Radhanath Swami: Yoga is often misunderstood as merely breath control, asanas or exercises; for some it is about practising some rules and regulations based on morality and for others it is cultivation of scriputral knowledge. But the real purpose of Yoga is to fix our mind on the Supreme.
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- 16 Oct 2022
Sankirtana das: When Srila Prabhupada talked about establishing Varnasharma colleges, he specifically mentioned using Mahabharata as one of the textbooks.
...- 16 Oct 2022
We learned early on that new cars and New York City did not go well together. Dents appeared almost daily and our sleep-deprived drivers did not help either
...- 16 Oct 2022
Following Dharma (video)
Morning Class SB 4.21.36 - HH Bhanu Swami - ISKCON Melbourne.
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- 16 Oct 2022
Saubhari Muni’s story (video)
Srimad Bhagavatam Class by Bhima Prabhu, ISKCON Juhu.
- 16 Oct 2022
Bhakti Yoga—A Method of Nonmechanistic Science.
Sadaputa Dasa: How can we study nonmaterial aspects of reality when we’re living in a world of matter? Modern mechanistic science rests on the premise that reality is ultimately reducible to a simple set of mathematical equations. Such a view fails to account for two important aspects of reality: consciousness, and complex biological form. Here, in the first of a series of articles excerpted from the conclusion of the book, Sadaputa describes how an alternative, nonmechanistic model can be v...
- 15 Oct 2022
Translated by Dravida Das. Oh! Supreme Lord Visvambhara, You are the husband of the goddess of fortune, and my eternal friend. Only You are capable of distributing the wealth of love of Godhead. You are known as kindhearted to those who depend upon You, therefore, oh Lord, please shower You kindness upon me.
...- 15 Oct 2022
Appearing as the son of a king, Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura (Shri Thakura Mahasaya) showed all the bodily symptoms of a mahapurusha (an exalted divine person). He had long arms, a deep navel, golden-complexion, beautiful eyes shaped like the lotus petals. In school, he was a sruti dhara (able to memorize whatever he hears) Although he quickly mastered Sanskrit and the Vedas, he hankered to serve Krishna. He was a lifelong brahmachari. By the mercy of the Holy Name Gaura-Nitai, Narottama became detached, l...
- 14 Oct 2022
When Lord Brahma ordered Drona, the best of the Vasus, and his wife Dhara to increase progeny, they said unto him, “Dear father, we seek your benediction. Please let us be born on earth so that after our appearance the Supreme Lord will appear as our son and spread devotional service.
...- 13 Oct 2022
“Damodara was not bound by ordinary ropes, but with the ropes of His mother’s unmatched love”
“Because mother loves the most…in this material world, there is no comparison of mother’s love. Without any exchange. Even in this material world. Mother loves the child without any expectation of return generally…that is called unalloyed love. Anyabhilasita-sunyam, free from all material gain.”- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam1.8.31 lecture, Los Angeles, April 23, 1973
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- 13 Oct 2022
Krishna’s merciful hand is behind everything. HH Sacinandana Swami: Yesterday I experienced something extremely shocking at first. Maybe it was a wake-up call.
...- 13 Oct 2022
- 12 Oct 2022
Unconditional love.
BB Govinda Swami: We should be prepared to open ourselves up. We should be prepared to take down our guards. We should be prepared to dismantle our protective fences that we have around us. And we should say:
“I’m ready to serve You. So You just please do to me whatever is necessary so that I would serve You purely”.
- 12 Oct 2022
Siddhanta Prabhu’s Story
Siddhanta dasa: My first contact with the Hare Krishna movement came in the summer of 1969 when I saw its members chanting on the streets of Hollywood. My initial reaction to the shaven heads, saffron-colored robes, and seemingly strange activity was one of bewilderment and, to some degree, comic relief.
- 12 Oct 2022
Cobras in Srila Prabhupada’s Quarters
As I walked past the first toilet stall a huge six feet long cobra quickly slithered past me into the stall. Terrified I raced out of the bathroom as fast as my shaking body could take me. I was not sure what kind of snake it was. I didn’t want to create a big scene and interrupt Srila Prabhupada’s darshan…
- 12 Oct 2022
The mantra to attain perfection in our chanting. Krishna is self-sufficient because all the ingredients for creation are within Himself. First Krishna creates time, for without time there cannot be a beginning of anything. Sukadeva Goswami speaks to Maharaja Pariksit Krishna’s pastimes to bring Him to the point of complete resolute faith and absorption in Krishna.
...- 11 Oct 2022
The Lord: A long-time passed and there was not a single sign that you would ever look in My direction!
HH Sacinandana Swami: Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us.
As I sit here in Vrindavan, I sometimes ask myself, “Does Krishna see my efforts? Does He care for such an insignificant and useless person?” I’ve seen many sincere practitioners of bhakti ask this question.
- 11 Oct 2022
A Facebook friend told me that poppy seeds are banned in her temple kitchen. This is probably why, though it is a bit extreme.
...- 11 Oct 2022
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami was a spiritual master and a Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) in the International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON). He was a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and was regarded as one the most advanced devotees in the movement today.
...- 10 Oct 2022
“Don’t Think God Has No Feeling” by Srila Prabhupada (SB 7.9.5) 24 min. class recorded in Mayapur, February 25, 1977.
- 10 Oct 2022
Judging others? (15 min video) by HH Radhanath Swami.
Judgment shuts us down and keeps us from understanding the full situation. If we’re being honest, most judgments about people are based on incomplete information.
- 10 Oct 2022
When a budding sculptor approached his master for guidance, he received some cryptic advice. After quizzing him on his purpose, the young craftsman replied: “More than anything else, I would like to sculpt a beautiful elephant.” Without the blink of an eyelid, the master set a block of stone and some tools in front of the young boy. “Here is some marble, a mallet, and a chisel” the master said, “all you have to do now is carve away everything that does not look like a beautiful elephant!” Simple as that.
- 10 Oct 2022
In his commentary to the Gita 9.30, wherein Krsna says his devotee is a sadhu even if he commits an abomination, Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura says that Krsna becomes a little angry thinking that someone is faulting a devotee. If a devotee feels he is bad and lowly, Krsna will repeatedly overlook that offense. If a devotee’s action is bad but his intention is good, Krsna will ignore/forgive the action and accept the intention.
- 10 Oct 2022
How many of us hide behind the will of God as an excuse for inactivity or laziness? And how many of us attribute our successes to our efforts alone? The Vedic scriptures teach us that nothing in this world moves without the will of God. He is the creator, controller, overseer of multifarious universes, the benefactor of speech, intelligence, talent, and everything else without which we would be considered useless; however, do we just sit back, waiting for God's will to save or direct us without endeavor, or do we activate His will?
...- 10 Oct 2022