Author Archives: Dandavats

By Satyaraja Dasa

TWO commemorative events of landmark stature inspired the essay you are about to read: First, the year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s abrupt departure from our material vision. Second, 2018 is also the semicentennial celebration of a consequential publication: It was in 1968 that His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada released his unprecedentedly influential Bhagavad-gita As It Is. As we shall see, the trailblazing Western visionary, Merton, and this particular edition of the Gita engaged in productive conversation with each other

Indradyumna Swami: Following in the footsteps of our beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, we are back in Russia on a two-month winter preaching tour, taking us from the far eastern shores of Vladivostok to St. Petersburg, 6,532 kilometres to th…

ISKCON MIRA ROAD, MUMBAI had organized a 3 Day workshop Entitled Bhakti Vriksha-Hands on Training between 6th-8th April 2018. Around 65 devotees participated in this workshop which includes Congregation devotees, Youth Forum Devotees and Brahmacari’s …

A devotional children’s book by Ananda Rupa devi dasi is recognized as one of the best among all books published in Midwest last year

By The GBC EC The GBC EC, on behalf of the GBC body, wishes to offer its deepest respect to Sriman Vrndavan Chandra De, on the occasion of his passing from this world. Vrndavan Chandra De was the youngest son of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw…

Every year for Nrsimha Caturdasi we celebrate the Lord’s appearance with a grand three day festival. The first day is celebrated with a huge procession throughout the ISKCON Mayapur property and on the second day we perform a three hour long Maha Sudarshana Homa before the Deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

ISKCON Dallas is doing their Ratha Yatra in Downtown Dallas very first time. Entire temple congregation is working hard to make it the best event in DFW vicinity. They got the coverage on the television today morning. It was cold but devotees went in …

By Kripamoya Das

The great logical philosopher Jayatirtha wrote in his book of logic, the Tattvasankhyana Tika: “The independent principle is that which does not depend on any other for its own nature and existence, self-awareness or for becoming an object of knowledge to the selves and for the free and unfettered exercise of its own powers” The philosophical enquiries of the Indian philosophers led them into an area of knowledge which today we would term Theology, the study of theos or God. Although theology is considered today to be a separate discipline from philosophy, one more interested in sectarian religious dogma than scientific examination of the truth, the ancient Indian philosophers saw no such hard distinction. They simply saw that their line of enquiry into the ultimate reality led them to the very reasonable conclusion that there existed an independent reality that had unlimited awareness and volition, and the infinitesimal consciousness of the limitless number of individuals was somehow connected and given sustenance by this one entity.

By Satyaraja Dasa Anthropomorphism fails as an explanation for the many-armed divine forms described in the Vedic literature. When I joined the Hare Krishna movement, something in Srila Prabhupada’s books intrigued me: God’s unlimited nature went bey…

By Taru dasMy dear readers, it is time to come to an understanding of the motivation behind these articles. We have attempted to be a little amusing and in this respect, there may have been a certain amount of success. But actually what we are trying t…

By Krsangi Radhe dasi

It has been an amazing festival of spreading Krishna Consciousness through diverse preaching programmes, bringing people together from all walks of life to a spiritual realm. ISKCON Kwa-Zulu Natal (South Africa) hosted the 30th Durban Festival of Chariots over the Easter Weekend (30 March – 2 April).  The four day festival is a flagship event on the Ethekwini Municipality calendar as an event that promotes social cohesion through song, dance, food and discussion. As with previous years, we saw over 150 000 enthusiastic guests enjoy all that was on offer.

By The GBC

GBC Nominations Committee: Members – Bhakti Caitanya Swami (Chairman), Prahladananda Swami, Praghosa Das, Gopal Bhatta Das (Convenor), Tamohara Das, Anuttama Das, Revati Raman Das, Radha Krsna Das, Gauranga Das, Aniruddha Das, Devakinandan Das (MVG), Laxmimoni Dasi, Manohara Das, Kaunteya Das, Tapana Misra Das (Non-voting Executive Member)

By The GBC One Year Waiting List: Bhaktipada Das Deva Deva Das Ekalavya Das Navadwip Dwija Gauranga Das Priti Vardhana Das Pushpashila Shyam Das Raghava Pandit Das Santa Nrsimha Das Vrindavan Chandra Das Two Years Waiting List: Asim Krishna …

By The GBC Zonal Assignments for GBC Members Acyutatma Das Co-Zonal Secretary with Bhakti Caitanya Swami for: Russia: Northwest Co-Zonal Secretary with Gopal Krishna Goswami and Niranjana Swami for: Russia: Moscow Anuttama Das Zonal Secretary for: Del…

By The GBC

Whereas when Deity worship is done properly following the rules of worship and maintaining strict cleanliness and punctuality, the worship is enlivening to devotees; Whereas, it has been seen that in temples where the worship is below the required minimum standard, it is often a result of zonal leadership, temple management, and/or the head pujari not knowing the proper standards of worship; Whereas GBC members and other leaders of ISKCON may not have the time to learn appropriate standards for ISKCON centers; Whereas, the maintenance of public Deity worship in an ISKCON center is the responsibility of the management of that center, under the supervision of that center’s zonal authorities, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the GBC Zonal Secretary and the GBC Body; Whereas Deity worship is one of the five primary angas of bhakti and therefore of primary importance in a sadhaka’s progress in spiritual life; Whereas other primary activities of ISKCON, such as book distribution, have standing annual presentation time to the GBC and discussion on ISKCON Deity worship at our centers is similarly worthy of the GBC Body’s attention and awareness; Resolved: Each year at the AGM in Mayapur, the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry will be allocated a minimum of 1 hour, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, to present a report of Deity worship in ISKCON, particularly with a focus on Radha-Krsna worship.

By The GBC Resolved: That the ISKCON Law governing the commencement of worship of Deities in ISKCON centers shall be amended to include the following: ISKCON centers proposing to commence worship of Radha-Krishna Deities must ensure that their propos…

By The GBC Resolved: 1. The ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office) be established as a permanent ISKCON organizational entity subject to review by the GBC Body (as with other Offices and Ministries). The PLM …

By Iskcon Nairobi For the first time in the history of the Kenyan Yatra, the Lord of the universe Jagannatha along with His brother Baladeva and sister Subhadra devi came out in a beautiful procession to bless the jubilant and colorful people of Eldore…

By Hari Narayana Das Festival of art and cultural carnival and ogoh-ogoh annual parade enliven the streets of Semarang, Sunday (25/3). Spatter rain did not dampen the intention of residents and tourists to enjoy the event. The purpose of this event is …

By GBC College Staff For the first time, ISKCON Pune hosted the GBC College for Leadership Development, for the forth English edition of the Zonal Supervisor Course, in the newly-built guest-house and conference halls, from Feb 24 to March 8, 2018. Par…

By The GBC The GBC Body grants Romapada Swami a Leave of Absence based on his below letter: I am requesting permission from the GBC Body to take a leave of absence from my GBC duties and ISKCON management responsibilities until the Freeport Temple lit…

By The GBC

Whereas the GBC law passed as resolution 104 of 1999 “COMPLAINTS ABOUT SANNYASIS” states as follows in its entirety: THAT the GBC Sannyasa Sub-committee shall deal with any complaints against sannyasis. An investigation will be initiated if a majority of the members judges a complaint to merit investigation. Decisions will be made by a majority vote. The GBC Executive Committee shall present the decision to the GBC Body either by correspondence or at the next annual general meeting. A decision of the Sannyasa Sub-committee will be overturned by a majority vote of the GBC Body; otherwise the sub-committee’s decision remains in effect. A sannyasi who does not abide by the decision shall be subjected to penalties according to ISKCON Law. If there are complaints against sannyasis who are also GBC members or gurus, the GBC Executive Committee may decide to deal with them itself; however, in that case the Sannyasa Minister should also participate in the decision-making process.

By The GBC For nearly five decades, His Grace Harivilas Prabhu has been exemplary in his service to Srila Prabhupada. From the beginning of his life in Krsna consciousness, Harvilas Prabhu earnestly took on the responsibility of Srila Prabhupada’s miss…

Lalitamrita Dasi: Anybody coming to India from Western countries is shocked to find out that here it is common for people to throw garbage just anywhere on the streets. In Vedic times, and in the not so distant past, all of the waste was recycled, wh…

One of the inmates who has been in contact with the prison ministry since 2009, Bhakta Sasha, now has terminal cancer. He is fifty-seven years old. The prospect of dying is overwhelming for everyone, but having to die in prison is even more daunting.R…

By The GBC Although this letter is delayed by the unforeseen change of agenda at the Midterm General Meetings in Ujjain, please accept our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the decades of service you have rendered on behalf of Srila Prabhupada’s…

By The GBC We write to you with saddened hearts. As you well know, HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja has been faithfully and steadily serving his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, and the global ISKCON society for more than four decades. From his…

By The GBC The GBC directs the Mayapur Executive Board (MEB) to approve the request from the Jayapataka Swami Sisya Samuha to build a structure designated for the purposes of a Guest House, Devotee Care Facility, Offices, Archives and Museum on the fiv…

Vrikodara das, (Victor Mistretta), disciple of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, passed away January 26, 2018, in Miami, Florida. He was 68 years old, and had terminal cancer. He had been the temple president of ISKCON New Orleans an…

By The GBC Whereas someone skilled and experienced is required to establish and develop the new ISKCON International Office for the Prevention of Leader Misconduct (PLM Office); Whereas Champakalata dd has volunteered to take up this service; Resolved…

By the GBC

Whereas the issues of implementation of Vaishnavi diksa-gurus and disciples initiating in the presence of their initiating guru in ISKCON remain unresolved; Whereas there is a critical need for many more devotees to serve as diksa-guru in ISKCON; Whereas there are at least 9 million congregational members in ISKCON; Whereas ISKCON has less than 80 devotees available to give diksa to potentially 9 million people; Whereas if every congregational member sought initiation each ISKCON guru would have to accept approximately 112,500 disciples; Whereas the moratorium on both Vaishnavi and second-generation devotees serving as diksa-guru remains until the GBC concludes its research on guru-tattva in ISKCON; Whereas the GBC Body previously committed to that research and to annually review, until its conclusion, a comprehensive and inclusive understanding that delineates how diksa- and siksa-gurus unitedly work within the framework of ISKCON; Whereas the GBC stated it “is steadfastly dedicated” to accomplish the above; Resolved: The GBC recommits to its statement of 310/2015, and begins by dedicating at least two days at either every Annual General Meeting or Midterm General Meeting to this subject until the relevant aspects of this topic are resolved satisfactorily.

By the GBC

Whereas the Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database was started in 1995 as part of the Srila Prabhupada Centennial Project under the petal of Uniting Srila Prabhupada’s Family and is based on the “Initiation Name Book” which was compiled by Srila Prabhupada’s secretaries; Whereas Mahamaya-devi dasi (ACBSP) has expanded the approximate 3,900 names from the last version of the initiation name book that she typed in 1977 by compiling through research of Srila Prabhupada’s letters and initiation tapes as well as face-to-face meetings with devotees at festivals and at temples to the current number of approximately 4750 names; Whereas the process of adding names involves thoroughly verifying that the devotee was indeed initiated by Srila Prabhupada (or his authorized representative) while he was personally present (ie. before November 14, 1977); Whereas the process of verification involves consulting with the devotees who got initiated at the same fire sacrifice or who witnessed the ceremony; or using photos that show conclusively when and where the initiation was held; Whereas there are devotees who have taken the online posting of the Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database currently hosted on Krishna.com and used that as a basis of their own online projects, pretending to be authorized or to be the official database, but who accept anyone who claims to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada without using a process of verification and who are thus causing confusion and discrediting the validity of the Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database; Resolved: That the Srila Prabhupada Disciple Database is an authorized GBC project with Mahamaya-devi dasi as the compiler. Access shall be shared with the GBC Secretariat.

On the 25th March 2018 ISKCON Kathwada celebrated the first Ramnavami Festival (Appearance day of Lord Ramchandra). Decorated deities, Chappan Bhoga and Abhisheka was the main attraction of the festival.Read More…

Anand Caitanya das; Lokanath Swami inaugurates Vrindavan parikrama at Govardhan Eco VillageRead More…

It is such a touching talk….Sruti is such an amazing devotee….I pray and pray that Sri Sri Radha Krishna manifest Their full mercy in his life and in the lives of his wife and son.Read More…

By the GBC The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is committed to the well being of all individuals involved with ISKCON, especially children and other more vulnerable participants. ISKCON recognizes that children, for their full …

By the GBC

A sannyasi, in the varnasrama society, is expected to have material and spiritual qualifications even more exalted than those possessed by a brahmana. According to the Bhagavad-gita, a brahmana should possess the following qualities: Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness – these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work. Bg. 18.42 Therefore, a bona fide sannyasi is expected to possess the above qualities plus others such as renunciation and spiritual wisdom. If an ISKCON sannyasi breaks his vows of celibacy, becomes greedy for money, or displays other anarthas, ISKCON devotees’ faith in the sannyasa asrama is diminished. Therefore, it is a duty of the leadership of ISKCON to correct a sannyasi’s errant behaviour, and when necessary discipline him.

By the GBC

Establishing the Spiritual Advisors Bhagavata Assembly, or SABHA, has manifold functions. It aims at strengthening unity among ISKCON’s global spiritual leaders. It facilitates their cooperation, communication and working relation for the progress of Srila Prabhupada’s movement. The SABHA provides checks and balances on the authority of the GBC and course-correction for its decisions. More consultation, more dialogue and more interaction can be conducive to better, wiser and more acceptable decisions.

By the GBC

The ISKCON Initiated Devotees Global Database is hereby established; all ISKCON initiating spiritual masters (and others who might be managing databases of departed diksa-gurus) shall share their disciple database with this repository upon request and on a regular basis. The ISKCON Initiated Devotees Global Database will provide a secure platform for storage, collation, information processing and management reporting, and should regularly update the database for meaningful data analysis and data mining. The database shall be owned by the Governing Body Commission and shall not be used for any other purpose without the written authorization of the Governing Body Commission. The ISKCON Initiated Devotees Global Database shall provide all initiating spiritual masters the technical platform and relevant training for effectively maintaining and operating their individual disciples’ database (within the Initiated Devotees Global Database). The Manager of the ISKCON Initiated Devotees Global Database shall develop systems for handling information requests. Caitanya Avatari Das is appointed as the Manager of the ISKCON Initiated Devotees Global Database.