By Atma Tattva Das
Recently, a team of devotees from ISKCON Denmark participated in the country’s largest Body-Mind-Spirit Health Fair, called “Krop-Sind-Ånd Helsemesse.” The popular event, which welcomed 6,000 visitors over its three-day run, was held at Brøndby Hallen in Copenhagen. With an array of 165 exhibitors and over 90 engaging lectures, workshops, and mini-courses, attendees were invited to explore the fields of physical, naturopathic, and spiritual wellness.
Lalitanath Dasa and his t
Like at the oceanside you have pleasant and not so pleasant waves hitting that shoreline. What comes to mind is that fabulous beach that annually the Trinidadian devotees and I converge at! It’s a lovely spot!
But what I want to drive at is the day in the life when great things come at you and then also more challenging, at least, grave issues come knocking at your door.
Today’s walk was a real pleasant one. A group of was visited the Mayapura School for boys across the way from the elep
An analysis of what made Ravana incorrigible.
The Ramayana describes how Ravana acted devilishly for most of his life and refused to reform despite repeated good advice and strong warnings. His incorrigibility raises an important question about human nature. Are some people innately bad? That raises a bigger question: Are people in general innately good or innately bad?
Let’s consider both possibilities.
Most of us would like to believe that people are basically
Our mind, an aspect of Krishna’s material energy, can be a helpful ally or a hindering foe.
Some five hundred and ten years ago, after Sri Chaitanya had taken sannyasa and was intending to travel by foot from Bengal to Vrindavan, Sri Nrisimhananda Brahmacari decided to serve Sri Chaitanya by creating a broad road for Him to walk on. What Sri Nrisimhananda created was by no means an ordinary road. In his Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 1.156–159), Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami describes it:
Sanctimony is not necessarily reserved for the righteous. It’s a condition that could affect anyone: the right-wing, left-wing, atheists, and even “the sinful.” It means “making a show of being morally superior to others.” We all fall into it at one time or other, sooner or later.
In my college years, I first saw it on full display in a group of radical, hippy, spokespeople who came to speak to students about “The Revolution.” As a hippy myself, I was dismayed by their elitist and sanctimonious
Srila Prabhupada explained how an expert businessman can thrive in any economic climate. When the market booms he sells commodities and makes a healthy profit. When the market is down, he buys abundantly, remaining alert to sell when the demand rebuilds. Either way, lucrative business as usual. In the same way, the ups and downs of life are all opportunities to become spiritually wealthy. In times of peace and prosperity, we have the space to spiritually immerse ourselves, building assets of in
The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal spiritual living PERSONS who can never be destroyed, terminated, divided into pieces or extinguished.
The individual jiva-souls are indestructible and were NEVER created, they have ALWAYS existed like Krsna has always existed.
We are all "old souls" because the jiva-souls have perpetually existed and were NEVER created.
The implications of existing for infinity is mind boggling because this means there really is no death for the jiva-
The International Temple President meeting, hosted by ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) on 27 February 2024 at Mayapur, commenced with a warm welcome extended by the GBC to the International Temple Presidents. The meeting, attended by more than 150 participants, both in person at ISKCON’s international headquarters in Mayapur and online, was proficiently facilitated by Tapana Misra Das, vice chairman of the GBC Executive Committee (EC). Each table was hosted by a GBC member, with Temple
On March 3rd, thousands of devotees who were gathered in Sri Mayapur Dham for the opening of the Nrsimhadeva Wing of the TOVP witnessed the Pancha Tattva Maha-Abhisheka, which occurs every five years.
This joyful event also marks the 20th anniversary of the Sri Sri Pancha Tattva installation in 2004. Senior leaders from around the world performed the abhisheka ceremony. “The Pancha Tattva have endeared themselves to the global community of ISKCON devotees who look forward to this rare Maha-Abh
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktisiddhanta saraswati iti namine
You are our special link to the chain
And connection to the spirit vein
You are Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
Resident of holy Jagannatha Puri
A genius who was not a light debater
A risk-taker and proven innovator
A lecturer owing to your reading
No wonder you were competent in your leading
A ray of Vishnu, the singha (lion) guru
Caste brahmins and mayavadis you'd pursue
Yet inclusiveness was y
Thirty years ago I was doing the Prabhupada marathon at the Chicago airport. One afternoon, we devotees were so intoxicated by distributing books that we decided to show that one doesn’t have to speak to sell books, that book distribution just depends on our state of consciousness. So we didn’t speak.
Just after loading my bookbag with (20) maha books I tapped a man on the arm and looked him in the eye. He stopped, expecting me to say something. I didn’t. I put a book in his hand, pointed at Pr
Based on the Teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada
Twenty-first century Krsna consciousness is witness to a few new catch phrases. Among them are “inspiration” and “care for devotees,” Unfortunately, by themselves these terms are somewhat vague, so referring to Prabhupada may provide clarity. He used “inspiration” as follows: a motivation coming from paramatma or Sri Krsna,(1) an increasing attachment for Krsna impelled by His mercy,(2) an offering that gives pleasure to
“This was because Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma could not joke freely and Yaśodā could not liberally pamper the boys because of the presence of Nanda and his brothers. However for Kṛṣṇa’s relatives the evening meal was a hundred times more blissful because the entire family could eat with Kṛṣṇa. It was a million times more blissful for Yāśodā because of seeing the bliss of the relatives.” – Sri Govinda Lilamrta 20.52
Throughout “Sri Govinda Lilamrta,” which is arguably the most prominent boo
The Institute for Science and Spirituality Trust (ISS), the scientific study wing of ISKCON Delhi, held a 2-day international conference in August entitled, “Philosophy of Vaishnava Vedanta: Culture, Legacy and Traditions.” The conference, hosted in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University and Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, gathered world-class speakers from around the world. Recently, they have been releasing these significant presentations on their YouTube channel.
The main obj
Hundreds of thousands of Vaishnavas are gathering around the world today to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada, with the largest gathering held in Sri Mayapur Dham (fuller coverage coming soon).
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the guru of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appeared in Sri Ksetra Dhama (Jagannatha Puri) on February 6, 1874, as the son of Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In his childhood, he quickly mast
Thousands of devotees gathered on day three of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium’s Grand Opening of its Lord Nrsimhadeva Wing in Sri Mayapur Dham.
Describing the day, Anuttama Dasa, Global Minister of Communications, said, “It was an inspiring and auspicious event. Many of the speakers urged us to work cooperatively to raise the needed contributions so the temple may be completed within the next two to three years.”
He continued, “When Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing was inaugurated, it was beautifu
Most pilgrims just rush. They are trying to make it on time for the 4:30am arati service at the main temple. Some just want to get in early for "a better front seat." I attend the service at the Pushpa Samadhi which is at 4.10. I also rush.
On the trail to either locations there are always some dogs fast asleep and it gives great meaning, when remembering the phrase, "Let sleeping dogs lie." If that was not the case they are just an annoyance since they are stray dogs.
Occasionally a jackel
Lord Ram constructed a bridge to Lanka across the Ocean. Lord Ramchandra does not require a bridge to cross over the ocean, he is God, but in order to glorify his followers, good devotees like Hanuman and others including the little squirrel, Lord Ramchandra constructed a bridge to Lanka across the Ocean. Lord Ram gave them a chance, they simply chanted ‘Jai Shri Rama’ and threw stones into the water and the stones started floating, such is the potential of the holy name.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprab
𝗘𝗰𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮 “Falling into the sea, He lost consciousness and could not understand where He was. Sometimes He sank beneath the waves, and sometimes He floated above them.” Antya 18.30
During the last twelve years of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He started to exhibit symptoms of Bhava that are beyond our mundane conception. In Madhya Lila, these symptoms of Bhava are said to be like that of Srimati Radharani when she was feeling separation from Krishna thus it is said to be a tra
"Free will" or having a unique independent personality and sense of self, means the individual jiva-souls can express themselves in their own unique way serving Krsna, voluntarily offering their own personal contributions in a "two-way" exchange.
Srila Prabhupāda - "Love means a relationship between "two persons," then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these thin
