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In 1999 Shyamasundar Prabhu described for ISKCON TV a series of experiences he’d had with George Harrison and with Srila Prabhupada: “Srila Prabhupada treated George Harrison like an old, old friend. I spent some time with George this summer. . . . [He] has reached a very high level of spiritual development, I am happy to say. He chants Hare Krishna every day. And he is totally serene, as he has...

According to tithi, the date on the Vaishnava calendar, today is the disappearance anniversary of His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja, who left his body in Mayapur on Srivasa Pandita's appearance day in 2004. When I think of Maharaja's words "There is no one I love more than Giriraj Swami," my heart melts. You can read about His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja—and Srivasa Pandita—below: Srivasa...

Today we continue our celebration of the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full-moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as was recommended in scripture, Hindus...

We welcome you to the most auspicious celebration of Sri Gaura-purnima, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna Chaitanya. According to Vedic scriptures, the Absolute Truth is realized in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Impersonalist speculators want to merge and become one with God, with the impersonal brahmajyoti, which is nothing but the...

Today is the auspicious disappearance day of Sri Madhavendra Puri, the grand spiritual master of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri’s disciple Isvara Puri was accepted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as His spiritual master. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Himself the origin of all knowledge—all perfect, Vedic knowledge—and He had no need to accept a spiritual...

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja comes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession after Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He was a renounced ascetic, fully engaged in chanting the holy names of Krishna and meditating on the pastimes of Krishna. For some time, he made his residence at Surya-kunda in Vraja-dhama, near the temple of Suryadeva, where...

Today is Shiva-ratri. Vaishnavas generally do not celebrate Shiva-ratri, and to begin, I will explain why, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita. We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 7: “Knowledge of the Absolute”: TEXT 23 antavat tu phalam tesam   tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam devan deva-yajo yanti   mad-bhakta yanti mam api TRANSLATION Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and...

Today, February 14, Saint Valentine’s Day, I was struck when Srila Prabhupada, at the conclusion of his class on Sri Isopanisad, spoke about love—the love that Krishna wants and the love that will satisfy us: “Any religion—it doesn’t matter whether Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion—if you are developing love of God, then you are perfect in your religion. . . . And what kind of...

Sri Prahlada Dasa: Today is the holy appearance day of our grandfather or great-grandfather spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. On Giriraj Maharaja’s instruction, I will attempt to say something about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s history and share my realizations regarding his contribution and mood. I pray for the mercy of the Vaishnavas that this...