Shyamasundar has just finished recording 23 hours of audio, making Volume One of ‘Chasing Rhinos with the Swami” now available as an audiobook.  In the last ten years, the share of US adults who listen to audiobooks has grown by more than 100%, so an audio version is timely. 

Svalikhita Jivani, the autobiography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published by the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) in its original Bengali language was released at ISKCON Leadership Sanga by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj and HH Guruprasad Swami Maharaj facilitated by HG Gauranga Prabhu and HG Braj Vilas Prabhu on 15th Feb 2023 as part of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga event in Sridham Mayapur. The event was telecast live on Mayapur TV.

THE OLDEST SONG (An excerpt from The Saffron Path)

The Prabhupada Marathon has inspired book distribution throughout ISKCON since 1972. Now it is being celebrated as the Live to Give campaign.  This year our global team has set an unprecedented goal to distribute at least three million Bhagavad-gitas between September 11th and January 7th, 2023. Last year we distributed 2,805,444, smashing the goal of 2.2 million. Vaisesika Prabhu said, “The purpose of the campaign is to carry on the work of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as passed down to us through the previous Acharyas. Sankirtana, especially through the medium of book distribution, is the very essence of the Krishna consciousness movement. This is the most important time in history for us to distribute Bhagavad-gita. It’s a well-accepted book of knowledge, people will read it and benefit, and the whole world will be a better place. Start by assuming you can do it–and in a big way. You will be successful. Go for it!”

Anyone who has participated in a maha-mantra kirtan – and knows the meaning and goal of the mantra – has experienced that there is no other sacred music or sacred sound that compares to it. Maha-mantra kirtan rivals all and Pranada dasi wants to shout it out to the broader community. She’s releasing the third book of The Bhakti Series, Prema Kirtan: Journey into Sacred Sound, on 12 November and you’re invited to the Launch Party. Nadiya Mani will lead the launch with a maha-mantra kirtan. All details can be found here (and below). “It’s truly noteworthy how many times Srila Bhaktsiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura commented that hari-kirtan,” Pranada says, “must be accompanied by hari-katha to have full efficacy. In other words, tattva needs to underlie the experience. But how do we give enough tattva -- katha -- at a public event or from a stage? Send them home with a book about kirtan!” Mary M., an advance reader of Prema Kirtan, wrote, “I am absolutely arrested in my tracks. You have managed to capture the essence of this thing [maha-mantra meditation] that I have been struggling to understand and accept beyond any shred of doubt. “I am eternally grateful to you for putting it into words that which not only my mind can understand but my heart. All your experience is so credibly squeezed out on the page for my -- and anyone else’s -- benefit. I am so deeply touched and gladdened. In tears all I can say is Thank You!” The first two books of The Bhakti Series won numerous awards, so we suspect Prema Kirtan is headed for acclaim as well. Enter the Giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Prema Kirtan and an audio book version by clicking here. The books of The Bhakti Series, Pranada says, are for our secular friends and family, our children (who often don't read the source texts), colleagues, acquaintances, and other people we may meet. “Here,” we can say, “Did you hear about kirtan or have you experienced it? This book explains the philosophy behind kirtan, why you experience the joy you do, how to do kirtan (and japa) yoga, what the goal of kirtan is, and its history and the nature of sacred sound.” The Launch of Prema Kirtan: Journey into Sacred Sound EVENT DETAILS: 12 November 2022 11:00am EST/ 4:00pm GMT 11:00 am EST Kirtan by Nadiya Mani 11:35 Welcome & Introduction 11:40 Pranada will read from Prema Kirtan 11:45 Pranada and Kosarupa will speak about sacred sound and their own journeys 12:15 We'll hear impressions from Advance Readers 12:25 We'll take questions from the audience 12:45 Announce Winner of the Prema Kirtan Giveaway THREE WAYS TO ATTEND IN PERSON ALACHUA, FL, USA ZOOM ZOOM ID #864 7853 5840 Passcode: 16108 FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM Live streaming to Facebook /PranadaComtois

The driving force behind Rūpa Gosvāmī’s acts, including his vast literary repertoire, was Caitanya Mahāprabhu, renowned as the initiator of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava lineage in sixteenth-century India. In the eyes of his followers, Śrī Caitanya descended to earth to enact a specific redemptive mission. Indeed, his bhakti movement changed the hearts and faith of countless people, both in India of his day and worldwide in the modern era, by instilling in them the path of pure love of God

When Illness Takes Hold: Hopeful Words for Sadhakas explores the challenges and opportunities we face when dealing with illness (or losses and other obstacles) while practicing bhakti. The book has three essays exploring the authors’ personal experiences and the spiritual solutions they found; a question and answer section; and a collection of quotes from our acaryas that are meditations for coping with illness. Pranada dasi and Arcana-siddhi dasi, both disciples of Srila Prabhupada, have each suffered from chronic illness for several decades. Here they combine the wisdom garnered from their experiences in a fairly comprehensive, and loving, treatment of the subject. Arcana-siddhi is a Licensed Clinical Social Work who has been counseling devotees for nearly thirty years. Her husband of thirty-two years, Karnamrta das, recently passed away after a five-year battle with cancer. Devotees around the globe submitted questions for their Question-and-Answer section.

The GBC College for Leadership Development and Tulsi Books Publications are elated to announce the book launch of the book 'Being Srila Prabhupada-anugas' on the occasion of the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada's 125th birth year celebrations. This book by Rasikraman Das is a compilation of Srila Prabhupada's quotes on 51 themes of Leadership. It has been adopted as the official textbook of the GBC College, ISKCON's Leadership School. The book will especially be relevant for the followers of ISKCON who wish to have a deeper understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s personality and the legacy left behind by him in terms of his mood, message, and methods.

In October of 2019, the BBT and GBC appointed an Editorial Review Panel (ERP) to address concerns about the editing of Srila Prabhupada’s books. This article is the first in an ongoing series of contributions to ISKCON News sharing the findings and observations of the ERP.