Websites from the ISKCON Universe
The ISKCON Los Angeles New Dvaraka Temple stands as one of the most significant spiritual and cultural landmarks in Southern California, representing over five decades of devotional service and community engagement. Established in 1970 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, this temple has served as a cornerstone of the International Society for
Opening Ceremony & Pranams to HDG Srila Prabhupada. Senior Disciples Discuss Prabhupada’s Letters. Prabhupada’s first disciples on video talk about their personal letters from Prabhupada.Maha HariNam Sankirtan Bus to Santa Monica/Venice Beach. Prabhupada Movies/Memories/Footage View this post on Instagram A post shared by ISKCON LA | New Dvaraka (@iskconla)
Twelve days before his departure, Srila Prabhupada was asked about ISKCON’s future leadership. Expressing concern, a guest asked if a single successor would lead. Prabhupada clarified that no one person would succeed him—instead, all should become gurus and collectively carry forward the mission, as instructed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Source: https://vanisource.org/wiki/771102_-_Conversation_B_-_Vrndavana 771102 – Conversation B –
Apple Records threw a party for Radha Krsna Temple, the day before the release of their debut single Hare Krishna Mantra. The single had been produced by George Harrison, and he played harmonium and bass guitar on the recording. It was released as Apple 15, with Prayer Of The Spiritual Masters as its b-side. Harrison
“HH Mukunda Swami recounts receiving a letter from an unknown sender in Italy, which contained color negatives of a photo of the London Deities dressed in the red and green outfit that the devotees were eager to use as the cover for the upcoming ‘Radha Krsna Temple’ album release.”Is karma caused by the action itself or by the thought behind the action?
Both are important. In the broad analysis of Dharma, the right thing to do, as we see in the Mahabharata, in the various deliberations, three factors are seen to be of relevance. The first is what we do, or the content of the action. The second is why we do it, or the intent of the action. And the third is what results from our action, or the effect of the action. These three can be summarized by the acronym ICE: Intent, Content, and Effect. And just as ICE can stop the flow of water, similarly, these three can be used to stop the impulsiveness of our actions and bring a greater degree of reflectiveness in our actions.
For example, if somebody kills someone, killing is bad, but if somebody kills accidentally while trying to defend themselves, then the intent may completely overshadow the actual content of the action, and that person may not be considered culpable at all. On the other hand, if someone acted to kill someone, then, depending on whether that was an impulsive action or a calculative action, it could be manslaughter or murder. What applies in general in normal law also applies with respect to karma. The principle of karma is logical; it is not diabolical, waiting to catch and trap us for factors that we do not know or are not in our control.
In general, the principle of karma is that we need to be reflective and responsible about our actions. So rather than getting caught too much in this or that, in terms of what will lead to greater culpability with respect to karma, we can focus more on the principle that if we are reflective and responsible, trying to act in the mood of service, to do our part in a larger whole, which ultimately means to do our part in a mode of service to the supreme whole that is Krishna, then we will be best situated to create an auspicious future for ourselves, irrespective of the technicalities of the specific choices that we may make during the course of our life.
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Hare Krishna. Join us for our annual "Krishna Mela" celebration at Sri Sri Radha Giridhari temple (ISKCON Auckland) on Sunday 10th August 2025 from 11am - 4pm in anticipation of our upcoming Sri Krishna Janmastami Mahotsav. All are welcome!
Does a soldier who drops a bomb on the enemies during wartime get karma? Is it better for the soldier to drop the bomb on an empty area so that there are no casualties?
Life is tough. One reason it is tough is because bad things happen to us. But another bigger reason is that sometimes bad things have to be done by us. That is what Krishna tells Arjuna in the section from 1846 to 1848, that all endeavours are covered by fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Sarvaarambhahi doshena dhume naguniribavrata.
That’s why one has to accept the material world in its fullness, as it is, without any illusions that it will be a happy place or even that it will be a place where we will be able to live always happily and virtuously, in terms of the actions that we do. Even good people at times have to do bad actions, at least actions that are going to have some bad consequences, even if those are not the primary consequences which they intend to do when they take up those actions.
So the rightness and wrongness of actions can be decided broadly by three factors: the intent with which we do it, the content of what we are doing, and the effect that it results. So sometimes an action may have an effect that is unfortunate, but if that is not the intended effect, but is a by, or as military terminology puts it, collateral damage, then that should be minimized as much as possible. If it cannot be avoided, that does not mean the duty itself is to be abandoned.
While war is terrible, sometimes war is the only way to prevent something far more terrible from happening. And if someone has chosen the profession of becoming a soldier, then fighting and killing is what they are trained to do, and that is what they are expected to do, and are paid to do, and they can do it better than civilians. If somebody has strong moral reservations about fighting and the violence involved in fighting itself, then they should not be a part of the military profession.
We all have our dharma, and one way of understanding dharma is harmonious belonging, that we belong to a larger whole, and we need to belong harmoniously, in the sense that we need to do our part, that is expected from us, in the whole, and the whole needs to do its part. So if we drive on the road, we need to follow the rules of road traffic, and the authorities overseeing the road transport system should ensure that there are no dangerous potholes or other inordinate dangers that come to us, even when we are driving safely.
Similarly, with respect to military dharma, there will be two parts. That individuals, in terms of the soldiers in the defense forces, have proved their part of fighting, as and when they are called up to do. Now the collective, here the military authorities, and the political authorities who are leading the country, have the responsibility to do their part, which means that they do not send soldiers on unnecessary wars, they carefully try their best to settle disputes by means other than war.
If a soldier feels that a war is being fought for ulterior motives of the political aggrandizement of the particular leaders in charge, and not for the good of the country, or the good of humanity, then a soldier can be a conscientious objector. But those are exceptional situations, and generally, the soldiers need to neither be seen to be abandoning the army in the time of need, nor be actually doing that.
When Arjuna protested about the duty of fighting the war, and claimed to be a conscientious objector to the war, meaning that his conscience did not let him fight the war, Krishna educated him about how the war was for a righteous cause. However, if a soldier has taken the salary from the government during peace time, and then suddenly, during war time, decides not to do what the army strategy requires them to do, because of a desire to avoid causing violence, then the soldier will be failing in their duty.
As far as one will get karma or not, we can get our karma in various ways. We can get karma by doing something that harms others. But we can get karma by failing to do what we are expected to do also. So rather than worrying too much about which activity will cause how much karma, we need to understand the underlying principle that karma, the whole purpose of karma, is accountability, which should lead one to thoughtful, responsible action. All actions will involve some karmic complications.
When doctors give antibiotics to patients, you could say that the doctor is being a systematic, cold-blooded murderer of all the germs that will be killed by the antibiotics. But that is for saving the life of the patient, or improving the quality of life of the patient, and that is considered to be a greater good in that context. The philosophy of karma is meant to encourage thoughtfulness and responsibility and accountability, not paranoia or paralysis or irresponsibility.
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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Dallas temple stands as a remarkable testament to spiritual dedication, community service, and cultural preservation in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. For over five decades, this vibrant community centered around the sacred deities Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji has flourished into a multifaceted organization that seamlessly blends ancient Vedic traditions
Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana appeared in the 1600’s near Remuna, Orissa. In his youth, he mastered Sanskrit grammar, poetry, and logic. After carefully studying the commentaries of Sankara and Madhva he took initiation in the Tattva-vadi disciplic succession of Sripad Madhvacarya. Baladeva Vidyabhusana became a dig vijaya pandit and began visiting the holy places. Wherever he went he defeated the local sages, scholars, and sannyasis.
In Jagannatha Puri, he learned the super-excellent philosophy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya from Sri Radha-Damodara Goswami and took initiation after converting to Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In Vrndavan, he studied Srimad Bhagavatam under Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and worshiped Radha-Syamasundara.
In 1706 A.D. Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura sent him to Gulta (near Jaipur, Rajasthan) to uphold the credibility of Mahaprabhu’s movement. The local Ramanandis (a branch of Sri Vaishnavas) were claiming that the Bengali Vaishnavas had no right to worship Govinda because they had no commentary on the Vedanta-sutra.
Lord Govinda Himself directly revealed the Govinda-bhasya (a Vaishnava commentary on Vedanta) to Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Using it, Baladeva solidly established Gaudiya Vaishnavism as an independent philosophy. He also reinstated the Bengali Vaishnavas in Govinda’s service in Jaipura. Govinda-bhasya is the only bhakti commentary on Vedanta-sutra.
Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana was a niskincana-parama bhagavata, fully-renounced topmost Devotee of Lord Krishna. According to Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Navadvipa-dhama mahatyam, in Chaitanya lila Baladeva Vidyabhusana is Sri Gopinatha Acarya, the brother-in-law of Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. In Vraja he serves as Sri Radha’s eternal maidservant Ratnavali Devi.
**Festival of India: A Traveling Celebration of Culture, Devotion, and Joy** The Festival of India, also known as Harinam Festivals Inc., is a vibrant traveling cultural celebration that has brought the spiritual essence of Vedic India to cities across North America since 1979. Organized with heartfelt devotion, this festival transforms public spaces—parks, city centers, university
In an era of immense transformation, ISKCON North America is boldly stepping into the future with a dynamic and inspiring vision that blends spiritual depth with organizational excellence. The “Future Forward” initiative, recently re-launched through a compelling long-format broadcast hosted by Braja Bihari Das and featuring Jai Krishna Das, outlines a clear and courageous roadmap
A grand and vibrant celebration of the Sri Jagannatha Ratha Yatra took place in the heart of Rome, drawing hundreds of devotees and visitors to the iconic Piazza del Popolo. Organized by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the festival featured a majestic procession of the chariots carrying Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, and Subhadra
Gita Nagari Retreat 2025 – Krsna in Vraja At the heart of the Gita Nagari Retreat 2025 was a powerful, evocative journey through the soul of Bhakti: a meditation on Krsna in Vraja, culminating in an impassioned exploration of the Ras Lila – the sacred dance of divine love between Krsna and the gopis of
In the heart of New York City, where the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was officially founded in July 1966, an inspiring spiritual resurgence is underway. The birthplace of the global Hare Krishna movement is undergoing a remarkable transformation—honoring its past while boldly shaping its future. This sacred site carries the legacy of A.C.
In late May 2025, Orlando’s Rosen Shingle Creek resort has been humming with devotional music and joyous celebration as thousands of Hare Krishna devotees convene for the 12th annual Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat, organized by HH Indradyumna Swami. This year’s gathering is bigger than ever, easily eclipsing past editions. For context, the 2024 retreat inIf we are to desire Krishna and give up all other desires, what can we do when we are not even aware of what we actually desire? How can we cultivate the desire for Krishna? And how do we deal with the feeling that we have done so many things because of which we don’t even desire Krishna? We don’t even deserve Krishna. Isn’t it presumptuous to expect Krishna to appear before us? To answer these are thoughtful and earnest questions. Desires are themselves complex and multi-layered.
And the approach to desire management can be put in three categories. There are some desires which we work on, there are some desires we work with and there are some desires we work for. So work on means that we create boundaries, we try to purify ourselves so that we can rid ourselves of those desires.
These could be self-destructive, addictive desires for anti-devotional indulgences. There are some desires we work with. That means we have a need for our basic subsistence and a certain level of social acceptance and respect that we need.
These are desires that are not anti-devotional even if they are not directly devotional. They could be eventually used for a devotional purpose. So we work with those desires.
And there are some desires that we work for. That means those desires drive our life. So these are our devotional desires and our desires for serving Krishna according to our particular nature.
In as direct a way as is possible for us. So yes, we are not always aware of our desires. But to whatever extent we are aware of our desires, to that extent we can either choose to work on them, work with them or work for them.
And gradually as we come to Satva Guna, the mode of goodness, and as we do some practices that consciously bring us to the mode of goodness such as journaling, we can become more aware of our desires. And then we can decide which approach to take toward which desires. And how do we cultivate particular desires? Generally, desires grow by action and association.
When we do some action in pursuit of some desire, that action itself creates impressions inside us. Even if we don’t succeed in fulfilling that desire, just that very action creates some impressions. If we succeed in fulfilling that desire to even a partial degree, that creates further impressions inside us.
So, it’s like how does a person become addicted to something? It is by indulging in that pleasure repeatedly. That what was a casual indulgence, a casual pleasure, becomes an irresistible craving and addictive desire with time. And the second happens by association.
The kind of people we associate with and the kind of thoughts that our mind associates with, the kind of images that we associate with mentally by letting them replay and be highlighted in our inner world, that also stimulates and strengthens certain desires. That’s why the principle of actually doing some devotional service in relationship with the desire that we have and associating with devotees externally and with the devotional places and especially remembering Krishna and Krishna-related external and internal, will strengthen our desires. So we can make some solutions to strengthen the desire to connect with Krishna in a particular manifestation, which may be His holy name, or His deity in a particular form, or even a particular place, or a particular book, or a particular devotee and the way they conduct themselves and they present the wisdom of bhakti, and reveal Krishna to us.
And thirdly, regarding me not feeling that we deserve to see Krishna, that is definitely a good feeling to have. It shows humility. At the same time, bhakti has two distinct emotions.
There is humility and there is intensity. Shrila Prabhupada explains that a devotee always desires to see Krishna, but a devotee does not demand to see Krishna. So Arjuna also expresses this sentiment when he asks for the darshan of the universal form of Krishna in the 11th chapter.
He says, If it is possible for me to see it, please show this to me. So, certainly if we don’t desire Krishna at all, then where is our devotion? And certainly if we demand to see Krishna, again, where is our devotion? So having a strong desire to see Krishna, while also having a strong readiness to submit and subordinate our desire to Krishna’s desire and plans, is the essential dynamic of bhakti. Eventually when we get the darshan of Krishna, that will not be because we deserve it, but because simply Krishna is pleased with our desiring and our endeavouring as a way of expressing that desire.
The revelation of Krishna will ultimately be mercy, which is causeless, not in the sense that it has no cause, but in the sense that whatever cause might be considered to have been there is too less to actually make us qualified to receive His darshan. Nonetheless, it is by our endeavouring externally and by our desiring internally that we show Krishna, that we want Him, and that’s how eventually we get to see Him, by His mercy.
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ISKCON UK stands as a transformative force within the global Hare Krishna movement, serving as both a pioneering foundation and a contemporary model for spiritual innovation worldwide. From its historic establishment in London over five decades ago to its current role as a vibrant spiritual community, ISKCON UK has consistently demonstrated how cultural adaptation, educational
The transformation of vegetarianism from a niche dietary choice to a mainstream culinary movement owes much to the pioneering efforts of ISKCON’s Govinda’s restaurants, which have served as cultural ambassadors for plant-based cuisine across six continents for nearly five decades. Beginning with humble roots in 1979 London, these spiritually-inspired establishments have evolved into a global
Melbourne, 1970s — What started as a casual errand to buy marijuana ended in a life-altering spiritual journey for one young man in Melbourne. As part of a typical day of street outreach, a devotee of the Hare Krishna movement set up near Flinders Street Station, creatively attracting passersby with incense and cheerful conversation. His
Today is Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura’s appearance day. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 11.55) states, “Srila Vyasadeva described the pastimes of Krsna in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Vyasa of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was Vrndavana dasa.” In his purport Srila Prabhupada elaborates: “Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura was an incarnation of Vedavyasa and also a friendly cowherd boy named Kusumapida in krsna-lila. In other words, the author of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura, the son of Srivasa Thakura’s niece Narayani, was a combined incarnation of Vedavyasa and the cowherd boy Kusumapida.” Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura was the last initiated disciple of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.
In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 8.33–40, 42, 44) Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami glorifies Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura and his book Sri Caitanya-bhagavata (then called Sri Caitanya-mangala): “O fools, just read Sri Caitanya-mangala! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thakura Vrndavana dasa has composed Sri Caitanya-mangala. Hearing this book annihilates all misfortune. By reading Sri Caitanya-mangala one can understand all the glories and truths of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda and come to the ultimate conclusion of devotional service to Lord Krsna. In Sri Caitanya-mangala [later known as Sri Caitanya-bhagavata] Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional service by quoting the authoritative statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam. If even a great atheist hears Sri Caitanya-mangala, he immediately becomes a great devotee. The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura. I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vrndavana dasa Thakura. No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance of all fallen souls. What a wonderful description he has given of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya! Anyone in the three worlds who hears it is purified. Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura has written Sri Caitanya-mangala and therein described in all respects the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.”
In his purport to text 45 Srila Prabhupada writes, “Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura’s Sri Caitanya-bhagavata was originally entitled Sri Caitanya-mangala, but when Srila Locana dasa Thakura later wrote another book named Sri Caitanya-mangala, Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura changed the name of his own book, which is now therefore known as Sri Caitanya-bhagavata. The life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very elaborately described in the Caitanya-bhagavata, and Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has already informed us that in his Sri Caitanya-caritamrta he has described whatever Vrndavana dasa Thakura has not mentioned. This acceptance of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami indicates his acceptance of the disciplic succession. A writer of transcendental literature never tries to surpass the previous acaryas.”
And he writes in his purport to text 48, “The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura”—Srila Prabhupada explains, “The secret in a devotee’s writing is that when he writes about the pastimes of the Lord, the Lord helps him; he does not write himself. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (10.10), dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te. Since a devotee writes in service to the Lord, the Lord from within gives him so much intelligence that he sits down near the Lord and goes on writing books. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami confirms that what Vrndavana dasa Thakura wrote was actually spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that Vrndavana dasa simply repeated it.”
How blessed we are to receive knowledge of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through our glorious parampara—and to be engaged in their service.
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
If we have daughters and don’t have a son to do the last rites after we depart, what happens? In general, in the broad Vedic tradition, there is the path of karma kanda. Now, we consider karma kanda primarily to be rituals for material gain, but karma kanda has also been broadly the path of rituals. And then there is, in our understanding, the path of bhakti.
In the history of the tradition, how much the path of bhakti adopts the rituals of the broad Vedic tradition. Now, the Vedic tradition was generally a Vedic tradition of karma kanda, although not only karma kanda. So, that has been a matter of not necessarily a complete standard all the time.
Generally, the bhakti tradition emerged as an internal reform against the excessive ritualism and the caste hierarchy and other kind of over-centralization of power by the brahmanas in the Vedic tradition. But over a period of time, as the bhakti tradition itself became popular, became influential, then it also started adopting certain rituals. So, Gopal Bhatta Goswami, for example, in our tradition, has written a certain Vaishnav version of many of the Smartha rituals.
Now, in the bhakti tradition, the remembrance of Krishna is what is considered a primary. And there are some acharyas, there is one acharya in the Sri Vaishnav tradition who deliberately decided to leave his life outside a dham. He said he wanted to demonstrate that the bhakti is self-independent and you don’t need to depart from your body in a dham because by bhakti you can be delivered wherever you are.
Similarly, in the Gita, Krishna talks about, in the 8th chapter, about the timings of departure. If you depart at this time, and if you depart at another time, one is you will go to Brahman, go to spiritual level of reality, other is you will go to Chandra and come back. But then he says, Don’t worry about this.
Focus on remembering me and you will get the ultimate destination. So, now in our current state, in our moment, depending on the previous culture and the previous Shraddha of devotees, there is a wide range over whether the rituals of the Vedic tradition are adopted and to what degree they are adopted by devotees. So, that’s with respect to the specifics of the rituals.
Now, my understanding is that ultimately the destination of a soul is determined not so much by who does what after that soul has departed. Primarily, each soul is an individual. Each soul has to take individual responsibility for their spiritual growth and even their karmic trajectory also.
So, primarily, it’s our own consciousness at the time of our departure that will determine our destination. Now, secondarily, the rituals that are to be performed, they are meant for multiple purposes. One is, of course, if the punya of that soul is adequate, then the punya that is done by the relatives, that helps the soul to get a better destination.
The other is that through those rituals, those who are survivors also get a sense of service and closure. So, it is also a means for healing for them that the person who has departed, we did something for that person after they have departed. So, now, whether women can perform certain rituals, if you see, this is a very volatile and disputed subject within the Indian tradition.
Some people say that women’s role was much, much more inclusive in the original Upanishadic and Vedic texts, but it became much more restricted during the Islamic times. Some people say that it is Manu Samhita which restricted the roles. But my point is that there are some traditions which, very few traditions, which actually now allow women also to perform certain rituals like in the last rites.
Most do not. But either way, from the bhakti perspective, who gets to perform the last rites is not that important. Most important thing is that we try to cultivate Krishna Consciousness and if we feel that it is important, then we can assign someone also.
Somebody who is like a nephew or somebody within the community with whom we have a relationship like a son. That person can be told to do rituals. Sometimes the son-in-law also does rituals like that.
So the point is that Krishna is Bhavagrahi and our destination does not depend exactly on who performs what rituals. It depends on our consciousness primarily.
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I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and The Nectar of Devotion. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita Swami, Mukunda Datta Prabhu, Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami, and Janmastami, Rama Raya, Gauranga, and Tulasi Prabhus.
Thanks to Prema Manjari Devi Dasi for making the mango lassi and palak paneer on the anniversary of my mother’s passing away. Thanks to Jayananda Prabhu for arranging for that. Thanks to Ahaituka Prema Prabhu for the photos and videos of me on NYC Harinam.
Itinerary
May 7–June 15: NYC Harinam
– May 27–29: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
– May 29–30: Baltimore harinamas to promote Ratha-yatra
– May 31: Baltimore Ratha-yatra
mid June–mid August: Paris?
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra?
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama?
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra?
– July 13: Holland harinama?
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
One day when we were chanting Hare Krishna in the Times Square subway station above the downtown A train, some students from Stony Brook College in New York City did some filming for a movie they were doing about a visitor’s first day in New York.
Tulasi Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/SzR9LCE7YRY):
Jai Nitai Holzman replied, “Oh yeah, I know Kelly! From Woodbridge. Always super fond of him. I don’t know that he ever actually joined up, although he may have for a time. Super sweet.”
Radhika Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Times Square Kirtan Festival, and two women play shakers and dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/3Rq7rsBJRQQ):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.11–12:
“As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to have the qualities of matter. But that misconception of self-identity can be diminished gradually by the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, through the process of devotional service to the Lord in the mode of detachment.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.12, purport:
“If one wants to acquire the mercy of the Lord, one has to associate with pure devotees. Such association alone can, by degrees, release one from the quivering elements.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.13, purport:
“We have to treat the senses to cure them of the material disease, not stop them from acting, as suggested by the impersonalist. In the Bhagavad-gita (2.59) it is said that one ceases all material activities only when satisfied by contact with a better engagement. Consciousness is active by nature and cannot be stopped from working. Artificially stopping a mischievous child is not the real remedy. The child must be given some better engagement so that he will automatically stop causing mischief. In the same way, the mischievous activities of the senses can be stopped only by better engagement in relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the eyes are engaged in seeing the beautiful form of the Lord, the tongue is engaged in tasting prasadam, or remnants of foodstuff offered to the Lord, the ears are engaged in hearing His glories, the hands are engaged in cleaning the temple of the Lord, the legs are engaged in visiting His temples—or in other words when all the senses are engaged in transcendental variegatedness—then only can the transcendental senses become fully satisfied and eternally free from material engagement.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.14:
“Simply by chanting and hearing of the transcendental name, form, etc., of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, one can achieve the cessation of unlimited miserable conditions.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.16:
“Disturbances to the conditioned soul have no other basis than the movement of the external energy of the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.17:
“Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.18:
“But, my dear sir, I am obliged to you because now I can understand that this material manifestation is without substance although it appears real. I am confident that by serving your feet I will be able to give up the false idea.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.34:
“Every man should act like this: when he meets a person more qualified than himself, he should be very pleased; when he meets someone less qualified than himself, he should be compassionate toward him; and when he meets someone equal to himself, he should make friendship with him. In this way one is never affected by the threefold miseries of this material world.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.36, purport:
“It is said that the heart or mind is just like an earthen pot: once broken, it cannot be repaired by any means.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Introduction:
“The author of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Krishna consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous acaryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.2:
“The topics of Madhya-kandha are like drops of nectar. By hearing these topics one's atheistic mentality is vanquished.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.16–17:
“The Lord said, ‘Today I have talked to some atheists. Therefore let us have so that My misery will be destroyed.’ As Mahaprabhu, the Lord of Vaikuntha, danced, all His servants surrounded Him and sang.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.27:
“Krishna increases the glories of His devotees in all respects. They are able to sell Him wherever they want.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.29:
“Gauracandra increases the glories of His devotees in various ways. Who can understand His mercy and punishment?”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17, Chapter Summary:
“After returning home Mahaprabhu expressed to the devotees His unhappiness due to conversing with the atheists. In order to remove that unhappiness the Lord began to dance and chant with His associates.”
“Gaurasundara declared that it is useless to maintain a body that is devoid of love of God. Thus, with a desire to give up His body, He jumped into the Ganges. Nityananda and Haridasa, however, pulled the Lord out of the Ganges.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.5, commentary:
“Manifesting His own ingenuity over such so-called learned persons who were filled with false-ego, Sri Gaurasundara instilled fear in the atheists who were envious of Vishnu. They thus realized the insignificance of their own knowledge and were defeated by the strength of Mahaprabhu's knowledge. Therefore the mundane scholars realized their own weakness and accepted Him as the conqueror of the proud.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.95, commentary:
“In the Mahopanisad it is stated: sa brahmana srjati, sa rudrena vilapayati—“The Supreme Lord creates progeny through Brahma and annihilates them through Rudra.” In the Vamana Purana it is stated: matsyadi rupi posayati nrsimho rudra samsthitah vilapayed viriñci-stha srjyate visnur avyayah “The inexhaustible Lord Vishnu maintains through His various forms like Matsya, annihilates through Nrsimha and Rudra, and creates through Brahma.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.109, commentary:
“If someone without understanding of the Vaishnavas' activities and symptoms takes the side of one Vaishnava and criticizes another, then he does not see the Vaishnavas but sees only their external state.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 17.113, commentary:
“Living entities have no position more relishable than the service of Sri Caitanyadeva, who is the only authority for creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the cosmic manifestation. All other positions are temporary, full of ignorance, and distressful.”
Jayadvaita Swami:
In the Vedic civilization, vows were not taken lightly, initiation vows, marriage vows, etc. If one vowed to do something he would do it. He would not try to find some loophole.
If you cannot keep a vow that means that you have no determination or you are not serious.
On a morning walk in Boston, someone who had been regularly attending the temple and Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, inquired from Srila Prabhupada if he could be initiated. Srila Prabhupada replied, “First you should know the philosophy. If today you come on sentiment, tomorrow you will leave on sentiment.”
We take shelter of one who taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is not good enough to accept a guru approved by the institution. You have to do the work and see if he is qualified.
We have to be ready to serve the guru life after life.
Do we ever find in sastra that my real guru is my guru’s guru?
The guru has to see if the potential disciple is a real candidate, not flim flam.
From a Tuesday night Bhagavad-gita introductory class in ISKCON NYC:
The only difference is in material life one works for himself and in spiritual life one works for Krishna.
If you cannot follow the rules for bhakti-yoga, then do some service. That will be counted.
I inquired from Srila Prabhupada about the different options Krishna gives in Bhagavad-gita 12.8–12. He said the hierarchy of the options is less important than the fact that they will all ultimately lead to the culmination.
When I read at first an impersonalist translation of Bhagavad-gita it seemed very profound, but I could not see how it could really be practiced.
Because it is hard to conceive of the impersonal feature of God, the impersonalists often worship some deity temporarily with the hope of realizing an impersonal truth they conceive of as being above it.
The impersonalists are more advanced than the materialists because they understand (1) they are spirit, (2) sense gratification will not satisfy them, and (3) maintaining attachment to sense gratification will oblige them to accept other material bodies.
If everything is one, where does all the variety come from. They say the variety comes from maya. But then you have two. You no longer have one. That is a problem.
We must appreciate someone like Mr. Sethi, who just wanted to serve Srila Prabhupada. Although he did not follow all the principles of bhakti-yoga, by serving a pure devotee you can attain all perfection.
Mukunda Datta Prabhu:
We have no choice but to accept what the Lord desires to give to us. Thus it is intelligent to be satisfied with that.
These verses deal with satisfaction: SB 1.16.26, SB 5.9.1, etc.
There are five kinds of irreligion or kaitava-dharma:
Sin, vidharma
Another’s dharma, para-dharma
Pretentious dharma, dharma-abhasa
Metaphorical dharma, upama-dharma
Deliberate cheating, chala-dharma
Isvara-gati can mean either (1) the goal of the Lord or (2) the goal that the Lord desires us to attain.
Karma and dharma are practically defined the same, as rituals to get certain results.
Westerners come to the Krishna consciousness movement easily and also leave easily. Indians, on the other hand, do not come easily, but when they do come, they generally stick with it.
In our tradition, theism is not defined by belief in God but by acceptance of the authority of Vedas.
The brahmana has given up material attachments, and so the happiness of the soul can shine through.
Radharani and Her friends have to put up with Krishna too. We can take shelter of them, like we do in Vrindavan, because they are softer.
Why do devotees suffer?
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada indicates Krishna manages a devotee’s karma to detach him from material enjoyment.
Other answers given are: The Lord’s will, and the devotees’ will. Sometimes demigods put impediments in the path of devotees.
Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami:
Lord Caitanya is Krishna Himself, but He acts as a devotee of Krishna, and He wants to be treated as such in order to perform His pastimes.
Lord Caitanya does not rub his face on the walls all night in Vaikuntha.
Lord Caitanya taught how one can systematically progress by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna.
It was the experience of Rupa Goswami that when he chanted Hare Krishna all his senses were chanting and dancing in ecstasy. The name would manifest everything.
In the beginning, we have to put all our attention on chanting Hare Krishna. We cannot jump to the pure stage. We have to become purified.
It is Lord Caitanya’s mission that people become purified by chanting the holy name.
Q (Narada Muni Prabhu): What is the importance of sambandha-jnana in attaining the pure chanting?
A: We must have a bona fide guru and be a bona fide disciple. Then we will attain success as have many people in the past.
Q (Govinda Prabhu): If we all chant the same holy name why is the result different?
A: It depends on the recipient. As wet wood in a fire has to dry out first in order to burn, some people require additional purification due to their previous activities to come to the same point.
Q (Govinda Prabhu): Why does it take so long to become purified?
A: Because we are so stubborn. We are not tired of suffering yet. The problem is that we do not want to be in the mode of goodness. The fault is not with the name or with Krishna, but with ourselves.
Janmastami Prabhu:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura considers one situated on the madhyama platform, as described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, to be in pure devotional service.
I developed a devotional self-assessment technique so you can see how far you have progressed from kanistha to madhyama. I used it while teaching The Nectar of Devotion 18 times.
Vaiyasaki Prabhu in the mid to late 1980s interviewed 500 Prabhupada disciples who stopped practicing and found practically all of them had a common issue. They could not apply Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8 in their lives: “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.”
Srila Prabhupada told Giriraj that Krishna manages your sinful reactions so that you advance.
Some gurus fell down because of abusive dealings with godbrothers.
The most important duty of the GBC men given by Srila Prabhupada is to make sure everyone in the temples in their zones attends the full morning program.
We just have to dedicate our lives to spreading Lord Caitanya’s movement to attain success.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
Dhruva Maharaja’s motivation to engage in devotional service was not even mixed. It was purely material.
A man who was a thief, murderer, and dacoit, while running from the police, passed an assembly of people hearing Krishna-katha from a pure devotee. Later someone asked him if he knew where the Krishna-katha recitation was going on, and he pointed him in the right direction. That person who was desirious of hearing Krishna-katha ended up taking it seriously and became a pure devotee. When the criminal died, he was taken to Yamaraja for punishment, but because he assisted a person in his devotional service he was freed from his sinful reactions and ultimately he also attained the spiritual kingdom.
Krishna will ultimately purify everyone so we should not seek revenge.
Who can remember their previous lives? What value is there then in revenge?
If we are unjustly accused, we should not be disturbed. We should think that Krishna will make the truth known in due course.
Gauranga Prabhu:
Even in transcendental ecstasy, Lord Caitanya was counting his number of rounds.
The root cause of hopelessness is thinking “I am the doer.” To understand that Krishna is the controller is the cause of all hope.
There are political responses and emotional responses to challenging situations, but the devotional response is highlighted in the many pastimes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Srila Prabhupada said the best way to serve the family is to become a devotee of Krishna.
My family was objecting to my becoming a devotee. I organized a sat-sanga with about a hundered relatives in Chennai. I had a friend speak about Prahlada Maharaja and tell about how he delivered 21 generations of his family by his devotional service. He concluded by saying because Gauranga Das has becoming a devotee all of you will attain Vaikuntha, and not only that 20 more generations. They were very happy. One said, “Don’t stop chanting. If you have any difficulties, let me know.”
Dhruva was honest in his intentions and he was intense in his efforts, and thus he attained the audience of Lord Vishnu.
One Indian business man was introduced by Srila Prabhupada as a member of the wealthy Birla family.
The man said, “You came to the US with 40 rupees, and now you have property all over the world worth over 40 crores (400,000,000) of rupees. You are the real businessman.”
Srila Prabhupada invited him, “Please join my business.”
The man replied, “Not now.”
A sadhaka should make choices for progress rather than perfection.
There is a difference between emotions from the mental platform and pure devotional emotions.
Arjuna lost his son for real, but because he was protected by Krishna from lamentation, he was able continue fighting enthusiastically in the battle. Dronacarya, however, just thought that his son died, but he became completely dysfunctional as a warrior.
Opportunities are always coming, but Krishna, as Paramatma points them out to us.
Tulasi Prabhu:
Sometimes when I would meet Kadamba Kanana Swami and bow down, he would chant “tulasi krishna preyasi namah namah.” Then he would say, “You are very dear to Krishna because you are named “Tulasi.’”
Krishna lifted Govardhan with His left hand as a joke as the left hand is usually considered weaker.
One Srila Prabhupada disciple explained the reason for Srila Prabhupada’s great worldwide success, “Because Srila Prabhupada gave everything he had to Krishna, Krishna reciprocated.”
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People not connected to the Vedic culture are often addicted to things not recommended for spiritual aspirants like meat eating, intoxication, gambling, and illicit sex. Still the devotees of the Lord are so powerful by their mercy such addicts can be freed from material attachments and become attached to the soul’s dharma of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. My guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, said after hearing a single lecture by Srila Prabhupada at 26 Second Avenue, he was able to give up intoxication and illicit sex.
This famous verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam reveals this truth:
kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
“Kiratas, Hunas, Andhras, Pulindas, Pulkasas, Abhiras, Sumbhas, Yavanas, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.18)
Chelmsford, 18th May 2025 The town renowned as the birthplace of radio experienced a new kind of transmission this weekend—the transcendental sound of the Holy Names of the Lord—as Chelmsford celebrated its first ever Jagannatha Rath Yatra. This historic and spiritually uplifting event brought together vibrant colours, melodious kirtan, rich culture, and deep devotion, markingSo, it is said that whenever anything happens to us, that’s because of our own past karma and the people whom we encounter in this life are basically people who we have had some interactions with in the previous lives. So when something bad happens to us, should we consider that it is our karmic debt being neutralized and we should tolerate it? And when does it cross a line and when we should stop tolerating? Answer, we can look at scripture itself for learning this. We see that Lord Ram accepted it when he was exiled and he said, it is probably destiny that Kaikeyi has turned against me like this.
But when Sita was abducted, he didn’t accept that as destiny. He didn’t say it is her karma or my karma. So why? Because the focus was on dharma, on duty.
He said, it is dharma to my father. I was ready to ascend the throne and as a duty to my father, I will go to the forest. So his decision was not based on what was whose karma in the past.
It was based on his understanding of what is his dharma now and how best can he perform that dharma. So when Sita Devi was abducted, naturally it is his dharma as a husband to protect her and he practically moved heaven and earth to rescue her. So the key is that we need to be dharma-centered, not karma-centered.
So, I would say there are three different degrees over here. In general, what is the right thing to do is not so easy to know, but we consider what is it that we are doing, that is the content of our action, why we are doing it, the intent of the action and what is the result of it, that is the effect. These three factors, the Mahabharata, many discussions on ethics are based on this, content, intent and effect.
So now, in terms of content, we could say that if somebody’s actions are interrupting or disrupting our dharma, our capacity to do our dharma, then we need to do what we can to protect ourselves. So, now we could say that Lord Ramakuda said even being a king was his dharma and Kaikeyi was disrupting that. But then he looked at intent over there.
He said the intent, she is not a bad person, but she is going through a bad phase, she is being misled and he still had hope that the family would be brought together or family harmony would be restored. And he felt that if he tried to rebel against his father at that particular time, as Lakshman was recommending, the effect would be that his family would be torn apart. So he considered the content, he could have said, he decided that content was, I want to stick to my duty and my duty is, I want to keep the family of my father and my family together.
So he accepted that, but in the case of Ravan, there was no doubt about his intent. Ravan was known to be a demon who had violated many women in the past and he had just continued a dark pattern with Sita. So therefore, even then with Ravan also, he gave him a chance that if he returns Sita, he won’t have to fight a war, but he didn’t listen.
So then he had to fight. So, with respect to the Pandavas, when they fought, it was not just to gain a kingdom. Of course, as Kshatriyas, they needed a kingdom.
They could have lived in the forest also further, they wanted to, but there was a principle over here that somebody who has by vicious means grabbed a kingdom should not be allowed to flourish. And such a person would only continue to do vicious things if that person was not challenged and checked. So therefore, it is important for him to be checked.
Now my understanding is that if our dharma is being stopped, then we need to do something to correct it. So, for example, if somebody insults us in office, we might say, okay, you know, these things happen. There are some bad elements always there.
Now, if somebody bullies our child at school, what do we do at that time? Should we tell our child, oh, it’s your own karma, deal with it? Well, it depends again, you know. If it is an individual case of one particular child bullying, then we might decide that we train our child to stand up for himself or herself, or we take it to the authorities, we correct it. But suppose we are in a particular place where there is some kind of racism, and that’s just the way it is, hopefully things will change in the future, but now it’s something unavoidable.
Then we have to train our child to become strong, to face it, because that’s how they will grow. So, in general, wherever immediate explanations are available and immediate solutions are available, we need to focus on those immediate explanations and solutions. Karma is used to make sense of things that don’t make sense in terms of immediate causes.
So, Ram had done nothing to anger Kaikeyi, and her behavior towards him could not make sense in immediate terms. So, that’s where he invoked destiny as an explanation. Say, if I’m feeling cold right now, should I just say, oh, this cold is my karma? Or I can say, can you just adjust the AC temperature a little bit? If it can be adjusted, if there’s an immediate cause and immediate solution, just go over there and finish the whole cycle.
But say, if I have come to Canada over here, and the weather here is cold, then I may decide that it is my duty that I am here as a speaker, and I have to tolerate certain things. But tolerate doesn’t mean that I don’t try to get warm clothes. So, I think once we start going into what is whose karma, we will just get caught in paralysis by analysis.
So, we focus on what is our dharma, and how best can we do our dharma. So, yes, I think inside a family, there will always be some people who will not be very pleasant to us. And that’s the flip side of being a part of, say, a large family or extended family.
Then some hurtful words are spoken. They can be tolerated. But if there is regular abusive language and tactics being used, then we have to create some boundaries.
It is not so much to get back at the other person, it is to focus on doing our own dharma. That we have our family responsibility, we have social responsibility, we have professional responsibilities, and we need to be able to do that. So, the purpose of life is not going to be fulfilled simply by exhausting our past karma.
The purpose of life will be fulfilled by executing our present dharma. It is, We should be humble and be tolerant. But for what? So that we can glorify Krishna constantly.
But say, if somebody is abusive behavior or hurtful behavior such that, that is consuming our mind and then we are not able to chant, we are not able to practice bhakti, our mind is getting so disturbed by that. Then, at that time you may say, I am being tolerant, it is my own past karma. But the point is, life success does not come by enduring past karma.
Okay, there is some negative, we exhaust the negative. But we need to do some positive so that we can develop our attraction towards Krishna and go towards Krishna. Even if we don’t go towards Krishna, we want to create a brighter future for ourselves, we have to do something positive also.
So, if our capacity to do something positive is being obstructed, then we have to do something to address it. If someone is a very talented cricketer, but they are in a particular area, where because of the community they belong to, caste, politics or whatever is there, they are never going to get a chance to play over there. And should that person say that, oh, it’s my own karma and stay over there? God has given you talent, it’s your dharma to do justice to the talent.
And go to some other city, join some other club where there will be more fair opportunity and move ahead. That’s why tolerate is definitely one option and there are many times when tolerate is the best way. We as a society are becoming quite intolerant in the sense of not intolerant towards other people in the religious intolerance, but in terms of our capacity to deal with provoking situations, to overreact to them.
We are tending to do that. So, tolerance is an important virtue. But tolerance is only one of the options at our command.
The post Should we keep tolerating all present suffering by seeing it as a result of our past Karma? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
# ISKCON Marks a Milestone in Child Protection with New CPOC Website ISKCON’s founder Srila Prabhupada is shown in archival images lovingly offering prasadam to children — an embodiment of his enduring compassion and care for the innocent. Today, that legacy is being powerfully realized in a bold new initiative: the launch of ISKCON’s Child
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has orchestrated one of the most remarkable spiritual transformations of the digital age, leveraging social media platforms to spread ancient Vedic wisdom to millions worldwide. Through strategic digital outreach, ISKCON has successfully bridged the gap between timeless spiritual teachings and contemporary global challenges, creating a movement that transcends geographical
Hare Krishna! Join us for the auspicious Snana Yatra festival at ISKCON Auckland on Sunday, June 15, 2025, starting from 11:00am. This annual festival celebrates the divine abhishek (bathing) ceremony of Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. All are welcome to participate. Program will conclude with a prasadam feast.
+ Stay back afterwards and witness a special Hati-Vesha Darshan of their Lordships.
Hare Krishna! Join us for the joyous Panihati Cida Dahi Festival at ISKCON Auckland on Sunday, June 8, 2025, starting from 11:00 am. This annual festival commemorates the historic meeting between Lord Nityananda and Raghunatha dasa Goswami at Panihati, West Bengal.
For the festival program please see the poster.
We look forward to your association!
The mother of Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s was Sri Narayani devi, the niece of Srivasa pandita. In his Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa has described how his mother attained the affectionate fervour of Sri Gaurasundara.
Vrindavana dasa was born four years after Mahaprabhu took sannyasa. When Mahaprabhu disappeared he couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. He was initiated by Sri Nityananda Prabhu and was apparently the last disciple whom Sri Nityananda accepted.
He accompanied Sri Jahnava Mata to the Kheturi maha-mahotsava. Sri Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami has glorified Vrindavana dasa Thakura as the Veda Vyasa of the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s Sripat, where his worshipful Deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai are still residing, is at Denur. Denur can be reached by bus from Navadvipa.
Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Devotees long utilized social media platforms like Facebook to share live stream videos of spiritual teachings, kirtans, and events, connecting devotees worldwide with the wisdom of revered Gurus such as HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, HH Bhakti Charu Swami, and
Eshant Garg: For years, I adhered to the Ritvik belief system, convinced that it represented the most faithful continuation of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy. Like many others, I was drawn to its simplicity and the comfort it offered — that we could remain connected to Srila Prabhupada without the complexities of formal initiation through living spiritual
In neighborhoods from Maryland to Manchester, Indian families have found a piece of home in the gleaming towers and quiet farm communities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Far from India’s bustling streets, these Hare Krishna temples and farm ashrams have blossomed into cultural sanctuaries where immigrants and their children reconnect with the
ISKCON’s worldwide book distribution program stands as one of the most remarkable spiritual outreach initiatives of modern times. Since its inception in the 1960s under the guidance of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this devoted effort has placed over half a billion books into the hands of readers across continents, languages, and cultural boundaries. The extraordinary
Throughout the world, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temples have welcomed countless visitors who have shared their positive experiences. This article compiles genuine testimonials and impressions from people who have interacted with ISKCON centers globally, showcasing the impact these spiritual communities have on outsiders. Temple Aesthetics and Atmosphere Visitors to ISKCON temples often
Since its founding in 1966, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – often known as the “Hare Krishna” movement – has grown into a worldwide network of temples and outreach programs. In city squares and remote villages around the globe, ISKCON temples welcome people from all backgrounds to chant the sacred “Hare Krishna” mantra,
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, lovingly known as ISKCON, is more than a spiritual organization—it is a movement that embodies the timeless beauty of devotion, community, and divine love. Born from the vision of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966, ISKCON has blossomed into a global sanctuary for seekers of spiritual truth, drawing heartsIf some Christians compare Jesus with Krishna and say that our God died for us, has your God died? So how do we reply? Answer, generally the interaction between two faith traditions can fall in three modalities. The technical words used are apologetic, irenic, and polemic. So apologetic is where we try to establish how we are right.
It has nothing to do with apology. Apologetics is a way of rationally establishing one’s own ideas. Apologetic is how we explaining how we are right. Irenic is showing how both of us are having similar interests, similar values, at least we are pursuing something similar, looking at commonalities. And polemic is we’re proving how the other person is wrong.
Now, for example, when interfaith gatherings happen, the primary mood is ironic. When debates happen, the mood will be polemic. When we are giving our talks, explaining our tradition, we are being apologetic. We’re not being apologetic. We are practicing apologetics, the idea.
Yeah. So there’s the apologetic mode of interaction or engagement. Now depending on where a person is coming from, we will need to respond accordingly. Generally, if a person is coming from polemic mode, where they are trying to prove that their God is better than our God, then it depends on our particular nature, how we will engage. Some people, when they’re confronted, they will want to also get into the confrontation.
Some people may feel that I just don’t want to get into it. But from a logical perspective, this idea of God dying, there are many theological problems with it itself. For example, It it does show if you can say principle that god cares so much That God sent his son or God gave himself and God die God, agreed to die. Mhmm. But the problem is that if that is the love of God, then what about all the people who lived before Him?
Did God not love any of them? Did God’s love start at a particular time itself? If that is such a great sign of love, then why doesn’t that happen repeatedly? There are so many people, doing so many wrong things. God could come and sacrifice himself repeatedly.
There are so many people who if we consider that same point that if God is ready to sacrifice his own life or the life of his own son, whoever that has conceived the relationship between the son and the father, then can God not give people more chances? Why have eternal damnation at all? What kind of parent would condemn a child forever for not listening to them during one lifetime. So, basically, there are three ways here what I’m talking about is that question the concept itself, question the context of the concept, question the consequence of the concept. So in general, if the question is, is there a comparison?
This is our god does not need to die to show His love. Our God shows if you really want to have an understanding, our God and your God is ultimately one same God, understood in different ways, conceived in different ways, approached in different ways, But it’s one ultimate reality. And God our understanding is that God stays in our heart always to guide us. God descends repeatedly. God doesn’t just come one time and insist that all of history should turn backward to that particular one time alone to be to gain salvation or deliverance or freedom.
God descends repeatedly And across history and geography. God keeps giving repeated chances where each lifetime the soul gets an opportunity to turn towards God over multiple lifetimes. In our tradition, God does not send people to hell. God goes with people to hell. God is present as a super soul even in the hearts of those who are in hell.
And the universe is like a university. Hell is like a tough classroom, but it’s temporary. Nothing our our God’s love is so great that God’s love is the only enduring reality. Everything else, including hell, including the souls turning away from God, Everything else is temporary. So this could be the polemic way of approaching.
And sometimes that’s what is the best. Sometimes you may have to if the person is actually simply inquiring and is not really polemic, then you could have the ironic way of approaching where yes. God’s dying is a principle of sacrificing for the sake of others. And in our tradition, also, god shows the example of sacrifice that Ram comes as a prince, but he lives in a forest, right, to show how we should face adversity in life, how to respond to adversity with grace, with dignity. Lord Chetanetics, the renounce order, although he had a comfortable and happy family life because he wants to share spiritual wisdom and divine love.
So that particular expressions of sacrifice may vary according to tradition, but the principle of sacrifice is universal. That’s the ironic way of dealing with it. The The principle of sacrifice is so much that in our tradition also that God accompanies his soul in the world, wherever that soul goes. So I would say that’s why there are different ways in which we can respond. This is the apologetic way would not really work in this particular situation because they are not really interested in what our tradition teaches.
They are interested in how whatever it is that our tradition teaches compares with their tradition. So if you’re going to focus more on the the question was what is your conception of God? What is your conception of God’s love for us? Then the apologetics might be more helpful at that particular point.
The post How do we respond to a Christian who argues “Our God died for our sake–such was his love for us. How did your God show his love for you?” appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
In this important and timely podcast, Basu Ghosh Das, Secretary of the ISKCON India Bureau, joins members of the ISKCON India Scholars Board (IISB)—Krishna Kirti Das (IISB Convenor) and Sridhar Srinivasa Das (author) —to discuss the recent Supreme Court proceedings held on 16 May, 2025, concerning the long-standing legal dispute between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCONDiary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 19
Where I Went and What I Did
For the nineteenth week of 2025, after flying from Amsterdam to New York via Oslo, I chanted with the NYC Harinam devotees each day they went out, Monday through Saturday.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, The Nectar of Devotion, Back to Godhead, and a quote from a letter of his. I also share a quote from a letter by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita and Haladhara Swamis and by Rama Raya, Sri Prahlada, Radhika Kripa, Caitanya Carana, and Vrajaraja Prabhus. I share notes on Back to Godhead articles by Visakha, Nagaraja, Karuna Dharini, and Caitanya Carana Prabhus and Thomas Mallery.
Thanks to Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi for buying my train ticket from Rotterdam to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and taking me to the train station. Thanks to Ahaituki Prema Prabhu for the photos and videos of NYC Harinama that have me in them.
Itinerary
May 7–June 15: NYC Harinam
– May 27–29: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
– May 29–30: Baltimore harinamas to promote Ratha-yatra
–May 31: Baltimore Ratha-yatra
mid June–mid August: Paris?
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra?
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama?
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra?
– July 13: Holland harinama?
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Jaya Goracand Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and a young woman plays shakers and dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/mZxLt4Yq0yk):
Pandava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park (https://youtu.be/fqjuHGzk2Dw):
Kadamba Kafe, an exciting new prasadam venue opened on April 30 (Aksaya Tritiya) at ISKCON NYC. Just see the wonderful transcendental preparations they make available:
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.29.11–12:
“The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.11:
“Dhruva Maharaja continued: O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service I shall surely be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.55:
“In this material world, to render service to the lotus feet of Govinda, the cause of all causes, and to see Him everywhere, is the only goal of life. This much alone is the ultimate goal of human life, as explained by all the revealed scriptures.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.19.21, purport:
“People must be taught how to be satisfied with only what they need. In modern civilization there is no such education; everyone tries to possess more and more, and everyone is dissatisfied and unhappy. The Krishna consciousness movement is therefore establishing various farms, especially in America, to show how to be happy and content with minimum necessities of life and to save time for self-realization, which one can very easily achieve by chanting the maha-mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 4.23:
“Devotional service rendered to Me by the living beings revives their eternal life. O My dear damsels of Vraja, your affection for Me is your good fortune, for it is the only means by which you have obtained My favor.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.82.44)
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 8.214:
“Srimati Radharani and the gopis are not interested in their personal happiness derived from association with Krishna. Rather, they become happy by seeing one another associate with Krishna. In this way their dealings are further nourished by love of Godhead, and seeing this, Krishna is very pleased.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 22.158:
“The advanced devotee who is inclined to spontaneous loving service should follow the activities of a particular associate of Krishna’s in Vrindavan. He should execute service externally as a regulative devotee as well as internally from his self-realized position. Thus he should perform devotional service both externally and internally.” (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.295)
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 30:
“Even if devotees are illusioned by some ghastly scene or by any accidental occurrence, they never forget Krishna. Even in the greatest danger they can remember Krishna. This is the benefit of Krishna consciousness: even at the time of death, when all the functions of the body become dislocated, the devotee can remember Krishna in his innermost consciousness, and this saves him from falling down into material existence. In this way Krishna consciousness immediately takes one from the material platform to the spiritual world.”
“The specific attachment of Rukmini for Krishna was expressed by Rukmini as follows: ‘My dear Lord Krishna, Your transcendental glories are chanted by great sages who are free from material contamination, and in exchange for such glorification You are so kind that You freely distribute Yourself to such devotees. As one can elevate oneself simply by Your grace, so also by Your direction alone one may be lost to all benedictions, under the influence of eternal time. Therefore I have selected Your Lordship as my husband, brushing aside personalities like Brahma and Indra—not to mention others.’ Rukmini enhanced her love for Krishna simply by thinking of Him. This is an instance of thoughtfulness in ecstatic love.”
“When a person is fully satisfied due to attaining knowledge, transcending all distress or achieving his desired goal of life in transcendental devotional service to God, his state of endurance or steady-mindedness is called dhrti. At this stage one is not perturbed by any amount of loss, nor does anything appear to be unachieved by him.”
“When one is in ecstatic love with the Personality of Godhead, he can endure any kind of disadvantages calculated under the material concept of life.”
“In another instance a devotee says, ‘I am always swimming in the nectarean ocean of the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, and as such I have no more attraction for religious rituals, economic development, sense gratification or even the ultimate salvation of merging into the existence of Brahman.’ This is an instance of the mind’s endurance due to achieving the best thing in the world. The best thing in the world is absorption in Krishna consciousness.”
“It is stated in the Tenth Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, verse 11, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘Upon seeing that Krishna’s arm was placed on her shoulder, one of the gopis engaged in the rasa dance became so ecstatically happy that she kissed Krishna on His cheek.’ This is an instance of feeling happiness because of achieving a desired goal.”
“The gopis spoke as follows: ‘Dear Krishna, there is extreme distress in being out of Your presence, and there is extreme happiness simply in seeing You. Therefore we have all left our husbands, relatives, brothers and friends and have simply come to You, being captivated by the sound of Your transcendental flute.’”
“The gopis were advised by their superiors to bolt the doors at night, but they were so carefree that they did not carry out this order very rigidly. Sometimes, by thinking of Krishna, they became so confident of being out of all danger that they would lie down at night in the courtyards of their houses.”
“There is an authoritative statement in the Garuda Purana about mystic yogis who are under the direct shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: ‘In all three stages of their consciousness—namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep—the devotees are absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, in their complete absorption in thought of Krishna, they do not sleep.’”
“A devotee once stated, ‘I have already conquered the mode of ignorance, and I am now on the platform of transcendental knowledge. Therefore I shall be engaged only in searching after the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ This is an instance of alertness in ecstatic love. Transcendental alertness is possible when the illusory condition is completely overcome. At that stage, when in contact with any reaction of material elements, such as sound, smell, touch or taste, the devotee realizes the transcendental presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 34:
“Whenever there is a recitation of poetry or a dramatic play on the different pastimes of Krishna, the audience develops different kinds of transcendental loving service for the Lord. They enjoy different types of vibhava, anubhava and sañcari-bhava.”
“No one, while remaining on the material platform, should discuss these different descriptions of bhava and anubhava by quoting different statements of transcendental literatures. Such manifestations are displays of the transcendental pleasure potency of the Lord. One should simply try to understand that on the spiritual platform there are many varieties of reciprocal love. Such loving exchanges should never be considered to be material. In the Mahabharata, Bhisma-parva, it is warned that things which are inconceivable should not be subjected to arguments. Actually, the transactions of the spiritual world are inconceivable to us in our present state of life. Great liberated souls like Rupa Gosvami and others have tried to give us some hints of transcendental activities in the spiritual world, but on the whole these transactions will remain inconceivable to us at the present moment. Understanding the exchanges of transcendental loving service with Krishna is possible only when one is actually in touch with the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord.”
“Sri Rupa Gosvami advises, therefore, that devotees who have already tasted the nectar of devotion be very careful to protect devotional service from such dry speculators, formal ritualistic elevationists and impersonal salvationists. Devotees should protect their valuable jewel of spiritual love from the clutches of thieves and burglars. In other words, a pure devotee should not describe devotional service and its different analytical aspects to dry speculators and false renouncers.
“Those who are not devotees can never achieve the benefits of devotional service. For them the subject of devotional service is always very difficult to understand. Only persons who have dedicated their lives unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can relish the real nectar of devotion.
“When one transcends the status of ecstatic love and thus becomes situated on the highest platform of pure goodness, one is understood to have cleansed the heart of all material contamination. In that pure stage of life, one can taste this nectar, and this tasting capacity is technically called rasa, or transcendental mood.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 35:
“Actually the transcendental pleasure derived in association with the Supreme Person is far greater than the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman realization, because of the direct meeting with the eternal form of the Lord.”
“Great sages are therefore recommended to worship the form of the Lord in order to achieve that highest transcendental pleasure.”
“In one of the prayers of the Kumara brothers, this declaration is made: ‘O Lord Mukunda [Krishna, the giver of liberation], only so long as one does not happen to see Your eternal form of bliss and knowledge, appearing just like a newly-grown tamala tree, with a bluish hue—only for so long can the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, known as Brahman, be very pleasing to a saintly person.’”
From “Pure Yoga” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
[Edited transcript of a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.9 in Mayapur on February 16, 1976.]
“‘Krishna is my Lord; I am Krishna’s servant.’ This much understanding. ‘I am an eternal servant of Krishna, so my life is for Krishna. Therefore all my activities should simply be directed for the benefit of Krishna.’ This is called pure yoga.”
“Krishna has many, many thousands of beautiful wives and friends. In Vrindavan He had many, many beautiful girlfriends, the gopis. And in Dwarka He had many, many beautiful queens – 16,108 queens. They are all Laksmis, goddesses of fortune. That is Krishna. He’s not after beauty, but beauty is after Him. The materialistic persons think that Krishna was very fond of beautiful women. No, no, that is not the fact. The beautiful women were after Krishna. That is Krishna. Krishna is so beautiful.”
From “Knowledge Stolen by Illusion” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
[From an edited transcript of a conversation on January 16, 2025 in Mayapur.]
“Vijñana: vi- and jñana. Actually, vijñana has two meanings. One is visista-jñana, or genuine knowledge, fully realized and articulated, or enunciated. You can take this meaning. And the other meaning of vijñana is vigata-jñana, or pseudo knowledge, knowledge lost or stolen by illusion. So these ‘scientists’ – their ‘vijñana,’ or ‘science,’ is vigata-jñana, knowledge stolen by illusion, so-called knowledge bereft of all real knowledge.”
“In this material world all these rascals are endeavoring for the advancement of their foolish knowledge. They are following in the footsteps of that ancient demon Hiraṅyakaśipu. He also tried to ignore the soul and the Supreme Soul and tried to immortalize his material body, which is impossible. But just like Hiranyakasipu, today’s rascals have become very advanced in that foolishness.”
From a letter to Sukadeva Dasa, March 4, 1973:
“A pure devotee always thinks himself as not devotee. If one thinks he is a big devotee, that is not good, thinking that he is first degree. We should not be puffed-up. A devotee avoids it, remaining always in the second degree. Krishna has given everyone something extraordinary, and to serve Krishna with one’s extraordinary talent means successful life.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
From “Sreyo-Nirnaya” (Ascertainment of Spiritual Welfare), Song 2:
“By the power of devotional service, you will be set free. Playing in the ocean of love for Krishna, you will take shelter of Krishna and be His servant.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From a letter dated December 22, 1927:
“It is by the desire to serve the Lord that we can control the desire to enjoy the world.”
Jayadvaita Swami:
Our miseries cannot be mitigated by the temporary benedictions given by the demigods.
Even the demigods seek the blessings of Laksmi Devi, but Laksmi Devi seeks the blessings of the Supreme Lord, therefore intelligent people also seek the blessings of the Supreme Lord. Laksmi Devi will also be pleased by that endeavor and will bless one.
Sometimes Hanuman is worshiped separately from Lord Rama, but that is incomplete understanding.
Jayananda Prabhu was noted for his humility, taking out the garbage, although being the temple president in San Francisco.
He was very natural in engaging people in Krishna’s service.
He pioneered the Ratha-yatras in New York and Los Angeles.
He had the vision and the enthusiasm to make Ratha-yatra successful.
The different booths we have at the Ratha-yatras were first begun at Los Angeles. There was a book for each booth, and someone was there to make sure than those who came to the booth got the book.
By his saintly character, Jayananda Prabhu could inspire people. His dedication to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jagannatha gave him that ability.
It is part of the history that in the year after he passed away, when a devotee went to get the permission for Ratha-yatra at the government office, the lady asked, “Where is Johnny?” When she heard he passed away, she cried.
Srila Prabhupada appreciated all the service of his disciples but some he singled out. Govinda Dasi he appreciated for growing tulasi in the West. He even mentioned that in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Similarly, he appreciated Jayananda Prabhu and his Ratha-yatra and many other services.
The tendency is to say what people want to hear, but Srila Prabhupada was more truthful and was instructive.
The vision can be lost.
From a class on Cc. Adi 4.23:
The Lord says here that it is not by your sacrifices or pious activity, but it is by your love for me, that you have obtained Me.
Out of foolishness the atheists assume a superior position in relationship with God and get smashed.
The atheists see themselves as greater than God because they are real and God is imaginary.
The gopis also try to supercede Krishna but because of love.
The thought “I do not have follow the regulative principles because I am above that; that is for neophytes” is another phase of egotism.
Abandoning regulative principles is not to be imitated by those who have not achieved that perfection.
Even if I think I have achieved spontaneous love, I should follow the rules and regulations. Suppose I have not, but it is just my pride that I think so, then if I abandon the rules and regulations, I will be nowhere.
Our eternal relationship with Krishna is our private business.
B. V. Nemi Maharaja:
From his Bhaktivedanta Institute legacy talk:
“The evolutionary materialists assume that physical laws make bodies. Actually, they break bodies. When we die, the physical laws break down bodies. During our lifetime, we break the laws, and this body is protected from the laws of decay.”
“And then this whole DNA myth: they're saying that 385 megabytes of genetic information is enough to produce and control 30 trillion cells.”
Arcita Prabhu:
You do not have to be a highly elevated devotee to benefit people spiritually as this example of Suniti instructing Dhruva indicates. Devamrita Swami, even before he was initiated, gave me Krishna, Reservoir of Pleasure, when I was studying at New York Polytechnic Institute about five blocks from here. I read it, and it made so much sense I started attending the Henry Street temple.
There are so many political or sociological reasons given for the Russia-Ukrainian War, but ultimately it is because of their karma they are inspired to fight each other.
Until you are complete surrendered to Krishna, there is the possibility of falling down.
Do not get into this guru war business, promoting this guru over that guru.
Seniority is measured by:
By initiation.
By age.
By varna.
By ashram.
By spiritual advancement.
You can see how dedicated the disciples are to serving their spiritual master, and that shows their advancement. If they cannot even follow their spiritual master, how can they be advanced.
You can begin bhakti with false motives, and most people do.
It is better to have a single person instructing the new people, because if everyone is instructing a new person it can be discouraging.
Some people do not like Arjuna Krishna because he is involved with fighting. Some people do not like Gopinath Krishna because that His dealings with the gopis seem immoral. They like bala Krishna, Krishna as an innocent kid.
We do not have a right to change the standards that Srila Prabhupada set.
Srila Prabhupada allowed his female disciples to lead kirtans even in India.
It is good to learn Srila Prabhupada’s instructions on different issues so you know if people are actually representing him.
Comments by me:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura promoted nama ruci and jiva daya as indicators of advancement.
I find it absolute wonderful that after Krishna heard Rukmini’s letter proposing that He kidnap and marry her, that he responded, “My dear brahmana, I am very glad to hear that Rukmini is eager to marry Me, since I am also eager to get her hand. My mind is always absorbed in thoughts of the daughter of Bhismaka, and sometimes I cannot sleep at night because I am thinking of her.” It is wonderful that although he is the ruler of all planets and demigods, he perfectly reciprocates the affection of a teenage girl who has a crush on him.
Nagaraja Prabhu:
From “Gaudiya Vaishnavism’s Leading Philosopher” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
“One of Jiva Gosvami’s many noteworthy contributions to theology, especially Vaisnava theology, is His pointing out and explaining the distinctions between Bhagavan and Paramatma. Briefly, though each is a form of the Supreme Lord, Paramatma is present in the material world while Bhagavan is entirely aloof from it. Paramatma here refers to the three purusa-avataras – Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, and Ksirodakaśayi Vishnu – each of whom is involved with the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe.
“Jiva Gosvami’s analysis suggests that religions whose conception of God is limited to the creator are worshiping Paramatma. They don’t know about the supreme transcendental Lord in His various forms in the spiritual world, such as Narayana in Vaikuntha and Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan.”
Visakha Devi Dasi:
From “Trying to Progress” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
“If we’re committed to regular, persistent acts of devotion, we can be assured that we’re narrowing the gap between who we are and who we want to be.”
“I may not be aware of the progress I’ve made, just as I’m unaware of how my grandson is growing from day to day until, seeing him after a long absence, I realize he’s inches taller and more skilled and mature. Incremental progress goes unnoticed by those close to it.”
“It’s this sense of the infinite, the transcendent, the sublime that keeps us on the spiritual path regardless of our shortcomings and the disappointments and struggles involved. And it’s this same sense that, accepted collectively, will lighten the burden we’re currently placing on this earth. The cause of the gap between who I am and who I want to be is also the cause of the societal troubles that have resulted in widespread dissatisfaction and breakdowns.”
“The force of faith, which urges us to go from the unreal world of pride and possessions to the real one of spiritual beauty and goodness, clears away the cloud covering our hearts and minds.”
“Achieving the ideal – continuous remembrance of Krishna – escapes me so far, but I can learn to avoid hankering for what I don’t have and lamenting for what I’ve had but lost. I can practice contentment and satisfaction.”
“God cannot be experimented on, and He reserves the right to be beyond the perception of the faithless.”
“Our feeble human minds can understand little of the supreme reality. But by giving pleasure to that reality – the Supreme Person, Krishna – devotional service offers us access to it and helps us progress from who we are to who we want to be, both individually and collectively.”
Haladhara Swami:
It was Krishna’s mercy that Dhruva was mistreated by his stepmother in such a way he ended up searching after Krishna.
It is Krishna’s mercy when the disgusting nature of the material world is revealed to us.
We do not want to become a brahmana or a ksatriya but a devotee.
The qualities of the brahmana are the minimum qualification to understand spiritual knowledge.
By engaging our individual spirit of service in Krishna’s service, we come to realize brahman.
If you maintain the rajasic mood, you will not be able to continue practicing bhakti.
By the blessings of the guru and the acaryas we can become purified from our material contamination.
We should pray to chant the holy name purely and pray for good association.
We want to give people Krishna prema? Why do we need varnasrama? Because they are not in the mode of goodness they do not appreciate the need for spiritual life. Varnasrama helps support bhakti by bringing people up to the mode of goodness.
When Vishnu appears, although the Supreme Lord Himself is personally present, Dhruva asks Him for the association of devotees.
Comments by me (by me not asked due to lack of time):
Are people who charge money for knowledge brahmanas or vaisyas?
Regarding our fallen condition and dependence on Krishna’s mercy, Kadamba Kanana Swami said we would fall down many times a day if Lord Caitanya was not personally lifting us up.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
The last instruction of Prahlada Maharaja to his friends is to see Govinda everywhere and to worship Him.
Srila Prabhupada had a burning desire to spiritually benefit as many living entities as possible.
Srila Prabhupada spent a lot of time speaking on these teachings of Prahlada Maharaja, who he had the same mood as, to inspire his disciples to work for the spiritual benefit of others.
Srila Prabhupada would tell the parents of his disciples that they were greatly pious to have children who would deliver them.
We become free from envy by sharing these teachings of Prahlada.
When demons explain the Vedic literature, they neglect the service of the Supreme Lord and make themselves seem like good people.
Srila Prabhupada says not to become a source of dread for others (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.11.32, purport).
Prahlada showed, even in ancient times, that he was not interested in false education.
Prahlada was completely fearless. When he saw his father’s opposition to his devotional service, he could have take a step back, but he instead continued with his devotional service and not only that, he instructed his classmates in school to also perform devotional service.
Q (by Janmastami Prabhu): Why has book distribution decreased and what can be done about it?
A: Of course, Srila Prabhupada’s personal presence motivated everyone. When harinama and book distribution was together in the beginning, the result was very pure. When the book distribution was done separately, there was competition for money, and then later distribution of paraphernalia rather than books. Nihal, a student at NYU, got a “On Chanting Hare Krishna” and later became one of the world’s biggest book distributors.
Karuna Dharini Devi Dasi:
From “Who’s Better?” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
“If we are inspired to ask ourselves, ‘How can I be of service to this devotee?’ we are automatically promoted to higher consciousness.”
“Out of intense humility, pure souls such as Shiva, Prahlada, Hanuman, and Arjuna felt some lacking: Shiva revealed to Narada that he was ashamed to destroy the cosmos. Prahlada declared that he prayed only due to danger. Hanuman, afraid to commit offenses, included himself among the ‘foolish monkeys,’ and Arjuna felt pierced by an arrow of grief for engaging Krishna as his chariot driver. If persons of such pure and noble character see lacking in themselves, then how much more should we, full of blemishes, be disinclined to wave a flag of advanced God consciousness?”
“By always remembering the highest devotees, we become pleased to see the good in others. It requires a great deal of self-control to be truly soft-hearted and always see the good in devotees and nondevotees alike, but that good is identical to Krishna Himself. That self-control is the means to interact with Krishna.”
Sri Prahlada Prabhu:
First we become liberated from identification with the body, and then we become liberated from the cycle of samsara.
Many places in the Gita Krishna makes the point that those who worship Him will return to Him (Bg. 9.25, Bg. 8.6, Bg. 9.34, etc.)
Q: You said we should plan for death. What does that actually mean?
A: That is a good question. We can be prepared by accepting the reality of death. We can cultivate our knowledge of our spiritual nature and of our relationship with Krishna.
Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna was to live in this world according his nature, and situated in that position, cultivate knowledge of Krishna.
There was a T-shirt that said on the front “Always remember Krishna.” and on the back, “Never forget Krishna.”
All the proscriptions are to help us to always remember Krishna, and all the prohibitions are to help us to never forget Krishna.
We should consider how to remember Krishna at home, and how to remember Krishna at work. We should consider how to not forget Krishna at home, and how to not forget Krishna at work.
Caitanya Carana Prabhu:
From a class on Nrsimha Caturdasi:
Hiranyakasipu gained more material power than anyone in the Vedic civilization.
There is jnana (knowledge), jneya (the object of knowledge), jneyagamya (the objective knowledge).
I gave a class on the topic of reincarnation, citing scientific evidence supporting it. After the class, a young man asked if I could pray for him. I was surprised as the class was on science. I asked him what I should pray for. He explained he wanted to marry a girl, but neither his parents or her parents would accept it, so he wanted me to pray that they could marry in their next life. This is an example of using spiritual knowledge for material purposes.
Hiranyakasipu was using spiritual knowledge to try to kill God.
Hiranyakasipu was extreme in atheistism and materialism, whereas Prahlada was extreme in theism and detachment.
The father is supposed to be the protector of the child but Hiranyakasipu wanted to kill his child. At first, he engaged others to kill him, but at the end, Hiranyakasipu tried to kill him himself. It was at that point that the Lord personally appeared.
People expect that by worshiping God they will get a better situation. If they don’t then that becomes a problem and they wonder, “Why should I do this worship?”
The USA is the only country where lawyers advertise.
When one’s worship is the cause of a more negative material situation if one maintains it, that shows a high level of devotion. Prahlada had such a high level of devotion.
Based on reversible situations and reversible emotions, we should not make irreversible decisions.
Hiranyakasipu is not acting only out of hot-headed anger but rather cold-blooded hate.
Prahlada seems to be provoking Hiranyakasipu more and more, but in reality he is trying to educate him.
When Prahlada says that Vishnu is the source of his power and also the source of his father power, he is trying to make the point that his father should not consider Vishnu an enemy but a friend who has blessed him with so much power.
Where the devotees are persecuted, ultimately the Lord reveals His power.
The Lord was not impressed by the prayers of the demigods because they neither protected Prahlada nor protested his father torturing him.
Prahlada is glorified by maintaining the greatest devotion in the worst situation.
We can learn from Prahlada to not let contraints constrain our devotion.
We should not blame our circumstances for our choices.
Krishna always appreciates us choosing him in whatever situation to whatever degree we can.
We may be in a situation where we have no choices, but if we choose Krishna at the times we can, even in that severe situation, Krishna will be there for us.
From Q&A in BTG:
“That’s an essential benefit of ‘close association’ – we can reveal our mind in confidence to others. In that sense close association doesn’t mean chanting and dancing in kirtana together. It means letting someone come as close to us as our mind.”
“Our mistake may be circumstantial, but if we have good association, culture, and habits, our intelligence will awaken soon. Our awakened intelligence will then ensure that the first mistake doesn’t lead to a series of other mistakes, as it did for Ajamila.”
Vrajaraja Prabhu:
The lives of devotees like Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja, and Ambarisa Maharaja give us a road map showing how we can live and attain perfection at the end of life.
If Prahlada Maharaja listened to his father, he could have became a great demon, but instead he followed the instructions of Narada Muni and became a great devotee.
Every word of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very powerful.
Suniti was very wise. She could have encouraged Dhruva to retalitate against the insult of his stepmother, but instead she told him to accept it, and take shelter of the Supreme Lord. She mentioned that his great-grandfather Brahma became successful by taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.
The Bhagavatam teaches that whether you have no material desires or you have many material desires, you should take shelter of the Lord.
Generally we adopt material means to mitigate our problems, but spiritually advanced persons take shelter of the Supreme Lord.
Gopala Bhatta Goswami in the course of bathing dipped his waterpot in the river, and when he raised it up he noticed salagrama silas in it. He put them back, but the next time he dipped the waterpot in the river, more salagrama silas appeared in it. He again put them back, but the next time he dipped his waterpot in the river, there were twelve salagrams in it. Gopala Bhatta Goswami then decided the Lord wanted him to worship Him in that form.
Mataji:
We all have a Suruci and a Suniti in our lives. Suruci gives us sensual pleasure. Suniti gives us good advice. Uttanapada unfortunately gave preference to Suruci.
If we are as determined to find God as Dhruva was, Krishna will send a spiritual master to us.
By following the examples of Dhruva and Prahlada we will definitely go back to Godhead.
Dhruva is the ideal of determination.
It is not enough to have a guru. One must follow his guru.
It the blessing of Narada that Dhruva was able to perform some austerities.
Because I came from a Sikh family, my guru, Gopal Krishna Goswami told me to write a book about Vaishnavism and Sikhism. I was a fashion designer, but I was not a scholar. Thus I did not take that instruction very seriously. Much later he told Devamrita Prabhu, “She has written about a book Vaishnavism and Sikhism.” I was embarrassed. Then I realized I had to do it. I spent 10 or 12 hours a day researching the scriptures and writing, and in a month and a half I finished the book.
During the COVID I started giving online lectures because I felt that we had become fearless by following the instructions of Srila Prabhupada but other people were so fearful, and I wanted to benefit them. Ultimately I had a group of about 900 people who would listen to my lectures, and many became regular chanters of sixteen rounds.
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada said the most important instruction of the guru is to chant 16 rounds.
The phone is Kali-yuga ultimately distracting element.
Comments by me not made due to lack of time:
Mother Laxmimoni said they asked Prabhupada if they should pray for calamities. Srila Prabhupada said that was not required because calamities would come of their own accord.
Janananda Goswami said enthusiastic sankirtana devotees offered Kunti’s prayer for calamities. Not long after, their van got smashed up. Then they realized they were not qualified to make such a prayer, and they stopped.
Thomas Mallery:
From “Perspectives on Time” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 59, No. 5 (September/October 2025):
“There is a good reason why casinos and bars don’t have clocks easily visible. Their proprietors know that people absorbed in degrading atmospheres want to remove time completely. They don’t want to be reminded that life is carrying on without them, and that their potential for self-realization is being destroyed from one minute to the next.”
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It is hard to perform sacrifices perfectly in this degraded age of quarrel called Kali-yuga, but if the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord is going on, then we do not have to worry according to this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, amazingly enough spoken by Sukracarya, the spiritual master of the demons, who was asked by Lord Vamana to evaluate the sacrifice of his disciple, Bali Maharaja:
mantratas tantratas chidram
desa-kalarha-vastutah
sarvam karoti nischidram
anusankirtanam tava
“There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship's holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.23.16)