By Subroto DasEach year more than 70 lakh people from different parts of the world visit Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and headquarter of ISKCON. Over the years Mayapur has evolved as a significant tourist destination of not only West Bengal but the entire world. However this year the global pandemic cast a spell of gloom on the devotees, pilgrims and visitors all over the world who come in search of spiritual enlightenment and submerge in the blissful ocean of Harinam Sankirtan.
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- 3 Jul 2020
By Rizwan MohammadISKCON Temple’s free food initiative that has been feeding people on alternate weeks in Auckland CBD in the last few years has now expanded to schools providing hundreds of children with free lunch once a month. This initiative ‘Food for Life- No One Should Go Hungry’ in Schools started last year as a part of reaching out to the broader community, and ISKCON contacted four schools so far in different parts of Auckland providing them with free food.
...- 3 Jul 2020
By Narada dasLast weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the iconic Glastonbury Music Festival – a renowned feature of the UK cultural scene. This massive event attracts over 250,000 people, hosting live stage performances from the most famous international artists, and is shown worldwide by the BBC. It’s also a very important event for ISKCON in the UK as the movement’s biggest annual outreach event connecting with the diverse British public.
...- 2 Jul 2020
By Nrsimha Krsna dasI would like to give a piece of good news for your pleasure. In Turkey, we started to publish Online Back To Godhead Magazine in Turkish language. This was desire of HH Sivarama Swami for long time and pandemic time was a good period for Turkish devotees to form a team of 13 and start working on the project. From layout to any single details are made by our devotees here in Turkey. On the auspicious Sayana Ekadasi day, we published our Turkish BTG titled as "Benligin Kesfi" which means Disovery of Self. We know that there is a lot to improve and we plan to do it by next publishings ahead...
- 2 Jul 2020
By Hari-dhama dasaIn this presentation, Hari-dhama dasa discusses an important social issue for the Society: that of providing care for the terminally ill in the movement. Since Vaisnava hold very dear the hope of dying in the association of devotees and at a place of pilgrimage, ISKCON faces a challenging task in providing this facility and care for its members. The author argues that both spiritual care and medical care should be available to patients, be they in a secular hospice or...
- 1 Jul 2020
By Purushottam Nitai DasRecently I underwent oral surgery and realized what it means not having the ability to speak. The surgery which lasted for more than 2 hours was quite complicated and very painful. After surgery my mouth and gums were swollen and it was almost impossible for me to open my mouth and speak. Now as per the vow taken during initiation we are supposed to chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna maha-mantra daily irrespective of any circumstances and so I tried to comply with...
- 30 Jun 2020
By Jayapataka SwamiWe all know how dear His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami is, to Srila Prabhupada, and all his followers. And how he is so dear to all the devotees of ISKCON. So it seemed that he was improving a lot, but he had a mild heart attack and that has complicated issues a lot. So that is why we are having a prayer marathon. Because, if the Lord wishes, we hope we can have Bhakti Caru Swami back.
...- 30 Jun 2020
By Vijaya dasSrila Prabhupada said, “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would be very pleased if a disciple distributed just a few small books.” More than 100,000 books were distributed worldwide in May, though we were locked down (with a few exceptions), so I am sure that Krishna and the acaryas are pleased. Now is a time when people will take Krishna’s timeless wisdom more seriously. Difficulty is a blessing in disguise, to help people wake up from the illusory slumber of material life.
...- 30 Jun 2020
By Sri Nandanandana dasaAs we look around the world, or watch and read the news, practically everywhere is affected by some kind of natural disaster. Floods are displacing millions of people, forest fires are destroying thousands of acres and burning out of control, earthquakes continue to force people to live in fear, and tornadoes and hurricanes have become more fierce and numerous than ever. And if that is not enough, droughts are causing massive crop damage and water shortages. The fact is that nobody likes a loss, no matter how great or small it may be. And a disaster can ta...
- 29 Jun 2020
By Gauranga DasThe Global Devotee Care Directorate is pleased to announce the launch of a new website www.iskconcourses.com for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, and all the devotees. Spiritual Care is one of the critical areas of Devotee Care. To facilitate this Spiritual Care element, we have brought together various online courses run by different ISKCON institutions in the area of Scriptures, Spiritual practices and Skills, and made it accessible from this one website. We have categorized them in different levels based on one's level of connection with the p...
- 28 Jun 2020
By ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning TeamAn interesting talk with Mandira Mani and Advaita Simha das, who were interviewed by Vraja Vihari das. Mandira Mani dd and Advaita Simha das are sister and brother, both second-generation devotees in ISKCON. They were born in the USA and then moved to New Zealand in 1981 where they grew up as part of the Christchurch temple community.
...- 28 Jun 2020
By ISKCON Deity Worship MinistryAbhisekas in ISKCON centers may only be performed by suitably qualified brahmanas according to the same pancaratrika standards as Srila Prabhupada established for daily temple worship. The only exception, per Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, is bathing Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra annually for Snana Yatra. Supporting Information This applies to any deity in an ISKCON center, whether the understanding of some may be that the deities are installe...
- 26 Jun 2020
By ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning TeamThe global devotee care directorate is hosting weekly devotee care webinars to emphasize the culture of devotee care in ISKCON temples and communities worldwide. Join us to hear this week's conversation with Radhanath Swami on Devotee care principles for developing a community.
...- 24 Jun 2020
By Riddha DasaI will miss you so much Pusta Krishna. You are gone from this world but will always be remembered by me. Our beloved Spiritual master A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada picked you to come and rescue me when I was alone in South Africa. You reminded me of how concerned that Srila Prabhupada was that as a young boy I was alone in South Africa.
...- 24 Jun 2020
By Dr Sahadeva dasaEvery reversal can teach us something. Every adversity has hidden lessons. If only we are willing to listen! The times are changing. The world is changing. Question is are we going to change? This 200 years old industrial civilization is entering a decisive phase as the curtains of karma start coming down.
...- 23 Jun 2020
By Cathy BorderCows and bullocks are revered by Hare Krishnas and at their farm, New Govardhana, they even have a cow retirement village. Hare Krishna devotees have been breeding cows and bullocks at the farm, near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales, since 1977. The paddocks are specially levelled, food and water is kept close to the animals, and they are even serenaded in their dying moments.
...- 22 Jun 2020
By Subhag SwamiWe all know that previously also we got very good results of such prayers for some ISKCON leaders and Krishna bestowed His mercy. Everybody knows that Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj is very dear to devotees irrespective of his disciples or other devotees. He can make everyone feel like his own very easily. He can easily make somebody feel at home. I have seen from the very beginning. Some say that he came to ISKCON in 1977. But within this short time, he became very dear to everybody in general.
...- 22 Jun 2020
By Giriraj Swami After throwing out all the debris, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates cleaned the temple a second time, looking for finer grains of sand and dust that they might have missed. Then they thoroughly washed the temple. With hundreds of devotees throwing hundreds of pots of water, they cleansed the ceiling, the walls, the floor, and everything else. Sri Caitanya Himself personally washed the sitting place of Lord Jagannatha with His own two hands. Even then, Lord Caitanya was concerned that du...
- 22 Jun 2020
By Giriraj SwamiWe are indebted to all our fathers, biological and preceptorial. Srila Prabhupada expressed his appreciation for his father in his dedication to his book Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: "To My Father, Gour Mohan De (1849-1930) A pure devotee of Krsna, who raised me as a Krsna conscious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mrdanga. He gave me Radha-Krsna vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannatha ratha to duly observ...
- 21 Jun 2020
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of May 2020. 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
...- 21 Jun 2020
By Jhimli Mukherjee PandeyKOLKATA: So what if you won’t be able to tug the rope of Lord Jagannath’s Ratha this time? The chariot itself will come to your home, albeit virtually. Because of the Covid pandemic, Iskcon has been forced to cancel its 49-year-old rathayatra in the city and also the 6-kilometre-long yatra at Mayapur from the Jagannath Temple at Rajapur. Iskcon this year is taking a unique initiative to virtually bring the chariot home to the devotees. The project, called Mercy on Wheels is a completely digital initiative that will see 108 virtual rathas rolling out to devotees’ homes in so ...
- 20 Jun 2020
By Sucitra Devi DasiGood news, Maharaj's dependency on the ventilator has continued to go down, and has now been lowered it to 50%. Once these levels are down to 20% Maharaj can be taken off the ventilator. Another positive update: We had been requesting the team of doctors at the hospital to give Maharaj convalescent plasma, which is plasma that contains antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID19. Patients who received this convalescent plasma are usually taken off the ventilator within 3-4 days.
...- 19 Jun 2020
By the GBC ECWe write today to inform you that HH Bhakti Charu Swami has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently in critical condition in the ICU at a hospital in the USA. We request the worldwide community of devotees to offer heartfelt prayers for Maharaja's prompt and smooth recovery.
...- 18 Jun 2020
By Sureswara DasaBir Krishna the calf loves coconut fudge, and Sita the teamstress knows it. Her pockets bulge with the sweet as she and Bir walk to the training ring. Today the calf will learn his first call: “Get up!” The earth is soft from the recent rain. Sita carries a lash and leads Bir with a rope tied to a blue halter. The calf bounds through a cluster of gnats, then slows as they come to the ring. What’s this? The gate opens, and Bir walks in to explore. He treads the ...
- 15 Jun 2020