By Urmila Devi DasiFrom the European Leaders Meetings 2014 – presentations. This is both a topical and sensitive subject and our goal is to discuss it in a measured and productive way. So how to understand and explain some of the more controversial references from Srila Prabhupada on women and the role of women? How do they affect our own Vaishnavis and how can they can be seen in a positive light by the general public and the media?
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- 7 Dec 2014
By Praghosa DasaFrom The Auropean Leaders Meetings 2014 - presentations. Five Key Steps taken by Srila Prabhupada in Shaping his ISKCON. The founding of the institution under the name of ISKCON. The recognition of that founder with the title Prabhupada. The further recognition of Prabhupada with the title Founder Acarya.
...- 7 Dec 2014
By Srila PrabhupadaBrahmasayujya and Krsna lila-both may be possible, but when you are coming down from brahmasayujya or when you are coming down from Krsna lila, that remains a mystery. But at the present moment we are in Maya's clutches, so at present our only hope is to become Krsna conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. The real position is servant of Krsna, and servant of Krsna means in Krsna lila. Directly or indirectly, always we are serving Krsna's lila. Even in dream. Just like we cannot go out of the sun when it is daytime, so where is th...
- 6 Dec 2014
By Dina Dayala DasaThe Euro RGB is thrilled to introduce you to thirteen exemplary Vaishnavas who received the sixth annual ISKCON Europe Excellence Awards for the year 2014. Outstanding pujari seva, ISKCON Festivals, Caring for devotees, Overall ISKCON interest/Overall preaching, Education, Overall ISKCON contribution and more.
...- 6 Dec 2014
By Tribhuvanatha dasYesterday 4th, December, 2014. A Cordial friend, and a very influential Chief. Chief., Dr,. Eromosele S.A. In Bini kingdom. Invites Iskcon Members to preach in his, Tradomedical Herb Healing Home. On this note, Bhakivinoda Thakura, a 19th Century Vaisnava Saint, observed that interfaith involvement strengthens one's faith in one's own tradition, while helping develop a greater sense of respect for the sanctity of other faith. He said, when we have occasion to be present at the place of worship of other religionists at the time of their wo...
- 6 Dec 2014
By Mayapur.comOdana Sashti is a festival that marks the beginning of winter. During the Odana-sasthi festival the devotees dress Lord Jagannatha and Balarama with starched cloth. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to the Lord. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver, and freshly purchased cloth is usually starched to preserve it. According to the archana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. On this occasion by the desire of Lord ...
- 5 Dec 2014
By Muralidhara-priya DasJust as Srila Prabhupada had folded his hands with tears in his eyes and thanked his disciples in Mayapur for helping build the Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir, Sriman Ambarish Das and his wife Swaha Mataji this kartik month toured Vrindavan, Dubai, Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries to raise awareness about the TOVP temple. Their humble and sincere appeal to the Hare Krishna congregation raised over 3 million dollars in pledges.
...- 4 Dec 2014
By Giriraja SwamiUPON THE invitation of the Gita Bhavan ("Gita Center"), in December 1970 Srila Prabhupada and a party of disciples traveled to Indore, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, to take part in the week-long celebration of the anniversary of the day on which Lord Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. Most of the other speakers were Mayavadi impersonalists, who did not preach Bhagavad-gita as it is or present Krsna as He is.
...- 4 Dec 2014
By Baldev dasThis year, as part of warm up strategy, Temple had organized many seminars and talks all over Mumbai in various counsellors group and preaching programs. In each of these programs, temple devotees presented few anecdotes of book distribution which happened within the chowpatty congregation in previous years. At the end of each program, assembled congregation and youth also shared their experiences of book distribution in previous marathons. A similar get together will also be arranged in each of the above places after the marathon is over as a ...
- 4 Dec 2014
By Prana DasOn this auspicious day of Gita Jayanthi, we are pleased to release our second issue of the eMagazine - "Sanatani" - Culture of Eternity. I hope you all would have enjoyed the first issue of the magazine that was launched on the auspicious day of Govardhan Puja. We have got an overwhelming response for the first issue and we sincerely thank you all for the appreciation, blessings and feedback given. As mentioned earlier, through this magazine we would like to reach to a broader reader base and share with them about the power and beauty of this div...
- 3 Dec 2014
By ISKCON South Africa CommunicationsRajiv Rampal and Gaurachandra Ramkussan who pioneered this campaign explain that it's not a question of whether you can distribute books, but more the question of do you want to. "If you want to, you will. We are making an appeal to each of you to please commit to distribute at least 10 books. Just 10 books, just 10 minutes of your lives to speak to 10 people. You can sell the books or give them away as gifts, as long it goes out, Srila Prabhupada will be pleased. So say you in, take 10 books, distribute them, challenge...
- 3 Dec 2014
By Mukundamala DasaDivya Simha Dasa (Devidas Vaidya), 70, from Mumbai is a person who does not believe in retirement — in fact he feels real work begins now. After working with Pfizer India for over 33 years and entering into its Hall of Fame for community and social service, Divya Simha wanted to do something more. Village development, women’s empowerment, health and education were some activities in his agenda. But before starting to work on these goals, he wanted to lay the right foundation. He explains, “I was convinced that material problems c...
- 2 Dec 2014
By Parasuram dasOn the 8th of October 2014 we left the Krishna Balaram Temple for the road to Mathura. 1,300 devotees walking on the Vraj Mandala Parikrama ( a one month pilgrimage of the twelve forests of the Vrindavan area), and ourselves the "magnificent seven" , a small international Padayatra team consisting of Dharmatma Prabhu USA, Loka Saranga Prabhu Czech, Madhu Pandit Czech, Vikuntha Prabhu Russia, Arjuna Prabhu UK, Krishna Mayi dd Estonia and myself Ireland. This was our 28th tour, and each year we print 40,000 small books, thanks to Bhima Prabhu a...
- 2 Dec 2014
By Jai Sita Rani Devi DasiNo words can describe the mood that captivated the hearts of all who attended the Kirtan Mela Malaysia in Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur. It was simply stupendous to say the least. Taking us to new heights never experienced before, everyone was just soaked in Krishna's mercy flowing through every vein in their blood. It was a blast like never before in Kuala Lumpur. No words can describe the ecstasy that every single one was feeling in Sri Jagannatha Mandir. With kirtaneers and musicians from USA, Ghana, Mayapur, Bosnia, Kazaks...
- 1 Dec 2014
By Jamal Arjuna SalterMore than 100,000 people lined the streets to witness the 2014 Carnival of Flowers Parade and there, right in the middle of it, was Lord Jagganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra righting the iconic rate cart covered in flowers pulled by the devotees. The deities and the dancing, chanting devotees were welcomed by the cheers and waves of thousands upon thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate the culture and history of Toowoomba all listening to the sound of the Holy Names.
...- 30 Nov 2014
By Subh Abhilash DasaRecently, students at University of Cincinnati had chance to hear from His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami about how the modern society can only live sustainably if they protect cows. Maharaja also alluded to TED talk given by Allan Savory where he proposes that “Only livestock can save us”. Through reversing desertification, he claims that rangeland soil has the ability to sequester vast amount of carbon dioxide. Allan Savory claims, few if not all, are in line with the vedic thoughts where a herd of cows is must for sustainable li...
- 30 Nov 2014
By Kishan PaunFrom the start of this academic year, Krishna has allowed us to have 30 Krishna Consciousness Societies (KC Socs) across the country, the largest number to date! KC Socs up and down the country run with the same formula: Philosophy, Kirtan and Prashadam. KC Socs aim to make Krishna Consciousness relevant to the youth of the UK by having stimulating sessions based on topics such as: "What would you do if you had 24 hours to life?", "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "Wasn't life much simpler when apples and blackberries were just fr...
- 29 Nov 2014
By Chandan Yatra DasSri Navadvipa-Mayapur Dhama is beautifully situated on the banks of the Ganges. Every island is separated a tributary of Ganges river. On each of these islands Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates performed Their transcendental pastimes. Later Vaishnava Acaryas - Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Gaura Kisora Babaji, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Jagannatha Das Babaji, Vasudeva Dutta and others spent several years of their lives here discussing the pastimes of Gaura and Nitai. These islands are accessible by boat. There are scattered...
- 29 Nov 2014
By Madhava SmullenPrabhupada envisioned New Vrindaban as a “self-governing village” that would set an example for the world and contain all the basic necessities residents needed: in one letter he explained how they could grow vegetables, fruit, wheat and other cereals, hand-weave cloth, and use an ox-powered mill to grind seeds into oil. Working to create this self-sufficiency, meanwhile, would keep devotees busy in the service of the Lord and ensure that they didn’t have to search for work outside.
...- 28 Nov 2014
By Ravindra Svarupa DasaIn the Philadelphia airport, I had occasion at one time to observe a pair of free-lance peripatetic sellers of watches working the crowds. They drew you aside and offered you a rare deal: a gleaming Rolex watch for a few hundred dollars, a tenth of the retail price. It was imperative to sell them quickly. Naturally you wondered how they were able to sell such expensive timepieces so cheaply, but by their haste, furtiveness, and weighty silences you were led to surmise that the chronographs were stolen goods. Of course, when you got ho...
- 28 Nov 2014
By Lalitanatha dasaTo this day, almost forty years after the passing of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, confusion still reigns among some devotees about his desires and instructions regarding how he wanted his main legacy, his transcendental books, taken care of. Thus some devotees continue to express doubts regarding the posthumous editing and correcting that have been done on Srila Prabhupada’s books by his publishing company, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. These doubts have in some places escalated to the point of causing s...
- 27 Nov 2014
By Gunacuda DasiIn his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1, Srila Prabhupada writes that ' In all the schools, colleges and universities, and at home all children and youths should be taught to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, they should be taught to hear the instructions of Bhagavad-Gita, to put them into practice in their lives, and thus to become strong in devotional service, free from fear of being degraded to animal life.' The students of Sri Mayapur International School are fortunate to get the opportunity to hear about ...
- 27 Nov 2014
By Jaganmohini Devi DasiOn Nov. 28th, 2014, disciples, students, scholars and well-wishers of H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami will be celebrating 77th Vyasa-puja of maharaj. They will be remembering Srila Sripada maharaj as a multifaceted saintly personality and thus glorify him for his unique contribution as a scientist, as a saint, as an educationist, as a writer, as a singer, as a poet, as an instrumentalist and a cultural & peace ambassador.
...- 26 Nov 2014
By Radha Jivan DasAn initiated devotee of ISKCON, who wishes to remain anonymous, approached his Guru Maharaj, His Holiness Devamrita Swami, that he wished to donate 1 million dollars to some project in ISKCON. Devamrita Swami maharaj immediately motivated his disciple to donate this money to the TOVP project, which is at the present the most important project of ISKCON, building the headquarters that Srila Prabhupada had been wanting for so long. When asked, Maharaj explained that he has many projects where he requires money, and he could have directed his...
- 26 Nov 2014