By Ananda Tirtha das

The following is my impression of the events of March 15. March 15 began as any other day during the Festival in Mayapur: a sweet and crowded mangala-arati spent wriggling and weaving through crowds of devotees, especially around Nrsimahadeva’s altar and during Tulasi-puja. Little did anyone know what was to come

By Badrinarayan Dasa

So this is the mood of our acarya. One devotee said, “Prabhupada I feel so sorry for these people sometimes.” Prabhupada said, “Why just sometimes?” The pure devotee’s heart is always like nectar. It is always flowing. So our problems are solved. Trying to enjoy in this material world is petty, pale and pathetic. We have the answer. We have our assurances. We have seen it with our own eyes. We have seen so many devotees transcend very difficult positions what to speak of our founder acarya

By Balaramkrishnadas

Like many other mystique Vaishanva personalities of Vraj, Bilvamangala Thakur perhaps would have occurred in many places as he pleased, causing ordinary people to conclude there were 10 Bilvamangalas etc. Thus based on a version of the local people ,but keeping though that Srila Prabhupada narrated quite similar but not exactly the same story, listening to their age old beliefs, an ancient place and people who relishes the nectar of Bhakti latent in their village traditions (na budhibedam janayet) we dare to put this across!

By Prema-tarangini Devi Dasi

During this entire process, the devotees doctors from Bhaktivedanta hospital have been very supportive and sacrificing of their own personal needs and schedule to be there for Maharaj. Maharaj is deeply grateful to them and has expressed his appreciation of their sacrifices, service mood and devotee care system multiple times. Maharaj is particularly grateful to Dr. Saksi Gopal prabhu an intensive care physician from Bhaktivedanta hospital who has been with Maharaj throughout

By Raxit Jariwalla

The first Monthly Sankirtana Festival of 2012, entitled “Sri Nityananda Trayodasi MSF of Getting to Know Each Other” was held at Iskcon of Silicon Valley (ISV) in honor of Lord Nityananda’s divine appearance day. It was concluded on February 15th, on which day the MSF results were offered to Srila Prabhupada and their Lordships during the Wednesday night Gita class at the ISV temple in San Jose, California

By Bhakti Vijnana Gowami

Somehow or the other as conditioned living entities we hope, with our conditioning of thinking that, we are the Supreme Lord we hope to be victorious all the time. We kind of count on it. It is the subconscious mentality of every living entity. We just want to be victorious and when something goes wrong in our life we immediately become dejected and because it always goes wrong then we are always dejected

By Bhakti Charu Swami

Prabhupada told us emphatically, “Don’t make the same mistake that my god brothers made after Guru Maharaj’s disappearance. Guru Maharaj told them to come and manage the society through a governing body. They did not. They rather appointed an acarya. When the acarya fell down, the whole structure collapsed.” Then he said, “Don’t make the same mistake.” And we can see about thirty-five years after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance Iskcon is not only there but Iskcon is growing, Iskcon is expanding, Iskcon is becoming more and more wonderfully established in this planet

By Radhanath Swami

Srila Prabhupada endured heart attacks, sea sickness, strokes, poverty to begin this movement what to speak of after people like us started to become devotees, what he had to tolerate! He gave his life. He told us that he had shed buckets of blood for every devotee. He said that in the spirit of how important it is to take care of each other and to honor and respect each other

By Caru Das

This 3 minute film on the Utah Krishna Temple was filmed by some Brigham Young University students during the Sunday Feast

By Prahladananda Swami

That if one is chanting the holy name, they are taking shelter of the real shelter and we should appreciate that and we should respect that. That is how we take shelter of them. Even if they are not following very strictly still in our heart we have to appreciate that here is Krishna’s servant, somehow or the other by good fortune they are taking that much shelter of Krishna and I should appreciate them for doing it

By Bhakti Caitanya Swami

Narottama Dasa Thakura appeared in Kheturi which I believe is in current day Bangaldesh. Eventually in his late youth or so he went to Vrindavan and in Vrindavan he met Srila Jiva Goswami and took shelter of him. Then he met Srila Lokanath Goswami and was very deeply struck by the character of Lokanath Goswami and his standards as a devotee and just who he was as a devotee

By Bhakti Charu Swami

May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Naga and the Visnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions

By GBC EC

It has recently come to our attention that there are still some letters from Srila Prabhupada that have not as yet been delivered to the Bhaktivedanta Archives. The situation was highlighted when a GBC member surprisingly learned that some of his letters were not in the VedaBase

By Bhakti Rasamrta Swami

This chapter is entitled, ‘Maharaj Prthu’s Going Back Home.’ There are numerous such examples mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam of such glorious departures. Prthu Maharaja himself, a saktyaves-avatara who was endowed with praja palana-sakti - the power to maintain the praja of the citizens has made his life perfect and is headed back to the spiritual world

By Gunacuda Dasi

On Friday 17th February, several GBC members visited Sri Mayapur International School to inaugurate the new playground which they had sponsored. The students were very excited to be given the new outdoor play equipment and basketball court and wanted to thank the donors, especially His Holiness Kavichandra Maharaja who gave a large donation

By Lakshman das

ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS), in Sridham Mayapur, was held from February 10th to 17th, 2012. The ILS provides an opportunity for GBC members to share with ISKCON’s initiating gurus, sannyasis, temple presidents, project leaders, and congregational leaders the process of strategic planning they have undergone and the progress they have achieved

By Gokulananda das

Sounds pretty positive, and such was the title/theme that set just the right mood for this year’s historical gathering of the ISKCON Leadership Sangha - ILS - in Sridham Mayapur. Over 350 “rank and file” temple leaders from all around the ISKCON world (over 40 countries ) met for the eight-day series of sessions and workshops, from Febr.10th to 17th

By Ravindra Svarupa Dasa

Here’s one thing. Iskcon is what Prabhupada had to do to make Bhagavatam happen. It wasn’t enough that he brought the books. He also had to create the authorised hearers. Then with Prabhupada as the authorised speaker and people in Iskcon as the authorised hearers then Bhagavatam can happen. It can take place

By Dr. Madhavananda Das

This is to inform that Romapada Maharaja was taken ill today in Mayapur and has been transported to the Birla Heart Centre in Kolkata. He has symptoms of breathlessness and chest pain on the right side. At the moment he is conscious but on oxygen

By Romapada Swami

In keeping with the theme of the ILS, the International Leadership Sanga, I was requested to speak on the character of a leader. I selected a verse which epitomizes the mood of a leader, namely the bearer of the will and the instructions of those more elevated than oneself

By Antardwip Dasa

Soon the influx of many more devotees from around the world will converge in Sree Dham Mayapur to experience perhaps the most memorable kirtan event in ISKCON history, perhaps since the time of Narottama Das Thakur. Do you want to tell your grandchildren you were there? We think, yes!

By Naresvara Das

As every week passes in Mayapur, the landscape changes: the TOVP’s presence expands, dominating the grounds, embracing the entire community; suburbs and sub-divisions bloom and unfold; the village grows with every breath, closer than ever to being the city that Srila Prabhupada predicted it would become. For the thousands of people who wish to reside in this most beautiful holy dhama, more than ever it’s now or never…

By Iskcon Leadership Sanga

Day One of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga was a huge success! Despite many technical difficulties, all the devotees felt enthused and enlivened by the work that is already being done by the GBC members

By Vedavyasapriya Swami

Srila Prabhupada is saying that the artificial arrangement of divorce system is not approved in the Vedic sastras. It is not a flat outright saying but i think it is very serious and very important as far as serving the Absolute Truth is concerned this principle which is enunciating the Absolute Truth cannot be violated. So it has to be understood in proper perspective. Many times we say that time, place and circumstances - change the rule. Rule cannot be changed. Application can be changed. The rule cannot be violated

By Candramauli Swami

It is like in the 1920’s in the United States of America. At the end of the 1920’s there was a huge crisis economically and practically the whole country went down. And people who had fortunes lost everything practically overnight. And it is reported that many people were jumping out of windows committing suicide simply for something that really - a devotee understands what the value of such things is

By Tukaram Das

On one hand, I’m writing for myself (out of necessity), to grieve and give shape to myriad thoughts that are inspiring (and vexing) me. On the other hand, it’s also my hope that, by writing, I might be able to share my love, appreciation and understanding of Nitai with others. In some way, I’m just attempting to keep Nitai alive with my words, lest his memory be lost

By Gopi Gita Dasi

TKG Academy - the Dallas Elementary Day School - located in Kalachandji Dham right near the Dallas Temple, has been serving the community children since the 1980’s. With a beautiful playground, nestled in a pecan grove, next to Kalachandji’s Park and a block from Kalachandji’s Palace, temple and Restaurant, it is an idyllic location for children to thrive

By Saurav Sarmah

Veda means knowledge. The word Veda is related to the Sanskrit root ‘vid’ meaning ‘to know’. So, it encompasses the entire corpus of knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. Actually, knowledge is established through three primary epistemological premises, viz., sense perception, logical-mathematical inference and reliable testimony

By Anuttama dasa

If you understand and if you have some sense of gratitude to the spiritual master, if we have some little sense of gratitude then we should try to repay that debt. How to repay that debt? Did he say that we have to put ourselves through so much suffering or give so much money or do something we can’t do? No. He said that, “Just try to preach as i am doing. Try to help others.”

By ILS

65 photos from the closing ceremony of the GBC ILS and the Group Photo(s)

By Nrsimhananda Dasa

On February 16th, Professor Vishwanath Karad, President and UNESCO Chair Holder for Human Rights, Democracy, and Tolerance as well as the Founder and Director of more than 28 colleges throughout India (including MIT), met for two hours with Nrsimhananda das, Director of Iskcon Television

By Vaishnava Das

I am writing this article as a means to increase dialogue within the devotional community with respect to risk management. I do not place myself as an expert in this area though I do have a sensitivity to the subject given my occupation

By Times of India

Alfred Ford (re-christened Ambarish Das), an American heir to Ford fortune and the great grandson of legendary businessman Henry Ford, visited the Institute of Leadership Entrepreneurship and Development (iLead) Kolkata campus to interact with the students and teachers

By ToVP.org

2012 ToVP Video Presentation to the GBCs and Assembled Vaisnavas by Ambarisha, Sadbhuja, Hari-sauri, Bhavananda, Jananivas prabhus, Jayapataka Swami and more

By Bhanu Swami

So Krishna is the ideal leader because He meets everybody’s expectations. Whatever you can imagine is in Krishna - everything wonderful. That is of course in the Nectar of Devotion. Rupa Goswami gives sixty-four qualities of Krishna. Of course He has four special qualities but even the fifty qualities are very wonderful. We don’t expect to find all these fifty in any of our leaders in the modern world or whatever. We don’t find all of those fifty qualities which should be there in a good jiva

By Sahadeva dasa

Procession started around afternoon from Lord Venkateswara temple in the down town area. Thousands of people participated in the 6 hour long procession and tons of prasadam was distributed. Many people turned up simply to have an auspicious beginning for their new year

By Jayapataka Swami

One thing is that Prabhupada wanted the devotees to attend the regular Gaura-purnima festival every year. One of the GBC’s said, “Prabhupada (At that time it cost $500. Now it is more expensive.)Each year thousands of devotees go and they pay $500 each. That is $500 000. We could build a temple. (In those days.)” Prabhupada said, “Yes. The devotees eat so much [Laughter] If they didn’t eat we could have so much money. [Laughter] The GBC shut up

By Bhakti Raghava Swami

Sahyadri Varnasrama College (SVC) officially opened at Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) on the Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, February 5, 2012. Scheduled to begin the first week of January, SVC started 3 weeks later this year due to late arrival of students

By Jananivas Dasa

Our proposition is to the Ramanujacarya followers because they are very, very strong, especially in South India they are prominent, purifying all of the world actually. It is mentioned in the Bhagavatam that when pure devotees appear in South India they then maintain the pure principles of bhakti.

By The Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture

I wanted to bring attention to the fact that the great majority of milk and dairy products offered to the Deities in ISKCON temples are coming from sources which exploit the cows. These sources separate the calves from their mothers at a very young age and then kill the cows themselves when they become economically unviable

By Hari-sauri dasa

I committed offences on every level - minor, medium and major. The only way that I got over them was just to be very humble - just to be aware of the fact that I have done something wrong and apologise and then work to rectify that so that it didn’t happen again

By Gautam Saha

A man’s work is the centre of his life ( unless he is a gentleman of leisure and does not need to earn a living, for one or more of a variety of reasons ). His interests, leanings, education, hobbies, lifestyle all revolve around and are centred on his work. In time, a man’s work becomes his passion. He is identified by his work, and the more successful he is seen in that work, the more successful is his life supposed to be