ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

There are no ISKCON temples in Cuba. But in the capital city of Havana, thirty to forty people attend weekly programs at the home of congregation leader Janardana Dasa. A recent trip to Cuba by ISKCON guru Bhaktimarga Swami has continued to increase the budding Krishna conscious congregation there.

A national conference on ”Cow Based Agriculture, Health and Environment” was recently organized by the Gujarat Government. A first of its kind, it was held in prestigious Anand University and was attended by senior ministers, government officials, top scientists, religious leaders, environmentalists and cow protection activists.

With two albums out this year, mega performances to tens of thousands in India, and yoga studio tours across the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa, Gaura Mani and the Vrajavadhus is the biggest kirtan band you may not have heard of…. yet.

We, like the frog in the popular story, can easily detect sweeping cultural changes but often not small, incremental cultural shifts. And as a consequence we are in danger of being boiled to death by our own society. We are not realising that, in our bid for personal freedom and social liberality, we are reaching a boiling point.

Without the grace and knowledge I have received in my practice and life as a Hindu minister, I would not be able to approach my heritage as a Christian in such a meaningful way. This reality leaves me with a grateful heart, and a desire to go deeper into this harmony, to honor where I have come from, where I am now, and where I am meant to go.

Cinnamon is one of the most anti-oxidant rich herbs on the planet. It has been revered by nearly every culture for centuries for its sweet taste and pleasant aroma. Cinnamon has been shown to have remarkable medicinal qualities that enhance blood sugar signaling, reduce inflammation, stimulate immunity and promote neurological health.

On Friday, April 20th, Radhanath Swami joined Francis X. Clooney S.J. a Jesuit priest and Harvard theology professor at Columbia University in New York for an interfaith dialogue program to discuss how do they encounter God in each other`s traditions.

Starting on April 24th and lasting for 11 days, a series of festivities will be held in East Bangalore to inaugurate Lord Narasimha`s new temple.

On April 20, Hindu American Seva Charities made history, co-hosting with The White House a historic conference, entitled Community Building in the 21st Century with Strengthened Dharmic Faith-Based Institutions for the Dharmic Religious Leaders in Washington, D.C.

In 1968, when the counterculture movement had a strong presence in Laguna Beach, ISKCON Los Angeles’ then temple president Tamal Krishna Goswami, along with Vishnujana Swami, would travel to Laguna to do kirtan at the popular psychedelic store Mystic Arts World.

Out of millions of dogs that take birth, only the rare dog is destined to become a military working dog, trained in the service of a human military. Out of thousands of military working dogs, even more rare is the highly trained canine that ends up rescued, taking shelter of Krishna’s devotees.

Several prominent Buddhist groups in Thailand invited Dr Sahadeva dasa for a series of countrywide programs and visit to their communities. They hosted a series of TV shows with him.

The Life article points out that man has always been fascinated by disasters. Why? I’d say it’s because we know that a disaster may strike any of us at any moment. Although in recent years a whole field of risk management has developed to counteract risks and dangers, still the only shelter is the Lord’s lotus feet.

“Today We Have the Power,” a new documentary film about spiritual activism directed by Radha-Vallabha Dasa—a brahmachari monk at New York’s Bhaktivedanta Ashram—has just been released on DVD.

A recent study involved heart bypass operation patients in Thailand. The curcumin lowered risk from post bypass operation heart attack by 65% s. That group of patients also showed significantly lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress markers in their blood.