Author Archives: ISKCON News

Suppose a person had a severe accident that immobilized them for a long time. As they recover, they need to start doing things for themselves, even if they begin with something as simple as wearing their own clothes. Such activities may be uncomfortabl…

  Often times we start on our spiritual journey with great enthusiasm, excitement and cheer. Yet, somewhere in the middle we come to a point where everything becomes known, monotonous and obvious. The adventure of learning new things dies out and we se…

Disciples and well-wishers of ISKCON guru Varsana Swami have established a Health Care Fund to help cover costs as Maharaja faces various health challenges.  A beloved long-time resident of New Vrindaban and dedicated disciple of Srila Prabhupada,…

New Vrajamandala, ISKCON’s farm near Guadalajara, Spain, has temporarily closed due to COVID-19 cases.  Temple President Yadunandana Swami writes, “Considering that several devotees have tested positive for COVID-19, the Board of Direc…

An Italian devotee couple has created and installed a permanent “sound path” at the Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) in Villa Vrindavana, near the city of Florence, home of the Italian renaissance. The installation was created by Madhava and Mar…

The journey of a young millionaire, who blends spirituality with entrepreneurship. It’s evening; a young Bengali gentleman sitting in his office in Kolkata completes a webinar on entrepreneurship and moves on to an online TV interview. Interviewe…

Facing the challenges of the pandemic, ISKCON devotees have created an ever-increasing host of online sanga opportunities, which continually reveal new treasures.  One particularly sweet offering, which has been running since late April but may st…

The Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork is world-famous for its huge festivals drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the Utah attraction, but COVID-19 changed everything.  “Our Festival of Colors (Holi) has been going on for 25 year…

  ‘Contentment’ is one of the niyamas, the set of five personal observances that Patanjali lists in the second chapter of his Yoga-sutras. It’s also a state of being that can be very hard to attain. How do we find real conte…

  “Therefore, O Arjuna, / Sever the doubts in your heart / With the sword of knowledge. / Armed with yoga, rise up and fight.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.42) The hero of India’s epic Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, is …

Juan Pablo Roldan officer of the Argentine Federal Police, was killed during the performance of his duty. The Hare Krishna Community has received the news with shock and sadness. Bhakta Pablo, as the devotees affectionately called him, was a good devot…

For the first time the “Graduate Course on Book Distribution” is available now as a free online course. Two hours of videos, a comprehensive student handbook and lots of resource materials bring this course to life on your home screen. In t…

A letter was recently sent to the president of Bhaktivedanta Manor, Visakha dasi, from Her Majesty the Queen of England, via her Private Secretary’s Office. The letter thanked Vishaka for her recent Back To Godhead article about the Que…

Nitai Chaitanya Goswami of Ukraine, Lithuania and Russia is currently in the Intensive Care Unit with Coronavirus. According to reports he is in a serious condition and has lost 75% of his lung capacity. Doctors say the outcome is unpredictable. Nitai …

It is a humbling experience to sit in a room (or a Zoom call) full of devout Christian scholar-practitioners who have studied and read Vaishnava texts with the same ferocity and sincere devotion as their own. This was my experience as a novice attendee…

A new 10-session course on Bengali Learning – Beginner Level will be offered online on Zoom or Google classroom by the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC); the course will run Monday to Friday for two weeks from September 28th to October 9th 2020…

Radha devi dasi, ISKCON’s GBC Vaishnavi Minister, recently announced the appointment of regional ministers in South Africa, the UK, Brazil and Mexico. Regional ministers serve as the liaisons for the Vaishnavi Ministry and develop programs for th…

Suppose someone we work with lies to us frequently, claiming either that they can do things they can’t or that they can’t do things they can. Being repeatedly misled by them, we will eventually realize they are unreliable.  Won’t…

With genuine spiritual advancement comes the capacity and capability to have friendly relationships with one and all. Equipped with spiritual vision that penetrates beyond externals, one remains undisturbed by annoying idiosyncrasies, ideological diffe…

Recently I received an email from a devotee I had known in France in the 1970s. We haven’t had contact since then. It turns out that in the years since we were last together he discovered he is the grandchild of Jewish Polish survivors of Hitler&…

As soon as you press play on the title track of Supersoul’s new EP “He Can Dance,” and hear the irresistibly catchy melody, funky rhythms, brass, and smooth harmonies, you’re likely to find that you yourself, and possibly your w…

His Holiness Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu, a spiritual teacher for Russian-speaking devotees and a member of the GBC, and his wife Gourachandrika Devi, have been ill with coronavirus for a few days. They are already feeling better and recovering.&#1…

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ISKCON temples around the world closed their doors, and many found challenges in maintaining themselves without traditional in-person outreach activities. By June, some had begun to reopen, with locally mandated …