Author Archives: Dandavats

By Acarya Dasa

I tried to explain to him that we were not promoting any sectarian religion, we are just servants of the Lord and we don’t believe in any caste system either. But he turned a deaf ear and on top of that he raised his voice and called 10 to 12 young boys from somewhere. All of them started yelling at us, “Go away! Leave this place!” They were about to beat us so we moved towards the hotel where we were staying. Somehow the hotel owner got news of the incident. Within no time these boys reached the hotel by following us. The owner got scared that a riot might break out, and asked us to vacate the place immediately. We were faced to answer this big question: Where to take shelter in this terribly cold night?

By BBT Marketing, Communications and Innovations Department

Since 2012, when ISKCON North America’s leaders unanimously agreed to work as one book distribution team with a collective goal, sales of Srila Prabhupada’s books have seen a dramatic increase. Remittance to the BBT grew 20% in 2012 and 2013, and 10% each year after that, from $700,000 in 2012 to around $2.1 million in 2016. The 2017 marathon was yet another major success, with nearly $2 million again remitted to the BBT in North America. In the U.S. and worldwide, devotees worked closely together, implementing ingenious strategies like Motel Gita, Monthly Sankirtana Festivals, and full set sales with the Go Matsya project.

By the BBT

Faithful followers of the BBT have adopted March 14th as “BBT Only Day” in recognition of a significant instruction Srila Prabhupada issued to all temples and members of the Society on March 14th 1974 in the included letter. As is evident from this letter: Srila Prabhupada was concerned that devotees (“centres”) producing his books independently was undermining and potentially threatening the viability of the BBT. ? “This must not go on” illustrates an unambiguous desire on his part to stop any printing of his books separate from the BBT. He stresses that he created the BBT specifically to be the exclusive medium by which his books, lectures, and so on, are to be published and made available.

By Chandan Yatra Das Nashik is one of the most principal places in the lila of Sri Sri Sita Ram Laxmana. It is here that Laxmana cut the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of demon Ravana. Nashik means “nose”, and thus this city got its name. In Nashik at …

By Sri Nandanandana dasa As we associate or practice the chanting of this maha-mantra, it will purify us from our bad habits, addictions, and negative thought patterns, and help us rise above the more debased tendencies that we may have. It will help u…

Nirmala Krishna Das: Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.Read More…

By Bhaktisiddanta Swami Peter Cosgrove: Governor General, Lieutennat General, Chief of Army, Commander, Royal Australian Regiment. Due to the arrival of the Australian royalty in an entourage of 4 cars and a Mercedes limo, the main thorough fare …

By Today, before a break until mid April, we went to 2 primary schools. In Norwood, London, we were again invited to a Church of England school after a visit last week – this time to address their Year 4 children.Read More…

By Mitra Devi Dasi

Please find enclosed the third issue of ISKCON Ministry of Education’s quarterly journal, Viplavah. We hope this edition will be useful and interesting to you in many ways. We look forward to being in touch with you. Please let us know if you would like to participate in educational projects facilitated by the ministry or would like to collaborate with the ministry for educational initiatives in your area.

By Bhurijan Das Krsna’s heart is softer than – fresh butter. Therefore: I personally sustain such devotees, who for My sake give up all worldly duties. When we hear this, we think it does not refer to me, I am keeping something behind my back for mys…

By Vrajendranandan Das “And who are those exuberant people singing and dancing”? His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter John Cosgrove, Principal Knight and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, Military Cross, enquired about the more than 100 …

Hrimati Mataji: It is with a heavy heart to give the news that our dear godbrother Ravanari Das has left his body March 1, 2018, in Ottawa, Canada.Read More…

Caturatma das: Yamarāja is one of the twelve Mahājanas. These are the personalities that give us our understanding and our standards in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. We can greatly benefit from that. Now for the non-devotee, for those not interested in their s…

Institute for Spiritual Culture conducted their annual program expounding upon the virtues of ideal family lifeRead More…

On Friday we were in primary and secondary schools in Norwood, Clapham and Sanderstead, South London and made presentations about Sanatana Dharma. The children chanted the Hare Krishna mahamantra very nicely. A total of 175 Higher Taste were distribut…

By Niranjana and Jayapataka Swamis He said, “Oh, my Lord. The destined time for my life span in this world is now exhausted. Now it is time to depart from this world and go on to my next destination. Who is anyone’s son? Who is anyone’s father? We are …

By Giriraj Swami Sridhar Swami: “When I leave, we can be together in more significant ways.” He said that love in separation was actually stronger. And we do experience that when we are with people we love, we may take them for granted but that when th…

Patita Pavana Das: This is chapter 19 of our book ‘’From Radha-Syama to Maya-devi dhama ‘’, which has 27 chapters.

Nabhinanda Das: Today we celebrated Holi in two schools in Croydon. The first was an assembly in a primary school with 360 children. The pastime of the Holi festival was presented to the children, followed by wonderful chanting of the Hare Krishna mah…

It is with a heavy heart that I inform the worldwide ISKCON community that Braja Vilas prabhu, the Global Fundraising Director for the TOVP project is now at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai after sustaining injuries due to a car accident on Satur…

By Sahadev Sakha Das Just following the teachings of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the footsteps of our Acharyas, we at Dwarka ISKCON temple tried to spread Krishna Consciousness by celebrating this year Gaur Purnima festival by having a 10 day long 24…

By Sarvabhauma Dasa Why are sports so popular? According to Vaishnava teachings, everything here, including the sporting propensity, is an imperfect or distorted reflection of the original, blissful activities of all-attractive Lord Sri Krishna, the S…

By Aradhika Radha Dasi The Boat Festival has its roots in Goloka Vrindavan, the spiritual eternal realm. One of the boat pastimes is described in detail in Gopal Champu by Srila Jiva Goswami. One day the gopis, loaded with pots full of yogurt and butte…

By Taru Das

Srila Prabhupada has stated that, “The first sense you will realize Krishna with is your tongue”. The meaning is clear. All of our advancement in spiritual life comes from chanting Hare Krishna. Therefore, by this process of chanting Krishna’s names, one will eventually learn to see Krishna everywhere. But for the prasadam addict, the statement has another meaning. He thinks, “The more I eat, the closer I come to God”. Or again, there is the statement that one should try to see Krishna in everything. The prasadam addict takes this to mean that wherever I am, I should seek out some prasadam. The super addict will even construe the injunction to be always engaged in Krishna’s service to mean that he should be taking prasadam twenty-four hours a day. Finally, when he hears that advanced devotees become mad after Krishna, he understands that anything he can do to get his hands on prasadam is authorized and righteous.

Nabhinandan Das: Today we were invited to a school in Wimbledon, London to deliver 3 workshops to Year 4 children on God, Sacred Texts, Lifestyle and Worship from the Sanatana Dharma perspective. This is the 6th year that the school has hosted us. The…

By Bhakti Caitanya Swami

I have been chanting 45+ years. And some of you for longer, I know. And do not mind me saying it but at least from what I have observed, I have not seen any one displaying such symptoms like Lord Caitanya did. Please forgive me if that is inappropriate but I think it is not. Because I think we commit offenses, I think we are sometimes not attentive enough, And that’s why these things are not happening like they did with Lord Caitanya. I mean with Him it happened on a massive scale. With us, sometimes, oftentimes the chanting is nice, sometimes it’s very nice. But some experience like that is beyond most of us generally. So why… Why? Well, that is unfortunately because we are continuing to not chant purely, to chant offensively.

By Navina Shyama Dasa

Sometimes the car becomes blocked. But some fellow pushes it. We have got this experience. What is that called? Chocked up? Then you get down and push the car and – brut-brut-brut-brut-brut – it goes. Similarly the bhakti-rasa [feeling of devotion] is there in everyone’s heart. Nitya-siddha krishna-bhakti. Because we are part and parcel of Krishna. . . . So the fact is that we have got devotion for Krishna. That is a fact. But some way or other we are separated and we have forgotten. So as soon as, by this regulative principle, by the order of the spiritual master, by the injunction of the shastras, we begin devotional service

By Iskcon Mayapur

Śrīla Prabhupāda describes in his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.11.1: “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also given us a nice weapon for this age, as stated in the Bhāgavatam: sāṅgopāṅgāstra—in this age, the nārāyaṇāstra, or weapon to drive away māyā, is the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in pursuance of the associates of Lord Caitanya, such as Advaita Prabhu, Nityānanda, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa.” This weapon of the holy name was utilized perfectly by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. He took complete shelter of the holy names of the Lord. It is described by Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura that Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and his brothers were constantly absorbed in singing the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa. It was in the home of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His most intimate saṅkīrtana pastimes. Those nocturnal kīrtanas are compared to the rāsa-līlās of Lord Kṛṣṇa, for they are the topmost and most ecstatic of the Lord’s pastimes.

Nabhinandan Das: Today we were invited to a Primary Academy in Croydon to make assembly presentations to 300 Year 4 and Year 5 students on Holi and Gaura Purnima. The pastime of Lord Nrsimhadeva and Lord Chaitanya was described to the children and the…

By Anuttama dasa Among social reformers and spiritual teachers of the past, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stands out. Today, in a period of great cynicism, lack of faith in leadership, and growing tension between peoples and cultures of the world, Mahaprabh…

By Giri Govardhana dasa There are many extraordinary benefits that come from chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra, but in order for us to receive those benefits we need to endeavor to chant in the right way. If we approach our chanting not simply as a…

By Madhava Smullen

We in ISKCON may feel that times have changed; that we must use very different methods to deliver our message to people. But in New York City’s Harinama Ashrama, a group of devotees is using the most “old school” approach – simple Harinama and book distribution for hours every day – to impressive effect. And nowhere was this more evident than during the Prabhupada marathon this past Christmas. Rama Raya Das, formerly of the 24-Hour Kirtan Mandali in Vrindavana, India, started Harinama Ashrama on the instruction of his late friend and guide, Aindra Das. Aindra had said, “If you just sit on the streets of New York and do sankirtana, you’ll see where your realization will be.”

By Jayadvaita Swami In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna says, “Enjoyments born of stimulation for the senses are themselves the very sources of misery. They have a beginning and an end, and one who is wise does not delight in them.” Yet it is those enjoyment…

By Satyaraja Dasa If you ask the average yoga practitioner in the West what yoga is all about, you’ll probably hear answers like, “It makes me feel good,” “It’s stimulating,” “It’s relaxing,” “It’s quite a workout,” or “It keeps me in shape.” Nearly e…

We will expand our menu from just cooking dosas to include other items like pies, salads, pizza, sweets, burgers, nachos and hot chips.Read More…

By Sikhi Mahiti Das Millions visited and watched the celebrations in Mayapur this year. Just see the images and watch the videos of the ceremonies (included in the post) that took place outside the temple room to see the crowds gathered! This morning, …

ISKCON Kathwada: Here in ISKCON Kathwada it’s about to complete one year of temple opening and this was our first Gaura Purnima, more than 500 people visited temple on the occasion of ‘Festival of Holi’.Read More…

By Mayesvara das

I had watched the destruction done in less than two minutes with astonishment and disbelief and I simply had no idea what to do next. I felt like a complete failure and was so traumatized with what had just occurred, I started telling all those who were asking me what to do: “Tell everyone to go home. There isn’t going to be a parade!” I began to work my way through the crowd and eventually got back into the temple and headed straight back to the roof, which was the only place where I knew I could get some privacy and cry. I had let everyone down. Lord Jagannatha wasn’t going anywhere, and it seemed quite obvious that I was worse than a useless disciple to Srila Prabhupada because I really messed things up this time. I also felt like I had personally let down Jayananda prabhu, as well as Jayapataka Maharaja, all the currently assembled devotees as well as all three million native residents to the city of Calcutta. I mechanically put my hand in my bead bag hoping for relieve and then laid back down on the roof of the temple to try and get the world to stop spinning, but I already knew it would be an impossible task.

By Taru dasa

The Laddu Sadhu. Who is there who can sufficiently describe the wondrous attributes of this illustrious sweet ball? This must surely be Madhumangala, who is mentioned in many Vaisnava books and songs as a great lover of laddus. Being a brahmana boy, he used to promise to give Krishna benedictions in exchange for laddus. So if a laddu is so potent as to be able to distract the attention of one of Krishna’s most intimate friends, who can calculate its effect upon an ordinary conditioned soul in the material world? Also: Sweet Rice Glories. Srila Prabhupada tasted the sweet rice here in 1974 and said, “I haven’t had anything like I his in sixty years”