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...
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- 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
By Krishna Ksetra SwamiVision, inspiration and facility. Could it be that sometimes misunderstanding comes because you and I have different partial perceptions of the vision and we take our particular vision or understanding of the vision as the whole vision and we may want to say, this is the whole vision, your’s is not the vision. That may be one possibility of misunderstanding. Different inspirations, someone is inspired by, you know, lets keep it simple, especially by prasadam, someone else espe...
- 24 Feb 2016
By Ravindra Svarupa DasaRolex or Bolex? In 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 surmi...
- 24 Feb 2016
By Kripamoya dasaIn a dangerous situation you don't let go of your child. Or in sports. In England we have a game called cricket. Anybody here in India know the game cricket? Ok its an unusual game. I am finishing now. We don't play it very well. But in cricket to make the team, if the ball comes to you, you have to catch the ball. If you don't catch the ball once, twice, three time you get the name butter fingers. Your fingers are made of butter, you couldn't catch the ball and you don't make t...
- 22 Feb 2016
By Ravindra Svarupa DasaThe quest for knowledge and self improvement has occupied the minds of sincere seekers since the beginning of time. There are key elements of the bhakti practice that provide the foundation for this work. They may surprise you! To those dedicated to preserving their illusions, the sober realism of the wise looks like pessimism. The image of this world as an all-devouring fire should be kept in mind. The Vedic sages advise us to see this world as it is.
...- 22 Feb 2016
By Mathura Lilesvari Devi DasiYes! 50 years of ISKCON is a big deal. We have come a long way since Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON in 1966 but we still have miles to go. Srila Prabhupada envisioned Malaysia as a fertile ground to cultivate Krishna Consciousness as early as 1971. In May 1971, Malaysia was fortunate to have its soil blessed by the dearest devotee of Srimati Radharani, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In Malaysia, the devotees are enthusiastically and creatively coming up with various...
- 22 Feb 2016
By Indradyumna SwamiMahesh leaned over and, to my surprise, began to speak in fluent English. “Sir,” he said, “this is a most auspicious day for me. Somehow by dint of my past pious activities, I have the good fortune to serve a sadhu. Such opportunities are rare.” Then he quoted a verse from the Padma Purana: “My dear goddess, of all types of worship, the worship of Lord Vishnu is the best, and even better than the worship of Lord Vishnu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaisnava." “What?”...
- 22 Feb 2016
By Sutapa DasPuttur is a place 50 km away from Mangalore, Karnataka. 20 years ago, one person (now Bhakta Prashanth at ISKCON Mangalore) from Puttur received one book written by Srila Prabhupada from His Grace Madhava Prabhu of ISKCON Mangalore. He was so inspired by the book and the spiritual guidance given by Madhav prabhu that he started preaching in his small town. Over the years that followed, more than 1000 copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is were distributed there. Recently, IS...
- 21 Feb 2016
By the GBC Executive CommitteeWe are writing to give you a brief official update from Mayapura regarding the upcoming ILS and GBC meetings. Several nights ago there was an incident in Mayapura outside the Conch Building where tempers flared and a scuffle ensued among several dozen devotees. Angry words were exchanged and some began pushing and shoving. One devotee was hit in the head with a stick. There were no serious injuries. However, that such tension has manifest in the Dhama raised concern for man...
- 21 Feb 2016
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of January. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
...- 20 Feb 2016
By Artha ForumOn 17th January, Artha forum organized its 5th event in Singapore held at Tanglin Club on the back of very successful events in 2013 and 2014. The conference titled “Conscious Leader” was attended by over 120 entrepreneurs, industrialists, corporate leaders and professional in yet another successful event by Artha Forum (a Not for Profit initiative dedicated to bringing relevance of Ancient Wisdom in Modern business). Bhakti Charu Swami was invited to be the keynote speaker for the event...
- 19 Feb 2016
By Romapada SwamiKarma is only created in the human form of life. But it is said that karma does not act on a child or on grown-up persons with child-like or animal-like intelligence. For example: according to Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 13 verse 1, Srila Prabhupada describes an interesting story of Manduka Muni who was wrongly sentenced to be impaled for an action he did not commit. The story is narrated as follows. Once upon a time the state police caught some thieves who had concealed themselves...
- 18 Feb 2016
By Sri Gauranga DasOn Sunday 14th February 2016, ISKCON Nairobi held its first ever Gita Champions League prize giving ceremony. The Chairman of Hindu Council of Kenya Mr. Nitin Malde graced the occasion and enlivened the audience with his inspiring address. The National Secretary of Hindu Council of Kenya Mr. Kamal Gupta, His Holiness Bhakti Vasudeva Swami a travelling sannyasi, senior members of ISKCON Nairobi - Madhava Das and Rukma Das and Mrs. Mahida headmistress of Nairobi South Nursery, Primary and...
- 17 Feb 2016
By Anya KultyshkinaKerala is the most materially educated state in India. Almost all local people know English. That is why even those devotees who do not know the local languages of India can go there and preach Krsna consciousness. There is a need to bring Krsna consciousness to this area, because although the people are materially educated, spiritual knowledge is lacking. Because of contact with Europeans, first with Vasco Da Gama in the 15thcentury and later with the British dominion, many Christian c...
- 17 Feb 2016
By Sundar Nitai dasWhen we approached Paul in his office two weeks earlier to present our humble request for translation of one of Srila Prabhupada’s books, we were anxious and excited, but Paul’s genuine warm personality drove the anxiety away. Our excitement remained. Paul advised us to send our work to him and we sent him the Maha mantra and its explanation. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absol...
- 17 Feb 2016
By Sacinandana SwamiThe Govardhana Retreat has been going on since 2000 – the first with only thirty students under the trees surrounding Giriraja (we still remember having to crawl under a barbed wire fence to get to our spot!), the most recent with almost a thousand students, now at a rented ashram. As the number of students has grown, so too has our desire to serve this ever-expanding community of devotees by building our own centre at Govardhana, along with our awareness that we needed our own plac...
- 17 Feb 2016
By Bhagavan DasAmong the activities carried out in the holy atmosphere of Nova Gokula, there was a lot of contact with nature: a visit to the stables, work in the garden and bathing in the river were some opportunities provided for participants for enjoying the simple life, away from the artificiality and pollution in urban environment. Vaikuntha Murti, Secretary for the Youth of ISKCON Brazil and Subhadra's husband, says: “The visit to the goshala was surprising because many of them had little contact ...
- 15 Feb 2016
By Gunacuda dasiHrimati dasi: As a mother of two alumni students of the SMIS school, I must say that Sri Mayapur international School is an ISKCON school that works. The school gives the students am opportunity to fully develop their own individual skills, while growing up in an Krishna Counscious environment without sacrificing and still enjoying their childhood. After completing their education at SMIS, one of my boys has become a full time Sankirtan Bramachari, while his twin brother is studying medici...
- 11 Feb 2016
By Samba DasThe Bhaktivedanta Academy Gurukula In Mayapur is already around 90% self sufficient in food production. Now with the development of the Varnasrama College we aim to teach self sufficiency in other areas of life. Our first project is to work with the boys to create a timber frame house based on a vernacular found across South East Asia. Why Timber Frame? Back in the 70’s and 80’s many trees were planted in Mayapur to be used as cash crops. One of the species, that thrives in frequently flood...
- 11 Feb 2016
By Mathura Lilesvari Devi DasiThaipusam is a festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. The festival commemorates the occasion when Mother Parvati gave Lord Skanda a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the daityasura Soorapadman. Thaipusam is a public holiday in Malaysia. Thousands of Hindus gat...
- 11 Feb 2016