The Vaikuntha residents while travelling in their Airplanes condemn the fragrance of Madhavi flowers in ponds, which indicates that they don’t care for insignificant sense gratification in comparison to the joy they derive in Lord’s service. The only desire the Vaikuntha-vasis have in their hearts is eternal loving service to Lord and nothing else. They have no desire even for Mukti, what to speak of Bhukti or Siddhi. Such purity of desire renders one’s heart clean, fit and offerable to Supreme Lord.

Anyone who comes through these doors of this temple, we should know they are special guests caring to visit the Supreme Personality of Godhead and it is expected of us to give them such hospitality, without discrimination, what their material status in society may be. They should be given affectionate loving words. They should feel wonderful. Srila Prabhupada explains this principle is so important. When a guest comes to the house of a king, he gives them royal treatment, but even if you are ve...

Bhagavad-gita is the great philosophical song by Lord Krsna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra to motivate His bewildered friend Arjuna. There is yet another Gita that Krsna sang in Dvaraka to pacify another of His friends named Uddhava. Famous as Uddhava-gita it forms the longest philosophical section of the magnum opus literature Srimad Bhagavatam.

In 1992 and 1993, paleontologists of the San Diego Natural History Museum were monitoring the construction on State Highway 54 in San Diego County. In the road excavations they found some interesting fossils that raise the possibility that humans have existed in North America for far longer than most archeologists now think possible.

The Name of God can only be spoken through spiritual lips; in which case, in our Krishna Consciousness society, which preaches the group chanting of the Name of God, exactly what are we all doing? Why chant the 16-word mantra of Hare Krishna if God's Name is beyond our power to utter? This sensible question deserves a sensible answer, and to do justice to this common inquiry we can only go to the writings of those souls who actually have had spiritual bodies, senses...

When we try to memorize a Shloka, it keeps reverberating in our minds, leaving no room for the devil. First it is a challenge to memorize it and when that is done, it becomes a pleasure to just keep repeating it. A mother, memorized verses and songs as she cooked, while another learnt from a sheet stuck on the tiles of the wall as she washed the utensils. And there was another devotee that would stick up the Shloka on the front part of his motor bike and learn ...

An instructive incident that took place in Calcutta. The temple president there became very preoccupied in a business that he had started to raise funds for the temple, and meanwhile the temple had almost no money. Somehow, in the course of his absorption in the business, there was some neglect of the devotees in the temple. They were barely surviving. A strong-bodied devotee named Sudama Vipra, who had belonged to the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, was so famished that he would take the remnants of the ghee wicks that had been burned in the arati...

It is a small farm community, complete with flower and vegetable gardens, a couple of small greenhouses, a beautiful goshala right across the road from the temple, and then a larger goshalla down the road

It is very easy to become a "sage on the stage" but difficult to become a "guide by the side". We go in the "sage on the stage" mode when it comes to guiding our "humble junior" devotees who look up to us as an advanced Vaisnava, but many times these "humble junior" devotees, because of their strong previous lifetime advancement and sincerity, go past us and we find ourselves in the mesh and mess of our previous conditioning—but are still forced to act as "sage on the stage", putting up a Paundraka-like facade of advancement.

At this point another question raises its hood, especially in the minds of the cynical. “So, after all,” they say, “all you want is your own happiness. You are not really as selfless as you want us to believe. You are serving God because it gives you happiness; that’s not really selfless.” We acknowledge the astute intelligence behind this question. And the answer to this question is what actually touches the heart of all sincere devotees of God. We inform those who are seeking happiness away from God that unlimited happiness is found only in serving God. By ren...

The only thing I knew about the Krishna religion was that it was Indian, duh, and that composers such as Ravi Shankar and George Harrison (being a fan of the Beatles, he was my main role model of my interest in Krishna) made beautiful music about Him. I even thought His name was spelled "Crishne" instead of Krishna. Day or two later, my aunt visited. We were discussing random topics and the conversation turned to George Harrison. I wondered if she knew what Krishna was, so I asked 'casually', "Yeah... he was even a part of India's culture, not just the music... What...

Srila Prabhupada a few times repeated a story he had heard from a friend about a preacher trying to persuade coalminers in Sheffield, England. “Do you know Jesus?” the preacher asked. All the miners wore a number on their shirt, so they asked the preacher, “What is Jesus’ number?” “I am referring to Jesus the Savior,” the preacher said. “He doesn’t wear a number.” “Then we don't know him,” they replied. “Well, if you don’t know Jesus, then you must go to hell.” ”What is hell?” asked the miners. “Hell is a very dark and damp place,” repli...

1) Who is a guest? The Sanskrit word atithi means ‘not scheduled’. An ‘unscheduled’ or unexpected guest is considered a representative of the Supreme Lord, since his arriving unannounced is just what the Lord might do to test His devotee and see how ready he is to serve Him in any situation. With this understanding, we should offer the unexpected guest full hospitality. Members of the general public, invited guests, life members, V.I.P.s, visiting Vaishnavas, relatives of ...

God is a person, and out of His infinite kindness He allows us even in our present condition to render Him personal service. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the devotee Prahlada Maharaja, a great spiritual authority, says, "Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Visnu [Krsna], remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship …, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in...

Srila Jiva Gosvami, arguably one of the greatest spiritual scholars in the history of religion, said that one does not really accept God unless one accepts his inconceivable nature. In other words, if we try to limit God in some way, then in effect we have eliminated his true nature. In the same way, how the Lord’s internal potency for performing pastimes in this world expands as the pure devotee Tulasi, an eternal consort of Krishna, is also inconceivable. Devotees simply accept her and w...

Few prasadam stories from New Vrindaban’s history are as legendary as those of the late Amburish Dasa’s sweet rice and Pitambar Dasi’s ice cream. Straight from the cow barn and prepared by the cowherd couple with deep love and devotion, they were much-craved treats in the austere lives of New Vrindaban’s early devotees. Neither Amburish nor Pitambar had any cooking or cow-care experience before becoming devotees. Amburish, a city boy from Denver, Colorado, stopped at New Vrindaban on a road trip in 1971 just after high school, and instantly knew he was home. He ...

OK, I admit it. I’m a junkie, a New Year’s resolutions junkie. Every year I make so many resolutions, and every year I fail to keep them. I know I am not alone in this. Is there a support group out there?! This pesky little urge to make a commitment to a project or to reforming a habit to mark the beginning of each New Year is not new and seems to be quite universal.

I resolve to set my sights on the highest possible goal. Srila Prabhupada said he would know his movement was successful if even one of his disciples became a pure devotee. My chances to satisfy this desire of my gurudeva are about as good as a snowflake in hell. Nonetheless I resolve to try or die trying.

The subject of Lord Buddha and how we as Vaishnavas should consider him is a deep, highly complex subject, and the very complexity and depth of Buddhist teaching makes it impossible to discuss in detail in an article of this length. Suffice to say that Lord Buddha, as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, played a major part in the reformation of religious thought in India 2,500 years ago, and thereafter across the world. When we view him in the light of his being an inc...

Folding his hands, Sanatana Gosvami said, "My Lord, You ordered me to write a directory about the activities of Vaishnavas. I am a most lowborn person. I have no knowledge of good behavior. How is it possible for me to write authorized directions about Vaishnava activities?" Sanatana Gosvami then requested the Lord, "Please personally tell me how I can write this difficult book about Vaishnava behavior. Please manifest Yourself in my heart. If You would please manifest Yourself within my heart ...

Picturing King Rantideva transplanted in modern society, we can imagine that his family would surely be labeled "dysfunctional," and that the king himself would be seen as seriously co-dependent. What sort of pleasure can one derive from suffering on behalf of others? After all, Rantideva didn't create the suffering in their lives. And he was a king why not enjoy the opulence of that position? Obviously, the man lacked a sense of personal boundaries. The activities of King Rantideva are ...

In September 1965 I went up to Ananda Ashram, an hour and a half out of New York City. I went there mostly to get out of the city. The Indian guru who presided at the Ashram I had met before in New York at a Yoga Society. Many of my friends were involved with him studying Raja Yoga, a form of meditation. They were very enthusiastic and tried to persuade me to come uptown with them to their meetings. There was a lecture by the guru of the Ashram and a girl read from book. ...