ISKCON Niagara

12/29/2025

Our loving relationship with the Supreme Lord is deep within the heart, but now it's in a sleeping condition. By sravanam, hearing about the Lord, our consciousness becomes purified, and then that love rises within the heart very naturally.

HH Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaj

12/28/2025

12/27/2025

A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great blessing of the Kṛṣṇa conscious process of chanting the mahā-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Bhagavad-gītā 8.14

12/25/2025

Hare Krishna devotees! 🙏

ISKCON Niagara invites you to our Sunday Feast program on December 28 at 5:00 p.m. The speaker for this week is HG RAJESHWARI DEVI DASI.

Please refer to the poster for more details. We look forward to welcoming you! Hare Krishna!

12/25/2025

In Vṛndāvana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the pleasure potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Rādhārāṇī is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.23

12/23/2025

Srila Prabhupada gave many instructions about separation. In one letter he wrote, "'Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my Guru Maharaja since 1936, but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should also work together for satisfying Lord Krishna, and in this way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss."

HH Giriraj Swami Maharaj

12/23/2025

December 22 - Disappearance Day of Sri Jagadisha Pandit

Sri Jagadisa Pandit was a great devotee of Lord Krsna and a close associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was born in Gaihati, in the region of Bengal, to a pious brahmana couple named Kamalaksa Bhatta and Dukhini Devi. He later moved to the banks of the Ganges near Cakdaha, where he built his house near the home of Jagannatha Misra, the father of Lord Caitanya.

He was very dear to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who often visited his house and enjoyed his Sankirtana festivals. Lord Caitanya instructed him to preach the holy name of Krsna at Nilacala, where he obtained a deity of Lord Jagannatha. He installed this deity at Yasora, on the banks of the Ganga, and worshiped him with great love and devotion. He also received a deity of Gaura-Gopala from Lord Caitanya, who promised to stay in his house eternally in that form.

He was also very affectionate to Lord Nityananda, who once broke his sannyasa staff at his house. He was present at the Panihati festival, where he witnessed the pastimes of Lord Nityananda and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He was also one of the witnesses of the disappearance of Lord Caitanya at Nilacala. He later disappeared on the full moon day of the month of Pausa, and his samadhi is at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana.

Significance

He was a saviour of the world, who distributed the nectar of love of Krsna like a cloud.

He was a childhood friend of Lord Caitanya, who revealed his divinity to him by asking for his Ekadashi prasad.

He was a preacher of Hari-nama, who followed Lord Caitanya's order to spread the holy name at Nilacala.

He was a recipient of Lord Jagannatha's mercy, who gave him a deity of the lotus-eyed Lord.

He was a worshiper of Gaura-Gopala, who received a deity of Lord Caitanya from him and served him with great care.

12/23/2025

December 22 - Disappearance Day of Srila Jiva Goswami

Srila Jiva Gosvami was blessed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as a child, which indicated Jiva as the future leader of the Gaudiya sampradaya. Despite his young age, Jiva deeply cherished the form of the Lord within his heart and constantly meditated on it. After his family's renunciation to join Mahaprabhu, young Jiva stayed with his grieving mother. As he matured, he devoted himself to the worship of Sri Sri Rama-Krsna's Deities. In a dream, he witnessed Sri Rama-Krsna transforming into Nitai-Gauranga, which intensified his dedication. His father's passing plunged him into sorrow, leading to a pilgrimage seeking solace in Navadwipa.

In Navadwipa, he met Nityananda Prabhu, who warmly welcomed him into the Vaishnava community, receiving blessed remnants and embarking on a transformative journey. Meeting Saci Mata, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mother, and studying in Varanasi preceded his refuge in Vrindavana with his uncles, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. Under their guidance, Jiva immersed himself in spiritual studies, swiftly grasping Srimad Bhagavatam and making significant contributions to Vaishnava literature.

Following the disappearance of Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Jiva continued their legacy by mentoring disciples and sending them to Bengal to propagate Gosvami teachings. He authored influential works like Sat-sandharbha, Sutra-malika, and Rasamrta-sesa, enriching Vaishnava literature.

Srila Jiva Gosvami departed from this world on the 3rd day of the bright fortnight in the month of Pausa 1540, at the age of 85, leaving a profound impact on Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Significance

Devotion and Commitment: Srila Jiva Gosvami's unwavering devotion and commitment to spiritual ideals, despite personal challenges and loss, exemplify the importance of staying dedicated to one's spiritual path and ideals regardless of life's obstacles.

Spiritual Legacy: Srila Jiva Gosvami dedicated his life to preserving and expanding the teachings and practices of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, particularly following the foundational principles established by his uncles, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis. This teaches us that even after we're gone, we can inspire others to follow the path of bhakti.