ISKCON News is holding its first-ever internship program this June - August 2021. This is a great way to get some work experience on your CV/resume and do some seva with a group of other youth - FULLY ONLINE - about 5-10 hours a week with three meet-ups scheduled.  ALSO, we have MORE THAN JUST WRITING POSITIONS AVAILABLE: 

• Marketing Assistant
• Advertising Assistant
• SEO/Data Analytics Assistant
• Social Media Manager Assistant
• Writers: news briefs, features

Nimai and I walked (with distance) along the edge of the bay at Lake Ontario’s Cherry Beach. We were careful to circumvent the party of younger folks dancing and gyrating to the drums. It was an anti-mask group from all I could see. Some were chanting the “freedom” mantra. They appeared happy. Police were parked nearby but out of their patrol cars, just ready in case anything would happen.

Further east we found more solitude, just the two of us, as well as ducks and a swan playing on the water’

अध्याय चौतीस – नन्द महाराज की रक्षा तथा शंखचूड़ का वध (10.34)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: एक दिन भगवान शिव की पूजा हेतु यात्रा करने के उत्सुक ग्वाले बैलगाड़ियों द्वारा अम्बिका वन गये।

2 हे राजन, वहाँ पहुँचने के बाद उन्होंने सरस्वती नदी में स्नान किया और तब विविध पूजासामग्री से शक्तिशाली शिवजी तथा उनकी पत्नी देवी अम्बिका की भक्तिपूर्वक पूजा की।

3 ग्वालों ने ब्राह्मणों को गौवें, स्वर्ण, वस्त्र तथा शहद मिश्रित पकवान की भेंटें दान में दी। तत्पश्चात उन्होंने प्रार्थना की, “ हे प्रभु, हम पर आप प्रसन्

By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader

The Indian government extension of the country’s second Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown has determined that the All-India Padayatra will currently remain in Bharkawada where the padayatris recently celebrated Ramanavmi. Fortunately, we are still staying at the Panchmukhi mahadev temple on the outskirts of the village and are still doing our programmes.

When we were performing sankirtan not long after the Ramanavmi festival the police came and all the vi

Today His Grace Mahaprabhu Dasa (Sri R. K. Maheshwari), my dear friend and Srila Prabhupada’s staunch devotee, passed away at his home in Khar, Mumbai. To honor his sacred memory, here is an excerpt from my book I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story about Mahaprabhu’s first visit to Hare Krishna Land, on the occasion of the temple’s grand opening, January 14, 1978.

One of the first-time visitors, a lawyer, R. K. Maheshwari (later initiated as Mahaprabhu dasa), later remembered hearing about t

He also understood Sudama hid within his clothes a bundle with some rice that he was too ashamed to show. The Lord inquired, “Have you brought a gift from home for Me? I greatly value any gift from saintly devotees. A cup of water makes Me smile, though I could drink an ocean. A fruit or flower pleases Me, when offered in devotion.” Despite this clear encouragement, Sudama was ashamed to give his gift to Krishna in this opulent domain. Lord Krishna knew Suddma’s pure affection had no price, so

FIVE YEARS, ELEVEN MONTHS and a lifetime of unexpected love

VISAKHA DASI a memoir

Essay by Annette Murphy

(Aditya Varna Devi Dasi)

How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news

(Isaiah 5:27)

Through her sharp camera lens and with the point of her pen Visakha Dasi takes us on a roller coaster ride through the near 6 years, of her life from 1971 to 1977. Something extraordinary happened to this self-confessed, proud atheist. A Darwinian, which was as she points out the i

By Madhava Smullen 

Deep Leap, a new Youtube series from Bhaktivedanta College of Radhadesh, Belgium, is responding to the “overwhelming need” amidst ISKCON devotees for applied philosophy, with authentic solutions to modern challenges. The series of short clips will deliver concise messages based on scripture and the examples of saintly persons, that viewers can apply practically in their lives.

As well as hearing about how the Acharyas and great saints in the Srimad-Bhagavatam practiced Krish

Is it not the most divine form of communication
A way of expression, a marvelous supplication
An urge from the heart due to a hurt or a wound
A cry so desperate from feeling so ruined
A call for help as if lost in dense jungle
Seeking signs for a way out of the tangle
Prayer can be a request for strength, hope, courage
It certainly transcends any mundane verbiage
But special requests do not alone constitute prayer
Prayer should not only refer to events of despair
Not just reserved when life app

अध्याय तैंतीस - रास नृत्य (10.33)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: जब गोपियों ने भगवान को अत्यन्त मनोहारी इन शब्दों में कहते सुना तो वे उनके विछोह से उत्पन्न अपना दुख भूल गई। उनके दिव्य अंगों का स्पर्श पाकर उन्हें लगा कि उनकी सारी इच्छाएँ पूर्ण हो गई।

2 तत्पश्चात भगवान गोविन्द ने वहीं यमुना के तट पर उन स्त्री-रत्न श्रद्धालु गोपियों के संग में रासनृत्य लीला प्रारम्भ की जिन्होंने प्रसन्नता के मारे अपनी बाँहों को एक दूसरे के साथ शृखंलाबद्ध कर दिया।

3 तब उल्लासपूर्ण रासनृत्य प्रारम्भ हुआ जिसमें गोपिय

I am writing this to hopefully stir some practical steps to re-ignite a better place for the oxen.

Lord Caitanya told Chand Kazi that the bull is like our father because he helps us produce grains ***vrisha anna upajaya tate tenho pita*** CC Adi 17.153. I am sure we have quoted that or paraphrased it in our presentations about the importance of the cow and the bull and that they should not be killed. Do we really believe it is relevant for society? For Lord Caitanya it was a significant argumen

By Madhava Smullen

On May 1st, 2nd and 8th, devotees from all over Brazil and beyond attended the “Art of Caring for Vaishnavas” Zoom webinar by Vaishnavas CARE co-founder Sangita Devi Dasi, which offered training in how to lovingly serve devotees, especially those experiencing terminal illnesses.

Altogether 80 people registered for the course including participants from the North and South of Brazil, several generations, senior devotees, brahmacharis, congregational members, newcomers, a disci

A Montreal group of Russian speaking origin occupied the late morning on a zoom call. My assignment was on the topic of “Memories of Prabhupada,” referring to my own recollections of our reverent guru. Despite my lack of preparedness for the presentation, the listeners were so attentive and appreciative. The translations done for Ukrainian and Russian folks did not hamper the presentation. One woman confessed, “You made us feel close to him.”

A second group tuned in from the Central Asia area,