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New Varnasrama minister for IndiaBy Advaita Chandra Dasa The varnasrama ministry will concentrate on establishing its national office as well as State offices across India where various information about the ministry will be made available. New Varnasrama minister for IndiaNew Varnasrama minister for India By Advaita Chandra Dasa On November 11, 2009, in Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, the leadership of India, IRGB, officially endorsed the establishment of the Varnasrama-based Rural Development Ministry, which will be known as the ISKCON RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY Promoting Daiva- Varnasrama-Dharma. His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami has been asked to head up the ministry. Soon after the meeting, Maharaja was interviewed by Varnasrama Media Productions, a division of the newly established ministry and he shared the following thoughts: “I am very happy that the ministry for varnasrama development has finally been established here in India. I wish to thank all the members of the Varnasrama Development Committee who have been promoting varnasrama development since year 2007 and to all the leaders here in India who have all been instrumental in making this happen. The varnasrama ministry will concentrate on establishing its national office as well as State offices across India where various information about the ministry will be made available. One of the immediate priorities of the ministry will be to select candidates for the post of Coordinators. At present we only have two Coordinators, our National Coordinator for India, Sriman Bharat Chandra prabhu and our State Coordinator for Andhra Pradesh, Sriman Hari Kirtan prabhu. In the coming new year, I plan to organize, with the help of Sriman Brhat-mrdanga prabhu who is the Chairman of ISKCON LEADS in India, some much needed seminars and workshops in each of the four divisions of India to solicit the involvement of various leaders and congregational members. Beyond our city temples, congregational devotees living outside our temples can help establish Varnasrama Research Teams and in this way become involved in doing research about the varnasrama mission. The ministry will seek to establish special alliance with three specialized groups. The first will be the Nam Hatta Department in Sri Dham Mayapur which oversees the preaching activities with many devotees living in villages. Many such devotees can best become involved with the varnasrama mission. The second important group is the Pada Yatra Ministry which has been having devotees touring villages all around India since the last 25 years. The third very important group the ministry aims to link with are the various organized Youth groups around India. The varnasrama ministry will offer many exciting ways in which our youths can especially be involved at various levels. Actually, the work of the ministry has been on-going since the last four years and already a number of books and documentaries promoting the varnasrama mission have been published. These will be made available in all the temples and in this way devotees and congregational members will get an opportunity to know more about the ministry’s activities. I would like to invite devotees to get involved as much as possible. At present here in India there is a very strong attempt being made by various religious organizations to protect Krishna’s cows. Sadhus from different parts of India have started the Visva Mangala Gou Gram Yatra, a 108 day yatra travelling around India, with the aim of bringing awareness to farmers and people in general about the need to protect our mother cow and maintain our villages. Varnasrama cannot be developed without giving protection to cows who are the pillars of dharma and without helping to support and revive our villages. Devotees can help by signing a petition which will help stop the unecessary slaughtering of cows. Within the coming month the varnasrama ministry will set up its owe website and devotees can become more acquainted with the aims, objectives and strategic plans for the ministry. I welcome the input and involvement of any interested devotee. We can be contacted at www.varnasrama.org. Hare Krishna. THE MANDATE ISKCON RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY Proposal Adopted by the Regional Governing Body for India Whereas the India RGB established the India Varnasrama Development Committee in September, 2007, for the purpose of helping promote varnasrama development in India. Whereas the Varnasrama Development Committee has drafted a Position Paper on varnasrama which was officially endorsed by the India RGB leadership in September, 2008, entitled Promoting Vrindavan Village Development in India. Whereas in their meeting with Bhakti Raghava Swami in Mayapur, Sivaram Swami, Devamrta Swami, and Romapada Swami suggested that it would be advisable to establish Varnasrama Ministries at national levels before officially forming a Global Varnasrama Ministry. Whereas the India Varnasrama Development Committee has recommended establishing a national ministry in India for the purpose of promoting varnasrama-based rural development. Whereas there is an urgent need to train and educate our devotees about the varnasrama mission, to establish model rural projects based on varnasrama principles, and to develop a resource base to support the concept that “I want the world to see by our example that life can be lived naturally, peacefully if one is self sufficient with land, some cows and chanting Hare Krishna.” (SP Letter to Jagadisa, 74-06-18) Whereas the 2009 GBC resolutions (1) “310. GBC Participation in Farm Projects” and (2) “311. Purchasing from ISKCON Farms and Farmers” both lend support to the need for promoting the varnasrama mission. Whereas Bhakti Raghava Swami has been active in promoting the varnasrama mission both here in India as well as in other countries and is agreeable to help set up such a ministry. Therefore, the India RGB hereby establishes the Varnasrama-based Rural Development Ministry with the following mandate: 1. To encourage the establishment in India of models of Krishna-conscious rural communities (villages): a. to demonstrate in a practical way how the principles of varnas (aptitude based occupations) and asramas (phased lifelong spiritual emancipation) are universal and standard principles meant to be implemented b. To demonstrate the principles of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and localized economy based on proper utilization of land and cow protection. 2. To encourage, wherever possible in India, varnasrama-based rural development centered on the land, cows, and Krishna. 3. In order to accomplish the above, to establish training programs, publish resource materials, organize conferences and seminars, establish libraries and resource centers, etc. Bhakti Raghava Swami is hereby appointed as minister. The existing RGB Varnasrama Development Committee will continue with the following mandate: 1.To regularly review the activities of the ministry and advise on its functioning. ******** STRATEGIC PLANNING ISKCON RURAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY STATEMENT OF PROJECTED MISSION, STRATEGY AND GOALS DETAILS OF THE STATEMENT A. Mission Statement A. Mission Statement The Varnasrama-based Rural Development Ministry seeks to promote, establish and demonstrate the ideals of simple living and high thinking, based on the concepts and principles of daivi-varnasrama dharma, as desired by Srila Prabhupada. The ministry will work with the ISKCON India leadership to establish self-sufficient rural (village) communities, giving special emphasis to training and education. B. MISSION GOALS 1. To help set up models or micro-units of varnasrama communities (villages) where the principles of varnasrama dharma will be promoted. 2. To demonstrate in such communities how the principles of varnas (aptitude based occupations) and asramas (phased lifelong spiritual emancipation) are universal and standard principles. 3. To demonstrate in a practical way the concepts of self-sufficiency, sustainability and localized economy based on proper utilization of land and on cow protection. 4. To encourage the establishment of educational and training facilities such as Varnasrama Shikshalayas (pre-gurukula), Gurukulas (younger students) and Varnasrama Colleges (older students) for the purpose of realizing the above where both formal and non-formal education will be given. 5. To compile, publish and distribute literatures (pamphlets, booklets, books, magazines, newsletters, etc.) for the sake of informing and educating people about the varnasrama mission. 6. To help revive interest in India’s traditional practices of village technologies. 7. To systematically and methodically conduct seminars and workshops to provide training and education on the concepts and principles of the varnasrama mission. 8. To work with other secular educational, scientific, social, religious and cultural institutions that may have similar goals and objectives. 9. To promote organic and natural farming avoiding the use of the following four dangerous practices: (1) chemical pesticides, (2) chemical fertilizers, (3) hybrid seeds and (4) modern machines, all of which create ecological imbalances in nature and destroy the environment. 10. To promote general research in and help increase awareness about the varnasrama mission. C. STRATEGIC PLAN 1. To build working relationships with existing ISKCON ministries, temples, rural projects, educational institutions, etc. 2. In consultation with ISKCON authorities, to appoint Local, State and Regional Coordinators. 3. To invite the active involvement of ISKCON youth groups in India. 4. To encourage the participation of devotees, especially Nama Hatta devotees living in the villages, in helping realize the above mentioned Mission Statement and Mission Goals. 5. To establish libraries, asramas, cultural centers, residential quarters, small-scale cottage industries, etc., which will all help manifest and develop the varnasrama mission. 6. In consultation with the appropriate ISKCON authorities, to raise funds for the Varnasrama-based Rural Development Ministry. 7. To establish Varnasrama Research Teams for the purpose of involving more individuals in the varnasrama mission and whose members will work closely with various ISKCON entities. D. SHORT TERM GOALS DEFINED (within one year) 1. To compile a list and maintain a Database of all existing varnasrama projects in India. 2. To distribute basic information about the varnasrama mission to all ISKCON temples in India. 3. To conduct a varnasrama seminar in each of the four Divisional Council zones of India. 4. To begin appointing State and Regional Coordinators for India. 5. To produce a Varnasrama Manual giving general guidelines about the varnasrama mission. This will be an official ministry publication. 6. To publish the Varnasrama Guide and Resource Directory for India. This will be an official ministry publication. 7. To hold a National Varnasrama Conference for State and Regional Coordinators. 8. To help organize the yearly on-going Global Varnasrama Seminar in Sri Dham Mayapur at Gaura Purnima. 9. To conduct a yearly 3 month Varnasrama College course. 10. To establish one model of a Varnasrama Research Team. 11. To produce one video documentary Make Vrndavana Villages before Gaura Purnima 2010. 12. To print the book Traditional Education before Gaura Purnima 2010. This will not be an official ministry publication. E. INTERMEDIATE GOALS DEFINED (within 3 years) 1. To work towards establishing one Varnasrama College in each State of India. 2. To work towards establishing one Varnasrama Research Team in each State of India. 3. To work towards establishing Varnasrama Shikshalayas in each State of India. 4. To visit all the existing ISKCON rural/farm communities in India. F. LONG TERM GOALS DEFINED (within 5 years) 1. To have one working model of a developing varnasrama community in each State of India. 2. To have dozens of Varnasrama Shikshalayas established in each State of India. 3. To have Varnasrama Research Teams set up in all the major cities of India. 4. To request the India RGB to make a formal proposal to the GBC for the formation of a Global Varnasrama Ministry. 5. To work towards establishing the Headquarters of the Global Varnasrama Ministry at Sri Dham Mayapur. G. DUTIES OF NATIONAL VARNASRAMA MINISTER 1. To serve under the India RGB leadership as per their guidelines and directives and in consultation with the established India RGB appointed Varnasrama Development Committee. 2. To network with ISKCON India Zonal Secretaries, Regional Secretaries, Temple Officials as well as various other entities connected with the ISKCON India mission such as Bhaktivedanta Institute, BBT and other ministries, etc. for the purpose of advancing the varnasrama mission in India. 3. To oversee the overall implementation and development of the Varnasrama-based Rural Development Ministry. 4. To oversee the activities of Varnasrama State and Regional Coordinators. 5. To oversee the activities of Varnasrama Research Teams. 6. To help establish Varnasrama Shikshalayas at the village levels. 7. To organize annual seminars promoting the varnasrama mission. 8. To submit an Annual Report to the India RGB EC and to the India RGB appointed Varnasrama Development Committee. END For more information: www.varnasrama.org/india/ministry Get connected with COW, NOW!!By Rajaram Dasa No Meat Eating does not mean just Vegetarianism, Ahimsa or nonviolence is not only non-killing, it also means that one's attitude must be of maitri (amity) and peace. Get connected with COW, NOW!!Get connected with COW, NOW!!
By Rajaram Dasa No Meat Eating does not mean just Vegetarianism, Ahimsa or nonviolence is not only non-killing, it also means that one’s attitude must be of maitri (amity) and peace. The real meaning of ahimsa is maitri. There are countless jivas, life or life forms, which populate the earth, air, water and are present all around us. How are we to behave towards these? With Friendly relationship! And what better Animal we can find other than COW, for friendship, for a loving relationship. Past few months I have come across hundreds of people expressing their solidarity for Cow Protection. One question I always had to answer was, How Can I participate in this movement? How Can I contribute? Not every one can come on to the street and fight for Cow protection. But everyone can have some kind of relationship with cow. It may sound utopian that all devotees on this planet move to rural setting to have a wonderful relationship with Land, Krishna and Cows. But there are other practical ways to have a very loving relationship with Cows. Religious and cultural sentiments associated with cow are too well known to bear repetition. But its economic and ecological aspects elude the common man and hence this is the most important step – In today’s trend of Economics and Environment make cow protection as some thing hip, promote cow protection will be the most reliable solution for economically sustainable and rural development. First and foremost we need make a small lifestyle change, we need to have a day to day connection with cow, drink only Cow’s Milk, Eat only Paneer subji made of cow’s milk, use only pure cow ghee, (even if its expensive make sure you buy from reliable Goushala’s) make Gou-Ark as apart of your health care system for your body immunity building. There are several other products available at Bhaktivedanta Goushala, Vridnavan and many farm communities such as ISKCON Gokul Dham in Belgam North Karnataka, Sahayadri Sri Krishna Balaram Keshtra, ISKCON Hebri, South India. If not anything, at least being with simple doop stick made from Panchagavya in your daily worship. Nice smelling Doop sticks purchased from Bangalore maybe very pleasing to our nose, but trust me Doop stick made of cow products will surely be very pleasing to Krishna. He will appreciate your sincerity and love towards his cows. We have to understand the way economy works – Demand & Supply, let me share a nice incident, few months back I asked my milk man to stop supplying me buffalo milk as I have decided to take only cows milk. He had no cows, at the same time he did not want to loose his business, he said he will buy a cow and continue supplying milk as per my requirement. Now you too can demand Cow based panchagavya products at your Temple gift shop and ten more devotees starts asking for such products automatically they have to start stocking Panchaghavya products. I am not sure if any Golden egg giving goose ever existed but COW is aptly suited to that Goose of popular Golden Goose story. If we can make cow products popular, we can automatically halt killing of cow. All that has to be done is to demonstrate to the farmers and others that a living cow is more useful than a dead cow. Before smearing Lord Krsihna’s deity with expensive or synthetic perfumes, kindly remember Mother Yashoda used smear baby Krishna with Cow dung and Cow Urine, now that probably explains why he had such a beauty and luster. So next time you visit Sri Vrindavan Dham and before you hit the streets of Loi Bazar for a shopping spree, please do shop for Panchaghavya products at Bhaktivedanta Goushala or their sales counter opposite Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi. Let all get connected with Cow Now!! This way we all can put a halt to cow slaughter! Rajaram Dasa Executive Member, Andhra Pradesh Goushala Federation. Social Entrepreneur, Promoter: Panchagavya Health Products, Sustainable Cow based Economy for Rural Development. Tamal Krishna Goswami Bench memorial
The inauguration ceremony for the bench took place on Wednesday 25th November 2009, and was attended by a number of his close friends and colleges from the university as well as devotees. At a somewhat emotional event, many from the local community said a few words of remembrance and appreciation for 'Goswamiji'. Tamal Krishna Goswami Bench memorialTamal Krishna Goswami Bench memorial
By Varsana devi dasi and Ananda Caitanya Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami, affectionately known as Srila Gurudev by many, left this mortal realm in March 2002, leaving behind many dedicated disciples and a society that was never to be the same. He also left behind an almost completed PhD thesis which he had been working on since 1998 in the serene surroundings of Clare Hall, Cambridge University (UK). It was to commemorate him, as well as the work that he did at the college and university more broadly, that a special memorial bench was installed in the grounds of Clare Hall. The inauguration ceremony for the bench took place on Wednesday 25th November 2009, and was attended by a number of his close friends and colleges from the university as well as devotees. At a somewhat emotional event, many from the local community said a few words of remembrance and appreciation for ‘Goswamiji’. It was obvious that TKG, as he is often referred to by ISKCON devotees, had had a profound impact on many around him during his stay there. In the various remembrances he was often referred to as a ‘people person’ someone who truly cared about people. The ceremony began with the President of the College, Sir Martin Harris, giving a warm welcome to all attendees and explaining his regret at never having met Goswami Maharaj but simultaneous delight at having heard so much about him that he felt he knew him. Sir Martin also mentioned that in his opinion Goswamiji represented all that Clare Hall stood for. Prof Julius Lipner, Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion, was Maharaj’s PhD supervisor, and spoke very warmly of him. In particular he spoke of TKG’s very commanding personality, quite natural for someone in the position of guru as well as a leader of an international society. It was noted however that despite this, he exhibited great humility in being able to take the role of a student, and an excellent one at that! Goswami Maharaj was also referred to more than once as a ‘trailblazer’, wherever he went, he would impact people, and would not be afraid of going against the status quo – his decision to embark on a PhD being a case in point. Professor Lipner spoke of the challenges of coming into academia at a later stage in ones life, after all Goswamiji was the same age as himself, however Maharaja took up this challenge in the same way as he did everything else in his life, with focus, determination and an abundance of intelligence. Finally, the Professor spoke fondly of the peanut burfis that Goswami Maharaj would always bring for him and how Maharaja would love to feed him with all sorts of vegetarian culinary delights. Goswami Maharaj placed the final chapter of his PhD thesis on the desk of the Professor before he left for India in 2002, explaining that they would discuss it upon his return. Of course, he did not return. Prof Lipner took it upon himself, as Maharaja’s PhD supervisor, to complete the thesis, he spent one and a half years going through the whole thesis so that he could ensure the concluding chapter would be representative of what Maharaja was saying in the body of the text. This thesis was then handed over to Dr Graham Schweig (Garuda das), scholar of Comparative Religion. Professor Lipner voiced that it is his great hope that the thesis will be published in Goswamiji’s name and looks forward to the day when this much awaited work would be brought to completion. The ceremony continued with a few words from Rosemary Luff PhD, College Tutor and Librarian, who got to know Goswami Maharaj well, speaking of how she always looked forward to the abundance of ‘Indian fare (cuisine)’ that visitors to his nearby home would invariably be treated to. Praghosh das, ISKCON UK GBC, spoke of his various pleasant encounters with Goswami Maharaj and an amusing story or two. And finally, Varsana devi dasi concluded the ceremony with a short reading from Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta (1:7:125-130), a favourite of Goswami Maharaj’s. It depicts his depth of realisation of the deepest aspects of Vaisnava siddhanta and was greatly appreciated by all as a section containing great depth and meaning, just like the man himself. Others who attended the ceremony such as Dr Peta Dunstan from Divinity Faculty & St Edmund’s College, all spoke with such love and high regard for Goswami Maharaja that devotees could not fail to conclude that here was a disciple who honoured his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada in such an exemplary way and we are proud of him and of his achievements in Cambridge that continue to have impact seven years after his departure. The proceedings ended as all auspicious occasions are concluded with a buffet of prasadam that appeared to delight everyone, bringing back memories of such culinary adventures they enjoyed with their ‘dear Goswamiji’. The plaque on the bench reads as follows: In Memory 1  PAMHO.ALGTSP I wonder who else has a memorized bench at Clare Hall in Cambridge. Looking at these people-it is very impressive how Goswami was being/preaching with these people-they loved him and thought so much of him that they are finishing up his Ph.D. dissertation and make this memorial bench in his honor. Proud of Goswami’s preaching . He spoke to me (fresh out of Law school and made me a devotee) your servant behind the Dallas TV, Pandava vijaya dasa
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