Life Beyond Cultural Shame.
A Second Gen’s Perspective on Never Have I Ever.
By Gopika-kanta (Gopika Sharma)
I remember leading the Bhakti Club at Rutgers University. The Western students loved the kirtan and embraced our genuine attempts to explain the practice of mantra meditation in an impactful way. The Indian kids? Their feelings of judgment made my insides shrivel. I hated feeling looked at by my own people as if I was less because I finally was doing the hard work of figuring out the value ...

Looking for the Bliss by Mangalananda prabhu (4 min video)
We were kids back then
Just looking for the bliss
A ragtag band of transcendentalists
It was Vishnu Johnny
And the white-trash yogi

Making a truce with the body and the mind (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.H.Sachinandana Swami at ISKCON Vrindavan

Dear Bhagavatam!
When there is no other glimmer of light
And the clouds of illusion cover my power of sight
Your every word illuminates my path from within
And You give me the faith to let my journey begin
When the unceasing rain of this world starts
It drips through the holes in the ceiling of our hearts

HH Mukunda Goswami is featured in this latest offering as he remembers the early days with Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada wants to see you ….NOW!
HG Srutakirti Prabhu at Swedish festival - memories about Srila Prabhupada (video)

The world points to Krishna and often misses the point of Krishna (Based on Gita 10.41)
Chaitanya Charan Das: The world features many attractive things that we clamor and labor to enjoy. Yet their beauty doesn’t last for long. Even while it lasts, their charm dwindles with time, leaving us disappointed.

HG Vraja Vihari prabhu, ILS 2020 Seminar: “The Seven Keys to a Successful Future for ISKCON” (video)
ISKCON Leadership Sanga, Sri Dham Mayapur. Gaura Purnima 2020, Day 1
HG Pancharatna prabhu seminar: “The Key to Continuous Improvement in ISKCON”

Constructive criticism from caring guides
Excerpt from The Spiritual Scientist
‘See Criticism With a Critical Eye’
By Caitanya Charan Das
The bhakti tradition compares the cutting words of sages to a surgeon’s scalpel. Just as the scalpel cuts off unhealthy tissue, so too do the corrective words of our trustworthy spiritual guides destroy our misconceptions. Just as avoiding surgery can worsen the disease, so too fleeing from corrections can aggravate our illusions. Therefore, when we get constructive criticism from o...

Body, body, body, body! (video)
Today’s most common mantra. Everything for the body!
Srimad Bhagavatam class by H.H. Dhirasanta Das Goswami in ISKCON Vrindavan

Importance of historical events (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 9.15.16-24) by HH Bhakti Charu Swami in Iskcon Mayapur.

Ohe Vaishnava Thakura (4 min. musical video)
Prayers written by Bhaktivinoda Thakur.
Arranged/performed/sung by Michael (Mangalananda) Cassidy released 1975 on a ‘45
For translations please enable closed captioning.

HG Anuradha devi dasi, ILS 2020 Seminar: “Why Prasadam Matters and Can Change Everything”

The blue jackal.
Srila Prabhupada: There is big story about this jackal. I will tell you something. A jackal came in the village and he fell in the tub where, The washerman keeps the water for dipping, making little bluish. For coloring. That blue, blue. So the washerman kept the dye water in a big tub, and the jackal fell in it. So jackal fell in it; he became blue, all blue. So he fled away, and all the animals said, “What is this animal? What is this animal? What is that animal? Oh.” All, even the ...

The Ganges has Shifted (6 min. video)
“The Ganges has shifted course over time,” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta replied. “If you insist on bathing in the old bed, arguing that ‘this is where we have always done it, then what can be said for you?”

A Change of Heart (6 min. video)
HH Devamrta Swami talks about what happens when people meet the cows in Gita Nagari. “People want to be re-enchanted by nature.” He recorded this video for the North American Farm Delegates Meeting.

Please please hear this miracle!
Shastrakrit Das: These two sweet ladies came to get lunch take-away. As they were waiting for the food, I approached them and started showing them the Gita. Intrigued by Gita’s philosophy and paintings they asked what more I can tell them about the philosophy.

Hear from the GBC Minister of Communications Anuttama Das how both challenging and blissful it can be to harness the environment around the pandemic to preach powerfully–with caution and compassion.

When will you surrender to Lord Krishna?
Many people say “By your mercy, I will surrender” or “Give me your blessings so that I will surrender” or “When Krishna wants”. Srila Prabhupada says these are spoken under “FALSE PRETENSE”–These are just “PLEA’S” Not to Surrender.

Windows to the spiritual world.
Kadamba Kanana Swami: The other day I was remembering Srila Prabhupada’s statement of how paintings of Krsna are like windows to the spiritual world; it means that through these paintings, we are looking into the ‘real world’, and when we are looking out of this window (of the building), we are simply looking at a picture. So Krsna consciousness must begin with that understanding, that the spiritual world is the real world. It is there where we find our nourishment because after all, in the material wo...

Cutting the Knots of Material Attachment.
Srila Prabhupada: One time, Indra, the king of heaven, was cursed to become a hog, and he became a hog. He had a wife and many kiddies and was living in a filthy place, eating stool. Brahma came to him because in his absence the management in the heavenly kingdom was not going nicely.

Marriage vow according to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur!
“The cardinal principle of gṛhastha āśrama is that no one may be the owner of any property or service of another.
Everyone is only a servant whose activities are ever in the service of the Lord.
Similarly, the sole object of everyone’s service as the only master, only friend, only son and only consort is Krishna.