Sunday, November 15^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Crying


There was a general sense of happiness in the atmosphere today.  The great weather made a major contribution.  Many walkers hit the trail, as I did, along Balfour Park, The Brickworks, and beyond.
However, a touch of sadness naturally grasps the heart for those of us who remember the passing of our teacher, Srila Prabhupada.  It has been 38 years of this anniversary event.  I chose to read a passage from his biography to a gathering of devotees before I took to walking.  The letter was addressed to him from one of his spiritual daughters.  The contents of the letter are as follows:

Dear Srila Prabhupada,
This shawl is made of the wool from our own sheep.  It is spun and woven here at Gita Nagari.  It is the first piece we have made.  While I was working on it, I would always think of you, of how I was supposedly making you a gift.  But, actually, you were giving me the gift of engagement in devotional service.  Srila Prabhupada, I always pray to Lord Narasimhadeva to protect you and allow you to stay with us and finish your books.  But, I think today the rain falling from the sky is actually the tears of the demigods, crying at the prospect of your departure.  I am also crying.  Even Krishna cried at the passing of grandfather Bhisma, so I have a right to cry.  I cannot be so philosophical to say that you are always present in your books and teachings, though I know these things are true.  I will miss you so much, Srila Prabhupada, if you go.  I beg that I will always remain your menial servant and devotee.
Your humble disciple,
Satyabhama Dasi

May the Source be with you!
7 km

Nandagopal Jivan das: Sarvabhavana Prabhu’s book called “Salted Bread”, which is about the persecution of the Russian and Armenian devotees in the early days of the former USSR, is now again available for circulation for Srila Prabhupadas and the devotees pleasure after almost three (3) years. The Book contains allot of information about the publication and distribution of Srila Prabhupadas first books in the Communist country. It is more or less an autobiography of the author (Sarvabhavana das, who was jailed for two years) and the glorious departure of his good friend, Sachisuta das, in the Soviet camp. It is full of painful experiences of the first attempt to spread Krishna consciousness in that atheistic country, which was Srila Prabhupadas desire, full of humor and devotional service in such unique conditions like in jails and psychiatric hospitals, interesting KGB stories and more as he calls his painful but blissful past.
I am happy to announce that the third edition of the book has been published in India by Nandagopal Jivan Prabhu with a reduced price and is ready for distribution. Salted Bread is about the beginning of the Hare Krishna Movement and the persecution of the Hare Krishna devotees in the former USSR.

You can read excerpts from the book at http://www.hkussr.com/saltedbread.htm

Order your copy at any time. For any questions, comments, queries, suggestions or signed copies, please feel free to contact the author directly.

Temples and temple stores are welcome to order the books in a wholesale price.

For more details, Contact:
Nandagopal Jivan das
Golden Age Media
Mobile: +91-9310045060, 8506805060
E-mail: info@goldenagemedia.org; ngjd.gkg@gmail.com
Order Online@ www.goldenagemedia.org

Saturday, November 14^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Woe to the World


I am back at home base.  I’m downscaling as far as walking is concerned but I am walking.  I’m revisiting the neighbourhoods I know by making a puny promenade (5 km).
I’m seeing a full circle dynamic from one year ago.  I see Christmas paraphernalia being propped up for the big commercial hype.  I see the liquor store bustling with activity - vain attempts at weekend pleasure.
I do see optimism in the hearts of the people though.  At least I’m receiving nods and smiles.  I always see that as a good sign.
There is an undercurrent, however, of uncertainty, as always in the atmosphere of this world.  The city of Paris is under a siege of terrorism.  The loss of 129 lives and many injured, the result of ISIS activities, is very significant.  In simple terms, we might make a remark that ignorance is behind it all.  But a question continues to linger in my mind regarding such terrorist acts.
At a home program this evening during a casual discussion, the question arose.  “Since it is such a cowardly act that just took place on the part of some antagonist, why does the US continue to supply arms to such zealot outfits?”  This is a great puzzle for me.  I stand to be corrected on such an assumption - sounds to me like it all boils down to economics. 
Woe to the world. 

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Friday, November 13^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Friendship Walk


We took one last walk to wrap up our bonding venture with fellow pedestrians – Vivasvan, Mandala, and Jake.  Tre’von had already left for Hartford and Esa for his home city, Philadelphia.  Our group of four took to a seven kilometre stint through the residential area of Rosedale before parting ways.
Surely a bond had developed between us over the last few weeks of walking and it is such a bond that sustains us.  In all reality, it is establishing personalism that is so vital for our survival.  There were times on this recent trip where tension had flared between two or more of us but our strong sense of needing to fixate ourselves on the mission made it it possible to overcome any differences.
As we came to a park, we met Wayne Cherry, our neighbour and a noted artist.  I’ve seen Wayne for many years.  He’s on his second dog now who is 13 years old.  I say this to illustrate the point that I’ve seen Wayne for a long time.   During my training time at the ravines, I would see him when he would take his pet for a stroll.   Being neighbourly is another aspect of personalism.  I’m always glad to see Wayne who always expresses interest in my latest venture on foot.
“Impersonalism” is a common theme found in our guru’s books which he addresses when speaking about the Divine.  Prabhupada writes, “Long practice in impersonalism becomes a source of trouble.”  He then correlates personalism to the joy of life – to the bliss factor.   That’s what everyone wants, to be happy.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
Brooklyn, New York

Now That The Walk’s Done

Well, our walk through a portion of the US northeast is now complete but the activity of trekking will not cease.  Like so many tourists who come to New York, walking over one of the multiple bridges is a must do.  I imagine the Brooklyn Bridge is a popular one and so our core group left Manhattan for Brooklyn via that causeway over the water.

We made our way to Schermerhorn Street where the temple of Radha Govinda is located.  There, darshan, or the viewing of the gorgeous deities, blesses the eyes and in the basement, you can secure a marvelous meal with a veggie nut loaf as one of the main features.

I had asked the boys who travelled with me for some or more of the 950 mile walk to make some comment about it.

Jake was with us for the last day.

Jake:  “While I was walking and focusing on the mantra, I was caring less about some of the physical pain I was going through.  The mantra has power.”

Mandala was with us for the last 2 ½ weeks.
Mandala:  “The walking really helped me to cultivate determination.”

Vivasvan was with me the whole time as my driving support person. He did a lot of walking as well.

Vivasvan:  “It was a life changing experience.  It makes you re-evaluate how you see things and brings you closer to people and nature.  I found out things about myself that didn’t reveal themselves to me before.  Overall, the walk was better than skydiving.”
The final cap that we put on the day was to honour Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the Iskcon Towaco Center.  There, I spoke about Rama and the epic nature of His story.  Rama spent many steps trudging through the forests of India.

May the Source be with you!
4 miles / 7 km

This year the World Holy Name Week 2015 coincided with the 50th anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States. To give this year’s celebration a higher dimension, the ISKCON Perth congregation laid more emphasis on the chanting of the Holy Name by targeting one Harinama Sankirtana everyday during the span of the event.

1. Harinama Sankirtanas

The Harinama Party made a kick-start of the event on Friday 25th September with a Maha Harinama in the City. Prior to the event, the Holy Name week spirit was imbibed upon the

congregation members via motivation and inspiration to partake in the blissful chanting of the Maha-Mantra for the pleasure of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nita. This ensued with other Harinama Sankirtanas in the City itself on the following Saturday and during most of the rest of the week.
In addition to the street chanting around the city malls, two sitting Harinama Sankirtanas were also programmed. The first one was organised in Esplanade Park in Fremantle on Monday 28th. Being on a public holiday (Queen’s Birthday), this did attract quite a few participants and usually during the week-end and on public holidays, Fremantle does get quite busy as from early morning. Many were the onlookers who were captivated by the rhythmic tunes of the Maha-Mantra whether be those who came for a stroll with the family or a jog or still to walk their dog in the park.
The second sitting Harinama Sankirtana was held in Hyde Park in the City under Srila Prabhupada’s Tree on Sunday 4th October. That was on the last day of the event – the 50th anniversary date when His Divine Grace set foot in the United States. To go back in

time, the said tree was planted by dedicated followers of Srila Prabhupada in honour of His usual morning walks while He was in Perth. With quite a few participants turning up, a wonderful Kirtana was entertained to commemorate that glorious day. There were instances where kids accompanied by their parents stopped and made little dance moves in synchronisation with the melody of the Kirtan. A father with two little daughters was quite curious at what was going on and after enquiring later came back to join in; they even stayed for prasadam which they relished.

2. Seminar on the Holy Name

Saturday 26th September, was the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In order to pay honour to the pioneer of the Hare Krishna Movement and after the Harinama Sankirtana in the City during the day, a seminar was organised at the Temple later in the afternoon. The theme was twofold – the glories of the Holy Name and the importance of chanting the Maha-Mantra.

3. 6 Hour Kirtan – Perth Kirtana Mela

A quite convenient way to celebrate the fourth day of the WHNW 2015 which was on Sunday 27th – the disappearance day of Srila Haridas Thakura, was to hold a 6 Hour Kirtan at the Temple. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself declared Srila Haridas Thakura as the Namacaharya or the person who most exemplifies how to best chant the Holy Names of Krishna.
Programmed between 1pm and 7pm, the 6 hour Kirtana aimed at producing a flow of limitless nectar of the Holy Names of the Lord. The participants were the Temple Kirtana Specialists and the Bhakti Vriksha groups of the Perth congregation as well as the Sunday School kids.
The 6 hour Kirtana reached its pinnacle with a resounding Gaura Arati to glorify Their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Sacinandana.

4. Special Sunday Feast Programme

To conclude the World Holy Name Week 2015 celebration on Sunday 4th October, the Sunday Feast programme featured a few special components:

4.1 Lecture on the Chanting of the Holy Name

The lecture was mainly based on evidences from the Vedic scriptures on the chanting of the Holy Name. This was then complemented by the playing of an audio track of the beautiful song “Yadi Prabhupad na hoito” composed by HH Jayapataka Swami – a perfect way to give it a thought … hadn’t His Divine Grace been to the West.

4.2 Video Presentation

The video clip “Acharya” – a preview of the film by HG Yadubara das was projected on screen mainly to revive our feeling of indebtedness to Srila Prabhupada and also to reveal such an exalted personality to those in the audience who did not happen to know Him.

4.3 Kirtana by the Sunday School Kids

No special programme can be complete without the participation of the Sunday School Kids. They very nicely sung the Bengali poem “Markine Bhagavat-dharma” composed by Srila Prabhupada on board the Jaladuta at the Commonwealth Pier, Boston.

4.4 Drama Presentation

The constant struggle between the mind and self is a daily struggle for each and every one. The drama depicted how to resolve this conflicting situation by the chanting of the Holy Name.

We would like to express our gratitude to both Sita Ram Lakshmana Prabhu and Yadu Srestha Prabhu, co-Presidents of ISKCON Perth, for their constant support in organising the World Holy Name Week 2015. We would also like to show our appreciation to all the devotees of the Perth congregation who participated in the celebration and contributed their help either directly or indirectly.

Member of Parliament and Bollywood actress Srimati Hema Malini visited Iskcon Vrindavan. (Album with photos)
Hema Malini is an Indian actress, director, producer, dancer and politician but foremost is a devotee of Lord Krishna.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LRnf39

By Krishna Dharma Das

The Vedas therefore enjoin that this is the first and most important lesson. “Now you have a human life you must inquire into the absolute.” Ask the big questions. Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I go when I die? At least we should dedicate some of our time to seriously investigating these areas of major importance. But what school does that? Rather we are encouraged to work very hard to improve our material living conditions. Get a better job. Earn more money. Live in a nice house with all the trappings. The Vedas suggest that this endeavour rests on an erroneous assumption, namely that we are the body. Continue reading "How to really be happy this Christmas
→ Dandavats"

World Holy Name Week 2015

24th September – 4th October

ISKCON Perth – Western Australia

This year the World Holy Name Week 2015 coincided with the 50th anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States. To give this year’s celebration a higher dimension, the ISKCON Perth congregation laid more emphasis on the chanting of the Holy Name by targeting one Harinama Sankirtana everyday during the span of the event.

1. Harinama Sankirtanas

The Harinama Party made a kick-start of the event on Friday 25th September with a Maha Harinama in the City. Prior to the event, the Holy Name week spirit was imbibed upon the

congregation members via motivation and inspiration to partake in the blissful chanting of the Maha-Mantra for the pleasure of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nita. This ensued with other Harinama Sankirtanas in the City itself on the following Saturday and during most of the rest of the week.
In addition to the street chanting around the city malls, two sitting Harinama Sankirtanas were also programmed. The first one was organised in Esplanade Park in Fremantle on Monday 28th. Being on a public holiday (Queen’s Birthday), this did attract quite a few participants and usually during the week-end and on public holidays, Fremantle does get quite busy as from early morning. Many were the onlookers who were captivated by the rhythmic tunes of the Maha-Mantra whether be those who came for a stroll with the family or a jog or still to walk their dog in the park.
The second sitting Harinama Sankirtana was held in Hyde Park in the City under Srila Prabhupada’s Tree on Sunday 4th October. That was on the last day of the event – the 50th anniversary date when His Divine Grace set foot in the United States. To go back in

time, the said tree was planted by dedicated followers of Srila Prabhupada in honour of His usual morning walks while He was in Perth. With quite a few participants turning up, a wonderful Kirtana was entertained to commemorate that glorious day. There were instances where kids accompanied by their parents stopped and made little dance moves in synchronisation with the melody of the Kirtan. A father with two little daughters was quite curious at what was going on and after enquiring later came back to join in; they even stayed for prasadam which they relished.

2. Seminar on the Holy Name

Saturday 26th September, was the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In order to pay honour to the pioneer of the Hare Krishna Movement and after the Harinama Sankirtana in the City during the day, a seminar was organised at the Temple later in the afternoon. The theme was twofold – the glories of the Holy Name and the importance of chanting the Maha-Mantra.

3. 6 Hour Kirtan – Perth Kirtana Mela

A quite convenient way to celebrate the fourth day of the WHNW 2015 which was on Sunday 27th – the disappearance day of Srila Haridas Thakura, was to hold a 6 Hour Kirtan at the Temple. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself declared Srila Haridas Thakura as the Namacaharya or the person who most exemplifies how to best chant the Holy Names of Krishna.
Programmed between 1pm and 7pm, the 6 hour Kirtana aimed at producing a flow of limitless nectar of the Holy Names of the Lord. The participants were the Temple Kirtana Specialists and the Bhakti Vriksha groups of the Perth congregation as well as the Sunday School kids.
The 6 hour Kirtana reached its pinnacle with a resounding Gaura Arati to glorify Their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Sacinandana.

4. Special Sunday Feast Programme

To conclude the World Holy Name Week 2015 celebration on Sunday 4th October, the Sunday Feast programme featured a few special components:

4.1 Lecture on the Chanting of the Holy Name

The lecture was mainly based on evidences from the Vedic scriptures on the chanting of the Holy Name. This was then complemented by the playing of an audio track of the beautiful song “Yadi Prabhupad na hoito” composed by HH Jayapataka Swami – a perfect way to give it a thought … hadn’t His Divine Grace been to the West.

4.2 Video Presentation

The video clip “Acharya” – a preview of the film by HG Yadubara das was projected on screen mainly to revive our feeling of indebtedness to Srila Prabhupada and also to reveal such an exalted personality to those in the audience who did not happen to know Him.

4.3 Kirtana by the Sunday School Kids

No special programme can be complete without the participation of the Sunday School Kids. They very nicely sung the Bengali poem “Markine Bhagavat-dharma” composed by Srila Prabhupada on board the Jaladuta at the Commonwealth Pier, Boston.

4.4 Drama Presentation

The constant struggle between the mind and self is a daily struggle for each and every one. The drama depicted how to resolve this conflicting situation by the chanting of the Holy Name.

We would like to express our gratitude to both Sita Ram Lakshmana Prabhu and Yadu Srestha Prabhu, co-Presidents of ISKCON Perth, for their constant support in organising the World Holy Name Week 2015. We would also like to show our appreciation to all the devotees of the Perth congregation who participated in the celebration and contributed their help either directly or indirectly.

By Purushottam Nitai Das

While the terrorists were ruthlessly killing the people in Paris they were simultaneously shouting “God is great”. It makes one wonder does the great God justify the killing of innocent people and eulogize the killers. If yes then how could God be great? Or is it that the killers are the agents of devil who are on a mission to discredit the great God?

Killing in the name of religion has spread all over the world today. The brutal massacre of innocent men, women and children, and the beheading videos are not just frightening and distasteful but it is also shaking people’s faith in the idea of God. If people unleash violence in the name of God then the world will be a much better place without God. Why not have Godless world where there will be no discrimination and murder in the name of God? Now before rejecting God and admonishing the books of God let us also try to glean through these books to figure out if violence against innocents has ever been justified? Has God promised that those who shout my name and inflict pain on others achieve me?

All the bonafide religions of the world believe in the Supreme Lord and unequivocally declare God to be our Supreme Father. For e.g. in Bhagavad Gita 14.4, Krishna says, aham bija-pradah pita, I am the seed giving father. If it is so then how could a father sanction the killing of one of his children at the hands of the other children because both the terrorist and the victims are his own children? More so it is said that a devotee of the Lord sees all the living beings of this world as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord and sees them with equal vision without any discrimination (Bhagavad Gita 5.18). And if we read the lives of the great messengers of the Lord then we find that they have never used violence but have instead used love of God as a weapon to transform the lives of people.

There are innumerable stories of people’s heart getting transformed by associating with holy men and holy books. Lord Nityananda and Haridas Thakura reformed ruffians like Jagai and Madhai by filling their hearts with love of God. It was the power of devotion to God that transformed the life of Valmiki, the composer of Ramayan.

Scripture tells a story of a cruel hunter named Mrugrari who used to rejoice seeing suffering of helpless animals and birds. He used to half kill them and then enjoy seeing them suffer and die. When sage Narada saw the suffering beasts and birds, he was aghast. Why don’t you just kill them completely, he asked? Mrugrari replied smilingly, “Because I enjoy seeing them suffer and die”. Narada understood that his cruelty is going to cost him dear, the hunter is going to get a terrible reaction for his sins. And so he decided to transform Mrugrari’s heart. He explained the hunter how his act is not in accordance with the laws of God and so it is going to bring great misfortune to him. He told him to have love, compassion and mercy towards the other children of God and most importantly asked him to chant and take shelter of the supreme Lord. Mrugrari had never heard any sagely advice before because he belonged to the family of hunters. He had witnessed such cruelty since childhood. But Narada had now told him to see the world through the eyes of the scriptures. The hunter understood that he was swiftly moving to the path of self-annihilation. And so he decided to give up violence and lead a God conscious peaceful life. Soon his heart had got so transformed that while walking he used to be cautious so that he may not step on any small living beings such as ants.

A genuine devotee of the Lord will never try to cause any harm to others even in his dreams. He is para-dukha-dukhi   i.e. seeing others in pain he himself feels pain; he does not go and voluntarily inflict pain on others as some misguided men and women are currently doing in the name of God. Instead he is ready to suffer for the sins of others. Vasudeva Datta was a great saintly person; he was ready to suffer on behalf of all people of the world so that they could be absolved of all the miseries. “I will take their sins and suffer in hell on their behalf, but please deliver them from their material disease, he prayed to Lord Caitanya” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.160-163). This is the true character of a devotee.

The terrorists who were mercilessly shooting people were the messengers of evil. A genuine lover of God does not wear the vest of bombs with a mission to inflict immeasurable sufferings on others. Instead they give their life to save the lives of the suffering masses. They do not carry weapons of destruction in their hands but instead they carry the chanting beads on which they chant the names of God and inspire others to get connected to God. They do not speak words which fill people’s heart with fear but instead they speak words of love which brings joy to people’s heart. The process of devotion to God is so enlightening that it makes a ruffian a sage and a crooked man a kind hearted man.

“God is great” and the great God does not sanction violence. He is a loving and caring father and has asked all of us to live together happily like brothers and sisters. He has asked us to shun violence and embrace peace and has advised us to fill our hearts with love, mercy and compassion (Bhagavad Gita 16.1-3). And those who are massacring people are not even humans; in fact they are worse than the beasts so why to pay attention to what they say. And the best and the only way to eliminate these demons is by spreading the love of God and by disseminating the heart transforming message of the sacred scriptures.

The post Commenting on the Paris atrocities appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Varsana! (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Varsana, where Srimati Radharani displayed Her childhood pastimes, is a favorite place for all Vrajavasis. We began our parikrama at Vilas-ghar, one of the 4 hills where the Divine Couple have Their lilas. We then proceeded to beautiful Krsna-kund, for kirtan and katha, and then walked the sacred path to the famous Sriji temple. At every step we prayed to Srimati Radharani for Her mercy.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ltuhLy

When we send our children to school obviously we hope that they will be taught the truth. Well, at least some of the time. It seems that painful truths may have to wait, such as the non-existence of Santa Claus. A teacher who recently made the grave error of informing children in her class that Father Christmas was not real found herself out of a job. Parents were furious. “My Joshua came home in tears,” said one anguished mother. “I didn’t know what to say.”

We want our children to be happy and with this in mind we send them to school. Without knowledge we will suffer, being unable to get through life very well. Ignorance is the root of misery as it leads us to foolish action or even inaction, and hence to the painful consequences. But what is the best knowledge? What is that understanding which will eradicate all misery, permanently?

Believing in Santa is obviously an illusion, and we have all had to face that terrible fact at some point in our lives. But how many other illusions have we been sold? Have we been given the whole and highest truth? Are we actually becoming free from all our suffering?

Probably not. In fact much of what we learn at school is subject to constant change, especially in the field of science, where new discoveries are always being made and old theories rejected. Which makes all of it highly suspect. The Vedas declare that an important criterion of truth is that it never changes. Two plus two equals four – it always has and always will. This is the test of real knowledge. It is perfect and unchanging.

These days though we are fed theories, such as the “theory” of evolution, as if they were accepted facts. But there are so many different opinions about such so-called facts, ideas are always changing, and there is every chance that in a hundred years from now a whole different theory will have replaced the one we are now obliged to learn.

And all the while we are not taught about a very real fact that we all have to face. The poet Porteus said, “Teach him how to live. And oh! Still harder lesson. How to die.” This is the best knowledge, and the elephant in everyone’s room that we mostly try to ignore. One great Vedic teacher said that we are all “sojourners on the path of death.” Whatever great things we may achieve in life will soon be annulled by the fact of our death. We will not take any of it with us. And where then shall we go? We have no idea. We can guess, hope, or boldly state that we will go nowhere at all, that we will cease to be, but in reality we are in complete darkness.

The Vedas therefore enjoin that this is the first and most important lesson. “Now you have a human life you must inquire into the absolute.” Ask the big questions. Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I go when I die? At least we should dedicate some of our time to seriously investigating these areas of major importance. But what school does that?

Rather we are encouraged to work very hard to improve our material living conditions. Get a better job. Earn more money. Live in a nice house with all the trappings. The Vedas suggest that this endeavour rests on an erroneous assumption, namely that we are the body. We are identifying with the bag of blood and bones that we inhabit, assuming it to be ourselves. But Vedic wisdom tells us we are different from the body, that we are eternal, indestructible parts of the supreme whole or God.

If this is true, and the evidence suggests that it is, then our entire education devoid of spiritual content is selling us an illusion to match that of Father Christmas. What evidence? Just observe how the body changes, from a baby through childhood to adulthood. A complete transformation, but are we a different person? Of course not. We remember our childhood and know that we are the same personality now, despite all the changes. We are something different from the body. And that unchanging person is the eternal soul. When the body makes its final change at death the soul continues. Why not?

This is surely an observable truth, but who is observing it? What lessons do we get in school about understanding our true self? As time goes on we go further away from such teachings, more and more toward material acquisitions, toward any kind of immoral behaviour as long as it satisfies our bodies, which is what we believe we are, and therefore what we think will make us happy. But how can we be happy if we have started with the wrong conception of self? As the ancient Greeks said, echoing the Vedic instruction, “Know thyself.” Only then can we be happy.

Therefore the Vedas say that from the very beginning of life we should be taught spiritual lessons. We do not have to suffer. We are meant instead for eternal life, for unending happiness with the Supreme Lord Krishna in his immortal abode, and the training for this must begin from childhood. Death may come at any time and we must be prepared. Our ostrich–like educational approach has to change. Face up to the elephant. Otherwise we can carry on with Father Christmas. But he may bring us some rather unexpected presents.

Another big topic in Enquirer #5 was sexism, featured in an article blatantly titled, “Krishna and Sexism.” The article started out by defining sexism as the evaluation of a person’s worth primarily on the basis of their type of body, male or female. Thus, the ultimate root of sexism is a bodily concept of ourselves and others. Unfortunately, most modern equality movements inadvertently accept the bodily concept of self, and thus nourish the root of sexism, by identifying strongly with gender, “I am woman.”

Then I tackled the complaint, “But wait, you’re a Hare Krishna… you guys are totally sexist.” I claimed not to know where the sexist things associated with Hare Krishna came from, but said confidently that they are not a part of it’s true, core philosophy. As an example I quoted Krishna directly, who says in Bhagavad Gītā (5.18), “A wise person sees everyone equally.” Not only is Krishna consciousness not sexist, I argued, it is the ultimate cure for sexism because it provides a way to realize oneself and others as conscious beings, not just as bodies.

Who I was trying to convince more, the readers or myself? I’m not sure.

Or maybe I was trying to convince the Hare Krishna’s? Trying to remind them what Krishna consciousness really should be?

God knows I saw plenty of sexism around me every day in the temples, ingrained into the fabric of how the whole International Society operated. God knows I wished devotees would pay a lot more attention to the stuff I brought up in this article, stuff like Bhagavat Gītā 5.18 and the ramifications of “I am not this body.”

– Excerpt from an early draft of

Train Wrecks and Transcendence:

A Collision of Hardcore and Hare Krishna

By Vraja Kishor [VrajaKishor.com]

Tagged: Hare Krishna, Krishna, sexism

The beautiful temple of Iskcon Delhi as seen from above (3 min video)
Aerial footage of the temple compound and darshan of the deities. The temple is open all days throughout the week!
If you are a working journalist, we applaud your efforts, and want to help you get the information you need. You can reach our team at info [at] iskcondelhi dot com.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/NToxOl

Harinama in Mayapur (8 min video)
Beautiful recording from above while devotees from Russia perform the public chanting of the Holy Names right on Lord Chaitanya’s birthplace!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/31YnlS

Aerial footage of Vrindavana’s Kusum Sarovara with the background music of Jahnavi Harrison. (2 min video)
Kusuma Sarovara, a beautiful sandstone monument, is a 25-minute walk from Radha Kunda. Kusuma means “flower,” and here the gopis would pick flowers for Krishna.
During Lord Caitanya’s time this place was known as Sumanah Sarovara. It is stated in the Caitanya Caritamrita that Lord Caitanya took bath here.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/S22hAu

The President of India in Vrindavan today.
President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the 500th year celebrations of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s advent in Vrindavan today. He will also visit the Shri Radha Raman Temple. Security has been beefed up in the area with the deployment of NSG and PAC along with police force.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/HmOkep

Dear Devoteees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin on February 22, 2016. Following the ISKCON GBC Society’s Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by TWO GBC members, to be submitted by December 31, 2015. This will allow adequate time for the GBC Deputies to prepare the proposals for presentation at the meeting.

Please follow the new format for GBC Proposals, attached as a fillable PDF. Plain text submissions are also acceptable (details at the end of this email).

Once ready, kindly email your proposals to proposals@pamho.net.

You can also submit any queries to this address.

Hare Krishna.

Your servant,

Ananda Tirtha Das

(GBC Corresponding Secretary)

__________
GBC Proposal Application (below and attached as fillable PDF)

GBC Proposals are serious submissions. Please give appropriate time and consideration to your proposal.

Every proposal will be reviewed by the GBC Deputies for suitability, content and compliance to ISKCON Law before presentation to the International GBC Body.

GBC Proposals should be international in scope, realistic, relevant and achievable. GBC Proposals must be written clearly and concisely. The three required steps listed below must be completed.

Proposals that do not meet these criteria or that are incomplete will be returned to the proposer with an explanation.

Proposals must be submitted before December 31st to be considered.

Submit proposals by email to: proposals@pamho.net
_________________________

GBC Proposal Application:

Proposer Contact Information:

Name:

Country of residence:

Local ISKCON temple or centre:

E mail:

Phone:

Date Proposal Submitted:

The below three required steps must be completed before submitting a GBC Proposal:

Step 1: Does this proposal fall under the mandate of any GBC Ministries or Committees? See website for list and contacts: http://gbc.iskcon.org. (For example if your proposal has anything to do with Deity Worship you must contact the Deity Worship Minister. )

If yes, you must discuss your proposal with the appropriate Minister or Chairperson or their designated representative.

The Minister or Chairperson or designate must confirm that they have had this discussion with you.

Name of Minister or Chairperson:

Ministry or Committee:

Date of discussion:

Step 2: Two GBC Members must sponsor your GBC Proposal Application:

Name: Date:

Name: Date:

Step 3: Please complete all 4 sections of the Proposal Application.

1) PROPOSAL TITLE:

2) BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR PROPOSAL: (300 words or less)

3) FORMAL PRESENTATION: Distinct, clear statements beginning with “Whereas”. Give a detailed explanation of your proposal, how it will benefit ISKCON, long and short term consequences, challenges of implementation, international relevance etc.

4) FURTHER INFORMATION: If this proposal becomes a GBC Resolution will it require funding, manpower, and infrastructure, or technical support like website or graphic work? Please explain.

Thank you for your valuable service to Srila Prabhupada.

http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/GBC_Proposal_Application_Updated_2015.pdf

Hrdaya Caitanya das S.B.6.16.51 – Nov 14th 2015

November 18. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Telling any story is a delicate operation. We have to have faith in the story we are telling and enter into it. And it must be accurate. Sometimes we hear a devotee retell a story like this: “One time, Prabhupada said to Gurudasa, ‘You say you want to be at my lotus feet, but my lotus feet are always moving.’ When Prabhupada said that, he pushed Gurudasa away with his lotus feet.” The difficulty with that last story is that no one who was actually present for this episode said that Prabhupada actually pushed Gurudasa with his feet. In this way, stories sometimes get blown into tall tales. They may become very different from what actually happened. Therefore, it is good to be enthusiastic when telling Prabhupada stories, but we should never exaggerate or make up details. Our enthusiasm may capture the ears of some, and may even impress some people, but if the story has some untrue elements then people will have a false impression. The story has to be authentic and the storyteller has to be honest.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=2

Prabhupada-katha 

The board members of ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban humbly invite all New Vrindaban residents and well-wishers to participate in the upcoming weekend activities.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

Friday, December 4th.

7:30 pm to 8:30 pm: Dinner Prasadam with Board Members & GBCs (at Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s Temple)

Saturday, December 5th.

9:45 am to 1:30 pm: Department Head Presentations for 2015 (under the Lodge)

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Lunch Prasadam (at Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s Temple)

2:30 pm to 5:00 pm: Community Dialog (under the Lodge)

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm: Srila Prabhupada Sangam & Dinner Prasadam (at his Palace)

Sunday, December 6th.

10:00 am to 1:00 pm: New Vrindaban Community Tour (various locations, weather permitting)

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Sunday Program & Feast (at Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s Temple)

3:30 pm to 5:00 pm: Lifetime Community Service Appreciations (under the Lodge)

  

Written by Nandan 

Visit to Rama-Ghat and Chir-Ghat

It was 8 am in the morning (Sunday, 1^st November 2015) and everyone was getting ready to get on the bus outside the Chitrakuta ashram, about three hundred yards down the road from the Krsna Balaram temple. In India, one must have a high degree of surrender and realise that things seldom go according to plan. True to form, this morning was no different. It turned out there were not enough seats on the bus. Instead of waiting around, Maharaj took the initiative and got some extra cars for the excess passengers. While this was going on, a young boy had come to beg from the devotees on the bus. Vishvambhar Caitanya Prabhu decided to give him a kachori. The boy looked at the kachori in his hand, poked it a bit and then looked decidedly unimpressed! Some of the devotees smiled at this event; it did give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘beggars can’t be choosers’. It seems they can!

Anyhow, the whole endeavour with the vehicles was for a trip to Ramghat and Chir-Ghat where Lord Balaram and Lord Krsna respectively performed some of their intimate pastimes.

It was a long dusty drive through the flat, arid countryside of Uttar Pradesh with its never ending fields of varying shades of sandy brown. Externally, Vraj can seem like a dry, hard land so all glories to Purnamasi who has done an excellent job in keeping the real glories of Vraj Mandal covered to the non-believers.

After passing by countless hamlets with buffaloes, mud huts, hay pyramids, stray dogs and kids with blackish-brown hair burnt by the Indian sun. The vehicles eventually got to a village, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, and there in the middle was a small, unassuming temple.

Like the Radha Gokulananda temple, this temple also had an old authentic feel and potency to it despite its crumbling walls, uneven surfaces and eroding paintwork. So this was Ramghat – dedicated to Lord Balaram. Kadamba Kanana Swami then introduced HH Bhakti Ashray Vaishnava Swami who he has known for 30 years. Maharaj mentioned how Bhakti Ashray Vaishnava Swami is a very saintly person and that is why he always has a grey beard! The devotees chuckled at this. It turns out, this sannyasi has been to every nook and corner of Vrindavan and has immense dedication to the dhamas.

So both Kadamba Kanana Swami and Bhakti Ashray Vaishnava Swami gave wonderful talks on this amazing place. Lord Balaram had selected this spot to do his own rasa dance with his consorts, so it is also known as Balaram Rasasthali. However, the locals know it as Ensha (pulling) Dauji (Balaram), the place where Lord Balaram got angry and threatened to pull Yamuna Devi towards Rajasthan where she would dry up. This was because she refused to let him cool down in her waters while he was in his varuni intoxicated rasa mood.

Maharaj went onto speak further glories about Lord Balaram, how he is serious while Krsna is naughty and how if we want Krsna bhakti, we must approach Lord Balaram as he is ‘Adi Guru’. Maharaj then continued with wonderful narrations of Lord Balaram’s pastimes from the Srimad Bhagavatam.

After Ramghat, the plan was to go to Chir-Ghat. This was the place where the Gopis had their clothes stolen by Krsna. But the driver ended up a taking a wrong turn. The road was unbelievably rocky and we unintentionally ended up in Tapavan. As Maharaj remarked, “In one way, there is no wrong turning in Vrindavan!”

So Tapavan was where the Gopis performed their katyayani vrata to get Krsna as their husband. Maharaj then made the astute observation that because Chir-Ghat was the place where the Gopis had their clothes stolen by Krsna, so in a way their vrata was fulfilled because in Vedic culture, a woman could only be in a state of undress in front of her husband. So maybe it was Krsna’s arrangement to come here first before going to Chir-Ghat.

Despite the arid regions around it and the name Tapavan, it was actually a very beautiful, leafy area, with lush, green surroundings. Then was a column of Tulsi in the middle of the place and all the devotees sat near this column, in front of the beautiful Radha Krsna deities that were surrounded by the cooling shade of the green trees.

Maharaj said to just imagine in this setting, Krsna playing on his flute, with lips red like the bimba fruit and shark, shaped earrings swaying from side to side… so peaceful! It was a beautiful meditation. Then a gentle and sombre kirtan followed.

Maharaj then started extolling the glories of Vrindavan, asserting that the material energy cannot work in Vrindavan, it does not last! The Vrindavan effect will make it all doomed. These high rise apartments won’t last. Natural is the best way in Vrindavan with trees and wells, etc…

Soon we went to Chir-Ghat by which time everyone was rather exhausted and attentions were waning, so since it was right next to the Yamuna, all the devotees went in for a nice dip. Meanwhile, Maharaj was keeping a watch over the devotees as they went in. It was rather funny, reminding one of the father keeping an eye on the kids as they go into the sea. Even at the end, Maharaj said to all of us, “Okay, come on, let’s go now!” like a classic parent!

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaj ki Jai!!

 

In ISKCON, we have many varieties of devotees from entry level to advanced. While all of them look similar externally, they are not internally. The mood and prayer of a devotee is very difficult to judge by one's external outfit or behavior. To a certain extent, one can judge based on one's words and actions, however, even that can be deceptive. Therefore, we have to be careful as to who is elevated and who is not. To really understand who is elevated requires understanding of lives of great vaishnava devotees, understanding of scriptures and also one should try to aspire for one's self. When we do all of the above, the Lord who is within our heart will help us identify who is pure and not pure. Till then, it is best we engage ourselves as best as we can in a mood humble prayer and service.

There are many great devotees who have shared their inner thoughts through poems and prayers. Below is one such prayer I found by King Kulaśekhara in his Mukunda Mala stotra (5) to be very inspiring. When we constantly meditate on such prayers, our consciousness will distill the dirt in our heart and we will start to see the shining light of Godhead emerge in the horizons of our consciousness.

nāsthā dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kāmopabhoge
 yad bhāvyaṁ tad bhavatu bhagavan pūrva-karmānurūpam
etat prārthyaṁ mama bahu-mataṁ janma-janmāntare ’pi
 tvat-pādāmbho-ruha-yuga-gatā niścalā bhaktir astu

I have no attraction for performing religious rituals or holding any earthly kingdom. I do not care for sense enjoyments; let them appear and disappear in accordance with my previous deeds. My only desire is to be fixed in devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord, even though I may continue to take birth here life after life.

Hare Krishna

Love is in the Details.
Radhanath Swami: Bhakti is about detail, little things. Big things are wonderful, but even more wonderful are the little things within the big things. And if you don’t have a big thing, equally wonderful is the little things.

Read More...

Aerial footage of Kusum Sarovara with the music of Jahnavi Harrison.

Monday 16 November the Hindu Forum Europe (HFE) celebrated Diwali for the first time in the EU Parliament, Brussels. Host MEP, Neena Gill congratulated Hindus with this big success. ISKCON devotees from Belgium, Spain, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland were among the more than 100 attendees of this historical event.

By Mahaprabhu das ISKCON communications

Monday 16 November the Hindu Forum Europe (HFE) celebrated Diwali for the first time in the EU Parliament, Brussels. Host MEP, Neena Gill congratulated Hindus with this big success. The Ambassador of India, Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, and the Ambassador of Mauritius, Mr. J. Koonjul, lit symbolically a dipa in the presence of other MEPs and staff of the Parliament. ISKCON devotees from Belgium, Spain, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland were among the more than 100 attendees of this historical event. According to key organizer, Mahaprabhu Das, HFE is planning to celebrate Diwali every year in the European Parliament.
In the speeches of the various speakers, the recent acts of violence in Paris and other parts of the world were mentioned. They underlined the relevance of the Diwali festival in Europe’s dark times. There is a growing need to illuminate the world with the wonderful qualities of Lord Sri Ramacandra, glorified by millions as the greatest King

Our parikrama party spent a wonderful day in Talavan – one of Vrindavan’s 12 major forests. The scenic beauty of the forest stole our hearts, as did the kirtans led by Bada Haidas prabhu and the katha we spoke about Krsna and Balarama’s pastimes.Talavan is a ‘must-see’ for all devotees who visit Vrindavan!

What’s better than celebrating Govardhana Puja? Celebrating it twice!

TKG Academy students, along with the Sunday-school students, got to participate in the Temple’s Govardhana Puja grand celebration last Sunday. They’ve been working in small groups, studying and creating displays of the various pastime places, which were exhibited near the hill. The program began with the Preschool and Lower Elementary students singing about Lord Krsna’s pastimes on Govardhana Hill. The Sunday-school children then narrated the main story of this special event. Next, they, along with the TKG Academy students guided the devotees and guests on a Parikrama around the hill, narrating and enacting the special pastimes of each place. Their enlivening presentations were appreciated by all. In conclusions, TKG Academy students recited verses from the Nectar of Instruction in glorification of Govardhana Hill and Radha Kunda.

And, if that is not enough, yesterday, on the actual day of Govardhana Puja, the students brought a variety of preparations to be offered to Krsna in the form of Govardhana. They created a halvah hill, identified the locations of the different temples, Kundas and other special places, and decorated them all with loads of sweets. Krsna surely must have a very sweet tooth to devour all of their wonderful, devotional offerings!

Govadhana puja photos from ISKCON SALEM (Album with 118 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Krishna consciousness movement supplies materially stricken people with the medicine of the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and the diet of prasadam. The centres of the Krishna consciousness movement are the only established hospitals that can cure man of birth, death, old age and disease. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 10.51 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/it1PU4

Wednesday, November 11^th, 2015

Brooklyn, New York

Now That The Walk’s Done

Well, our walk through a portion of the US northeast is now complete but the activity of trekking will not cease. Like so many tourists who come to New York, walking over one of the multiple bridges is a must do. I imagine the Brooklyn Bridge is a popular one and so our core group left Manhattan for Brooklyn via that causeway over the water.

We made our way to Schermerhorn Street where the temple of Radha Govinda is located. There, darshan, or the viewing of the gorgeous deities, blesses the eyes and in the basement, you can secure a marvelous meal with a veggie nut loaf as one of the main features.

I had asked the boys who travelled with me for some or more of the 950 mile walk to make some comment about it.

Jake was with us for the last day.

Jake: “While I was walking and focusing on the mantra, I was caring less about some of the physical pain I was going through. The mantra has power.”

Mandala was with us for the last 2 ½ weeks.

Mandala: “The walking really helped me to cultivate determination.”

Vivasvan was with me the whole time as my driving support person. He did a lot of walking as well.

Vivasvan: “It was a life changing experience. It makes you re-evaluate how you see things and brings you closer to people and nature. I found out things about myself that didn’t reveal themselves to me before. Overall, the walk was better than skydiving.”

The final cap that we put on the day was to honour Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the Iskcon Towaco Center. There, I spoke about Rama and the epic nature of His story. Rama spent many steps trudging through the forests of India.

May the Source be with you!

4 miles / 7 km

Vrindavan’s Lovely Talavan Forest (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our parikrama party spent a wonderful day in Talavan - one of Vrindavan’s 12 major forests. The scenic beauty of the forest stole our hearts, as did the kirtans led by Bada Haidas Prabhu and the Katha we spoke about Krsna and Balarama’s pastimes.Talavan is a ‘must-see’ for all devotees who visit Vrindavan!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/L2MbQk

On behalf of his Godbrothers and Sisters in Memory of Chaitanya Simha

14 November 2015. 76 years ago today, a boy named John was born in an insignificant bump in the road called Moose Hill, Ontario, in Canada. He grew up on a farm where his parents raised cows for slaughter. Later, he left home and travelled to Port Hardy, at the north end of Vancouver Island. He was into all kinds of intoxication,

But one day, a friend sent him Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is. After reading it, John decided to go to Vancouver and spend his Christmas holidays at the Hare Krishna Temple on 16th and Burrard. He went out every day with another new bhakta, named Roger. John soon became known as Krishna John and was a popular sight on the corner of Georgia and Granville, happily distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and Spiritual Sky incense.

The tale unfolds that Srila Prabhupada heard about Krishna John in Vancouver and his architectural and engineering knowhow. He sent for him to come to Los Angeles and design an incense-making machine for Spiritual Sky incense factory. Pleased with the results, Srila Prabhupada asked him to stay and complete the L.A. temple construction for Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakadish. He also designed and built the first Chakra in North America to grace the top of the temple, and Prabhupada was so pleased. During this time, he because first, and then brahmana initiated, and Srila Prabhupada gave our Krishna John the name of Caitanya Simha das.

One day, Srila Prabhupada called him to his room and told Caitanya Simha of a new building that had been purchased in New York City; a 13-story tall building, ISKCON’s first big building in New York. Prabhupada was excited, just like a small child. It was an old nursing home, in bad repair, and needed to be completely rewired and new plumbing throughout, and so many major renovations had to be made. Caitanya was about to say that it would take a year to complete the transformation, when Srila Prabhupada said, “I am scheduled to be in New York in 6 weeks…” Caitanya Simha packed up his small family and moved to New York in the morning. 6 weeks later, Srila Prabhupada arrived on schedule, and the temple was finished.

From there Prabhupada sent him to Bhaktivedanta Manor for some reconstruction work, then to Bombay, to complete the construction of the Juhu Beach temple and the guest house and Prabhupada’s living quarters. Then on to land which had been donated in Gujarat, where Caitanya started an ISKCON farm and built a temple, and a goshalla with 8 cows.

Once that project was up and running, Srila Prabhupada requested him to go to Hyderabad farm, a 600-acre project in South India which was in trouble. Caitanya rescued the farm, planted the land, developed cow protection, established the temple and Deity worship, all for Srila Prabhupada, his beloved guide and spiritual master. During that time, he heard that Srila Prabhupada was in Vrndavan, very ill and soon to be leaving his body. With no money and great difficulty, he travelled to Vrndavan in the hopes of seeing his master one more time. By the time he arrived, early in the evening, just days before Srila Prabhupada’s departure, he was told that Prabhupada was no longer seeing any devotees. The doors were closed and he could not get in.

While he and his family were standing outside Srila Prabhupada’s windows which overlooked a small garden, suddenly the heavy drapes were pulled aside and the French doors were opened, and they could take a last personal darshan of their beloved Srila Prabhupada. No one else was there. Later Bhavananda Prabhu told them that the doors and windows had been closed for many weeks, but suddenly Srila Prabhupada ordered them to be opened. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Just days after Caitanya returned to Hyderabad Farm, Srila Prabhupada left for his nitya lila and returned to Krishna’s lotus feet. Although many left, Caitanya understood that Srila Prabhupada remains always with us in his books, his vani, tapes, lectures, and the worldwide association of devotees. Srila Prabhupada is ever-present in his mission to follow in Lord Caitanya’s footsteps and to distribute Krishna in the form of His Holy Name to every town and village around the globe. He kindly allows and encourages us to assist in this mission, and so Caitanya Simha Prabhu did just that, carrying on to assist in establishing temples and communities in Bangalore, Bhadrak, Bhubaneswar, and then to Sri Mayapur dham. He designed and built the beautiful fountain, which graced the front lawn of Mayapur for so many years. He helped with Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi and most recently with the TOVP, Srila Prabhupada’s most ambitious project to date.

Today, Caitanya Simha Prabhu has left his body in Sri Mayapur dham, in the month of Kartik, after calling out to Srila Prabhupada. One of his last visitors was Bhakta Roger (for many years now His Grace Riddha Prabhu, his sankirtan buddy from Georgia and Granville days. What a full circle!

Caitanya Simha has always given his all to his beloved spiritual master. Prabhupada called him again and again and he did not ever hesitate to do whatever was asked of him. Now is the final great test, and he is ready and surrendered to go wherever Srila Prabhupada is calling him next…on to the next big project Prabhupada has waiting for him or right back Home to Godhead, whatever Prabhupada wants.

This is the amazing legacy that Srila Prabhupada has given us. When one small boy from Moose Hill, Ontario, with such a seemingly inauspicious beginning, can leave material life forever, and return finally to the spiritual world. This is the amazing gift that Srila Prabhupada has given each and every one of us. We have only to follow the example of Caitanya Simha Prabhu and surrender to Prabhupada’s lotus feet.

Hare Krishna!

Written by

Racitambara devi dasi

Goshala Cow Barn for the cows of New Ramana Reti, Alachua.
We are proud to present the new Goshala Cow Barn, one part of the eco-teaching farm project. Srila Prabhupada desired self-sufficient communities created by devotees, so that dependency on outside economic forces is minimized and a “simple living, high thinking” culture is promoted. Thanks to the generosity of many donors near and far, the new cow barn brings us a step closer to realizing this vision at New Raman Reti.
The barn is designed to milk two cows as well as be a space for various self-sufficiency classes, such as cow care and protection, growing food, natural building techniques, permaculture, textiles, and more. “It is basically a school for how to maintain cows and live a life based on agriculture,” Akuti devi dasi says. She provided the original design of the structure, with input by members of the “Cow Board” – Kesihanta das, Citralekha Morrill, Ram Gardner, Tapasvini devi dasi, Mukhya devi dasi, Kardama Muni das, Akincana Krsna das and Varuni devi dasi. Akuti prabhu provided much of the finishing and carpentry work, and Akincana Krsna prabhu worked closely with the contractor and sub-contractors overseeing the daily functions of the building process. The barn will eventually be solar-powered, and an outside pavilion with benches is also in the works. Akuti prabhu foresees summer educational camps, retreat cabins and gardens as part of the Eco Teaching Farm. Groups of volunteers, including many college student eco-groups, have already come and helped with farm projects and learning opportunities. Bhakta Nathan is also an important member of the Eco Teaching Farm.
New Raman Reti was purchased in1977, and cow protection was always an integral part of its mission. Cows played a role here from the early years, providing milk for our Deities and oxen were employed to till the land. Save the Cow, a program to maintain and protect older cows, has been active since 2003. Now New Raman Reti is entering another exciting phase of cow protection by developing a sustainable, long-term plan for a manageable herd of cows and oxen. This will again provide fresh milk for the Deities and create a facility where many can learn how to care for these animals. Cows are gentle creatures with a full range of emotions and, of course, a favorite of Lord Krishna. Their protection is the basis of brahminical culture. We look forward to our ongoing expansion of Go-Raksha (cow protection) here at Alachua Temple.
Sridevi dasi reporting