Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Now all of my books, both the American versions, those published in India, and all of the Kindle E-book versions, are available at the Amazon.in website, available in rupees, at:
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The progress of the main dome and that of the art department’s projects are often the focal points of discussion at the TOVP. However, there are several other aspects of construction and planning equally significant to the poignancy of the architectural and landscaping arrangements.
Last summer the TOVP began a nursery near the Jagannath mandir. It is home to thousands of various types of trees and shrubs. They will spend the next few years growing in the nursery so they will be full and lush at the time of transplantation. The greenery will frame and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the new temple while simultaneously offering shade to pilgrims and Mayapur residents.
The three domes of the new temple are its signature features. Sometimes overlooked are the towers punctuating their grandeur. The architectural nuances of these towers underscore the magnificent drama of the domes. Their construction is underway and their delicate beauty is already recognizable.
Each feature of the TOVP is important, from the curved arches to the marble pillars, from the landmark domes to the robust trees. The combination of parts creates a rhapsody of movement and color, a climax of havens for spiritual seekers. The TOVP is more than a building, it’s an expression of feeling.
Why if Bhagavatam says that there is no need for any other scripture other than itself, do we need to read books like Bhagavad-gita and Nectar of Devotion?
Indradyumna Swami BBGovinda Swami Bada Hari Prabhu
Welcome to everyone who got the recent Living Social deal!
Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What does “PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON September 29, 2013″ mean?
When you redeem your Living Social voucher at Atma Yoga you activate a pass. The pass you get depends on which offer you purchased (four, eight, or twelve weeks). The pass you receive in exchange for your voucher expires at the completion of the term of the pass or on September 29, 2013 whichever of the two cut-off points comes first.
Here are the latest dates that you can redeem each of the vouchers to get a pass that will give you the full term:
Twelve week voucher: Activate by July 7, 2013 latest to get full twelve weeks.
Eight week voucher: Activate by August 4, 2013 latest to get full eight weeks.
Four week voucher: Activate by September 1, 2013 latest to get full four weeks.
Giriraj Swami and Indradymna Swami awarded first and second initiation to devotees prior to the Panihati festival at the Laguna Beach temple on Friday. During the ceremony, Giriraj Swami initiated Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami’s brother and sister-in-law, Bhakta Carl and Bhaktin Stella Herzig, as well as Saroj Wadehra. Now Saroj will be known as Tulasi Manjari dasi, Stella as Shraddhanjali dasi, and Carl as Kalachandji das.
“We have a particular relationship with our diksa-guru, and that must be maintained and respected. But we also have other relationships with spiritual aunts and uncles and older brothers and sisters, and all our spiritual family members cooperate for that same purpose — to help the individual become purified and advanced in Krishna consciousness, engaged in the mission of Srila Prabhupada and the Pancha Tattva.”— Giriraj Swami
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Initiation talk by Indradymna Swami
Initiation talk by Giriraj Swami
Moving story of Sindhutai Sapkal – Radhanath Swami @ Narayan Mandir June 4th 2013
I recently asked y’all on Facebook how much you spend on raw milk. The prices ranged from $3 per gallon up to $20. The break down is like this:
We have 2 dairy cows, but only one is in milk right now. Our other cow just got “serviced” last month and we hope that she is pregnant! I am going to break down our costs for you, to show you how much we spent in the month of May (2013) on our dairy cows, and how much we made in milk profits.
Total monthly expenses: $523.07
And of course there were start-up costs, like buying fencing, stall equipment, the pump, the cows, etc. This is what we spent:
Total start up costs: $4,862.49
Start-up costs per month (total divided by 24 months): $202.60
And there are the occasional expenses, which we divide out over the year:
Total occasional expenses: $110.94
Occasional expenses per month (total divided by 12 months): $9.24
And the labor…My husband does all of the milking. Every morning he spends around 30 minutes outside milking and 30 minutes sterilizing all of the equipment. He does this again in the evening. So 2 hours per day milking. Plus the labor of contacting customers, sending e-mail reminders to customers about payments, etc. That’s probably 1 hour per week. So, 66 hours per month spent on the dairy business.
Let’s see what our profit was.
We sell our milk for $10 per gallon.
In the month of May, we made $1,502 on milk.
$1,502 profit
-$523.07 monthly expenses
-$202.60 start up costs
-$9.24 occasional expenses
Total profit = $767.09
Divided by 66 hours, that is $11.62 per hour…which isn’t a very amazing wage. 
When we get our second cow milking, our profits will increase (ideally they will double), but our expenses will also increase a bit. Here are my projections:
$3004 profit per month
-$886.34 monthly expenses (increased expenses due to second cow eating grain, using teat dip, etc.)
-$202.60 start up costs
-$9.24 occasional expenses
Total profit = $1,905.82
With a second cow, the milking labor will increase by about 30 minutes per day. And the amount of time working with customers will increase by 1 hour per week. So, approximately 85 hours worked per month for 2 dairy cows.
If we sell our milk for $10 per gallon (as estimated above), with 2 milking cows, my husband’s wage per hour will be $12.89. And that, folks, is the cap in Oregon. That’s all we can make on raw milk, unless we increase the cost of our milk per gallon. By law, we can only have 2 milking cows and 1 dried up.
If we wanted to sell our milk for $3 per gallon, like the grocery store, we would be under water by $198 per month!
If we wanted to sell our milk for $5 per gallon, we would be making $4.72 per hour.
And this does not include the cost of liability insurance…which we have not been able to find for our farm, only because we sell raw milk. (We got liability insurance for going to farmer’s market, but it does not cover our farm and raw milk).
We’ve taken raw milk training at Champoeg Creamery, and Charlotte charges $16 per gallon for her milk and has a waiting list. I think that is a more realistic amount to charge. Tim Wightman, raw milk specialist, says that the national average for raw milk should be $30 per gallon.
What do you pay for raw milk? Are you willing to pay more after reading this?
Do you sell raw milk? If so, how much do you charge? How much do you think your expenses are per month?
- See more at: http://www.wellfedhomestead.com/the-cost-of-producing-raw-milk#sthash.bVom9642.dpuf
Ratha Yatra Berlin 2013 – Gaura Arati Kirtan with Sripad BV Vana Maharaja
“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda, or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s footprint. param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.”
Srimad Bhagavatam (10.14.58)
“…If we are called by God to holiness of life, and if holiness is beyond our natural power to achieve (which it certainly is) then it follows that God himself must give us the light, the strength, and the courage to fulfill the task he requires of us. He will certainly give us the grace we need.”
Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness (New York: Image, 1963) p.16
As Kaunteya das is growing I am thinking about that statement that no one should became guru, teacher or parent unless he is able to free his subordinate from birth and death. Can somebody who is a kanistha adhikari do that?