Bhaktimarga Swami reaches “Nirvana” in Cuba! :-)
→ Dandavats.com

What a great relief! In Cuba you can approach a person or pass by one on the street and not have to deal with a moat around his castle. I mean to say people here, on the whole, have not yet been burdened by pods and pods or I this or I that I, I, I, I, I,… Yes, I say it’s a consolation, seeing a human being and having it be an eye-to-eye situation, instead of an eye-to-I. There are little or no gadgets. I feel liberated! I feel I’ve reached moksha, nirvana. Read more ›

Bhaktivedanta Academy Students Raise $374 to Support Cow Protection at New Raman Reti
→ Dandavats.com

Bhaktivedanta Academy students raise funds to support the cow protection efforts at the New Raman Reti Temple every year. This year they set a goal of raising $308 for fixing pasture fences and providing feed for the Temple's herd of cows. Students did odd jobs around their homes, tapped into their personal savings (piggy banks), and in some cases, went out into the community distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books with their parents. As a result of all these efforts, we presented a check for $374 to the Save the Cow program! Read more ›

Great news for fans of HG Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari: “Christmas is…Not on Vaishnava Calendar,” (2 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Great news for fans of HG Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari—his new Holiday CD, "Christmas is...Not on Vaishnava Calendar," is now finally recorded. Now you can give the most jolly, unique, and inspiring Christmas gifts to friends and family by showing your support now for the first ever Vaishnava Christmas CD in the history of the world. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And remember, "Yamaraja is Coming to Town." Read more ›

Krishna Kids Camp 2013 – Detroit ISKCON (Album 83 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

So I decided to stay during the 4 days of camp with my 3 children at the Mandir. The prabhuji's and the mataji's were so warm and friendly and welcoming. My children and I made so many friends. Infact my children were sad to see the camp end on Saturday. I couldn't believe my eldest daughter was chosen to play the part of Lord Krishna in the small play that the older children performed for the other parents on Saturday. With all the positive encouragement and help of her teachers at the camp she did an amazing job!" Read more ›

A Sincere Devotee Has Full Faith
→ Japa Group

"One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy name. A sincere devotee has full faith in the Holy name. He always tries to improve his chanting by pulling out the weeds of illicit desires. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves on the path of devotion by surrendering moment to moment to the Lord of attraction."

From Illuminations On Nama Aparadha
by Mahanidhi Swami

VIHE Holy Name Retreat, Kirtan Day, November 22, Varsana, Vraja Mandala
Giriraj Swami

11.22.13_02.Vdvn11.22.13_01.Vdvn————————————————————————————————–
“Somehow or other we have been called here to Vrindavan. And we can see that something wonderful is behind this thin curtain. Now, the question, of course,  is how to remove the curtain. And the answer is that we don’t have the capacity to remove the curtain. But if we can chant Krishna’s names in such a way that we are seriously calling, expressing a serious desire to see and serve behind the curtain, or if we can just chant attentively, trying to develop a mood of ‘Please accept me. Please allow me to serve you. Please allow me to taste the sweetness that is fully there in this dhama‘ — because the spiritual realm is so apparent here, if we chant with that kind of focus, then clearly the Divine Couple and all Their associates who are there behind this thin veil can hear us.” —Bhurijana dasa

Kirtan by Giriraj Swami
Kirtan by Bhurijana dasa
Talk by Sacinandana Swami
Kirtan by Sacinandana Swami
Conclusion by Sacinandana Swami

Levels of consciousness
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS Lecture)

kks_radhadesh_lecture under the tree_2013I’m thinking about Carl Jung who in an interview was asked, “Mr Jung, would you say that you believe in God?”

That’s a basic question when you interview Carl Jung because everybody knows that Jung was very religious.

But Jung said, “No, I don’t believe in God.”

The interviewer was shocked. Shocked! How could he say this? Jung? What happened? Did he lose his faith?

Then Jung said, “No, I don’t believe in God. I know that God exists!”

Now we’ve come to the fourth level. On the fourth level, we go beyond belief – we go to the level of experience. Here we break through into a mystical realm, a realm where there is an experience of a higher reality, where there is an experience of divinity that goes beyond theory.

I’ll quickly do a resume in numbers. In level one we are concerned with basic survival; in level two, with relationships; in level three, with enquiry into the purpose of life; and level four is actually a knowing of the mystical reality and having an experience of divinity. In level five, we have a full experience of living in that reality. In level five, one lives in one’s spiritual identity, and one is in this world as a liberated soul. Externally one may be here, but internally, one is in the eternal spiritual reality. So these are the levels of consciousness that are depicted in the vedic literature.

 

 

Marathon
→ Seed of Devotion

Imagine - your name is Phillipides and you're a soldier and professional runner in the Greek army. One fateful morning, the general of the army summons you: You must deliver the news that we were victorious over the Persians, but they are fast approaching Athens and plan to surprise attack. The only way to deliver this news is to run.

The distance is 24 miles.

You are exhausted. Battle-worn. But you firm your resolve and nod to your general, accept the mission.

You run. From the plains of Marathon to the city of Athens, you run the distance in 3 hours. Upon arrival, you cry the word, "Niki!" (Victory!) and fall to the ground and breathe your last.

Sorry you had to die, man. But what's the tale of one of the most famous battles in history without a little drama?

This is the tale of the marathon race. It's a story of urgency, sacrifice, bravery.

And this is kind of where I'm at with Seed of Devotion. I made a vow to publish 40 blog posts for the year 2013. I still have 12 to write, and there are only 29 days left.

This means I need to publish a post about every 2 or 3 days, which is pretty unprecedented in the history of Seed of Devotion.

As a woman of my word, it's time to nod to my general, accept the challenge. Time to run from

here

to

there.

I'm not quite sure how I'll do it. Not quite sure what I'll share or what will come out. All I know is that now is the time. Time to open up, be brave.

Write!

I may not die when I reach my 40th post, but for sure I shall cry out, "Niki!"


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Saturday, November 30th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

The Kissin’ Kind

Varadero, Cuba
 
There were a number of wet faces, tears being shed while viewing the documentary, “Your Ever Well Wisher”. An old movie house, cinema 23, in Habana, now refurbished played host to this 30 year old account of the life of the most prominent Krishna monk of recent times. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s life, whom his followers beautifully address as his Divine Grace as well as Prabhupada, is documented in this film. I guess it’s been 20 years since I viewed it. It tapped my emotions seeing it again.
 
I especially loved the image where he is depicted in a dark room, from a distance. A faint light sheds enough illumination to do his important work, in the wee hours of some morning, speaking in a Dictaphone as translation work on his books. I find it fascinating: this elderly person, a father to so many of us, working tirelessly for the world, even taking on the world. He challenged the status quo with his purports and had us believing in conspiracy concepts that were not for us to immerse ourselves in. He had us trusting in a powerful deity, Krishna, who had multiple manifestations such as Buddha.
 
For our last day in Cuba, location Varadero at the Memories Resort, our Canadian contingent from Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto regrouped. While having a chat, a woman, a tourist from Niagara Falls, Ontario, approached me.
 
“Hello, how are you?” she said. “You’re Buddhist?”
 
“I’m a Krishna monk.”
 
I didn’t volunteer to express the similarities of the two cultures. I relayed that I a pilgrim having trekked Canada now almost completing a fourth time.
 
It was a brief encounter. Here at the resort, it’s not Cuba. It’s a tourist destination. There is a gulf of difference between Cuba and this 22 KM stretch of beach.
 
I wonder what the Cubans think of us tourists. From my perspective tourists are more unshapely, sour-puss faced and more cordial than warm.  There’s really an aspect of this country that the world can learn from. People here are not spoiled by capitalism. They are very loving and kissin’ kind and are easily touched by a person (Prabhupada) whose message is for all.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Friday, November 29th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Get Down With Bhagavatam
 
Habana, Cuba
 
It was India’s Ambassador for Cuba, C. Rajasekhar, whom we had the pleasure to meet yesterday at the embassy’s stately building at Calle 21, Vedado in Habana. India has had a special bond with Cuba for generations. From the main lobby to ascending the stairs to the Ambassador’s room, the walls are flanked with photos of dignitaries representing both countries, for instance Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Fidel Castro and others are seen in mutual exchange with each other.
 
Our small contingent simply made this a courtesy visit. We had no other agenda but to keep up a communication. Rajasekhar mentioned that he wished to join me on my next pilgrimage. I alluded to the fact that it’s not in India that I traverse, rather it’s outside of India.
 
“Please let me know. I want to accompany you.”
 
“In Canada?”
 
“Yes, why not?”
 
Apart from thinking that it would be an honour, I raced in my mind what the logistics would be. We shall see.
 
Then he asked for a publication of the book “Bhagavatam”.  “It’s a text that was engrained in the family.” he said.
 
“Consider it done!”
 
It was this evening in the midst of monsoonal rains that I ventured with another contingent to the Episcopal College some blocks from the Embassy where I was asked to introduce mature students to the epical book “The Bhagavatam”. Somewhere in the course of the delivery I mentioned “Noah’s Ark”. At that moment torrents came down while we were comfortably set in the classroom. Timing couldn’t have been better.
 
The response to the class was absolutely wonderful. We even slid in an opportunity for all to chant together, not that the philosophy of the Bhagavat is alien to transcendental sound. In addition to the other visit at the college we also took quality time to tell of Bhagavatam stories to eager listeners to our small devotional ranks here in Cuba.
 
For the day’s overview it was several times that we dodged rain, even to and from the college on foot. Content to be embraced by the pastimes contained in the Bhagavatam, we couldn’t help noticing on our return to our room, the bars in Habana being occupied. From a monk’s perspective I wondered, “I’m glad I can take a daily drink of this divine text’s message. I’m fortunate to have left the pub scene behind and taken to the monastic way.”
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Thursday, November 28th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

On the Roads in Cuba
 
Havana, Cuba
 
A man promptly trailed along the street with one of those famous Cuban cigars set in his mouth. I had expected more of this type of image in Cuba. I see few young folks smoking them. They resort more to cigarettes.
 
According to one of our Cuban members here, Raja Guyam, ´´Cubans are not so big on drugs as they are on drinking, and gambling is out of the question. In ’59 it was outlawed and you get penalized quite heavily if found doing so.´´.
 
When we conducted our second initiation on the island on this trip, the candidates who made their vows, have no qualms about abstinence towards gambling and for the most part intoxication. When I looked into the eyes of those initiates as they expressed their commitments, I wished with an optic discharge that they would do well. I said, “Be an inspiration to others.”  Being quite young, Claudia is a young mother to the first Vaishnav baby boy in Cuba and has a good chance to succeed with a supportive husband, who is now in Spain on a scholarship. Alex the other initiate is only 20, with a promising future could easily be swept away given his good looks, so we wish him well. Stay in spiritual company and you are safe.
 
Hayagriva and I, along with two female devotees, took to the charm of streets in Rodas. We compare life here to the villages in India: simple circumstance with modest homes and basic needs being met. Walking in such a neighbourhood is heart-warming.
 
Opportunities to walk came in doses. On the autopista, an eight lane highway, en route to Habana, for washroom breaks I vied to walk a stretch of it. I figured people need to get used to the robes. I’m going to be coming regularly.
 
The final trek was along the Malecon, the sea walk, where the road was actually closed to the traffic. The Atlantic seemed angry with blasts of water spraying over into the several lanes. We kept our distance from these water walls which have the potential to totally knock you out. Danger lurks at every step.
 
Alex is now Adidev. Claudia is Chaitanya Lila. Congratulations!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Never Before
 
Rodas, Cuba
 
Never before had such loud thunderclaps fallen on these ears.
 
5 AM was our agreed-upon time for a trek through and beyond the town Rodas, a place we visited last year. Friends from Matanzas had taken what seemed like the day-long bus ride to this place and had now converged for a walk. Cuba and Canadian contingents unit, I guess you could say. In the early wake of dawn Indra, the god of rain, had shown his generous side.
 
Quick! We moved to the nearest shelter and spent a good 2½ hours there in a meaningful chatter of things that were devotional. The young Cuban devotees were eager to hear from Hayagriva and I. At that time we shared what we could as stormy dynamics occupied the space beyond the old Spanish-flavoured edifice we took protection within.
 
Once heavy rains cleared replaced by sprinkle, we headed for the home of our host, Mercedes and her husband who is a Steve Martin look-alike. After a smoothie (Cubans had never heard the term before) we went into further bhakti discussions. (By the way, the smoothie, my concoction, consisted of yogurt, fresh guavas, bananas and a tomato.)
 
The afternoon engagement was held at a local Culture House, a decent facility with an art gallery and a hall equipped with a stage. Electricity wasn’t up to par, it was just not working, period. I spoke more or less in a half-lit/half-dark situation about Vaisnava art culture which was followed by participants chanting. As the term was used before, we are fun addicts, and hopefully not perceived as fanatics.
 
A second public venue for the day was the movie house, a cozy place really, where the spiritually inclined gravitated; about thirty in number. The task at hand was to keep the very young who were present, seniors and all in between, perked-up, so we implemented some improvisation and enactment of the philosophy of the Gita. Volunteers came forward to portray images from the text. To give an example, “Be a lotus” for instance, the message being, “Remain dry in the midst of water or be unaffected by material entanglement”.
 
The meal at the end was novel-spaghetti and sweet potato halava.
 
All is good with our stay in Cuba. Not only did Steve Martin appear to be with us, but a Ray Charles look-alike also participated. No he didn’t play music but he sang with us with Krishna on his mind.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
4 KM

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Relief!
 
Santa Clara, Cuba
 
What a great relief!
 
In Cuba you can approach a person or pass by one on the street and not have to deal with a moat around his castle. I mean to say people here, on the whole, have not yet been burdened by pods and pods or I this or I that I, I, I, I, I,…
 
Yes, I say it’s a consolation, seeing a human being and having it be an eye-to-eye situation, instead of an eye-to-I. There are little or no gadgets. I feel liberated! I feel I’ve reached moksha, nirvana.
 
A small group of us from Canada went on a two block excursion on the street in Santa Clara to test the waters of human interaction. Cuba strikes No.1 on my gauge of personalism. We got such a nice response. There was no bar between us and them. Our kirtan actually was a raft, slow chant with a drum beat to boot. Inquisitive they were.
 
We found the same at Cuba’s renowned “El Mejunje”, a community square in the heart of Santa Clara when Iksvaku, a Cuban-born American, conducted a fire ceremony for three new initiates in Krishna Consciousness. The audience was curious and yet divided. To one side were the managers of the place. Hugged around the small fire pit were committed devotees. The tattered bleachers directly in front of the pit were spiritual seekers. To the other side were young lovers locked in each other arms. To the far right of the pit were the hipsters. I saw these distinct groups yet they all became one during the final chanting session as we “sweat like hogs” in dance under three shady flamboyant trees with three sided graphitized walls.
 
By the way the three ladies taking diksha were Maite, on behalf of my godbrother, Jayapataka, is now Madhumati Vishaka. Santa is now Sruti and Nancy is now Nandarani.
 
A regret is that I couldn’t walk much. It was a full-on bus ride to Santa Clara from Matanzas. Only by evening did the opportunity avail itself. People are not so car-dependant here. In some villages, half the transportation is by horse and carriage. What else is different? In Cuban homes, toilets and faucets don’t always work, although rainwater from a tank could suffice. You get used to it.
 
One thing I’m also getting used to, is communicating with human beings that are straight-on, with no device between us. Agreeable! It’s so nice!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM

Our Stories: Come home, all is forgiven!
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

Two devotees who used to come online seem to have disappeared from Mayapur TV!  Maybe they are getting more live association… anyone seen them?  Anyway, here are their stories, which they sent in many moons ago.

Annaanna

 

I first met devotees nearly seven years ago* in Reading, UK.  I remember that I’d seen devotees before on trips to London. They struck me as strange, with their dancing and hippy- looking clothing, so when I saw them in Reading I made a concerted effort to walk around them and gave them sideways looks from afar.

Then one day I was stopped by a devotee.  At the time I was a practising Jew.  I’d converted a few years before and had a solid plan to return to Israel where I’d spent time and become an Orthodox Jew, living a strict religious life in a Jerusalem suburb somewhere.

So I stopped, and smiled warily, ready for the conversion type tactics I’d encountered with Christian missionaries, ready for an argument and to defend my choice of faith.  What I got instead was a smile, and a pleasant conversation about what I believed in and where I was from. I made it clear Krishna wasn’t for me and instead of hell fire and damnation I got another smile and a wish for a nice day.  I walked away surprised.

After that I bumped into devotees on a few other occasions. Once or twice I took a book, remembering that first devotee, flicked through it and read the odd page.  I got something about a blue God, who liked cows and pretty girls.  It confirmed my feeling that those Hare Krishna people were strange, so I put the books in a corner and forgot about them.

Fast forward a few years and I’d given up my ideas of Orthodox Judaism:  too many rules and not enough spirituality – I couldn’t hack it. I still went to Synagogue and taught Hebrew, but I felt myself slowly drifting away.  I started re-exploring the ”alternative” beliefs of my teen years. I went to Buddhist meditation classes, flirted with Wicca, and tried to be a good Jew in between, and wrestled furiously with myself over what I thought I should be believing.

Somewhere along the way I became interested in Hinduism. It seemed to fit in well with my ideas on God so I read and checked out some websites.   The more I read, the more I liked, so one day I decided to check out a temple. By Krishna’s merciful arrangement the nearest and most accessible temple to me was Radha London Isvara in Soho, London.

I’d checked out the website, and knew it belonged to Hare Krishnas. So I went, remembering the encounters of my past, determined to satisfy my interest and nothing more.  Those weird Hare Krishnas were NOT having me!

What I found in the temple was not a cult or a bunch of white hippies trying to be Indians as I had expected, but a place full of light and music, colour and welcoming smiles.   Devotees were friendly and helpful; no conversion tactics, just openness and friendly faces that patiently answered my questions, no matter how challenging they were.    But more than that, I felt like I had come home.  The sights and sounds were strange, but familiar all at the same time. All my concerns melted away:  it felt like a place I could stay forever.

The story really starts there. I left that day in a bubble of happiness.  I felt like I’d been purified.  I swapped my Buddhist mantras for the Maha Mantra and chanted Hare Krishna all the way home, barely able to stop smiling.  Before I went to Londonisvara I’d been a major meat eater, but from that day I couldn’t eat meat anymore; I lost my taste for it completely.

When I got home the first thing I did was dig out the forgotten books I’d taken all those years ago.  Suddenly they went from being reluctantly taken items to things precious beyond words.  I read them, the words and images no longer strange, but life-giving, like water in a desert.

My journey to becoming a devotee hasn’t been without its slip-ups, and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve not chanted for days but I’ve remained vegetarian since that first day and I know I’ll be a devotee for life.

Krishna Consciousness has changed me completely and I feel more peaceful and happy than I ever thought possible. I have real friends, and a philosophy that I don’t have to force myself to believe in.  HDG Prabhupad once said everything to do with Krishna tastes sweet, and I can honestly say it’s true.

I don’t remember the names of those devotees who first smiled and talked so nicely with me, or who gave me a book for just a few pennies, but every time I take out my japa bag, or walk into Londonisvara, I think of them, because without them I would not be a devotee today.

*Will be longer now: not sure how long I’ve had the story! Ed.

 

Jeremejereme

When I was 19, in 1994, I was at art college in Carlisle. I had an interview for university in London but needed to stay somewhere overnight as it was too far for a day trip. My Dad told me he had a colleague whose daughter was a student in London, and somehow persuaded him to ask his daughter if I could stay a night at her home. I went for my interview and met Sam at Euston Station. When we met it was love at first sight and we were married seven days later. After the wedding we went to her flat and she put on a record she was given when she was a small child by a devotee in Germany; her Mum thought it was a Beatles record I believe. It was the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra and we sang it for the rest of the day, not knowing what it was about.

A few weeks later, I was busking with my saxophone in Covent Garden, London and two devotees stopped and talked to me. I was immediately attracted to them; it was as if they were from another universe! They gave me a leaflet/ booklet about their philosophy; I did not read it, but enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Feeling it was something special, I kept the booklet and, perhaps 6 or 7 years later, my wife and I finally read it. We then went straight to London and visited the Soho Street temple where we saw the Deities, met devotees and bought lots of books about KC from the gift shop. Several weeks later we visited Bhaktivedanta Manor and discovered that a new programme was starting in Ipswich; as this was near our home at the time, we attended, and had the great pleasure of meeting more wonderful devotees including Kripamoya das.

Sorry the pic is so small.  Ed.

Monday, November 25th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Cool Cuba!
 
Matanzas, Cuba
 
It´s winter so water can be rough, like it is today. Hayagriva, my assistant monk and I, consider that the waves on the Atlantic were doable for a swim, but we stayed at the edge. After a fight with the waves and a good attempt at singing mantras simultaneously, we went to dry as the local lifeguard came around only out of curiosity.
 
“Where are you from?”  he asked.
 
“Canada,” said Hayagriva who manages in Spanish. We let people know we are part of a spiritual mission: Krishna Consciousness.
 
This is my fourth trip to Cuba and I can see the family is slowly growing. In Matanzas, the home of Hari Keli has become a regular meeting place for enthusiasts in bhakti yoga. Little has been done to the building repairs and needs. Foreign finance seems to be the way to resolve that problem. Devotees who joined the Salwan family and I, came from Alberta and are offering to help.
 
The greeting of local people, who mostly have converted to vegetarianism and bhakti, was a resounding welcome. Such zeal! They are so genuine in their devotional expression. My dear friend, Iksvaku, is here to do the translation for a class I gave on the lesson number one from the Bhagavad-gita; that is the soul’s persistent journey through various lives.  “If death comes tomorrow, don’t lament. A new body awaits you.”  Several times I used the phrase, “Why Cry?” and the group repeated the message. It was as if they were learning a Sanskrit mantra and some English at the same time. In any event, the message, well, they got it, at least in rational perimeters.
 
Nitai from Edmonton, Canada, has a reputation for bhajan singing and he led a killer kirtan, although his voice could have used some amplification. Folks here just can’t afford to buy or to rent. You’re lucky to earn $15 US or Canadian in a month.
 
To highlight the evening apart from chanting, the youth enacted a drama written by Alberto, a playwright. That sure pulled my heartstrings.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Sunday, November 24th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

From the Heart
 
Varadero, Cuba
 
You see Brits, Germans, Russians but mostly Canadians in Cuba, 87% of tourists. I met a Belgian couple who spoke Flemish. I was surprised I could pick up on some words.
 
My first language was Dutch, akin to Flemish. This couple and others wanted to know, “What group are you with?” Even a smiley Cuban guy, a waiter, wanted to know. I was the only monk in the entire buffet at Memories Resort. I stood out.
 
I like standing out but only for the sake of being a representative for my guru, Srila Prabhupada. Whatever I do, it is on his behalf. At the entrance of the buffet you are greeted by pressed-dressed people who offer a “Hola”. I return a pranams (palms together). They then give a quick spontaneous bow.
 
You fill out a form voluntarily at the dinner table after a meal. They want feedback. Okay! Here it is. Under the section  ”Comments on the beer” I wrote "I don’t drink poison.”  On the resorts entertainment I wrote “I meditate.”  On the buffet food I wrote “please separate meat from the vegetarian items.”
 
I am waiting for my monk assistant, Hayagriva, and his companion, Sahil, an excellent drummer, but while I wait I hit the Atlantic beach and swam its waters. There I caught up sadhana songs, praises to the guru and Krishna. It’s a usual morning session. It’s what I miss when I’m not in the temple ashram. I also walked on the beach, as others were doing. Here I don’t stand out due to swim wear but an obvious white string, a brahmin’s thread, keeps me apart. It’s no fashion statement. It’s my mark as a devotee of the Divine.
 
The family I flew here with is the Salwan’s, a kindly clan from the Punjab, now residents of Canada. We all enjoy a great temperature (in the 20’s) after leaving our first snowfall for the year, in southern Ontario; a fresh white powder blanketing the upper part of Mother Earth. We are fine. We have fun.
 
And manana (tomorrow) we will start our spiritual program together: a reading of sastra (truth teachings), discussion and singing “Hare Krishna”. It might take on a salsa flavour though. As long as it’s from the heart, right?
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Urgent appeal (Food for life) Needs a New Van
→ simple thoughts

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Urgent Appeal

Dear Maharajas/Prabhus,
PAMHO AGTSP,

We are a small project based in London, Matchless Gifts.
We distribute prasad(santified food) to 1,000 people daily, hold festivals,including 26 Rathayatras per year,etc.

We have very little funds available at this moment, our old van is on it’s last legs, a very large number of Prabhupada disciples have signed a letter requesting help on my behalf (thanks to all of you).

We have set up a “just giving” account,

http://www.justgiving.com/feedthepoor

so please help no matter how small or big.

your servant Parasuram Das

Worth a thousand words
- TOVP.org

The TOVP has already received much acclaim and recognition for its grandeur and size. However, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Our staff photographer took a trip to Navadwip and took photos showcasing the view of the temple from across the Ganga. Captured from a distance, these pictures underscore how formidably the super structure stands against the landscape.

Also taken were recent shots of the TOVP nursery. Located at the local Jagannath Mandir, the nursery boasts over 2000 trees. Additional specimens are expected. The trees will be attended and grown until landscaping begins. At this time, the trees will have blossomed and be ready for transplanting.

Some surprise photos submitted to the TOVP office show how the influence of the temple’s design has extended into the native culture. The celebrations for the past Durga Puja had sites marked with elements taken from released drawings.

Whether standing tall and firm in the Mayapur countryside, as a template for mandals or in the foresight to plan luscious gardens, the impact of the TOVP weighs deep. Its prestige marks the power all devotees have to effect change in the name of Mahaprabhu’s movement.