Vaishnava marriage counselors Partha Das and Uttama Dasi were recently invited, under the recommendation of GBC Bhakti Vijnana Swami, to offer marital and premarital education to devotees in Moscow, Russia, for the first time. The effort was an important service to the vast and fast-growing ISKCON Moscow community, who were grateful to learn practical advice and new paradigms.
One thousand Russian devotees gathered to celebrate Diwali in spectacular style in Moscow on Saturday October 29th. The afternoon was a cultural event to commemorate welcoming Lord Rama and his wife Sita Devi back to their capital Ayodhya. Hanuman, played by Jagat-Pati Das, was a particular crowd favorite. In an incredibly realistic costume, he jumped into the crowd, involving the audience. He also invited all the children onto the stage to participate in fun games with him.
The average GBC member is now in his or her 60s, and some are in their 70s. ISKCON is an obvious need for younger generations of devotees to gradually take over the reins of the movement, and the Global Duty Officer service is one which will facilitate competent devotees to become trained and gain experience which will allow them to take up GBC service in due course.
Dedicated father and pujari Ragunath Das Zaldivar is currently celebrating an incredible 14 consecutive years of Kartik festivals at his and his wife Yamuna Devi’s home in Alachua, Florida. “People like it because of the personal, family-like environment,” Ragu says. “It’s especially nice for the kids, who can get really involved. Not everyone has home Deities, but they want to see their kids engaged in service to the Lord."
ECO-Vrindaban (ECO-V) – which strives to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s mandates for simple living and cow-protection at New Vrindaban in West Virginia, USA – is on the lookout for a new construction and maintenance person for its ongoing operations. A non-profit entity launched in 1998, ECO-V works closely with ISKCON New Vrindaban in the areas of cow protection and gardening activities. The organization looks after a total of around 800 acres.
As jack-o-lanterns, comedy gravestones, and zombies crop up on our neighbor’s lawns, and every kid in town shakes with excitement about their candy haul, ISKCON devotees may be wondering whether or not to take their own children out trick-or-treating. Some devotees have expressed concerns about celebrating non-Gaudiya Vaishnava holidays. Others are Krishna-izing Halloween in creative ways.
Fall is the perfect time to look at one of those areas – fashion – where ISKCON is seeing a second-generation-led explosion lately. That explosion is being embraced by the ISKCON devotee congregation, as well as reaching the yoga community and beyond, into the mainstream. Should Hare Krishnas care about fashion? The success of many Kuli-led fashion companies suggests that they already do. And designers say that’s a good thing, boosting self-esteem, inspiring enthusiasm to attend temple festivals, and allowing us to visually communicate who we are.
Now in its fiftieth year, ISKCON continues to delve deeper and deeper into the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition members devote themselves to, finding new reservoirs of inspiration and wisdom. The latest effort is a new two-volume edition of Sri Manah Siksha (Splendid Instructions to the Mind) by Raghunath dasa Goswami. Produced by Padma, Inc. and compiled by longtime ISKCON educator Urmila Dasi, it includes commentaries by Vaishnava acharya Bhaktivinode Thakur.
The official ISKCON 50 magazine “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” cites Srila Prabhupada’s society as having 65 farms and eco-villages, and 650 centers, temples, schools and colleges worldwide. That’s a surprisingly huge and growing network – growing family – that we’re a part of. But what if you want to learn more about what’s happening at a particular center? What if you’re traveling and want to stop off at the closest ISKCON center to get some prasadam and kirtan, a spiritual boost and a comforting taste of home? How do you find it?