Wasteland
→ 16 ROUNDS to Samadhi magazine

Overproduction and Freeganism

Economic concerns are for sure very important. No one wants to be hungry and destitute. Since vertiginous earning and spending is the way to keep up the economy, materialism becomes a virtue and a measure of morality. God help us.

Our economic system has crated a culture of overconsumption and overproduction.

It seems that for a currency to maintain its value in today’s economy, the users of that currency need to circulate their money; the faster the better. In other words, in order to be good patriots and contributors to their country’s economic development, citizens need to earn and then quickly spend money. The faster they go through this cycle, the better the local economy. As the cycle of earning and spending money slows down, the economy of the land diminishes. That is a reason why we, the residents of the US, were publicly encouraged via the media in 2001, during the December shopping season, to show our patriotism by going out and spending money, as opposed to staying at home and feeling fear and depression possibly caused by the demolition of the World Trade Center in New York.

To be inspired to make money, people need to have good reasons for spending money. To inspire constant consumption, people are exposed to ceaseless advertising. Whether one is driving, walking, resting, waiting in line, jogging in a park… no matter what one might be doing or where one might be, one’s attention is constantly being distracted by advertisements. As a matter of fact, there is a war raging out there, a war for our attention.

Economic concerns are for sure very important. No one wants to be hungry and destitute. Since vertiginous earning and spending is the way to keep up the economy, materialism becomes a virtue and a measure of morality. God help us.
What does overconsumption and overproduction mean? Overconsumption means that we are consuming more than necessary. Similarly, overproduction means that we are producing more than necessary.

Rob Greenfield is an interesting fella I met in San Diego a few years ago. He is educated and has a solid means of income; yet, he has decided to subsist only on refuse. Specifically, in order to tell the world how much we are overproducing, Rob took a vow to eat only what people put in the trash and thus live the life of a freegan.

Freeganism is the practice of reclaiming and eating food that has been discarded. Freegans and Freeganism are often seen as part of a wider “anti-consumerist” ideology, and freegans often employ a range of alternative living strategies based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources.

Rob’s initial inspiration was triggered by Tristram Stuart, a 2011 winner of the international environmental Sophie Prize and the “Observer Food Monthly Outstanding Contribution Award” for his ongoing campaign to solve the global food waste scandal. Tristram, who is also an author of the book Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, lives in England. In December 2009 he launched an anti food-waste campaign by organizing “Feeding the 5000″ in London’s Trafalgar Square. To raise awareness for reducing food waste, 5,000 people were served free curry, smoothies, and fresh groceries from cast off vegetables and other food that otherwise would have been wasted.

Rob says he focuses on America because that is where he lives and where he can have the most impact. He also believes that many world problems are caused by what is being done on the American soil and by Americans. Thus activism in America can go a long way.

According to Tristram and Rob, America produces four times the amount of food needed to feed the entire American population. It appears that we throw away 90 billion pounds of food annually, the cost of which is about 165 billion US dollars. Rob’s studies show that 50% of food in markets, restaurants, and private homes is wasted, while an average American family of four annually wastes $2,270 worth of food.
Considering the statics above, how should we feel about the fact that one in six Americans lack a secure supply of food to their tables?

For an entire week Rob eats nothing but dumpster food and shows that he can eat more deliciously and nutritiously on waste than many Americans do from the store aisles. To show just how much waste there is, Rob fills an entire fridge and a few cupboards, feeds the homeless, and hosts big, classy dumpster parties at his home.

I went out one afternoon with Rob to see it all for myself. In one hour we visited three dumpsters, each located behind a large store. During that short hour, to my absolute surprise, we found an amazing abundance of perfectly good food. Many of the food items were even sealed air-tight. In these dumpsters we found a large bag of fresh bread, a case of almond milk, organic bananas, vegetables, etc. Rob’s large refrigerator, his porch, and storage are packed with perfectly good food that had been discarded.

“I don’t really want to eat food from dumpsters. For me dumpster diving is a way to draw attention to the food crisis in America and create an opportunity to talk about solutions,” says Rob. Rob also offers a few actions our readers could possibly resort to. Here is a partial list:

  • Boycott wasteful systems, especially industrial farming.
  • Shop locally. Buy from less wasteful sources such as small farmers, farmers markets, and the co-ops.
  • Don’t waste your own food. Buy only what you need.
  • Eat plant based diet, avoid meats.

To see the rest of the list please see Rob’s website www.greenfieldadventures.org/.

Ultimately we could ask ourselves what is wrong with wasting. If we ascribe moral values to the act of wasting, we are saying that one act is better than the other one and that some acts are sacred while their opposites are offensive. It logically follows that that which is real and natural holds value. That which opposes it, makes for disharmony and impermanence. However, we see that in the world of matter, hardly anything has endurance. For that reason the thoughtful have always, while dwelling in the impermanent world, endeavored for the permanent results. In the Christian tradition it is advised that we do not store treasures on Earth, but in “heaven” where things do not decay and where there is no destruction. For where our treasure is, our heart will be also. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna teaches (2.16) that that which is impermanent is in a sense nonexistent while that which is permanent is real.

Srila Prabhupada wrote (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.20.2): “The main function of the time factor, which is a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is to destroy everything. The materialists, in material consciousness, are engaged in producing so many things in the name of economic development. They think that by advancing in satisfying the material needs they will be happy, but they forget that everything they have produced will be destroyed in due course of time. From history we can see that there were many powerful empires on the surface of the globe that were constructed with great pain and great perseverance, but in due course of time they have all been destroyed. Still the foolish materialists cannot understand that they are simply wasting time in producing material necessities, which are destined to be vanquished in due course of time. This waste of energy is due to the ignorance of the mass of people, who do not know that they are eternal and that they have an eternal engagement also. They do not know that this span of life in a particular type of body is but a flash in the eternal journey. Not knowing this, they take the small flash of life to be everything, and they waste time in improving economic conditions.”

As I see it, people are, generally speaking, products of the environment in which they live. If peeps live in a materialistic environment, they tend to think, feel, and act like materialists. If the materialistic element is reduced, people have a much better chance to be intrigued by the spiritual quest, a quest into permanence. I am convinced that reducing the materialistic fever that is currently manifested as overproduction and overconsumption is a good thing, in terms of permanence and impermanence.

16R DUMPSTER DIVE-1 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-2 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-3 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-4 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-5 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-6 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-7 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-8 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-9 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-10 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-11 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-12 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-13 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-14 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-15 16R DUMPSTER DIVE-16

Shantipur Festival 2014! (Album 49 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

A very auspicious festival is held 4 days before Gaura-purnima on the day of Govinda Dwadasi in the house of Sri Advaita Acarya at Shantipur, known as Shantipur festival. Supreme Lord Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu visited the house of SriAdvaita Acarya and took prasadam with the devotees on the appearance day of Sripad Madhavendra Puri and blessed with Krsna prema to all those who come and take prasadam at this place on this specific day. 22 quintals of rice, 12 quintals of dhal, enormous amount of vegetables like cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, beans and spices were used to cook non-stop delicious kitchuri. Read more ›

Beautiful Boat Festival in Mayapur in High Resolution Photos (Album 82 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

The small Sri Sri Radha Madhava deities (uttsava-murti) are brought in a procession amidst kirtana to the lake at Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. Their Lordships are placed on a boat and taken on a boat ride during a boat festival evening. The festivities intend to engage everyone in Krishna’s service, thereby giving us a chance to perfect our lives. The pujaris apply sandalwood to Their sacred bodies. After the boat ride, Their Lordships are seated on a swing decorated with colorful and fragrant flowers and fruits. Devotees then have the wonderful opportunity to swing Them while singing bhajanas for Their pleasure. They also grab the opportunity to cook and offer bhoga to Their Lordships and distribute them to other devotees! Read more ›

Invitation to New Vrindaban Community Dialogs: Saturday, March 22 & Sunday, March 23, 2104
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

NV_ISKCON_Logo_black_medium  ECOV Logo

Dear Brijabasis,

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

It’s almost time for the spring joint board meetings.

The board members of ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban will meet face to face on March 22 and 23.

To increase an environment of open communication, the board members and I are organizing two Community Dialogs to open and close the Joint Board meetings.

All New Vrindaban residents and well-wishers are humbly invited to participate.

Topics include:

Five year vision for New Vrindaban
Furthering Srila Prabhupada’s five primary instructions for New Vrindaban.
Increasing communication, cooperation, transparency and trust in our ongoing “improving community spirit” efforts.
Sharing highlights from the board members’ discussions.

Event: Community Dialog

Dates and Time:

Saturday, March 22,
From 10:00 am to 1:30 pm
Five year vision of New Vrindaban

Sunday, March 23,

From 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Sharing highlights from the board’s discussions, get to know your cares and concerns

Venue: Under the Lodge

We appreciate your participation and look forward to seeing you!

Hare Krishna.
Your servant,
Jaya Krsna das
ISKCON New Vrindaban Community President

Example of Surrender
- TOVP.org

A glowing example of surrender unto the lotus feet of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai

1. Preamble

Glowing examples of devotees surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are abundant in the scriptures and history. But they are quite rare in this modern age of Kali. Even then such rare examples set a revolutionary tone in both the spiritual and material societies. Such examples show the path for others to follow along. Let’s look at such an example – a particular devotee, whose life and the example of utmost surrender, is certainly one that is inspiring and heart-touching.

2. Backdrop

On the 5th of November, 1953, Sri Narayan Chandra Roy (HG Laxmi Narayan Das) was born into an orthodox religious family in the district of Brahmanbaria of Bangladesh. Losing his mother at the tender age of 7/8 his childhood was indescribably painful and miserable being detached from the loving affection of his mother. He continued his studies amidst huge financial crisis. But being a meritorious student, he studied with scholarships of full tuition fees from the 1st grade till his Masters. He was awarded the prestigious 1st Class Government Scholarship during his Masters in Commerce. Looking at the pathetic situation of the living entities getting entangled in illusory entrapments, he had decided to take up teaching at a public university while studying the scriptures for getting the topmost knowledge from them in his leisure. But even 6 months before completing his Masters, he was recruited by a Government Bank as a 1st Class Officer. Thus after completing his Masters he joined the bank. As his aim was to join the teaching profession, he obtained a Scholarship from the University Grand Commission of India to study PhD at Delhi University, but the bank declined his request for a release order, and thus denied him of the chance to do his thesis. Later on he left the government bank to join an international bank at more than double the salary. He retired in November, 2013 at the age of 60, leaving his last assignment as the Head of Audit and Inspections. His career in the banking field lasted for about 36 years.

3. Sowing the Seed of the Creeper of Devotion

As a orthodox religious family, there used to be pujas and festivals around the year. Whenever his father used to read the Gita in the morning, he would crawl on his knees and sit there listen to it. He would cry out loudly if one would not give him prasadam first. He would leave behind his studies at times and attend the family or village religious programs. Even sometimes he would go to the potter’s area and bring deities of various demigods and goddesses, worship them and immerse them in the river before returning home in the evening to study. Right from his childhood he loved to hear and chant the Mahamantra. He would rush to any kirtan or bhajan anywhere in the nearby villages. Sometimes he would not even return home that night, and would just immerse himself in the Mahamantra for the whole night. Even today, when he hears of any Kirtan Mela or Kirtan Festival or any such festivals, he would rush to the farthest of places, country to country even. The descendant of Mahaprabhu in Srihatta (present day Sylhet, Bangladesh) has been their family’s spiritual master or Kulaguru for many generations. His whole family, even his nephews and nieces have all been initiated by him quite easily, but he doesn’t care for any of the principles and regulations. Due to the birth of his only child, his family could not have any function for the death anniversary of his father. As such the elders of the family advised him to give a vaisnava feast. And so during his son’s 11th birthday, he gave feast to about 2000 to 2200 vaisnavas. The elders of the family secretly arranged for an initiation ceremony from their Kulaguru, but his son at that young age had been observing ISKCON and its activities on the internet, and opposed it saying “Father, he is not a bonafide spiritual master. If we are to take initiation, we must take it from a Guru in ISKCON”. Everyone in the family including the Kulaguru was dissatisfied and upset over this. This was the beginning of a long-lost connection of him and his family with ISKCON and Mahaprabhu.

4. Grhastha Asram

When his elder brother, the eldest of the family, decided to give business in the adjoining village market and leave behind his family, his father was quite aggrieved. Although he was following the rules and regulations of Brahmacharya staying while staying at home, and had decided to not marry at all, he got married at the bequest of his father at the age of 34. They had a son after 1.5 years of marriage. His wife is currently working as a Senior Bank official while his son is working as a teacher at one of the most prestigious and established English Medium Schools of the country.

5. Joining the Krishna Consciousness Movement

His only son Shubhojit Roy (HG Subal Sakha Dasa) got to know about ISKCON from the internet. After he went further and further into the world of ISKCON, he understood and realized the significance of coming Back to Godhead. He inspired and encouraged his parents to join this movement. They had started going to the local ISKCON Temple since 1999 and from 2004 joined the movement actively. Coincidentally the place where ISKCON GBC & Guru His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami and HG Laxmi Narayan Prabhu’s ancestral home falls in the same district. His wife, his son and him, and also the cook of their house took initiation from His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami. HG Laxmi Narayan Prabhu is quite dear to Maharaja, and Maharaja gave him 1st Initiation and 2nd Initiation within gap of just 1.5 years. He is currently playing a significant role in the administration and managerial activities as well as the preaching activities of the ISKCON Preaching Center in Maharaja’s birthplace. In addition to this, he is working towards acquiring a plot of land in his spiritual master’s birthplace for building a magnificent temple in honor of his spiritual master’s contribution to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON.

There is a beautiful alter in his house, where he worships his deities in the utmost loving devotion, five times a day. He is also preaching among the householders in the city of Dhaka, where he resides. On 30th March, 2009, his spiritual master came to his house for taking lunch prasadam. At that time in a frank conversation, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami had instructed him to acquire a piece of land, where all the householder devotees can live together in harmony. Taking the words of his spiritual master into his heart, he founded the “Devotee Welfare Multipurpose Cooperative Society” and serving as its able President, has acquired two pieces of land in the suburbs of Dhaka city, where 48 members of the society can build their apartments and live together in harmony. He has also served as the Temple President of the ISKCON Temple at his ancestral district of Brahmanbaria.

6. His dedication and surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

From the very start of his service life, he has been very thrifty and saved wherever and however he could just for contributing to build a temple in service to Krishna and Mahaprabhu. In the long 36 years of his banking career, whatever he had saved, he invested to get the greatest profits. And, at the end of his banking career, whatever pension he got, he has been spending the maximum of it for the construction of a temple and related works.

After his father passed away, he inherited a small piece of land. He constructed a Pancatattva Temple in that piece of land in 1995, where every year during Gaura Purnima, a big Kirtan Mela Festival is held. He tried to acquire pieces of land adjoining his ancestral home for constructing an even bigger temple, but after 2-3 years of negotiations, he couldn’t buy it. And then he planned to build a temple on the piece of land where the current ISKCON establishment is situated in Brahmanbaria. He, along with the General Secretary of ISKCON National Committee of Bangladesh, engaged in negotiations for registrations, but this effort also went in vain, as the negotiations fell apart due to differences in opinions among the present trustees. Laxmi Narayan Prabhu was a bit saddened, and then tried to acquire a piece of land in Sri Vrindavan Dham for building a temple there. When he asked for permission and blessings from his spiritual master, but His Holiness was silent on this issue. Prabhu took this as a sign and didn’t go through with this.

At last he got in touch with HG Vraja Vilasa Prabhu, the Director of Donor Development of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, Srila Prabhupada’s dream temple. Vraja Vilasa Prabhu encouraged and motivated Laxmi Narayan Prabhu through scriptural references to abandon plans for building a temple on his own, and instead contribute generously to the Largest Temple in the World where a name plate can recognize his contribution to this project. Vraja Vilasa Prabhu’s motivation moved Laxmi Narayan Prabhu to such an extent that not only did he donate, he doubled the amount, abandoning some of his other plans. Recognizing such a rare example of dedication and contribution to Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai the management of the TOVP decided to honor him by placing a separate name plate below the Gaura Nitai Mosaics that are going to adorn the two main pillars of the TOVP at the front side, since he has donated the majority of his life savings and retirement pension unto the lotus feet of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and thus made it the perfection of his life. Along with this His name will be included on a separate marble plaque of donors who have donated to the Pancatattva Seva Club. Such an example will etched onto the heart of thousands of pilgrims, tourists, devotees and well-wishers as they look at the giant display of mosaic of Gaura Nitai and the name plate, and realize the greatness of this soul.

7. Appeal to all

It is the earnest request of the TOVP that if HG Laxmi Narayan Prabhu can donate everything he had unto the lotus of the Lord for this great cause, then we can certainly follow along the footsteps and the path he created, and donate even a small amount of our wealth to build the largest temple in the world. We place our request and call out to those of you who have been given immense financial stability, to come forward and look at this devotee’s example and contribute something for this great cause.

We pray to Their Lordhsips for HG Laxmi Narayan Prabhu, so that he may return back to the abode of the Lord, be placed in an engaging service of the Lord and thus attain spiritual perfection, just as he has attained perfection in the material world. We also pray that his glowing example can enlighten others and melt their hearts to come forward for this project.

Kirtan Purnima
→ Mayapur.com

Kirtan Schedule For Kirtan Purnima 2014 10:00 – 10:30 Bhaktivedanta Academy Bangladesh Yatra 10:30 – 11:00 11:00 – 11:30 Mayapur Chandra’s HH Bhaktipurusottam Swami 11:30 – 12:00 HG Krishna Kishor Das Sankirtan Dpt. 12:00 – 12:30 HG Mathuresh Das HG Praghosh Das 12:30 – 1:00 HG Chaitanya Das 1:00 – 1:30 HG Padmarani  Dasi HG […]

The post Kirtan Purnima appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Tuesday April 1st
→ Bhakti Lounge - The Heart Of Yoga in Wellington

Banner_Tues

Get your strength on! 

Our famous, loved “Tues Night Challenge” teach returns to Bhakti Lounge! Trained in Ashtanga and Power Yoga Teaching since 2005 in NZ, Australia and India.

Get your hips strong and flexible. Yep you read it, STRONG and flexible. Come along next Tuesday April 1st for some hip-opening goodness through creative transitions and inversions. This month we’ll be working toward and wrapping up our practice with Bhujapidasana, an arm supported pose testing both strength and flexibility in the hips. Up for the challenge? ;)

Not suitable for beginners
90min class followed by dinner
$18/$15 students with ID


Wednesday, March 12th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

The Right Vision

Weather conditions were such that it made it prohibitive to trek a serious length.  Today I walked pacing our inside balcony back and forth.  I did walk intellectually through a string of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, a kind of power tight rope walking.  From chapter 13, Nature, The Enjoyer, And Consciousness.

13.27:

“Oh chief of the Bharatas, know that whatever you see in existence, both the moving and the non moving, is only a combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.”

13.28:

“One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body is ever destroyed, actually sees.”

13.29:

“One who sees the Supersoul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade himself, thus he approaches the transcendental destination.”

13.30:

“One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.”

13.31:

“When a sensible person ceases to see different identities due to different material bodies and sees how beings are expanded everywhere, he attains to the Brahman conception.”

13.32:

“Those with the vision of eternity can see that the imperishable soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature.  Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.”

13.33:

“The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all pervading.  Similarly, the soul situated in Brahman vision does not mix with the body, though situated in that body.”

13.34:

“O son of Bharat, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.”

13.35:

“Those who see with eyes of knowledge the difference between the body and the knower of the body, and can also understand the process of liberation from bondage in material nature, attain to the supreme goal.”

May the Source be with you!

5 KM

Meaning Of The Names PT.8
→ Japa Group

Hare

hyasphutam rayati priti-bharena hari-cestam
gayatiti mata dhirair hara rasa-vicaksanaih

Filled with ecstatic love, Radha sometimes sings the glories of Hari’s exploits quietly, and sometimes She sings them aloud. Those who are expert in the secrets of divine sentiments call Her Hara.

Srila Jiva Goswami

The anxiety of the Lord
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 January 2014, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar) 

 

If we want to approach Krsna in a mood of friendship, then we must fulfill his desire. An example is found in the Caitanya Caritamrta about Haridas Thakur.

panca_tattvaAt one point, Lord Caitanya was lamenting and saying to Haridas Thakur, ”What about all those living entities who are in different bodies where they cannot chant the Holy Name?”

Haridas said, “My Lord, please don’t be in anxiety. The echo off the trees is the chanting of the trees. When the Holy Name is chanted, the echo bounces off the trees and in this way, the trees are also chanting. So these living entities also get the mercy. Don’t be in anxiety.”  

So, that’s very nice because usually it’s the living beings who are in anxiety and praying to the Lord, ” O lord, please take away my anxiety! O Krsna, somehow or the other, make it work, please! O Krsna, please protect me – Nrsimhadeva, Nrsimhadeva!”

Like that, we are always approaching the lord to deal with our anxiety but look at Haridas Thakur -  he deals with the anxiety of the Lord! So that is how one conquers Krsna.