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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,

Excerpt from the lecture by HH Nirañjana Swami

Baltics Winter Festival, January 17, 2014

The following is a partially-edited transcription of an excerpt of a lecture given on January 17, 2014, 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

From Back to Godhead

“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 t

Srivasa Thakura, one of the members of the Pancha-tattva, lived in Navadvipa-dhama in Mayapur, near the residence of Jagannatha Misra and Sacidevi, where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Later, when Lord Chaitanya began His sankirtana movement in Navadvipa-dhama, He and His other most confidential associates would meet at Srivasa-angana, the home of Srivasa Thakura, and have kirtan throughout the night. The kirtans at Srivasa-angana were ecstatic, and only the most intimate devotees of Sri Ch

By Niranajan And Jayapataka Swami

Memories of His Holiness Sridhar Swami.

Ecstatic kīrtans and nectarean discourses on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. All night long this was the typical sight observed in the house of ŚrīvāsaPaṇḍita. Why was ŚrīvāsaĀṅgan chosen? What was its specialty? Dive below to know more.

With hands folded and head finely tilted to its left stands the tall deity of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita – the fifth member of the Pañca-tattva – at the alter in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur. Hailing from Śrīhaṭṭa[modern day Sylhet], he was the second among the five sons of his father Śrī Jaladhar

The mission statement of HH Sridhara Swami (1995) is very inspirational:

“My mission is to serve my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, with all my heart and soul… .

“To achieve this goal has now become my only reason for living. Out of a great sense of debt for his having shown me the path, I want to become a sharp instrument to be used by Srila Prabhupada in his mission of flooding the world with love of Krishna.

“I will strive to achieve excellence in all

The Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), under construction, recently opened an office in the ISKCON Juhu temple, at Hare Krishna Land in Mumbai. In honor of the occasion, and to further the cause, I thought to share an excerpt adapted from my article “Memories of Sridhar Swami” in my book Many Moons.

In November 2003, Srila Prabhupada’s staunch disciple Sridhar Swami phoned me from Bombay and told me that he was planning to go to Vancouver in April for four to six months. Soon thereaft

By HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami

Today marks the most auspicious anniversary appearance of Srila Srivasa Pandit or also known as Srila Srivasa Thakura and it also coincides with the anniversary disappearance of one of our Commanders in Srila Prabhupada’s army – Srila Prabhupada is our General – HH Sridhara Swami.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Lili chapter 7, entitled, Lord Caitanya in Five features, text 15

ei tina tattva, — ‘sarvaradhya’ kari mani caturtha ye bhakta-tattva, — ‘aradhaka’ jani [

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a personal relationship with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? To talk with Him face-to-face, and have loving exchanges with Him? It’s not something we can speculate about or artificially induce. But we can hear about such loving exchanges, learn from them and become attracted and attached to entering into them as a humble servant of the servant. Today, let’s visit the world of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His very dear associate and servant, Srivasa T

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Recently, Mayapur Clean and Green, headed by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi, has been valiantly working to improve the air quality in Mayapur. Earlier this year, a pivotal agreement was reached with ISKCON Mayapur, outlining policies to address air quality issues and prohibit waste burning. 

In spite of waste burning being outlawed by the Indian government and supported by specific legislation and guidelines governing landfill management, air quality remains a pressi

Our drama crew lined up and loaded up for the bus trip to Vrndavan. It's their first time to hit that holy spot where Krishna enacted so many pastimes in child and youthhood. We feel bad about parting now that our 11 day performance terminates here. However, for the coming weekend we will be reuniting at Durban for more of the same ecstasies in drama.

From Back to Godhead

Hare Krsna couples know from the start 
that their life together has a spiritual purpose.

IN MY MOTHER’S wedding photo, she holds a thin bunch of flowers as if she wished to hide it somewhere. The Town Hall marriage chamber resembles a waiting room of an old-fashioned office. My parents, in their everyday attire of poor college students, look blissful but embarrassed, as if they cannot fully comprehend what is happening: Are we really married? What now? Get out and go back

From Back to Godhead

A discussion on the options for the soul under the influence of Krishna’s material energy.

A controversy arose during a Sunday discussion at ISKCON’s Saranagati Village, in British Columbia, Canada. Some devotees quoted a famousBhagavad-gita verse (3.27) where Krishna says, “The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of nature [goodness, passion, and ignorance].”

In othe

By Indira-sakhi Devi Dasi

Srila Prabhupada stressed that character development was an inseparable part of education. He explained that the teachers themselves should be exemplary role models to successfully impart Vedic knowledge to the students.

You are right when you say that setting a good example for the boys is the best precept. There is a saying that an example is better than a precept. Our exemplary character depends on strictly following the four principles, and this will conquer the

From Back to Godhead

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 philoso

(English version of the ‘Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu’ by Sri Rupa Goswami)

Edited by Tridandi Goswami Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami

Text

Akhilla, Rasa, Amrita, Murti, Prasrmara, Ruci, Ruddha, Taraka, Pali, Kalita, Syama, Lalita, Radha, Preyan, Bidhu, Jayati.

Akhila=All inclusive, Rasa=Mellow, Zest, Amrita=Nectar, Murti=Form, Prasrmara=Expanding, Ruchi=Attractive features, Ruddha=Controlling, Taraka=of the name, Pali=of the name, Kalita=Influenced by, Syama=of the name, Lalita=of the name, Radha=

“Update on HG Caitanya Candra prabhu,initiating guru and president of Gadai Giri temple, who has been in ICU in Bhuvansevara hosptial for over one month. He is the senior disciple of HH Gaura Govinda Maharaja and has many disciples in Orisssa, Europe and elsewhere. He has been suffering severely from pneumonia and being diabetic the condition deteriorated leading to hospitalisation. other complications developed and now his condition is extremely serious. Please keep him in your prayers and tho

By Nrsimhananda Das

In the early 90’s, Gopavrndapal prabhu (now B.V. Giri Maharaja) and I were enrolled by HH Bhakti Caru Swami to write the treatments for the first episodes of his opus, “Abhay Charan.” We were roomed together in the Juhu guest house where we were tasked with creating drama from the milestones of Srila Prabhupada’s life. In a month of intense research, discussions, and writing, we somehow squeezed out 18 treatments. I flew to Los Angeles where I gave those treatments to Amala-

Have you checked, if your heart longs for Krishna or is still attached to things of this world?

Externally we may dress perfectly, speak expertly, recite shlokas scholarly, sing melodiously but these qualities may not attract the attention of the Lord. Maybe we are doing it to seek people’s attention and self-glorification.

Krishna hardly bothers about our externals instead he directly peeps into our heart to see whether our heart longs for him or it hankers for something else.

When Duryodhana