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Q: How did you first come into contact with ISKCON?
MK: I met a book distributer three years ago in Cape Town while on a family holiday. When I returned to New Zealand, I started university in Wellington where I began visiting Bhakti Lounge, ISKCON’s outreach center there.

Q: What attracted you the most?

MK: The philosophy attracted me the most. I was really looking for answers and a way to lead a meaningful life. I would attend weekly interactive Bhagavad-gita classes, and I was so happy to fi

The New Govardhana goshalla team is expanding! 
Karunamayi dasi: Over recent years the team has been stretching itself, but with new enthusiastic devotees gaining interest and taking on different services within the program, it is certainly an exciting time for cow seva.

Recently we have welcomed two devotees to the team: Bhakta Tom and Mandali-Kishori dasi. Tom moved onto the farm as a volunteer in Krishna Village and shortly after took up devotional life and moved into Krishna Pad.

Tom found

Most visitors to New Govardhana remark what a vibrant and beautiful place it is. They are impressed with the many happy, engaged visitors from Krishna Village dotted all over the farm. Well, quite frankly, so are we!

Krishna Villagers enter New Govardhana often just wanting a break from the rat race, some spiritual nourishment in a safe, sattvic, vegetarian environment and often end up with so much more. Others specifically come as volunteers to help with our organic farming.

Others specificall

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

From a conversation with Mr. N. Bardaloi on October 8, 1928:

“Mahaprabhu revealed the welfare system of the Srimad-Bhagavatam: vedyam vastavam atra vastu sivadam tapa-trayonm lanam, ‘The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2) The Srimad-Bhagavatam’s welfare process was discovered and refined by Sri Caitanyadeva, and it is alone auspicious, because it alo

By Urmila Devi Dasi

The individuality of the self is a central teaching in Vaisnava philosophy, but what is our practical understanding of this term? Individuality is present in all living beings on both a material and a spiritual level. This article translates how this concept needs to relate to education practices in ISKCON today. The author explores evidence in some of Srila Prabhupada’ writings and scripture that deal with the issue of individuality together with some more recent research b

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Question: How does one become steady in one’s Krsna consciousness?

By depending more and more on Krsna. In the beginning, we are not steady in our Krsna consciousness because we do not depend enough. We want to depend on ourselves. We think, ‘I want to be Krsna conscious and I am just going to make a mental adjustment in my mind – me, I – so that I can be Krsna conscious and I am just doing it now. I am Krsna conscious from now on. Actually I am quite Krsna conscious!’ 

By Acarya dasa

On January 10 the All-India Padayatra reached Chamorshi, a town in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra close to the banks of the Wainganga River. Parmeshwara dasa serves at the Chamorshi ISKCON centre that has deities of Radha and Krishna and Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. It was the devotees at the centre who had arranged a big welcome ceremony for us and honoured us with beautiful garlands. The citizens also warmly welcomed us whenever we went for a home programme or out

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 January 2018, New Govardhana, Australia, SB 1.2.15)

As soon as we enter into the material body, the body begins to dictate many strong needs which are not possible to be denied. At the time of death however, when the living entity finally exits the material body, all of that falls away, leaving behind one’s immediate identification. Despite this, the previous reactions all remain stored within the consciousness. Therefore, at the time of death, it is not only the soul

Sometimes there are tests and we do not pass them. It means that we did not do our homework! Before a test, if you did not do your homework then you might fail the test even if it is within your capacity to pass it. In that way, we may fail certain tests.

If we have the means and if we carefully take shelter of the process of Krsna consciousness, then we will not fail our tests. But if we are not careful, inattentive and do not take shelter properly of the process of devotional service, then we

By Bhakti Caru Swami

Hare Krsna,
We were discussing about Srila Prabhupada, my experiences and associations with Prabhupada.

So from Mayapur Srila Prabhupada went to Bombay. The main reason for Prabhupada’s going to Bombay was a big Pandal program in Cross Maidan. In the main city of Bombay there is a large park called Cross Maidan. A program was arranged for Srila Prabhupada for three nights in Cross Maidan. When Prabhupada arrived in Bombay the devotees drove Srila Prabhupada to his quarters.

By Damodar Das

Giriraj Swami and Rtadhvaja Swami answered questions during the Sunday program, after the former read Bhagavad-gita 8.5 and 6.

“In this verse the importance of Krsna consciousness is stressed. Anyone who quits his body in Krsna consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Krsna conscious is also the purest of the pure. The word smaran (‘remembering’) is importa

By Madhava Smullen 

SRIMAN NARAYANA, SRI LAKSHMI AMMA (DAYA DEVI) AND THE HOLIEST OF HOLY WORKS OF THE REVERENTIAL AZHWARS ( MYSTIC SAINTS ) OF THE SOUTH OF INDIA.       ( Part 3 / 21)  

SriLakshmi Amma, Daya devi (an ocean of compassion)                  ( Part 3 of 21 )

SRIMAN NARAYANA WITH BUMA DEVI AMMA AND SRI DEVI AMMA

( TIRUPATI TIRUMALA, LORD MALAIAPPA SWAMY)

LORD NARSIMHA WITH SRI LAKSHMI AMMA- AHOBILA MUTT

Countless salutation to our most beloved Sri Lakshmi amma who is not only our loving mother but who also

By Urmila Devi Dasi

Sanskrit Terms for Self: Definition and Use in Sacred Literature of the Vedas

There are two basic words for self in Sanskrit, the original language of India, as well as the language of philosophers and theologians there today. The first term is ātmā or ātman, and the second is jīva or, both words combined as jīvātman. The former word is defined as: “1. the soul; the individual soul, 2. self; oneself” (Apte, 1988, p.78). The latter’s definition, derived from the root jīv, “to