I was sent to sleep by the sound of bull frogs. They are pleasantly (and not terribly) loud. I suspect they are very happy. With a late washroom break I still hear them. Africa is known for its many species. When I take a walk and a bench break like I do with 17 year old, Prahlad, we encounter hungry ants, and we are the food. Hadeda birds soar through the sky. Here at the Durban ISKCON temple, which is actually in Chatsworth, a suburb, devotees are very helpful and take care of my every need.
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On September, HH Radhanath Swami was in New York City to speak at The Bhakti Center for their 3rd Annual Pearl Festival, celebrating Radhastami (the Divine appearance of Srimati Radharani). A special feature of this festival is that all guests received the opportunity to write a prayer on a paper pearl and offer it, along with a real pearl, to Radharani. All the real pearls were then collected, strung into a necklace and offered to Radharani as a gift. Below are some excerpts of his talk.
“The
By Prabhupada Ashraya Dasa
The devotees of ISKCON Aravade recently completed a glorious seven-day padayatra to Shri Dham Pandharpur, carrying the divine forms of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai Sundar and Srila Prabhupada. Nearly 400 devotees joined this sacred journey, transforming the roads of Maharashtra into a moving temple filled with kirtan, katha, and prasadam.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/hundreds-join-padayatra-from-iskcon-arvade-to-pandharpur/
By Atma Tattva Das,
The devotional community at ISKCON New Talavan, Mississippi, USA, is preparing to inaugurate their newly constructed temple complex, built for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Radha-Kantha and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, through a series of public events scheduled from May 14 to May 25, 2026. The multi-day, in-person program will include a Vastu Yajna, kirtan gatherings, and a formal opening ceremony, marking the completion of a project that has been under development for several years
When flying I don’t always communicate too often. It is my down time from people. Besides, most passengers are just too tired to dialogue. Everyone’s tired. I do get interesting remarks sometimes. “Why that colour?” asked a young American at the Atlanta Airport. “This is the colour reserved for the renounced order in our tradition. It is a welcoming, happy and liberating colour. It stands out.”
“I agree,” he said.
When I was on my American walk, from Boston to San Francisco, in 2017, in Ne
Excerpt from the lecture by HH Nirañjana Swami
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.16
Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma, March 4, 2014
The following is a partially-edited transcription of an excerpt of a lecture given on March 04, 2014 in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma – CC, Ādi-līlā 8.16
This verse stresses the importance of chanting the Holy Name so that one can achieve the ultimate goal of this chanting. I wanted to read something also in connection to this. It is short but very relevant to this verse. In the words of our p
By Bir Krishna Das Goswami
To read the following article on the original pdf document (61MB) click here: https://devoteecare.org/magazines/004souvenir%20complete%20_%2060MBFILE.pdf
Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=88995
From Back to Godhead
Far from being a sentimental activity, devotional service is based on well-defined principles that systematically guide a practitioner to ultimate perfection.
Discussions about the relationship between science and religion usually end in a stalemate: Scientists accuse religionists of relying too much on faith, which they say is experimentally unverifiable, while religionists accuse scientists of relying too much on physical and chemical laws, which they say fail to measure
Recently, thanks to the pervasive presence of Vaisesika Dasa, ISKCON’s Minister of Book Distribution, the devotees of ISKCON London Sankirtan brought an unusual surge of spiritual energy to the streets of London on the grand day of the Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF).
This devotional, inspiring, and encouraging spirit was further enhanced by the presence of Nirakula Devi Dasi, who commemorated every devotee’s endeavor.
Sankirtan warriors from the Bhaktivedanta Manor and ISKCON London Soho Radha
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
Sankirtanamrita: The Nectar of Sri Krsna Sankirtana, the newly released book by Navina Nirada Dasa, published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), has been acclaimed across the ISKCON world as a landmark contribution to Vaishnava literature. Blending memoir, philosophy, and practical guidance, it offers a deeply personal exploration of sankirtana, which is the sacred mission of sharing Krishna consciousness through transcendental literature from nearly four
B.g. Lecture 1969:
Devotee: Prabhupāda? Does Lord Jesus Christ appear in the spiritual sky with the body he manifested on the earth?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise how there can be resurrection? Ordinary body cannot be resurrected. He appeared in his spiritual body, certainly. Jesus Christ told, if I remember, that “Lord, excuse these persons,” who were crucifying him. Is it not? He knew that “These rascals, they are killing me, but… They are offending certainly. So they do not know that I cannot be
In my reflection of first seeing Prabhupada,which was in Atlanta, I whipped up this poem:
Oh, how we all loved him
His message was not born from a whim
What enticed was not age or looks
More so the deep content in his books
He was hale and hearty, not frail
When we walked with him on the trail
In the green called Piedmont Park
Winter morning and not dark
I tried to catch a word he’d say
But distance kept the sound at bay
I turned to listen, hit a lamp post
My forehead hurt the most
Frankly my
A former student of psychology traces his life, from childhood to now from looking up to others to looking into himself.
On June 17, 1959, with summer vacation just a few days away, I walked onto my grammar school playground in a lighthearted mood. Just then my best friend Billy rushed over to me with wide eyes. Did you hear the news?!”
“What news?”
“This morning Superman killed himself! He shot himself in the head with a luger!”
At first I thought Billy was kidding, but soon I noticed that eve
Discovering Spiritual Knowledge
It all began with meeting a young lady, who is an astrologer. She prepared my natal map and gave some recommendations as far as what I should and should not do. First of all, she recommended to switch to a vegetarian diet. The reason for that is because I was born on Caturdasi. It is a must for people who are born on this day to be engaged in spiritual practice. Otherwise, consequences can be really harsh. I became interested. Actually, I had always been inter
An estimated 20,000 visitors gathered on March 28–29 at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple near Spanish Fork, Utah, for the temple’s 30th annual Holi Festival of Colors, the largest Color Festival in North America.
When the Festival first began almost three decades ago, it was regarded as the “unofficial spring break event” for Brigham Young University students, another icon in Utah Valley, with an enrollment of over 35,000. “Now festival goers are about 50% young people and 50% young families,” C
A new initiative titled “Young Minds, Timeless Wisdom” is offering an 8-week online Bhagavad-gita course for youth aged 10 to 19, beginning April 11, 2026. The program is designed to present the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita in a practical and relatable format, helping young people develop clarity, discipline, and emotional resilience in today’s fast-paced environment. The course will be conducted live on Zoom every Saturday at 11:00 AM EST and is open to participants from all backgrounds.
The
Vedasara, yoga teacher and friend, resident of Atlanta, suggested we walk along the Freedom Park Trail and visit the memorial of Martin Luther King. As everyone knows, King, was a peace fighter against the prejudice and racism that pervaded the psychological landscape of America and worldwide. He had a dream and like his idol, Gandhi, was proactive at getting out that message. In 1968 he was assassinated and so now, in his memory, the public pay homage to the great soul at this site.
First of
From Back to Godhead
No one besides you can understand your unique experience of the world. Well, almost no one.
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (13.2–3):
idam shariram kaunteya
kshetram ity abhidhiyate
etad yo vetti tam prahuh
kshetra-jña iti tad-vidah
“This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.”
kshetra-jñam chapi mam viddhi
sarva-kshetreshu bharata
kshetra-kshetrajñayor jñanam
yat taj jñanam matam mama
“O sc
Life sometimes appears to us like a labyrinth. One has to make the right choice each time the passage bifurcates. A labyrinth is an irregular structure, with many passages, hard to find way through or about… So are some choices in life…
That was the case of Arjuna, the great devotee-warrior from Bhagavad-gita, who saw himself faced with a decisive battle. Anyone who ever found himself or herself in front of an important life-choice, to a greater or lesser degree, can relate to the experience of
Excerpt from the Bhagavad-Gita As it Is 7.7:
Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute
TEXT 7
mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva
SYNONYMS
mattah—beyond Myself; parataram—superior; na—not; anyat—anything else; kincit—something; asti—there is;dhananjaya—O conquerer of wealth;mayi—in Me; sarvam—all that be; idam—which we see; protam—strung; sutre—on a thread; mani-ganah—pearls; iva—likened.
TRANSLATION
O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no T
