ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

There are rare instances where anger is spiritually appropriate, provoked by injustices against the Lord and His devotees. Most anger, however, is a negative emotion manifested from frustrated attempts to enjoy sensually in the material world.

The desire for respect and recognition runs deep. They say that at the age of 20 we are extremely worried about what people think of us, by the time we reach 40 we don't really care anymore, and eventually when we reach 60 we realise nobody was thinking about us anyway!

"Of all faiths, this seems like one of the most joyous. And with the world being the way it is today, who doesn't need a little more joy in their lives?"

Indradyumna Swami glorifies the deeds of Ananta Shanti Das, who defying the oppressive Soviet regime spread the seeds of Krishna-consciousness all over Russia.

In the fast-paced lifestyle of today’s society, the focus is often getting things done and getting them done fast. Exchanges between spouses and between parents and children are, more often that not, fit in among the goings and comings of family activities and responsibilities.

We start off imagining that we don’t need Krishna, that we can do fine without him. We mistakenly assume that defying him proves our self-worth.

Do ghosts exist? Yes would be the answer of many people across history and geography. Nearly universal in human experience are reports of people seeing, hearing or perceiving in some other way disembodied, ghostly beings that seem to act in mysterious and frightening ways.

They say failures are stepping stones to success. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking how success can be a slipping stone to failure! Swami Prabhupada once commented how he faced two great tests in his life. At one point he was stripped of everything, left penniless, with no fixed abode. Later in life, however, he achieved unimaginable recognition as a powerful spiritual leader.

"When I think of ‘healthcare’, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘Who are we caring for?’… If I say, ‘I hurt my finger’…Are you caring for my finger, or are you caring for the owner of the finger?"

Last year cancer claimed 7.6 million lives, and now accounts for 13% of all deaths worldwide. The Bhagavad-gita explains that we may be suffering from another type of cancer. It’s a type of cancer that cannot be detected through medical tests, and cannot be treated by conventional means.

If we grasp the full scope of our existence, we can understand the significance of each event that we struggle through. Since most of us lack such vision, we need to develop faith that Lord Krishna arranges everything for our ultimate benefit, even if at present we cannot understand how.

“Religion is the opium of the masses” is the argument often used by atheists to dismiss religion without addressing the substantial issues it addresses. Though many atheists have used this quote, its most well-known proponent is Karl Marx: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

Abused, unloved, unwanted, neglected children are an image of pain that tugs at the heart of any caring person. And what is modern technology's answer? Birth control. Politicians, scientists, educators, and even religious leaders advise contraception—and its commander in reserve, abortion—as the answer to many social and economic woes.

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be”- says Goethe.

Sometimes when we pray to Krishna or chant his holy names, we feel no fulfilling presence – just a desolate silence within. How should we deal with such phases of inner emptiness?

You’ve heard it before and may be experiencing it now: Parenting an adolescent or older child can be tough. Frequently, older children can shock you with their self-centered, rude, irrational, ungrateful, lazy and defiant behavior.

The lap of all auspicious Giriraj, the potency of the merciful dham, and the divine vibrations of Harinam Prabhu, these were the most transcendental fragments of the milieu which housed the International Vaishnavi Retreat this year.

Faultfinding comes easy for most of us; it gives a much-craved boost to our false ego by making us feel superior to the faulty.

Physically, psychologically and spiritually we will go through many changes in the natural course of our lives and our marital relationship may need to adapt accordingly. Yet some basic, vital qualities are present throughout all healthy marriages.

Human relationships are riddled with argument, quarrel and conflict. It’s a symptom of the age. But that’s not a problem per se, since every disagreement is pregnant with positive and negative potential.