By Niranjana SwamiAnd especially what was also very, very satisfying to me was seeing that not only we are preserving the parampara by manifesting these three symptoms but that these events are also wonderful opportunity for distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. For me that is the icing on the cake. That makes it so sweet. These events are very, very good opportunities to inspire people to want to know more about this. And therefore these are very, very, good opportunities for making Srila Prabhupada’s books ...
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- 16 Nov 2015
By Urmila Devi DasiKrishna speaks all languages and accepts prayers in any one of them. Still, Sanskrit, which is the language of His own abode and the planets of the demigods in this universe, is especially suitable for understanding and glorifying Him. So, when we started a gurukula, we first looked for a Sanskrit teacher. Over many years, we had several teachers who used varying methods, achieving mixed results. I suppose we included Sanskrit in the gurukula simply because Prabhupada told us it was compuls...
- 15 Nov 2015
By Gaurangi Devi DasiThe Padayatra Worldwide Ministry headed by Lokanath Swami started to work on its offering of 50 padayatras on Gaura Purnima 2014. To this day 22 padayatras have taken place, 8 are planned and 20 remain to be done by all of you. We are inviting all the devotees worldwide to participate in this glorification of ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada. This goal of 50 padayatras is very feasible, as padayatra is basically a low-cost project of variable duration that can be carried out in man...
- 15 Nov 2015
By Lokanath SwamiIn 2008 Sankirtana Dasa was not new to padayatra. He had first heard of padayatra in 1987. After ending his career as a book distributor in Europe that year, where he found the mood no longer suited him, he traveled to India. He was introduced to padayatra in Vrindavana in1987 when he attended an information session led by Bhadra Dasa, who was recruiting devotees to join the walk from Vrindavana to Dwaraka. It was then Sankirtana realized that padayatra was just what he’d been looking for. He w...
- 15 Nov 2015
By Padmapani dasWords can't describe the devastation that we all felt. Hearts broke and tears flowed everywhere. The universe was in sorrow. The pure devotee of Lord Krishna had left the planet. We had lost our master, our protector and our ever well-wisher. Suddenly the universe became cold and dark, and all hope instantly fled from our lives. How could we go on without Prabhupada? It was inconceivable. I remember that I could barely speak a word for the next three days. It was the same for most of us there in ...
- 15 Nov 2015
By ISKCON Desire TreeAs we approach the beginning of ISKCON's 50th year we took the opportunity to interview some of ISKCON's leaders on a variety of topics, while they were gathered at the Govardhan Eco Village in Wada. This interview is with Praghosa prabhu, the current GBC chairman, and it is on the topic of ISKCON outreach.
...- 14 Nov 2015
By Ash ElderMany students search for ways to connect with God on campus and the UNF Hare Krishnas do it through sung prayer and meditation. Sura, a club member was singing the Hare Krishna mantra, a 16 word mantra composed of three Sanskrit names of the Supreme Being; “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama.” The mantra is chanted in order to create vibrations which connect the consciousness with God.
...- 14 Nov 2015
By Haresh Govinda DasAs every year this time also ISKCON Ahmedabad celebrated Govardhan Puja in a very fabulous way. All the devotees enterprisingly fabricated the replica of Govardhan in the temple. Govardhan Hill was adorned with various kinds of fruits, dry fruits and many other preparations like different kinds of sabjis, sweet items, rice, etc. Gujarat Chief Minister Smt. Anandiben Patel also honored this festival and took the blessings of Giriraj. Honorable Chief Minister was welcomed by Temple President H...
- 13 Nov 2015
By Urmila Devi DasiWE CROSS Oxford Street with five mrdanga drums, two loud and deep African drums, karatala cymbals, an accordion, and an electric guitar. Our chanting party consists of over a hundred members, from so many countries and ethnic backgrounds that the diversity is startling. There are men in dhotis, in suits, and in jeans, women in saris, colorful dresses, and subdued business clothes. We race or dance down the street, singing as fast as we run, churning up waves of spiritual joy. The lead singer we...
- 13 Nov 2015
By Ravindra Svarupa dasaOn the eleventh of July, 1966, in New York, Srila Prabhupada incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. By then, Prabhupada had already discovered an audience for his exposition of Srimad Bhagavatam, an expositon he characterised as 'a cultural presentation for the respiritualisation of the entire human society' (Bhag. Canto 1, Preface). In a further step toward the culture of 'respiritualisation', he established ISKCON. ISKCON was to be an exemplary society, within...
- 12 Nov 2015
By the GBC Strategic Planning TeamThe GBC is pleased to invite you to the ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) 2016 in Sridham Mayapur, India, on February 24 – March 2. If you already attended a previous ILS you already know what an amazing event it was, with over five hundred ISKCON leaders in 2102 and more than a thousand in 2014; Consider some of the past successes of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga: We spent 8 days participating in over 85 seminars and workshops presenting valuable ideas on how to spread Krsna Conscio...
- 12 Nov 2015
By Rsiraja DasThe first thing to be recognized in Gaudiya-Vaishnava philosophy is that Krsna is Reality. Srimad Bhagavatam states that there is a reality which is also the Absolute Truth. That reality is, however, understood in many different ways. Indeed, Srila Prabhupada writes at the beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam that the concept of Absolute Truth and the concept of God are not on the same level. The concept of God is like the driver of a car who controls the car, but this concept does not explain how the car...
- 12 Nov 2015
By Nityananda Chandra DasDue to the extensive help from a large body of devotees here in Dallas the Govardhan Puja festival has been exceedingly grand this year. There is a video included of the cake mountain preparations. Bhaktin Brittany decided to spend the night on Saturday so that she could work the whole evening Saturday and Sunday in preparation. She is was amazing a real trooper. She has a wonderful service mood. Both my wife and her slept just for a few hours and spend both days just working hard. La...
- 11 Nov 2015
By Nila Kamala dasIn continuation with Vraj Parikrama, on the 9th of November, HH Subhag Swami Maharaj took a group of 70 devotees to Badrinath. Buses departed from our Krishna Balaram Mandir after mangal arti, ensuring an auspicious start to our yatra. A bumpy ride which lasted for two hours led us to our desired destination. We were told that in 1932, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur came to Badrinath as part of Vraja Mandala parikrama along with hundreds of his disciples. We feel fortunate to be walking in the...
- 11 Nov 2015
By Giriraj SwamiToday Brahmananda Prabhu was placed in his samadhi in Vrindavan, and all the devotees present felt their hearts melt with love for Srila Prabhupada and Brahmananda Prabhu. I sent an offering to for the occasion, which Bhurijana Prabhu kindly read out for me: One thing was certain in my mind—that I would be present for the dedication of Brahmananda Prabhu’s samadhi in Vrindavan—but as Srila Prabhupada said, “I have my plans, you have your plans, and Krishna has His plans.” Brahmananda Pra...
- 10 Nov 2015
By Abhaya Mudra DasiEven when living entities harbor inimical desires towards Shri Krishna, He satisfies them. Shri Krishna’s arrangement of male and female prototypes in the material world creates an illusion of genuine relations between two different energies. And through the interaction of male and female entities other bodies take birth. The material world mimics (or reflects in a perverted sense) the spiritual world wherein there is constant interaction of Shri Krishna with His innumerable liberated servant...
- 10 Nov 2015
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaSimilarly, previously the Vedic knowledge was coming by hearing. There was no need of books. But when this age, Kali-yuga, began five thousand years ago, the Vedic scriptures were recorded. First there was only one Veda, known as Atharva Veda. Then Vyasadeva, just to make it clear, divided it into four and entrusted his various disciples to each take charge of one school of Veda. Then he wrote the Mahabharata and the Puranas to make the Vedic knowledge under...
- 9 Nov 2015
By Anuttama dasThe 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.
...- 9 Nov 2015
By Shyamasundar dasWriting “Chasing Rhinos With The Swami” was a labor of intense love. Not that it started out that way. I thought I could knock out seven years of memories in about six weeks, ten at the most. But then Srila Prabhupad came into my life again, called me to his room, made me laugh, began those fun, intense conversations—and soon he accompanied my every waking moment. Even in dreams he came, and I put pad and pen by my bed to scratch in the half-light a memory he had sparked in the ten-minute ...
- 8 Nov 2015
By Bhakta Jay KhushBhrigupati Dasa and Bhakta Jay Khush distribute Chinese books @ UCLA. The FAR EAST • MIDDLE EAST division of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publishes Srila Prabhupada’s books and other BBT titles in fourteen languages of the Pacific Rim and Middle East for distribution in those regions of the world. As a new Western preaching initiative, BBT FEME is also developing titles specifically for distribution in the Western world to foreign language speakers living within large ethnic communities, a...
- 8 Nov 2015
By Yolanda AmeliaTHERE are many ways one can celebrate an anniversary. Some throw lavish parties and others do a simple get-together. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness of ISKCON, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, distributed free meals to pupils to promote vegetarianism recently. It was carried out under the Sastra Dana Anna Dana programme organised by ISKCON Malaysia together with Bhaktivedanta Books Trading Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Food For Life Society Malaysia. The group vis...
- 7 Nov 2015
By the Radha Kunda Seva teamIt is Srimati Radharani’s special month, the month of Kartika, also known as the month of Damodara. During this holy month, when devotees are converging in Radha Kunda from all over the world, we revel in the fact that we have been given the opportunity to do some small service in this most sacred of places day after day, year after year, 365 days a year. Since our service is here, our thoughts are here also. And what a blessing it is to have our thoughts, like busy bees, buzz from on...
- 6 Nov 2015
By Mukunda GoswamiIn 1981 devotees posed for a photograph that appeared in a publication called The Wonderful World of Hare Krishna in Australia. A sankirtana party of approximately 40 devotees clearly showed the Sydney Opera House in the background. The Opera House has become a worldwide symbol for what Donald Horne in his 1964 book called The Lucky Country. On Saturday, 20 August 2016 devotees of ISKCON will perform sankirtana inside this iconic structure. Srila Prabhupada’s singular fault, according to Sril...
- 5 Nov 2015
By Nila Kamala dasIn continuation with Vraj Parikrama, HH Subhag Swami Maharaj took a group of devotees to Raval, Chinta Haran and Brahmanda Ghat. Buses left straight after mangala arti, all devotees were requested to attend the arti in order to invoke an auspicious start to the yatra. In order to seek the blessings of Srimati Radharani we firstly visited Raval Dham. After taking darshan and praying for Her mercy, we proceeded to Chinta Haran. The presiding deity here is Chinta Haran Mahadev. As stated in the Bhag...
- 5 Nov 2015