In this response I will focus on the article “The Argument for the Tropical Zodiac in Vedic Astrology” by Laura Barat that you posted. It should be noted well that my response should not be construed as an attack on the tropical system of astrology, I am simply responding to the statements made by the author.

When the young prince Siddhartha, who was later to become Gautama Buddha, first ventured out of the palace, having been overly sheltered in his tender years of childhood and adolescence, he experienced for the first time the shocking truth about life, namely the cruel sufferings related to disease, old age and death

The following information about what a temple should do during an eclipse is applicable for both solar and lunar eclipses and can be filed away for future references as there are a minimum of 3-4 eclipses every years with as many as 7 being possible

Our cow, Surabhi was lying sick in a helpless state, unable to even stand on her legs. The doctors in the city are good only for treating cats and dogs. Their apathetic treatment had made me rely on the Lord Himself and seek guidance from baba, my father in the law staying in a village in Orissa

When a person is alive we choose either not to talk about him or most of the times we talk negative about him, and when the same person leaves the body, we make sure that he/she deserves appreciations. Why such an attitude? Why can’t we be grateful to such devotees for their wonderful service; encourage them to do more or get inspired to do something similar even when they are among us?

After an evening class I was suddenly informed that a plane crash in Nepal had killed at least six devotees. I was stunned and dismayed on hearing this very sad news. I quickly checked web sites to see any details of the tragedy. I read the brief photo and devotional biography summaries of the "victims". They were all wonderful devotees, having distinguished themselves with glorious devotional service

When Srila Prabhupada preached in the early 60's and 70's, during the period of the hippy age, mostly all those who joined him were from the age group of 13 to 22 years, and a lot were dropouts from colleges. They were in search of something beyond material qualifications and thereby were attracted to Krishna consciousness very sincerely

By the strength and mercy of my Gurudeva, Mahaprabhu, and the Vaisnavas, I have attempted to translate the Bangla poem "Dusta Mana" by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura. Your feedback will be honored

There is presently difficulty finding consensus on implementing Varnasrama Dharma within the devotee community according to time and place. There are different reasons for this but we won’t go into it in detail here. Instead, in the first part, we will look at why we need to start varnasrama immediately and in the second part, the practical ways to do so without letting the issues get in the way

From a lecture on Nṛsiṁhadeva’s Appearance Day by Gour Govinda Swami 14 May 1995 Bhubaneswar

Human life is meant for growth. Although physical growth stops before several decades, emotional, psychological, intellectual and spiritual growth can and should continue throughout every person's life. In order to grow properly however, we need a proper place

Lord Surya Narayana is a representation of The Personality of Godhead Shri Vishnu in the material world. The Sun is the father of this material universe because he controls time and gives sustenance. Whether there is not enough Sun or if there is too much of his energy—either way the Universe can be destroyed

The quick and restless energy of anticipation danced across my consciousness as I turned into the driveway of an inauspicious yellow house set in the suburbs of East Harford. Above the doorway read "Hare Krishna". I drove down the driveway and parked in the back. The sun broke through white clouds, warming my skin and spirit as I helped my son out of the ca

Srila Prabhupada in the purport of Cc Antya 2.295 reveals the names of these four sampradaya acaryas: "A Vaisnava should study the commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra written by the four sampradaya-acaryas, namely Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami and Nimbarka.”

To mark the centennial of the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic, which went to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean early in the morning of April 15, 1912—taking with it five grand pianos, an automobile, a fifty-line telephone switchboard, a jeweled copy of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and more than 1,500 lives—articles, books, a television series, and the rerelease of the blockbuster film Titanic (converted to 3-D at a cost of eighteen million dollars) are flooding the market

One should distinquish between the terms Sampradaya Acarya and Acarya of the Sampradaya. As Srila Prabhupada instructs us there are only four Samapradaya Acaryas and this august appellation can therefore only be correctly attached to that exclusive four: Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami and Nimbarka

Since my childhood, I was told the glories of Nasik and Triyamakeshwar(one of the 12 jyotirlingas) by my mother several times. I had a desire to visit Nasik because of this. Nasik is a very old city and finds its mention in the Ramayana, it is located in Maharashtra that is a province/state in India

As regards to giving devotees who are inclined to disagree more distance from each other, that is a Vaishnava solution. Lord Balarama and Shri Vidura went on pilgrimage instead of staying to face the heat of dissent. Lord Shiva left the sacrificial arena when his followers and the followers of Daksha began to quarrel. We should be willing to encourage more separation at times. Indeed, sometimes permanent separation is required. And we should be more open to encouraging that too

In a relative world, such as the one we live in, how does one find truth? That quest is undertaken by many young adults as they try to make sense of the world, and I was one such seeker in my youth. My experiences in college played an important role in guiding my search, providing a proving ground on which to test different concepts as I came across them

Manifest Deity pastimes in the ISKCON era remind us that Lord Caitanya's pastimes are still going on. Two very fantastic Deity pastimes are presented below

Way back in the deep hills of Tenn. there is a valley…. with a narrow dirt road threw it that connects to 2 paved roads , named Preston Ridge rd and Dry Prong rd. The narrow dirt road is approx one mile long….the legal name of that road is Murari Lane… now your starting to get the picture….

Remember the childhood lyric ‘twinkle twinkle little star,oh, I wonder who you are….? Who has not stared at night in the vast sky fascinated by the overwhelming beauty of seeing unlimited stars all of different sizes, of different brightness and sometimes even falling?

ISKCON’s open, innovative and straightforward approach in the ISKCON Chapter 11 Reorganization Plan was well received by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. During the confirmation hearing in West Virginia, Hon. L. Edward Friend II of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court stated he was “impressed” with the Reorganization Plan and with all the effort that it took to put together, and that he “wholeheartedly endorsed the Plan” as being in the “best interests of the creditors [Gurukuli tort claimants].”