ISKCON Nairobi – The Bhaktivedanta Nritya Academy, under the guidance of Gitanjali Parida and Sandhya Iyer, recently showcased an enthralling dance drama inspired by the epic saga, “Ramayana,” on the 7th of October, 2023. The play also served as a fundraiser for Mwingi School in Kenya, which seeks to improve educational opportunities for underprivileged children in the community.

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Vrindavan, India — In the heart of Vraj, where the sacred land resonates with the divine presence of Lord Krishna, a remarkable project is underway that seeks to honor a spiritual legacy, uphold environmental sustainability, and serve the growing ISKCON community and beyond. The Krishna Balaram Cultural Center project, nestled within the Krishna Balaram Temple complex, is set to redefine this revered campus’s spiritual and cultural landscape.

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ISKCON leaders Visakha Dasi, Vinay Tanna, and Radha Mohan Das from the Bhaktivedanta Manor joined senior faith leaders today at St Albans Cathedral as a witness for peace in the Middle East. They were invited by HM Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Mr. Robert Voss, and Rt. Revd. Dr. Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans, to stand in solidarity with other faith groups across Hertfordshire in an act of silent witness and prayer. “It was a show of unity in a prayer for peace and stability in the region of Israel and Gaza,” said Radha Mohan Das, Communications Officer for the Manor.

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An accusation I often hear levelled at religion is that it causes so many conflicts. As the recent tragic events unfolded in the Middle East, some have indeed pointed the finger of blame at religion, as at least a factor in the long-standing dispute. Writing for the ‘Big Think’, Adam Lee observed: “…what I do believe is that that it (the Israel Palestine conflict) is being inflamed and prolonged by religious zealotry on both sides.”

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Over 80 ISKCON leaders gathered at the ISKCON temple and cultural center in Houston, Texas, for the annual North American Leadership Conference on October 13-15th to discuss key issues, network, share resources, and empower leaders to serve their respective communities. 

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This month,  the Hindu American Foundation (HAF)  interviewed Anuttama Dasa, the International Director of Communications and a member of the Governing Body Commission (GBC), regarding the celebration of Navaratri and Dussehra from the perspective of an ISKCON devotee.

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As an unprecedentedly unique offering to our illustrious Guru-paramparā and the Vaiṣṇava community, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) established an endowment in honour of Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, at his alma mater—Presidency University, Kolkata, in September 2023.

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On October 15, 2023, ISCKON devotees, locals, and well-wishers gathered for the dedication of the new Krishna Balarama Hall in Vrindavan Dham. This building is part of the larger Krishna Balaram Cultural Center project that ISKCON News will report on this week. The Hall will greatly expand the Krishna Balaram temple’s ability to serve the growing number of pilgrims visiting the holy city, through prasada distribution and devotional events.

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ISKCON News is continuing to follow developments in the Israel-Hamas war.  Details on the ground are changing hour by hour, but we are striving to bring you the latest from multiple sources.

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Chaitanya Chandra Dasa has unveiled his latest offering, an e-book titled “Traps in our Path Back to Godhead.” Drawing inspiration from a publication by Suhotra Swami during the 1990s, this e-book sets a philosophical foundation to illuminate the common pitfalls in one’s spiritual evolution, empowering one with the wisdom required to navigate and transcend these impediments.

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By His Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada

According to the Padma Purana, within the material compass there are innumerable material universes, and all of them are full of darkness. Any living being, beginning from the Brahmas (there are innumerable Brahmas in innumerable universes) to the insignificant ant, are all born in darkness, and they require factual light from the Lord to see Him directly, just as the sun can be seen only by the direct light of the sun. No lamp or man-made torchlight, however powerful it may be, can help one see the sun. The sun reveals itself. Therefore the actio...

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By Bhakti-lata Devi Dasi

I felt disillusioned by the whole show of this world. Nothing seemed attractive. I didn’t care much for anything anymore. I started reading some semi-spiritual books that served to tantalize me but were not nearly potent enough to satisfy my inner hunger for the Absolute Truth. I felt myself waiting for something to happen. One fine afternoon Marc stumbled upon an old friend of his he had been searching for ever since we had met. As it turned out, this friend had become a Hare Krishna d...

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By Sivarama Swami

Not only is Srimati Radharani’s love golden—that is the color of maha-bhava—but the color of prema is also like that. So our attachment to Krishna, our love for Krishna when it is offered to Him, it will also increase the greenness of all things, and green of course means that things are growing very nicely. When things become burnt out they turn brown, or when they die they wilt. So similarly, if our thoughts are always green with remembrance of Krishna’s pastimes, then that means we have a healthy state of Krishna consciousness. ...

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By His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

You write that things are in a crisis in England, with oil shortage and IRA bombing. Therefore, we have to take shelter of Krsna. If Krsna wants to kill us that is not wrong, if it is His desire. Our business should just to be to follow the regulative schedule, deity worship, distributing prasadam, chanting, book distribution and never mind the material danger. Krsna Consciousness means to be on the platform of deathlessness. Every sloka in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam is informing us of this. If you read these books carefully you will understand this platfor...

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By Gauranga Das

“Absorption in Krsna” and “Dependence on Krsna” are the two main aspects of spiritual life demonstrated by Lord Sri Krsna in Sri Vrndavana. A materialist is generally absorbed in one’s own self and has quite a lot of faith and pride in one’s own intellectual capabilities, achievements, resources and contacts. As opposed to such materialists, the Vrajavasis are a group of people who are totally absorbed in the thoughts of how to serve Krsna and are totally dependent on Krsna’s mercy to fulfill their own desires to serve Him

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By Kalakantha Dasa

O Krishna! In Your absence every moment lasts for years. The whole world seems so empty that my eyes are raining tears. When we no longer expect happiness from illusions, we naturally expect happiness from Krishna. Yet the ever-independent Krishna may or may not give it. Happiness accompanies Krishna, who comes and goes at His own sweet will. Very advanced devotees find ecstasy in separation from Krishna; beginners may struggle. Still, when Krishna leaves us, where else in creation can we turn? We must call out for Him. If fact, when we don’t feel Krishna’s presence ...

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By Bhakti Nilaya das

A sign of a good leader is that he does not request those under him to do something that he is not prepared to do. So before we desire to distribute this Vedic culture to the whole world, we ourselves have to be following it in such a way that nobody can find even a minute discrepancy in our practice. People are too attached to their sense gratification and won't be so readily eager to give it up, and although they may have some attraction to the Vedic culture, if the mind can find an excuse for why they should not practice it, they will most li...

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By Atmattatva das

According to our consciousness at the time of death we receive a suitable body. What we remember at the time of death is not just a matter of the momentary thought that occurs. What we have done throughout our entire life will naturally come to our mind as we leave our body. Just prior to death, our entire life is flashed before our mind's eye in a split second. One particular event will be very attractive to us, and we will focus on that. Based on that desire we will be given our next body, som...

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By Satyananda Dasa

ISKCON devotees commonly use the phrase, “Going back home, back to Godhead.”Have you ever thought about what this means when a traveler is anxious to return home? Home is where our family is, where there are people who love us, who trust us. It’s the place we’re comfortable and happy. It’s the place we feel most natural. The world we live in is foreign to the soul; we are strangers in a foreign land. In this alien place we call home we experience so many ...

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By His Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada

The so-called political leaders are busy making plans to advance the material prosperity of their nation, but factually these political leaders only want an exalted position for themselves. Due to their greed for material position, they falsely present themselves as leaders before the people and collect their votes, although they are completely under the grip of the laws of material nature. These are some of the faults of modern civilization....

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Austin, Texas

HG Vaisesika Das, May 24, 2023

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The TOVP 3D Department has produced a 360° panoramic view of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing. Srisha das and Pavan Gopa das have rendered their collection of cgi images into an all-encompassing and awe-inspiring picture of the entire hall and altar, viewable from left to right, up and down, and zoomable in or out.

The Nrsimhadeva Hall is scheduled to open during the 2024 Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival from February 29 - March 2. For more information visit WWW.TOVP.ORG.

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On the occasion of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Appearance in 2022 the TOVP Communications Department released the Prayers by Shani (Saturn) to Lord Nrsimhadeva flipbook. The flipbook is not only readable online but downloadable and shareable, and can be bookmarked as well on your reading device. Below is a short explanation of these wonderful prayers, and a link to the flipbook.

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Pasankusa or Papankusa Ekadasi is one of the most significant Vedic fasting days, and is observed in the Ashwin month on the eleventh day (Ekadasi) of Shukla Paksha. Therefore, the festival is also popular as ‘Ashwina-Shukla Ekadasi’. According to the Gregorian calendar, this festival is celebrated either in the month of October or September. Pasankusa Ekadasi is celebrated to worship Lord Padmanabha, the Lord with a navel like a lotus.

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A video produced by Sadaputa Dasa (Dr. Richard L. Thompson) The neo-Darwinian theory of evolution is based on the assumption that all existing organisms are connected to one another by closely spaced chains of viable intermediate forms. Unfortunately, this assumption is seldom subjected to careful scientific scrutiny. This video shows the need for clearly defined models in the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. It shows that required intermediate forms fail to exist for certain key models, and it discloses the inadequacy of the theory in general. The video is based on a lecture delivered at a scientific conference on evolution in Budapest.

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