Excerpt from a lecture by HH Nirañjana Swami

The following is a partially-edited transcription of an excerpt of a lecture given at the Baltics Winter Festival – Chanting with Feeling

Today I wanted to read and speak from a few quotes about the Holy Name. Some of them I have read recently and found a lot of significance to them, not only to myself but those with whom I shared them. A lot of times the devotees struggle to make their chanting relevant. The previous speaker, Dhīra-śānta Prabhu was u

Many people think that science and spirituality will always be at odds, but true religion must be supported by science, and true science must be supported by religion.

Real religion is sanatana dharma, or eternal duty. It is based on universal truth rather than rituals or superstition. Real religion is about truth because God is truth. When religion is true, it is applicable to the material world and can be used to explain natural phenomena. Here’s how by taking three science courses (astronomy,

Relishing the Bhagavatam for a boost while out on book distribution.

For Gopala-Raya Das, book distribution is more than a duty; it is a central theme in his spiritual journey. His recent appointment as Sankirtan Leader in his yatra – Swansea, Wales, and as Chair of the ISKCON UK Book Distribution Committee is a natural extension of his lifelong dedication to sharing Krishna consciousness. Yet, he approaches this service with characteristic humility. “I don’t have much to say,” he admitted durin

“From the viewpoint of eternity, a life span of five thousand years is the same as that of five years: both are a flash, both temporary.”

Two summers ago when the Reforestation Department of the Sequoia National Park in California gave away excess baby Sequoia trees, I got four and planted them on our nine-acre property in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Sequoias don’t produce useful things like fruits or flowers. They simply live—for thousands of years. And they grow—hundreds of f

Krishna House in Gainesville, Florida, famous around the world for its innovative and successful ashram program, and Krishna Lunch on the University of Florida campus, has released a new video on YouTube. In less than five minutes, the creative film gives you a “peak into the experience of participants in the Krishna House Ashram.” 

Common misconceptions are addressed in a welcoming and colorful presentation of Bhakti life. Krishna House is based on Srila Prabhupada’s example in his first ISKCON

Siddha Hari Das (left); Two children visitors at the mall receive some books from his booth.

A book distribution program led by Siddha Hari Das was successfully conducted at Michigan’s largest mall, Great Lakes Crossing Mall, from December 3rd, 2024, to January 12th, 2025. This innovative initiative was well received by the visitors and became a remarkable endeavor in spreading Krishna consciousness.

A total of 4,222 books were distributed, including 454 Bhakta Stacks (1,816 books), 120 Saptha S

Residents of Klerksdorp patiently waiting to be served prasadam at ISKCON Klerksdorp.

In October 2023, the establishment of ISKCON Klerksdorp in the North West province of South Africa marked a significant milestone for the movement. Formerly managed by the Klerksdorp Hindu Samaj, the temple transitioned into ISKCON’s care, heralding a new chapter of spiritual service in the region. Less than a year later, the temple’s leadership initiated a feeding program that has already begun to touch hundre

In the Alachua temple, I delivered my third and last class on the heroism of the avatar, Varaha, who saved the earth in His most unique way.   Back at the home of my hosts, Ananta Sesa and Vaishnavi, I led a Gita Chat on Zoom with devotees from the Caribbean.  Chapter 1.32 – 35.  Those verses are Arjuna’s rationale leading to his declining to fight.  A major theme behind these verses was that Krishna, the main pundit, was actually a good listener.  This is another trait of heroism.

For the eveni

The Vedic contribution to one of the central debates in Western philosophy.

Sam Surya goes to his city’s orphanage one day and makes a large donation. Elsewhere in town, Andy Andhakara robs a bank. What led these two to make such drastically different choices? Was it their own volition, or the force of some other factor? In other words, were their actions predetermined, or did Sam and Andy have free will?

These questions concern one of the pivotal debates in Western philosophy. Are human beings

Local vendors participate and new bins get installed at Hulor Ghat, one of the adopted spots.

Mayapur Clean and Green, led by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi, has recently introduced a new strategy for protecting Mayapur from environmental challenges. This strategy encourages individuals and organizations to adopt specific areas of the Dham. This initiative seeks to generate funds for cleaning activities and secure regular sponsorships for essential equipment, ensuring the sustained upkeep of Mayapur.

W

Over the past decade, New Vrindaban has grown rapidly, with a 36% increase in residents each year. To meet this demand, the community has built 10 new apartments and 5 cabins, bringing the temple’s total to 48 apartments. Additionally, 50 plots of land are being developed for devotees to buy and build homes. The growing number of young families in the community has created a need for enhanced support in fostering a Krishna-conscious lifestyle for children and parents.

Recently, ISKCON News inter

We are familiar with the literary devices of similes and metaphors. In a simile, we may say something like, “The summer air was as hot as a furnace”, but in a metaphor we do not simply compare two things but describe one as the other, as in Sandburg’s poem: “The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches, and then moves on.”

The language of metaphor and poetry is the language of emotion and love. In the Italian film “Il Postino” (The Postman), a simple

Maya’s Friend Norm

The Vedic scriptures reveal that Mayadevi, Lord Krishna’s deluding potency, works with certain energies that have the capacity to make material life seem like normal life.

As we go about our everyday activities in the material world, we are continuously confronted with the normality, or normalness, of material existence. In other words, we are constantly bombarded with the notion that material life, with all its mundane rationality, constitutes normal life and that this world

Since 2009, our ISKCON Girls’ Forum team in Amravati has been frequenting the Dr Narendra Bhiwapurkar Blind School, engaging the students in kirtan and other spiritual activities. On these occasions, I always had the feeling that the children should be reading Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is to enlighten their lives. But where to get a Braile Bhagavad-gita was the big question.

For the full story by Jayabhadra Devi Dasi, visit the ISKCON Padayatra website for this and other inspiring n

ISKCON Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya (IBMV) is offering a 27-hour Diploma in Bhagavad-gita course, divided into 18 sessions of 1.5 hours each. Scheduled from February 1 to February 21, 2025, the classes will be held Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM IST. The course will be conducted by Premasindhu Gauranga Das who is the Director of Administration at IBMV.

The program welcomes individuals ages 15 and above, regardless of their prior knowledge. It offers an in-depth exploration of the Bh

From Back to Godhead

Fulfilling our duty as parents requires taking care of our children’s spiritual needs.

As the mother of ten children, I am often asked, “How do you fulfill your family responsibilities and still make progress in spiritual life? When do you find the time to serve God?”

“It’s a matter of vision,” I reply. “I realize that I can serve God by caring for my children and husband with love and respect.”

Being a mother and wife is my duty, and I don’t distinguish it from my service

“Whom are we worshiping in the temple? This query of mine was unanswered till I reached ISKCON.”

I was born and brought up in a Hindu family in Delhi, and we used to go to various temples and offer prayers before the gods. Two questions, however, always tickled my mind: Why do we worship so many gods, and who is the real God? As I never got answers to my questions, I considered all the gods equal, and in my teenage years all religions and faiths became one for me. Be it Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhi