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The purpose of chanting is about taking shelter. Everyone needs shelter in this world; we know that very well. But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? That is our situation, there is no other shelter! Everything else is illusory shelter. Real security and shelter is found in Krsna and that is the essence of spiritual life.
When we are new in spiritual life then we think we are advancing – we feel we are advancing, we feel things are changing, we feel our life is changing, we
There once lived a seeker of God called Surdas. He was eager to study and understand Spirituality (knowledge about God). He approached a Guru and requested that the Guru teach him spiritual practice so that he could get close to God.
The Guru was well aware of Surdas’ defect of anger. He knew that this would prevent Surdas from feeling closeness with God. So the Guru decided to first prepare Surdas before teaching him serious spiritual practice. So the Guru replied, “Dear Surdas, chant the Lord
I have been rereading the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam and receiving great illumination and inspiration from it. Srila Prabhupada said that he was not sure how long he would live, so he put everything into the First Canto, and Ramesvara Prabhu told me that whenever he told Prabhupada that the BBT had money and asked what they should print, Prabhupada would reply “Reprint the First Canto.”
Reading the First Canto yesterday, I came across the solution to the political problems we are facing i
In the midst of the lush, green Grihasta Para housing area of ISKCON Mayapur the Sri Mayapur International School is situated. The school campus features an idyllic combination of brick buildings, pathways, and tree-filled grounds, and those living nearby can often hear the children at play, performing kirtan, or practicing mridanga.
The Sri Mayapur International School, one of the educational institutes of ISKCON Mayapur, has been educating the children of Mayapur since it was founded in 198
Major walking today consisted of a two kilometre walk and dip into a sunken park that leads to the Studio Building. Constructed in 1914 is a three storey brick edifice that has historic value (for Canada at least) and is just around the corner from our ashram.
Before I became a monk, I was a fine arts student, and I had a weak spot for the Canadian Group of Seven, impressionistic artists of natural sceneries. Lawren Harris was my favourite. Well, this is the building they met in, gather
Nowadays the great innovations of medical and scientific science can maintain patients alive, even those that in the past were given no hope to survive. These innovations can prolong the patient’s existence artificially even knowing that they will never regain acceptable health and life conditions. This situation is commonly called over-medication. The definition of cerebral death, since the end of the sixties has allowed for the development of transplant surgery. Before that time, the extracti
By Pankajanghri das
The fact that people just love to hear stories is one reason why some of the Vedic codes were gradually transmitted in story form, like the epic histories Mahabharata and Ramayana and the Puranas. When such stories concern the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees, they are called lilas. Being labeled Lord Nrsimhadeva’s pujari in Mayapur, I have been asked to recount some stories in connection with Him, but unlike the sastras (scriptures), these “lilas” (pastimes) have no auth
By BB Govinda Swami
Gopa Kumara asked “How can I chant with pure love?” And they said “Well, if you want to chant with love you must know the Srimad Bhagavatam.” This shows that basically Gopa Kumara had travelled through all the levels of the material cosmos. He had even been Brahma but still he has not been scientifically trained in the science of loving Krishna. We can imagine he was even Brahma. But he did not understand the science of Krishna. He even went to Brahman by the power of his ch
The Bhagavad-gita, chapter two text twenty states:
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
What is our real identity?
Am I American, Indian, black, white, Hindu, Jewish, Christian or Buddhist , Muslim etc?
Am I my thoughts?
Who am I?
Hence, in order to realise that inherent and untainted happiness, which indeed he daily experiences when the mind
By Damodar Das
“Hearing of the holy name gradually promotes one to the stage of hearing about His form, His attributes, His pastimes, and so on, and thus the necessity of the chanting of His glories develops successively. This process is recommended not only for the successful execution of devotional service, but also even for those who are materially attached. According to Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, this way of attaining success is an established fact, concluded not only by him but also by all othe
“I like the colour of your robes. They look comfortable,” remarked the assistant at the CAT Scan Unit at Woman’s College Hospital. I assured the friendly lady that indeed the clothes are great. I was lying on a bench with my arms positioned over my head, this massive donut-of-a-thing came close.
“Take a breath,” said the unit. “Now hold.” “Breathe normal.” Three of those directions I followed as a heat sensation came to me at one point. I was warmed in the same way at Joseph Brandt
TEXT 20
datavyam iti yad danam
diyate 'nupakarine
dese kale ca patre ca
tad danam sattvikam smrtam
diyate 'nupakarine
dese kale ca patre ca
tad danam sattvikam smrtam
SYNONYMS
datavyam—worth giving; iti—thus; yat—that which; danam—charity; diyate—given; anupakarine—to any person irrespective of doing good; dese—in place; kale—in time; ca—also; patre—suitable person; ca—and; tat—that; danam—charity; sattvikam—in the mode of goodness; smrtam—consider.
TRANSLATION
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectatio
By Mahatma Das
“Nish, nish, ram, ram, nish, nish, ram, ram.” Prabhupada once imitated how we sometimes chant without focus, without concentration, without proper pronunciation – how we chant when we don’t feel like chanting. You know the mood behind this chanting; “I have to chant but I’d rather be doing something else.” And in our minds we are thinking, “I can’t wait to get these rounds out of the way.” We all do this. And it can get pretty bad. I know devotees who chant rounds while watching fo
We are happy to announce the new course " BRHAD BHAGVATMIRA' online course offered by H.G. Charuchandra das starting from May 31st onwards. It is a free online course.
Online Registration URL : https://tinyurl.com/brhad-bhagavatamrita
By Madhava Smullen
Two to three thousand devotees are expected to pack out the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina this weekend for Sadhu Sanga, ISKCON North America’s biggest kirtan retreat.
Registration is currently closed, but those who cannot attend in person will still be able to watch via livestream online at sangalive.com.
Veuwr Kirtans, a next gen devotee-run company from Alachua, Florida will broadcast three individual live feeds.
One of these will be a stationary
By Madhava Smullen
ISKCON-London’s Radha-Krishna Temple is celebrating the 50th installation anniversary of its presiding Deities Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara this year with a series of events and creative projects.
Among these is the launch on Sunday June 9th, at the Radha-Krishna Temple, of Mantra Lounge Volume 3. Produced by the Temple’s own label Radha Krishna Records, it is inspired by the weekly Mantra Lounge program at Covent Garden.
The album was produced by Jagannath Suta Das, who has
I’m receiving many calls, and many letters wishing me well with my physical condition of pulmonary embolism. It’s quite overwhelming, the love I’m feeling that’s coming my way.
More tests, cat-scans and such will allow us to explore more how severe and how curable is the condition. There is pain, like the all-pervasive discomfort of this world, but with some care, we will try to alleviate as much as possible the symptoms while trying to address the cause.
Amongst the messages I received to
By Mina Sharma
Around sixty devotees from across Europe and the US have gathered in New Vrajamandala in Spain, to participate in the European Communications Conference running from 27th – 30th May.
Day one of the conference has focused upon ISKCON and the Environment, where there have been exciting presentations from a number of devotees. HG Shaunaka Rsi Dasa spoke about the Vedic Perspective on the Environment, where he discussed the Vedic concepts of Rta (cosmic order) and Rtu (cycles) and
By His Holiness Ramai Swami
I think that congregational preaching is one of the most important forms of preaching in our society. We can trace it back in our Vaisnava tradition from the time of Lord Caitanya when he would go to Srivas Thakura’s house and have kirtana and sit with the other devotees. Lord Caitanya Himself would go to other peoples’ houses and Lord Nityananda also would go with Him. We are already seeing it is growing more and more, and in the future its importance will become more
