>Questions About Initiation and Preaching > Initiation is only the beginning of ones devotional life. It is a serious commitment by the devotee that he will strictly follow the process of Krishna consciousness under the instruction of his spiritual master. However if he takes initiation but does not surrender to his spiritual master there is actually no initiation at all.

>Spirit From Stone--The Story of the Krishna-Balarama Deities of Vrndavana > About two A.M. I was awakened by a terrific uproar. All the peacocks in Vrndavana seemed to be trumpeting their piercing cries, producing waves of sound that swept across miles of holy land to the other side of town, echoing back and forth. I rose, dressed, and went outside to see what was going on. Lo and behold, the truck with Krishna and Balarama had pulled in!

>If Only the Busses Were Still Running... > We were dancing so much Sukadeva, the temple president was worried about the floor caving in. What a way to go! I'd never stayed at the temple before but since it was so late I decided to do so...

>Interview with Religion Editor of The London Observer > Religion, as it is explained in the dictionary is accepting a supreme controller. Is it not? So do the people accept a supreme controller? Do they accept? There are so many system of religions, but do they actually know who is the supreme controller? That is my question.

>Knowledge is the solution--First Find A Bona Fide Guru (RealAudio from 1966) > For knowledge we have got to go to the right person, one who has actually seen or experienced the Absolute Truth. Unless we find such a person who has actually seen the Absolute Truth or who has in his experience what is Absolute Truth, there is very little chance of our spiritual advancement.

>Prabhupada's Vrndavana Krishna-Balarama Temple--How It All Began > Srila Prabhupada wanted to feature Krishna and Balarama because the area of Raman Reti where the temple was to stand was where Krishna and Balarama played as cowherd boys with Their friends. Raman Reti means enjoyable sands. There's a nice park near the temple dedicated to Their dancing. It has an overwhelming feeling and is a wonderful place to chant Hare Krishna.

>Prabhupada's Vrndavana Krishna-Balarama Temple Taken Over By Rogues > The Head Pujari of Srila Prabhupada's Vrndaban temple is a disciple of Narayana Maharaja. The Temple President is also a follower of NM. Both of them and others are covertly plotting to turn over all Srila Prabhupada's assets, temples and bhaktas into the waiting hands of NM who has fully convinced them that he is the acarya of ISKCON.

>Morning Walk With Scientist -- Inconceivable Mystic Power > Research means you admit that you are all fools and rascals. Research meant for whom? Who does not know. Otherwise where is the question of research? You do not know. You admit that. So so many mystic powers are there. You do not know how it is being done. Therefore you have to accept inconceivable power.

>Real Spiritual Life Means Joyfulness. Material Life Means Anxiety (RealAudio SB Class) > If I am not jolly that means maya has attacked me. A devotee shall never be not joyful. Always joyful. If he is actually in contact with Krishna, how he can become morose? No. If he is morose, if he is unhappy, that means maya has attacked him. This is the test.

>City of New York To Honour Srila Prabhupada > 34 years ago the worldwide Hare Krishna movement was inaugurated by Srila Prabhupada under a certain tree in Tompkins Square Park, New York City. There he led a public Kirtan that was to engulf the neighbourhood at the time, and then grow into a movement that was to make 'Hare Krishna' a household word.

>Life in Sydney and Life in Vrndavana > This is a contrast between the Vedic way of life and the Western way of life. It's a great contrast. Vrndavana is the holy city where Krishna spent His childhood five thousand years ago. It's not far from the Taj Mahal so if you're ever in India at the Taj Mahal you should remember, Let me go to Mathura, let me go to Vrndavana.

>Srila Prabhupada's Temple in Bangalore > Spread over 8 acres of land atop a hill, in the heart of Bangalore is ISKCON's largest temple complex in the world. Also known as the Hare Krishna Hill, this is home to 5 temples of various forms of Lord Krishna: Sri Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra, Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Nitai Gauranga, Sri Prahlada Narasimha and Sri Srinivasa Govinda.

>The Importance of Receiving the Guru (RealAudio Arrival Address Los Angeles) > Spiritual master is the official collector. This is the Vedic system, to receive knowledge through the transparent medium, guru, and to receive Guru means the honor goes to Krishna. So this is necessary. This is not an artificial thing, but spiritually it is necessary.

>Urey/Miller Experiment. Life from chemicals? > Urey and Miller followed the scientific method. Chemical compounds used by biological organisms were created using conditions simulating primordial earth, strongly suggesting that this method could eventually produce all the necessary compounds to allow the life force to settle in this realm.

>Universal Religion Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19 Los Angeles, July 9, 1974 (RealAudio) > For the foolish person, This is Hindu religion, This is Christian religion, and This is Muhammadan religion. But religion is one. How it can be Hindu religion, Christian religion? No. Religion is one. God is one. Because religion means the law or the order given by God. That is religion. Simple definition.

>The Indian Caste System > Although many Hindus subscribe to the belief that one is born into a certain caste this belief is not supported by their scriptures. The caste system in India has degenerated into a system falsely recognizing men born in Brahmin families as Brahmins, even though they don't exhibit the qualities of Brahmins. This has caused so many problems.

>The Science of God -- Bhagavad Gita 3.27 Lecture at the Town Hall, Melbourne Australia > It is very scientific movement, scientific movement because at the present moment we are all godless, forgotten what is God and what to speak of His name. There is no educational system about the science of God. This movement, Krishna consciousness movement, is teaching the science of God.

>Perfect Civilization Vs. Modern Civilization (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.24 RealAudio) > Modern civilization is in the opinion that if they can improve their material condition of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is advancement of civilization. But that is not advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means brahma-darsanam. That is advancement. As long as we do not come to the platform of understanding that I am spirit soul, I am part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit, we are in the ignorance.

>The Power of Krishna Consciousness and the Power of Offending a Pure Devotee > We have to engage in service. We have to become humble. We have to bow down at the lotus feet of our spiritual master and pray to him, ask for his mercy. This is the process. We have to become humble, we have to become submissive to the spiritual master. We have to accept him. The worst thing we can do in our spiritual life is to blaspheme a Vaisnava...

>Is this a solution to the ritvik debate? > Srila Prabhupada's ritvik instruction, outlined in his letter of July 9, addressed to all devotees is self-explanatory and anyone can understand it whose brain substance is not contaminated by bogus philosophy preached by Iskcons false successor acaryas.

>Corruption At The Highest Levels Of ISKCON > The lack of character and moral responsibility in our top leaders created an atmosphere in which child abuse flourished and was allowed to continue unabated. Child abuse is the tip of an iceberg of improper behavior that has led to massive lack of confidence in ISKCON and its leaders, and mass desertions.

>Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.47 Dallas, July 29, 1975 > These are very scientific things. The whole world is unaware of these scientific things, this is animal civilization; and this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to elevate them to the standard of human beings.

>Bangalore Tops World Book Distribution > Unfortunately ISKCON has seen a huge decline in book distribution: For the whole of 1999, only 2 million books were distributed throughout the whole world. There are no more than 50 temples that regularly distribute more than 50 books a day. 50% of all books are now distributed in India, and 50% of all books are now distributed by just 10 temples.

>Morning Walk Establishing the College of Vedic Science (RealAudio) > We have to present an ideal institution, not that we make compromise with everybody. That is not our business. We don't want stars. We want moon. What is the use of millions of stars? Get one moon. That is sufficient. We can not expect everyone to become brahmana. That is not possible.

>Srila Prabhupada: A Brief Biography > In the last ten years of his life, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that have took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.

>Perceiving the Existence of the Supreme Scientist, Lord Sri Krishna > From the submicroscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galactic objects, this material universe is running like intricate, well-oiled clockwork. Scientists have made a few spaceships, whereas Krsna effortlessly produces gigantic spaceships, such as planets and stars, which are perfectly equipped and maintained.

>Room Conversation with Scientists July 2, 1974, Melbourne (RealAudio) > Therefore we first of all give stress, the creative faculty, that the watchmaker is doing nice work, but who has made that watchmaker? Who is that creative faculty? You are a scientist, you have good brain, but you cannot manufacture the brain. But who has manufactured your brain?

>ISKCON -- The Sad Story. General Background Information > In order to properly understand where the movement went wrong, we therefore have to distinguish between the Founder and some of his over-ambitious disciples and secretaries who did not follow his orders and teachings. Please do not lump in Srila Prabhupada with his bogus successor-disciples!

>RealAudio Press Conference at Airport July 28, 1975, Dallas > This is good literature. It should be encouraged. People will become sane, understand what is his constitutional position. If this literature is distributed and people read it carefully, there will be no more crime.

>The Invisible Hand of the Lord > Krishna, I know this material desire is not befitting me, but still I have the desire for a wife, so will You please make an arrangement for me to get a wife. I know quite well that the process of asking benedictions from You, asking You to give me something for my sense gratification is a nonsense proposal. I should only be asking to be engaged in Your service...

>An Introduction to the Vedas and Vedanta > Vedavyasa was not satisfied even after compiling many Puranas, Upanisads, and the Vedanta-sutra. His spiritual master, Narada, then instructed him to explain Vedanta. Vyasadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedanta commentary, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Ramanujacarya has a commentary, and Madhvacarya has one. People are under the wrong impression that Sankaracarya's is the only Vedanta commentary.

>Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary Melbourne Australia > Father Greene hinted the common platform of religion. Common platform is not very difficult to understand because religion means to know God and abide by the orders of God. That is religion. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that religious systems cannot be manufactured by man. No. Man-made religion is not religion. Religion means God-made religion.

>Big Breakthrough For Krishna In Singapore > The history of Krishna Consciousness in Singapore has been fraught with immense difficulty. Even whilst Srila Prabhupada was on the planet, the authorities were very hostile. They refused to register the society, and Singapore was the only country to have refused Srila Prabhupada entry into the country. Even communist Russia did not refuse Srila Prabhupada entry.

>Who is Krishna? > Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is an historical person who appeared on this earth in India 5,000 years ago. He stayed on this earth for 125 years and played exactly like a human being, but His activities were unparalleled.

>Srila Prabhupada Addresses The World Health Organization > So we can produce enough quantity of food grains all over the world. And if we actually produce food grains, we can feed ten times of the population which are at present. But unfortunately, we are not producing food grains. That is the problem. It is not the problem of overpopulation. It is the problem that we are not producing food grains.

>Spreading the Holy Life Around (A Report From France) > Now that they've seen everything from bad priests to bogey yogis, the French are more than a little embittered. But when they see people living the authentic life of devotion to God, they feel enlivened.

>Srila Prabhupada On Chanting Hare Krishna (RealAudio) > Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived.

>Kirtan: Ancient Medicine for Modern Man > What do football games, rock concerts, political rallies, boxing matches and revival meetings all have in common? The mass glorification of a person or persons engaged in extraordinary feats -- a very exciting, even electrifying experience which can give incredible pleasure to large groups of people. This phenomenon is known as kirtana.

>Krishna Hypnotizes His Devotees (RealAudio Srimad-Bhagavatam Class) > Narada is astonished, "What kind of hypnotism you do, I do not know. In spite of being placed in so much inconveniences, the Pandavas love for You has increased." This is Krishna consciousness. The pure devotees, if they are put into difficulty they take it, Oh, it is Krishna's grace.

>RealAudio Lecture by Srila Prabhupada Los Angeles, February 2, 1968 > God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No.

>George Harrison, John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the Beatles Talk With Srila Prabhupada (RealAudio) > In September 1969 Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, arrived as a house guest at Tittenhurst Park, John Lennon's estate in England. 1969 was for John Lennon a year of intense search for social and personal liberation. He had already been to the Maharishi and later would enter primal therapy and left-wing politics. He was in a major transitional period; he had married Yoko Ono in March, and the Beatles were about to break up.

>Calcutta Ratha Yatra - The Biggest Ever > The huge parade was just about to begin moving when something amazing happened. A white dove immediately descended from nowhere and landed on the main float which had a deity of Srila Prabhupada, and suddenly perched itself at Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet.

>Matchless Gifts > Like so many downtown New Yorkers, we had been reading books on Eastern philosophy and religion, burning lots of candles and incense and taking ganja, peyote and LSD as aids to meditation. Actually it was more intoxication than meditation; meditation was a euphemism that somehow connected our highs with our readings.

>BBT Admits Books Changed To Fit GBC Philosophy > The BBT could not allow Srila Prabhupada to teach that Jagannatha Dasa Babaji actually *initiated* Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, for that would indirectly sanction Srila Prabhupada *initiating* for many generations to come simply via his transcendental knowledge, with the 'formal initiation' administered via the Ritvik system that he set up.

>Who Is Representing Srila Prabhupada Now? > The ISKCON "living gurus" are advising their disciples: "You can't understand Prabhupada's books or classes, you have to hear from me instead. You can't understand Prabhupada..." So that's hardly being Prabhupada's representative.

>The Guru Is A Pure Devotee! > During Srila Prabhupada's physical presence there was no confusion in ISKCON over the qualifications and qualities of a bona fide guru. Srila Prabhupada was personally present and he exhibited all the qualities perfectly and all the devotees understood the spiritual master was a pure devotee.

>Yoga and the Master of Yoga > Yoga means the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures. Lord Sri Krsna is that Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Being, therefore, the ultimate object of yoga, Krsna's name is yogesvara, the master of yoga.

>Srila Prabhupada's Original Krsna Book Now On-Line > O Lord Krsna, please protect Me and maintain Me. O Lord Rama, descendant of King Raghu, please protect Me. O Krsna, O Kesava, killer of the Kesi demon, please maintain Me.

>We Are Not These Bodies > "I am not this body but am spirit soul" is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying "I am not this body," but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first.

>The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple > Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and cleansed the Gundica temple with His devotees and associates. In this way He made the temple as cool and bright as His own heart, and thus He made the place befitting for Lord Sri Krsna to sit.

>His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day Lecture, London, September 23, 1969 > So Bhaktivinoda Thakura is an ideal guru. He was not a sannyasi; he was grhastha, householder, living with family, wife, children. Still, he was guru. So anyone can become guru. Not that a sannyasi can become guru. A householder also can become guru, provided he knows the science.

>The Changing the Face of the Earth Campaign > The Changing the Face of the Earth campaign is a world-wide program to bring about a solution to the problems currently faced by this planet and her inhabitants.

>Prabhupada Sankirtana Society: Chanting Hare Krishna and Distributing Books In the Big Apple. > Here in Manhattan, New York there many places to go and things to see. In the Bhagavad Gita the Lord says "Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

>Krishna Consciousness--The Yoga for the Modern Age > Nowadays, we find yoga being taught in numerous courses and touted in mass-market books as a means to achieve health, lose weight, develop mental powers over others, achieve success in making money, or increase sexual potency. But real yoga is something entirely different.

>When The Universe Was Dark > Many of us appreciate the beauty of nature, we are interested to hear of the wonderful and amazing creatures living in the tropical rain-forests, in the depths of the ocean and even in outer-space. We feel if these natural places are spoiled or destroyed as a by-product of industry it will be a great loss for us and future generations.

>Seeing The Supreme Lord > Once, Sri Madhavendra Puri travelled to Vrndavana, the holy place where Lord Krishna spent His childhood. There he came upon the hill known as Govardhana. This hill was very important to Krishna and the cowherd boys because it provided such nice grass for their cows.

>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts > The moon was eclipsed at the time of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birth, and the people of Nadia were then engaged, as was usual on such occasions, in bathing in the Bhagirathi [Ganges] with loud cheers of Haribol!

>Srila Prabhupada's Back to Godhead Magazine > I have got the clue of going "Back to Godhead" just after leaving my present material body and in order to take along with me all my contemporary men and women of the world, I have started my paper "Back to Godhead" as one of the means to the way.

>Throughway to Happiness > Every one of us is searching after happiness, but we do not know what real happiness is. We see so much advertised about happiness, but practically speaking we see so few happy people. This is because so few people know that the platform of real happiness is beyond temporary things. It is this real happiness that is described in Bhagavad-gita by Lord Krsna to Arjuna.

>Activities of Prabhupada Sankirtan Society New York. > In Manhattan New York at the Lower Eastside is our humble temple of Their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga. We daily practice devotion to the Lord by following the program given by His bonafide representative, our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada. >Book Review: Srila Prabhupada's 1969 Sri Isopanisad > I have just had the great pleasure of reading Srila Prabhupada's original 1969 Sri Isopanisad for the first time. Of course I have read Sri Isopanisad many times before, but this edition is very special. It is a photographically reproduced version of the original book. It's printed on first-class paper, it has nine beautiful color prints and perfectly clean, clear and crisp text. The original books couldn't have looked any more attractive when they were first printed in 1969!

>Haridasa Thakura and the Prostitute > She exposed part of her body to his view and sat down at his doorstep. She spoke to him in very sweet words, "My dear Thakura, O great preacher, great devotee, you are so beautifully built and your youth is just beginning. What woman could control her mind after seeing you? I am so eager to be united with you. My mind is greedy for this. If I don't obtain you I shall die."

>Srila Prabhupada on Gurukul > The children should be trained in early rising, attending mangal arati, some elementary education: arithmetic, alphabet, some of our books, like that. They should go to bed by 8 p.m. and rise by 4 a.m. for mangal arati, getting 8 hours sleep. If they take 8 hours sleep, they will not fall asleep during arati.

>If you ever get money--Print Books! > Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired this chanting of Hare Krishna and dancing in ecstasy be spread all over the world. He predicted one day the whole world will dance in ecstasy to this chanting of Hare Krishna. Until His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada left India for the United States in 1965 no one in India could imagine how the prediction of Lord Caitanya could come true.

>The Universe and Time > You have tried to calculate Lord Brahma's age by using some figure the scientists "think" is correct for the age of the earth. But their figures and their "thinking" is not very useful. The problem is they work with information they perceive through their senses and their senses are imperfect. The whole process of science, which is observation and experiment, is flawed because all our observations are perceived through our imperfect senses.

>Subduing Kaliya > When He understood that the water of the Yamuna was being polluted by the black serpent Kaliya, Lord Krsna took action against him and made him leave the Yamuna and go elsewhere, and thus the water became purified.

>Let There Be Calamities > I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

>Liquid Beauty > Once upon a time a prince met very beautiful young girl. He visited her house to see her but she was very chaste. The prince wanted to marry this beautiful girl but she didn't want to marry him. So she said to him, "You want to marry me, you are attracted by my beauty, so I will distill my beauty in the next ten days, I will distill my beauty into liquid form and then you can come and see this distilled form of my beauty."

>Krishna Consciousness--Hindu Cult or Divine Culture? > Sometimes Indians both inside and outside of India think that we are preaching the Hindu religion, but actually we are not. People should not think that we are preaching a sectarian religion. No. We are simply preaching how to love God. We are giving a spiritual culture that can solve all the problems of life, and therefore it is being accepted all over the world."

>Changing Bodies > We are not these material bodies, we are the spiritual force, the spiritual spark, the soul within. These bodies are simply an outward dress only. As I change my clothes yet still remain the same person so I also change my bodies but I am still the same person.

>Who Is a Real Guru? > "Among the naïve , of course, one may pass for a spiritual master by wearing robes and a beard, bearing a twinkle in one's eye, performing some magic tricks, or speaking riddles. But intelligent people won't settle for these outer trappings..."

>What Happened to the Hare Krishnas? > This booklet is dedicated to the Founder and Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.