Oh Almighty, create thoughts and actions in the minds of the people of the nation so that they live united. Oh Almighty, bless the people to take a path of life with righteousness as righteousness gives the strength of character. Help all religious leaders of the country to give strength to the people to combat the divisive forces. Guide the people to develop an attitude to appreciate different ideologies and transform enmity among individuals, organizations and nations into fri...

There should be no compromise in our Vaisnava appearance. We are representatives of Srila Prabhupada. We should aim to be first class representatives. We need to be aware of the bonafide standard of appearance, maintain it and preach it. In the age of Kali deviations easily become the standard. We should be alert to this. Proper Vaisnava dress helps us maintain proper consciousness regarding our identity and responsibility in service to Srila Prabhupada and the Vaisnavas.

Suppose you are the friend of a millionaire. One day you see your friend's estranged son wandering on the streets, drunk, disheveled, diseased, distressed, and starving. When someone offers him food, he gulps it down and continues his aimless wandering. Then someone else comes and gives him a new set of clothes. He happily wears the clothes, but still remains lost and forsaken. Someone else gives him free medicine, which provides him some relief but no permanent solace. Then you seat him ...

One of the programs that I remember best was a midday program at the home of Ramchand Chhabria. He invited a lot of big people, including Sadajivatlal. Now, Sadajivatlal was, in a nice way, a Hindu chauvinist. And while everyone was mingling, he somehow sat down next to me and began telling me about the glories of India's heritage. He just went on about the superiority of Indian culture, focusing on Indian sweets. He said, "What do you have in America? Only chocolates and ...

For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating around the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. "The establishment" was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the wo...

While in Dwarka, Krishna heard about their love-afflicted plight. In amazement, His mouth fell open, His eyes became large, and His limbs became motionless and withdrew into themselves just as His consciousness withdrew from everything else to focus on His devotees. And Krishna became Jagannatha. The celestial sage Narada blissfully beheld this extraordinary form and begged the Lord to bless everyone with its divine darshana. His desire was fulfilled through a later king, named Indradyumna...

Jagannath Puri is one of the most important holy places of this planet. It was here where this Rath yatra originated and the date of origin goes back to Satya-yuga (beginning of cosmological era) as the temple was inaugurated around that time as per the scripture Skanda Purana. There is also information in other scriptures that mentions about Rath yatra being celebrated in 3rd century BC and credits it to King Pandyavijaya, a devotee of Lord from south India. But with reference to present a...