Tag: ontario

Awakening the Soul: HG Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari & HG Srimati Vishnupriya Mataji’s 2026 Ontario Tour

Looking for a profound spiritual reset this summer? This June, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness welcomes renowned teachers HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari and HG Vishnupriya Mataji for their highly anticipated 2026 Canada Tour across Ontario. From a 1960s counter-culture rock musician who shared stages with the Grateful Dead to a global spiritual guide, Sankarshan Das Adhikari—alongside Gurumata Vishnupriya Mataji—delivers a timeless, practical formula for world peace. Whether you are in Ottawa, the GTA, or downtown Toronto, explore our breakdown of their full lecture schedule, exclusive media archives, and free online courses to awaken your soul.

If you’ve been looking for a spiritual reset, some profound wisdom, or simply a community of warm, like-minded souls to chant and connect with, your calendar is about to get beautifully busy.

This June, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is hosting a highly anticipated lecture series featuring HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari and HG Vishnupriya Mataji. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or just curious about the path of self-realization, this tour offers a rare opportunity to hear timeless spiritual truths delivered with deep realization, clarity, and practical wisdom.

Meet the Speakers

HG Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Srila Gurudeva)

Srila Gurudeva His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Srila Gurudeva His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Before anchoring his life in spiritual education, Sankarshan Das was a popular singer-songwriter rooted in the counter-cultural era of the 1960s. He shared stages with musical legends like Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, and became an instant sensation on the University of Texas campus in 1970 with his daily concerts at the George Washington statue and his stint as a house musician. His deepest desire through his music has always been to spark off a spiritual revolution for bringing perfect peace and happiness to the entire world.

In pursuit of that global peace and his own spiritual perfection, he underwent a period of deep prayer, soul-searching, and inquiry. This journey eventually led him to the feet of one of the greatest spiritual masters in history: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, who blessed him with perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth and the formula to successfully bring perfect peace and happiness to the entire world population.

Today, from his home base in Austin, Texas, he regularly circles the globe out of love and compassion to enlighten human society in the most sublime peace formula. Online, he has successfully conducted a self-realization e-course for over 25 years, teaching this process of complete spiritual perfection to more than 55,000 students worldwide (http://www.joincourse.com), available in many languages. Fueled by ancient scriptural predictions of a total spiritual awakening of human society, his mission is to bring that transformation to life.

He is the author of many books, including the latest Divine Love Memoir: How I Discovered the Most Secret of All Secrets.

Explore more of his spiritual teachings, music, and media archives:

HG Vishnupriya Mataji (Srimati Gurumata)

Gurumata Her Grace Vishnupriya Mataji
Gurumata Her Grace Vishnupriya Mataji

Practicing simple spirituality for over five decades, Her Grace Vishnupriya Devi Dasi often assists and accompanies Sankarshan Das Adhikari in his world deliverance mission. To students and disciples around the globe, she is affectionately known as “Gurumata”.

Though she plays a pivotal role in guiding and helping countless souls, Gurumata genuinely prefers to remain in the background. She is celebrated for her unique ability to elegantly and simply cut through all kinds of nonsense to strike directly at the root cause of all problems. As a master of practical spirituality, she is exceptionally expert at helping souls practically adopt a high spiritual standard gradually and sustainably.

To help you plan your attendance, we have broken down the tour schedule into three distinct levels of detail—ranging from the grand province-wide overview to a hyper-local deep dive.

1. The Macro View: The Full Ontario & Ottawa Kickoff

Best for: Anyone living in Ontario who wants to see the entire tour path at a glance, or those located in the capital region looking for the opening events.

Awaken the Soul 2026 Ontario Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari & Vishnupriya Mataji
Awaken the Soul 2026 Ontario Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari & Vishnupriya Mataji

The tour kicks off in the nation’s capital before making its way down to the Greater Toronto Area. If you are trying to coordinate travel or see which weekend dates fit your schedule best, this complete regional roadmap has you covered.

Ottawa & Russell Highlights (June 5 – June 7)

  • The Launch: The tour begins on Friday, June 5th at 7:00 PM at ISKCON Ottawa with an uplifting Evening Temple Program.
  • Early Risers: Catch an intimate, deeply philosophical Srimad Bhagavatam class on Saturday morning, June 6th at 6:00 AM.
  • Sunday Double-Feature: On June 7th, you can choose between a midday Sunday Feast in Russell (12:00 PM) or an afternoon Sunday Feast Class back at ISKCON Ottawa (3:30 PM).

2. The Regional Zoom-In: Greater Toronto Area & Surrounding Hubs

Best for: Commuters and residents in the Golden Horseshoe area (Scarborough, Brampton, Mississauga, Waterloo, Burlington, and Toronto) who want to catch a local weekday or weekend program.

If you live in the GTA, you don’t have to drive into downtown Toronto to experience these enlightening discourses. The tour actively moves around the region to bring the wisdom directly to your neighborhood.

His Grace Sankarshan Das Adhikari & Her Grace Srimati Vishnupriya Mataji GTA Tour June 2026

Traveling the GTA Circuit (June 9 – June 14)

  • Mid-Week Wisdom: If you need a spiritual pick-me-up after work, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings feature 6:30 PM programs right in the heart of Toronto.
  • The Scarborough & Brampton Stops: Scarborough residents can attend a specialized Bhagavad-gita class on Friday, June 12th at 6:30 PM. Meanwhile, Brampton will host a lively Sunday Feast Class on June 14th at 12:00 PM.
  • Weekend Road Trips: Heading out of the immediate city? The tour makes special stops at ISKCON Waterloo (Saturday, June 13th at 2:00 PM) and ISKCON Burlington (Saturday, June 13th at 5:30 PM).

3. The Local Deep Dive: The ISKCON Toronto Hub

Best for: Core community members, downtown Toronto residents, or anyone planning to base their attendance out of the flagship Avenue Road temple.

For those who want to focus exclusively on the primary temple residency, this streamlined schedule cuts out the travel noise and zeros in on the five essential programs happening right at the historic ISKCON Toronto headquarters.

His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari & Her Grace Srimati Vishnupriya Mataji June 2026 ISKCON Toronto Programs

Your ISKCON Toronto Cheat-Sheet

If you are planning to visit the main temple, bookmark these exact times:

DateTimeProgram TypeVenue
Tue, June 96:30 PMTuesday SangaISKCON Toronto
Wed, June 106:30 PMTemple ProgramISKCON Toronto
Thu, June 117:30 AMSrimad Bhagavatam ClassISKCON Toronto
Fri, June 127:30 AMSrimad Bhagavatam ClassISKCON Toronto
Sun, June 146:30 PMSunday Feast ClassISKCON Toronto

Venue Address: 243 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2J1

More Info:www.iskcontoronto.com

Can’t Make it in Person? Take the Wisdom Home

If your schedule doesn’t align with the physical tour dates, or if you leave the lectures craving a deeper understanding of the science of the soul, you don’t have to miss out.

You can sign up for The Ultimate Self Realization Course, the free online journey conducted by Sankarshan Das Adhikari that has already transformed the lives of over 34,000 students.

Have Questions About the Tour?

Whether you need directions to a specific venue, want to know more about the festival prasadam (sanctified vegetarian feasting), or have a question about the lecture topics, the organizing team is here to help.

  • Get in touch: Send an email directly to das@dasadas.com with your inquiries, and a local coordinator will get back to you shortly.

Mark your calendars, embrace this message within your heart of hearts, and get ready for an unforgettable week of inspiring classes, soul-stirring kirtan, and uplifting spiritual association!

Please share with your networks!

Last Chance to Register for Vaishnava Sanga 2026

The Vaishnava Sanga Festival makes a final call for registrations for an unforgettable experience in Stratford, Ontario, from May 15-18, 2026. Attendees can enjoy morning programs, seminars, kirtans, prasadam, and evening activities. Limited spots are available, so register soon at http://www.vaishnavasanga.com to secure your place.

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my respectful obeisances.

Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

This is practically the last chance to register for the Vaishnava Sanga Festival!

The experience cannot be described in words…

  • Rousing Morning Programs
  • Enlivening Seminars
  • Joyous Kirtans
  • Delicious & Nourishing Prasadam
  • Encouraging Association
  • Mellow Evening Programs
  • Ecstatic Harinam Sankirtan & Book Distribution

Where: Stratford, Ontario, Canada

When: May 15-18, 2026 (Victoria Day Long Weekend)

Registration: www.vaishnavasanga.com

The festival is almost full, with just a few spots left!

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Slaughtered in moments on the 401

Death can come at any moment. We experience death regularly, whether of a fish that just got caught, or a person who died in a car accident, or someone who had a heart attack. Animals, birds, fish and insects can’t do anything about their death. But as humans, how can we prepare for death? How can we transcend it altogether?

My current office is near the waterfront. Some days when I can take a walk along the waterfront, especially in summer, I see these birds diving into the water. They look like Cormorants, but I’m not a bird expert.

The birds dive into the water and surface after a little while. Sometimes, they have a writhing fish in their beaks, which they then promptly swallow.

Cormorant with a fish in it’s beak

The fish was probably happily swimming around enjoying its fish life, until, out of the blue comes death. Of course, the fish can’t really do much about this, when death comes, death comes.

One summer day a couple of years ago, early into the pandemic, we were driving west on what is one of the busiest highways in the world, the Ontario 401. Suddenly, my map instructed me to take the next exit and took me a detour, which I followed… as we re-entered the highway at another point, I saw some vehicles on the empty stretch of highway behind me, they were stopped, and covered with tarpaulins.

Later in the afternoon, on my way back, I saw the vehicles still at the same spot, still covered with tarps. Clearly it had been a bad collision.

I continued to follow the incident, and found out it was an incident involving three cars. One eastbound car, for some reason, lost control and hit another eastbound one in the fast lane, which caused this second car to jump the barrier and land in the westbound lane – resulting in a head-on collision with a westbound car travelling in the fast lane.

Three people lost their lives in that collision, and death was almost immediate. The first responders had no chance, and had to cut open the cars to extract the mortal remains. It was surely gruesome.

I read about the people, a man in his forties in one car, and a woman in her thirties and her father-in-law in his sixties in the other car. I cannot imagine any of them expected to lose their lives on the 401 that morning.

Do we think any meal could be our last meal?

I wondered how their mornings were… did they have their breakfast their morning and say bye to their loved ones? What did they go through during those fatal moments? Did they feel a lot of pain? Did they have family members who were grieving for them? Did they have unfinished business? Maybe an incomplete project?

Death can come at any moment. No ordinary soul can predict the exact moment of their death. And when death comes, everything that was so important until the moment before ceases to matter. It’s just like when I live in an apartment with noisy neighbours and then move to another apartment, the noise in my previous apartment ceases to matter. What happens after death?

Death can come at any moment

Some say that we are just a bunch of chemicals, and nothing more significant than a halt of the electrochemical reactions in the body. Or in other words, after death, there is nothingness. But that logic is faulty on so many levels, after all, a bottle of chemicals doesn’t care about itself and other bottles of chemicals don’t lament it’s loss.

The logic that some combination of material elements somehow develops consciousness is faulty, as I wrote about Descartes’ ignorance about consciousness. His “cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am) should have been something like “sum ergo cogito” (I am, therefore I think).

Actually, the law of momentum applies to us all – just like my baby body is “dead”, my child body is gone too. I still have memories of when I was a baby or a child, even though every single cell of my body back then is dead, this means that I transcend my body, more about that in detail another time.

Beyond Birth and Death. I am not this body.

But anyways, while the fish cannot do anything about their death, us, as human beings, with our highly developed sense of consciousness, can. We can inquire into our true nature, we can inquire into the Supreme Absolute Truth, indeed, human life begins only when we reach that stage of inquiring beyond eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, or rise above the animal propensities.

This stage is called “athāto brahma-jijñāsā“.

The human form is meant for the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (athāto brahma-jijñāsā), for inquiring about the Supreme Brahman. In the human form, everyone has a chance to understand the Supreme Brahman. The so-called leaders of human society do not know the real aim of human life and are therefore busy with economic development. This is misleading. Every state and every society is busy trying to improve the quality of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This human form of life is meant for more than these four animal principles. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are problems found in the animal kingdom, and the animals have solved these problems without difficulty. Why should human society be so busy trying to solve these problems? The difficulty is that people are not educated to understand this simple philosophy. They think that advancement of civilization means increasing sense gratification.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/19/159/ purport

In fact, accidental or not, death awaits everyone who has taken birth… so, if we are sure to die, then we can at least prepare for it. How?

आयुर्हरति वै पुंसामुद्यन्नस्तं च यन्नसौ ।
तस्यर्ते यत्क्षणो नीत उत्तमश्लोकवार्तया ॥ १७ ॥

āyur harati vai puṁsām
udyann astaṁ ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta
uttama-śloka-vārtayā

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/17/

The moment of death, in fact, is quite significant. We can reach any destination by adjusting our consciousness at the moment of death.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भ‍ावभावित: ॥ ६ ॥

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/6/

The moment of death is actually a great opportunity, a rare portal through which we can escape birth and death altogether!

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
य: प्रयाति स मद्भ‍ावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: ॥ ५ ॥

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/5/

If I were to live every moment thinking that it could be my last, then certain longer-term things could not reasonably be done, but on the other hand if I don’t think about death then it will surely take me by surprise.

So how to live? My spiritual master gave me the perfect instruction in this regard.

My spiritual master
His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari

He said, live as if you could die in the next 80 seconds or live for the next 80 years. And his life is a living proof of his instructions, so I choose to follow in his footsteps.

I remind myself that this life of mine can end at any moment, but I work diligently in Krishna Consciousness as if I have another 80 years to go.

Would you like to learn how? Drop me a line!