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Frustration gives way to illumination during one extraordinary night in the life of a prostitute.

While prostitutes are often depicted negatively in traditional literature, some religious texts depict them positively as testimonies to the transformational potency of divine grace. Thus, in the Gospel is found a story of a prostitute (considered by some to be Mary Magdalene) who was redeemed by Jesus. In Gaudiya Vaishnava literature such as the Chaitanya Charitamrita comes the story of the saint

By Mahatma Das

You may be wondering why I chose “No One Can Help You Like You Can” as the title for this article. This statement comes from a conversation in which a devotee asked Prabhupada for help, saying that he was not able to follow the four rules. Prabhupada looked sternly at him and said, “If you do not follow the regulative principles, then no one can help you’.”

Following the practices of Krsna consciousness is the platform from which help comes. It is not that we attract mercy by v

By Indradyumna Swami

Three days ago I flew to Australia to pay my final respects and say goodbye to my godbrother, Venu Gopal dasa, who is dying of cancer. A senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Venu Gopal prabhu has been instrumental in pioneering the Krsna conscious movement in Australia since the early 1970’s. Each day a steady stream of devotees visit his home, situated near the beautiful New Govardhana farming community, to show their love and appreciation for this most wonderful devotee.

By Vaikunthanath

The Montreal temple was going very well, but we always had a difficult time paying the monthly rent, and there was some danger that they would lose the temple at one point because they just didn’t have the rent money.
Prabhupada actually proposed the idea to me and Pradyumna that we should go out and meet people in the Indian community and explain to them that we are trying to establish this Radha-Krishna temple here and maintain this temple and that we would like their support

By Chaitanya Charan Das

Some people study scripture largely, if not entirely, from a historical perspective – they focus on when it was written, what was the general culture then, and what were the specific contexts for its statements.
Such a history-centered approach, though useful in understanding some aspects of scripture, misses its essence. Scripture essentially is divinity’s guiding revelation to humanity, offering wisdom on life and living whose relevance extends throughout history. The

By Purushottam Nitai Das

The stars are still smiling in the sky, the birds are still sleeping in their nests, the big trees and the small plants are curiously looking around enjoying the spectacle, the water in the nearby Ganges are resting peacefully, the cool breeze is singing shyly occasionally touching the sacred river gently and immediately racing to catch up with the devotees who are quickly walking towards the temple. Men, women, children walk briskly lest they miss the momentous opportu

Editors’s note: Quite often, those unaware of the knowledge treasured in India’s ancient Vedic scriptures get jitters at the idea that animals can be part of celestial beings and have their place in Hindu temples. This lack of knowledge induces them to conclude that such descriptions in the Vedas and Puranas must be mythology. The reality, however, is entirely different. Animals are very much a part of every civilization. The same is true for the civilizations of celestial beings, who are seen

In the age of kali, the general populace consists of two kinds of people – animals and hypocrites. Animals that are the blatantly degraded ones and hypocrites act as if they are not degraded but actually are! These are the only two classes of people will we can find in this age. Hypocrites walk around in nicely polished suits and with their snobbish noses are looking down on others that are so degraded but they too engage in so many sinful activities, hidden and secretly.

So without Krsna consc

What would you do if the White House were to announce that President Trump added India to the list of nations whose citizens are temporarily banned from entering the United States? What if the president announced that banning entry to majority Hindu countries is a small price to pay for keeping America safe? Such a scenario is at least worthy of discussion.

Does Bhakti have a role to play in current events? Since followers of Krishna consciousness benefit from First Amendment religious freedoms

I recently connected with a childhood friend who also became a monk. As you can imagine, we had lots to talk about, and lots in common. In his tradition, one of the monastic vows is to never touch money; and if he does, even by accident, he observes complete fasting for a day. Serious detachment. Admittedly, if I had adopted that vow I’d be dead and cremated by now – financial transactions seem a staple part of my daily life! But money is dangerous, and time and time again we see how it can att

Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE), is heartily inviting you to take part in the forthcoming 8th Annual International Vaishnavi Retreat, which will be held on March 20-25, 2018 at Govardhana.
Our beloved teachers for this year will be Her Grace Yasomati Devi Dasi, Her Grace Kisori Devi Dasi, Her Grace Damodara Priya Devi Dasi and Her Grace Prasanta Devi Dasi
The aim of the event is to facilitate spiritual association among women in bhakti. Focused on hearing and chanting, it offers

By Damodar das

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.17.

“A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entour

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Another point that I find is very nice in the purport of Gajendra, the elephant, is how Srila Prabhupada speaks of when Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord. We see how Srila Prabhupada’s mind works as he describes, “Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord,” and immediately he writes, “Similarly, Dhruva Maharaj assumed his spiritual body in this way,” and then goes to the arcana-paddhati, the process of d

“Parikrama is a revival of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes.”

- His Holiness Lokanatha Swami

Since its inception by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada in 1918, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas have been performing parikrama around Sri Navadvipa Mandala. 2018 will mark the one hundred year anniversary of performing Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.

In 1972, Srila Prabhupada and some of his disciples went on parikrama around Sri Navadvipa Dham, and since that time ISKCON Maya

By Ananda

Srila Prabhupada in simple English explains the process of Krishna Consciousness in three steps;

1. In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. 
2. In the next stage, one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. 
3. By execution of devotional service under the guidance

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

In the pastime of Gajendra, the elephant, (Srimad Bhagavatam, canto 8, chapters 2-4) the first significant point is that Gajendra managed to attract the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting a mantra. He remembered the mantra from a previous life during this time of the extreme distress that he was going through when a crocodile was attacking his leg, and that cut through the layers of the fog of ignorance! This prayer, from his previous life, emerged a

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

Another point that I find is very nice in the purport of Gajendra, the elephant, is how Srila Prabhupada speaks of when Gajendra assumed a spiritual body, when his body was touched by the Lord. We see how Srila Prabhupada’s mind works as he describes, “Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord,” and immediately he writes, “Similarly, Dhruva Maharaj assumed his spiritual body in this way,” and then goes to the arcana-paddhati, the process of

By Mahatma das

Yamuna devi said in an interview on the film, Women of Bhakti, “When you live bhakti, you give bhakti.” It’s true. What you live is what you give.

I once attended a workshop facilitation training in which we were taught that many people will come to our trainings with the mindset of “I already know that.” They explained that they might know of it, about it, or are familiar with it, but they don’t know it unless they live it.

So if our audience thinks they already know what we wil