By Radhika Ramana DasaThe best example of self-sufficiency is the sun. The sun does not require to be illuminated by any other body. Rather, it is the sun which helps all other illuminating agents, for in the presence of the sun no other illuminating agent becomes prominent. Nārada compared the position of Brahmā to the self-sufficiency of the spider, who creates its own field of activities without any other’s help by employment of its own energetic creation of saliva.
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- 16 Mar 2022
By Sikhi Mahiti dasIt has been in the news that Oscar winning actor, William Hurt, passed away Sunday, March 13th from cancer. What was not reported is that he spent one week in the guest house of our ISKCON Atlanta temple in 2010. Mr Hurt was acting in a film being made in Atlanta. During the filming, he got burnt out, walked out of his hotel and headed down one of the main streets of Atlanta, Ponce de Leon Ave, without any aim. He was upset about his events that occurred in his personal life. He walked about an hour and came to the intersection where our temple's street, South Ponce de Leon Ave, begins...
- 15 Mar 2022
By Giriraj SwamiThis is a very deep topic--feeling separation from Krsna in the mood of Srimati Radharani and the gopis. We are certainly not qualified to discuss it. Still, following our acaryas, we shall try to say something to glorify Sri Madhavendra Puri on his disappearance day
...- 14 Mar 2022
By Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata SwamiToday marks the anniversary of the Disappearance Day of Srila Madhavendra Puri. I will read the translation to the song that we just sung, Saparsada-bhagavad-viraha-janita-vilapa - Lamentation Due to Separation from the Lord and His Associates (from Prarthana) by Srila Narottam dasa Thakur.
...- 14 Mar 2022
By Giriraj SwamiToday is the disappearance day of Sri Madhavendra Puri, who appears in the line of disciplic succession as the grand spiritual master of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri’s disciple Isvara Puri was accepted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as His spiritual master. Sri Madhavendra Puri is very important for us, and today we shall read about his disappearance from Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Ramacandra Puri Criticizes the Lord.”
...- 14 Mar 2022
By Niranjana SwamiThe intelligent Queen Kunti here points out that even though Lord Krsna is dealing with her affectionately as a relative, He is not compromising His position as the well-wishing Soul of the universe. In other words, the Lord doesn’t play favorites. As He says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.29), samo ‘ham sarva-bhutesu, “I am equal to everyone.” So while the Lord reciprocates with all souls, it is natural that those who love Him intensely receive His special attention, for they want Him and nothing else.
...- 11 Mar 2022
By Rasikendra das, Nama Rasana dd & Jahnavi ddOn Thursday 25th of February we watched the news with horror and we knew at that very moment our next door neighbours will need our help. On the same day we got a call from Ukrainian temple in Kiev, asking “If we were to send our woman and children would you look after them?” Our reply ” Of course, but what about you? We need to stay back and fight and protect our homeland and our temple and our elderly who don’t want to leave their homes.”
...- 9 Mar 2022
Nrsimhananda das: My mother , Mimi Jaffe, departed peacefully March 7 at the ripe old age of 100. Her pastimes with Srila Prabhupada are inscribed by his letters to her in response to her many challenges....
- 7 Mar 2022
By Badrinarayan SwamiHare Krishna. Many devotees and friends are asking how they can help the devotees caught in the middle of the deadly and devastating fighting in Ukraine. ISKCON has over 3,000 initiated devotees in the country, over a dozen temples, and three beautiful farms. I have attached a few photos of the main temple in Kiev. ISKCON’s international governing body is in regular, daily contact with the Ukrainian devotees. Because of the very delicate and dangerous nature of the situation, we cannot say more than this.
...- 4 Mar 2022
By Vijaya DasaIn Ukraine, there is usually nice book distribution. There are fifty-four centers and thousands of devotees, many of whom came because of getting books. Maybe some determined devotees are distributing in places where there's no invasion. Let's pray to Krsna that this unfortunate circumstance soon ends, so that devotees may continue distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and living happily in Krsna consciousness.
...- 4 Mar 2022
By Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha SwamiIn the six principles of surrender, two are of interest, namely, 1) being convinced of Krishna's protection, and 2) keeping the Lord as one's only guardian and master. I am confident that Krishna is protecting me, and that whatever happens will be for my highest good.
...- 3 Mar 2022
By Sankirtana DasSanctimony is not necessarily reserved for the righteous. It’s a condition that could affect anyone: the right wing, left wing, atheists, and even “the sinful.” It means “making a show of being morally superior to others.” We all fall into it at one time or other, sooner or later.
...- 1 Mar 2022
By the GBC ECThe devotees wake up to a changed reality -- tanks rolling through the streets in some places, explosions in their neighborhoods in others, and the sound of gunshots in the distance. While the tendency for a living entity in such a situation is naturally to be overcome with fear, our devotees are finding that Srila Prabhupada has offered them an extraordinary alternative -- they are taking shelter of the Holy Names, of the association of the Vaisnavas, and of the most merciful Sri Sri Radha-Madhava who have appeared in Kyiv in their beautiful deity forms.
...- 27 Feb 2022
By Dhira Gaura DasShri Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) one of the most renowned and influential personalities of India, stayed in ISKCON Ujjain campus for 3 days from 19th February to 21st February. RSS organized their 2 days meetings in the temple's auditorium. A total of 170 RSS men including their leaders, volunteers and security guards stayed in the temple's Guest House and Apartments.
...- 25 Feb 2022
By Bhurijana dasaOne fundamental requirement for active listening is the capacity to suspend the judging-propensity. Resist the temptation to immediately offer words of advice or throw out pat preachy lines. The general rule is to not advice unless you are quite sure the listener wishes to accept your words: “advice only when hired” is a saying used by professional counselors in this connection. Instructing one who is disturbed is usually not effective because the troubled person's turbulent mind will not al...
- 23 Feb 2022
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaKrishna's abode in the transcendental kingdom is called Goloka Vrindavana. The city in India named Vrindavan, where I have come from, is called Bhauma Vrindavan, which means the same Goloka Vrindavana descended to earth. Just as Krishna descends to earth out of His own internal potency, His dhama, or His abode—Vrindavana dhama—also descends.
...- 23 Feb 2022
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of January 2022. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
...- 20 Feb 2022
By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati ThakurSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada speaks about proper mood for devotees towards the society's temples. It is more intelligent to create a living Matha rather than to build a Matha for comfortable living. Creating a living Matha means to attract faithful persons to surrender at the lotus feet of the spiritual master. The highest welfare activity is to attract living entities to serve the spiritual master’s lotus feet by describing to them the spiritual master’s glories and service. For this we spend gallons of blood. Such preachin...
- 18 Feb 2022
By Drutakarma DasaCosmology is defined as the study of the origin, purpose, structure and functioning of the universe. Vedic cosmology gives a vast amount of information about not only the structure of the phenomenal universe as we see it, but also a clear idea of the source of the manifested universe, its purpose, and the subtle laws that govern its operation.
...- 18 Feb 2022
By Bhakti Caitanya Swami Narottama Dasa Thakura appeared in Kheturi which I believe is in current day Bangaldesh. Eventually in his late youth or so he went to Vrindavan and in Vrindavan he met Srila Jiva Goswami and took shelter of him. Then he met Srila Lokanath Goswami and was very deeply struck by the character of Lokanath Goswami and his standards as a devotee and just who he was as a devotee
...- 16 Feb 2022
By the GBCRESOLVED: The GBC hereby states their commitment to increase the number of diksa-gurus in ISKCON by systematically and promptly increasing the number of diksa-gurus before we lose the present gurus. The GBC also accepts the principle that the number of diksa-gurus must reflect, as closely as possible, the actual size of ISKCON, and that the future system leans to having many local diksa-gurus with fewer disciples, rather than having a limited number of international gurus with many disciples. Furthermore, the GBC members will support and promote prominent siksa-gurus initiating while their diksa-g...
- 15 Feb 2022
By Indradyumna SwamiThough we are visiting remote areas of Orissa to document ancient temples, we couldn't resist a pilgrimage to Jagannatha Puri. We spent the day visiting numerous sacred temples and places associated with the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, such as Siddha Bakula, where the Lord visited Haridas Thakur and planted a Bakul tree to give His devotee shade while chanting the Holy Names. That sacred tree still exists.
...- 14 Feb 2022
By Parasuram DasA Krsna conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brahmana and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, or an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramatma, is present in everyone's heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge.
...- 14 Feb 2022
By Krishna dharma das“One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering. The devotees of the Lord constantly discuss the glories of the Personality of Godhead among themselves. Thus, they constantly remember the Lord and remind one another of His qualities and pastimes. In this way, b...
- 7 Feb 2022