By Sesa DasCan you picture our dear Vaisnava gentleman His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami as a sword-wielding, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, general on the battlefield, a courageous soldier in the thick of battle, waging war on behalf of ISKCON? A more predominant view of Maharaja is one who is a source of inspiration, refuge, and hope. However, as I reflect on my recent GBC Executive Committee service with Bhakti Charu Swami, an instance of such a military persona stands out vividly in my mind.
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- 5 Jul 2021
By Iskcon KolkataVideo of HH Bhakti Charu Swami glorifying Srila Prabhupada's Journey to USA in a packed Netaji Indoor Stadium which seats 12,000 people. To inaugurate the ISKCON 50th Anniversary year, on August 13th in Kolkata a grand celebration was held with the participation of thousands of devotees from 108 countries, spiritual leaders and dignitaries such as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
...- 5 Jul 2021
By Vijaya DasaIn June, Melbourne had a very successful month. It became the No. 1 temple in Australasia in the Large Temple category, with 3,390 book points (a 26% increase). Itâs been a long time since Melbourne was in first place. Congratulations! In the Medium Temple category, London was No. 1, with 3,018 book points. Once Srila Prabhupada was asked by a reporter in London why he had come. Srila Prabhupada explained that the British rulers and viceroys plundered India and took away whatever they thought was valuable but left behind the most valuable things, so he had come to give these to the British...
- 5 Jul 2021
I wanted to inform you of the passing away of HG Manu das Prabhu, he was initiated in London in 1971. He spent his life serving Prabhupada's mission, and spent most of his later years in Vrindavan. He would visit his family for a few months in a year but he always said his real home was Vrindavan....
- 29 Jun 2021
By Srimati DasiMay the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.
...- 25 Jun 2021
By North European BBTThe reliable recording format for professional and personal use. Tried and tested for 600 years. Opens in a millisecond. No electricity required. Totally independent of network connections. Protected from any sort of planned obsolescence. Extremely inexpensive. Still the best! Printed books thrive in the digital age!
...- 25 Jun 2021
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of May 2021. 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
...- 25 Jun 2021
By Drutakarma DasFor anyone seeking to engage with modern science as a devotee of Krishna, specifically as a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the question of positioning becomes important. A practitioner of Krishna consciousness ultimately identifies as a jiva, an eternal conscious self, whose constitutional position is to render loving service to the supreme conscious self, Krishna. But practitioners of Krishna consciousness now find themselves in the world of matter, which covers but also reveals Krishna. The Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that as a first step practitioners of...
- 21 Jun 2021
By Kurma DasaAnyone who has ever visited a Hare Krishna Temple feast or a Hare Krishna restaurant will have undoubtedly tasted halva. The memory of its sweet, warm, moist, spiritually-infused 'comfort food-iness' will no doubt have lingered long after all traces of the buttery ecstasy have left the lips. You may not know just how widespread the halva story actually is, and how much world history there is to it. Halva is one of those dishes found from the Balkans to India and claimed a...
- 19 Jun 2021
By Giriraj SwamiIf we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God--for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and will, and to walk, talk, and sense--we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God's kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us. Often we take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditati...
- 17 Jun 2021
By Yogesvara dasa A Native American storyteller named Ron Evans tells a tale that warms the heart of all who agonise over the effects of contemporary media. Ron visited Africa some years ago and was present the day electric lines were installed for the first time in a tiny village. Along with wiring came a gift from the local government: the village's first television. Ron describes how the entire village sat mesmerised for three days watching every programme. Then as if on cue, rose, ...
- 12 Jun 2021
By Candramauli SwamiThe devotees had seen in second volume of Srila Prabhupadaâs Bhagavatam, there was a verse and a purport. In the purport, it was written in verse form, it was names of Krishna. He Krishna Govinda Hari Murari, He Natha Narayana Vasudeva. In the purport, Prabhupada was explaining that Krishna is all of those in one. So we thought this was a mantra of some kind and they were obviously names of Krishna, so we started chanting it. We put it to music, of course, with all the various instruments, and we were singing it
...- 12 Jun 2021
By Drutakarma dasQuestioning modern theories on the history of evolution on the basis of available evidence, to determine without predjudice, how old the human species is.
...- 10 Jun 2021
By Purushottam Nitai DasaAfter the Mahabharat war ended, Krishna asked Arjuna to get down from the chariot first. But Arjuna requested Krishna to get down first. Krishna advised Arjuna to do what he is being asked to do. So Arjuna got down first and then Krishna followed. And as soon as Krishna got down, it blew up and burned to ashes. Arjuna was horrified. Krishna explained that the weapons unleashed by Bhisma, Drona and other Kaurava warriors were extremely powerful but because of ...
- 10 Jun 2021
By Vrndavanlila Devi DasiThe tussle between âfreewillâ and âdestinyâ has been primordial. Bhagavad-gita explains the wonderful attributes of the soul besides the minuteness of soul. It is just one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair point in size.* The minute "freewill" of this super-micro soul has created so much of furore that there are 14 planetary systems and countless universes, and further sub- and sub to sub-systems to place everybody according to their "freewill"! So wonderful is freewill! This diff...
- 10 Jun 2021
By Purnacandra GoswamiâIt is not so much that because there may be some faults in our godbrothers and godsisters, or because there may be some mismanagement or lack of cooperation, that this is due to being impersonalists, no. It is the nature of the living condition to always have some fault. Even in the Spiritual World there is some fault and envyâsometimes the Gopis will quarrel over Krishna's favor, and once Krishna was so much attracted to Radharani that by mistake he tried to milk the bull instead of the cow. And sometimes when the Gopis used to put on their dress and make-up fo...
- 6 Jun 2021
By Padmavati Devi DasiSo many beautiful people are reciprocating and willing to chant maha-mantra for Love & Peace for the first time! Just watch these lovely brief videos of people in the street chanting the maha-mantra for the first time!
...- 4 Jun 2021
By Jayarama DasIâve always felt a kind of need to glorify God in my work, because painting is something Heâs given me. And now I have that desire even more. Iâm mostly interested in trying to show how beautiful Krishna is. Heâs great and Hâs beautiful; Heâs kind and Heâs compassionate. I just want to try to remind people that God is actually a very beautiful and kind. Person. Whether it takes me ten years to do a painting or ten days, I have to glorify Krishna the best I can. Anything less than that I consider very unsatisfactory and very frustrating.
...- 4 Jun 2021
By Jacques de Gheyn IIDe Gheyn was a wealthy amateur who is best known as a brilliant draftsman, but he also painted and engraved. This panel is generally considered to be the earliest known independent still-life painting of a vanitas subject, or symbolic depiction of human vanity. The skull, large bubble, cut flowers, and smoking urn refer to the brevity of life, while images floating in the bubbleâsuch as a wheel of torture and a leperâs rattleârefer to human folly. The figures flanking the arch above are Democritus and Heraclitus, the laughing and weeping philosophers of ancient Greece.
- 4 Jun 2021
By Vijaya dasI almost cannot believe what happened in April. The Mayapur temple did 212,221 book points, putting them way out in front of any other temple. The magic of the Mayapur book distributors cannot be underestimated. Lord Caitanya's rain of mercy is pouring down on the fortunate souls receiving Srila Prabhupada's books, and the book distributors are the gardeners planting seeds of devotion in their hearts. Mexico City is the No. 1 temple in the Medium category, with 3,440 book points. Srila Prabhupada himself visited this temple twice, and the second time he got a police escort from the airport to...
- 2 Jun 2021
By Kesava Krsna dasaIf we intend to be a credible alternative to the woes of society, we must analyze how we conduct ourselves in the public arena â namely the internet. Our discussions are by and large intelligent respectful dialogue. The occasional tit for tat crops up now and again. Are we ever aware that perusing our web pages could be individuals who are advisors to leaders, members of think tanks for government and the like?
...- 2 Jun 2021
By Charu PatankarUnscrupulous people go at once to the Tenth Canto, especially to the five chapters which describe the Lord's rÄsa dance. However, this portion of ĆrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam is the most confidential part of that great literature. Unless one is thoroughly accomplished in the transcendental knowledge of the Lord, he is sure to misunderstand the Lord's worshipable transcendental pastimes in the rÄsa dance and the Lord's love affairs with the gopÄ«s. This subject matter is high...
- 2 Jun 2021
By Urban DeviMay 23 2021 Special Guest Mondakini Devi Dasi: I remember coming to the temple with two of my friends, and a beautiful kirtanâa very sacred kirtanâwas in progress, probably led by Yamuna. We sat down and all of a sudden the devotees fell flat on the floor. Being polite young girls, we did the same for the first time in our lives. I was very curious and I wanted to see what was happening. I was thinking, âWhy are they doing that?â I put my head up a little and I saw two beautiful golden feet passing by my head. I wanted to see to whom these feet belonged, and for the first time, at lea...
- 1 Jun 2021
By Dharmatma dasAnother wonderful exemplary Vaishnava has left us to be with his worshipful Lordships in the Spiritual World. Bhuvanesvara prabhu has been serving Them in Vrindavan for 35 years and was such an inspiring soul. His sadhana was impeccable, he religiously cooked the Raj Bhoga offering daily, he led kirtan (whose heart could not be moved by his sweet and melodious chanting early in the morning before Mangala Arotik.) He was always was there for Tulasi Puja, Guru Puja, gave classes, and also led Kirtans in the evening. He had a great sense of humor and wit. Knowing how fallen I was, he ...
- 1 Jun 2021
