ISKCON Desire Tree

Am I the body, mind or something more? These are the age old questions that every philosopher throughout the ages has tried to grasp and understand. After all, how will you know what to do in lif...

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We are not this body. We are spirit souls. We are part and parcel of the Supreme absolute – Sri Krishna. The goal of our life is to establish the lost connection with the Supreme Personality �...

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Karma is one of those topics that many people know a little about, but few understand the intricacies of it. To start with, Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an e...

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Reincarnation is called samsara in the classic Vedic texts of India. The word samsara is Sanskrit and means being bound to the cycle of repeated birth and death through numerous lifetimes. How th...

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In the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga, the Absolute Truth is known as a person. His name is Krishna, a Sanskrit word which means “all attractive”. Krishna is the all attractive object of your soul...

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Bhakti is derived from the Sanskrit word bhaj, which means – loving service. Yoga in Sanskrit means – connection. Bhakti yoga means to connect to the supreme by means of loving pure devotiona...

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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was formed in 1966 by Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who came from India on the order of his Spiritual Master to preach love of God to th...

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On the spiritual path, there are several reasons why a person is recommended to be vegetarian. One primary reason is that we need to see the spiritual nature within all living beings, and that in...

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By investigating the knowledge and viewpoints in the many topics found in Vedic culture we can certainly see that the practice and utilization of this Vedic knowledge can indeed assist us in many...

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When Srila Prabhupada began ISKCON, he established eight principles that are the basis of the Krishna consciousness movement. 1. By sincerely cultivating a genuine spiritual science, we can be f...

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In 1965, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada traveled alone from India to America to establish the timeless tradition of Krishna consciousness in the Western world. He single-ha...

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Srila Prabhupada, known as His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appeared in this world in Calcutta, India on Nandotsava, the annual festival day celebrating Krishna’s birth, i...

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Members of the Hare Krishna Movement follow ancient India’s Vedic literature, primarily Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. These teachings date back over 5000 years and are practiced by more ...

https://info.iskcondesiretree.com/what-scripture-do-we-follow/

Although the Hare Krishna Movement has only been established in the West since 1966, its roots extend thousands of years into the past, back into the Vedic tradition of India. The Vedas were orig...

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Bhagavad (buh-guh-vud) Gita (gee-tah). The title is a Sanskrit phrase which means “Song of God.” If we can enjoy, grow, and learn from the songs of ordinary people, just imagine how much we c...

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A mantra is a spiritual sound vibration that purifies the consciousness and awakens love of God. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare /...

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The Vedic scriptures establish nonviolence, called ahimsa, as the ethical foundation of vegetarianism and for a peaceful society. According to the Vedas, God is the Supreme Father of all creature...

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Prasadam The Power of Sacred Food On the spiritual path those that are most inclined to lead a peaceful existence that respects the value of all life often adopts the vegetarian lifestyle. It is...

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One of the most common questions asked to me is this: "Why don't you eat garlic and onions?" Here's my short answer: As a devotee of Krishna and a practicing Bhakti-yogi, I don't eat garlic and o...

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Deities play an important part in most temples of Krishna. But what is the significance of Deities and Deity worship? One thing to understand is that all the images or Deities in the Vedic panthe...

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This compilation of information will explain what tilak is and why it is worn. As anyone who is familiar with the Vedic tradition knows, many of its followers wear marking on the foreheads. This ...

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We offer obeisances for the following reasons:  1. Humility: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Supreme Creator and our Supreme father. We are His eternal devotees. Everyth...

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The Tulasi tree is a most important plant, and is often seen at numerous Vedic temples, especially those dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna. At such temples you are likely to find one or more in the...

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Devotees of Krishna wear Tulasi (occimum sanctum wood) neck beads, often as three strands at the base of the neck. Tulasi beads worn around the neck indicate a devotee's surrender to the Lord; su...

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We cannot draw a circle without a centre point. The Lord is the centre, source and essence of our lives. We acknowledge this by performing Pradakshina recognizing him as the focal point in our li...

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First, visiting a temple is quite different from visiting any other place. The temple is the best place we visit. That is the place from which we are to gain something invaluable. During our prac...

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Shikha is a tuft of hair at the back of head specifically kept by Vaishnavas and Brahmanas. It is anestablished rule that ANYONE WHO RECITES VEDIC MANTHRAS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAIR ON FACE AND HEAD. ...

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When the conch (Shankha) is blown, the primal sound of Om emerges. Om is the sound that was emanated by God before creation of the universes. The conch (sankha) is one of the attributes of Lord V...

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Most of the old temples in India have a large bell at the entrance that one needs to ring before entering the temple. Making temple bells is a whole science. These bells are not made out of ordin...

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In the ancient Vedic culture a person dressed according to his or her social and spiritual position. Following those traditions, women who live in Hare Krishna communities wear saris and men wear...

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 …The Feminine Nature of God Millions will gather today, in India and around the world, to offer prayers, worship, and devotional songs glorifying the appearance of the Divine mother, Radha (R...

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As we look around the world, or watch and read the news, practically everywhere is affected by some kind of natural disaster. Floods are displacing millions of people, forest fires are destroying...

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The great mistake of modern civilization is to encroach upon others’ property as though it were one's own and to thereby create an unnecessary disturbance of the laws of nature. These laws are ...

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Yes…. The Bhagavad-gita, the principal scripture of the Hare Krishna movement, and the roots of understanding reincarnation, states “As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, fro...

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Of course, any Joe can’t just come waltzing into the room, demanding “Show me Krishna!” and expect the Supreme Personality of Godhead to show up on his doorstep. You can’t just waltz into...

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Here’s a letter I got: “Let’s face it, you joined a club, a religion, just like everyone else. You totally gave up your individuality You all believe the same things. You’re no longer an ...

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I travel the world teaching spiritual principles. What follows is an interesting discussion I had with some young men. “I don’t need God,” says the spokesman. “I have my own way.” “Ok...

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( The Hindu,Kerala edition,Sun,17.6.2012, Open Page ) By Professor B. M. Hegde ³Intellectual integrity made it quite impossible for me to accept the myths and dogmas of even very great scientist...

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So now that we find ourselves in this human form, and in this material world, what are we really supposed to do with it? Everybody at some point in their life wonders why God created this world a...

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The yoga most people are familiar with isn't meant for everyone. In fact, in this age it's hardly possible for anyone.The term yoga literally means "linking" and refers to linking one's conscious...

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Although “Hare Krishna” has become a household word, practically nobody knows what it means. Is it merely a repetitious incantation designed to hypnotize its practitioners? Is it a form of es...

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From your views Why do ‘bad’ things befall us? How does all that come into play? Is everything karma or can anything just happen? How would a KC devotee deal with let’s say he’s on the ro...

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