Planet ISKCON

Melbourne Food for Life distributes meals with contactless delivery to elders, children, students, the unemployed, as well as people who are isolated or in quarantine, and anyone in need.

Humility differs from low self-esteem because the two lead us to value different, even opposite, things.  When we suffer from low self-esteem, we start thinking that our emotions, our endeavors and even our existence have no value — such thinking is psychologically damaging and practically disempowering. For us to persevere through life’s various challenges, we […]

The post How Does Humility Differ From Low Self-esteem? appeared first on ISKCON News.

For us to persevere through life’s various challenges, we need the fundamental conviction that we can make a difference.

~from an online lecture on May 3, 2020 Similar to what we are experiencing today with the internet, everything you do in this world is being ‘recorded’ and it stays there for as long as this manifestation of the world exists. It creates an impression, a samskara, which then informs your future actions and reactions. […]

The post How Our Actions and Choices in Everyday Life Affect Our Chanting appeared first on ISKCON News.

Sometimes, when we make a mistake and we regret it, that very feeling improves our relationship with the Holy Name.

Lord Krsna said to Arjuna, “In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me. If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.

But American adolescents often participate at parents’ behest, and tend to be less religious in more personal, private ways

A video by ISKCON Harinam Sankirtan Ministry

The New Govardhana farm community has opened its third Govinda’s restaurant, located in Kingscliff, New South Wales in Australia, to a very warm welcome.  New Govardhana launched two previous Govinda’s in Burleigh Heads in 2009 and Coolangatta in 2019, which provide the bulk of the farm’s income. Altogether, the Kingscliff location is the eighth Hare […]

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Altogether, the Kingscliff location is the eighth Hare Krishna restaurant between New Govardhana and the Gold Coast, demonstrating the Australian appetite for prasadam. 

First and foremost I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in "International Shravanam Week". It was a monumental task to organize, especially in the current climate. Without the hard work and dedication of everyone on the team, none of this would have been possible.

Thunder Bay/ Toronto

Last Little Touch

A last little touch of the boreal forest marked the end of my stay in Thunder Bay. The Beaver Meadows Trail takes one through a sweet boreal forest, a forest that occupies so much of Canada, holding a treasure of a huge collection of freshwater. Check out maps of this extraordinary spread of trees, ancient rocks and lakes. People speak of rainforests, such as the Amazon but, as I understand, the boreal bush impacts the globe in a similar, environmental way.

If you are a walker you have to love nature. Even if one begins routine outdoor walks with some apprehension, the atmosphere grows on you, eventually.

After landing at the Toronto airport I had a chance for a short touchdown in our neighborhood park, Ramsden Park. It’s considerably warmer in the southern part of the province. It was 3°C in Thunder Bay in the morning. Upon landing, after a two hour flight, we were greeted by a warm 17°C. Quite a difference.

I was struck by seeing the lineups at the tennis courts. Basketball courts were also occupied. Before long the hockey rink will be filled up with ice. I can hear the skates hissing along already. It’s actually a kind of grind sound created by the blades of the skates biting into the ice. I can also hear the hockey puck slamming against the rink’s wall.

We do have a fall season yet to relish. It is colours, smells and no mosquitoes that I look forward to. There’ll be two months of such glory.

While the park is busy with sports abound, it would be nice to see a tad more of spiritual practices taking place. It is somewhat rare.

May the Source be with you!

1 km (In Toronto)

Thunder Bay, Ontario

By the Falls and Friends

It has been relaxing here for me, and also for Ananda, who came from Regina. Both of us are getting some walking in—a piece of trail here or there. A treat was to get to Kakabeka Falls, which translates as “steep cliffs.” That they are. It’s always inspiring to be at this location, where I marvel at the cascading Kaministiquia River.

A twenty-five minute walking trail is connected to the falls, as an added feature. A sweet smelling boreal forest cuts the high winds of the day and makes you appreciate trees evermore.

A second crack at walking was at Fort William’s International Friendship Garden, where communities who came as immigrants all settled in the area and contributed some icon to represent their country. There is Slovenia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, China, India, Netherlands and so many more. The area welcomed people here from around the world, who then worked hard to establish themselves. It puts me to shame. My meager walking today is so little compared to what people have done to ground themselves into their new home at Lake Superior.

There’s always interactions with people. Two young girls, with their granddad, wanted to know about the orange colour, about the monastic lifestyle, etc. Ananda, Prem and I pitched-in to explain and clarify the foundation of a spiritual life. They were young, just ready to prepare for going to a French-immersion school two days from now. I hope they learn their French and also about rivers, waterfalls, trees and trails.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Drench and Dry

Nature was conjuring up a storm of water. Ominous clouds were ever present in the sky and lightning made its periodic flash, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. Hey, that’s the name of this place!

It was at this time, early afternoon, that I began my mere two kilometre walk (my physiotherapist suggested I reduce daily treks and work on stretches to counteract stiffness). In any event, I decided to go at strides at a critical hour of nature. I don’t mind the reminder to be humble. The elements can do that perfectly.

It was considered that the second day of the Festival of India would be rained-out. Just as I turned the corner at May Street, for what is called “The Colosseum”, H₂O, in mass, came down. The moisture hit me but I was just one minute shy of being fully-drenched.

Like a miracle, the rain stopped, eventually. At 4 pm, the scheduled time for this show’s beginning, we were on target. The stage had been cleared of water. Though soggy, the entertainers did their thing and motorist, with an average of two or three passengers per vehicle, began to punctuate the parking lot, armed with purchased bags of colour.

Regular colour throws happened between stage items. It was a redeeming display.

I met a local guy, middle-aged, who was part of the infantry in the Bosnian War. He was curious and told of his spiritual experiences when he was severely bedridden with cancer some time ago. This was a personal revelation. It was nice to see him standing there watching the show with his five-year-old daughter. We had a conversation that lasted to practically the end of the show, when Ananda and I wrapped up on stage with drum, movement and mantra.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

It is very easy to become a "sage on the stage" but difficult to become a "guide by the side". We go in the "sage on the stage" mode when it comes to guiding our "humble junior" devotees who look up to us as an advanced Vaisnava, but many times these "humble junior" devotees, because of their strong previous lifetime advancement and sincerity, go past us and we find ourselves in the mesh and mess of our previous conditioning—but are still forced to act as "sage on the stage", putting up a Paundraka-like facade of advancement. Continue reading "Sage on the Stage or Guide by the Side?
→ Dandavats"

Arcana as Yoga in the Vaishnava tradition

The Global Devotee Care Directorate is pleased to announce their next live conversation with Partha Das and Uttama Dasi on Devotee care in Grihastha Ashram.

"It's your decision: survive here or live there." By Russian devotee band Odnono. (In Russian) 

As part of an evening of sacred song and mantra at London's Shaw Theatre, Jahnavi Harrison and team payed tribute to the music of George Harrison, covering his song 'Give Me Love'.

Interviewer: Gauranga Das. A video by ISKCON GBC STrategic Planning Team.

Interviewer Deva Madhava Das. A video by ISKCON GBC Strategic Planning Team.

When Krsna and Balarama offered Their teacher, Sandipani Muni, anything he desired, he asked for the return of his son, who had drowned in the ocean at Prabhasa. The two Lords at once traveled there on Their chariot and ordered the ocean to return Their guru’s son.

Darshan of the beautiful deities and devotees of the New York Iskcon Temple

1. Recognition of God — The Supreme Owner. Act with the understanding that everything belongs to God. At best, we are careful stewards of God's resources, energies and talents. At worst, we are deluded and become cheaters and thieves who claim another's property as our own.

Shastrakrit Das: I was at a supermarket aisle and this nice young man passes by me, I just said hello. He goes “where have you been man? I have been looking for you!“ I thought he had mistaken me for someone else. He goes “no you, you gave me a Bhagavad Gita last year and I read it twice already, I want to come and chant with you guys” I gave him a card & sure enough he came today for lunch with his wonderful girlfriend, we spoke for a while and they took home a full set of Bhagavatam home. Prasadam + book!

Krishna Conscious family life is consistent with the teachings and example of Srila Prabhupada, which must be applied with consideration of time, place and circumstance. In the field of grihastha life, one should take into account the local culture with-out compromising Srila Prabhupada's teachings. One should not attempt to simply transpose practices from one culture to another without understanding the principles and values. underpinning them. Continue reading "The 12 Principles and Values of Krishna Conscious Family Life
→ Dandavats"

The life of the Krsna conscious society is nourished by these six types of loving exchange among the members. —Upadesamrta Provide pre- and post-marital counseling either done by trained devotees or through recommending specific people or organizations • At a certain level of community size, create a team of mature, successful grhastha trained to give premarital and post-marital counseling as well as giving help in finding spouses for devotees. Continue reading "Social Care for Vaishnavas
→ Dandavats"

International Shravanam Week

The essence of the complete Vedic scriptures carefully handed down through the disciplic succession, has become ever so nectarean, being touched by Srila Prabhupada’s own lips. Prabhupada said:

“The books are just like sugar doll. Anywhere touch – it is sweet.”

Besides attending Srimad-Bhagavatam class every day, Srila Prabhupada wanted reading to be an essential part of every devotee’s daily sādhana. He wrote:

“All of my students should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles.”

ISKCON’s ministry of education has embarked on an initiative called “Books are the Basis” – an initiative to encourage devotees all over the world renew their commitment to reading Srila Prabhupada’s books regularly. 

The Ministry has branded this Srila Prabhupada’s Book Reading Week as the Sravanam Week. 

The Ministry of Education acknowledges that devotees face several challenges in reading Srila Prabhupada books, such as lack of time, taste, etc. To address such concerns and enthuse the devotees to wholeheartedly take to reading, the ministry has arranged resources for ISKCON leaders to celebrate this festival in their respective centers.

There will be inspirational videos, webinar on reading habits, live interviews with ISKCON leaders, and much more. This will be made available through social media and the ministry website www.ISKCONeducation.org. 

>Once, in the company of her maidservants, Queen Rukmini was personally serving her husband, Lord Krsna, by fanning Him as He relaxed on her bed. Rukmini’s quarters were extremely beautiful, boasting a canopy hung with brilliant strings of pearls, as well as effulgent jewels serving as lamps.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 September 2017, Camp de Masque, Mauritius, Sunday Program Lecture)

Remember our favourite song? What is the favourite song in the Hare Krsna movement? 

It is the prasadam prayers. 

sarira avidya-jal, jodendriya tahe kal,
jive phele vishaya-sagore
ta’ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati,
ta’ke jeta kathina samsare

Very ecstatic! Most popular song in all of ISKCON. Without a doubt, number one (laughter). So if you allow me to translate it, these words say, “O Lord, this material body is a place of ignorance, and the senses are a network, leading to death …” So we are all very happy singing these words every time, just before taking prasadam. It is funny really, when you know the translation. But these words are a reminder that it is by the mercy of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, somehow or other, we can escape the senses. Because when all these senses are engaged in serving Krsna, and glorifying Krsna, and discovering Krsna’s unlimited qualities – then, we begin to love Krsna. It is inevitable!

The article " Saved by the senses " was published on KKSBlog.

His Grace Mathura prabhu joined ISKCON in the early eighties in PH and served in different capacities as temple commander, temple president, a good Sankirtan devotee etc. He was a sergeant in the Nigerian Air force when he joined. Diving headlong into Krishna Consciousness, he had assured his siblings that he was doing this for their own interest and benefit.