The tradition of distributing Vaishnava literature in Canada dates back to 1896, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur sent a treatise on Lord Caitanya to McGill University in Montreal. Decades later, Srila Prabhupada himself visited Canada multiple times, beginning in 1968 with Montreal and later Toronto. His presence inspired a generation of devotees to carry forward the mission.

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On October 3, 2025, devotees from around the world gathered online to honor Her Grace Hladini Devi Dasi, a beloved disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami and lifelong servant of Srila AC. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whose extraordinary devotion, humility, and final act of fearless sacrifice continue to inspire generations of devotees.

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California has become the third U.S. state to recognize Diwali — a major festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism — as an official state holiday. The measure, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allows government employees a day off on the festival and comes amid efforts to better reflect the religious diversity of the state. Supporters say the change helps validate and celebrate communities that have long advocated for broader recognition of their faiths.

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Ravīndra-svarūpa Dāsa has jokingly quipped about becoming a member of ISKCON: first you join the movement, then you become a pure devotee, then you become a human being.  Brahmatīrtha dasa, current director for the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS)  recalls: When we first met, Madhava was already advanced to the “human being platform, with the qualities of humility and emotions, devoid of a ‘holier than thou’ mentality. And he possessed extreme loyalty to Guru and Gauranga! 

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The Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) has launched a digital platform providing online access to the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhan, the comprehensive four-volume encyclopedia compiled by Sri Haridasa Dasa Babaji (1898-1957). The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Haribol Kuthir, addresses the growing need for accessible digital archives of traditional Vaishnava literature and was commemorated at a special program held on July 6, 2025, at Haribola Kuthir and Nabadwip Puratattva Parishad.

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The well-renowned Bhaktivedanta Players continue their 40th anniversary celebrations with great enthusiasm. This year, they took a core team of devotees to the island of Mauritius, where devotees hosted five festivals to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s historic arrival there on 1st October 1975. On that occasion, the Prime Minister of Mauritius personally invited Srila Prabhupada for a state visit, honouring him as a spiritual ambassador.

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The School of Rupanugas continues its mission of offering spiritually enriching educational opportunities to devotees worldwide. This fall, three more online courses — Basics of Spirituality, Congregation Preaching Skills (for US & Canada), and the Online Turban Making Course — will be available to help deepen both practical and philosophical understanding within the devotee community.

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In this BBT interview with Devamrita Swami, host Ekachakra-Prana Das discusses the vision, process, and challenges behind the BBT’s forthcoming five-volume edition of Bhakti Rasāmṛta-Sindhu. The work represents years of effort to continue Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission and present the teachings of Rūpa Goswami with accuracy and clarity.

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Two years ago, ISKCON News reported on the blossoming of Krishna consciousness in El Paso, Texas. What began as a small sangha has since grown into a network of devotional communities across the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico. “Since the last time we spoke, we had been expanding Lord Chaitanya’s mission throughout El Paso, Texas, but also to our sister city Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua’s capital, Chihuahua,” shared Krishna Charan Das, leader of the community.

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In a recent video, TOVP Chairman Ambarisa Das, his wife, and TOVP Creative Director Svaha Devi Dasi, along with TOVP Vice Chairman Braja Vilasa Das, express their gratitude to the entire worldwide ISKCON devotee congregation and well-wishers for their prayers, yajnas, and support over the last two months during Ambarisa prabhu’s health challenges.

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With strong community support and a deep connection to Stoke-on-Trent’s artistic heritage, ISKCON’s new temple in Basford, Stoke-on-Trent, has become a vibrant centre of devotion and creativity. Most recently, devotees partnered with local artist Anny of Acava Spodeworks Studios to create a handcrafted mosaic celebrating both the city’s world-famous pottery tradition and the temple’s spiritual mission of unity and service.

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The ISKCON Governing Body Commission, together with the Ministries, SABHA, and GBC Executive Support Office (ESO), gathered at Villagio Hare Krishna, Milan, Italy, from 1–5 October 2025 for the Mid-Term General Meeting. This year’s meeting was themed “Institutional Protection of ISKCON,” and the GBC spent most of its meeting time discussing strategies and interventions for the better insulation and fortification of ISKCON.

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Madhava Das (Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja), front left, on a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada. Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja Sripad Puri Maharaja with Nobel laureate and scientist George Wald HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami and HH Puri Maharaja in conversation with Nobel laureate and scientist George Wald. Bhaktivedanta Institute members/speakers at the Life Comes From...

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By Murari Gupta Dasa

"Please cancel my tickets," I said to my friend on the phone. "I won't be able to go." I hung up the phone and sank down onto my bed, my head in my hands. My friend had arranged my tickets for the trip to Jagannatha Puri and Mayapur I had been so eagerly looking forward to, and now I had to cancel. The past few weeks in my life had been very turbulent, so when my friends proposed a spiritual retreat to these two holy places so dear to the followers of Sri Chaitany...

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By Devamrita Swami

“Anyway, money can’t buy everything,” members of all social tiers often quip. Daily life, however, regularly belies this old mantra. Happiness and even love often seem to have a price tag, or at least a significant financial correlation. Whatever our level of income and indulgence, we all long for true happiness and genuine well-being, however defined. Shouldn’t personal contentment become enshrined as a basic human right, for all people, everywhere? Then again, what about the special ...

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By Padmapani das

"You can chant anyway, anywhere. Whether you are in the college, whether you’re on the street, whether you are sleeping, lying, or whatever, you can chant. Because God has given you this tongue and you can chant. "Don’t think that Krishna is for the Indian or for the Hindus. No. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. This Krishna is for everyone. For the human being, for the animals -- everyone. So if you think that Krishna is belonging to some particular country or religion, then you can chant...

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By Sri Nandanandana dasa

It is natural that at some point in our lives we ask, "Why is there suffering?" Or "Why am I not happy?" "Why can't we simply go on with life and not undergo so many trials and tribulations? Why can't God make a universe or world where there is no suffering?" Well, my answer to that is He already has, but we are simply in the wrong one. Let me explain it a little more fully. First of all, we are all spiritual beings within material bodies. Most people at least u...

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By Sri Namamrta

As a snake-bitten man is brought back to consciousness by the chanting of certain mantras, so one in the unconscious state of material life can be revived by hearing the maha-mantra: In the Garuda Purana the stress on hearing is expressed very nicely. It is said there: "The state of conditioned life in the material world is just like a man Iying unconscious, having been bitten by a snake. This is because both such unconscious states can be ended by the sound of a mantra." When a man is snake-bitte...

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By The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies. Brahmatirtha das, Director. In 1970, Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja (Michael Marchetti) received his PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and two years later, received harinama diksa initiation from Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who awarded him the devotional name, Madhava dasa....

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By Mohini Radha Devi Dasi

In the interactions between the Lord and His devotees, both relish the highest happiness. Bhagavad-gita and other scriptures praise Arjuna for his close relationship with Krishna. Arjuna is known for his mood of friendship (sakha-bhava). Since relationships are by definition reciprocal, not only is Arjuna known as Krishna’s friend, but Krishna is known as Arjuna’s friend. Krishna drove Arjuna’s chariot and is therefore called Partha-sarathi, the “charioteer of Partha.” This name shows Krishna’s special relationship with His devotee Arjuna.

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By Mahatma Das

Lord Caitanya says: one should offer ALL respect to others and should not demand or seek respect for himself. When your peers do better than you, are you happy? Do you appreciate what they’ve done or do you feel concerned or upset that you are not getting as much attention as they are? Do you sometimes not even acknowledge that they have, in fact, been successful (“Anyone could have done that. It’s no big deal”)? Do you seek more to be appreciated than to appreciate? Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that grass doesn’t resist when it is walked on or thrown around. It doesn’t complain or...

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By Tamohara dasa

We all have heard Srila Prabhupada warn us that television and media strengthen our materialistic mentality and divert us from service to Krishna—our consciousness being formed largely by our association. However, it is often difficult to keep our children away from the influences that are so pervasive in our culture. Aggression and Television Viewing: The problems associated with children watching TV go beyond moral and spiritual concerns. There is mounting evidence of the many negative psych...

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By Damodara Dasa

Sir Isaac Newton once made a remarkable model of the solar system. Thanks to a clever hand-cranking mechanism, all of the tiny spinning globes orbited a small "sun." On entering Newton's study, one of his colleagues, a materialist, couldn't help noticing the model. He was flabbergasted. "Dr. Newton," the man stared, "who made this wonderful contraption? The planets move with utter precision, you know. Why, it's ingenious. Who made it?" "No one," Newton replied. "One da...

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By Chaitanya Charan das

Action is what catches our attention. For example, in a cricket test match, when the action slows down as the batsmen start playing defensively, our interest sags. But when the action rises – the bowler delivers a googly that clean bowls the batsman or the batsman hits a huge six, for example – then our attention peaks effortlessly.

...

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Today in Edgware something truly extraordinary happened. Two sisters, Pramila and Kastur, were walking through the Broadwalk shopping mall, and by divine arrangement, when they exited, Niscinta Prabhu stopped Pramila and I stopped Kastur. Pramila shared a wonderful realisation. Just yesterday she had received the Bhaktivedanta Manor 2026 calendar in the post. As she was...

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By Kaisori dasi Every year, offerings are written from ISKCON centers and projects around the world to glorify Srila Prabhupada. These heartfelt homages express gratitude, realizations, and renewed vows of service. They also help Srila Prabhupada’s followers see a picture of ISKCON most devotees rarely get to see: the incredible network of enthusiastic and loving...

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By Yamuna Devi

One morning, soon after our arrival at Kailash Seksaria’s home, Srila Prabhupada called on a male devotee to chant the new melody of Gurvastakam. After two lines of the prayer, he asked him to stop and then requested another devotee to continue. The same thing happened, and he asked another devotee to chant, with the same result. Then he asked me to lead the prayer, and he did not stop me. So later, I asked him why he had done that, and he replied: Learn to listen. You cannot follow nicely unless you hear nicely, and you cannot lead nicely ...

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By Vaisesika Dasa

Journalist Thomas Paine in 1776 sparked the American Revolution by writing and widely distributing his pamphlet, Common Sense. Fidel Castro – while in a Cuban prison – crafted his speech History will Absolve Me, had it smuggled it out of the prison and distributed to the masses. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati encouraged his followers to distribute books, saying: “As soon as a single person will have conceived the sincere desire of undertaking the promulgation of the tidings of the Gaudiya literature to the ...

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By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

So today, this evening, we are talking about Radhastami. We are trying to understand the chief potency of Krsna. Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krsna. As we understand from Vedic literature, Krsna has many varieties of potencies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn't got to do anything personally, simply...

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By Damodar Prasad das

The recognition of our dependence on a higher source for our very existence is also central to Srila Prabhupada’s argument. This higher source is referred to as intelligence: “Intelligence gives one direction like some higher authority, and the living being cannot see or move or eat or do anything without the use of intelligence” (SB2.2.35, purport). But this intelligence is beyond our control, and refers, in this context, to a super self, a portion of God that maintains our existence. ...

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HH Indradyumna Swami

Disguises Part 15 - The Talent of Poetry

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Prabhu is now back home and resting. The doctors have identified calcified gallstones, which may have caused the repeated vomiting and associated symptoms. He had been making slow but steady progress, and this recent episode has left him quite exhausted.

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Every Krishna bhakta looks forward with great anticipation to Kartik Maas, the month of Damodar. During this time we make a special effort to remember the pastime of Mother Yashoda binding her naughty son with a rope to a grinding mortar as punishment for stealing butter.

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With deep humility and heartfelt emotion, Ambarisa Prabhu expresses his sincere gratitude and unwavering pledge to continue serving the mission of Srila Prabhupada. This moving message reflects his dedication, love, and lifelong commitment to the vision of ISKCON Mayapur.

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A lecture by Dr. Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa Dasa)

Appearance of the Absolute in Time & Space

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.6-8
March 2, 1986
San Diego, California

In this lecture, Thompson considers an age-old question during a class presentation on a verse about the birth of Lord Krishna: If the Supreme Absolute is all-pervasive and eternal, how can He appear in a particular time and place? Thompson proposes that questioning standard conceptions of time and space can help shed light on this question.

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