Author Archives: Dandavats

By Sankirtana Das

America, and the world, sorely needs these types of examples more than ever. But warriors have to be leaders and courageous and generous, all at the same time. It’s not easy. The responsibilities of a warrior/leader are brought in sharp focus in the ancient epic Mahabharata. I think Mahabharata is one of the most valuable stories for healing and for seekers of spiritual wisdom in our time. The story is about five warrior brothers – the Pandavas – and their common wife struggling to stand up to tyranny and at the same time keep their humanity. There’s a monumental battle that takes place. One of the most important things for them is to abide in the Dharma, to live with integrity. They strive to live in the courage, justice and humility that is required of them. But just like the rift in our nation, the Pandavas don’t always see eye to eye. They have their contentious moments, but they work through it. This is the very task set before us today. Mitakuye Oyasin.

By Giriraj Swami Book distribution is sankirtana. Kirtana means “glorification” and sam means “complete.” Glorification of Krsna is complete when many devotees participate. Also, complete glorification means glorifying not only Krsna’s name but also Hi…

By Nashvin Gangaram What is the point of happiness if it doesn’t last forever? What is the key to everlasting happiness? Srimad Bhagavatam, the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, offers us a solution: “Any person who seriously desires real happiness…

By Rasika Sindhu Dasa Reaching the venue I was myself very pessimist to what I was told for that area of the country is known for its tensions and occasional law and order issues with the lawbreakers. Few officers here and there roaming around, a quick…

By Chirag Dangarwala Complacency is a dangerous element in the progress of Spiritual Life. It is very essential for an endeavoring spiritualist to always remember that the material world is not a place of comfort. It has been certified by the Creator,…

By Nashvin Gangaram

ISKCON is the ultimate welfare organisation. This is a bold claim but I’ll explain. Suppose you came across a lost child, crying for her parents. It would certainly be noble to feed the child, and take care of her. However, a higher consideration would be to reunite the child with her parents. Similarly, all our altruistic and humanitarian endeavours are wonderful, but they find perfection when they are accompanied by reuniting the soul with the Supreme Lord. ISKCON is led by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He is the Founder and Acharya of ISKCON and is predicted in scripture. “Lord Krishna: ‘After 5,000 years of this age have passed, the great sage and worshipper of my holy names will appear and spread the chanting of my names throughout the world.’” (Brahma-vaivarta Purana) Srila Prabhupada did not seem to perform superhuman feats. However, his miracle was that he gave people a higher taste and a chance at real happiness, which can allow us to overcome our struggles. The happiness experienced in bhakti, or devotional service to the Supreme Lord, is of a different kind altogether. It far surpasses anything else, which includes temporary pleasures and the state of nirvana or the bliss of merging into the effulgence of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the affluent, the simple, the serious seeker, and the party animal, are all attracted to this path. They experience joy that is not found elsewhere.

By Visakha Dasi Mature practitioners in the Hare Krishna tradition choose to accept vows of purity. Individuals or couples solemnly vow to avoid intoxicants, illicit sex, meat eating and gambling, and to chant 16 rounds of the maha-mantra daily. To pr…

By Gopi Gita The celebration was indeed at another level.. Ritzy, glamorous decor; senators, congressman, Deans of universities, educators, ministers from different churches; Mother Guru Bhakti’s incredible outreach work and her team’s total dedicatio…

By Vivasvan das “One whose activities are strictly spiritually dedicated to the supreme Lord has thus become a brahmacari.” Or “To act on the spiritual platform.” Brahamcarya means the development of a positive, active spiritual life with an avowed d…

By Krishna Nandan Das & Bhagavati Kripa Devi Dasi

On the most auspicious occasion of ISKCON celebrating 50 years and ISKCON Mira-road celebrating first year after inauguration, which took place in September 2015, HG Kamalalochana Prabhu – President of ISKCON Mira-road, instructed his team of devotees to invite 10,000 school children for Brahmotsava. To fulfill this instruction Bhaktin Samhita came up with a very beautiful brochure to attract the Principals of different schools, so that they would agree to bring their students for field trip to ISKCON.

By ISKCON-London Communications

ISKCON-London celebrated the 47th Anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara on Sunday, 29th November. This special 50th Anniversary year of ISKCON, themed “The Joy of Devotion”, has been filled with many joyous celebrations both in London and worldwide. This particular event was one of the signature events this year. Held at a big theatre-style venue in central London, the cultural programme started with a sumptuous prasadam feast followed by a line-up of dance, drama, and speeches, ending with a lively kirtan that got everyone off their seats and dancing!

One of the annual events at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, in the UK, is the Ayurvedic retreat, conducted by Dr Vasant Lad. Hailing from Maharashtra in India, Dr Lad is one of the foremost authorities in Ayurveda and comes from a long line of practitione…

The Namas Te India restaurant chain in Norwich has distributed no less than 10,000 copies of The Higher Taste. Restaurant manager Mr Vijay Jatani and his family became devotees through the local Nama Hatta (meeting) group. They have two vegetarian …

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HOLY JAIL (6 min video)
In this video HH Candramauli Swami speaks about Prison Preaching and his book Holy Jail.
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord’s activities in association with His different energies should be described, appreciated and heard in accordance with the teachings of the Supreme Lord. If this is done regularly with devotion and respect, one is sure to get out of the illusory energy of the Lord. SB 2.7.53 text
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/a5Lmem

By Caru Das

On September 23rd, 2016 Radhanath Swami spoke to a packed house at the Nancy Tessman Auditorium in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah on the message “Redefining Happiness”. George Pratt, a well known local Attorney coordinated the event and gave the opening address. Caru Das, president of the Utah Krishna Temple gave the introduction.

Delivering the Antidote to Today’s Ills.

Giriraj Swami: Srimad-Bhagavatam contains a discussion between Dharma, in the form of a bull, and the Earth, in the form of a cow. Eventually he asks her, “The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?” (SB 1.16.22)

There’s not a more charming or mysterious place in the universe than Govardhana Hill in Vraja Mandala. Apparently, the word is spreading because nowadays, during Karttika season, millions of pilgrims come here to perform parikrama.*
[*Literally, “parikrama” means “walking around.”]
Only by the mercy of the Vaisnavas have I been allowed to stay for a while here in this magical place under the shelter of the Bhaktivedanta Ashrama, nestled at the base of Govardhana Hill, presided over by HH Keshava Bharati Das Goswami.

For my own purification, I’ve been making some notes. Today’s are as follows:

The precious powder clinging to the feet of the pilgrims who walk around Govardhana Hill is Cintamani dust. One particle of this dust is more valuable than all the wealth in the material world.

By ISKCON Sankirtana Leaders Team – India

This December, devotees in India face a unique challenge in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Due to recent actions taken by the Government of India viz., the demonetization of large currency notes, everyone here is literally in a cash crunch, whether or not one is a millionaire as per the bank accounts. And distributing books in such a scenario could be tough if we follow the usual techniques of hand to hand distribution on streets, or at doors, which depend on collecting cash. This could potentially have a large impact on the annual scores for India in 2016 (the 50th anniversary of ISKCON!), because it is an open secret that MOST of the book distribution in India happens during the December marathon!

By Praghosa dasa Congratulations to Tarakanatha Prabhu and all his team for securing this wonderful new property in the heart of Cardiff which will serve as the main ISKCON temple in Wales as well as ISKCON’s headquarters there. Wales has produced many…

A visit to ISKCON Kurukshetra – 30th Nov, 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: During correspondence I read a letter from Bhagavata dasa about Bhuvanesvara. Money was scarce. Prabhupada gave the same recommendation he had given in so many let…

Prabhupada said, “This is Vaishnava. A Vaishnava is kind to every living entity. Not this squishing business.”
Sukadeva: Prabhupada said that you have to become like the bumblebee and not like the fly and Prabhupada proved it by his own example.
Once Nara-Narayan—who does not sing like a nightingale—was in the temple room singing and Prabhupada said, “Who is that singing?”
Karandhar said, “It’s Nara-Narayan, Srila Prabhupada.”
Prabhupada said, “Hmm, he keeps very good time.”
Once Hari Sauri’s alarm clock went off and Prabhupada said, “What is that sound?”
Hari Sauri said, “That’s the alarm clock, Srila Prabhupada.”
Prabhupada said, “Oh? Who is in danger?”
I looked at Hari Sauri and thought, “Wow! My spiritual master has a sense of humor!”

By Vishakha Devi Dasi Rupa Goswami describes this type of hope as asha-bandha (“bound by hope”): One thinks, “Because I’m trying my best to follow the routine principles of devotional service, some way or other I will be able to approach the Lord and w…

By Radhaath Swami

Artha Forum, a not-for-profit initiative that aims to bring the relevance of ancient wisdom to modern business, organised the event “Business With a Purpose” on 17th November 2016 at Bombay Stock Exchange, Mumbai. Over 400 corporate heads and entrepreneurs attended. Radhanath Swami was invited to be the keynote speaker. Others who spoke on the occasion were leaders from business and government administration: Ashishkumar Chauhan, the head of Bombay Stock Exchange, one of the leading stock exchanges in the world; Praveen Pardeshi, the principal secretary to the chief minister of Maharashtra state; and Ajay Piramal, the chairman of Piramal Group, a diversified global business conglomerate.

By Shyam Gopal Dasa

The devotees of ISKCON NOIDA performed a 15 day padayatra from October 2nd to October 15th. The route began in NOIDA (Indraprastha) and ended in Sri Vrindavan Dham. NOIDA is approximately 150 kilometres away from Vrindavan. The padayatra, which was organized as of part of the ISKCON golden jubilee celebrations was the first of its kind in the history of Delhi or the National Capital Region[2] (NCR). The inspiration behind the walk was none-other than the Padayatra Minister, Lokanath Swami Maharaja; –it was also made possible by the efforts of Vanshidhar Dasa, Co-President of ISKCON NOIDA and many other devotees from the congregation.

By Giriraj dasa I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha (disciples of Lord Caitanya) with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa Raghunatha Goswamins. You should all wor…

By Nila Kamal das

Milan Talukdar (Subhag Swami) was a bright student during his school days. He completed his intermediate studies from the Scottish Churches’ College, Kolkata, where Srila Prabhupada had studied previously. Thereafter in November 1965, he was sent to London to study higher engineering. During the course of his studies, in 1969 he met His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He was formally initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1970. After serving at Bury Place, Bhaktivedanta Manor and various places around the UK, he returned to India in 1974 upon the request of the GBC to help in writing and translating Bengali literature. And he never returned again…

By Shaunaka Muni Das The King of Knowledge by Srila Prabhupada came to me at a pivotal time. I got the book without wanting it. My friend wanted to share it with me after he perused it. I had no idea – I was “book distributed!” I was skeptical but on m…

By Nashvin Gangaram

ISKCON’s achievements over the last 50 years have been largely due to the influence of Srila Prabhupada and his direct disciples. We have been standing on the shoulders of giants. However, in the relatively near future, there will not be anyone present who personally associated with Srila Prabhupada. How will ISKCON continue to grow then? This movement will progress with our cooperative spirit to please Srila Prabhupada: “Now, we have by Krishna’s grace built up something significant in the shape of this ISKCON and we are all one family. Sometimes there may be disagreement and quarrel but we should not go away. These inebriates can be adjusted by the cooperative spirit, tolerance and maturity so I request you to kindly remain in the association of our devotees and work together. The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the Spiritual Master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this Movement and not make factions and deviate.”

By the TOVP Team All ISKCON devotees worldwide are undoubtedly inspired and enthused by the rapid progress of the TOVP construction over the last five years. The temple superstructure is complete, the finished domes and chatris await their kalashes and…

By Visakha Dasi Selfishness is closely related to the inability to hear, as our preoccupation with our self makes us deaf to another’s voice. To overcome this, we can learn to consider all matters thoughtfully with due respect to our spouse’s point of …

By Nayana Manjari Dasi

On a Friday, September 23rd our team embarked on a second padayatra in Bolivia in honour of ISKCON’s 50th anniversary. This time our route followed the ancient Inca roads found in the Andes Mountains. We walked for three-days along a road known as ‘El Chorro’ which starts in the mountains and ends in the rainforest 52 kilometres away. This road is between 500 and 1000 years old and was built by the Tiahuanaco (Tiwanku) and sometime after it was improved upon and used by the Incas. Later, the Spanish conquerors used it and even up until recently it was used to connect the Bolivian highlands with the Amazon region. This road formed part of the Inca highway system known as the Qhapaq Nan (the Great Road) that spanned across six South American countries. Today it is recognized as a UNESCO heritage site. The idea for this padayatra was to spread the holy names to the remote mountain villages of this area.

By Jaganmohini devi dasi and Subal Shyam das As a Manipuri Vaishnava and a studious scientist student from the prestigious University of California – Irvine, USA, Sripada maharaj won the heart of his spiritual master H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pra…

By Gaurangi Dasi When we talk about cow protection, we should not forget that it goes hand in hand, or rather hoof in hoof, with putting oxen to work. Otherwise, what will happen to the all the bulls that take birth? When bulls are neutered they are …

By Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi Perhaps one of the more endearing images in the Bhagavad-gita is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, driving the chariot of His friend, the warrior Arjuna. When we accept the notion of God as a person then w…

By HareKrishna FestivalsUK For the 15th anniversary of the disappearance from the this world of His Grace Tribhuvanatha Prabhu, at the end of November 2016, devotees premiered at Bhaktivedanta Manor a special 30 minute movie featuring footage of histor…

By Purushottam Nitai Das Since the day I came to know about God, I was told that God is the giver of everything and so I should unhesitatingly ask him to fulfil all my desires. And from that day or rather from that moment onwards I have always treated …

By BalGovind Das HG Rasamandala Prabhu, Director of ISKCON Educational Services, facilitated a four day Devotee Care Course-2, pilot course at ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV), Wada from 27th to 30th Oct 2016. It was organized by Revatiraman Prabhu, …

By Anand Caitanya das ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village, a 100 acre sustainable farming community and retreat center, based near Mumbai, India received the Green World Environment Award 2016 in the international campaign to find the world’s greenest countri…

By Vraja Bihari Das This realization can be a painful experience. Hence to avoid this realization, we may prefer to believe that chanting is one of the many things to be done in devotional service. If we profess that chanting is the most important acti…