"Kids Philosophy Slam" a national essay competition in the US for kids K-12 recently declared Nimai C. Agarwal, a nine year Krishna devotee from Germantown, MD to be the "Most philosophical third grader in America."

Nimai, a third grader home schooled by his parents, won the first prize in the 2008 essay contest by Philosophy slam (philosophyslam.org) amongst the third graders.

Author and practicing Vaishnava Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen) releases his latest book, The Yoga of Kirtan: Conversations on the Sacred Art of Chanting, in early June. He took some time out to chat with ISKCON News staff member Vyenkata Bhatta Dasa about the new book and why kirtan is about transcending barriers.

Today we live in a world that is full of war, strife, hatred and exploitation between people. It is a world based on a bodily conception of life that categorizes and then mistreats living beings on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion, etc.

The Krishna consciousness movement teaches a higher guiding principle based upon the soul.

New York – National Public Radio (NPR), voted the most trusted news source in America in a 2005 Harris poll, featured Hare Krishna devotee Gadadhara Pandit Dasa as part of a year-long series profiling dynamic young religious leaders called “The Young and the Godly.”

Plenty of hard work and searching has paid off for ISKCON devotees in sunny Orlando, Florida with their recent acquisition of a large house and seven-acre property. Set on the east side of town, and well connected by main roads, the house has been converted into a temple with an ornate altar, large temple room, two kitchens, prasadam hall and three bedrooms for devotee accommodation.

ISKCON devotees attended the annual Governor's Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this month. There, ISKCON Phoenix temple president Bhava Dasa, as well as communications director Dr. Prayag Narayan Mishra, met with Governor Janet Napolitano and a distinguished group of two hundred and fifty religious leaders.

Today is exactly 270 years since the day in 1738 when John Wesley went to a prayer meeting in London and felt his heart ’strangely warmed.’ It was about ‘quarter to nine in the evening’ and he felt himself saved by God. A fleeting moment in time for him, but one that would dramatically change his life and have immense repercussions for millions of people.

For three years, my husband has talked about taking to the hills. About buying a smallholding on Exmoor where, with our four-year-old daughter, we can safely survive the coming storm - famine, pestilence and a total breakdown of society. I would wait for his lectures to finish, then return to my own interests. I had no time for the end of civilisation.

There was a parade on Sunday that brought all manner of people who love flora and defend fauna to the city’s streets. It took place in downtown Manhattan and organizers called it Veggie Pride.

The festivities began at noon in the meatpacking district — get it? — and drew about 600 people and at least one vegan dog — Simba, a tofu-fed black Labrador retriever.

By now, most people know they should be eating more vegetables. But are there ways to get more from the vegetables you already eat?

A growing body of research shows that when it comes to vegetables, it’s not only how much we eat, but how we prepare them, that influences the amount of phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that enter our body.

GBC Resolution 311*, which appears paraphrased at the end of this essay, strikes at the heart of the Hare Krishna movement, namely ISKCON with its chief ideologue, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT).

Some might think Resolution 311 is an unnecessary and unwanted interpretation of Srila Prabhupada's teachings, and a sneaky though well-intended way to relativize Srila Prabhupada's wisdom -- and, at worst, a power grabbing exercise on the part of the GBC.

The divine protector Nrsimhadeva, with his ferocious half-man half-lion form, is one of the most recognizable avatars of Lord Krishna. Vaishnavas pray to Him when they're in danger, remembering how he saved the boy devotee Prahlad from his tyrannical father, the demon Hiranyakashipu. But how much do we really know about Nrsimha?

"Krishna has saved me" said Avadhuta-priya devi dasi, a devotee of Lord Krishna, referring to her incredible escape from a series of terrorist bomb blasts that tore through crowded shopping areas of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan in India's north.

“We want the Cowmobile to become a recognizable brand image for cow protection everywhere,” says Tapan Mishra, a long-time craftsman who co-authored the 1973 book “How to Build a Ratha-Yatra Cart” with Jayananda Dasa. “It will share the benefits of Mother Cow and leave a soft spot in the hearts of adults and children alike."

Designed to drive a wedge between the city's Hindus and Muslims, Tuesday's terror attack in Jaipur was meant to change all that. But it didn't happen. "Whoever was trying to divide the two communities has failed," says Muslim restaurateur Kallu. It is 72 hours since the blasts and the Hindus are not back in big numbers yet. But Kallu, judging by the mood of the city and the way it has reacted everywhere, is sure that there won't be any big cracks in the relationship.