This issue coincides with the annual festival of Janmashtami, celebrating the divine appearance of Lord Krishna on earth more than fifty centuries ago. In “Sri Krishna Janmashtami: The Advent of the Deliverer,” Karuna Dharini Devi Dasi explains how Lord Krishna’s “birth” is unlike that of us ordinary living beings, who are born by the force of Krishna’s material energy.

In February, Lord Krishna made another appearance, this time in His deity form in the new Hare Krishna temple in Aravade. Tattvavit Dasa writes about the significance of this new temple in a rural area of Maharashtra. Tens of thousands of villagers attended the opening ceremonies in an atmosphere saturated with the sound of the Lord’s holy names.

Chanting Hare Krishna always plays a prominent role at temple openings, as it does during any Hare Krishna function, because it forms the core of devotees’ spiritual practice. In “Kirtana-Yoga and the Maha-mantra,” Satyaraja Dasa writes about the history, practice, and results of chanting the holy names.

The goal of chanting is awakening our natural love for Krishna, and in “Exploring Love,” Vishakha Devi Dasi tells why loving Krishna is the solution to our struggles to love and to be loved.

Hare Krishna.—Nagaraja Dasa, Editor

Departments

Online Newsletter

The Culture of Distraction

In Your Own Words

Letters

“The Stone Deity Is Also Krishna”

A Billionare Renunciant

Vedic Thoughts