A common denominator for practically each of the unlimited varieties of material bodies is that the spirit soul dwelling within is to one degree or another attached to the particular body they reside in. In turn most resided in bodies have others who are also attached to them, generally family members, or what Srila Prabhupada often referred to as ‘skin disease’. He specifically used this term to describe excessive attachment to family members which leads to incre...

“A pure Vaisnava should be very careful to engage in his specific duty without criticizing others. This is the safest position. Otherwise, if one tends to criticize others, he may commit the great offence of criticizing a Vaisnava” In the pastime of Jagai and Madhai, prior to them receiving the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they were glorified as having one good quality. The fact that they kept such bad association meant that they had never come into contact with devotees hence their good...

While we may consider the Hare Krishnas a rather obscure group, the truth is their impact on the world we occupy today is massive. They are the ones who originally brought the likes of meditation, mindfulness and good diet to us all. So while it may generally be thought that the Hare Krishna movement has not taken the world by storm and achieved mass global domination, secretly their core teaching and activities have. This is shown wherever you look in society now, where you will witness Hare Krishna-isms everywhere, even if they might be a little on the diluted side. Inde...

As the saying goes: “history is but a set of lies commonly agreed on by historians” In relation to religious historians this issue is even more acute, primarily because of the almost blanket ban on accepting any religious history that is not based on sense perception. The so-called 'enlightenment consensus' strictly adhere to their rule that nothing beyond gross matter and three dimensional space can be recorded. In reality this means that the enlightenment consensus lobby generally dismiss e...

I recently heard a somewhat humorous exchange between two devotees. The first devotee in a mood of perhaps legitimate grumpiness said; “I have given the best years of my life to ISKCON” [therefore surely ISKCON owes me] The second devotee replied; “Well if you've given your best years then you might as well give the rest of your years!” This exchange is interesting for a number of reasons, not least because of the two apparent conflicting positions taken...

I remember many years ago when devotees appeared on a popular TV chat show in front of a live audience, they started with some sweet bhajan and then 4 or 5 of them were interviewed. During the interview the TV host cottoned on that the devotees were seriously dedicated to their cause. As a result he asked one of the devotees the following; "What about holidays, do you take an annual vacation?" The devotee in question responded both with confidence and humour "When you are having so much fun doing what you are doing, where is the question of needing a holiday as everyday is ...

A paper commissioned by the GBC Finance Committee and the GBC Organizational Development Committee. How ISKCON devotees collect, manage, and spend Krishna’s laxmi generates much discussion, especially because we have little precedent as to how a structured Vaisnava organization conducts such matters. That said, few, if any, would argue the importance of the twin principles of accountability and using all monies received directly in the service of Krishna and ISKCON’s preaching mission

The grhastha asrama has had an interesting and varied history within our ISKCON movement. In many respects the role of married life in a missionary movement does not exactly fit like a hand in a glove. That said Srila Prabhupada was excited by his renounced grhastas and very proud of them, the initial preaching in London being a prime case in point. He also loved and encouraged his less renounced grhastas but generally suggested a different devotional path for them, particularly if they had child...

As a 6 or 7 year old kid I remember the same kind of thing happening to me. The day after my birthday (where my lasting memory was a three tier sponge cake filled with cream and jam) I was in school and the teacher was discussing sponges under the sea. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to put a sponge under the sea (my mind still locked onto the vision of a creamy sponge cake), it would just get all soggy and horrible. Anyway I didn't bother to question this at the ti...

The chanting of the holy name is initially undertaken on the basis of duty, vows and jnana etc., but until it happens on the basis of taste, with our hearts sufficiently purified to the point that the chanting of the holy name is something that is more or less spontaneous, then the possibility, if not probability of fall down will always be with us. Hence until we reach these higher levels of taste and realisation we need the assistance of a proper social structure in the form of the varnasrama s...

From The Auropean Leaders Meetings 2014 - presentations. Five Key Steps taken by Srila Prabhupada in Shaping his ISKCON. The founding of the institution under the name of ISKCON. The recognition of that founder with the title Prabhupada. The further recognition of Prabhupada with the title Founder Acarya.