By Kripamoya das50 years ago, our founder and acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada planted a seed. He brought into existence a society whose specific name he chose and whose specific shape he carefully formed. The original group of early followers might have been bemused to learn the name of the organisation typed up on the deeds of incorporation: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON. There were no assets to speak of and with only one room in a back street of New Y...
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- 23 Dec 2017
By Kaya LatermanThe poet Allen Ginsberg, an early devotee who attended some of the first outreach sessions in New York, told The Times in 1966 that the chanting “brings a state of ecstasy.” Swami Prabhupada, known to his followers as Srila Prabhupada, officially founded the Hare Krishna Society that same year. Its first temple was located in a former gift shop at 26 Second Avenue in Manhattan. Early devotees were mostly white Westerners, many of whom were disillusioned with Amer...
- 22 Dec 2017
By Hari Narayana DasOne hundred Bhagavad-gita and other books were distributed during the event. Even though more than ninety percent of the audience were from other faiths they appreciated the clarity of the message in Bhagavad-gita as it is; one student later wrote in his blog that he started reading Bhagavad-gita and everyday he is getting new enlightenment; another senior gentleman who is the head of an organization and even though he is not a Hindu, he expressed that although he c...
- 22 Dec 2017
By Madhava SmullenThe encouraging atmosphere, expert techniques and lack of pressure yielded inspirational results. One devotee who felt too shy to distribute went along just to accompany his wife, but ended up distributing a hardback Bhagavad-gita for the first time ever. A new bhakta from the Krishna House, who also had never gone on book distribution before, distributed three Bhagavad-gitas and felt so enlivened that he now wants to go out regularly. New Raman Reti’s head pujari, ...
- 22 Dec 2017
By the MCO“According to smrti regulation, the cow is the mother and the bull the father of the human being. The cow is the mother because just as one sucks the breast of one's mother, human society takes cow's milk. Similarly, the bull is the father of human society because the father earns for the children just as the bull tills the ground to produce food grains.”
...- 22 Dec 2017
By Urmila Devi DasiMany people will argue that without birth control, families will have a dozen or more children. Yet in societies where birth control isn’t practiced, the average number of children per family is six. Six children per family may seem too many for the earth, but the entire present world population could fit in France or in the state of Texas, with 1,500 square feet per person. We could feed ten times the present population on an American-style diet, and thirty times the population on a Japanese-style diet. (Colin Clark, Oxford University)...
- 21 Dec 2017
By Sri Bhakti DasThey placed Ratha Yatra posters throughout a large part of the city, they provided implements, part of the security, the stage, etc. Also, the Ratha Yatra appeared on all of its websites as an event co-produced by the Municipality. This was a truly historical event in Chile: That a Major together with her Municipality (public entity with great influence on political and social development) has taken the Ratha Yatra as its own festival; in other words, not only as an ac...
- 21 Dec 2017
By Padmapani das In November of 1969 while speaking in London's Conway Hall, Srila Prabhupada stated the following: "The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the middle, accompanied by His principal associates—Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, and Srivasa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture. Anyone can have this picture in his home, chan...
- 19 Dec 2017
By Kesava Krsna DasaBecause we think we are “not the body”, it can lead us to do so many wrong things in the name of Bhakti. It can induce false detachment and renunciation. That is, pushing oneself to be detached without spiritual taste to replace it – it becomes an off-the-body form of mind and body deprivation that does not last, because it is exerted by passion, not natural spiritual progress. An artificial renouncer might think, “I am denying myself of all trappings of sense gratification, so why should others also not share in my renunciation?” Because one is depriving o...
- 18 Dec 2017
By Bhakti Madhurya Govinda GoswamiWhen remembering Maharaj, we should meditate on his “golden years” of service and preaching in Malaysia. He was the only sannyas disciple of Srila Prabhupad from Malaysia. He was officially the president of ISKCON Malaysia since 1980. He was a great pioneer and early general in developing the preaching in Malaysia. Srila Prabhupad came to Malaysia in 1971, paving the way for Maharaj to develop the preaching. Maharaj was a major player in expanding Srila Prabhupad’s movement so nicely in Malaysia, crowned by the grand opening of the Penang octagonal te...
- 18 Dec 2017
By Subhag SwamiI am very happy to hear that devotees are gathering together in Penang to pay their homage to His Holiness Bhakti Vrajendra Swami Maharaj and showing their love, affection, dedication and loving service to the cause of our society, mission of Sri ChaitnyaMahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. He is definitely a great soul, Mahatma… I know him from Birmingham from early 70’s. He used to come to the Birmingham centre and whatever he gets, he used to help the centre as the te...
- 18 Dec 2017
By Danakeli dasiSrila Prabhupada wanted us to show by example how to become freed from dependency on city life and satisfied with the village idea. “ But we are not going to develop a competitive farming enterprise for making money. The basic principle is to become independent of artificial city life ...Gandhi had this idea, the one defect was that there was no Krishna in the center. So the same idea of village organization , but keeping Krishna in the center should be introduced on ...
- 17 Dec 2017
By TOVP staffThe tour stopped in the cities and communities listed below and achieved great success, being met by enthusiastic and supportive devotees who made small and large financial sacrifices according to their means for the project. The total amount of pledges exceeded $3 million U.S., an astounding amount considering the small size of some of the communities. All these devotees are to be thanked.
...- 17 Dec 2017
By Yadubara dasActors Namitha and Veera reviews. Financial Express article. Bhanu Swami interview. Yadubara das interview with Hrishi K on radio one. Urban Asia interview. IANS Review. Movie Talkies Review. Vivek Bindra, a well known motivational speaker, talks about movies then HARE KRISHNA!
...- 17 Dec 2017
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of November, 2017. 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
...- 15 Dec 2017
By Visakha DasiStarting today, Friday December 15th, the movie HARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it all will be released for one week in 50 theaters throughout India with a total of 700 shows! This is a record in Indian cinema for the docudrama genre. Here are some reviews and notifications: (please note: the Times of India is India's largest English language newspaper with a circulation of almost 3 million)
...- 15 Dec 2017
By Haripriya Devi Dasi"My alarm clock rings. It is 5:00 a.m. on a summer morning in Saranagati Village, and it's almost time for mangal arati. After getting ready, I step outside into a crisp and quiet morning. Picking a flower from our garden for Their Lordships, I jog up the hill on the way to my favorite place, Banabehari Mandir. Once at the top, I look down towards the ashram and see dim yellow lights shining through the early morning mist. Coming up to the beautiful stained-glass tilak door, I lightly knock—and almost immediately, my favorite voice answers, 'Haribol! Come in!' Slowly...
- 14 Dec 2017
By Vijaya dasaIn a lecture in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “If he reads one sloka, his life will be successful. If he reads one sloka, one word. This is such a nice thing. Therefore we are stressing so much: ‘Please distribute book, distribute book, distribute book.’ A greater mrdanga. We are chanting, playing our mrdanga. It is heard within this room or a little more. But this big mrdanga will go home to home, country to country, community to community.” Life is short....
- 14 Dec 2017
By Madhava SmullenThe Bhaktivedanta Book Trust has already translated ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada’s books into 87 languages. But there are more to go. And today, dedicated servants working for the spiritual publisher in far flung corners of the world still continue to translate his works into their native languages, despite busy family lives and professional careers. On August 24th this year, for example, Nandapriya Das finished translating the last of seventeen volumes of the ...
- 13 Dec 2017
By Madhava SmullenBeyond the 2017 marathon, a goal has already been set of further 10% increases every year for the next ten years, reaching an annual remittance to the BBT of $5.2 million by 2026. If, however, goals continue to be exceeded at the rate they are currently, the remittance by 2026 will be an unprecedented $10 million. Why is remittance to the BBT so important? Well first of all, fifty per cent of all profits from the BBT go towards building ISKCON projects around the worl...
- 13 Dec 2017
By Mahatma dasForgiving yourself is obviously an issue for you. Look at it this way: Krishna wants you to come back to Him, and if you don’t forgive yourself, you’re making that trip back to Him a more difficult – and thus slower – journey. Krishna is waiting for you to come back, so don’t make Him wait longer than necessary. Krishna forgives you, and if He forgives you, certainly you can forgive yourself. (If it’s good enough for Him, it’s good enough for you.) In addition, if you are thinking, “I am so low and so ...
- 12 Dec 2017
By Urmila Devi Dasi"No Krsna rituals," my cousin the doctor admonished me. Although not her attending physician, being a doctor he had more or less taken charges of things."Your mother was not a Hare Krsna. Let her die as she lived." "But," I argued, "these last weeks I've been chanting to her, reading stories to her from our scriptures, singing devotional songs. She often asked me to , and really loved it.Why should I do something different today?" I was hopeful, yet nervous. For two weeks now I'd been with my mother twelve hours or more a day. The firs...
- 11 Dec 2017
By Gopal Bhatta dasILS 2018 will play a critical part in setting the stage for ISKCON’s future. Speakers will explore the challenges and opportunities ISKCON will face as it continues to shift into the hands of the next generations. The ILS provides a unique opportunity for a cross-pollination of thoughts and best practices. It gives a chance for devotees to observe the ISKCON world from a global perspective. In this atmosphere devotees can expand their frame of reference and become...
- 9 Dec 2017
By Purushottam KumarWhile being crucified, Jesus cried. But he did not cry for himself, instead he cried for those who were committing the gravest sin. Jesus was continuously praying to God to forgive those who were menacingly torturing and trying to kill him. Jesus, the son of God, had come to this world to spread the message of peace and love and to effect this change he was ready to sacrifice everything
...- 8 Dec 2017