By Romapada SwamiQuestion: Srila Prabhupada's translation indicates that "a-brahma-bhuvanal - up to the Brahmaloka plane" The Bhagavatam seems to say that Satya Loka is not subject to birth, death, old age and disease. The Bhagavad Gita seems to say that it is subject to these four states. Can you shed on light on this seeming contradiction?
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- 9 Jul 2017
By Rachna TyagiSo, what are the prerequisites to join them? “ISKCON is a calling. The person coming to ISKCON actually comes to serve Krishna. He wants to dedicate his life to Krishna,” says Das. As a student of structural engineering in IIT-Madras, he came across a book on Prabhupada at a library in IIT-Bombay. He says, “When I read that, I felt it was something that nobody had taught me. I was very inspired, especially after I finished reading the Bhagavad Gita. I felt this was what I should dedicate my life to. I then switched over to philosophy, did my master’s and got my docto...
- 8 Jul 2017
By Vijay Krsna Kumar DasScholars and academicians from various parts of the country and abroad converged at the Kalina campus of Mumbai University to participate in a first of its kind International conference on the topic “Relevance, Role and Resurgence of Vaishnavism studies in 21st century.” Jointly organized by the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha Research Center of ISKCON and Shree Halari Oswal College, the conference witnessed participation of more than 200 students, scholars and administrators from the field of academia. Honorable Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, Dr. San...
- 8 Jul 2017
By Ravindra Svarupa DasSrimad-Bhagavatam Eleventh Canto Chapter 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Dāruka delivered the account of the total destruction of the Vṛṣṇis, and upon hearing this, O Parīkṣit, the people became deeply distraught in their hearts and stunned with sorrow. Feeling the overwhelming pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they struck their own faces while hurrying to the place where their relatives lay dead.
...- 7 Jul 2017
By Anantashesh DasSrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to establish scriptural learning in Mayapur. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura worked out a detailed tenfold curriculum of study of all of the major writings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya to be taught here. It is based on this curriculum that Srila Prabhupada presented his Bhakti-sastri, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedanta and Bhakti-sarvabhauma courses.
...- 7 Jul 2017
By Mayapur Internal Communications teamIn the book The Seventh Goswami, a biography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura , it is stated that Thakura Bhaktivinoda prayerfully invoked the Lord, and expressed his heartfelt desire, “When will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur-dhama and join with the Bengali Vaisnavas to chant ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana!’ … Very soon the chanting of Harinama sankirtana will be spread all over the world. Oh, when will that day come when people from America, England, France, Germany, Russia will take up kartals and ...
- 6 Jul 2017
By Hari Parsada DasaA confidential thought gets exposed as soon as it reaches six ears. (This means that the confidential thought should stay always between the two ears of the speaking friend and the two ears of the listening friend. As soon at the thought reaches a third person, it has reached six ears and is now exposed). As a good friend, we should know how to keep secrets. These secrets are something which can cause immense public embarrassment to our friends if revealed. These are weaknesses that have been confidentially confided in us.
...- 4 Jul 2017
By Vaisesika DasaSunday feast lecture in London Iskcon Temple. How to install the Srimad Bhagavatam in your house. Those persons who worship the Vaishnava literature Srimad Bhagavatam in their house are freed from all sins and they become worshipable by even the demigods. In the age of Kali, I become very pleased with those who regularly worship Srimad Bhagavatam in their house and dance without fear.
...- 3 Jul 2017
By ISKCON IndonesiaPerkumpulan (Indonesian for "Association") ISKCON is a legal body registered with the Indonesian government since September 2015. Perkumpulan ISKCON was founded directly by the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) representatives for Indonesia. Executives, Supervisors and Members of the Association forms the National Council of ISKCON for Indonesia.
...- 3 Jul 2017
By Iskcon Desire TreePancharatna Das was and still is one of the important managers in Mayapur, who started living there since the middle of 70 and till now is striving to make this place better.
...- 2 Jul 2017
By Mukhya Devi DasiThe State of the State - your tithing dollars at work! Wow, we are already half way through 2017, so here's a peek at what your tithing dollars are allowing us to do at the Temple. We have spent the past 16 months working on securing development permits for Phase II of our master plan, which includes building guest cottages around the pond. It’s been a long and tedious process, where every department of county regulators comes over to have a look and give opinions on what we want to do. Thank you to all of our donors and tithers, your generous contributions make these ...
- 2 Jul 2017
By Ravindra Svarupa DasAlthough Lord Krsna, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the destination of those fixed in the self and demonstrated that this mortal world is of no intrinsic value. (SB 11.31.13)
...- 2 Jul 2017
By AdministratorIf you met someone in the heart of London’s financial district and told them a monk was speaking at the ‘Old Lady’ of Threadneedle Street, they might be in disbelief. Although he hasn’t had a bank account or signed a cheque since 1969, and to the humour of the hundreds that attended when he admitted that, Radhanath Swami spoke at the Bank of England on Wednesday 22nd March 2017. Founded in 1694, the Bank of England is a public institution responsible for maintaining the monetary and financial stability of the United Kingdom. It serves as the model on which most moder...
- 1 Jul 2017
By Vijaya dasMany years ago a man in one village was so inspired when the padayatra arrived that he took a vow to remain silent until the padayatra returned on its next lap around India. It takes the padayatra six years to go around India. When it did return, it was a big thing in the village, because now the man was going to speak again. So a stage was made for all the devotees to do kirtan, and afterward the gentleman would speak. Everyone in the village showed up, and he spoke for three hours, just from Srila Prabhupada's books, because the only reading he had done was from those books. ...
- 30 Jun 2017
By Subroto DasAt Mayapur, the birth place of MahaPrabhu, the devotees of ISKCON today gave a lively presentation of the HeraPanchami pastime. Knowing the importance MahaPrabhu gave to this pastime, the devotees organised a splendid show at the Prabhupad Ghat where the Gundicha temple has been constructed for the first time. Carried on her palanquin a disgruntled LaxmiDevi with a bunch of aggressive servitors came rushing towards the Gundicha temple in the evening where the Lord was gleefully enjoying melodious kirtans being rendered by His devotees. They tried to breach the boundary of Gund...
- 30 Jun 2017
By Bala Govinda dasOn Tuesday 27th JUNE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Netherlands of his three-nation tour after concluding his visit to the United States. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was meeting the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, King Willem-Alexander and the Indian Diaspora in The Netherlands. The ISKCON Hague leader Syamasundara das, Chitra devi dasi, bhn Sandjli Bisesser, bhn Reeshmi Chitan and bh Ashis Autar had the opportunity to meet the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the Royal Residence city. When the Prime Minister arrived at his hotel “The C...
- 30 Jun 2017
By Vaisesika DasaThe most important and uncontrollable sense is the tongue. If one can control the tongue, then there is every possibility of controlling the other senses. The function of the tongue is to taste and to vibrate. Therefore, by systematic regulation, the tongue should always be engaged in tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Although one may conquer all of the other senses, as long as the tongue is not conquered it cannot be said that one has controlled his senses. However, if one is able to control the tongue, then one is un...
- 29 Jun 2017
By Jagannath DasAfter giving up the company of the Vraja-gopis, Vrajendranandana performed His pastimes in Dvaraka. When Sri Kṛṣṇa visited Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse, He was accompanied by Baladeva, Subhadra, and other Dvarakavasis. At Kurukshetra, Kṛṣṇa again met the Vrajavasis, especially Srimati Rādhikā and His beloved sakhis. Bhakti Charu Swami recently visited Dubai and on 26th June 2017, Maharaj gave a very nectarian class on the sweet pastimes of Lord Jagannath.
...- 29 Jun 2017
By Iskcon Sweden“Simple Living — High Thinking” is a Strategic Partnership project involving youth workers and youth from 5 partner organizations from Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, Slovenia, and Czech. All the organizations are active in youth work, connected with areas of self-sustainability, healthy lifestyles, and youth employment. The partners expressed their mutual interest in creating a network based on strong partnerships aimed to connect more and exchange the good practices in relevant areas of their work.
...- 28 Jun 2017
By Hema Jagannatha DasaPlainfield, NJ. Radha Krishna Temple and Cultural Center (ISKCON of Central NJ), Plainfield, NJ celebrated Sri-Jagannath Rath Yatra with sincere devotion and active participation by more than One thousand devotees - on the actual day of Jagannath-Puri Rath Yatra. Devotees started coming to the temple and brought bhoga to be offered to the supreme siblings - Lord Jagannath (Sri-Krishna), His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra Maharani. The Rath Yatra festival is a key component of Krishna Conscious movement, instilled by the Founding Acarya His ...
- 28 Jun 2017
By Nila Kamal dasOn the day of the festival, three fire sacrifices were performed in order to invoke auspiciousness. Once the fire sacrifices had finished, there were a series of speeches by various VIPs. The chief guest of the event was the Netrakona District Commissioner; Prasanta Kumar Ray. Other distinguished guests were Head Police Officer; Jayadev Chowdary and the District Chairman; Sitangushu Vikas Acarya. All the VIPs glorified the efforts of ISKCON Netrakona in trying to spread the glories of Lord Jagannath.
...- 28 Jun 2017
By Khonika Gope-KumarThough since childhood, I was used to being called “gopi” by my classmates and coworkers as my surname had been “Gope”, however, that never made me uncomfortable. I knew those karmi people did not have any clue what they were referring to. But my devotee girlfriends surely know what they are talking about. Or do they? To my surprise, I found out that it has become quite common among young ladies in ISKCON to call each other gopi, even call each other Srimati Radharani! I was in a dil...
- 26 Jun 2017
By Ravindra Svarupa DasAlways remembering Me, one should perform all his duties for Me without becoming impetuous. With mind and intelligence offered to Me, one should fix his mind in attraction to My devotional service. All of one's love and affection should be devoted to pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not indicated here that one should try to relish selfish satisfaction in devotional service, but rather that one should be attracted to the Lord's own satisfaction, which one achieves by faithfully executing the order of a bona fide spiritual master coming in disciplic su...
- 26 Jun 2017
By Madhava SmullenPrabhupada’s Palace was the first Samadhi to be completed for Srila Prabhupada in the world. To this day, it remains the only one of its kind in the West, a renowned Smriti Samadhi, or memorial shrine to ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, and a monument to the love between Prabhupada and his disciples. Today, as the crown jewel of New Vrindaban, Srila Prabhupada continues to reside in his Palace, embodied through both his murti form and his instructions. There, his sincere followers can still associate with him. And that connection cannot be underestimated. As Srila Prabhupada...
- 26 Jun 2017