By Devaki Devi DasiBhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur states in Amrta Vani: "One who gives personal instruction to each and everyone does more for others than the platform speakers do. Generally, whatever platform speakers say cannot solve the problem of everyone in the audience, nor can it always benefit every individual. A person's defects are better rectified in a private tutorial class or private coaching than in hearing lectures in a school or college. Therefore those who instruct particular persons separately ...
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- 11 Jun 2015
By Kumari Kunti Devi DasiIt was the first time Anti-Cult members have visited an ISKCON temple and did a presentation. It was held during Radhadesh’s hosting of the ISKCON Europe Communications conference. ISKCON is no stranger to the organisation. Over the years Anuttama Das, ISKCON Global Communications Director, has built a relationship with the organisation by attending conferences and speaking openly about ISKCON’s issues.
...- 10 Jun 2015
By Madhava SmullenSix hundred devotees from all over North America may have attended the 15th anniversary of the Festival of Inspiration at New Vrindaban, West Virginia over the May Mother’s Day Weekend. But every single one this reporter spoke to described it as having an intimate, comfortable family mood. “We were just like good friends spending quality time with each other in a holy place,” says participant Purnamasi Dasi, who hails from Toronto. “And with so many Prabhupada disciples there, there was...
- 10 Jun 2015
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Every living entity is searching after peace. That is the struggle for existence. Everyone, from the aquatics to the highest form of human being—from the ant up to Brahma, the first creature of this universe—is searching for peace. That is the main objective. Lord Caitanya said that a person who is in full Krsna consciousness is the only peaceful man because he has no demands. That is the special qualification of a person who is in Krsna consciousness. H...
- 9 Jun 2015
By Mathura Lilesvari Devi DasiThe Panihati Cidadahi festival is a yearly celebration of the pastimes of Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami and Lord Nityananda Prabhu. This astonishing pastime took place on the banks of the Ganges at Panihati Dham, which is just north of Calcutta. The festival remembers how the Lord mercifully reciprocated with His devotees by arranging, through Nityananda Prabhu and Raghunatha dasa, to provide an ecstatic feast of yoghurt and chipped rice, along with various other nectar foodstuffs. <...
- 9 Jun 2015
By Bhakti Madhurya Govinda GoswamiAll glories to Brahmananda prabhu, who was one of a kind. There will never be another devotee exactly the same as Brahmananda. He was unique. Even when I joined the movement in 1968, when there were only about 150 or so disciples of Srila Prabhupada world-wide, Brahmananda was already an icon in the fledgling ISKCON, which was destined to grow into the mighty movement that it is today. Estimates are that there are between six and seven million followers of ISKCON today, counting t...
- 8 Jun 2015
By Brahmananda DasaThe story of how the Hare Krsna movement came to Africa starts in 1971 in the United States. I was in Tallahassee, Florida, teaching an experimental course in Krsna consciousness at the state university, when I received a letter from my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, instructing me to go immediately to West Pakistan for preaching work. I had very little money, and I knew the trip to Pakistan would be long and arduous. However, a disciple takes his spiritu...
- 8 Jun 2015
By Gopal Krishna GoswamiIt is with great saddness that I wish to inform you all that our dear god-brother Brahmananda Prabhu passed away this afternoon at 3:31 pm IST in his room in Vrindavan Dham. Gargamuni Prabhu, Mahadevi Mataji along with Dr. Ashu, Saranga Thakur Das, Dharmatma Das and few other devotees were present when he passed away. Dharmatma Das, a devotee of the ISKCON Vrindavan temple, has been taking care of Brahmananda Prabhu for the past few years. Dharmatma called me yesterday to inform that Bra...
- 7 Jun 2015
By Sunanda DasThe Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina is North America’s largest devotee gathering attracting almost 2,000 devotees each year from all across America and Canada for kirtans and lectures by some of ISKCON’s favorite kirtan leaders and senior devotees. We departed from Charlotte, North Carolina by car on Friday, May 22nd for three days at the weekend retreat.
...- 7 Jun 2015
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaEvery one of us is searching after happiness, but we do not know what real happiness is. We see so much advertised about happiness, but practically speaking we see so few happy people. Happiness is generally perceived through our senses A stone, for instance, has no senses and cannot perceive happiness and distress. Developed consciousness can perceive happiness and distress more intensely than undeveloped consciousness.
...- 7 Jun 2015
By Bhaktavatar DasBy the blessings of H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupad and seek blessings of Lord Badarinath to extend the preaching of message of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the Uttarakhand, a Sankirtan Programme was organised by the Uttarakhand Namahatt of ISKCON DELHI. The Badari-Kedar Temples Committee Chairman & CEO was approached for permission through correspondence and they gladly honoured us with permission and other facilities....
- 6 Jun 2015
By Ravindra Svarupa DasaSince Srila Prabhupada’s passing away in 1977, the GBC has sought to codify ISKCON’s ongoing relationship with its founder. The GBC wants to preserve Srila Prabhupada’s legacy and ensure that future generations do not lose sight of Prabhupada’s historical, religious, philosophical and institutional stature — as well as his importance in the personal spiritual development of every ISKCON member. Srila Prabhupada himself took on the title of Founder-Acharya (acharya meaning one w...
- 5 Jun 2015
By the Radhakunda Seva TeamThe exultation of being at Govardhana filled me with joy as I absorbed the beauty of this land. But then we got a little closer, explored a little deeper, and we felt sobered. Sobered by the poverty. Sobered by the scattered and piled trash. Sobered by pollution streaming into the sacred waters. It was with sadness that we discovered the troubles beneath the beauty. All the stories we’d heard of Govardhana, the mental imagery that drew us to move to this ancient land, became like jewe...
- 5 Jun 2015
By Patita Pavana dasaIt is said that the souls in the spiritual world are nitya-siddha, eternally liberated souls, and no one falls from the spiritual world. The souls in the material world are nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned – thus they can never become liberated – and that their conditioned state is anadi, or without any beginning; But it is also said that we conditioned souls have fallen from our original position we can regain our original Krsna consciousness and in so doing go back to Godhead. How t...
- 5 Jun 2015
By Bhaktin Elle MitchellThe meeting, conducted in council chambers with full attendance of council members and the presence of small galleries of municipal aides, local journalists and community members, was called to order by Council President Bill Linehan, who promptly turned the meeting over to Michelle Wu. She read a brief description of the ISKCON Boston temple, then introduced the invocation speaker, Partha Biswas (Parama Rupa Dasa). Parama Rupa and Bhaktin Karuna Randolph each presented a counci...
- 4 Jun 2015
By Radhanath Krishna dasaISKCON Batticaloa located in eastern province of Sri Lanka celebrated its second annual Ratha Yatra on 23rd May 2015. Batticaloa is located in Eastern province, a predominantly tamil dominated region. More than 2500 people participated in this grand event. The procession started at Trinco Road and ended at Hindu College grounds in the heart of the city.
...- 4 Jun 2015
By GurudasThe Swami sat between us. He was unassuming, comfortable in all situations, and smiled a lot. His jolly manner was infectious, so I smiled a lot from being around him. If someone gave the Swami any money he would immediately use it for printing, either books or magazines, never for his own self. He lived simply, but he would accept gifts as tools if it helped him to serve Lord Krishna. He awoke at 2:00 a.m., bathed, chanted 250,000 Holy Names, or sixteen rounds on a rosary of 108 beads. He encouraged u...
- 3 Jun 2015
By Laurel FishmanIt is considered an act of divine grace to be attracted to the lotus feet. By taking refuge at the master's lotus feet, the devotee can receive innumerable spiritual benefits, just as he might attain through making pilgrimages, fasting, doing charitable acts, performing austerities and engaging in yogic disciplines. Sometimes the lotus feet are referred to as "a pool of sacred nectar that grants salvation to the world-weary pilgrims on the path."
...- 3 Jun 2015
By Kadamba Kanana SwamiWe can think of our heart as a palace with many rooms. Slowly, we open more rooms and we have to turn all these rooms into temples. But as long as we have any ideas of wanting material things, that means that we still lock out some rooms from Krsna – that is where our obstacles are. Everyone has some barriers otherwise we will all be ecstatic prema bhaktas, rolling on the ground in ecstasy. So, we may have some personal agenda but we minimize it more and more.
...- 3 Jun 2015
By Kesava Krsna DasaAs ISKCON moves forward in time, there will be parallel types of sadhana-bhakti practiced – vaidhi and raga, side by side – it is unavoidable. It must be happening today even. Do we think that Srila Prabhupada wants us all to remain as internal vaidhi-practitioners forever? No. He simply wants us to be careful about it. If being careful is to be cautious to the point of polite prohibition, another danger of ignorance will arise due to neglect of it. In reality, there is no official pr...
- 2 Jun 2015
By ISKCON 50 Global Office“There are five features that have been identified for the fiftieth anniversary,” said Pancharatna Das, a member of the Executive Committee of the 50th Anniversary. “They are: celebrate events, educate the world, accelerate our mission, appreciate ISKCON and motivate achievements. The briefing pack provides different ideas and celebrations that can be organised against each of these five features. Hopefully, local temples can pick and choose what they want according to resources ava...
- 2 Jun 2015
By Abhimanyu DasLast Saturday, May 23rd, we had another wonderful Rathayatra festival at Daytona Beach. We started at the Holiday Inn with kirtan led by Vishvambara Prabhu. Bhadra Prabhu then spoke to all of the assembled devotees about how important it was for each one of us to engage as many people in pulling the Rath cart and joining the kirtan as possible in this Rathayatra since so many devotees had other engagements that day. He inspired us by reminding us that we are all preachers in this Krsna consciousnes...
- 1 Jun 2015
By Hari Narayana DasThe annual Isen Mulang cultural festival or the New Year festival in Palangka Raya is held to commemorate the anniversary of city. The festival highlights the cultural diversity of the different communities from various part of Central Kalimantan (Borneo). This year on May 18, 2015 Palangka Raya celebrated its 58th anniversary and received special Mercy from Lord Jagannath. Lord Jagannath along His brother Balaram and Their beloved sister Subadra Devi on the Ratha yatra participated in the Ise...
- 1 Jun 2015
By Dvarakadhisa Devi DasiDespite the agonizing pain of the body and the emotional trauma of leaving the world we hold so dear, the devotee who remains fixed in concentration upon the lotus feet of the Lord achieves the highest perfection of returning to the spiritual world. How Gauri drew closer and closer to Krsna in the final stage of her life is wonderful evidence of the efficacy of the process of devotional service. Here some of the devotees share their memories of Srila Prabhupada's dear book distributor, Ga...
- 1 Jun 2015