The Stolen River, the multiple award-winning documentary about the River Yamuna has been released for public screening in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The film is now available in six languages: English, Italian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
In celebration of the holy month of Kartik, communities who are wishing to entertain their guests with a heart-rending but inspiring story of young Brajabhasi environmental activists trying to save their sacred land and
By Visakha Devi Dasi
The desire to be soul-conscious inspires a move to a soul-compatible place.
“The soul [jivatma] is unborn, eternal, immortal, and primeval. It does not die when the body dies.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.20)
I first heard details about jivatmathe soulin 1971 during my maiden overseas trip. I was reuniting with my then-boyfriend (later husband) John in India, and to me, a born and bred atheist, jivatma was a quaint irrelevant idea.
An idea, however, can be like a seed: it can germinat
By Bhakti Chaitanya Swami
Hare Krishna dear devotees, this is a long read. Please persevere through it all. I hope it is worthwhile
We just had an amazing visit to the Balaji/Venkatesvara temple, the main temple at Tirupati. Or more correctly at Tirumala, on top of the hill above Tirupati town.
Balaji, arguable more properly known as Venkatesvara or even Srinivasa, was looking amazing. By the kind arrangement of the local GBC, Revati Ramana prabhu, I was able to get special darsana early in the
An innovative new website, Chantnow.com, was offered to Srila Prabhupada on Radhastami, September 9th, and aims to revolutionize online outreach for ISKCON.
The site’s goals are to 1) Make Krishna consciousness relevant, relatable and easy to understand for someone who doesn’t know anything about it. 2) Provide a systematic course that they can follow. And 3) Do all this in a framework where devotees are interacting with them and helping them along the way.
Run by Panchar
By Madhava Smullen
The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry has released two position papers on perennially debated issues: “Showing Radharani’s lotus feet;” and “Who can participate in public abhisekhas in ISKCON Centers?”
Both can be read in full here: http://deityworship.com/downloads.html#positionpapers
The first paper takes the position that “Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet should not be ever shown publicly at ISKCON temples, whether on a daily basis or particularly on festivals such as Radhast
Yesterday was the disappearance day festival of Srila Prabhupada. At Srila Prabhupada Pushpa Samadhi Mandir, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, sanyasis, senior godbrothers, community devotees came together to celebrate this festival by offering glorifications, abhisheka, Pushpanjali and a grand bhoga offering. Samadhi Mandir was beautifully decorated with colorful flowers and new asana and golden canopy is offered to Srila Prabhupada’deity. In the evening, Tirobhav Muhurta or the time of disappear
By Anuradha dasi
On October 27, ISKCON New Vrindaban devotees in West Virginia heard of the horrific mass shooting at the Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh, a 90-minute drive away from their idyllic rural community. This tragic news affirmed the timeless knowledge of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which instructs us to take shelter of the Supreme Lord in a time where “there is danger at every step” (SB 10.14.58). Devotees visiting New Vrindaban often travel to and from the Pittsburgh airport, and one of t
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you.
As always, this day is bittersweet for me. Knowing that you went back home, back to the spiritual world, is the only consolation for the pain of losing you. Surely our grievous loss was an immense gain for the many residents of the spiritual world. One can only imagine the joyful festivities they held upon your long-awaited return! It is only natural for devotees to appreciate the selfless service of great souls like
In this week's podcast episode with Akrura Prabhu, we discuss thinking partnerships - A powerful process for developing "higher thinking" which received rave reviews from devotees who recently learned about it at one of Akrura Prabhu's workshops.
Some of the points we covered...
From Back to Godhead
In believing our senses, how far do we go?
“Not enough evidence, God! Not enough evidence!”
The atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell was once asked what he would say if he found himself standing before God on judgment day and God asked him, “Why didn’t you believe in Me?” Russell replied, “I would say ‘Not enough evidence, God! Not enough evidence!’”
When philosophers or scientists complain about lack of evidence, they mean empirical evidence or evidence that can be interpr
“So at the time of death… Of course, those who are devotees, their position is different. People may say, “The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?” So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling t
By Jaganmohini Devi Dasi
Dear Param Guru Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
‘Krishna Consciousness is to make a person independently thoughtful and act accordingly.’
This instruction of yours which I heard several times from my spiritual master, founder director of BI and your beloved servant, H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, has been largely echoing in our thoughts this year. It was also simultaneously facilitated by dif
We have gathered at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada on the auspicious occasion of his disappearance festival. When we were with His Divine Grace in Surat on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, he remarked that on the absolute platform there is no difference between the appearance and disappearance of the spiritual master—just like the sunrise and sunset, both are beautiful.
Srila Prabhupada always glorified Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he instructed everyone to take sh
By Yamuna Devi Dasi
What a week of Vaisnava sadhu-satsanga this has been! I leave the richer, having exchanged with my family members, old and new, Godbrothers, Godsisters, nephews and nieces. While I feel most unqualified to speak to you today, I am honoured and privileged to join my Godsisters in voicing my concerns as a woman in ISKCON.
As the GBC body, all of you are responsible for establishing Srila Prabhupada’s legacy, which, in these difficult and turbulent times, is at stake. One realm
A Talk by Giriraj Swami November 14, 2007 Mayapur
I am very grateful to Srila Prabhupada for having brought me into your association. You are his sincere followers, and many of you have been serving him for decades, from when you read or heard about him or met him in person.
Tonight I thought to share with you one incident that pertains specifically to Srila Prabhupada’s departure pastime. Once, on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada said, “On the absolute platform, there is
By Radhanath Swami
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna explains,
janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so ‘rjuna
[BG 4.9]
‘One who understands the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities never attains…never has to take birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode.’ Those divine personalities who come to distribute the treasure of prema bhakti, the emissaries of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their lila
By Bhakta Manfred
Srila Prabhupada created a home where everyone can live in, I have personally experienced this at the Hare Krishna Training centre( ISKCON NAIROBI). As early as 3:30 am you can hear distant chanting as the boys here prepare for morning program and meditation. The Hare Krishna Training Centre (HKTC), officially Opened by HH. Gopal Krishna Maharaja on 11th January 2017 with a population of fifty students then has now been running for seven years. Students here get a training for
By Gauranga Darshan Das
“The intelligence that discriminates between right and wrong is great, but the heart that accommodates even wrongdoers and uplifts them is greater.”
What will you do when someone misbehaves? Of course, it’s natural to disapprove his action. But do you tend to disown him or again continue to interact with him? That probably depends on the extent of his misbehavior and your relationship with him. It’s easier to excuse people who are close to us, but not others! And it may
