By Haripriya Devi Dasi
“My alarm clock rings. It is 5:00 a.m. on a summer morning in Saranagati Village, and it’s almost time for mangal arati. After getting ready, I step outside into a crisp and quiet morning. Picking a flower from our garden for Their Lordships, I jog up the hill on the way to my favorite place, Banabehari Mandir. Once at the top, I look down towards the ashram and see dim yellow lights shining through the early morning mist. Coming up to the beautiful stained-glass tilak d
By Bhaktimarga Swami
People appear to put in many a mile, or kilometre, for their shopping, thus it is a marathon they are on this season. It’s quite an odd game—a mad rush to get to the finish line marked by December 25th.
I was walking today on Bloor and a thought came to my head. If Jesus was walking right next to me, I would like to see the expression on his face when he sees that it has all come down to this. He just may do what he did when he entered the temple and, angered as he was, tu
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
We do not know the power of what one book will do. The Bhagavad-gita made me a devotee! It was a Bhagavad-gita that I got from a friend. My friend bought it, read it and then passed it onto me. I have no idea where that Bhagavad-gita ended up after me. I still had it when I moved into the temple but what happened to it after that, I cannot remember.
The books we distribute lives a life of its own and goes from one person to another. It finds people. It is not just that we
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted:
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
“In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.”
– Sri Caitanya-Bhagavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, 4.126
To fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada globalized the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra and his disciples spread it in cities and villages far and wide. The chanting of the holy names continues to spread, reaching even the most remote areas. In India, one ex
Those who know the rituals to the Pitṛ know that a child, especially a son, is required to perform the rituals which will liberate the parents, especially the father, from the wrath of Yama and the Pitṛ.
Those who know the Indian planetary mythos know that Śani (Saturn) is the son of Sūrya (the Sun).
Those who know the astrological symbolism of the planets see that Saturn indeed liberates the Sun.
The Sun represents ātmā – the fundamental consciousness itself, the core of who and what we are. T
By Ramai Swami
Occasionally, when I travel to our ISKCON centres, I like to visit the restaurants to see how they are going. Generally, all of them do very well and some exceptional well.
On a recent visit to Perth I headed into Govindas with Yadu-srestha and Sita Rama Laksman and had a wonderful lunch. It was around 2.30pm so the restaurant was a little quiet but those who were there seemed happy with their meal.
Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/perth-govindas-restaurant/
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
It is not just about the number of books that you distribute because if you sell someone a book which they do not really want, they may not read it. But if you make a good connection then they will feel they got a book from someone who is very nice. They will definitely feel that it is a special book to read because it came from a special person. Do not forget, they buy the person too and not just the book. They buy you too! Still, we sell the book on the merit of the bo
With great sadness, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON, deeply mourn the departure of Her Grace Yamuna Devi. She dedicated the last 45 years of her life to the worship of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. She was a mentor, guide, and friend to many and a beloved member and hero of ISKCON. At every ISKCON temple, her singing of “Govindam” greets the Lord.
Yamuna Devi was one of the most influential devotees during ISKCON’s fledgling years. She was among a handful of people who established
By Madhava Smullen
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust has already translated ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada’s books into 87 languages. But there are more to go. And today, dedicated servants working for the spiritual publisher in far flung corners of the world still continue to translate his works into their native languages, despite busy family lives and professional careers.
On August 24th this year, for example, Nandapriya Das finished translating the last of seventeen volumes of the Sri Caitanya
By Madhava Smullen
The Prabhupada Marathon, which runs from the beginning of December until the first week of January, is here.
Many ISKCON devotees, whether full-time monks or working professionals with families, are gearing up to do their part in distributing ISKCON Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada’s enlightening books on spiritual knowledge.
Devotees are encouraged by thinking about what a huge emphasis Prabhupada put on distributing books, and what an impact it has on so many lives.
“I’m es
By Gopal Bhatta Das
ISKCON devotees may already know what an amazing event ISKCON Leadership Sanga is, with over a thousand ISKCON leaders and potential leaders, from around the world attending. Many will share their skills and knowledge through a wide variety of presentations, seminars, and workshops.
This event will run from February 4 – 11, 2018 at Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, Sri Dhama Mayapur, India.
The overarching theme of the ILS 2018 will be “keep the wheels moving” an expression Sr
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
When we present books to people, we change them. Someone may say, “No, not interested.”
We can reply, “No, that is okay. You do not have to be interested. You can still have the book.”
Them, “No money!”
We, “No, it is not a matter of money. It is a matter of desire.”
In this way, it does not matter what they say; there always is an answer. They try to have a closing remark – you meet them and you connect with them by having a conversation and then they try to close it wit
By Mahatma das
I was checking for a document on my computer and came across a letter I wrote to a devotee who had recently come back to devotional service.
Over the years he had his ups and downs and wrote me out of concern that this pattern might continue. He feared that he might leave devotional service again.
You might say, “Well I haven’t fallen away from Krishna consciousness, so how does this letter relate to me?” I think we all constantly battle internally with falling away from Krishna
PM Modi has applauded the move saying that it is a well-deserved recognition for this iconic festival.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the recognition was accorded by the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, an entity which works under UNESCO. The decision to recognize the Kumbh Mela was taken at its ongoing meeting in Jeju, South Korea.
The inscription of the Kumbh Mela was recommended by the expert body which examines t
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted:
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma /sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
“In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.”
– Sri Caitanya-Bhagavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, 4.126
To fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada globalized the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra and his disciples spread it in cities and villages far and wide. The chanting of the holy names continues to spread, reaching even the most remote areas. In India, one
