Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Honorary guests in the portrait gallery. 55 years ago, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), traveled to Moscow, USSR. He spent five days in Russia, from where the Hare Krishna movement spread to other countries of the former USSR. On August 17th, a […]
The post Prabhupada Honored in Moscow 55 Years After Historic Visit appeared first on ISKCON News.
Lord Jagannath made a joyful journey down Madison Avenue as devotees brought Rath Yatra, kirtan, prasadam, and Srila Prabhupada’s books to the heart of New York City. The event formed part of the very well-attended 44th India Day Parade, with crowds lining the route as the beautifully decorated Rath cart traveled down Madison Avenue. Brought […]
The post Rath Yatra Brings the Holy Name to the Heart of NYC appeared first on ISKCON News.
Dr. Vikas Khanna, Registrar at Delhi University, participates in the festival. For the fifth consecutive year, ISKCON organized a grand Jagannath Rath Yatra through the Delhi University campus, marking yet another milestone and a greater one than earlier in bringing the timeless spiritual heritage of Lord Jagannath to one of India’s premier centers of education. […]
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Honoring the legacy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Mauritius. Mauritius formally honored the legacy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), on Saturday, 8 August 2026, when His Excellency Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, G.C.S.K., President of the Republic of Mauritius, unveiled a […]
The post Mauritius President Gokhool Honors Srila Prabhupada as ISKCON Marks 60th appeared first on ISKCON News.
ISKCON Manitoba (Shri Hari Vaikuntha Dham) in Canada is pleased to announce a major milestone in expanding its community service initiatives: the development of the Sreenathji Community Kitchen, supported by a $100,000 investment from the Government of Manitoba through the From the Ground Up – Safe Healthy Communities for ALL Program. The funding will support […]
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Sunday Feast programs offered newcomers philosophy, kirtan, and prasadam in a welcoming temple setting today. Swarupa-Sakti Devi Dasi’s journey in Krishna consciousness began long before temple life: kind teachers in Botswana, books and kirtan in Cape Town, and a life of ashram service, outreach, teaching, counseling, and community care. Originally from Gaborone, Botswana, Swarupa-Sakti completed […]
The post Botswana-Born Vaishnavi Builds Service Bridges Across Continents appeared first on ISKCON News.
Author Yogesvara Dasa with Srila Prabhupada in Paris, 1973. If you’re a bottom-line kind of person, here are the takeaways from this article, pointing toward a practical path for expanding Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the world: Embrace fresh ideas and challenge your assumptions about devotional service; create a competent, reliable team and identify exciting new […]
The post How to Thrive Spiritually in a World of Constant Change appeared first on ISKCON News.
Health Update Of Jayapataka Swami Maharaja – Bengaluru – 16th August 2026, 10.00 PM Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear devotees, disciples, and well-wishers of HH. Jayapatāka Swami Mahārāja, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda By the mercy of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava and the sincere prayers of devotees around the world, today Guru […]
The post Jayapataka Swami Still Faces Serious Health Challenges appeared first on ISKCON News.
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 22, No. 32
Where I Went and What I Did
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as lectures of his, and the continuation of the Bhagavatam by his disciples. I share a quote each from Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati and from Caitanya-mata-mañjusa by Srila Srinatha Cakravarti. I share quotes from Back to Godhead magazine articles by Srila Prabhupada, Satyaraja Prabhu, Caitanya Carana Prabhu, Prema Sundara Prabhu, Vibhu Caitanya Prabhu, Gauranga Darsana Prabhu, Vrnda Gopika Devi Dasi, and Tanay Shah. I share a quote from My Dear Lord Krishna by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami and notes on classes by Niranjana Swami, Dayananda Swami, Aksayananda Prabhu, and Revatinandana Prabhu.
Thanks to Igor Marinichenk for the photo of me at Bastille. Thanks to Uzzol Das for the Sunday ISKCON Paris kirtan videos and photos.
Itinerary
June 16–August 28: Paris harinamas
‒ August 13–16: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock) harinamas and kirtanas
‒ August 17: Prague harinama
‒ August 25–27: Balarama Festival at New Mayapur
August 29: Fly to India
August 30–September 21: Mayapur harinamas
September 23: Return to New York
September 25: harinama to promote Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September 26: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Yasomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Garges Sarcelles train station near Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/l8LiRmtM5oM):
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31, purport:
“The householder, by the spell of maya, becomes absorbed in family affairs and forgets his relationship with Krishna. If he dies in forgetfulness, like the cats and dogs, then his life is spoiled. It is the duty of a sannyasi, therefore, to go and awaken the forgetful souls with enlightenment of their eternal relationship with the Lord and to engage them in devotional service. The devotee should show mercy to the fallen souls and also give them the assurance of fearlessness. As soon as one becomes a devotee of the Lord, he is convinced that he is protected by the Lord. Fear itself is afraid of the Lord; therefore, what has he to do with fearfulness?”
“A person who is a householder but is initiated by a sannyasi has the duty to spread Krishna consciousness at home; as far as possible, he should call his friends and neighbors to his house and hold classes in Krishna consciousness. Holding a class means chanting the holy name of Krishna and speaking from Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam. There are immense literatures for spreading Krishna consciousness, and it is the duty of each and every householder to learn about Krishna from his sannyasi spiritual master. There is a division of labor in the Lord's service. The householder's duty is to earn money because a sannyasi is not supposed to earn money but is completely dependent on the householder. The householder should earn money by business or by profession and spend at least fifty percent of his income to spread Krishna consciousness; twenty-five percent he can spend for his family, and twenty-five percent he should save to meet emergencies. This example was shown by Rupa Gosvami, so devotees should follow it.”
“Becoming one with the Supreme Lord does not imply becoming as great as the Supreme Lord. It is impossible. The part is never equal to the whole. The living entity is always a minute part. Therefore his oneness with the Lord is that he is interested in the one interest of the Lord. The Lord wants every living entity to always think about Him, to be His devotee and always worship Him.”
“In the transcendental world there is unlimited competition between the Lord and the servitor. The Lord wants to fulfill His desires unlimitedly, and the devotee also serves Him to fulfill His unlimited desires. There is an unlimited oneness of interest between the Lord and His devotee.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.32, purport:
“Because there is not potential difference, one gets the same result by worshiping the statue of the Lord or the Lord Himself. This is the science of Krishna consciousness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.50, purport:
“In this age it is very difficult to find such a head of state who is expert in killing the undesirables. Modern heads of state sit very nicely in their palaces and try without reason to kill innocent persons.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.11, purport:
“Even in the position of Brahma or in the position of Indra or Candra, one is full of anxiety simply because he has accepted this material world as a place of happiness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.13, purport:
“The blind man of the Western countries and the lame man of India should combine together in this Krishna consciousness movement. Then the lame man of India can walk with the help of the Westerner, and the blind Westerner can see with the help of the lame man. In short, the material advancement of the Western countries and the spiritual assets of India should combine for the elevation of all human society.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 5.35:
“As through devotion to the Lord one can attain His abode, many have attained that goal by abandoning their sinful activities and absorbing their minds in the Lord through lust, envy, fear or affection.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.1.30]
From “We Souls and Our Bodies as Krishna’s Energies” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
[An edited transcript of a talk on Bhagavad-gita 7.6 in Hyderabad on December 11, 1976.]
“Krishna consciousness means when we understand, ‘We are part and parcel of Krishna; therefore our duty is to serve Krishna.’ This is self-realization; this is liberation. When you are fully convinced about this fact – ‘We are all part and parcel of Krishna; our only duty is to serve Krishna’ – then you are liberated.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.1.10 in Dallas on May 21, 1973:
“What is the test of his becoming learned scholar? Three things. Matrvat para-daresu. Except one's married wife, if one sees all other women like mother, he is a learned scholar.”
“If every woman has to be married, then polygamy must be there. Otherwise how every woman is going to get a husband? Because male population is always shorter than the female population.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.12.19 in Dallas on March 3, 1975:
As it is not as easy to reach the sun globe as the sunshine, it is not so easy to realize the Lord as the Supersoul or Bhagavan as to realize Brahman.
“They are so fool that they are conditioned in every step, and still they are thinking they are free. This is called illusion.”
“If one can practice, go within the water up to the neck in chilly, pinching cold, is it more difficult to give up illicit sex and meat-eating and intoxication? We are not advising, ‘No sex.’ Illicit sex. So where is the difficulty? But the age is so fallen that even these primary tapasya we cannot execute. That is the difficulty.”
“If you want to realize the Supreme, the Absolute, then you must agree to certain type of tapasya. Otherwise it is not possible.”
“We say, ‘Ekadasi, you don’t take food grains. Take little fruit, milk.’ This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead? No, that is not possible.”
“Now, executing this tapasya, penances, are you loser? You are not loser. Now, anyone who will come from outside, they will see in our Society, our members, boys and girls, they say ‘bright-faced.’ Do they not? They see distinction. One priest in plain cloth... I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. One priest, he came to me in the plane. So he asked my permission, ‘Can I talk with you?’ And ‘Yes, why not?’ So his first question was that ‘I see your disciples very bright-faced. How it has been done?’”
“Provided you want to render service, Krishna is ready to accept it.”
“Therefore our duty is that we should never think of this Deity as something made of stone or metal. We should always think, ‘Here is Krishna personally present.’ That is devotion. And we should worship Him like that. We should offer respect, that ‘Here is Krishna. We cannot do anything wrong.’”
“He can live in many millions of temples simultaneously and live at the same time Goloka Vrindavan. That is Krishna. That is Krishna‘'’s omnipotency.”
“Offenseless service will make you more and more advanced in spiritual life.”
“Although we cannot see Him by our present imperfect senses—adhoksaja, beyond our perception—still, we can see Him. How? Through the authorities. Through the authorities. The same example as I have given, that I do not know who is my father, but through the authority of mother, I can see him: ‘Here is my father.’”
“In your country Bhagavad-gita was being read for the last two hundred, three hundred years. So many scholars, so many Indian scholar or American, they have written Bhagavad-gita. But not a single person understood Krishna. Not a single person. But now, when they are reading Bhagavad-gita As It Is, they are understanding by the mercy of God. The mercy is shown if you follow the process, authoritative process.”
“So our Krishna consciousness movement is the authorized process by which you can understand Krishna, the Supreme Lord. By other methods it is not possible.”
“Krishna is not so very easily understood, but by the grace of Krishna we can understand Him if we follow.”
“So if we accept the statement of Krishna, then we understand Krishna immediately. Otherwise, by speculation, it is not possible. That is the fact.”
“So many big, big scholars, they have written comment on Bhagavad-gita, but they, still they have proved that they're rascal number one. Because they did not follow the process of understanding Krishna, therefore they could not understand.”
“So whatever little tapasya we have prescribed, you follow. You will understand Krishna. And if you understand Krishna, then your life is successful.”
Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati:
From Caitanya-candramrta, verse 130:
“Who would have heard of that astonishing supreme goal known as prema? Who would know the glory of the holy name? Who would have entered theunfathomable sweetness of Vrindavan’s groves? Who would have known Radha, the very climax of rasa’s wonder? Only Caitanya-candra, out of supreme compassion, revealed all of this.”
Srila Srinatha Cakravarti:
From Caitanya-mata-mañjusa:
“The supreme object of worship is Sri Krishna, the son of the king of Vraja. His abode, Vrindavan, is the highest spiritual realm. The most beautiful form of worship is that practiced by the gopis of Vraja. The spotless authority is Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the supreme goal of life is prema, love of God. This is the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we hold it above all else.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From My Dear Lord Krishna:
“I am feeling far away from You, yet close to You. I feel far away in terms of what I know a pure devotee feels for You. In krishna-prema, the devotee is fixed on You, is absorbed in You, and is always trying to please You. I am not that fervent. I am not in ecstatic joy or separation, crying tears, working hard for You. I’m not like St. Francis of Assisi with his stigmata or Svarupa Damodara, living with You and feeding You ecstasies with songs to promote Your mood of viraha in the mood of Radharani. I’m not like Srila Prabhupada, always wrapped in ISKCON thought. Yet I am with You in a constant way. I’m almost always writing this journal about You or chanting Your holy names. I chant more mechanically than from the heart, but I chant because I know it is important.
“I like the fact that I feel close to You, and I don’t like the fact that I feel distant from You. I’d like to increase the one and decrease the other. Everyone should feel close to You and want to increase their love for You. They shouldn’t be satisfied that they are absorbed being a writer or a baseball player. Everyone should desire to be intensely God conscious. No one should be satisfied to be ‘laid back’ at not being a devotee.
“So I pray to You to feel closer. I suspect that loving You would involve more anxiety on my part. Love of God isn’t just a contented feeling. It’s a feeling of wanting to increase, of not doing enough, of feeling separation from You. Maybe I want to be more content in my favorable feelings toward You. Srimati Radharani prays, ‘You can crush Me in Your embrace or make Me brokenhearted by not being present before Me, but You are always My worshipable Lord, unconditionally.’ How intense is Her devotion to You. She is not like a religionist who goes to church or temple once a week and makes some ritualistic prayers. She’s mad about You. That is real love of God. And Lord Caitanya, appearing as Your devotee, has that identical form of love.
“It would take Your mercy to make me a more fervent devotee. It would be good for me. I ask You to grant it to me. I would like to do my part in increasing my intensity of devotion to You. I know I can do it if I try and if I desire it. But ultimately, it is up to Your mercy. I pray for it.”
From the humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.6.44:
“O my dear Krishna, Your pastimes are supremely auspicious for mankind and are an intoxicating beverage for the ears. Tasting such pastimes, people forget their desires for other things.”
Niranjana Swami:
From a class on Brhad-Bhagavatamritam on August 6, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary:
Although Lord Shiva in many ways is nondifferent from Lord Krishna, he prefers to be considered a servant of the Lord, and even the servant of the servant of the Lord. That was also the mood of Lord Caitanya.
Once Advaita Acharya sang a kirtana glorifying Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Lord. Devotees were worried because Lord Caitanya preferred to consider Himself to be a devotee of the Lord, but they became enthusiastic seeing the enthusiasm of Advaita Acharya.
Satyaraja Prabhu:
“As the Adi Varaha Purana tells us: ‘O fortunate one, those who read or hear of the glories of Mathura go to the supreme destination after death. By hearing the glories of Mathura, one can liberate two hundred relatives on both sides of one’s family.’”
Dayananda Swami:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.8 at ISKCON Paris on August 11, 2026:
By engaging in devotional service, we even forget envy, which is the reason we are here in this world.
Balarama leaves no stone unturned in serving Krishna.
If we want to hear about Krishna, we are nearing perfection or have already attained perfection.
The result of hearing is that we actually become humble and we deal with people in a nice way.
Real humility means knowing how to act in every situation.
If we do not know what to say, it is better not to say anything.
In the scripture it says that unless we are speaking to benefit the situation, it is better not to speak.
Comment by Revatinandana Prabhu: Another difference between Krishna and Balarama is that for Krishna the primary rasa is madhurya whereas for Baladeva it is sakhya.
Comment by me: Lord Balarama often plays the role of a peacemaker, like in the quarrel between Krishna and Rukmi, between the Kurus and the Yadus when Samba kidnapped Laksmana, and between Bhima and Duryodhana at the end of the Kurukshetra War.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.9 at ISKCON Paris on August 11, 2026:
We are trying to give people a chance to engage in devotional service, something they may not have done for many, many lives.
Maya is there to take one good quality and change it into a falldown.
Even if Bharata Maharaja had the association of a new bhakta he could have been saved from his attachment to the deer that caused him to abandon his spiritual practice.
Suffering helps us take shelter of Krishna. That is what the material world is for.
Aksayananda Prabhu:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.5–7 at ISKCON Paris on August 6, 2026:
If we drop you in the ocean, your own effort will not be enough to cross over it.
We cannot advance without austerity and renunciation, but bhakti is not dependent on austerity and renunciation.
Devotees like the Pandavas without the presence of Krishna cannot do anything.
Whatever we are doing is dependent on the intervention of Krishna.
The Jagannatha deities are changing at every moment because of the great ecstasy they are experiencing.
Pariksit was looking for the form of Krishna who had saved him. Seeing Narayana in the temple wasn’t sufficient for him.
When Krishna kills a demon, He frees him from all sinful reactions. But He does not kill all demons, just those who are most attached to Him.
We should not think that an act of devotion to Krishna will have no result because Krishna is always present.
From a home program at Candra Mataji’s place in Paris on August 8, 2026:
Those who do not invite the devotees to their homes are said to have homes that are places of pilgrimage for crows.
Why do we compare alcohol to spirit? The spirit is invisible.
Spiritual life is manifesting the presence of the soul and God.
If a conversation does not have the topic of the soul, the Lord, or the Absolute as part of it, then it is not spiritual.
We cannot have someone chant our rounds or take prasadam for ourselves.
Krishna does not impose Himself.
After 99 blasphemes against Krishna, Krishna told Sisupala to stop. This was because Sisupala had received a benediction that Krishna will tolerate 100 blasphemes. Sisupada said that he did not care and continued his critical words, and thus Krishna killed him with His disk weapon.
When the disk weapon returned to his hand, it cut Him. Draupadi spontaneously ripped off part of her sari to use as a bandage. Later when Dusasana tried to put off her sari, Krishna manifested unlimited cloth to protect her.
We may think that Krishna did not notice something we did, but actually Krishna is very observant and will ultimately reciprocate.
There is a difference between pleasing Krishna and having the desire to pleasure Krishna. The second is bhakti.
The more we advance in Krishna consciousness, the more we see devotees as devotees and the less we see ourselves as devotees. We do not become jealous, but we learn who we can learn from.
As a new devotee, I always wondered, “Krishna, when will you give me the knowledge?” When I was to give class I felt proud that Krishna had given me the knowledge. But when I sat at the vyasasana I felt Krishna took away whatever I knew because he did not want me to be proud.
Spiritual knowledge has the ability to soften the heart and give us the desire to share it.
Only the bhaktas can transmit bhakti.
Once the Bengali devotees accidently put baking soda in the sabji instead of salt. They asked me what to do. My knowledge of chemistry came to mind. I asked how much baking soda they put in it, and I put the proper amount of citric acid to counteract it. Then we added the right amount of salt. We offered it to Krishna, and by His mercy it was alright.
The strongest manifestation of tamas (ignorance) madness. After dusk tamas is total. One should not make decisions at this time.
Sometimes time can solve problems better than we can ourselves. We should have a positive relationship with time.
Comments by me:
It is described that Sukadeva Goswami can enter the hearts of all. (SB 1.2.2)
In the Cc. Kaviraja Goswami says in different places that he remembers the Vaishnavas for his purification. Two examples are Adi 11.7 and Adi 11.57.
Srila Prabhupada said you have to use your common sense, and if you do not have any common sense, you should find someone who does.
Caitanya Carana Prabhu:
From “Q&A” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“By observing the design in the world and inferring that a design requires a designer, we can to some extent come to a logical conclusion about the existence of God, but logic can’t take us beyond existence of God to the personality of God. For that we depend on revelation.”
“Now the question arises, did Arjuna win the war by the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita or by the knowledge of archery he learned throughout his life? It’s by both. Knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita gave Arjuna the inspiration, but knowledge of archery helped him in practical ways. This implies that the material and the spiritual are complimentary. In the ordinary course of life, the spiritual does not replace the material. Nor does the material make the spiritual unnecessary.”
From “Managing the Mind” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“The way to rich relationships is not so much by finding the right partner as by becoming the right partner.”
“At an even more fundamental level, the mind’s imagination that everyone else is happy is what keeps us most unhappy.”
“Suppose you have been digging for gold for a long time and are just a few inches away from a treasure. If you give up then, thinking that the labor is too much, what a tragedy that would be! Similar will be our predicament if we neglect the opportunity for spiritual growth that awaits us in the human form of life.”
“No reality is as undeniable as death. Yet no reality is as strongly denied by our mind as death. Why does it deny death? So that it can keep chasing worldly pleasures.”
“Studying the Gita and practicing bhakti-yoga enable us to become aware of Krishna’s love for us. The more we become attuned to that reality, the more we feel inspired to reciprocate with Him in a mood of service and contribution.”
Prema Sundara Prabhu:
From “From Self-absorption to Krishna Immersion” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“Srila Prabhupada, for example, generally ended his letters with the words ‘Your ever well-wisher.’ These words were not a formality, but the overflow of a heart constantly praying for others. Scriptures describe such souls as para-duhkha-duhkhi – those who feel another’s pain as if it were their own. Just as we instinctively attend to an injury in our body, they instinctively seek to heal the sufferings they encounter in the world.”
Vibhu Caitanya Prabhu:
From “When Comfort Becomes a Test” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“To be habituated to abstain is not to live a life of fear and repression, but to live so fully engaged with Krishna that the offers of Kali begin to look cheap.”
“If I do not use my gifts to move toward Krishna, they slowly pull me away from Him.”
“Life cannot be perfectly arranged in this world, but it can be molded. We can decide what happens with the first and last hour of our day.”
Gauranga Darsana Prabhu:
From “The Real Spirit of Janmastami: Inviting Krishna Into Our Hearts” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“Devaki and Vasudeva endured immense hardship – imprisonment, heartbreak, and constant fear. Yet they remained unwavering in their desire to receive Krishna. Their sacrifice and steadfastness ultimately brought the Supreme Lord directly into their lives.”
“To honor Janmastami each year, let us reflect: Am I willing to embrace inconvenience for His pleasure? Am I ready to choose devotion over comfort, and sacrifice over ease – for the joy of having Krishna dwell within me?”
“When we patiently endure the struggles life brings, the moment Krishna appears in our hearts becomes profoundly transformative. We realize that every hardship was worthwhile for that one moment of divine grace.”
“Often, Krishna first comes as subtle inspiration, nudging us toward deep devotion. As we serve with sincerity, that inspiration becomes longing, and longing ripens into a heartfelt cry. When that cry becomes pure and intense, Krishna’s presence fills our hearts, dispelling the darkness of doubt, ego, and illusion with the light of divine knowledge, love, and bliss. Until then, we walk the sacred path of bhakti-yoga – with humility and steady dedication – knowing each step draws us closer to Him.”
“True failure is giving up; true success is serving on with unwavering faith.”
Revatinandana Prabhu:
If we ignore all the arrangments that the Lord has made for us, we will not have the gratitude to worship the Lord with real feeling. Therefore, Krishna reveals so many truths about Himself.
Because all the avatars are within Krishna, He can manifest any of these avatars as He desires. Because Lord Caitanya is Krishna, He can do the same, and He does so in His pastimes.
As the first expansion of Krishna, Balarama has within Him all the avatars except Krishna Himself.
Although so many of her daughters died shortly after birth, Sacidevi was grateful to the Lord when Visvarupa appeared as her son.
Life should be an adventure to find the ultimate truth and to develop a relationship with that truth. It is said that Lord Nityananda resides in the house of such a sincere person.
We should prepare to be devoted even if materially impoverished.
To become selfless, you have to associate with selfless people.
Comments by me:
Krishna says in Bg. 15.15 that He is the source of knowledge, remembrance, and forgetfulness. If we are thoughtful, we can understand that we cannot accomplish anything without the knowledge and remembrance given by Krishna. Thus we should feel grateful for the Lord for our success.
The materialist considers his abilities the cause of success and thus he becomes proud. The devotee sees the mercy as the Lord as the cause of success and feels grateful to the Lord, and renders service to Him.
Guru Prasad Swami once said that Krishna enjoys being conquered by the love of His devotee, and so He deals with the devotee in such a way as to bring the devotee to that point.
Vrnda Gopika Devi Dasi:
From “The Golden Theophany” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“Here the Lord does not demand grandeur or ritualistic perfection. Instead, He begs only for our conscious participation in kirtana. He inaugurates sankirtana, the yajña (sacrifice) of the age – the very means of Kali-yuga’s redemption.”
“This is Gauranga, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His weapon is not Krishna’s Sudarsana disc; His weapon is the holy name. And His conquest is unlike any seen before. He conquers our hearts and draws us to Him in His eternal home in the spiritual world.”
“He conquers not by slaying demons, but by cleansing hearts until they sparkle with krishna-prema.”
Tanay Shah:
From “The Invisible Contributors to Success and Failure” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 66, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2026):
“Krishna’s sanction is not random, emotional, or impulsive. It is thoughtful, just, and compassionate.”
“As stated in the Mahabharata: dharmo raksati raksitah – one who protects dharma is protected by dharma.”
“We often see only a small portion of reality. Krishna, however, sees the complete picture – past, present, and future. He understands how a particular outcome will affect us and others in the long run.”
“Even when things don’t go exactly as planned, we begin to trust that Krishna – our greatest wellwisher – may have a better plan for us. Over time, a thoughtful person learns an important shift: instead of asking Krishna to follow our plans, we learn to align ourselves with His.”
“Imagine having a friend who is your true well-wisher – someone who genuinely cares for you and always wants the best for you. Not just that, this friend “mystically” knows your past, present, and future. And beyond all this, he has the power to control and guide events in a direction beneficial for you. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary to have someone like that by your side? The beautiful truth is – we already do. And that friend is Krishna.”
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The idea that the devotional service of the Lord begins with the chanting of His holy names is not something newly invented by Lord Caitanya. It is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is considered the ultimate authority by Lord Caitanya and His followers, in this nice verse which is worthy of memorization:
etavan eva loke ’smin
“Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.22)
The streets of Alliston, Canada came alive this weekend as the annual Alliston Potato Festival Parade rolled through town—an event that has been a beloved community celebration for more than half a century. Among the vibrant floats, marching bands, and local organizations, one group made a particularly meaningful debut: the ISKCON Bhakti Yoga Circle (BYC). […]
The post ISKCON Bhakti Yoga Circle Joins the Alliston Canada Potato Festival Parade appeared first on ISKCON News.
New York City Rathayatra procession. The GBC Executive Committee has issued the following statement announcing the establishment of the Puri Official Committee to coordinate ISKCON’s engagement concerning Ratha-yatra observances outside India and relations with the leadership of the Jagannath Puri temple: Update on the Formation of the “Puri Engagement Committee” Hare Krishna Dear Devotees, Please […]
The post GBC Establishes Puri Engagement Committee on Ratha-yatra appeared first on ISKCON News.
Jaya Sri Radhe! On the auspicious occasion of Sri Radhastami, join us at ISKCON Auckland's Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Temple on Saturday 19th September to joyfully celebrate the divine Appearance Day of Srimati Radhrani, with special guests H.H Devamrita Swami Maharaj and H.H Bir Krishna Goswami Maharaj.
Festival schedule is available in the poster. Come and experience a day full of bliss! Hare Krishna.
As ISKCON leaders from across North America gather in the U.S. capital, Madana Gopal Dasa reflects on the shared history of America and ISKCON as they both celebrate significant milestones—250 years for the U.S. and 60 years for ISKCON: I would like for us to take a look at the United States Capitol building for […]
The post America at 250, ISKCON at 60: A Reflection in Washington DC appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Tashkent Society for Krishna Consciousness marked ISKCON’s 60th anniversary with a commemorative gathering on July 22, 2026, at the Le Grande Plaza Hotel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The event brought together diplomatic representatives, government officials, academics, religious representatives, members of the Indian community, business leaders, and guests from Russia and other countries. The program emphasized […]
The post Tashkent Gathering Marks ISKCON’s 60th Anniversary appeared first on ISKCON News.
Mauricio García plays dholak as devotees lead kirtan during Food for Life relief. ISKCON devotees and Food for Life volunteers in Cali have redirected their established meal-distribution network toward rescue workers and vulnerable residents in the wake of the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10. As search-and-rescue operations continued into a second […]
The post Cali Devotees Redirect Food for Life Service After Deadly Earthquake appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) will observe Rūpotsava 2026, the disappearance festival of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, from August 21 to 25 in Vrindavan. The festival will include kīrtana, kathā, recitations of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s compositions, worship at his samādhi, and programs at Ter Kadamba. Selected sessions will also be available online. The theme […]
The post VIHE Announces Rupotsava 2026 in Vrindavan appeared first on ISKCON News.
Over one weekend, the ISKCON London Sankirtan team had the opportunity to attend the World Yoga Festival, bringing Srila Prabhupada’s books to a large gathering of people interested in yoga, meditation, spirituality and personal development. For us, it was a wonderful reminder of how much potential there is for book distribution outside traditional religious settings. Over […]
The post Sharing Srimad Bhagavatam at World Yoga Festival UK appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Hare Krishna Study Centre (ISKCON Guyana) hosted the Hare Krishna Legacy Festival in Georgetown, Guyana, from July 8–12, 2026, bringing together more than 60 visiting devotees from at least ten countries. The five-day celebration commemorated the 60th anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), 50 years of ISKCON in Guyana, the 10th […]
The post Guyana Hosts Historic Hare Krishna Legacy Festival and Regional Leadership Gathering appeared first on ISKCON News.
August 8, 2026 Update: Romapada Swami is continuing his recovery outside the hospital after suffering a stroke approximately one week ago, according to a health update released by his care team on August 8. The update, signed by Prema Tarangini Dasi, Jaisachinandana Das, Nityananda Pran Das, and Nanda Suta Das, reported that Romapada Swami has […]
The post August 8th Health Update for Romapada Swami appeared first on ISKCON News.
Where I Went and What I Did
During the thirty-first week of 2026, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, and I did harinama for three hours each day, mostly in the city of Paris but at the local Garges Sarcelles RER station on Friday.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I share quotes from Japa Reform Notebook by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes from lectures by Srutakirti, Pancharatna, Bhagavata Dharma, Aksayananda, Samba, and Nitai Sevini Prabhus.
Thanks to Janananda Goswami for his donation of American currency.
Itinerary
June 16–August 20: Paris harinama
‒ August 13–16: Trutnov (Czech Woodstock) harinamas and kirtanas
‒ August 17: Prague harinama
August 22–27: Balarama Festival at New Mayapur
August 29: Fly to India
August 30–September 21: Mayapur harinama
September 23: Return to New York
September 25: Philadelphia harinama to promote Ratha-yatra
September 26: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
September 27–December 31: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Yasomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtube.com/shorts/GW4gKNWs1_M?feature=share):
Photos
Recently I have been inviting Indians and people who interacted favorably with our chanting to come to the temple midday. I tell them we have some chanting at 12:30 p.m. and a free vegetarian meal at 1:30 p.m.
To one woman who enjoyed chanting with us, I sent a photo of the variety of items we have for the lunch to inspire her to come. She said she is not in Paris now, but she would tell her friends who live in Paris.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.25:
“He [Lord Brahma] approached the Personality of Godhead, who bestows all boons and who dispels the agony of His devotees and of those who take shelter of His lotus feet. He manifests His innumerable transcendental forms for the satisfaction of His devotees.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.25, purport:
“In a verse in the Ramayana, Hanuman, the great devotee of Rama, said, ‘I know that there is no difference between the Sita-Rama and Laksmi-Narayana forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but nevertheless, the form of Rama and Sita has absorbed my affection and love. Therefore I want to see the Lord in the forms of Rama and Sita.’”
“The words bhaktanam anurupatma-darsanam mean that the Lord is always pleased to favor the devotee in the particular form in which the devotee wants to worship and render service unto Him.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.31, purport:
“The real beauty is Krishna and Radha. One who is attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krishna cannot be attracted by the false beauty of this material world.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.35, purport:
“In the Bhagavatam (5.5.1) it is stated that brahma-saukhya, spiritual happiness, is ananta, unending. Foolish creatures are enamored with the beauty of matter and think that the enjoyment it offers is real, but actually that is not real enjoyment.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.43, purport:
“The devotee of the Lord, or one who is in Krishna consciousness, however, does not need to perform such ritualistic ceremonies as sraddha because he is always pleasing the Supreme Lord; therefore his fathers and ancestors who might have been in difficulty are automatically relieved. The vivid example is Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja requested Lord Nrsimhadeva to deliver his sinful father, who had so many times offended the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord replied that in a family where a Vaishnava like Prahlada is born, not only his father but his father’s father and their fathers—up to the fourteenth father back—are all automatically delivered. The conclusion, therefore, is that Krishna consciousness is the sum total of all good work for the family, for society and for all living entities. In the Caitanya-caritamrta the author says that a person fully conversant with Krishna consciousness does not perform any rituals because he knows that simply by serving Krishna in full Krishna consciousness, all rituals are automatically performed.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.7, purport:
“Devotional service, or engagement in Krishna consciousness, is the direct method, and all other methods, although recommended, are indirect. In this Age of Kali the direct method is especially more feasible than the indirect because people are short-living, their intelligence is poor, and they are poverty-stricken and embarrassed by so many miserable disturbances. Lord Caitanya, therefore, has given the greatest boon: in this age one simply has to chant the holy name of God to attain perfection in spiritual life.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.14, purport:
“Actually, the intelligent practitioner of yoga should aspire for nothing else but to cross over the ocean of nescience by worshiping the Personality of Godhead and to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.15, purport:
“The advantage of worshiping the Supreme Person is that even if one has desires for material enjoyment, if he worships Krishna he will gradually become a pure devotee and have no more material hankering.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.17:
“However, persons who have given up stereotyped worldly affairs and the beastly followers of these affairs, and who have taken shelter of the umbrella of Your lotus feet by drinking the intoxicating nectar of Your qualities and activities in discussions with one another, can be freed from the primary necessities of the material body.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.20, purport:
“This material world is not created for those who do not want to enjoy sense gratification, who constantly remain in transcendental loving service and who are eternally Krishna conscious. For them, the spiritual world is eternally existing, and they enjoy there.”
“Krishna is so kind that He allows the sense-enjoying living entities a separate world created by Him to enjoy as they like, yet at the same time He appears in His personal form. The Lord unwillingly creates this material world, but He descends in His personal form or sends one of His reliable sons or a servant or a reliable author like Vyasadeva to give instruction. He Himself also instructs in His speeches of Bhagavad-gita. This propaganda work goes on side by side with the creation to convince the misguided living entities who are rotting in this material world to come back to Him and surrender unto Him. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gita is this: ‘Give up all your manufactured engagements in the material world and just surrender unto Me. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions.’”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.21, purport:
“Unless one is disgusted with the enjoyment of this material world, he cannot aspire for liberation. Liberation is for one who is disgusted with material enjoyment. Vedanta-sutra says, therefore, athato brahma jijñasa: those who have given up the attempt to be happy in this material world can inquire about the Absolute Truth. For those who want to know the Absolute Truth, the Vedanta-sutra is available, as is Srimad-Bhagavatam, the actual explanation of Vedanta-sutra. Since Bhagavad-gita is also Vedanta-sutra, by understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedanta-sutra or Bhagavad-gita one can obtain real knowledge.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.22, purport:
“Whenever the Lord speaks, He speaks from the transcendental world. He does not speak from the material world. Since He is transcendental, His speech is also transcendental, as is His activity; everything in relation to Him is transcendental. The word amrita refers to one who does not meet with death. The words and activities of the Lord are deathless; therefore they are not manufactured of this material world. The sound of this material world and that of the spiritual world are completely different. The sound of the spiritual world is nectarean and eternal, whereas the sound of the material world is hackneyed and subject to end. The sound of the holy name—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare—everlastingly increases the enthusiasm of the chanter. If one repeats monotonous material words, he will feel exhausted, but if he chants Hare Krishna twenty-four hours a day, he will never feel exhausted; rather, he will feel encouraged to continue chanting more and more.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.24:
“The Lord continued: My dear rishi [Kardama Muni], O leader of the living entities, for those who serve Me in devotion by worshiping Me, especially persons like you who have given up everything unto Me, there is never any question of frustration.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.28, purport:
“If we depend on the choice of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we will receive benedictions in greater opulence than we desire.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31:
“Showing compassion to all living entities, you will attain self-realization. Giving assurance of safety to all, you will perceive your own self as well as all the universes in Me, and Myself in you.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.21.31, purport:
“There is a nice example regarding the sun and the sunshine. The sun, by its sunshine, is spread all over the universe, and all the planets rest on the sunshine. But all the planets are different from the sun planet; one cannot say that because the planets are resting on the sunshine, these planets are also the sun. Similarly, the impersonal or pantheistic view that everything is God is not a very intelligent proposal.”
“As long as one is not compassionate to people in general in his devotional service to the Lord, he is a third-class devotee. The first-class devotee gives assurance to every living being that there is no fear of this material existence: ‘Let us live in Krishna consciousness and conquer the nescience of material existence.’”
“To award fearlessness to the common man is the greatest act of charity.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.1, purport:
“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He generally appears in a ksatriya family because He comes to establish religious principles and the life of righteousness. According to the Vedic system, the ksatriya family is the protector of the human race. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Lord Ramacandra, He appeared in the surya-vamsa, the family descending from the sun-god, and when He appeared as Lord Krishna, He did so in the Yadu dynasty, or yadu-vamsa, whose descent was from the moon-god.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.56, purport:
“The very name ‘Radha’ suggests that Srimati Radharani is eternally the topmost mistress of the comforts of Sri Krishna. As such, She is the medium transmitting the living entities’ service to Sri Krishna. Devotees in Vrindavan therefore seek the mercy of Srimati Radharani in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Sri Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.60, purport:
“The hladini potency gives the Lord all transcendental pleasure, and the Lord bestows such a potency upon His pure devotee.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.62, purport:
“The transcendental potency by which He possesses transcendental bliss and causes His devotees to have bliss is called hladini.”
“The Lord and His devotees simultaneously perceive the hladini potency directly by the power of the samvit potency.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.63, purport:
“O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini, sandhini and samvit exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities.” [Vishnu Purana (1.12.69)]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.65, purport:
“When the living entity is situated in visuddha-sattva, transcendental to the three material modes of nature, he can perceive the form, qualities and other features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through his service attitude.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.66:
“‘The condition of pure goodness [suddha-sattva], in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed without any covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state the Supreme Godhead, who is beyond the material senses and who is known as Vasudeva, is perceived by my mind.’” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.3.23)
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.69, purport:
“Radharani is the personified embodiment of these three aspects of transcendental consciousness. She is therefore the highest principle in love of Godhead and is the supreme lovable object of Sri Krishna.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.87:
“The name ‘Radha’ is derived from the root word aradhana, which means ‘worship.’ The personality who excels all in worshiping Krishna may therefore be called Radhika, the greatest servitor.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.137–139:
“Seeing His own beauty, Lord Krishna began to consider. My sweetness is wonderful, infinite and full. No one in the three worlds can find its limit. Only Radhika, by the strength of Her love, tastes all the nectar of My sweetness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.143:
“My sweetness is always newer and newer. Devotees taste it according to their own respective love.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.146:
“Who manifests an abundance of sweetness greater than Mine, which has never been experienced before and which causes wonder to all? Alas, I Myself, My mind bewildered upon seeing this beauty, impetuously desire to enjoy it like Srimati Radharani.” [Lalita-madhava (8.34) of Srila Rupa Gosvami]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.147:
“The beauty of Krishna has one natural strength: it thrills the hearts of all men and women, beginning with Lord Krishna Himself.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.148:
“All minds are attracted by hearing His sweet voice and flute, or by seeing His beauty. Even Lord Krishna Himself makes efforts to taste that sweetness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.153:
“The gopis saw their beloved Krishna at Kuruksetra after a long separation. They secured and embraced Him in their hearts through their eyes, and they attained a joy so intense that not even perfect yogis can attain it. The gopis cursed the creator for creating eyelids that interfered with their vision.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.82.39]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.156:
[The women of Mathura said:] “What austerities must the gopis have performed? With their eyes they always drink the nectar of the form of Lord Krishna, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That form is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.44.14]
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.157:
“The sweetness of Lord Krishna is unprecedented, and its strength is also unprecedented. Simply by one’s hearing of such beauty, the mind becomes unsteady.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.165:
“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krishna is prema [love].”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.172:
“Thus there is not the slightest taint of lust in the gopis’ love. Their relationship with Krishna is only for the sake of His enjoyment.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.213:
“O Partha, the gopis know My greatness, My loving service, respect for Me, and My mentality. Others cannot really know these.” [Ādi Purana]”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 5.1:
“Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Sri Nityananda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool can understand His identity.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 5.22:
“The bestial civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled modern man into forgetting how powerful a soul he has. As we have already described, the soul is a spiritual spark many, many times more illuminating, dazzling and powerful than the sun, moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled when man does not realize his real identity with his soul. Lord Caitanya appeared with Lord Nityananda to save man from this type of misleading civilization.”
“For the perfect yogi who has attained success in the method of leaving his body in perfect consciousness, transferring from one planet to another is as easy as an ordinary man’s walking to the grocery store.”
“Because the Lord is kind to us, we can live anywhere—either in the spiritual sky or in the material sky, upon whichever planet we desire. However, misuse of this freedom causes one to fall down into the material world and suffer the threefold miseries of conditioned life. The living of a miserable life in the material world by dint of the soul’s choice is nicely illustrated by Milton in Paradise Lost. Similarly, by choice the soul can regain paradise and return home, back to Godhead.”
“Systematic training of the mind and intelligence is therefore needed so that at the time of death one may consciously desire a suitable body, either on this planet or another material planet or even a transcendental planet. A civilization that does not consider the progressive advancement of the immortal soul merely fosters a bestial life of ignorance.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Japa Reform Notebook, Chapter 1:
“Bhismadeva also drove out all other thought at the time of his passing away. Scheming over this and that, letting the mind wander—at the time of death you will be forced to give up all these thoughts. But do it now and save yourself for chanting. Such pure chanting can save the whole world. ‘O Radha, O Krishna, please engage me!’”
From Japa Reform Notebook, Chapter 2:
“Chant heart and soul early in the morning and you will be prepared to take on all obstacles in the day.”
“The main thing is to fix your mind on the sound of the chanting. As you strain and yearn to keep your attention fixed, this naturally brings a mood of devotion. This is the way you serve the holy name.”
Srutikirti Prabhu:
From a class on the 60th anniversary of ISKCON at New York City on July 31, 2026:
Once Srila Prabhupada said, “I am the dictaphone machine. Krishna dictates, and I write.”
Once in Calcutta one devotee didn’t go to mangala-arati. Prabhupada asked him where he was. He said, “I was visiting the site where you took birth and the Mullik’s temple you attended.”
One day I said I was really struggling. “I just stay in my room all day.”
He replied, “I just stay in my room all day too.”
His solution was not to change my situation of being in the room, but to give me some more service to do there.
Srila Prabhupada just wanted to see that everyone was in the protective shell that he gave us.
Srila Prabhupada had the option of going to Ratha-yatra in London in 1973 or resting in Perth to recuperate his health. He told his leaders in India to discuss it and make a decision as to which. During his massage, he asked me, and I told him that he was going to London to preach. He was pleased with my understanding. When the leaders returned, he asked their decision. They said he should rest, and he expressed disappointment. Of course, he did go to that famous London Ratha-yatra and danced through the whole procession. Two years later a similar choice came up. I said I knew he would choose the preaching opportunity over the resting opportunity. Again the leaders recommended he rest, and again he was disappointed with them. They had not better understood his mind although two years had passed.
Pancharatna Prabhu:
From a comment during a class by Sunanda Prabhu in New York City on August 4, 2026:
The 17th-century German Lutheran theologian Rupertus Meldenius (also known as Peter Meiderlin) has a saying from the time of The Thirty Years’ War that might be of value for our Vaishnava community, “In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
Aksayananda Prabhu:
As the devotees advance they can perceive the desires of the Lord and try assist Him in the fulfillment of these.
When Krishna comes to the material world, He brings His abode with Him.
Some pastimes of Krishna include death, but death is not found in the spiritual world.
When Krishna was getting ready to leave this world, he left a material body so that people who wanted to could consider He had died. After that He went to Vrindavan to show His friends that He did not die. He explained that Kali-yuga had come, and thus their pastimes could not continue. Then He arranged a horse and chariot, manifested His form as Laksmi Narayana, and mounted the.chariot. Then He arranged similar facilities for the residents of Vrindavan, and they all returned to the spiritual world.
If someone came into the temple and started throwing things at the deity we would be upset because we have developed some attachment to Krishna.
Cooperation to please the Lord is the temple. Not just the walls constitute the temple.
It is important to have an advanced spiritual leader in the community situated in the temple every day.
Bhagavata Dharma of Slovenia:
From a class on Vaishnava etiquette:
All regulations and prohibitions, including Vaishnava etiquette, are servants of the rule to always remember Lord Krishna and to never forget Him.
We are, as well as any living entity is, a servant of Krishna. Thus if I think someone should serve me, then I am affected by ignorance.
No community can function if people do not understand their positions. Everything is upside down in Kali-yuga because no one accepts their positions.
I allow you to exploit me as long as I can exploit you a little more.
One of the ways to please Krishna is to follow the etiquette.
It is important in temple management that we do not engage people of differing sexes in the same service at the same time.
Admitting our weakness at sense control in the face of the opposite sex, we should pray to Krishna.
Why is Krishna consciousness a science? If by following a process we can achieve a certain goal, and that can be verified, then it is a science.
Two masters tend to fight but not two servants.
In male/female relationships the women need protection, and they know it. No woman wants a weak husband. If a man is respected by his wife, he feels inspired to take care of the family nicely, and everyone thrives.
The acaryas advise us to associate with devotees who have a similar mentality.
By gossiping we acquire the bad qualities of the people we talk about, but by glorifying the qualities of the devotees of the Lord and the Lord Himself we acquire those transcendental qualities.
We should share realizations with devotee friends.
We should serve junior people by encouraging them in their service.
We should think, “I am put in this position to be able to serve.”
Comments by me:
“My dear Sanatana, although you are the deliverer of the entire universe and although even the demigods and great saints are purified by touching you, it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaishnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaishnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee.” (Cc. Antya 4.129–130)
“In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.” (The Nectar of Instruction, Preface)
[Not voiced:] “The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.35)
The third purpose of ISKCON is to understand we are all eternal servants of Krishna within the society and beyond.
Bhaktimarga Swami has “no gossiping” as a fifth rule to follow at initiation.
Lord Caitanya said that one who chants the holy name and does not blaspheme anyone easily attains Krishna prema. (Caitanya-bhagavata)
[Not voiced:] Like staying up late, getting up early can reduce the sleep of others if we play tapes or sing loudly as we bathe and dress.
Question by Tamal Krishna Prabhu: What if advanced devotees we respect get in positions of power and they end up abusing devotees in different ways?
Question by devotee lady: We were instructed that we shouldn’t cook in the kitchen with brahmacaris, but what about married men?
Answer: It is OK, but only if they are with their wives.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.1, purport in Paris on July 31, 2026:
In the early cantos, we can learn how Krishna is not an ordinary living being, and thus we will not misunderstand His pastimes in the Tenth Canto.
Krishna tells about how trees live for the benefit of others. He makes the point that brahmanas who don’t live to benefit others are less than trees.
Jesus said if you lose your life, you will gain it, and if you try to maintain your life you will lose it. I could never understand that until I became a devotee. If we give our lives completely to Krishna we will gain everything.
Our ambition is just to render a little service.
If we give ourselves completely to Krishna, Krishna is unable to repay us.
Krishna is only enjoying by serving other living entities.
It is explained that each gopi has two services, (1) her particular service, and (2) whatever service needs to be done at the moment.
If we are very enthusiastic, that will inspire others. Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is lethargy.
We should be concerned about the needs of others as we are a personal movement.
Unpoken comment by me:
Prabhupada said that his brothers wanted to live long lives while he and his sister just wanted to do something for Krishna. As it turned out the brothers died comparatively early, and he and his sister lived long lives.
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 13.70 in Paris on August 1, 2026:
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says nama-ruci (having a taste for the holy name} and jiva-daya (compassion for others) are the essence. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada is also emphasized compassion.
The process of connecting with the Lord is to give our heart. Don’t be half hearted.
The marathon runners say there is only one level of commitment: total.
The holy name is most important for Kali-yuga, both for ourselves and others.
We should chant with the prayerful mood, “please engage me in Your devotional service.”
We should see ourselves as servants of the deities and servants of the devotees.
Because people proud of their material education and position in society are not attracted, we should expect those who are not materially advanced to come.
Srila Prabhupada was preaching to people who were into sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, and he told them, “No sex, no drugs, and no rock’n’roll.”
The expression of compassion for ourselves is to take this process of Krishna very seriously. Also Lord Krishna’s instructions in Bhagavad-gita 6.16–17 on moderation should be followed.
Comments by me:
Bhagavad-gita 18.54 mentions that unless we see all living beings equally we will not attain bhakti: “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.”
Also Krishna stresses compassion in Bhagavad-gita 12.13: “One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities . . . is very dear to Me.”
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 13.74 in Paris on August 2, 2026:
Although Jagannatha Misra and Saci Devi were the eternal parents of Sri Caitanya, they were not exempt from suffering. They had nine daughters who all died soon after birth. Thus we can see even the most advanced personalities suffer.
After the daughters, they had one son who took sannyasi, which is death from the social point of view.
Bhakti has the power to change curses into blessings.
It is said that when Uddhava visited Vrindavan he was only welcomed by Nanda Maharaja as Yasoda did not want to see anyone but Krishna.
If you call someone’s name, and they come and you ignore them, that is an offense. Don’t do that with Krishna.
Krishna should be our only shelter. Do not seek shelter outside of Krishna consciousness.
Although Krishna is everywhere, He can remain hidden.
The servant is always commanded. If we do not like to be commanded, that is a sign that we have not accepted that we are servants.
Comments by me:
Hridayananda Goswami says he always worried about being more tolerant than a tree because people carve their initials in trees.
Dayananda Swami in the UK points out in the Gita the first thing that Krishna tells Arjuna to actually do is to practice tolerance, matra sparsas tu kaunteya. Before that He just spoke philosophy.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.10 says it is alright to desire survival because life is meant for self-realization: “Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.”
When we go out in public, we give people the opportunity to direct their free will to Krishna.
Especially in Kali-yuga training is required because people are conditioned by the mode of ignorance which is exactly opposite from the mode of ignorance.
From a question and answer session in Paris on August 4, 2026:
Prahladananda Swami previously was a brahmacari assistant of Tamal Krishna Goswami. Maharaja kept him engaged in going here and there, and he had no time to chant his rounds. He solved the problem by not returning from his first service till two hours later, after he had chanted his rounds.
Q (by Ekanatha Prabhu): How to raise children in Krishna consciousness?
A: If the children see the parents have no other happiness outside Krishna consciousness, they will naturally become Krishna consciousness.
If the mother chants when she breastfeeds the baby, the baby will connect the chanting with nourishment and comfort.
When the mother chants, she can encourage the child to listen and try to chant. At 5 years, the child could be encouraged to try to chant a round.
The family should have programs together, such as mangala arati and Gaura arati.
The children should have some service for the deities.
Nitya Sevini Devi Dasi:
From a Sunday feast lecture in Paris on August 2, 2026:
A devotee does not give up material things. He outgrows them. Just like the things we did as kids we no longer do.
The devotee does not hate the world. He recognizes it is for Krishna’s devotional service.
The devotee does not want to be the hero of the story, he just wants to be part of Krishna’s story.
A devotee is happy serving Krishna so he does not feel the need to take credit for things he did.
When you become a devotee, it is not that all your problems go away, but you understand that Krishna is behind everything and that Krishna wants good for us.
Krishna can plan our present because He sees the future.
For the devotee, Krishna is the reference point. Everything the devotee sees is in relationship with Krishna.
Once Srila Prabhupada told the devotees in Mayapur that Radha Madhava come to a certain place on the temple grounds at night to perform their pastimes so they should keep it clean.
When we focus on the important things in life then we will not be disturbed by the less important things.
From a class Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.2 in Paris on August 3, 2026:
What keeps us in Krishna consciousness is hearing about Krishna.
Even Krishna wants to hear about Krishna. Jagannatha manifested when Krishna wanted to hear about Krishna.
It is said Ananta was worried about the assignment the Lord gave Him to hold the planets. The Lord said, “Just do it while you chant My names. Then continue while you chant My pastimes.” In this way the Lord tricked Ananta to continue because the pastimes of the Lord never end.
You have so many breaths to live, but the breaths we take while hearing Krishna-katha are not counted, so our duration of life increases.
There is a pastime in Udupi where the deity’s plate was sometimes missing. It was always found where a certain swami was speaking Bhagavatam. The story was the deity was enjoying listening to the Bhagavatam while eating, and He left His plate there.
Samba Prabhu:
We have two ears and one mouth. That is designed by the Lord. We should hear at least twice as much as we speak.
Prabhupada pushed a devotee couple to go to Sweden. They asked what should they do. He told the husband to read the Bhagavatam and whatever he was inspired to say he should speak. “Have kirtan at your place,” he said, “and invite those around to come.” After a few years, the devotee had established four centers there.
Srila Prabhupada wrote one bhajana in which he says he wants all living beings to go back to Godhead.
If a devotee takes birth in a brahmana or aristocratic family, what is the guarantee he will progress in the next life? Thus we should take advantage of the favorable situation we have now and attain perfection.
Krishna Kripa Das:
From a Facebook post:
“After offering mangala-arati to Radha-Giridhari, Badrinarayana Prabhu (later Swami), seeing all the commotion with pujaris rushing here and there getting ready to dress their respective deities, smiled and said, ‘Grand Central Station.’”
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Are you looking for happiness? For perfection? For the best possible destination? Krishna gives the secret in Bhagavad-gita. Don’t act according to your whims! Follow the advice given by the omniscient and benevolent Supreme Being in the literature which He has kindly revealed. Do not miss out!
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” (Bhagavad-gita 16.23)
Alive. This was the most overwhelming feeling I had while reading Krishna Dharma’s Birth of the Unborn: Tales of Lord Krishna, A Dramatic Retelling of Srimad Bhagavatam: The Beautiful Science of God. If you are new to the writing of Krishna Dharma, this book is an exquisite treat. If you have read his Mahabharata or Ramayana, then this […]
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ISKCON’s Los Angeles temple, New Dwaraka, celebrated its Golden Jubilee Fiftieth Anniversary Festival of Ratha-yatra with strong enthusiasm for the pleasure of Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra, and ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The festival took place on August 2nd in Santa Monica and Venice and was very well attended […]
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The ISKCON Annamrita Foundation, in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal, inaugurated the state’s largest Centralized School Meal kitchen in Kolkata under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme. The state-of-the-art kitchen spanning 75,000 sq ft was inaugurated on August 1, 2026, by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendhu Adhikhari. […]
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The recent film The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a huge hit. People are even heading to the bookstores to purchase a copy of Homer’s book. I’m surprised to see, in this post-literate, soundbite generation of grunts and memes and curses, that people are still interested in classical literature. In an era when colleges […]
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Mayuri Gandharvika, a third-generation devotee, sings at the sold-out event in NYC. Five hundred guests gathered Friday evening at The Glasshouse in Manhattan to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), marking six decades since ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada formally established the Society in New […]
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Karuna Care Association (KCA), an ISKCON-endorsed organization dedicated to emotional and spiritual care, has opened registration for its upcoming six-week online course, “Escaping the Drama Triangle.” The course is designed to help participants identify unhealthy relationship patterns, develop greater emotional awareness, and cultivate healthier, more empowering ways of relating to others. Many people find themselves […]
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Jagat Pavitram Das marks six years of production and looks ahead to dubbing the series into other languages. A six-year independent effort to adapt the Srimad-Bhagavatam into animated video form for a general audience reached completion on July 11, 2026, when ISKCON Miraflores hosted a free public screening of the project, “The Conquest of the […]
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From November 2025 through June 2026, devotees under the leadership of Ujjvala Rasajna Devi Dasi traveled through all 100 counties of North Carolina as part of the Gaura Prema Nama Sankirtana Yatra. Inspired by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction to spread the chanting of the holy names, devotees dedicated every Saturday to harinama sankirtana, book distribution, […]
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On July 30, 2026, GBC Communications released the following statement: 30 July, 2026 Hare Krishna Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. The Global Vaishnavi Diksha Guru (GVDG) Committee held its second meeting on 28 July 2026 under the chairmanship of Govardhana Dasa, First Vice-Chairman of the GBC Executive Committee, as […]
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Gopal Das receiving initiation from Srila Prabhupada. His Grace Gopal Das (Charles Paulin) received initiation from ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, July, 1970. He was given sannyasa initiation at some point in the very early seventies, meaning he was among the first devotees to get sannyasa in […]
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