Articles by ASA
We found 233 results.
United Nations World Book Day on 23 April
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Apr 2024
26 Apr 2024 – I wish all the book lovers and readers of all over the world a very Happy UN World Book-Day.
→ read full article
Chosen People or People Who Choose?
Michael A. Cremo (Drutakarmā dāsa) | Dandavats – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Apr 2024
The rich theology of the Vedic literature can end speculative attempts to resolve the apparently contradictory concepts of predestination and free will.
→ read full article
Buddhism and Its Vedic Connections
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Mar 2024
Many people may know about Buddhism, but few seem to understand its connections with Vedic Culture and how many aspects of it have origins in the Vedic philosophy. It was several hundred years before the time of Lord Buddha that his birth was predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, a major Vedic scripture.
→ read full article
Seeing the Divinity in Everyone
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Mar 2024
In essence, we are all consciousness in material forms. Consciousness cannot be destroyed. It is the essence of God in each of us. We are all spiritual beings, reflections of the Divine. We are not our beliefs, our cultures, or our minds and bodies. We are all divine souls on a wondrous journey through Truth. We have all manifested from God, the Supreme Truth, and we are all evolving back to God.
→ read full article
A Condolence Message on the Passing of Prof. Johan Galtung
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
26 Feb 2024
Prof. Galtung was a principal founder of the discipline of peace and conflict studies. He was the main founder of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in 1959 and served as its first director until 1970. He also founded the Peace Research Journal (1964), Transcend International, Transcend Media Service, and Transcend Peace University.
→ read full article
Can Vedic Dharma Bring Peace to the World?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
12 Feb 2024
The spiritual principles in the Vedic tradition teaches us to embrace all human beings and all living entities of all species. It sets aside false pride, and the sense of superiority. This is our spiritual quality as the outcome of a noble life that knows no distinction of rich and poor, or the high and low. This is our ideal culture.
→ read full article
A Condolence Message on the Passing of Dr. Betty A. Reardon
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Jan 2024
I shocked to hear the news of passing of Dr. Betty A. Reardon on November 3, 2023 at the age of more than 94 years. She was born on June 12, 1929. She was one of the founders of Peace Education.
→ read full article
World Peace Is a Possibility
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Dec 2023
Being on Earth is like being on a plane. We are all transients sharing a temporary flight. We may not have the best seats but will be landing somewhere else, so why quarrel? Those who have the best seats–fancy houses, wealth, prestige–will also have to give them up when the flight is over, at death.
→ read full articleSpiritual Enlightenment: What It Is
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Nov 2023
There are many explanations of what is enlightenment; many are unclear or misleading. I offer something that is more apparent and direct. Enlightenment is a goal of yoga and meditation, and we should know something of what we are trying to attain.
→ read full article
Japan, G-7 on Different Pages Regarding Middle East Conflict
Shino Matsuyama and Akira Nemoto | The Asahi Shimbun - TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Nov 2023
Despite being its chair, Japan was “excluded from the G-7.” On 22 Oct Biden held talks with the leaders of the G-7 nations, except for Japan, and the six leaders issued a joint statement in support of Israel’s right to self-defense. Japan has long supported the two-state solution, in which Israel and Palestine coexist as independent nations.
→ read full articleUniversal Peace Education for Justice and Peace, Prevention and Remedy of War
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Oct 2023
28 Oct 2023 – Peace is more complicated than war because peace is tried to achieve through war.
→ read full article
Karma of the Nation
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Oct 2023
We must remember that karma is actually a law of physics. Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. On the universal scale it is also a natural law, only it is called the law of karma. Individuals acquire karma as a result of their good or bad activities.
→ read full article
Teachers for the United Nations and Peace
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
23 Oct 2023
Dedicated to the United Nations Day, 24 October
→ read full articlePeace Education and International Community
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Sep 2023
The common masses of every nation are exploited and oppressed by their masters whether they are dictators or democrats. Common people everywhere are poor and slaves. Even intellectuals are not free from the organized authority of societies’ institutions.
→ read full articleVedantic Democracy, Education and Peace
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Sep 2023
All men tend to be free. Freedom is the birth right of every man irrespective of caste, creed and color.
→ read full article
Condolences on the Passing of Dr. M.S. Gosavi
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Sep 2023
7 Sep 2023 – I am extremely shocked to hear the news about the death of Dr. M.S. Gosavi, Director General and Secretary, Gokhale Education Society, Nashik, Maharashtra, India on 9 Jul 2023. This is my delayed condolences because I was not aware of his death.
→ read full article
The Purpose of Defending Dharma
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Aug 2023
It is to our advantage to work for the benefit of others and provide the means for them to learn and participate in the Vedic traditions. This is Dharma, our Dharma, and Dharma will protect those who help protect it. That is one reason that it is sanatana, or that which exists eternally.
→ read full article
The City of Nine Gates
Michael A. Cremo (Drutakarmā dāsa) | Dandavats – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jul 2023
29 Jul 2023 – This paper was originally presented at ‘Toward a Science of Consciousness,’ an international conference attended by leading scientists, physicians, philosophers, and other scholars, and hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson. An allegory from the Srimad-Bhagavatam sheds light on the mind/body connection.
→ read full article
Economics According to the Dharmic Way
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
24 Jul 2023
This is a simple explanation of how we should view economics according to the principles of Vedic Dharma.
→ read full articleThe Prison of Religion and the Freedom in Vedic Culture
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Jul 2023
The reason I call it “The Prison of Religion” is that religion, when used improperly or without the real essence of spiritual truth, can also be a way of confining and restricting people of their understanding of the universe and themselves.
→ read full article
L’Amour (Music Video of the Week)
Christophe Maé & Masaka Kids Ouganda – TRANSCEND Media Service,
26 Jun 2023
Un merci tout particulier à Masaka Kids Africana – Ouganda
Ravissant, Exquis ! Delightful, Exquisite!
Please click on Watch on YouTube
Importance of Bhagavad-gita in This Day and Age
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
12 Jun 2023
Most everyone hears about the Bhagavad-gita, but do they know how profound is the knowledge it provides? It is the core of the deepest levels of spiritual understanding. It is also a handbook for life, like when you purchase a refrigerator, television or computer you get a manual that teaches you how to use it properly.
→ read full article
Seeing Spiritual India
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 May 2023
India, like other places in the world that have unusual mystical traditions, can be both physically and mentally demanding. India is an exotic, beautiful, and wondrous country, depending on what aspects you see. Living and traveling there can be pleasant and exciting, but it is also likely to provide you with many trying situations. (Photos)
→ read full articleNatural Disasters: Where is God in All of This?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 May 2023
A short article that helps show how we can recognize God in situations that may seem to force us to reassess ourselves and our life, and in the cooperation and renewed spirituality that it may take to overcome disasters and tragedies.
→ read full article
A Condolence Message on the Passing of Dr. Benjamin B. Ferencz
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
17 Apr 2023
I shocked to hear the news of the passing of Dr. Benjamin B. Ferencz, on 7 April 2023, at the age of 103 and express condolences to his family members.
→ read full articleGods and Goddesses of Vedic Culture
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
27 Mar 2023
One of the most confusing topics to people who are new or unfamiliar with the Vedic tradition is the number of Gods there seems to be within it. This is not really so difficult to understand. So here is a quick guide with brief descriptions that may help to bring some clarity to how they fit into the scheme of things.
→ read full articleHow to Understand God
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Feb 2023
Sometimes people say that they want to see God, or that God is not perceivable. This is confirmed in the Vedic Scriptures, but with additional points of instruction on how we can perceive Him/Her/It. This is the means by which we can reach the stage of understanding the Supreme Being.
→ read full articleVedantic Democracy, Education and Peace
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Feb 2023
All men tend to be free. Freedom is the birth right of every man irrespective of caste, creed and color.
→ read full article
Influence of Vedic Culture around the World
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Nov 2022
The Vedas, especially the Bhagavad-gita, are not new to the Western world. There have been seekers, writers, poets, philosophers, and people of all levels who have appreciated the depth, inspiration, and insight of Vedic thought. Scholars outside India who have great respect for the Vedic Culture.
→ read full articleThe Avataras of God
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Oct 2022
As we browse through the internet and the media we see the word avatara increasingly used in a number of ways–but often in ways that have nothing to do with its real meaning. Or we also find an increasing number of persons referring to themselves as avataras of God.
→ read full articleHare Krishna, Hare Krishna–What’s So Special about Chanting Hare Krishna?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Oct 2022
We’ve all heard the Hare Krishna mantra at some time, but what the heck is so special about this mantra? Why are we supposed to spend time chanting it? What can it do for us? First of all, let me explain a little about mantra-yoga.
→ read full article
Why Is There Suffering?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Aug 2022
It is natural that at some point in our lives we ask, “Why is there suffering?” Or “Why am I not happy?” “Why can’t we simply go on with life and not undergo so many trials and tribulations? Why can’t God make a universe or world where there is no suffering?” Well, He already has, but we are simply in the wrong one.
→ read full article
Nagasaki Peace Declaration on 77th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing
Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki | The Mainichi - TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Aug 2022
Translation of the Peace Declaration read on 9 Aug 2022 by Nagasaki’s Mayor, Mr. Tomihisa Taue, at a ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city, as released by the Nagasaki Municipal Government.
→ read full article
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (20 Aug 1896 – 14 Nov 1977)
Gaurakisora dasa (ACBSP) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Aug 2022
Swami Prabhupada was a spiritual teacher (guru) and founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the “Hare Krishna Movement”. Over half a billion books authored by him were distributed since 1965. He has been described as a charismatic leader with followers scattered throughout the world.
→ read full articleThe Spiritual Import of the Cow in Vedic Culture
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Aug 2022
The term “sacred cow” has come to mean any stubborn loyalty to a long-standing institution which impedes natural progress. The term originates in India, where the cow is said to be literally worshiped, while thousands of humans suffer from undernourishment. The common, popular view of India in the West has been of an underdeveloped nation steeped in superstition.
→ read full articleGod Is Both Personal (Bhagavan) and Impersonal (Brahman)
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Aug 2022
When it comes to understanding God, many people do not quite understand Who/What He is. Often we find a pervasive view that He is impersonal, like an indescribable force, or that everything is God, we are all God, God is love, the Absolute Truth, and so on. However, we need to understand that these are simply small aspects of what is God.
→ read full article
Condolences on the Passing of Prof. Charles Mercieca
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Jul 2022
TRANSCEND Member and Founder of the Association of Educators for World Peace-IAEWP: RIP
→ read full articleThe Avataras of God
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Jul 2022
The word avatara is being increasingly used but often in ways that have nothing to do with its real meaning. We also find that an increasing number of people are referring themselves as avataras of God. Let us really understand what the word means and how it is referred in relation to its real purpose, or how to discern who is really an avatara.
→ read full articleUniversal Brotherhood Includes Animals: Another Reason to Be Vegetarian
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Jun 2022
If we expect to attain peace in the world, kindness must extend to all living beings. Otherwise, the violence we perform will manifest in other areas of our lives and in society. Includes quotes from various religious texts and Christian authorities.
→ read full articleHindus, Dharmists, Devotees and Politics
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Jun 2022
Many Krishna Devotees, Dharmists and Hindus in general will say they are not interested in politics or getting involved with it or even in voting. It is a distraction from their normal activities or spiritual pursuits. Or they feel all politicians are crooked or corrupt anyway, so what makes the difference between one or the other.
→ read full articlePeace Education: An Alternative to War Education
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Jun 2022
War is considered essential for peace and progress. This has also been the ancient concept of attaining peace, and we know that the ancient wars were for the most parts waged to achieve peace. “Even in our modern civilization”, if we may believe Mary Stuart and E.C. Oakden, “war proves the most valuable stimulus to progress.”
→ read full article
Israeli Anti-Torture Body Refers Israel to International Criminal Court
Lubna Masarwa | Middle East Eye – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Jun 2022
10 Jun 2022 – The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel has referred its own country to the International Criminal Court upon concluding that, after 30 years, Israel is “not interested and unable to stop the use of torture and abuse against Palestinians”.
→ read full article
The Purpose of Life
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Apr 2022
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 and how they got here, and what they are meant to do.
→ read full article
Sanatana-Dharma: Its Real Meaning
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Mar 2022
Dharma consists of both the force that sustains as well as what is sustained. It can also be said that there is the path of dharma as well as its conclusion, the object of dharma, or what we are seeking, the goal of life. So dharma is the means as well as the goal. Dharma is also said to be the force which maintains the universe.
→ read full articleGrow Man (Human) for Peace: The Role of Peace Education
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
7 Mar 2022
We have developed tremendously in science, humanities, technology, medicine, agriculture, transportation, communication, and the other fields of knowledge except man (human), hence we have violence of others and selves, war, exploitation of each other.
→ read full articleGod’s Eternal Spiritual Abode–Our Ultimate Goal
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Feb 2022
The Vedic texts describe that there are innumerable spiritual planets in the spiritual sky beyond this material creation, each having one of the unlimited forms of the Lord with countless devotees engaging in His service.
→ read full article
How We Can See God
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Feb 2022
If we expect to see God with our material senses, we must consider their limitations. We often need glasses to see clearly, and also enough light. We will never experience the spiritual with these dull material senses. When researching atoms, neutrons, protons, etc., scientists actually don’t see every molecule they ‘find.’ Sometimes they only see the evidence that such particles exist. It is in the realm of ‘consciousness.’ The Higgs boson is a case in point.
→ read full articleHinduism in View of World Thinkers
Surya Nath Prasad, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Feb 2022
Hinduism is the oldest of all religions in the world. Many great world thinkers were highly impressed with its universal, tolerant, and elastic tenets. Below cited views on Hinduism of a few world renowned thinkers are worth mentioning here.
→ read full articleMan-Making Universal Education for Justice and Peace
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jan 2022
Dedicated UNESCO International Day of Education 24 January
→ read full article
Reincarnation: A Simple Explanation
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jan 2022
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 this works…
→ read full article
Maha Kumbha Mela 2001: The Greatest Spiritual Festival and Gathering of People in the History of the World
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
17 Jan 2022
Every six years, the Kumbha Mela festival is the largest gathering of people, mostly Hindus, in the history of the world; what to speak of it being a religious festival. Over the course of its 41 days, it is calculated that as many as 70 million people of all kinds attend the Kumbha Mela. However, 2001 saw an amazing increase.
→ read full articleFinding Our Real Spiritual Identity
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Jan 2022
The author presents some of the most important spiritual information in Vedic philosophy so that everyone can understand their real spiritual nature. Out of all the philosophical understanding that the Vedic texts provide, this is one of the most important of all.
→ read full articleHow to Spiritualize Your Busy Life–and Why
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
27 Dec 2021
How to spiritualize our lives is easier to explain than why, especially when we are so busy. Where are we going to get the time and how is that going to help? This is a common excuse that many people use to justify why they have no time for spiritual practice. However, there are points we need to consider.
→ read full articleFinding Our Real Spiritual Identity
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Dec 2021
Among all the philosophical understanding that the Vedic texts provide, this is one of the most important. An essential part of understanding spiritual knowledge is that we realize our spiritual identity. The suggestion that we detach from the world or from our bodies to see beyond the influence of the illusory energy, makes no sense until we realize that we are spiritual beings in a temporary material form.
→ read full article
World Peace and Future Education
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Dec 2021
Guest Speech delivered to the International Seminar at Sarswati Vidya Mandir, Bhagalpur (Bihar) organized by Bhartiya Shiksha Shodh Sansthan (Lucknow) in collaboration with Bhagalpur University 5-7 Nov 2011.
→ read full article
Frequencies That Can Kill, Heal, and Transcend
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Nov 2021
The ancient Vedic texts of India explain, in summary, that this whole universe is the production or manifestation from particular vibrations from the spiritual energy which cause changes in the material energy. And all these frequencies effect us in many ways. For example, we may hear music that can be soothing and peaceful, or that is abrasive and irritating.
→ read full article
Dr. Young Seek Choue: An Apostle of Peace
Dr. Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
22 Nov 2021
22 Nov 2021 is the 100th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Young Seek Choue, initiator of UN International Year and Day of Peace, who died on 18 Feb 2012. A world renowned peace thinker and practitioner, Dr Choue of South Korea dreamed thought and developed a very novel idea and realizable concept that is ‘Oughtopia.’
→ read full article
Buddhism and Its Vedic Connections
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Nov 2021
Many people may know about Buddhism, but few seem to understand its connections with Vedic culture and how many aspects of it have origins in the Vedic philosophy. To begin with, it was several hundred years before the time of Lord Buddha that his birth was predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
→ read full article
(Português) Alterações climáticas e elites suicidas
Manuel Casal Lodeiro | Esquerda - TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Nov 2021
30 out 2021 – Se o Painel Intergovernamental sobre Alterações Climáticas finalmente censurar o aviso de que o capitalismo é insustentável, ou se os governos se recusarem a cumprir este diagnóstico, estaremos a caminhar para uma guerra de uma minoria contra toda a vida atual e futura.
→ read full article
The IPCC Leaks Bring Us to the Possible Declaration of a World Civil War
Manuel Casal-Lodeiro – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Oct 2021
24 Oct 2021 – Last June’s leaks of the next IPCC report could pave the way for the most transcendental political act, on an international scale, at least since the end of WWII. If you think this may be a bit of an exaggeration, then please take a minute to consider what will happen once the official version of this report is published.
→ read full articleOne Reason That I Am Determined to Spread Spiritual Knowledge
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Oct 2021
When you see the people of the world who are troubled or confused by the violence, the political upheavals, the poverty, or the lack of unity on this planet, it’s natural to want to do something about it.
→ read full articlePeace Education for Good Governance and Nonviolence
Surya Nath Prasad, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Oct 2021
Here I would like to explain about the right kind of education that is peace education. And this man-making education is missing everywhere.
→ read full articleAn Alien’s View of Life on Earth
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Oct 2021
The author’s reasons for never having been too comfortable on this human level of existence. A different perspective on the peculiarities of what living on this planet and in a human body can be like, and why it may be better to move on.
→ read full article
Swastika, the Ancient Symbol That Was Hijacked by Evil
Bhakta dasa | ISKCON News – TRANSCEND Media Service,
27 Sep 2021
25 Sep 2021 – The Hon Premier of Victoria, Australia announced that his Government was going to recommend a prohibition of the Swastika symbol as anti-Semitic and racial tension is raising its ugly head by some far-right Neo-Nazi groups. We strongly oppose the prohibition or criminalization of our ancient, auspicious, holy symbol–the Swastika, as it predates by millennia the hateful use of Hakenkreuz by the Nazis.
→ read full article108: The Significance of the Number in the Vedic Culture
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Aug 2021
Today, 30 Aug 2021, is the celebration (Janmastami) of Lord Krishna’s appearance on planet earth some 5,000 years ago–according to a lunar calendar. He was born in the Vedic Culture, prevalent in Bharata Varsa (India) at the time. The number 108 is also associated with Him and His stay among us.
→ read full article
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (31 Aug 1896 – 14 Nov 1977)
Posted by Gaurakisora dasa (ACBSP) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Aug 2021
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnavism spiritual teacher (guru) and the founder preceptor (acharya) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the “Hare Krishna Movement”. In February 2014, ISKCON’s news agency reported to have reached a milestone of distributing over half a billion books authored by Prabhupada, since 1965. He has been described as a charismatic leader, in the sense used by sociologist Max Weber, as he was successful in acquiring followers in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, India and elsewhere.
→ read full articleVedic Literature Says Caste by Birth Is Unjust
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
2 Aug 2021
When it comes to the sensitive topic of Varnashrama, the caste system of India, we have seen both pro and con, back and forth, this way and that. The Vedic system of Varnashrama has been mentioned in the Purusha Sukta verses of the Rig-veda but there is no indication that birth is the essential quality for one’s varna. This article contains many quotes from Vedic shastra to clarify what the caste system is actually supposed to be.
→ read full article
Hinduism and Peace Education
Surya Nath Prasad, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
26 Jul 2021
Hinduism, based on Vedanta (Upanishads), is a religion of perpetual verifiable truth. It is a religion of universe and God in man. It is a religion that claims the manifestation of perfection already exists in man. Hinduism is very much peace education.
→ read full articleChoosing a Material or Spiritual Lifestyle–or a Balance of Both
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Jul 2021
Quite often I get questions from young people who may be in college or starting out in their career, regarding the decision of whether they should take up a serious spiritual lifestyle, or remain engaged in material pursuits, such as education, career, family, etc. Often times they are worried that their family will not understand or will wonder what will become of them if they become overly spiritual. Or the family may even become overly upset if they show too much spiritual inclination.
→ read full article
Yoga Can Be Done by Well-Fed
Surya Nath Prasad and Mira Purn – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Jul 2021
A Dialogue between Surya Nath Prasad and Mira Purn on International Day of Yoga, 21 June
→ read full article
Oral Cancer in Florida – World No Tobacco Day
Vidushi Prasad - TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Jun 2021
Oral Cancer is a subtype of head and neck cancer occurring in an oral cavity. It is a cancerous tissue growth that may involve tongue, the floor of mouth, cheek, gingiva, palate, lips or oropharynx. It may be of different types adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, melanoma, but most common is squamous cell carcinoma, and it is one of the chronic diseases that results in high mortality rate due to late diagnosis.
→ read full article
An Alien’s View of Life on Earth
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Jun 2021
The author’s reasons for never having been too comfortable on this human level of existence, giving a different perspective on the peculiarities of what living on this planet and in a human body can be like, and why it may be better to move on.
→ read full article
To Be Young Is to Be Healthy Forever
Surya Nath Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 May 2021
28 May 2021 – The author tries to find the answer of the question: “What Does It Mean to Be Young in an Aging World?” in the answers of three questions of Prince Siddhartha Gautama (before he became Buddha): “Why does a man become old?” “Why does a man become sick?” And “why does a man die?”
→ read full article
Price of Gold: DRC’s Rich Soil Bears Few Riches for Its Miners – Photo Essay
Moses Sawasawa | The Guardian – TRANSCEND Media Service,
24 May 2021
12 May 2021 – In South Kivu province near the borders of Rwanda and Burundi, Kamituga has mineral resources estimated to be worth $24tn (£17tn) in untapped deposits. Yet the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has one of the lowest levels of GDP per capita in the world and people work in dangerous conditions with little hope of scratching out anything more than a meagre existence from tough and dangerous work.
→ read full article
The Red Phone
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
19 Apr 2021
There was a simple and humble Brahmana, a Hindu priest, who lived in Mathura, India. Once he had the chance to go visit the Pope at the Vatican in Rome.
→ read full article
Tens of Thousands of Palestinians Protest against Israeli Police Violence and Inaction
Mustafa Abu Sneinehj and Lubna Masarwa | Middle East Eye - TRANSCEND Media Service,
22 Mar 2021
8 Mar 2021 – Demonstration Held on Eighth Friday in a Row Said to Be the Largest in 20 Years – Furious over police violence and inaction in the face of armed gang violence, tens of thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel protested in the town of Umm al-Fahem on Friday [5 Mar], demanding security and accountability.
→ read full article
Dam Disaster in India: Over 200 Construction Workers and Villagers Trapped or Dead
Saman Gunadasa | WSWS - TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Feb 2021
On Sunday [7 Feb 2021] morning, part of the glacier at India’s second highest peak, burst. Massive floodwaters and silt gushed downstream virtually wiping out power plants, bridges and tunnels, and cutting off villages. The disaster trapped and killed more than 200 power plant workers and villagers near the Chinese and Tibetan borders in India’s Himalayan region.
→ read full article
(Italiano) La sofferenza degli animali selvatici e il dilemma dei vegani
Jordi Casamitjana | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Dec 2020
10 Dicembre 2020 – L’etica vegana è per definizione anti-specista, così la definisce la Vegan Society. Per cui lo sfruttamento degli animali è inammissibile in tutte le sue forme, non solo quelle relative all’alimentazione. I vegani non hanno ancora raggiunto un accordo sul come affrontare la sofferenza degli animali selvatici, non sottoposti al diretto controllo degli esseri umani.
→ read full article
Consciousness: The Symptom of the Soul
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
7 Dec 2020
How It Interacts with but Is Separated from the Body
→ read full articleConflict Resolution and the Gita
Joshua M. Greene (Yogeshvara Dasa) | Integral Yoga Magazine/ISKCON News – TRANSCEND Media Service,
23 Nov 2020
Mediation is a process of conflict resolution in which a trained intermediary assists disputants to arrive at a mutually agreeable settlement. In this intriguing interview by Integral Yoga Magazine, Joshua Greene (Yogeshvara Dasa), a seasoned mediator and instructor of the Gita, evaluates the Bhagavad Gita through the lens of mediation.
→ read full articleVedantic Democracy, Education and Peace
Surya Nath Prasad, Ph. D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Sep 2020
Dedicated to the UN International Day of Democracy, 15 September
→ read full article
COVID-19 among Children: The Unseen Facts beyond Its Direct Impact
Shree Prasad Devkota and Laxmi Paudyal – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Sep 2020
12 Sep 2020 – The corona virus was first diagnosed in animals in 1937 and in humans in 1965. Now, the whole world is being affected by this virus and the Corona Virus 2019 has became pandemic. Everyone knows about its direct effect on humans but the fact is that the effects of this disease and its mitigation measures among children are rarely noticed.
→ read full article
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1 Sep 1896 – 14 Nov 1977)
Gaurakisora dasa (ACBSP) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Aug 2020
Srila Prabhupada was an Indian spiritual teacher who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He is among the most prominent Vedic scholars, translators, and teachers of the modern era. Credited with translating and commenting on over 80 volumes of the Vedas, including the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, he is regarded as the world’s most prominent contemporary authority on bhakti-yoga.
→ read full article
Were There Two Buddhas?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
17 Aug 2020
We will look at the evidence that seems to indicate that there was first the Avatara Buddha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who appeared near 1800 BCE, and then there was another person who became known as Gautama called Buddha, born around 560 BCE.
→ read full article
Chechnya Is Trying to Exterminate Gay People–Our Silence only Emboldens Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov
Mehdi Hasan | The Intercept - TRANSCEND Media Service,
27 Jul 2020
Chechnya is a small Muslim-majority republic in southwestern Russia. It is also a place where gay people live in terror. Since 2017, there have been a series of state-sponsored anti-gay purges across Chechnya, in which hundreds of gay men have been arrested and detained in secret prisons.
→ read full articleCoronavirus Pandemic Disease: The Role of Universal Peace Education in Its Remedy
Surya Nath Prasad, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Jun 2020
The peoples of the whole world have been in the grip of poverty and inequality, and violence and war, and now they are facing to be the deadly Coronavirus pandemic disease, and currently there is no medicine or vaccine to cure this novel disease except to keep themselves in isolation from others and regular practice of cleanliness to prevent from this deadly disease.
→ read full article
When Religions Create Divisions and How to Avoid It
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Jun 2020
Each religion implies, or comes right out and says, that it is the best or the only way to God. All others are inferior and should be ignored, dominated, pushed away, or even destroyed by force. In this way, a most difficult thing to break down is the barrier between us erected by our religions. A first-class religion is not the one that claims it is the highest religion.
→ read full article
Descriptions of the Spiritual Dimension According to the Vedas of India
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Jun 2020
The spiritual universe is not a myth although it may certainly be a mystery. The Vedic texts have many descriptions of what it is like, more than you will find anywhere else. Some explain the Lord’s pastimes as well as the activities that He and His devotees display and enjoy in the spiritual dimension.
→ read full articleBuddhism and Its Vedic Connections
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
4 May 2020
Many people may know about Buddhism, but few seem to understand its connections with the Vedic Culture and how many of its aspects originate in the Vedic philosophy. It was several hundred years before the time of Lord Buddha that his birth was predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
→ read full article
(Português) Verdade Absoluta: O Que É? ou Quem É?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Apr 2020
Os cientistas concordam que todo o tempo, toda a história e toda a criação começam a partir de um único ponto. E esse ponto teria de ser a Verdade última ou Absoluta. Então o que é exactamente a Verdade Absoluta? Como é que recuamos no tempo e no espaço para encontrar a fonte original de tudo? Mesmo que pesquisemos a Bíblia, o Corão, os escritos judeus, ou mesmo os textos sikh, zoroastrianos ou budistas, encontraremos informação limitada sobre o que é a Verdade Absoluta. E esqueçam a dependência da ciência moderna, eles ainda estão à procura e têm muitas teorias diferentes para oferecer.
→ read full article
The Absolute Truth: What or Who Is It?
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Apr 2020
Scientists agree that all time, all history, and all creation start from a single point. And that point would have to be the ultimate or Absolute Truth. So what exactly is the Absolute Truth? How do we go back through time and space to find the original source of everything? Even if we research the Bible, the Koran, the Jewish writings, or even the Sikh, Zoroastrian, or Buddhist texts, we will find limited information on what is the Absolute Truth. And forget about depending on modern science, they are still searching and have many varying theories to offer.
→ read full article
Preparedness for Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Vidushi Prasad – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Apr 2020
The disasters are continuously increasing; in future there is a need to concentrate the resources to lessen the effects of the catastrophe. The emergency preparedness should be ready to evacuate the population and provide the necessary health needs in a disaster situation. It is recommended that countries in disaster prone area should sign a pact deciding that in the case of emergency the help should be provided by their neighbouring country.
→ read full article
Nonviolence According to Dharma
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Mar 2020
When understanding Vedic Dharma and the need for us to raise our consciousness, which includes perceiving the Divine in all beings, it should also be clear that we need to observe respect, kindness, non-injury, and nonviolence toward all.
→ read full articleConsciousness: The Symptom of the Soul
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 Mar 2020
How It Interacts with but Is Separate from the Body – An excerpt from The Secret Teachings of the Vedas
→ read full article
Your Thoughts Create Your Future
Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
17 Feb 2020
This will show how your thinking creates your consciousness and how to help control it. It provides evidence so that you can see how your life unfolds according to what you draw to it, as dictated by your consciousness and thoughts. By taking the responsibility for yourself and your thinking process, you can make your life more positive and uplifting, reducing or negating the influence of any hurt or negative energies you encounter.
→ read full article
How Distressed and Injured Indonesian Civets Are Locked in Tiny Cages and Force-Fed Beans to Make the ‘World’s Most Expensive Coffee’
Chris Pleasance – Daily Mail,
17 Feb 2020
The Abuse behind Your Trendy Caffeine Fix – Animals eat and digest the coffee before the beans are ground up and sold for €500 or US$700 per Kilo.
→ read full article
India’s Supreme Court Greenlights Modi Government’s Internet Shutdown in Kashmir
Wasantha Rupasinghe | WSWS – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Feb 2020
28 Jan 2020 – In a January 10 ruling, India’s Supreme Court gave Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government the greenlight to continue their now almost six-month long shutdown of internet access in Indian-administered Kashmir.
→ read full article
Perception and Practices of Instructors’ Training
Shree Prasad Devkota – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Feb 2020
Perception and Practices of Instructors’ Training: A Case Study by Shiba Bagale, Cook Communication, 30 January, 2020, USA, 136 pp. – The research book is about the instructor’s perception about the training that they have participated and practices after the training.
→ read full article
Mahatma Gandhi on Conversion
Swami Aksharanandaji | Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa) – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Feb 2020
“I disbelieve in the conversion of one person by another. My effort should never to be to undermine another’s faith. This implies belief in the truth of all religions and, therefore, respect for them. It implies true humility.” (Young India: April 23, 1931)
→ read full article
Nepal: Inaugural Issue of “Social Inquiry” Published
Shree Prasad Devkota – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Jan 2020
31 Dec 2019 – The editorial board delightfully announces the publication of the opening issue of ‘Social Inquiry: Journal of Social Science Research,’ a biannual journal published by Sustainable Development and Empowerment Forum, Kathmandu, Nepal. The Editorial Board with its National and International Advisory Boards comprises research scholars, professors and veteran professionals with national and global repute.
→ read full article