The worldwide preaching mission of Iskcon is still a novelty in historical vaisnava terms. This is the first successful attempt, and still very much work in progress. Often we hear that other religious organisations have old-age homes, hospices, hospitals, schools and the rest, and they have been around for many centuries. We have a few of these amenities already, after just 40 odd years, so we’re not doing too badly so far. For a preaching mission that supposedly has little regard for “Home comf...

Death can seem cruel when it takes away a dear one. The Bhagavad-gita may seem to add to the bewilderment when it asserts (10.34) that the death which steals away everything is a manifestation of Krishna. Why would Krishna, who is the well wisher of everyone, want to steal anything from anyone? The Gita prepares us for this discomforting assertion by first broadening our philosophical perspective of life. Many people see life as having only one dimension: the material. Within this unidimensional materialist...

Here are some of the following few ways to practically apply and understand whether the happiness experienced is for own satisfaction or for the satisfaction of the Lord: 1. We can check our internal consciousness when we experience happiness (i.e. introspect). Ask yourself “Is this experience based on a selfish motivation, e.g. derived from an activity that we love to do, or perhaps an activity which will put us in the forefront, making us more noticeable thus helping us to gain appreciation from others?”

ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission has appointed a new GBC authority for the Greater New York Area. At the GBC Midterm Meeting in Ujjain (U.P.), India on Oct. 9, the GBC Body added Radhanath Maharaja, Devamrita Maharaja and Vaisesika Prabhu as co-GBC members for the Greater New York Area. The new GBC team intends to help stop the pending sale of the Radha Govinda temple in Brooklyn, prevent the temple from being pulled out of ISKCON, and give new life to the Krishna consciousness movement in New York. Further discussions about ISKCON in the Gre...

This seventh issue of the Sannyasa Newsletter includes a variety of information about sannyasa and sannyasis, ancient and modern. In this issue, Srila Prabhupada explains the practical side of how an ISKCON sannyasi should engage his energies in diverse services in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtan movement, while Kripamoya Prabhu’s article gives us a history of the various aspects of etiquette and austerity that classical sannyasis in the varnashrama system were expected to follow. Ekalavya Prabhu's article tells us something about the present organization of ...

Southern Mathura (Daksina-mathura), presently known as Madurai, is situated on the banks of the Vaigai River and is one of South India’s great temple towns. Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord Siva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from Lord Siva’s matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. During His South India tour in 1510 AD, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Madurai twice, once while going to Rameswaram after meeting the brahmana R...

There have been several recorded occasions when Srila Prabhupada instructed his disciples to plant and grow different food items for the Lord, sometimes flowers, vegetables and other times fruits according to the situation. Something similar was experienced by the devotees in Secunderabad too. One of the aims of ISKCON is to teach and thus also lead by example “a simpler and more natural way of life.” This does not imply that immediately one has to pack up one’s luggage for a life on the farm. But definitely one can begin making preparations for that while b...