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ISKCON Connection Newsletter, Issue 28, September 22, 2019
 
Prabhupada Nectar
Our book distribution program is most important work. Anyone reading our KRSNA book, TLC, NOD, and Bhagavad As It Is, is sure to become a Krishna Conscious person

710305 - Letter to Jananivasa written from Calcutta

March 05, 1971

Columbus, Ohio

My Dear Jananivasa,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your kind letter dated 13rd January, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. I am so glad to hear how everything has been improving there in our Columbus center, and how preaching is going on so nicely. Simply if you work with enthusiasm and patience and depend on Krishna, then He will give you all facility to make our Columbus center a grand success.

Our book distribution program is most important work. Anyone reading our KRSNA book, TLC, NOD, and Bhagavad As It Is, is sure to become a Krishna Conscious person. Therefore somehow or other we must push on this literature distribution program, either through schools, colleges, libraries, life membership program or ordinary sales. You are approaching so many groups, etc. inviting them to our feasts. Also you should try to arrange outside engagements with these groups. This will facilitate good opportunity for introducing our literatures especially through the life membership program. That has been our endeavor here in India and it has been most successful. Likewise, you can do the same there. So make your program in that way and let me know how you are doing and what progress you have made.

Please offer my blessings to the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

 

 

 

 

ISKCON News

Courtesy of iskconnews.org

From Hotel Rooms to Hearts: MotelGita’s Expanding Mission
From Hotel Rooms to Hearts: MotelGita’s Expanding Mission

Devotees at the MotelGita booth at the AAHOA CON26 event. MotelGita, an initiative dedicated to placing Bhagavad-gita As It Is in hotel and motel rooms across North America, recently marked its 16th consecutive year at AAHOA CON26, the annual trade show of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. The team raised $4,730 in donations, secured […]

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ISKCON LA Welcomes Devotees to 50th Annual Ratha-yatra
ISKCON LA Welcomes Devotees to 50th Annual Ratha-yatra

The golden anniversary of one of North America’s most beloved spiritual festivals is fast approaching as ISKCON New Dvaraka in Los Angeles prepares to host its 50th Annual Festival of Chariots, with several days of devotional programs culminating in the world-famous Ratha-yatra on Sunday, August 2. The celebration will build throughout the week with daily […]

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Food For All UK Joins ISKCON Venezuela Earthquake Relief
Food For All UK Joins ISKCON Venezuela Earthquake Relief

International support for ISKCON Venezuela’s earthquake relief efforts has strengthened with the arrival of two Food For All UK volunteers, who are now working alongside local devotees to expand the ongoing Food for Life prasadam distribution for communities devastated by the recent earthquakes. According to a recent social media post, Nitilaksa Dasa and Loka Saranga […]

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Latest Health Update on Jayapataka Swami – July 9, 2026
Latest Health Update on Jayapataka Swami – July 9, 2026

Jayapataka Swami with children at the Panihati Festival held at ISKCON Atlanta on June 7, 2026 For daily updates, please visit Jayapataka’s Facebook page, which will post the latest news from his health team.  July 9th Health Update Health Update of HH. Jayapataka Swami Mahārāja Dallas, USA – July 9th, 2026, 01:03 PM CDT Hare […]

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  • Jayapataka Swami to Begin Next Phase of Care in India
New Sattvik Culinary School Opens to First Students
New Sattvik Culinary School Opens to First Students

The Govardhan School of Culinary Arts, formally known as the Ishswad Centre for Skill Development in Sattvik Cooking, will inaugurate its first batch of students on July 17, 2026, following a launch ceremony on July 16 timed to coincide with the Jagannatha Ratha Yatra in Odisha. The in-person program, based at ISKCON’s Govardhan Ecovillage in […]

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Vedavarsity Launches Free Online Bhakti Shastri Course
Vedavarsity Launches Free Online Bhakti Shastri Course

Vedavarsity, an online educational initiative by Brajsundar Das, is offering the Bhakti Shastri course beginning on September 7, 2026, entirely free of charge to devotees worldwide. Conducted online, the program requires no upfront fees, with students invited to contribute voluntarily according to their means. In a recent interview, Brajsundar Das shared the vision behind the […]

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NYC Gala, Tour, Cruise, Festival & Love Feast Planned for ISKCON’s 60th
NYC Gala, Tour, Cruise, Festival & Love Feast Planned for ISKCON’s 60th

Sixty years after Srila Prabhupada established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City, ISKCON North America is inviting devotees and friends to return to the movement’s birthplace for a special three-day celebration honoring its past, present, and future. The “Origins” 60th Anniversary Weekend, scheduled for July 31–August 2, 2026, will feature five […]

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ISKCON Brisbane Crowns New Temple with Sri Sudarshana Chakra
ISKCON Brisbane Crowns New Temple with Sri Sudarshana Chakra

First darshan of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai in the new temple. ISKCON Brisbane has marked another major milestone in its history with the installation of Sri Sudarshana Chakra atop its new temple, inaugurated in February, symbolically crowning the community’s permanent home after more than five decades of service across multiple locations in the city. The […]

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Prabhupada Memories Project Helps Preserve ISKCON’s Legacy at 60
Prabhupada Memories Project Helps Preserve ISKCON’s Legacy at 60

As ISKCON marks its 60th anniversary in 2026, projects preserving the movement’s living history have taken on renewed significance. Among the most important is the long-running Prabhupada Memories project, which has released several new videos over the past few weeks on its popular YouTube channel. With over three hours of new content, the videos feature […]

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Lord Raval Welcomes Gurukula Students to Parliament
Lord Raval Welcomes Gurukula Students to Parliament

Gurukula students with Lord Ravel in St. Stephen’s Hall at the UK Parliament. Students from Year 6 at Gurukula – The Hare Krishna Primary School recently enjoyed a special visit to the UK Parliament at the invitation of Lord Raval of Hertsmere OBE. Lord Raval holds a unique place in British parliamentary history as the […]

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Tariq Ziyad Remembered for Service to Families Worldwide
Tariq Ziyad Remembered for Service to Families Worldwide

The family of Tariq Saleem Ziyad, affectionately known to many devotees as Pita Tariq, recently shared the sad news of his passing after a period of declining health. In a message to friends and well-wishers, the family explained that after living with dementia for several years, Tariq was recently diagnosed with terminal blood cancer and […]

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COMING OF AGE #36 – Help! My Bubble Broke!
COMING OF AGE #36 – Help! My Bubble Broke!

Every group, whether religious or service-based, benefits from developing its own unique culture. While this can manifest outwardly in unique uniforms, salutations, “secret” vocabulary most of the world would never use, and more. For many, ISKCON appears to the world as another group with its own sectarian beliefs and protocols. While this appearance is far […]

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Mayapur Institute Opens New Learning Opportunities
Mayapur Institute Opens New Learning Opportunities

The Mayapur Institute (MI), which has been formally operating since 2000, recently completed construction of two new bamboo-and-cane meditation kutirs on its campus — a step that reflects the institution’s commitment to what its chairman, Padmanayan Das, describes as Srila Prabhupada’s principle of “simple living, high thinking.” New Kutirs Bring Sattvic Study Environment A remarkable […]

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Congregational Development Ministry (CDM)

Courtesy of iskconcongregation.com

Bhakti-vriksha
Bhakti-vriksha

Main concepts of the Bhakti-vriksha Program

This is an extract from the Bhakti Vriksha Manual – chapter two.

Why is it called “Bhakti-vriksha”?

In Shri Caitanya-caritamrita, Lord Caitanya and His movement are compared to the tree of devotion, the bhakti-vriksha. Srila Prabhupada writes in his summary of chapter nine of Adi-lila:

“It is figuratively described that both the tree itself and the trunk of the tree are Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.… The tree surrounds the entire world, and the flowers of the tree are to be distributed to everyone. In this way the tree of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu intoxicates the entire world.”

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How Bhakti Vrikshas Help Temples to Grow?
How Bhakti Vrikshas Help Temples to Grow?

For a temple to be healthy and well supported, it needs the assistance of its congregation. The Bhakti Vriksha program fulfills the Temple’s need of readily available manpower, financial help, and enhancing the community’s devotional growth. ISKCON Bahardurgarh Temple President, Nityananda Asraya das, shares his experience in growing a supportive congregation through Bhakti Vrikshas. 

...

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Bhakti-Steps (Sadhana levels)
Bhakti-Steps (Sadhana levels)

The Bhakti-steps Program is a system for encouraging the congregation by recognizing their chanting and their spiritual standards. It is a great way to help congregational devotees to consolidate and increase their spiritual practices. It also offers a system to identify who is serious in advancing in Krsna consciousness, an important consideration especially in forming...

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Dandavats

Courtesy of dandavats.com

  • Book distribution stories by Vijaya Prabhu
  • 2026-07-10 Success Sadhana – The Banana Trap
  • Morning Bhagavatam Class with Vraj Vihari dasa – SB 11.7.43
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Astrology and Bhakti
Astrology and Bhakti

Srimad-Bhagavatam Class by HH Bhanu Swami at Bhaktivedanta Manor: A Healthy Understanding of the Relationship Between Astrological Predictions and the Practice of Bhakti...

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The Tale of Dorothy
The Tale of Dorothy

By Radhanath Swami

It was a fifty-seat commuter jet. The good news was that the plane flew. The bad news was that the toilets were boarded shut, the lighting did not work, and the air conditioner, after all that time, still didn’t work. It was a ninety-five-degree day. The plane was hot, muggy, dark, and Timmy decided he really did need to pee-pee and cried the whole trip. By the time we landed, every passenger was miserable. Except one. As we trudged down the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac, there was Dorothy sitting in ...

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  • Shyamcandra Prabhu – SB 4-8-65 – 7-8-26 – Iskcon LA
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life

By Arcana Siddhi Devi Dasi

For anyone interested in spiritual progress, gambling is more than just a harmless amusement. How does gambling erode truthfulness? I think back to one of my first psychotherapy clients. Joe, in his late thirties, had recently married for the first time and desperately wanted the marriage to work. But every time he got his paycheck, he'd secretly go to the Atlantic City casinos. Using an elaborate web of lies, he'd explain his absence to his wife. If he lost ...

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  • July 05, 2026 – Hungary – Brihad Bhagavatamrita 1.2.53-62
  • ISKCON Almvik’s Celebrating 40 years – Please help to rebuild our Temple’s big kitchen and to build a new altar
  • The Apparent Paradox: Self-confidence and Humility
  • Vedic Literature Says Caste by Birth is Unjust
  • The Simple Method
HH Bhakti Charu Swami on HH Tamal Krishna Goswami
HH Bhakti Charu Swami on HH Tamal Krishna Goswami

By Bhakti Charu Swami

Tamal Krishna Maharaj joined Srila Prabhupada in 1968. Srila Prabhupada went to a place where the young Americans were living in the redwood forest near San Francisco. He was so aloof from the materialistic culture that he was living in the forest. But Srila Prabhupada went to that place and it was just love at first sight. He left everything. Even that commune that he was living in. He came with Srila Prabhupada to San Francisco after one meeting, maybe even just one sight of Srila Prabhupada, attracted him to his lotus feet. Then we s...

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  • The four headed Brahma’s diminutive intelligence Vs Srila Sanatana Goswami’s first class humility
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Remembering Tamal Krishna Goswami
Remembering Tamal Krishna Goswami

Dear Goswami Maharaja, Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Today, here in China, we are observing your 80th Vyasa-puja anniversary. Although many years have passed since your departure, memories of you remain as vivid as ever. Time has not diminished them. If anything, it has only deepened my appreciation for...

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TOVP News

Courtesy of tovp.org

TOVP PRESENTS: 12 Reasons to Build the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
TOVP PRESENTS: 12 Reasons to Build the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

Sometimes we are asked why we are building the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. People say there are already so many temples in India, especially in ISKCON. What is the need for another? We have presented below twelve of the top reasons why we need to build this temple, and why every devotee and member of ISKCON should do their utmost to help.

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TOVP PRESENTS: Construction Update From Main Wing
TOVP PRESENTS: Construction Update From Main Wing

The Kailash on Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi is finally complete! The TOVP made the necessary arrangements and with the help of the team from Moscow who manufactured and assembled it, as well as to Jagadananda Prabhu and Ajita prabhu for monitoring and managing the whole process, we were able to achieve these wonderful results...

Watch Video

TOVP Srila Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva
TOVP Srila Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva

The presence of Srila Prabhupada in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in his murti form offers another wonderful opportunity to serve His Divine Grace and simultaneously help finance TOVP construction. The TOVP Fundraising Team is very pleased to offer the Prabhupada Murti Nitya Seva campaign to our ever-growing list of Seva Opportunities.

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TOVP & Vedic Science Channel Present
TOVP & Vedic Science Channel Present

A video by Dr. Richard L. Thompson

Mind and Brain

The relationship between the conscious self and the physical
brain has proven puzzling to scientists and philosophers ever
since the mechanistic revolution in thought in the 17th century.
This video explores this relationship, starting with the modern
theories and dreams of artificial intelligence researchers. Some
AI exponents believe that suitably sophisticated computers can be
conscious in the same way that human beings are. In particular,
parallel processors simulating neural networks are now believed
by many to have the potential for duplicating all human cognitive
abilities. This video shows that consciousness, however,
involves more than just extremely complex behavior, regardless of
whether this behavior is carried out in a brain or in a computer.
Philosophical arguments and empirical evidence are introduced
indicating that the conscious self is distinct from the physical
body.

Watch Now

 

 

 

 

Srila Prabhupada: 
founderacharya.com, vanipedia.org

The official ISKCON website: iskcon.org,

Find your nearest temple: centres.iskcon.org

ISKCON leadership: gbc.iskcon.org

Education such ar Bhakti-shastri, Bhaktivaibhava etc: Mayapur Institute, Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education, Bhaktivedanta College Europe

News: news.iskcon.org, dandavats.com,

BBT books: bbt.org, krishna.com, vanisource.org, vedabase.com, bbtmedia.com

World Sankirtan Newsletter: wsnl.net/wsnhome.htm

Temple of Vedic Planetarium: tovp.org

Deity Worship and courses: deityworship.com, Mayapur Academy 

Inspiration & Sadhana: 
mayapur.tv, iskcondesiretree.com

Vaishnava Calendars: 
ISKCON GBC Vaishnava Calendar Comitee, GCAL (Gaurabda Calendar, a program for calculation of the calendar for vaisnavas, according Gaudiya-Vaisnava tradition.)

These dates and timings are for Sri Mayapur Dhama. Find timings for your location at the Vaishnava Calendar links.

14 July, 2026 (Tuesday)
(Fast till noon)
Sri Gadadhara Pandita -- Disappearance
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura -- Disappearance

15 July, 2026 (Wednesday)
Gundica Marjana

16 July, 2026 (Thursday)
Ratha Yatra
Sri Sivananda Sena -- Disappearance
Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami -- Disappearance

19 July, 2026 (Sunday)
Sri Vakresvara Pandita -- Disappearance

Address: ISKCON GBC Office
P.O. Sri Mayapur, Nadia, WB 741313, India

Email: office@iskconconnection.org

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