When Srila Prabhupada started the Sunday love feast, there were about fifteen preparations where each one was outstanding. There was nothing ordinary, everything was special. In the Lilamrtra, it is said that Satsvarupa wanted to be renounced. So when Prabhupada was serving out and asked, “Any seconds?”, Satsvarupa did not want to say “More sweet rice!“, so he instead said, “Just some rice please.” But even the sweet rice had little cheese balls in it and cashews and all kinds of other incredib
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By Madhava Smullen
Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics, a new book by ISKCON guru and scholar Krishna Kshetra Swami, will be published by Palgrave Macmillan in early 2020. The work is set to make caring for cows, in the spirit of devotion, a serious topic of discussion in academia worldwide.
Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics speaks exclusively and in great detail to educated, thoughtful readers about the immense value and special practices involved in caring for cows, both devotionally and prof
My day of thrills began at the front door in the morning. I was poised to go for a stroll with visitor/monk, Bhakti Prabhava Swami, when an exploring raccoon shimmered his way up the cedar out front. I got close, stroked his back, and then he posed for that perfect picture. He didn’t snarl at me. Thanks young fella!
At 9:00 a.m., Ananda and I started a rehearsal with some of our female dancers using dandiya, decorated sticks that make a click-clack when the dancer makes a twirl. The sticks
"Krishna's love for us is far greater than our love for Him."
Ever wondered why Lord Krishna's deity in most temples are in a standing position? Because, the Lord feels that if my devotee calls for me in his moment of distress, I should be ready and not have to waste getting up. Mind you, the deity of the Lord is not a mere replica of the Lord but the Lord Himself. Can you imagine this - the Lord is personally standing on His legs for such a long time eagerly waiting for all of us. For us to
Ever wondered why Lord Krishna's deity in most temples are in a standing position? Because, the Lord feels that if my devotee calls for me in his moment of distress, I should be ready and not have to waste getting up. Mind you, the deity of the Lord is not a mere replica of the Lord but the Lord Himself. Can you imagine this - the Lord is personally standing on His legs for such a long time eagerly waiting for all of us. For us to
TEXT 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
kamyanam karmanam nyasam
sannyasam kavayo viduh
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
prahus tyagam vicaksanah
kamyanam karmanam nyasam
sannyasam kavayo viduh
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
prahus tyagam vicaksanah
SYNONYMS
sri bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kamyanam—with desire; karmanam—activities; nyasam—renunciation; sannyasam—renounced order of life; kavayah—the learned; viduh—know; sarva—all; karma—activities; phala—of results; tyagam—renunciation; prahuh—call; tyagam—renunciation; vicaksanah—the experienced.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord said, To give up the resu
For a morning and early afternoon stretch, I accompanied Keshava and Jai for fundraising. We seemed to go all over the town; off to businesses, a clinic, and a factory, with gifts of books, cookies and calendars. Those whom we visited are regular donors to our Ratha Yatra or Festival of Chariots, and this being our 47thannual, you should know we are going strong! We are grateful to meet all these people who are of that generation which came to Canada bearing that Hindu piety, and at best genuin
Krishna consciousness is an adventure, most devotee will vouch that there is never a dull moment in our spiritual journey. There are ups and downs, many a times we wish to do more, feel inspired to push our boundaries, while sometime we become morose as we see our shortcomings and feel lack of progress despite a strong and sincere desire to do so.
Sometimes devotees feel constrained by their circumstances, and start praying fervently to Krishna to change their situation. In extreme cases some d
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii, took a break from politics to lead kirtan at the ISKCON Rathayatra festival in New York on June 8th.
Gabbard is currently campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2020. She has recently been named by the Democratic National Committee as one of the twenty presidential candidates to participate in the first primary debate of the 2020 campaign, which will take place in Miami on June 26thand 27th.
Tulsi Gabba
It was a treat to meet Maggie. Here’s how it happened. Karuna and I walked back to the ashram after a very successful kirtan at Bellevue Square Park. Ekalavya was ‘reggae-ing’ from the harmonium, making sounds of joy, while Kohl was on the guitar. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByZ2AArgK34/?igshid=bbv845dmevcThe music drew all kinds of people, especially toddlers, with their parents, of course. From what I could see, we left people happy. And then it was time to pack up.
As the two of
"When faults in others misguide and delude you – have patience, introspect, find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself." - Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
One time when Jesus was in Jerusalem, he saw some people chasing a prostitute and trying to stone her to death. When Jesus stopped them and asked them why they were doing so. They replied that it is mentioned in the laws of the scriptures that one who commits adultery must be stoned to death. Th
One time when Jesus was in Jerusalem, he saw some people chasing a prostitute and trying to stone her to death. When Jesus stopped them and asked them why they were doing so. They replied that it is mentioned in the laws of the scriptures that one who commits adultery must be stoned to death. Th
By Madhava Smullen
With its sparkling beaches, hot surf spots and theme parks, Australia’s Gold Coast is the country’s most popular tourist destination. But what you may not know is that it’s also a GoldMine of Hare Krishna restaurants. Australia, the prasadam center of the Western World, has an incredible twenty devotee restaurants throughout the nation. And no less than six of those are on the Gold Coast alone – all within a thirty-kilometer radius.
So if you want the biggest and most varie
Rhythm is something that everyone needs in their life. (Gershwin wrote the song, “I Got Rhythm.”) Even if you don’t think you are musically inclined, you must admit that you have a heartbeat inside of you and that is rather consistent, otherwise you are dead. Everywhere there are happy beats, waves and currents all around us, declaring a kind of rhythm.
I see walking as a form of rhythm involving movement of body and leg with a consistent contact on and off the earth. I believe that a ce
"Chanting attentively is not a matter of circumstance but a matter of choice."
Everyday there is a different reason to not to be chant attentively. Someday, it's because someone hurt us and we keep thinking about it, someday our health is not good. Someday, it's simply because we are not in mood. Someday, it's because a plan of ours didn't work out....And the list goes on and on. Very rarely do we chant attentively.
All these reasons are valid and true. But the question is "When will there be
Everyday there is a different reason to not to be chant attentively. Someday, it's because someone hurt us and we keep thinking about it, someday our health is not good. Someday, it's simply because we are not in mood. Someday, it's because a plan of ours didn't work out....And the list goes on and on. Very rarely do we chant attentively.
All these reasons are valid and true. But the question is "When will there be
By Srimati Dasi
Smiling in which the teeth are slightly visible is called hasita smiling.
One day Abhimanyu, the so-called husband of Radharani, was returning home, and at that time he did not know that Krsna was there. But Krsna immediately changed His dress to look exactly like Abhimanyu and approached Abhimanyu’s mother, Jatila, addressing her thus: “My dear mother, I am your real son Abhimanyu, but just see — Krsna, dressed up like me, is coming before you!” Jatila, the mother of Abhimanyu,
TEXT 1
arjuna uvaca
sannyasasya maha-baho
tattvam icchami veditum
tyagasya ca hrsikesa
prthak kesi-nisudana
sannyasasya maha-baho
tattvam icchami veditum
tyagasya ca hrsikesa
prthak kesi-nisudana
SYNONYMS
arjunah uvaca—Arjuna said; sannyasasya—renunciation; maha-baho—O mighty-armed one; tattvam—truth; icchami—I wish; veditum—to understand; tyagasya—of renunciation; ca—also; hrsikesa—O master of the senses; prthak—differently; kesi-nisudana—O killer of the Kesi demon.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said, O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation [tyaga] and of the renounced or
By Jordan Blumetti
The Guardian article's original title: 'It's latent misogyny': Hare Krishnas divided over whether to allow female gurus"
"The close-knit ascetic movement says only men can become gurus – and conservative devotees are resisting calls to change
The chanting starts at five in the morning. The windows of the temple room are open and the cries of its congregants drift out into the pre-dawn. Across the street, dew has settled on the manicured lawns of the University of Florida ca
There was a spring cleaning that went on in the ashram today, resulting in a switch of room, and a switch of beds. And although in the mundane world such changes are often perceived as sources of distress, in a monastic setting it engenders a form of excitement. The boys are also making way for a visitor monk, Ekalavya, a single man who hails from New York. He’ll be with us for a week only, but it is always stimulating for me when he comes.
In the ashram, the breakfast is cooked by various
Woody Allen once said, “You can go to a church, a temple or a mosque but that does not make you into a devotee. You can go into a garage but that does not mean that you become a car.” That is his logic and it is a good line. But then he does not know that you can in fact become a devotee in the temple. Here, you do become a car! (laughter) Here, you do become a devotee! Oh yes, it happens every moment and how does it happen? Because we are being purchased by the devotees around us. These devote
"The most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our life, is our Father."
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Giriraj Swami read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila,Chapter 6, and spoke about Lord Nityananda’s—and Srila Prabhupada’s—boundless mercy.
“Raghunatha dasa offered his obeisances by falling prostrate at a distant place, and the servant of Nityananda Prabhu pointed out, ‘There is Raghunatha dasa, offering You obeisances.’
“Hearing this, Lord Nityananda Prabhu said, ‘You are a thief. Now you have come to see Me. Come here, come here. Today I shall punish you!’
“The Lord called him, but Ragh
