Sri Krishna Chaitanya (Gauranga) Mahaprabhu (Album 47 paintings)
→ Dandavats.com

Mahaprabhu was a beautiful child, and the ladies of the town came to see Him with presents. His mother's father, Pandita Nilambara Cakravarti, a renowned astrologer, foretold that the child would be a great personage in time; and he, therefore, gave him the name Visvambhara. The ladies of the neighbourhood styled him Gaurahari on account of His golden complexion, and His mother called Him Nimai on account of the 'nimba' tree near which He was born. Beautiful as the lad was, everyone heartily loved to see Him every day. As He grew up He became a whimsical and frolicsome lad. After His fifth year, He was admitted into a pathasala where He picked up Bengali in a very short time. Read more ›

My Sacred Duty
→ travelingmonk.com

We spent the first day of our travels in Nepal in Kathmandu in order to acclimatise for the higher altitudes we’ll reach near the Tibetan plateau later this week. We didn’t waste a moment though, for within a couple of hours we were out on harinam samkirtan with the local ISKCON devotees, chanting and dancing [...]

New Vrindaban’s Palace of Gold Honored – Back to Godhead Magazine – October 1980
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban’s Palace of Gold Honored – Back to Godhead Magazine – October 1980.

By William Robins

Limestone, W. Va., Aug. 5

Hare Krsna Devotees Cool Off in Fountain in The Garden at Palace Of Gold

Hare Krsna Devotees Cool Off in Fountain in The Garden at Palace Of Gold

The men in saffron robes, in denims and faded shirts, heads shaven and unshaven, the women in saris of many colors, the Hare Krishna devotees came in twos and threes and troops, afoot and in Jeeps and in panel trucks; and old cars.

And as they rounded a bend in the narrow mountain road they beheld, rising like a mirage above the trees here in rural West Virginia, the gold-leafed domes and spires of a vision of spectacular opulence, the Palace of Gold, whose construction they had come to celebrate.

From across the United States and from Canada, Mexico and India as well, many of these members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness were arriving to join a 300-member community of the faithful here for the second annual Prabhupada Summer Festival, which ends tomorrow.

It has also been proclaimed by some to be a grand opening of the palace, though their swami described it as only a preview for a grand opening scheduled for Labor Day weekend. The palace is the first of many religious shrines to be built here in a community the devotees have named New Vrindaban, for a sacred city of temples in India.

However they regarded the occasion, visitors stared with awe as if at a miracle of creation atop a ridge overlooking miles of forests and fields, foothills and valleys. But again their spiritual leader was more restrained.

“This was not a very difficult thing to do,” he said in an interview. “Nothing is very difficult when the Lord is in your heart. Without Him it would be impossible.”

The rain showers marred opening festivities late yesterday when an opening address by the swami and a vegetarian feast, both scheduled for the grassy hillsides, were driven under shelter. But today, unperturbed, the devotees resumed, from before dawn till after dark, their three days of rituals and seminars, interspersed with strolls to the palace and visits to a bazaar under a multicolored canopy, much like a country fair, where they could buy refreshments and visit educational booths and stalls selling their literature.

This is the second of three celebrations of the construction of the palace. The first, last September, was a dedication. When the third occurs, on the occasion of a festival named Janmastami over the Labor Day weekend, the finishing work will still be continuing, with devotees bending and carefully brushing gold leaf onto intricate relief work of walls, columns and steps.

On a site that was once a garbage dump, the devotees were climbing broad steps to walled terraces looking down on development of a Garden of Time to be dotted with fountains symbolic of phases of human life and out over construction work on a restaurant and museum toward broad acres on the ridge top where still another garden is to be created. As they walked they chanted the names of deities.

Over all this rises the ornate palace, built as a memorial to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Indian scholar who brought his translations of ancient scriptures in 1965 and began the Hare Krishna movement in this country. Its black and gold leaf walls, inlaid with Italian onyx, are pierced through with intricately decorated stained glass windows, and they support gold and black domes, all an amalgam of Eastern and Renaissance architecture.

Inside, crossing marble floors in geometric mosaics under mirrored ceilings, the devotees finished two shrines to Prabhupada, who died a few years ago.

One is a suite in which sits a couch he once used, adjoining a study where a lifelike figure of the sainted Prabhupada bends over a marble table as if to work on a translation. Adjoining is an onyx, teak, marble and gold bathroom.

The other is a central court, a sacred room where the devotees in small groups knelt and prostrated themselves before another statue, a gold figure of Prabhupada seated on a gold throne under an ornately carved cupola. Overhead the domed ceiling is decorated with paintings depicting the life of their Lord Krishna, including one showing him casting out demons.

All the construction is the work of a small community living on 2,000 acres of the rural countryside and executed in their own craft shops. It has about 300 members now, who have raised by their own efforts the $500,000 spent on it thus far.

Friday, March 14th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

The Raw Thaw 

Snow! Ice! Slush! Water! That’s what you get on a day like today. It’s the raw thaw. And it’s okay. It’s an adventure going through it all, as I traversed Yonge, Bloor, Bathurst and Dupont streets.

I feel no regrets not being in a car. I’m happy on my feet. There’s something sweet about it.

As I went (direction West) with a blinding sun in the eyes, I could make out a toquedchap coming towards me, hands in pranama.

“How are you Maharaja?” said he.

“Oh it’syou, Jiva-nuga!” I responded.

Immediately my thoughts raced to the past. He’s a fine human being. His roots are from the East (New Brunswick) and he had joined the ranks of monks in the West (Vancouver) years ago. While he’s no longer a man of the cloth, and chose to reenter civilian life, his time in a brahmacaryaregimen really benefitted him.
I’ve always liked Jiva, he’s as honest as you can get. He’s quiet and mild, but strong of body and skilled with his hands.

With the sun to my left shoulder, now going North-bound on Bathurst, I met another pedestrian, an acquaintance. It was Kathleen O’Connell, widow to Professor Joseph T. O’Connell, pioneer in many ways for helping establish wholesome dialogue between leaders of different faith groups.

Before his departure, Kathleen told me that Joseph recently set up a comparative religiouscourse in the University of Dacca in Bangladesh. His office was right next to the fundamentalist Islamic group. With his charm, wit and intellect, Joseph managed to build a bridge of communication.  

He was also thrilled, back in 1968 in Boston, to meet our guru, Srila Prabhupada, during the embryonic stage of a promising bhakti movement.

It was great meeting Kathleen. She was watching her steps, as I was, to evade slush and water pools as we parted our ways. It’s my assumption that she’s a walker and doesn’t mind the adventure that goes along with it. You don’t get this kind of interaction when buzzing around in a car.

May the source be with you!

5 KM

Thursday, March 13th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Thornhill, Ontario

Local Pilgrimage 

One way that a pilgrimage can be analyzed or defined is when a person or a group of persons make the journey to a sacred place. As simple as that!

Within the greater Toronto area, we now have four official ISKCON places where the science of Krsna consciousness is practiced and is open to the public. Really, we have just begun within the last decade in this endeavor to grow. And there is a vision to continue increasing the numbers. This morning I ventured to one of those places.

Two short blocks away from Dundas square (Toronto’s version of Times Square) is a humble and quaint, two-floor level place of beauty. Situated above a greasy-spoon restaurant on the street level, is something called Bhakti Lounge, where I was invited to give the early morning class.

I walked it, happily. I even stopped by fellow pilgrim, Jivanatha, along the way and together we forged ahead. He moved to Toronto from the gorgeous Kawarthas area a few months ago.

You wouldn’t think that pilgrimage would entail moving from one sacred spot, our ashram, to another place of devotion within a short length of three kilometers, but why not?

Our discussion at Bhakti Lounge was great. These young bhakti-yogis are super-bright. They pose fantastic questions, centered around the father’s duty to the son. The great literary monk, Vyasadeva, spent a concentrated many years teaching his son, Sukadeva, the science of self-realization.

Being that this week is March break, children are home from school. Our temple/ashram administration organized an escape for parents by coordinating a Krsna Kids Day Camp. Guess who was one of their presenters?

My topic was “Who is Krishna?”

The most common response from the group of little ones (age 5-15) was, “He is our Protector.”

The number two popular answer was, “He’s our best friend.”

May the Source be with you!

5 KM

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Appearance—The Exoteric and Esoteric Reasons
→ Karnamrita's blog

Author: 
Karnamrita Das

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player is needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer; if you are using Google Chrome it will automatically play, so to not listen, mute your speakers.)
Chaitanya and Krishna lila photo ChaitanyalilaandKrishnalila_zps0ffbcc5f.jpg

[reposted a few times from 3-15-14] There are many ways to know a person. One can know a person by guessing what they might, or should, be like, study the person from a distance—say from the Gossip column, Internet, or Facebook— hear about them from others who may, or may not, know them, or we may directly experience the person through a loving personal relationship.

The last way is the best because if we love a person we will discover, and they will reveal to us, all their secrets. It is similar with Krishna. Even though he is both infinite and inconceivable he has the prerogative to reveal himself to those who love him purely and selflessly. In regard to Krishna, and specifically Shri Chaitanya, there is both an exoteric (apparent) as well as an esoteric (hidden) reason for his appearance.

PART ONE, THE CONFIDENTIAL, HIDDEN REASONS:

The closer we come to Krishna the more we will know about him, by his grace. And there are many ways to explain the necessity of the Lord’s various forms and energies. For example, great devotees have looked very carefully at Krishna, and discovered another person, Radha, or devotion personified, who is most dear to Krishna. There is Krishna, and his energies, all of which come from Radha.

And looking even more closely at the Divine Couple, pure devotees have found that Radha and Krishna have combined together to become one, in the person of Shri Chaitanya. Such pure souls, such as the Six Goswami’s of Vrindavan, Shri Krishnadas Kaviraja, and others, have shared their experience with us in their writings, and given us the logic of their love, referenced by the Vedic scriptures.

THE LORD'S DESIRES ARE ALWAYS FULFILLED

If we study the lila, divine activities, of Radha and Krishna as revealed in the Shrimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrita commented on our Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas including Shrila Prabhupada, we will understand that there must be a Lord Chaitanya to fulfill Krishna’s unmet need. Krishna is perfect, complete, and full in himself, so when he wants to experience something, he manifests a situation and spiritual body accordingly.

read more

Bhaktivedanta Academy
→ Ramai Swami

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The Bhaktivedanta Academy, established in 1984, is an educational institution based in Sri Mayapur Dhama, India, which provides education for boys, girls and adult students on the principles of the Vedic Gurukula system.

The educational programs aim to provide a Krsna Conscious cultural experience for students so they can understand their pure original connection to Krsna.
In 2002 the boys school (pictured) moved to the east of the main temple where Vedic style classrooms and ashrams were built. There are also cow pastures orchards, vegetable and rice growing areas.

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A tidal wave!
→ KKSBlog

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

Lord-Caitanya-and-Lord-Nityananda-DancingAfter taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya just began to dance in great ecstasy and so did Kesava Bharati; he started to dance along with Lord Caitanya and all the people began to dance.

This was the first public display of such love of God. It just burst out of the heart of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who had until then always kept his love for Krsna somewhat hidden.

In his youth, he didn’t display it at all, though sometimes as a young man he had problems when he just fell to the ground. Mother Saci thought it was some kind of disease. She called Srivas Thakur who was a close friend of the family. When he saw Nimai in that state, he said, “I wish I would get that disease!”  He understood very well what was going on. So, it might have been known to some for some time, but never was it displayed so fully as when he took sannyasa.

We get a description of Lord Caitanya traveling through South India displaying this great ecstasy and people all get swept up. People begin to chant and become ecstatic. They would go back to their villages, make whole villages ecstatic and the holy name is echoing everywhere. Lord Caitanya’s chanting was flooding all of India like a tidal wave!

Meaning Of The Names PT.9
→ Japa Group


Hare

rasavesa-parisrastam jahara muralim hareh
hareti kirtita devi vipine keli-lampata

Due to the intense love of Sri Radha, Sri Hari becomes so captivated that His flute falls from His hand. With the desire to enjoy in the forest bowers with Krsna, Radha steals His flute. That goddess is thus famous as Hara.

Srila Jiva Goswami

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.

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