ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

An early tract distributed by Krishna devotees issued the challenge ‘Who is Crazy?’ Having frequently encountered taunts regarding their mental state, the devotees responded with this well reasoned argument from Srila Prabhupada on the definition of insanity.

Even though the New York Times is as establishment as you can get among the major media outlets in the world, they regularly lend their voice to exploring, nay endorsing, all three of the alternative ways of living Srila Prabhupada taught.

In the last 50 years, we have seen divorce rates sky rocket. Currently in the “developed” counties about 50% of first marriages end in divorce, 60-67% of second marriages and 73-74% of third marriages end in the same way. We are witnessing a slow motion collapse of our civilization.

Srimad Bhagavatam describes if one does not properly worship the Supersoul in the heart of all living entities, one`s direct worship of the Lord in His deity form is considered to be completely worthless.

"The mind is a terrible thing to waste" is the slogan of a large non-profit organization in the United States that raises money to help African American youth with college scholarships. You'd think that everyone would want to prevent the wasting of a mind-especially one's own.

Svayambhu Maharaja was born in a ksatriya family in 1935 as Subhas Chandra Nayak in the Orissan village Garaam. Braja Bandhu was his teacher from the 4th to the 7th grades. At that time he didn't know that his tutor would one day become known as Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja and would become Subhas' spiritual master.

The year is 1925; the time 1:00 am. Niagara Falls has frozen over. The silence is so deafening that thousands have to see what`s up. The roar has ceased, and the people must discover what`s gone wrong. No sound! Sound. Love or hate it, it`s all around.

I conducted a wedding yesterday in the glass-domed Paul Hamlyn Hall of the Royal Opera House in London. At the height of the ceremonies, at the purna-huti of the fire sacrifice, to have hundreds enthusiastically singing the Hare Krishna mantra was an unexpected pleasure.

In the Vedic model, good government is never solely at the mercy of either natural or man-made crisis. Recognizing that we live in a less than perfect world, good government takes a proactive role in planning the protection of its citizens.

In the spiritual world, in Goloka Vrindavan, Krishna goes out every day to tend cows. And yet it is so difficult to get devotees to be cowherds, to see that this is a respectable future, and to stick with that service. We don’t believe in slaughtering the cow, we don’t believe in eating the meat of the cow. But, when it comes to properly protecting the cows, are we willing to do it?

Among the primary reasons for this fear of death are: death is unknown territory, few know what to expect; and doubt about being held accountable for how you lived your life. When considering the various types of human responses, it seems quite reasonable to assume that religious belief would provide some sort of comforting response to the fear of death.

Hinduism around the world finds itself facing modernity (coping with science and technology) and post-modernity (the erosion of traditional values due to globalization).

Recognizing how widespread concern about the humane treatment of farm animals has become, the California Milk Advisory Board has recently ramped up its 10-year "Happy Cow" advertising campaign with a new series of ads proclaiming that "Great milk comes from Happy Cows." These ads are now being shown across the nation. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with the ads.

Occasionally, at ISKCON News we run stories from the secular press that are about ISKCON members or of particular interest to friends and members of ISKCON. We think it is important (and healthy) to be aware of what people are saying about us—good, bad, and ugly.

Hinduism must find voices that express religious and traditional concerns in a manner that steers it away from the literalism and fundamentalism that have dogged other religions.

I agree with the Moral Naturalists that it is possible to better understand human nature through the study of animal behavior. Beyond that our paths diverge sharply.

Aindra had complete conviction. Conviction that Vrindavan was the highest spiritual abode. Conviction that kirtan was no ordinary music - it was the divine name, descended from above, non-different from Radha and Krishna. He had no interest to be anywhere else or do anything else. He was convinced that by sitting in that spot he could change the world through his song.

Srila Prabhupada instructed the devotees that they were not spiritually ready to be candidates for political office, and that it would be better to not get diverted from the core activities of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. Yet, questions remained; should Hare Krishna devotees vote in political elections, what role do the devotees play in participatory forms of government?

It was refreshing when Prince Charles in a recent speech attributed our current environmental crisis to a “deep, inner crisis of the soul.” Suggesting that we were becoming “de-souled” by consumerism, he said that the problems we now face cannot be solved simply by green technology. It required something deeper, a return to spiritual teachings.

It was like sending a baby into battle that day. Mr. Leland was going to lead a school seminar about the dangers of drugs. It was a set up that no sane adult would have taken on. But Mr. Leland went head first into disaster.