21 Tons
→ travelingmonk.com

This afternoon we unloaded 21 tons of foodstuffs from several semi-trailer trucks for cooking at Woodstock. The transcendental breakdown was as follows: 2.2 tons of sugar, 6.5 tons of peas, 2 tons of semolina, 2.2 tons of butter, 1 ton of oil, 4.2 tons of rice,1.5 tons of frozen vegetables, 1 tons soya, 500 kilos [...]

Stormy Weather
→ travelingmonk.com

Forty-eight hours before Woodstock a huge storm front has descended on the region. With so much at stake we pray that Lord Nrsimhadeva will protect our humble efforts to share Krsna consciousness with hundreds of thousands of conditioned souls this coming week.

ECOV Board Meeting Minutes 7-14-2013
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ECOV Logo

ECOV Board Meeting Minutes 7-14-2013

Mission Statement: ECOV (Earth, Cows, Opportunities & Vrindaban Villages) is dedicated to cow protection, sustainable agriculture, self-sufficiency and simple living — all centered around loving service to Sri Krishna, as envisioned by the ISKCON New Vrindaban Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Participating Board Members: Chaitanya Mangala, Krpamaya, Madhava Gosh, Navin Shyam, and Ranaka.

Participating Project Managers: Rafael

1. Project Manager’s Report

Deity Flower garden / Trees & berries

Projects are going smoothly from Rafael’s perspective. He is working on creating quick-compost piles. He also has an idea to start a permaculture bed in the Garden of Seven Gates as a new project (companion plants, cardboard pieces rather than plastic to prevent weed growth, etc.), for which he will request additional funding. (The project will likely involve planting taro and, upon suggestion from Gosh, asparagus.)

Rafael informed everyone that he will be out of New Vrindaban from October through April, so we will need to address this management gap.

G7G prototype cabin

The unit still needs insulation, a sink and flooring. A grand opening is scheduled for the fall. Krpamaya suggested we invite a local eco-friendly dignitary and Gosh suggested that Tapahpunja knows such folks and may be able to help in this regard.

2. Water bottles

The ECOV-produced stainless steel water bottles are available at the temple gift shop, the palace gift shop, and Blue Home gifts. Krishna’s Attic is willing to carry them, and we have yet to investigate if the lassi barn/new snack bar will carry them as well.

Krpamaya spoke with the various retailers, and they are willing to post small wall-mounted signs advertising the bottles. Padmavati, the designer of the bottle logos, is working on the poster.

Krpamaya will also place informational posters about the virtues of reusable bottles at the various filling stations.

The filling stations outside Govinda’s Restaurant and at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace are still planned but not in the immediate future.

3. Monitoring progress of approved projects

We went through the list of all approved projects, assigning a reporting frequency to each. For future meetings, Navin Shyam will review the list and place any projects that are due for a report on the agenda. The purpose of the updates is three-fold:

a) Keep the Board Members informed of what ECOV is involved with.

b) Trigger final project reports and financial audits for completed projects.

c) Trigger review and possible cancellation of projects not making reasonable progress.

Here are selected updates on projects that were discussed:

• Brickyard building: Only painting the exterior remains

• Promotion: We may have Laxmi Honest work a table at Sunday Feasts.

• Microloans: Chaits is working on a checklist for documents we would need to collect from applicants.

• Sustainability posters: Krpamaya is trying for a permanent display of these in the back lobby of the palace.

• Temple foundation garden beds: Gosh has taken charge of this project.

• Farm vehicle: A hitch still needs to be installed.

4. Second cabin at the Garden of the Seven Gates

Gosh proposed that we purchase a pre-fabricated Amish cabin for $5K for this season’s volunteers. After discussion, the motion was withdrawn and it was decided that a second cabin similar to the first could be built in time for next season. (Specific voting on this was moved to the next meeting.)

05.20 – The biggest battle in life is to keep the biggest battle the biggest battle
→ The Spiritual Scientist

 Life is like a battle. Each day we have to overcome obstacles to achieve our goals.

Among these daily battles, the biggest battle is in ensuring that we give our best energy to fighting our biggest battle. Otherwise, irritation occurring in small battles can make us bungle in big battles.

A reckless driver cuts across our path during our drive to the office and disrupts our rhythm. The problem is small, but the resulting foul mood can mess our key presentation during a critical office meeting. Knowing this danger, we fight an inner battle to evict the small problem from our head.

Our ability to win these many battles in our head significantly determines our ability to win our bigger battles in life.

This principle also applies to our spiritual life. We are souls who have been suffering for many lifetimes in material existence. Finally now we have the opportunity to attain Krishna if we just practice devotional service and battle against our lower desires determinedly. This is our biggest battle, for the stakes are the biggest – eternal happiness if we win and many lifetimes of misery if we don’t. Comparatively, even the biggest battles of our material life are small battles.

But unfortunately, we let our focus in this biggest battle be sabotaged by irritation over small battles. This happens especially during our meditation time when small issues squat over an outrageously huge space in our head. Evicting such upstart thoughts uncompromisingly and untiringly is our biggest battle. The Bhagavad-gita (05.20) assures that those who refuse to be unduly disturbed by worldly ups and downs attain spiritual intelligence and existence.

If we thus battle to keep the biggest battle the biggest battle, we will duly attain life’s biggest victory – everlasting life with Krishna.

***

A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, who is unbewildered, and who knows the science of God is already situated in transcendence.

 

 

Early impressions
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, First grain ceremony)

grain ceremony_23 july 2013Growing up in a family of devotees, it is mentioned in the scriptures, is someone who is finishing something from a previous life; one resumes devotional service! The early impressions in life are the most powerful. Whatever the impressions are of a child for the first three years, they influence their whole life. This is actually the most important time. The child gets a lot of love, support and Krsna consciousness because that is Krsna consciousness. It is based on loving Krsna and Krsna loves all living beings. Krsna consciousness will only conquer the heart of a child if it is given with love; one cannot give it with discipline. We, ourselves, must be very Krsna conscious otherwise how can we really give Krsna with love. Arguments don’t convince so deeply. Love for Krsna is what convinces us the most so our children make us Krsna conscious!

In this way, everyone blesses everyone else and this is a wonderful aspect to all of this. The ritual in a sense is secondary. The essential thing of a gathering like this is the blessings of all the devotees. We come together; we take the opportunity of the first grains (ceremony) to get some blessings.

Culture is very nice because all these things are part of the rites of passage which give meaning at different junctions in life; just as when one first goes to school or gets married and so on… all these things are to be observed with a nice ceremony so that it makes a deep impression. She (the child) may not remember but we all do. When she reached to the Bhagavatam, then everyone smiled…

It says that to bring up a child, it doesn’t just take the parents, it takes a village. So this is our village here – the community of devotees.

 

Mistaking spiritual focus as old-fashioned is unfortunate
→ The Spiritual Scientist

If people are advised not to collect too many goods, eat too much or work unnecessarily to possess artificial amenities, they think they are being advised to return to a primitive way of life. Generally people do not like to accept plain living and high thinking. That is their unfortunate position.

Human life is meant for God realization, and the human being is given higher intelligence for this purpose. Those who believe that this higher intelligence is meant to attain a higher state should follow the instructions of the Vedic literatures. By taking such instructions from higher authorities, one can actually become situated in perfect knowledge and give real meaning to life.

Nectar of Instruction purport 2

Fill the Hole
→ Seed of Devotion

Yesterday I was walking to Whole Foods Market to drink a kombucha and write in my journal. I felt tired, aimless. My chest felt cold and empty, like a hearth where the fire has gone out.

"Bhakti, hey, nice to see you!"

I looked up and saw Hema, a beautiful young lady I got to be acquainted with at the Bhakti Center.

I smiled. "Oh, Hema! Nice to see you, too," I replied.

"Hey, are you tired? Sad?"

I laughed sardonically. "Not tired. More... aimless."

"Yes, that's it, that's what I see on your face. Well, I'm headed over to Atma's evening program over at 26 2nd Avenue, you want to come with me?"

I hesitated. "What's the program?"

"I wasn't even going to go, but a friend of mine asked if I was coming. She said there was a special speaker tonight. There'll be kirtan,"

"And prasadam?"

"Yes, and prasadam,"

I grinned, "Okay, let's go,"

We set off to the small storefront that was the place where the International Society for Krishna Consciousness all began. I felt like a newbie off the street, coming to this whole Krishna world for the first time.

We walked into the packed room and wove our way to the front. Romapada Swami was the special guest, but sigh, just our luck he had just finished speaking. Kirtan soon began. I felt skeptical, a little dry. Amazing how I felt like a newcomer.

Different singers came forward to sing, and with each kirtan I paid more and more attention. Then, the last kirtan was lead by a spunky lady and yoga teacher here in the city. Somehow her raw kirtan just pierced right to the emptiness in my heart. I sang in response and the words kept passing like signs through my mind, "Fill the hole, fill the hole,"

I felt the hole get filled. Actually. For those couple minutes with closed eyes singing the holy name, I felt the hole get filled.

After the kirtan, I helped serve prasadam and I interacted so lovingly with other seekers of God.

Within another hour or so, though, my heart emptied out again.

This is my life lately. Emptiness. Then the hole fills with the next kirtan. Or conscious bite of prasadam. Or the moment I tuck the deity form of the Lord into bed. Or a soul-moving conversation with a devotee. Each time this happens, I just pause in wonder and awe. Then, soon after, my heart empties.

Crazy how in New York City I feel this raw, raw need for God as a person in my life.

[I just saw this picture and it seems to capture the essence of the title of this post.]

Subscribe

Good Association Is King
→ Japa Group


Today I was speaking with an old devotee friend....recently he is struggling with Japa but after talking with him for awhile, wants to change that situation.

I was telling him that I get inspiration from hearing about Japa and told him about some Japa retreats I listened to recently - he immediately wanted the links.

By the Lord's mercy we can associate with each other in spiritual life....talk about the Lord, about our struggles and help to inspire one another to make progress - this is real association and very very precious in this world.

TEXAS FAITH 107: How hard should evangelicals push for immigration reform?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,
Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

Leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table will meet on Capitol Hill Wednesday to continue praying for and advocating for a broad immigration reform. In other words, they want a package that goes beyond simply securing the border.

This group has a long list of supporters. They represent evangelicals from both conservative and liberal traditions. And they have a set of principles that guide their work. You can read all of this at this link:

This group also gathers regularly and continues to press for reform. Their outreach includes meeting with legislators, reaching out to media and generally lifting up Capitol Hill in prayer. They also are attracting press because evangelicals were not as outspoken for change back in 2007, when the last immigration debate took place. Here is an article from The Atlantic that details their work.

But this debate is about to get into some brutal politicking. The GOP-led House is clearly not interested in going as far as the Democratic-led Senate in crafting a comprehensive plan. For example, most House Republicans do not appear very eager to grant illegal immigrants a chance to earn citizenship or some kind of legal status.

Yet evangelicals could be the trump card. The Atlantic piece described the role of evangelicals this way, quoting Ali Noorani of the pro-reform National Immigration Forum: “Pro-reform groups view these efforts as essential. ‘I don’t think a House vote happens without evangelicals,’ Noorani said. ‘The only reason it happens is because evangelicals are engaged.’”

So, my question is this: How hard should evangelicals — or any other religious groups in favor of immigration reform — push for change?

This debate is not likely to move ahead in the House without a great deal of arm-twisting. But is that the role for people of faith?

NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

Every spiritual minded person must stand strong against activities that are in opposition to spiritual principles. However those who have deeper spiritual realizations may have a different battle than those of lesser realizations. For example, one party may be fighting against the symptoms of ignorance and the other party may fight against the root cause of it. Both are doing great work according to their realization, however the latter group's action will have a deeper, more profound effect. For the cause may have many symptoms, which people can address separately, but if you cure the cause the symptoms disappear.


The ultimate cause of difficulties and injustice is that people misidentify themselves with their temporal material body rather than seeing that the soul/consciousness is separate, transcendent, and eternally related to God with love.

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

Non Use of Devotional names on ISKCON Letters?
→ simple thoughts

Share

Imagine if you can hearing a name called in the Temple (you’ve not heard this name before but it’s not a devotional one); the person calling it is trying to get the attention of the individual but as you look around all you see is familiar faces.
Who are they calling?
As they come running they approach the temple president again use a name you yourself have never heard them called (realizing this is the first time you’ve heard their non-initiated name); the person then enters into a discourse.
What puzzles you more is that the person is a temple devotee, why such break in temple etiquette?
Indeed if the temple president didn’t correct them sternly one of the senior devotees would at some stage that day; initiated names are as we know important.
However it appears that when it comes to letters we send to devotees we simply ignore this etiquette sending them post in their nu-initiated name. You may say NO BIG DEAL SO WHAT. But if we cannot be bothered to address a label properly then it shows our mentality overall when it comes to addressing them more formally face to face (Yep whatever).
Sadly the biggest culprits is the temples themselves when sending out mail shots even when the error is pointed out Yes you guessed it not our fault it’s the IT systems we use, yes the pre-windows ere computers could do something our modern ones can’t add a simple field which means the initiated name is recognized and used.
Now I know there are occasions that here in the UK my non-initiated name has to appear, for the temple to claim back the gift-aid on donations the name they submit has to appear on the electoral/tax register; so some letters without an initiated name could be forgiven,
But an etiquette principle of how we address devotees has to be upheld when writing in all other instances; especially if as is the normal case they wish for a donation towards festivals.
I give an example again a letter from ISKCON non devotional name used, nice well presented but Hay I go to this temple every month what gives? Especially as it asks if I would be willing to donate may be £70.
Now another temple also wrote to me non ISKCON (I don’t know how they got my address) their was one notable addition Yes My Initiated Name indeed a notation of the glories of my Guru Maharaja; who can’t be impressed with that.
It’s a small detail but one that may be should be taken more seriously.
For the letter is like the call out down the corridor to get the persons attention; the more personal the more favourable the response; after all if we fail to develop personal relationships with others then how can we expect to develop one with Krishna?
It’s a point all those responsible for mail in temples should ponder I feel.

What is the disciplic succession by which Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami got the knowledge to write the Chaitanya Charitamrita?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From: Praveen
Could you please provide the disciplic succession in which the knowledge has come down to Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami to be able to compile Chaitanya Charitamrita, especially there are some intimate past times of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu like showing the universal form which was shown only to Advaita acharya and Nityanand prabhu - meaning how were they revealed to him.
Also how has that knowledge of Chaitanya Charitamrita come down in disciplic succession could you please explain in detail.

Answer podcast

Why do we get the same karmic reactions in hell, lower species and human form too?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Anand

if one has suffered his part of karma in heaven or hell . then why that karma of previous life act in this life also. my point is that it is better to get a fine when you actually break the signal then to get fine years after when you have totally forgotten about it. (i have asked this question based on what i heard from people about transmigration)please also give reference to a book that explains this transmigration process in detail

Answer podcast