So all of us are confronted with decisions, small decisions, big decisions, important decisions, not so important decisions, every day of our life. Right from the prasadam time, should I take one more chapati or not, we have to think - is it good for me is it not; right down to big decisions in life and all these devotees are taken by devotees in consideration of one thing and one thing alone - whether immediately or remotely or ultimately. And that is how is it going to affect ...

What is the real life of a human being? It is to simply endeavour, to forget about all the past that we may have gone through, and simply look at the future. The future is Krishna’s lotus feet, the future is to distribute all over the world this process of hearing and chanting, to flood every street, every corner. This is what Srila Prabhupada gave us as the purpose of this movement. To instruct each and every person about the process of devotional service and to make it, to mak...

In 1965 he boarded Jaladutta alone, with nothing, with no one, for that purpose. He was willing to sacrifice everything. He was willing to physically die to please his guru. And when he approached Boston Harbor, in his prayers to Krishna, just like the prayers of Haridas, Vasudeva Datta, and Prahlad, he was humbling himself completely. He said I am totally dependent upon You, my Lord Krishna. My only shelter, my only hope, is the mercy of my Guru Maharaj and this is his instruction. If Y...

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was living at the Sri Caitanya Math, just past the Yogapitha, the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then past that Srivasa angam, then the next temple that is Caitanya Math. And he took a very severe vow to chant 1 billion names, I think. It means like you chant 3 lakhs of rounds everyday for nine years. He had to complete that vow and he did! And he was living like an avadhuta here. He would perform the Caturmasya ceremony very strictly - p...

In fact the whole material world if you think about it is a huge chance for Krishna to induce the living entities to go back home, back to Godhead. It’s the srishti lila, during which in the exhalation of Maha Visnu there is unlimited opportunities for living entities to come in contact with the various incarnations of the Lord, the various representatives of the Lord, the Ganges, different sastras, and its mentioned also in the Srimad Bhagavatam that the process of destruction takes p...

Vision, inspiration and facility. Could it be that sometimes misunderstanding comes because you and I have different partial perceptions of the vision and we take our particular vision or understanding of the vision as the whole vision and we may want to say, this is the whole vision, your’s is not the vision. That may be one possibility of misunderstanding. Different inspirations, someone is inspired by, you know, lets keep it simple, especially by prasadam, someone else espe...

In a dangerous situation you don't let go of your child. Or in sports. In England we have a game called cricket. Anybody here in India know the game cricket? Ok its an unusual game. I am finishing now. We don't play it very well. But in cricket to make the team, if the ball comes to you, you have to catch the ball. If you don't catch the ball once, twice, three time you get the name butter fingers. Your fingers are made of butter, you couldn't catch the ball and you don't make t...

The quest for knowledge and self improvement has occupied the minds of sincere seekers since the beginning of time. There are key elements of the bhakti practice that provide the foundation for this work. They may surprise you! To those dedicated to preserving their illusions, the sober realism of the wise looks like pessimism. The image of this world as an all-devouring fire should be kept in mind. The Vedic sages advise us to see this world as it is.

We all get messages that there is something beyond ordinary life, and that what we are doing is not the all in all. Whether it's through a holy book, experiencing the loss of a loved one, an intuition, deja vu, or just watching Matrix or Star Wars and wondering about our origins – we all are reminded from within from time to time, that there is more to life than a few years of hard struggle and mixed results. Do we respond to that call, or just shake it off?

There are many ways to study the Bhagavad-gita. Recently, devotees have considered the Gita from the point of view of what essential values/principles Krishna teaches in this sacred book. They chose six key points: 1. Dharma (right action) 2. Sama Darshana (equal vision) 3. amanitva (humility) 4. iccha (choice/desire) 5. Ahimsa (without cruelty) 6. Priti (affection)

ISKCON of DC: This week we discuss a number of essential practices of bhakti yoga, including the care of the sacred plant, Tulsi devi. Srila Prabhupada: I am very glad to learn that Srimati Tulasi-devi has favored you so much. If you actually grow this Tulasi plant, and I am sure you will do it, then you must know it for certain that your devotion for Krsna is testified. I was very much anxious to introduce this worship of Tulasi plant amongst our Society members, but it has not become successf...

The wisdom traditions of the world teach that God is the all powerful source of existence. The teachings of bhakti or Krishna consciousness give us greater insight into the personality of that all powerful Lord. One aspect we explore this Sunday is that Krishna is unconquerable yet he agrees to be conquered by the love of his devotee.

After his triumph over the evil Ravana, and the rescue of his Queen Sita, Lord Ramacandra ruled the Earth. It is described that during his reign the Earth was a veritable paradise. Though many have looked wistfully at the descriptions of Lord Rama’s reign, few would seriously consider that something similar could happen today. Surprisingly, the Bhakti teachings explain that such a thing is indeed possible and outlines how.

Faith in Krishna leads to a blissful life, yet no intelligent person will find peace with blind faith and dogma. What is the rational basis for understanding and accepting the teachings of Krishna conscious texts?

The ancient story of the wedding of a sacred plant called Tulsi to Krishna in the form of a sacred stone. Please join us for a short lecture on the spiritual principles behind this story and how we can relate to them. “The word ‘vana’ means forest. Vrindavana is the name given to the forest where Srimati Vrinda-devi (Tulasi-devi), grows profusely.” (CC Madhya 17.l93p.) Another name of Tulasi is Vrinda-devi (one who awards residence in Vrindavana). Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says: krpa k...

As we enter the Christmas season, and songs about God are playing everywhere, we might ask ours – who does God belong to? Is He a Christian God, a Jewish God, a Muslim God? This talk explores these questions with the Bhakti theology and the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

The Vedas say we live in “Kali-yuga”, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Written thousands of years ago, these writings describe in much detail the ills of society today. They also describe the panacea for living a virtuous and spiritual life despite the challenges of this age.

(Class given 9/12/2015 at Dallas) The purport of the verse is that even Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu — He is God himself, Krsna Himself — He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt. So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise alone what could I do? Ekaki amara nahi paya bolo. Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krsna. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that “I have got so grea...

One of the main teachings of the Bhagavad-gita is the distinct difference between the body and the soul. We will compare the nature of both and how this understanding can help us achieve a better quality of life and ultimately complete self-realization. The body is a machine, like a motor car is a machine. I am within this body as the driver is within the motor car. So, the first thing is to understand that that I am not this body and I am not this mind. I am a spirit soul. I have projected m...

Hari-kirtana dasa leads a discussion on the role of ethics in the Gita’s teachings. For contemporary people who value peace, one of the biggest challenges to understanding the Gita is Krishna’s insistence that the war Arjuna must wage is ethically correct. The larger role of ethics in the Gita’s discourse on the elevation of consciousness is often lost in the paradox of Krishna’s simultaneous advocacy of non-violence for those on the path of yoga and and his encouragement of Arjuna to fight ...

Simply by Narada Muni’s presence, Mrigari was getting purified. He asked Narada Muni how he could get free from the sinful acts he had committed so far. Narada Muni replied that he could, provided he followed the Muni’s instructions. When Mrigari agreed to do so, Narada Muni first instructed Mrigari to break his bow. Mrigari hesitated. His bow was his only means of sustenance. He and his family would starve if he gave up his bow. Narada Muni assured him that he would take care of Mriga...

Do you sometimes come to the temple and wonder about who are all these figures on the altar? Is this some kind of idol worship? Are we not supposed to ask? And we hear that Bhakti is a monotheistic tradition: How is that, when there are eight different figures on the altar? If you were raised in a tradition different from Bhakti, (and most of us were…) this kind of worship is likely to feel a bit foreign or even uncomfortable to you. Rukmini Walker will try to unpack how the Bhakti tradition...

Our minds are constantly making assumptions. We assume things about ourselves, about others, about our environment. With the help of Vraj Vihari dasa and instructions from the Bhagavad-gita, we’ll explore the assumption phenomena, and how to examine our assumptions and decide which ones to keep, which to be wary of.

The word conversion can bring images of determined zealots haranguing a fallen soul to turn to God or images of profound change, deep truth, joy, and connection. In the Vaishnava tradition it includes a personal spiritual journey, a sharing of experience and realization, and, in modern times, institutional allegiance. As attitudes in the world change towards ‘organized religion’ and wanting to be ‘spiritual, but not religious’, we explore the Bhakti practice and ways of thinking about co...