By Romapada DasRasamandala Das, Director of ISKCON Educational Services, made a presentation on devotee care at the plenary session. Earlier, he had delivered several seminars on devotee care, many of which had proved highly popular with the international audience. He felt that the ILS offered a chance to air new ideas, become innovative and deal with things as they were happening. "We need to be able to relate shastra to real life experiences of devotees," he said. "In a sense it is about getting rea...
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- 2 Mar 2016
By Jai Nitai dasThe day after Gaura Purnima, Thursday 24th March, ISKCON-London's Radha-Krishna Temple, Govinda's Restaurant and Radha's Boutique will be closed to the public for at least three weeks while we undergo major refurbishment to all public areas. Our hope is that we will be re-opened in time for Ramanavami Festival on the 15th April latest. Please note that although closed in general to the public, some programmes such as courses, harinamas, and mentorship meetings may still take place. Ple...
- 2 Mar 2016
By Praghosa DasThe ILS seminars in Sridhama Mayapur during ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary celebrations and the Gaur Purnima Festival are underway and a dynamic partnership with the TOVP Fundraising Team is helping to facilitate this year’s seminars. These seminars are organized every two years under the direction of Gopal Bhatta prabhu to educate, train and inspire ISKCON devotees in different areas of management, outreach, devotee care and much more. They are attended by hundreds of GBC’s, sannyasis, ...
- 1 Mar 2016
By bhakticharuswami.comIn the class Maharaja focused on the concept of devotion where he also discussed the philosophy of scriptures depicting the transmigration of the souls from one body to another and the cycle of birth and death. Maharaja said that the best way of understanding the Lord is by directing ourselves on the track that is illuminated by “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”. He said that “the best way to understand the taste of pudding is by tasting it”. Similarly, the best way to understand dev...
- 1 Mar 2016
By Romapada DasAt the pre-launch of ISKCON Connection on the 7th day of the ILS, Praharana Devi Dasi explained that the new initiative will help connect every devotee to our worldwide community. ISKCON Connection, which will be formally launched on Gaura Purnima day this year, is a 50th anniversary initiative. “Any ISKCON devotee can register on the website, and will be able to connect to other ISKCON devotees, become familiar with GBC activities, be nurtured in spiritual life, and access a secure datab...
- 1 Mar 2016
By Prasanta Devi DasiWhat is the real life of a human being? It is to simply endeavour, to forget about all the past that we may have gone through, and simply look at the future. The future is Krishna’s lotus feet, the future is to distribute all over the world this process of hearing and chanting, to flood every street, every corner. This is what Srila Prabhupada gave us as the purpose of this movement. To instruct each and every person about the process of devotional service and to make it, to mak...
- 1 Mar 2016
By Radhanath SwamiIn 1965 he boarded Jaladutta alone, with nothing, with no one, for that purpose. He was willing to sacrifice everything. He was willing to physically die to please his guru. And when he approached Boston Harbor, in his prayers to Krishna, just like the prayers of Haridas, Vasudeva Datta, and Prahlad, he was humbling himself completely. He said I am totally dependent upon You, my Lord Krishna. My only shelter, my only hope, is the mercy of my Guru Maharaj and this is his instruction. If Y...
- 1 Mar 2016
By Romapada DasAfter screening a short film about Mayapur on the sixth day of ILS, Brjavilasa Das spoke to the ILS delegates on behalf of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), stressing the importance of Mayapur in the eyes of Srila Prabhupada. He mentioned that Prabhupada had wanted to establish Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the yugavatara for this age from the precincts of this temple. “In 1969, Srila Prabhupada gave his first ever instruction on Mayapur to Gopal Krishna Goswami,” announced Brjavila...
- 29 Feb 2016
By Madhava SmullenFrom Govinda’s Restaurant, Vasudeva Das said that visitor numbers had notably increased throughout the year. This was probably due in no small part to the expanded menu, with world cuisine like sushi, tacos, and lasagna, as well as doughnuts, cakes, and vegan items. New décor was also added, including a book table; and increased kitchen space and a new altar made the atmosphere more pleasant for staff. Vasudeva also presented for Madri Dasi from the Devotee Kitchen, who had to return...
- 29 Feb 2016
By Jananivasa Das Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was living at the Sri Caitanya Math, just past the Yogapitha, the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then past that Srivasa angam, then the next temple that is Caitanya Math. And he took a very severe vow to chant 1 billion names, I think. It means like you chant 3 lakhs of rounds everyday for nine years. He had to complete that vow and he did! And he was living like an avadhuta here. He would perform the Caturmasya ceremony very strictly - p...
- 29 Feb 2016
By Romapada Das“The criteria of the devotees’ success is not that he thinks ‘I am authorised, therefore I am qualified’. One should think, ‘I am authorised, but I need to be aware of my lack of qualifications, and will always become dependent on the Lord’. Success is always guaranteed to those who are conscious of their subordinate position,” said Niranjana Swami to the delegates, many of whom had lined up 30 minutes before the lecture to hear the two speakers. “Srila Prabhupada always gav...
- 28 Feb 2016
By Romapada DasOn the fourth day of the ILS, delegates at the plenary session heard a presentation by Anuttama Das, GBC Minister for Communications on the topic, ‘Srila Prabhupada, the greatest communicator’. He explained that we normally associate Prabhupada with his books, letters, conversations and speeches, but we should also remember that Prabhupada was a skilful communicator. “Prabhupada tried to create a favourable environment for preaching Krishna consciousness by meeting influential leader...
- 28 Feb 2016
By Iskcon KanyakumariOn 50th Anniversary of ISKCON, we wish to organise 50 Gita Yajna in our preaching area Kanyakumari. In this program our aim to distribute 5000 Bhagavad Gitas, take oath from them in yajna to read one page atleast daily, distribute prasadam to 10000 people and reach out Harinama to minimum 20000 people through this program. We started this program with 2015 Gita Jayanthi and so far conducted 11 yajna program. Distributed 1143 Bhagavad Gitas and nearly 1720 people have taken Oath to...
- 28 Feb 2016
By Vaisesika DasIn fact the whole material world if you think about it is a huge chance for Krishna to induce the living entities to go back home, back to Godhead. It’s the srishti lila, during which in the exhalation of Maha Visnu there is unlimited opportunities for living entities to come in contact with the various incarnations of the Lord, the various representatives of the Lord, the Ganges, different sastras, and its mentioned also in the Srimad Bhagavatam that the process of destruction takes p...
- 28 Feb 2016
By Vrindavanlila DasiThe Consul and a team of Russian Government representatives visited Mayapur yesterday. They walked around ISKCON campus, visited International School, TOVP, had Diety's darshan at the temple, prasadam of course. Most photos in this album were made by Nara Hari prabhu, who have hosted this party in his home and took the group around for the site seeing.
...- 27 Feb 2016
By Syama Chandr DasMahaprabhu is manifesting His causeless mercy on the devotees in Pakistan who endeavor to glorify Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of Golden Jubilee Celebration of ISKCON. A Gita Conference was arranged on Friday, 26th of February 2016, at Rangi Ram Darbar, PirJu Ghoth, Khairpur District, Sindh. The event was blessed with the presence of around 2000 people who participated enthusiastically in the discussions. The conference was graced by the presence of special guest, HG Sarvabhauma P...
- 27 Feb 2016
By Brendan O'ConnorGradually they are coming out the woodwork. And suddenly it seems that half the people I know are secretly meditating. They range from casual transcendental meditators to practically full-blown Buddhists or Hare Krishnas. And the strange thing is that these are not hippies or crusties or drop-outs or people living alternative lifestyles on an ashram-inspired commune near Sligo. Just regular blokes, a few of them quite senior in what they do. There are thrusting business types and entrep...
- 27 Feb 2016
By Tattva DarsiBhakta Jay Khush, Radha Krsna Dasa, and Bhrigupati Das distribute books to top medical doctors and professionals at the International Stroke Conference 2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Sponsored by Dr. Vinaya Gaura Chandra Das and his wife Padmaksi Sri Devi Dasi, to promote alternatives to stroke patients for recovery. His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja is the inspiration behind this project, and we've dedicated a website for further learning. - www.spiritualstroke.com Srila Prabh...
- 27 Feb 2016
By Vijaya DasaJanuary was a good month for Tirupati -- the No. 1 temple in the world, with 17,746 book points. Lord Balaji must be very pleased with the sankirtana devotees in Tirupati, because His glories are being distributed in such a big way. Surat also did huge. This is a "small" temple, so there are about eight devotees in the temple, but Surat was the No. 3 temple in the world, with 10,728 book points. I'm in Mayapur at the ILS (ISKCON Leadership Sanga). Twelve hundred devotees have come to hear ...
- 27 Feb 2016
By Romapada DasThe third day of the ILS started with a presentation on ISKCON’s 50th anniversary by Anuttama Das, GBC Minister for Communications and Pancharatna Das, Executive Member of the International Fiftieth Anniversary Committee. They spoke about the importance of the 50th as an opportunity for glorifying Prabhupada, educating the public, celebrating achievements, appreciating devotees and accelerating our mission. “Not many of us may be here to see the 100th anniversary of ISKCON,” said Anu...
- 26 Feb 2016
By Nimai Pandit dasaSri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami appeared in this world on the 2nd of September 1929 in the village of Jagannatha-puri, in the Indian state of Orissa (Odisha). Both the paternal and maternal sides of his family had been very strict Vaisnavas for many, many centuries. His father, Isvara Manik, was from a long line of Gaudiya Vaisnavas and his mother, Pata Devi, was from the famous village of Orissa Gadai Giri. The Giri family from Gadai Giri are the most famous Vaisnava kirtaniyas in Oris...
- 26 Feb 2016
By HariKirtan DasThere are around six lakhs or more villages in India stretching north, east, west and south. Though certain features like muddy roads, thorny bushes, open drains, narrow roads, etc. are common features in all villages but distinctly the culture, topography, food, lifestyle, occupations, etc. still vary distinctly from place to place all over India. After preaching in the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh since the last few months, preaching in Khargone District villages of Madhya Pr...
- 26 Feb 2016
By Romapada DasOn the second day of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga, Praghosa Das, the GBC Chairman presented several quotes of how Srila Prabhupada’s appearance was predicted in many scriptures and spiritual masters. Titled, ‘The greatest story ever told’, his presentation pointed out the five steps Srila Prabhupada had taken to make his institution more effective: 1. Founding ISKCON 2. Accepting the honorific title ‘Prabhupada’ 3. Establishing his role as the ‘Founder Acharya’ 4. Creating the ...
- 25 Feb 2016
By Romapada DasThe grand annual Mayapur festival began today with the inaugural session of the ISKCON Leadership Sangha (ILS 2016) with 1,200 delegates attending 87 seminars spread over 12 venues at ISKCON Mayapur. ILS 2016 features a spectacular 50th Anniversary Expo highlighting the achievements of ISKCON, and stalls from various international projects such as Vanipedia, ISKCON Congregation services, TOVP, Varnashrama Museum of the Sacred Art, Govardhan Eco Village and several others. Speaking at the...
- 25 Feb 2016