GBC Resolutions 2022
→ Dandavats

Dear Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. The *2022* GBC Resolutions have finally been released. Due to the global pandemic, it was not possible for the GBC Body to conduct in-person meetings and therefore the 2022 AGM was conducted online. The 2023 AGM, however, began as a regular in-person meeting
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Rama Navami
→ Ramai Swami

Lord Ramachandra is an avatar of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ideal king. He manifest His pastimes more than two million years ago.

He appeared as the son of King Dasaratha, in the line of King Ikshvaku, the first ruler of Earth. Lord Rama was the darling of His father and mother, Queen Kaushalya, as well as the hero of Ayodhya, the capital of what was then a single world kingdom.

Lord Rama had all the admirable qualities of leadership, even from earliest youth. He possessed all physical strength, beauty, religious wisdom, fame for prowess with weapons, royal wealth, and complete renunciation.

Inseparable from Rama was Lakshmana, His younger brother. Together, the two brothers appeared on Earth to vanquish the almost invincible king Ravana and his numberless host of Rakshasa (man-eating) warriors.

Under the order of His father, Lord Ramachandra lived in the forest for fourteen years, along with His wife, Sita Devi, and His younger brother, Lakshmana.

After the powerful demon Ravana kidnapped His wife, Lord Ramachandra rescued her, with the help of His faithful servant Hanuman, and killed Ravana along with Ravana’s armies. The history of Lord Ramachandra’s pastimes is recounted by the sage Valmiki in his Ramayana.

The purpose of Lord Rama’s advent is to attract the conditioned souls to the transcendental path of Bhakti-yoga, devotional service, and to establish the principles of religion, morality and righteousness. By reading the Lord’s pastimes in the Srimad-Bhagavatam or Ramayana, and by hearing of His exceptional prowess, even the conditioned soul becomes drawn to blissful spiritual life.

ISKCON Conducts Caribbean Harinam Pilgrimage
→ ISKCON News

Devotees performing harinam in Schoelcher, Martinique, by a local mural.   ISKCON devotees from France traveled to the Caribbean Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe this past winter to perform Harinam in the streets. For some of the small towns, this was their first-ever exposure to Bhakti Yoga and chanting of the Holy Name. The group […]

The post ISKCON Conducts Caribbean Harinam Pilgrimage appeared first on ISKCON News.

Secret Behind the Secret
→ Dandavats

Jadu Thakur Prabhu a devotee in the Brahamchari Trainee group of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, Chowpatty recalls this interesting experience from last year’s Marathon: I was distributing books in the train with Pitambar Prabhu, when I saw this man reading a book. He was so absorbed in reading that he just looked up for
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Unity and Diversity
→ ISKCON News

Image: ISKCON Dallas, 2019 (ISKCON News Archives)   A letter was dispatched in 1973 Meant for leaders, the you and me Penned by our dear His Divine Grace Of the concept he willed us to embrace It was 50 years ago that his message came through Very thematic to the belief of Mahaprabhu One that […]

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Monthly Media – Feb 2023
→ KKSBlog

Sri Nityananda Trayodashi – February 2023

Sri Nityanand Trayodashi is the appearance day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared in Navadvipa, West Bengal as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish Sankirtana Movement (congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord). To help the Supreme Lord in His mission, Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananda Prabhu. He assisted Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by spreading he holy name of the Lord throughout Bengal.

Nityananda prabhu is the original spiritual master and the first servant of the Lord. He is the first teacher to disseminate knowledge about Lord Krishna after the Lord Himself. He fulfils His spiritual duty by engaging people in Lord’s service as well as by spreading knowledge and awareness about Him.

Kadamba Kanana Swami celebrated Sri Nityananda Trayodashi in Vrindavan. Please see the links to his lectures and zoom meetings below.

3rd February – Sri Nityananda Trayodashi, Vrindavan, India

https://www.youtube.com/live/scwT60Wo0E4?feature=share

6th Kusum Sarovar, India

https://www.youtube.com/live/eJOQ34PK2WM?feature=share

Weekly Zoom Meetings

4th February

https://www.youtube.com/live/NvJ-WoHXjeA?feature=share

5th February – Australian zoom meeting

11th February

18th February – Health update – last zoom meeting

Over the last several weeks HH Kadamba Kanana Swami became weaker and had difficulty with breathing, but he continued on. His last meeting was on 18th February 2023 when he updated everyone about his health.

The article " Monthly Media – Feb 2023 " was published on KKSBlog.

Vaishnava Arts Festival welcomes a variety of speakers and topics
→ ISKCON News

Springtime in New Vrindaban is like stepping into a colorfully painted landscape, and Mother’s Day weekend will unite its beauty with some of our movement’s most talented artists, musicians, writers, and creators in the second annual Vaishnava Arts Festival, May 12-14th, 2023. Fittingly, the idea for the event came through the creative collaboration of HG […]

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Sri Ramacandra Appearance Day 30th March
→ Mayapur.com

Dated: March 21, 1969 Location: Hawaii Letter to: Tamala Krsna My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. Your letter dated March 18th by special delivery is in hand and it is so gratifying that you have already saved $600 for the improvement of the temple. So I am very much pleased. Go on working like this and […]

The post Sri Ramacandra Appearance Day 30th March appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Johananda/Jayadev/John Matlick departs
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Nrsimhananda das: An unsung Vaisnava hero, John Matlick served the devotees since his mother, affectionately known as Prabhupada-lila dd, introduced him to Srila Prabhupada’s teachings in the early 1970’s. John was a videophile who was super helpful to myself and Siddhanta in the early years of ISKCON Television. Devotees worldwide have unlimitedly benefited from his
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The governing principle for our activity
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The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna. Letter to Lalita Kumar, November 27,1971 When we keep our association with Krishna every activity is proper and liberating, but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord’s Mercy then like a hand which is severed from the body
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Sri Ramanujacharya’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami

Today is the appearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri Ramanujacharya’s commentary.

Srila Prabhupada often told a story about Sri Ramanujacharya’s merciful, compassionate nature. As he related it in Ahmedabad in 1972, “The servants of Krishna take all risk for Krishna’s sake. Just like Ramanujacharya. Sri Ramanujacharya’s spiritual master said, ‘My dear son, the mantra which I am giving, you chant silently and you will be delivered. It is so powerful. Don’t chant this mantra loudly so others can hear.’

“Ramanujacharya thought, ‘If this mantra is so powerful that if others hear it they’ll also be delivered, then why not?’ He immediately went to the market and began to chant the mantra. So, his spiritual master became very angry, that ‘I told you not to chant loudly, so others may not hear.’ And Ramanujacharya replied, ‘My Lordship, I have done offense unto you. That’s all right. For this I am prepared to go to hell. But if this mantra is so powerful, I must speak it to everyone.’ ”

In this mood, following in the footsteps of Sripada Ramanujacharya, Srila Prabhupada broadcast the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita everywhere, to everyone.

We pray and aspire to follow in their footsteps.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami