I was walking near the Culver Hotel in Los Angeles, and I saw a woman on a bench, smoking (and looking freaked out). I showed her a Bhagavad-Gita. She said she could not sleep because she was sure there was a ghost in her hotel room. I said that this will solve the problem: These sacred mantras liberate ghosts.

We chanted a mantra together from the second chapter. She was amazed. She had almost died eleven times, and she is used to seeing herself from outside her body. She is a bit ghostly herself. She has severe grand maul seizures of epilepsy. She was in town to appear on a talk show to discuss near-death experiences.

A Talk by Indradyumna Swami, with Giriraj Swami March 9, 2007 Carpinteria, California

I was remembering this evening one incident about how merciful Lord Caitanya is to even the most fallen, sinful rascals. As Prabhupada mentions, Jagai and Madhai-they were not comical characters; they were deeply sinful criminals.

“Throughout his life a brahmana should consider material prestige to be like poison and dishonor to be like nectar. After all, if one learns to tolerate dishonor, then his agitation will subside and he will happily sleep, happily wake, and happily move about. The person who insults him will as a result of his sin become embarrassed, and his happiness in this and the next life will be vanquished.”

Manu Samhita 2.162-163

I was working in the Soviet army. I spend quite some years also in the Afghanistan war. It was so nasty experience that I wanted to orient myself to more peaceful atmosphere. So I joined the Moscow Institute that trains KGB staff. Of course it is not publicly known to be in that function. I chose the justice line, for to become some spy in the foreign countries did not fit with my mind either.

Once I had a discussion with one of my friends. He was a son of a highly placed KGB man. His father was a captain for a boat that was 'exporting goods'. Actually they were transporting weapons. My friend's father was involved in bringing weapons to Vietnam and also participated in the conflicts in Egypt and in Greece.

The article below is written for the Pune temple at their request, intended to be part of a book they are preparing on Parenting.
 

Hare Krishna. The following link takes you to a very dynamic powerful presentation promoting ending the violence against animals as well as the global benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Take a few minutes and watch it. You won't regret it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMzd6DvTg3E

It's Krsna's mercy that there is this a time of the year thoughout the world when people receive gifts from their friends and loved ones. This fits in nicely with our Vaisnava culture because we are all about giving.

Giving the highest gift: knowledge about Krsna. There is nothing better that people can receive than this, for this is what everyone is looking for.

Because people are in maya, they don't know they want it, but a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada knows what is best for them. Therefore he said, "If you want to please me, distribute my books."

He knew that the Krsna consciousness found in his books will give people the happiness they search for.

Allahabad
2 October, 1951

Mr. Daniel Bailey
Information Officer American Reporter
54, Queen's Road, New Delhi.

Dear Mr. Bailey,

I am in due receipt of your letter No. AR-2732 of the 26th ultimo, and I am very glad to note your frankness to admit that you cannot go so far at present to disseminate the basic principles of Indian philosophies.

Indian philosophies mean generally the Sada Darsana or the six different schools of philosophers namely, 1. the Mimamsa, 2. Sankhya, 3. Nyaya, 4. Mayavada, 5. Patanjal and 6. the Vedanta.

...one must read Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and with scrutiny to gradually become attached to the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

>>> Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 7.73

Sent to you from Tirupati, provided to the GBCs attending a GBC meeting at ISKCON Tirupati by the Temple President Revati Raman Prabhu -

Some pastimes of Lord Balaji and His devotees.

SRI VENKATESWARA KALYANAM:

On the banks of the Ganges, the rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice. Sage Narada visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it and to whom the yagna phala to be offered. Some of rishis said it is for Lord Vishnu, some said it is for Lord Shiva and some said it is for Lord Brahma, not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrigu. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma.