Go Raksha Dharma!
→ Dandavats.com

The New Raman Reti Goshala’s primary concern is to glorify and protect the sacred cow whose presence is always supremely pleasing to Lord Krishna. Everything that the cow produces is for the benefit of mankind and yet this all- giving animal is ignored, abused and exploited in modern society. Through the experience of a functioning goshala we will be able to educate people about the value of the gentle, magnanimous cow and the importance of oxen to farming. -- Read more ›

New Year Eve Celebration with Little Graduating Students from Gokul Garden
→ ISKCON Malaysia

BY DIVYA VRNDAVANA DEVI DASI

KUALA LUMPUR - For many of us the New Year Eve is a day when everyone gets ready usher the new year,  but  it was different for five youngsters in Gokul Garden of Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur. For them it was a day they could proudly claim they have successfully completed their first years in Krishna consciousness in Gokul Garden. That's right, it was graduation day for Gokul Garden!

The night started off with Sandhya arati for the Lordships. Later, with the crowd waiting patiently at the main stage, it was show time. The Regional Secretary, Simhesvara das gave his opening speech followed by a speech by the Temple President, Kripa Sindhu das welcoming the guest and congratulating the graduates. This was followed by bhajans, lead by Gaura on the mrdanga, as the Gokul Garden kids sang enthusiastically capturing the hearts of the listener.

The main idea of the graduation was to allow the graduates to showcase their talent. The first of the graduates, Brindha Palani performed a Bharata Natyam dance entitled "Krishna Gautam". The overwhelming response from the audience proved it was going to be a night to remember. Next Hari Priya, the second graduating student, took the stage by reciting a poem entitled 'Thank you Krishna for everything'. Her poem served as a reminder that we should preserve what we have and never look at what we lack. The third graduating student, Vishnu very confidentally narrated the story of Brahma and the cowherd boys. He was an example of what Gokul Garden has brought out from this children. Gaura Sundar, the fourth graduating student showed his talents with his mrdanga proving he has lot to offer in near future. Finally the final graduating student, Breenda Pillai took us back to the land of Navadvip together with her partner Lekhashri enacting the pastime of the meeting of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda.

Interlaced between each graduating student's performance were the performances of the Gokul Garden kids nursery rhymes with a special twist. The first group took us back to Vrindavan, the house of Krishna and showed us Krishna's animal friends to the tune of "Old MacDonald had a farm" while the second group taught us how to use our senses to serve Krishna. 

The five graduating students then took us down memory lane recapping what they have learned through out their years in Gokul Garden and the activities throughout the year.
The graduating students were then given certificates of accomplishments by Simheswara das. The finale to bring an end to the much hyped event was a dance entitled "Jaya Janardhana" performed by the Gokul Garden children who moved the hearts of the audience with their graceful moves. With confetti blasting from both sides, it marked the end of their graduation. Gifts were handed out to the rest of the Gokul Garden children as well as the teachers in appreciation for the wonderful year they had spent together. 
 

Wanted: Contract Grower For Tomatoes
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

San Marzano

We are shifting the produce paradigm a bit for 2014.

Rather than growing everything centrally, we are going to contract
growers to provide some produce.  We will be listing vegetables and
the amounts  needed and the cost that will be paid.

As we use tons of tomatoes and plan on freezing sauce the need is open ended so pls advise if you want to grow for guaranteed price of $1.50 a pound for organic tomatoes.

We will specify  varieties but open to suggestion of other paste varieties, but not Roma.. We prefer San Marzano, an oblong indeterminate and Bellstar, a smaller early round determinate.  We can provide the seed.

We also will have T posts and frames to trellis tomatoes on available to borrow if needed. We can also provide ground to grow them on in the Garden of 7 Gates  if you need beds to grow them on.

We would need to know in advance how much you intend to grow so we can coordinate so we don’t get too many but we are open for a lot.

Please contact Madhava Gosh if you are interested.

Missing Puzzle Piece
→ Seed of Devotion

My parent's deities, Sri Radha Raman, have needed a bath and new clothes for awhile. So this morning I polished Their brass forms with tilak and lemon juice. Cotton balls came away blackish. I dressed Them in fresh clothes. I had actually designed and ordered these clothes five years ago when I had been in Vrindavan, India. 

When at last I placed Sri Radha Raman back upon Their altar, I just sat there and gazed at Their bright faces. They looked so happy, so beautiful. 

I physically felt as though my heart became complete. There was this curious sensation in my chest, like a missing puzzle piece had just been placed there.  







New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ January 3, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

 

02

Please see the link for all photos ….

How important are the most powerful earthly kings for us? How important are all the demigods and sages? How important are countless material opulences, which come and go like the scenery in a dream? How important are even the liberated devotees in the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha, for those of us who have made residing in Vrndavana our only goal of life?

[ Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrndavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-25 Translation ]

Japa Group Message
→ Japa Group

Today I received a nice message from one of our Japa Group email subscribers.

"I get so excited to chant to Krishna that I feel I get going way to fast!! When I catch myself chanting to fast, I make myself SLOW WAY DOWN for several beads to relax me again....Hare Krishna!!!! Then I am back to being able to concentrate on the sound vibration of the Holy Name of Krishna. Hare Krishna!"

I find inspiration when I see devotees making sincere efforts like this and it reminds me of the importance of giving utmost respect to Krsna's sound vibration the Hare Krsna mantra.

Recordings from South Africa, December 2013
→ KKSBlog

IMG_0783Kadamba Kanana Swami visited South Africa from 12-17 December. Please find below recordings from the various programs that he did.

You may listen online via the media player or to download a file, right-click on the title and “save-target-as”.

 

 

KKS_South Africa_Midrand_12 December 2013_Evening Kirtan

KKS_South Africa_Midrand_12 December 2013_Evening Lecture

KKS_South Africa_PTA_13 December 2013_Morning Lecture

KKS_South Africa_PTA_13 December 2013_Evening Kirtan

KKS_South Africa_PTA_13 December 2013_Evening Lecture

KKS_South Africa_PTA_14 December 2013_CC Madhya 9.179-193

KKS_South Africa_Lenasia_15 December 2013_Kirtan

KKS_South Africa_Lenasia_15 December 2013_CC Madhya 14.16

KKS_South Africa_Soweto_15 December 2013_Lecture

KKS_South Africa_Sandton_16 December 2013_Kirtan

KKS_South Africa_Sandton_16 December 2013_SB 1.17.38

 

 

Remembering New Vrindaban’s Samba 1949 – circa 1991
→ View From a New Vrindaban Ridge

1983-Summer-Ghat Construction-1

Recently there was a picture of Samba on the Brijabasi Spirit Throwback Thursday.  Naturally it reminded me of him. What he will be best remembered for is that he was a trucker who hauled in much of the materials that manifest as what most devotees would now recognize as New Vrindaban.

He took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1972 and helped build the Palace. All that marble you see at the Palace was hauled in and Samba made frequent trips to New York and other places to pick it up.

He was especially active in the 1980s when the lodge, Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra  temple and all the associated building were constructed. We had our own cement mixer for the floors and curbs and  a paving brick factory where all the pavers used in the parking lot were made. All that material was hauled in as well as the gravel substrata under the roads.  Also a lot of the construction materials that were used to build the structures.

Samba was so dedicated he would be at the gravel place when it opened in the morning. He would haul gravel all day until it closed. He would dump the gravel on a lot we purchased at Rte 88 and 250.  Then when  the gravel place would close he would reload the materials onto his truck and haul it the rest of the way  into New Vrindaban because he could get more done in a day that way.

When the lake by the temple, then called Kaliya Ghat,  was being built he was involved.   A large hole was excavatedIn order for a lake to hold water it needs a clay liner and the clay on site wasn’t suitable so he was trucking it in. He would dump it and the man (or in this case,  kid, our current ECOV director Chaitanya “Chaits” Mangala then age 14 ) on a dozer would smooth it out to make the liner.

BTW other members of the crew were Varsana Maharajah overseeing, Pippalada,  grader operator,  Murti, truck driver, Kaliya Krishna, trucker,  Sarva Saksi back hoe  and Samba, son of Hayagriva,  also just  a kid at age 12, dozer.

They would run in shifts around the clock and  a leader at the time said he couldn’t fall asleep unless he heard the equipment running.

Some of Samba’s ashes were spread in the ghat so the next time you watch a Swan Boat Ceremony, remember Samba.

Samba was also a devotee of Tulasi and spent a lot of time caring for Her.

After Srila Prabhupada left the planet and Kirtanananda took over Samba left for a few years. He got cancer and moved back to New Vrindaban to leave his body. He was set up in a room in what is the guest quarters now of the temple.

While there he was chanting furiously, so intently that a prominent leader  told him that because he had done so much service and was rightly situated in the temple that he didn’t need to worry so much about chanting so hard. Samba waited until the leader left the room then went right back to chanting furiously.

At the end there was a sannyasi who was visiting and standing next to his bed holding his danda. With his last breath Samba reached out, grabbed the danda , and left his body.  Those of us at the time who were hard core householders appreciated that although it is proscribed that at some time we take up the sannyasa life of celibacy, traveling and preaching, Samba only had to endure that for the shortest possible time, one breath, as we figured grabbing the danda was taking sannyasa. It was another thing to admire him for.


Filed under: News, Ramblings or Whatever

Iowa Ahimsa Milk
→ Servant of the Servant


If there is an option to choose between Independence and prevention of Cow Slaughter, I would choose the latter, for its protection shall open all means to achieve true independence. - Mahatma Gandhi

Here in Iowa, we are trying to organize a micro-dairy farm where we can support few cows and its offsprings without sending to slaughter. It is a very small effort for a big cause.

Go-rakshya is a way of natural life in harmony with nature. It is one of the significant factors for sustainable farming and green living. Growing research in the field of agriculture and environmentalism strongly promote cow protection as a way of happy and sustainable life for the cow, nature and human beings.

As humans we rely heavily on cow products. Slaughtering the cow after the effect is highly an inhumane thing to do. Unfortunately, industrialized nations such as America lead the way in cow slaughter. Surprisingly India is not far behind in cow slaughter.



In Iowa, a small group of devotees are coming together to try to elevate the consciousness of local residents of cow slaughter and ahimsa milk. We want your support.

You can support us by clicking "like" on our facebook page. The more "likes", the more chances we can approach a local dairy farm and initiate the conversation of micro-dairies.

In our estimate, from Iowa, we think it is doable. We want your virtual support for without the blessings of devotees, we cannot make progress. Please bless us by clicking like on our facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/IowaAhimsaMilk

Oh Bharata, nothing is rare for a devotee of the cow. Whatever such devotees desire, they achieve. A lady who is devoted to the cow can have her desires fulfilled by the cow’s mercy. One who desires a son or a daughter, who desires wealth, one who desires piety, or knowledge — all can get their desires fulfilled by the mercy of the cow- Mahabharat

Thank you very much

Hare Krishna