In the sacred land of Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a new milestone has been achieved with the establishment of the Soul to Soul Guesthouse. This unique venture, born from the vision of Gopinath Das, reflects not just a physical space for devotees but a holistic approach to Krishna consciousness. In an ISKCON News interview, Gopinath shares the inspiring journey that led to the creation of this spiritual haven and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
Gopinath, a devoted soul rooted in Mayapur, embarked on a journey fueled by a desire to contribute meaningfully to Srila Prabhupada's mission. The Soul to Soul Guest House is not merely a physical structure; it symbolizes a spiritual journey, navigating through challenges, hopeful expectations, and the essence of ISKCON's global community.
On December 9th, ISKCON devotees joined representatives from other faiths (Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu) at the annual interfaith gathering held at the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya, Thailand. They offered kirtan for the thousands in attendance and provided prasadam and Srila Prabhupada's books in booths at the event.
The Bhaktivedanta Medical Association (BMA), a global healthcare committee with more than 220 devotee doctors dedicated to providing comprehensive care to devotees on a virtual platform free of cost, successfully launched its first-ever health camp on November 25, 2023, at the ISKCON's Bhaktivedanta Manor. There were about 700 registrations, with 350 devotees attending the three-hour-long event.
This year's Festival of the Holy Name, held over Thanksgiving weekend (November 24-25, 2023) in Alachua, Florida, was another spiritual success, welcoming hundreds of devotees to the two-day kirtan event.
The ISKCON Vaishnavi Ministry's "16 Days of Activism for Safer Families" campaign, running from November 25 to December 10, focuses on cultivating healthy family systems and community cohesion by bringing together ISKCON’s top devotee experts to address a wide range of family-related issues.
As I stand where earth, sea, and sky meet, and watch the sun rise before me, it’s easy to feel the emotion of gratitude. Who am I to be so blessed and where does all this life and beauty come from?
I write a journal daily (well, almost daily), and sometimes, when I can’t think of anything to write, I just type “Thank you, Krishna …” and let my fingers move on the keyboard. I thank Krishna for whatever good things have happened in my life. I thank him for whatever good ideas I have got for my writing because writing is my main service and I can’t write without ideas. And I thank him for whatever good service I was able to do, being grateful that whatever needed to go right for doing that service did in fact turn out right and the many things that could have gone wrong didn’t go wrong.
Aruddha Devi Dasi, a luminary in the realm of Krishna-conscious education, with the help of a team of parents worldwide, has been publishing "Srimad Bhagavatam – A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers." Recently, she has released the sixth canto in the series. She has also authored "Homeschooling Krishna's Children," a complete guide to Krishna-conscious parenting published by the BBT, and is now traveling the world to share her wisdom and experience with teachers and parents.
Celebrating the 46th Disappearance Day of Srila Prabhupada was a jubilant and spiritually uplifting affair for thousands of devotees gathered at the revered samadhi in remembrance of the remarkable life and teachings of the founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).