Devotee

After a groundswell of support from ISKCON devotees and leaders, a Samadhi (mausoleum) is being constructed in the sacred land of Vrindavana, India for Srila Prabhupada’s famous early disciple Yamuna Devi.

Yamuna is well-known for singing the Govindam song played at ISKCON temples around the world every morning, for writing the award-winning cookbook Lord Krishna’s Cuisine, and for being an ISKCON pioneer in the UK. She passed away on December 20th, 2011 at the age of 69 due to heart complications.

As we approach the first anniversary of Yamuna-devi’s departure—and the immersion of her ashes in the Yamuna and the dedication of her samadhiin Vrindavan—I thought to share some recollections and reflections on her glorious service, based on my talk at her memorial program in Vrindavan on December 23, 2011.

There is so much to be said about Srimati Yamuna-devi dasi.

The two major car accidents this week (Iskcon devotees in serious car accident in Mayapur, and 5 Iskcon devotees of Mathuradesh leave their bodies in car accident ) have cast a cloud of sadness upon the entire ISKCON movement. I remember ISKCON’s first such car accident, two devotees, Vaidyanath and Maranda, were killed in Arizona in 1970 when a truck pushed their VW off a mountain slope in Arizona. Like the devotees in Mathuradesh, they passed from this world in Krishna’s service.

Most of the times, we are running after money (dhan ). Money is what makes the world go round, or so it appears. Many a times, this appears to be true. Money enables us to buy goods and services, food, clothing and other basic necessities of life, possessions, home, car, luxuries, etc; Since Laxmi is the goddess of wealth, we worship her to bless us with her favour and benediction.

Meditate on Lord Balarama by reading this Lord Balarama, appeared in the meeting where Romaharsana was sitting on his big vyasasana. There were so many thousands of students, great sages, listening to Romaharsana, preparing to hear the message of Bhagavat. Everyone stood up to greet Balarama.

Diary of a Traveling Monk – Volume 13, Chapter 2 – September 4, 2012

By His Holiness Indradyumna Swami

“There’s something special about going to a place for the first time, “I said to Rasikendra dasa as I threw my bags into the back of his van. “I’m looking forward to visiting the devotees in Macedonia.”

“Fine,” he said, “but hurry. Traffic’s heavy on the way to the airport.”

Let me first introduce you to a vaishnava— His Grace Radha Madhava Prabhu (formerly Richard Mende) who is now 77 years old and has just completed writing two books which will be published soon. He graduated from the Stanford University and has worked in New York in the film producing industry while he was absorbed in worldly ways of life.

His Grace Guru das Prabhu writes about His Grace Radha Madhav Prabhu:

On Sunday October 14th, one hundred and fifty community members attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a brand new ISKCON temple complex to be built in the last place one would expect—Las Vegas, Nevada.