By Lokanath Swami“You are all born to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world..” (Haribol). Prabhupada took that way ‘You are born to spread this Krishna consciousness all over the world.’ And then I was talking of letters, not letter, this is a purport, in another purport Fifth Canto Prabhupada writes, “therefore this (meaning this Mayapur) is the best among all the places in the universe (Haribol). The Krishna consciousness movement has established its center in Mayapur, birth site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give men the opportunity to go there and perfor...
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- 2 Mar 2014
By Giriraj SwamiHH Tamal Krishna Goswami played the role of the older brother to so many godbrothers and godsisters in ISKCON, and he played it exceedingly well. He was loving, caring, expert, and resourceful in many, many ways. He could give expert advice and practical support on the physical plane—medical, architectural, financial; on the emotional plane—psychological, social, marital; and on the spiritual plane—chanting japa, singing bhajanas and kirtana, studying and teaching sastra, associating with devotees, worshiping deities, going on parikrama, preaching, dist...
- 2 Mar 2014
By Chandan Yatra DasThis beautiful neem Deity of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is the Deity that Srimati Visnupriya, wife of Lord Gauranga worshiped for 80 years after Lord Caitanya took sannyasa.
...- 2 Mar 2014
By SJMKL Harinama Team Devotees from Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur were instrumental in spreading the holy name in Kampong Ambar Tenang, Dengkil. This is one of the small villages which is approximately 40kms away from the city ,a palm oil plantation estate and has Indians as its majority population.
...- 2 Mar 2014
By Sankirtana DasIn 2012-13, as I was bringing my book – Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest - to completion, I kept asking myself: what about the Mahabharata would be most relevant to today’s readers. The book has endured for thousands of years. It’s revered by millions of Hindus all over the world. But what does it have to say to anyone else? Is Mahabharata just for Hindus or does it have a place in world literature, or in the very fabric of our diverse cultures?
...- 2 Mar 2014
By Bhakti Purusottama SwamiRamachandra went to the ocean. So He wanted to test, “by writing My name stone is floating. If I put a stone what is happening?” Ramachandra picked up a stone and threw it in the ocean and the stone drowned into the ocean. And Hanuman, clapping from behind, “Oh My Lord, now You understand. You are testing Your power. But see, Your Holy Name is more powerful than You. You threw the stone, the stone drowned. But when we are writing Your name, the stone is floating”.
...- 1 Mar 2014
By Kadamba Kanana SwamiSri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is called maha-vadanyavatara because although He is Sri Krsna Himself, He is even more favorably disposed to the poor fallen souls than Lord Sri Krsna. When Lord Sri Krsna Himself was personally present, He demanded that everyone surrender unto Him and promised that He would then give one all protection, but when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this earth with His associates, He simply distributed transcendental love of God without discrimination. Sri Rupa Goswami, therefore, could understand that Lord Caitanya was none other th...
- 1 Mar 2014
By Amy HollisTwo or three times a week, I take a break from serving Krishna Lunch prasad and approach a student who is enjoying their Krishna Lunch. Camera phone in hand, I take their picture and record our five minute conversation as I ask them, "When was the first time you had Krishna Lunch?" or, "Why do you come every day?" or, "What do your friends think of it?" And then I listen as they praise Krishna's remnants, usually having to stop them when they've gone on too long.
...- 28 Feb 2014
By the TOVP staffLatest reports from the devotees engaged in the realization of this landmark spiritual project with universal significance. Ambarisha prabhu's successful fundraising team in S.Africa raises 4 million dollars in ten days, new 3D animation video renderings of the interior presentation of the cosmic creation and more!
...- 28 Feb 2014
By Chaitanya Charan dasAll of us undergo times when our mind just doesn’t let us do what we need to and want to do. We try to study, but the mind goes blank. We try to work, but the mind doesn’t focus. The mind’s obstinacy that troubles us when we are meeting our worldly obligations often rises to scary heights when we engage in devotional activities like chanting.
...- 28 Feb 2014
By Kesava Bharati Dasa GoswamiNow we are going to hear how the Lord actually feels about us. Each and every one of us. The Supreme lord said: “Welcome, welcome my dear boy. I am fortunate, most fortunate to meet you here. For so long I have been eager to see you. My dear friend you have passed many lifetimes without paying any attention to me at all. So I transgressed my eternal code of conduct and arranged for you to take your current birth”. That birth was in Govardhan.
...- 28 Feb 2014
By Bhakta StevenI recently had the privilege of meeting a special person to all of us. His name is Gary Liss or Gary Prabhu as most of us know him. I listened with great anticipation for one hour of the fascinating true story of two boyhood friends from Chicago and the trials and tribulations of their travels during their early twenties at The Krishna Lounge in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gary’s boyhood friend was none other than, Radhanath Swami.
...- 27 Feb 2014
By Kodandarama DasaJust a few years ago, when the civil war between Sinhalese (Buddhist) and Tamils was raging, nobody would imagine that a Hare Krishna program would be held in the heart of Buddhist culture in Kandy. At the beginning we were little skeptical but later on when more than 500 hundred people joined our nagara-sanirtana all anxiety went away. Finally around 2500 people participated in the program.
...- 27 Feb 2014
By Radha Jivan dasThis year is very special since it is the 10th anniversary of the installation of Pancha tattva. There will be a maha abhishek performed on March 3rd which commences every 5 years. We are offering 1008 Golden bricks with the names of the sponsors engraved on them which will be put on the platform of Mahaprabhu’s altar in the new temple which is now under construction. These are limited to 1008 and many devotees who have come for the festival are sponsoring these bricks as a donation towards the construction of the new Temple.
...- 27 Feb 2014
By Devamrita SwamiKrishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita, as soon as there is lust there must be frustration, anger, there is no way around it because you are not the body, you are not the mind, your dedication to material desires must cause problems. So we can see that in the case of the phenomenon we are describing of the middle class being the ones who are shaking everything up, not the proletariats as Marx predicted, not the poverty stricken persons that we thought to be the constant source of trouble.
...- 26 Feb 2014
By Chaitanya Charan das“I am my worst enemy.” Some of us may have felt like this when we came under the grip of sudden, irrational impulses, and spoke and acted in ways that hurt others or ourselves or both. We make plans and efforts to change our illogical, uncongenial behavior, yet the heat of the moment often overpowers us. When we repeatedly succumb to the same self-defeating behavior, we may become possessed by the gloomy thought: “Maybe this is just the way I am; maybe this is my unchangeable nature.”
...- 26 Feb 2014
By Bhakti Vinoda SwamiIt is very challenging to be a servant, to have the mood of the servant and also adopt the mood of a leader. Sometimes we think, they are both anathema, they don't go together. In the world, people are all wanting to be leaders. They want to enjoy lordship. They want to enjoy mastership. They want to lord over people and many of them they do that for the sake of getting a subtle happy thrill of being able to control others and whatever servant leadership or whatever they may advocate, ultimately it is meant for them to enjoy leadership. But actually s...
- 26 Feb 2014
By Gopal Krishna GoswamiPrabhupada opened many temples around the world but only Mayapur that he addressed as the world headquarters. The spiritual capital of ISKCON or the Vatican of ISKCON. And Prabhupada in many of his letters highlighted the importance of Mayapur. I collected three extracts from Prabhupada's innumerable quotes that I would like to share with all of you.
...- 25 Feb 2014
By Jayapataka SwamiPrabhupada at that time mentioned that how each previous acaraya had done something for Mayapur dhama. Then Prabhupada he mentioned that he also was trying to do something for the dhama. And he had predicted that there would be a temple here and he wanted to be sure that he started it. So actually in 1977, he laid another foundation stone for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. And that time he was weak and so he sent someone else, he took the Ananta Sesa in his hand and gave it to one disciple to put it into the pit. So he actually laid the stone for...
- 25 Feb 2014
By GBC Community Relations OfficeIt is February 23rd, the eighth and final day of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga here in Sridham Mayapur. In the beginning, delegates were excited, hopeful, and enthusiastic for what the coming week would bring. They participated in numerous seminars, workshops, classes, kirtans, lunches, dinners, dramas, a Vedic fashion show and more. Everyone’s batteries have been recharged and the leaders from around the world are “fired up” to bring what they learned home to their respective congregations.
...- 24 Feb 2014
By Bhakti Charu SwamiI recall one incidence when some individual was challenging Srila Prabhupada, 'Why are you building these temples?' This was soon after Vrindavana temple was opened, Krishna Balarama temple was opened. It was actually in 1977 in Hrisikesh Kumbha Mela. This person was questioning Srila Prabhupada, asking Srila Prabhupada in a rather challenging way, "Why are you building new temples when there are so many temples, old temples needing renovation?"
...- 24 Feb 2014
By Sivarama SwamiIn the Fifth Canto is the structure of the universe, which is one of the main functions why we call this the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. The structure of the universe is related to the process of creation, also, but it is certainly related through the empiric approach of modern science that what we see is what reality is. What Sukadeva Goswami sees is what reality is. But his reality and the reality of the scientists are different.. In one morning walk, Srila Prabhupada said that our worship of Radha-Krishna is our own private business, but actually, in ...
- 24 Feb 2014
By Radhanath SwamiThe Temple of Vedic Planetarium will show us the principles of the lower states of consciousness going up and up to the higher levels of material consciousness, to the siddhis, to the impersonal Brahman, to the Vaikunthas, and ultimately, to Goloka Vrindavana.
...- 24 Feb 2014
By Bhakti Vijnana GoswamiBhakti is about knowing the heart of Krishna, knowing what is there in the heart of Krishna. Because this is the only thing which will please Krishna. If we do something which is against the heart or the intention of Krishna it will not be pleasing to Krishna. And bhakti as we know is anukulyena krsnanusilanam. This is the essence of bhakti, anyabhilasita sunyam.
...- 23 Feb 2014
