Ananda's Blog

An Unusual Kartika Vow

By Ananda Vrindavan Devi It’s that time of year again when we get a chance to be intentional about nurturing our relationship with...

Reflections on Kirtana

And excerpt from The Living Name by Sacinandana Swami Srila Prabhupada once said about Kirtana: Your business is not to satisfy the...

The Relationship space

I found the following reflection by Sacinandana Swami very helpful. As always, what sounds easy on paper is not always so easy in action...

32 ways to not chant Japa

by Mahatma das 1. To Do List Japa – Meditating on your to do and shopping lists, sometimes adding and deleting items between mantras....

3 lessons from cicadas

Those of us who live on the east coast of the US are nearing the end of the cicada season. They are curious creatures who teach us a few...

Simple, catchy, ingenious, and filled with meaning

by Hari-kirtana Dasa My spiritual teacher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, had many extraordinary talents. One of them was his...

Mohini's Moment

The vet called late in the evening. “We have to do surgery now. It can’t wait until morning.” Earlier that day the devotees from Gita...

A Question on Chanting

We are always being advised to chant with emotion like a child crying for its mother. But when I chant, it takes everything I got to be...

Ways to Cope

This morning I overheard a conversation and in response to the usual question of ‘How are you?’ the person answered, “Well, I’m having a...

Rising Up and sinking Down

“There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.” –Amanda Gorman Personally, I was in...