By Bhaktivedanta ManorHH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami gave an enlivening and enlightening 4 part seminar on “The Sacred Rivers of India” at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK. Maharaj spoke about the importance of rivers in general. He recounted how rivers are India’s lifeline and how they enjoy a special place in prayers and its traditional practices. Most of the pilgrimages in India like Varanasi, Haridwar, Talakaveri, Nasik, Ujjain and Patna are situated along the banks of these seven rivers. The Triveni Sangam at Allahabad is a confluence of 3 rivers - the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Saraswati. Maharaja describ...
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- 10 Jun 2019
By various devoteesThe Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannatha (Ratha Yatra), the Lord of the Universe, has been performed at the spiritual seaside resort of Puri, India for more than two thousand years. Since 1976, this attractive, beautiful, and bliss inspiring annual Jagannath Ratha Yatra festival has been celebrated by the Hare Krishna devotees on New York’s Fifth Avenue, the heart of New York City. This Jagannatha Ratha Yatra festival is performed in a mood of love and devotion and invokes auspiciousness for universal peace, harmony, and good will for all of God’s children.
...- 9 Jun 2019
By Purushottam Nitai DasImagine if a message suddenly flashes on the sky: “Due to a technical fault the supply of oxygen will remain unavailable for some time all over the world. Next update about the issue in another hour”. What would happen to us? There won’t be just utter chaos but soon the earth will become a graveyard. Not even vultures and jackals would be alive to feast on the dead bodies. But has it ever happened? Never. Can it happen in future? Sceptics and agnostics ...
- 9 Jun 2019
By PiyushWe all know that Krsna’s birthplace was a prison cell. Not many of us, however, know that before Srila Prabhupada left for the West, Srila Prabhupada brought Krishna’s message to the Tihar prison, Asia’s largest prison based out of Delhi, in the 1960s. Little did I realize that my own journey of transformation would start from a prison, albeit one for children. By the year 2012, I had had a journey that many materialists would envy to have. Rising from a very humble beginning, I rose fast in the material world with my resume marked with glob...
- 6 Jun 2019
By Vijaya dasaNumber one in Arabic book distribution is, believe it or not, a farm project in Germany, the Simhacalam temple. They more than doubled everyone else in the world distributing 182 Arabic books. For the second time Padayatra India is the number one temple in the small temple category in the world with 5,716 book points and a 96% increase. This isn’t your normal temple. It’s a moving temple, but a temple non the less.
...- 4 Jun 2019
By Shilpy MalhotraHere is my little contribution on preparing & offering food to Krishna with love & devotion. I have developed all these recipes with special care & effort. I believe it will be of great help to everyone to learn & cook for Krishna. It is a collection of recipes, for everyday cooking as well as for the festivals & other special occasions
...- 4 Jun 2019
By Mina SharmaHG Anuttama Dasa ran a practical and lively session on the Art of Public Speaking, where he shared practical tips that devotees can implement immediately. The ISKCON European Directors then shared the draft strategic plan document, which devotees were able to input into. The team shared their 10-year vision, which focuses upon supporting countries with their communications activities with the aim of having a Communications Director in each country.
...- 3 Jun 2019
By Paramadayala Nityananda DasGenuine spiritual teachers are friends to everyone, they do not see anyone as an enemy; rather, the enemy is the illusory energy. To act on this platform, one must understand that the spirit soul can never possess material qualities. It simply contacts matter and carries it like air carries earthly aromas. This explains a seeming contradiction. The Lord and His devotees relieve conditioned souls from the “us and them” mentality by sharp words which sever material attachments. This may seem like criticism; but criticism is condemned by Krishna. There is no contradiction be...
- 3 Jun 2019
By Mina SharmaDay Two of the European Communications Conference began with a very relevant and hard hitting talk by Willy Fautre of Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF). This led to much discussion about various cases of abuse of human rights on the basis of religious belief and how HRWF has helped. It was also a fascinating opportunity to learn about the importance of PR and lobbying to raise awareness and tackle these issues.
...- 2 Jun 2019
By Jagabandhu dasaWhen I work in hospitals I am always very moved by the great suffering and despair of the souls who by circumstance happen to be there, whether patient or hospital worker. Because of this, as I traverse the various stairwells, elevators, corridors and rooms I whisper Hari! Hari! over and over again
...- 2 Jun 2019
By Kripamoya dasaWhether you like it or not, Jehovah’s Witnesses are always ready to do two things (1) Distribute books (2) Sit down and talk with you, and help you to understand. ISKCON has many book distributors, but we need more gurus.
...- 1 Jun 2019
By Bhaktivaibhava SwamiHere HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami, the 2019 ISKCON GBC Chairman introduces the work of the Executive Committee of the ISKCON GBC Body and gives some insights as to what they do in their service.
...- 31 May 2019
By Matsya Avatara DasaNowadays the great innovations of medical and scientific science can maintain patients alive, even those that in the past were given no hope to survive. These innovations can prolong the patient’s existence artificially even knowing that they will never regain acceptable health and life conditions. This situation is commonly called over-medication. The definition of cerebral death, since the end of the sixties has allowed for the development of transplant surgery. Before that time, the extraction of ...
- 30 May 2019
By Damodara Nityananda DasaSayyed Martuza (1590-1662), a Muslim fakir born in the Murshidabad district of Bengal, wrote poems adoring Krishna. The style of his composition is simple and rhythmic. Here is his Bengali poem that was compiled in Pada-kalpa-taru by Satishchandra Raya in 1915: Timely Compassion Syama! O friend! My afflicted life is assuaged only by You I cannot forget that auspicious day when I happened to meet You As I beheld Your moonlike face, I was overcome by restles...
- 29 May 2019
By Mina SharmaAround sixty devotees from across Europe and the US have gathered in New Vrajamandala in Spain, to participate in the European Communications Conference running from 27th - 30th May. Day one of the conference has focused upon ISKCON and the Environment, where there have been exciting presentations from a number of devotees. HG Shaunaka Rsi Dasa spoke about the Vedic Perspective on the Environment, where he discussed the Vedic concepts of Rta (cosmic order) and Rtu (cycles) and how these are innate in nature - we as material entities form a small part of the system, but our contribution is ser...
- 28 May 2019
By Purushottam Nitai DasTo control the elephant is humanly impossible. So as soon as the baby elephant is born, the elephant trainer ties him with a rope to a pole. Initially the baby elephant tries his best to break the rope but because of his tender body he fails. The newly born elephant tries again and again but every time he fails. The baby elephant gets convinced that he is not strong enough to break it. He accepts it to be his destiny and continues to be tied. And even when he gr...
- 28 May 2019
By Sri Prahlada dasNews of the peaceful death of former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke on May 16th at the age of 89, has evoked praise of the charismatic leader. Dominating Australian politics in the 1980s, he is credited with introducing universal healthcare, modernising the economy, floating the dollar and of achieving the highest approval ratings of any Australian leader while in office from 1983 to 1991. A lesser known achievement is his 1987 intervention to help free the Hare Krishna devotees from state persecution in the USSR.
...- 22 May 2019
By Parasurama dasaSrila Prabhupada: "... everyone identifies to some party, either politically, socially or religiously, economically. We have got so many fields of activity. But, in each and every field, we have got a party feeling. You cannot avoid that. In political field, oh, we have got so many parties. Even in your own country, even there are democratic party or conservative party and this party, that party. Worldwide is also the capitalistic party, the communistic party. In our country also there is congress party. So party's already there. Socially also, oh, we are Christian, I am Jew, I am Hindu ...
- 20 May 2019
By Gauranga Darshan DasDid you ever notice the flow of oil being poured into a bowl? Compare it with the flow of water being poured into a cup. The difference is that the flow of oil (taila dhara) is seamless and consistent without obstruction, resembling a glossy finished column. On the other hand, the flow of water (jala dhara) is unsteady, obstructed, sprinkling water particles around. While the former seems to be focused on reaching its destination, the later seems to get distracted with diverted attention.
...- 19 May 2019
By Gadadhar dasThe Candan Yatra Festival was observed for seven days in Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara Temple, Bali. The festival started on the 5th of May and ended on the 11th of May 2019. This function is one of joy, especially for the children. For few days before devotees prepared sandalwood pulp to be applied to Lord Sri Krishna and Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai every day. Devotees decorated the pool (kunda), stage and pandal with beautiful and fragrant flowers. It was difficult to tell there was water in the pond as it was completely covered with water. Devotees were joyous this year as they had the opportunity to ...
- 18 May 2019
By Kishori JaniYesterday, we lost one of the pillars of the Iskcon movement, one of the stalwart female pioneers in Srila Prabhupada's mission- in the most glorious way! Her service to SP in the US, Kenya, Mumbai and Vrindavan is almost unparalleled. The stories and glories go on and on... But the true test comes at the end.. And the whole affair at the end for her was SO beautiful and uplifting! Witnessing it gives me so much courage and confidence that this path is real! Experiencing such a glorious passing is a true and rare gift that I'm indebted to her for sharing with us.. Something I will cherish fo...
- 16 May 2019
By the GBCResolved: Any devotees referred to in any proposal to the GBC will be identified by adding the abbreviation of their spiritual master’s name after their initiated name. The Guru Services Committee is directed to maintain this list and generate abbreviations for new initiating spiritual masters.
...- 15 May 2019
By the GBCA primary reason this issue was brought before the SAC was to consider whether a husband initiating his wife is like a guru marrying his disciple. There are major differences in the two scenarios. Traditionally, a guru is sometimes considered to be like a parent, and for a guru to marry a disciple is like a parent marrying his or her own offspring – something strongly disapproved in both general society and śāstra
...- 15 May 2019
By the GBCResolved: The following categories must be used to define any proposal being presented to the GBC Body to describe the intent of the proposal. This language which will be included in the final resolution shall henceforward have the following meanings:
...- 15 May 2019