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Sri Krishna Janmastami @ ISKCON Baroda, Gujarat, India 2009 -1
"Dandavats" - 8 new articles
Official report of Belgium Parliament Dinner
On December 17, 2009, about 120 guests attended the formal inauguration of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders (BCRL) at the Belgian Parliament in Brussels. Official report of Belgium Parliament DinnerOfficial report of Belgium Parliament Dinner
By Kancana-valli Devi Dasi Wonderful Reception at the Belgian Parliament On December 17, 2009, about 120 guests attended the formal inauguration of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders (BCRL) at the Belgian Parliament in Brussels. The guest of honour was the future Queen of Belgium, Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant. Other prominent guests included leading politicians such as Jos Chabert (President of the Belgian Senate) and Mia De Schamphelaere (Vice-President of the Chamber of Representatives of the Belgian Parliament). Unfortunately, Belgium’s Prime Minister, Yves Leterme, was unable to attend, but his representative, Mr Van de Voorde, read out the Prime Minister’s message, expressing his strong support for interreligious cooperation. On the formation of the Council, Vebjørn Horsfjord, General Secretary of the European Council of Religious Leaders, commented, “This ceremony is very encouraging. It is the second launch of a national Religions for Peace interreligious council in Europe in only two months. I am convinced that bringing together religious leaders to promote peaceful coexistence is a great value to any European society.” As an interreligious council, the BCRL consists of the leaders of all the main religious communities in Belgium, namely, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains. Hence, the speech by Reverend Dr Guy Liagre, chairman of the BCRL, was followed by those of Bishop Athenagoras Peckstadt
Cardinal Godfried Danneels (Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel) was first among the religious leaders to sign the Council’s founding document, which articulates its commitment to strengthening harmonious interreligious relations in Belgium. By signing the document, all the religious leaders expressed their conviction that the BCRL will contribute to attaining more cohesion among the different religions and cultures present in Belgian society. “The BCRL is committed to supporting peace and harmony between all religious and cultural groups; to be an instrument of dialogue between different Belgian religions, and to interface between religious groups and the civil and political authorities.” - Statement of purpose of the BCRL. The formation of this council is an important step in the process for receiving formal recognition for Hinduism as an official religion in Belgium. The foundation of the Hindu Forum of Belgium and the Hindu Forum of Europe was the beginning of this process, much of the impetus for which was from the hard work of Mahaprabhu Dasa (Martin Gurvich). During the inauguration celebrations, devotees from Radhadesh worked hard, serving delicious prasadam snacks and sweets and making sure that everything was nicely presented. And judging by the Princess’ repeated expressions of delight, it appeared that she appreciated both the refreshments and the devotees’ service very much. Her Royal Highness spoke with the devotees at length, especially with Hridaya Caitanya Dasa and Mahaprabhu Dasa. After the reception, Flemish National Radio interviewed BCRL representatives Reverend Guy Liagre and Hridaya Caitanya Dasa about the inauguration and its significance. Reverend Liagre mentioned afterwards that he would like to have the Council’s next meeting at Radhadesh. Council Members: Godfried Danneels, Catholic Church Métropolite Panteleimon of Belgium, Orthodox Church Robert Innes, Anglican Church Guy Liagre, Protestant and Evangelical Community Francis Renneboog, Protestant and Evangelical Community Abdulaziz M. AlYahya, Muslim Community Semsettin Ugurlu, Muslim Community Ahmed Hany Mahfoud, Muslim Community Albert Guigui, Jewish Community Lama Karta, Buddhist Community Phra Suddhinanavides, Buddhist Community Frank De Waele, Buddhist Community Hrdaya Caitanya Dasa (Herman Janssens), Hindu Community Ramesh Mehta, Jain Community 1  Thank you for posting this. Only a small comment - the list of names at the end got a little confused. The way the commas are now makes it look that the wrong people are representing that community. E.g. It looks like Lama Karta (a Buddhist leader) is rep the Jewish community… Should be like this: Godfried Danneels, Catholic Church; Métropolite Panteleimon of Belgium, Orthodox Church; Robert Innes, Anglican Church; Guy Liagre, Protestant and Evangelical Community; Francis Renneboog, Protestant and Evangelical Community; Abdulaziz M. AlYahya, Muslim Community; Semsettin Ugurlu, Muslim Community; Ahmed Hany Mahfoud, Muslim Community; Albert Guigui, Jewish Community; Lama Karta, Buddhist Community; Phra Suddhinanavides, Buddhist Community; Frank De Waele, Buddhist Community; Hrdaya Caitanya Dasa (Herman Janssens), Hindu Community; and Ramesh Mehta, Jain Community
Comment posted by Kancana-valli Devi Dasi on December 30th, 2009 2 The first photo shows HRH Princess Mathilde speaking with Hrdaya Caitanya Dasa (with Mahaprabhu Dasa in the center). Could put a note under the photo saying that: HRH Princess Mathilde speaking with Hrdaya Caitanya Dasa and Mahaprabhu Dasa Second photo is: Malati Devi Dasi prepares prasadam for those attending the inauguration of the BCRL
Comment posted by Kancana-valli Devi Dasi on December 30th, 2009
A BG perspective on Avatar movie
There is a BG-based review of the newly released Avatar movie printed in Hindustan Times of December 27, 2009 A BG perspective on Avatar movie2,751 Views / EMail This Post / Print This Post / Home » A BG perspective on Avatar movieBy Madana-mohan Das Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. There is a BG-based review of the newly released Avatar movie printed in Hindustan Times of December 27, 2009: which is also referenced in the biggest most popular Internet movie database: http://www.imdb.com/news/ni1341152/ I thought, since the movie is highly popular, this news piece might be of interest for Dandavats and its audience. Begging to remain your servant,Madana-mohan Das What on Pandora does culture or civilisation stand for26 December 2009 12:17 PM, PST | Hindustan Times - Cinema | See recent Hindustan Times - Cinema news »  With the dazzling 3D-vortex of colours, actions and emotions in Avatar, James Cameron seems to have given every single viewer something to rave about. Cinemaphiles are thrilling at the walk-in CGI world, realistic down to a thanator’s whisker. Sci-fi fans are already filling up wikis and blogs with data on Pandorian atmosphere composition and details of viperwolves’ breeding. Gamers must be drooling over its plug-n-play dragons and broadband net-jungles. Environmentalists, native Indians’ rights fighters, Iraq war critics and you-name-it have already started drawing didactic allegories from the movie to further their respective agendas. And the rest of us have got » The debate over Srila Prabhupada’s rising signBy Abhaya Mudra Dasi This article is a response to a debate inaugurated by readers of a recent article on Dandavats.com. The debate over Srila Prabhupada’s rising signThe debate over Srila Prabhupada's rising signBy Abhaya Mudra Dasi
This article is a response to a debate inaugurated by readers of a recent article on Dandavats.com. If there are two opposing points on one issue, both sides should be presented rationally. In a debate, different reasoning and different sides regarding a single issue may both have their validation. “So many sages, so many minds.” For one idea to triumph over another requires proof brought from different sources. In the discussion of whether the current Vaishnava Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was born with Capricorn or Sagittarius rising, Makara or Dhanush lagna, we find the best evidence in the proposed charts themselves. Shrila Prabhupada has often said, “I was born about four o’clock.” Many countries like India adopted hourly time zones by the late 1920’s. Until then, the local time was calculated by the sunrise and sunset. Technically Calcutta is Time Zone 6, even though many astrological programs will give you Time Zone 5½. Shrila Prabhupada was born after 3.30 pm, which might be technically 4 o’clock. It was accepted worldwide in the past to round the hour for convenience. Often it is the case that the birth time is noted later, when the mother and newborn calm down after labor. Because the time of birth is difficult to define, in the old Puranic texts three different times are noted as regards to recording birth time: (1) when the baby is conceived, (2) when the umbilical cord is severed and (3) when the baby has touched the ground. The rising sign in Shrila Prabhupada’s birth chart changes from Dhanush to Makara right in between 3:30 and 4:00 pm on September 1st, 1896 for Calcutta, India. This time is considered from our modern perspective of time calculation. There would always be arguments about the two possible rising signs, until the stars themselves are examined. Let us begin with Capricorn rising. Capricorn is the 10th sign of the zodiac, which rules career, image, father, status. It is a solid, stable and Saturnine sign and containing within its portfolio everything that is hard to get. Saturn is the stern teacher of life, the one who either brings about hardships in order to strengthen a native and make him victorious. Or Saturn crushes him completely under the load of his own karma, if he is not worthy of the master’s teachings. In the Capricorn rising version of Shrila Prabhupada’s chart Saturn, the rising sign lord, would be exalted in the 10th house. Considered an excellent position for Saturn, it foretells a splendid career. For Capricorn rising, Saturn also rules the second house, Aquarius, the house of speech and the immediate family. Certainly this exceptional placement of Saturn would have revealed Shrila Prabhupada as a brilliant public orator, as well as one who can deal with the masses. With Saturn in the tenth, he would have been a hard-to-debate politician since Makara lagna places the outcaste Rahu in the second house (of speech). According to the Bhrigu system of horoscopy, Rahu in the second gives a harsh speech, and we know that Shrila Prabhupada often was not light on his opponents. But when we move to the 3rd house of courage, communication and publishing activities the stars of Makara lagna hit a weak spot. The third house for Capricorn rising is Pisces. This is the last sign of the zodiac, famous for its spirituality. The ruler of this 3rd house Pisces is Jupiter—which is fine, until we find Jupiter in the eighth house of the proposed Capricorn rising chart. The eighth house rules inheritance, death, sex, mystic practices like yoga, and karmic diseases. Jupiter is Brihaspati, the teacher of the demigods and, as lord of the third house for Makara lagna; he is the planet of courage. In Vedic astrology Jupiter, planet of dharma, is simply known as “Guru”. Could the righteous Jupiter be found in this eighth house dustan (lit. “evil house”) of Shrila Prabhupada’s chart? In the eighth, Jupiter would be joined by the Sun who is situated in his own house of Leo. The two planets are further conjoined by malefic Ketu. Ketu gives physical and mental anguish in the eighth, and tremendously shortens the life of the native. The eighth house does not rule religious activities by default. The combination of Sun, Jupiter and Ketu in the eighth may offer inheritance or support from others. But it does not show the pronounced courage of Shrila Prabhupada. And where does the Capricorn lagna chart show the pronounced spirituality of the acharya destined to change the world? Let us have an objective look at the chart with Sagittarius lagna. Sagittarius is the natural 9th house ruling over religion, travel and building a platform for the future. With Sagittarius rising, we see that the ruler of the 1st house of self has gone to the 9th house of dharma or Krishna consciousness. Here, the natural 9th lord is in the 9th house showing one who is a personification of true dharma. Moreover, Jupiter also rules the 4th house signifying buildings, vehicles, mother, land and heart. From Sagittarius rising, we see that the predictions of the astrologer who looked into Shrila Prabhupada’s chart immediately after his birth were correct. This great pandit foresaw that His Divine Grace will go around the world and build 108 temples of Lord Shri Krishna. The lord of the 4th house of buildings is in the 9th house of travel and religion which declares the establishment of temples by a dharmatma, one who is the personification of Krishna consciousness. Jupiter is in Leo along with the Sun in his own house speaking volumes about Shrila Prabhupada as the head of a religious organization. Being the moksha karaka or significator of liberation, Ketu in Leo in the ninth contributes a spiritual emphasis to the Sun/Jupiter combination which he cannot do in the eighth house. His Divine Grace is indeed capable of delivering his followers from the clutches of Maya and taking them back to the spiritual world. Could such a splendid combination be found in the Makara lagna chart? Moreover, with Sagittarius rising, Saturn becomes the ruler of the 3rd house of courage. Saturn, being exalted in the 11th house of gains, shows a tremendous expansion of courage. Rahu as the atmakaraka (lit., “significator of the self”) adds to Saturn’s verdict. It is an astrological dictum that a malefic planet like Rahu in the 3rd house ruled by an exalted Saturn does wonders for courage. Shrila Prabhupada was named Abhay Charan, “fearless at the feet of God.” Names are given at the time of birth in Vedic tradition, and they reveal or emphasize the qualities of the person indicated by the birth chart. We have already examined the 3rd house in the Makara lagna chart. The position of the 3rd lord in the 8th house in that chart is a weak notation to courage. Shrila Prabhupada kept his initials “A.C.”, now Abhaya Charanaravinda, even after accepting the title Bhaktivedanta. It was his courage and determination that were crucial for the foundation of Krishna Consciousness movement in the western world. Only Saturn, the stern taskmaster presiding over Shrila Prabhupada’s fearless nature, can bend one shape into another or a transform lower consciousness to a higher level. “Fearless Abhay Charan” is written all over in the chart of Dhanush lagna. Both the name and the life of Shrila Prabhupada are reflected in his astrological chart, the janma kundali with Dhanush lagna. Of course, one may argue about the other houses of the Capricorn lagna chart, such as the 9th house which would have exalted Mercury and debilitated Venus in Virgo. Certainly, this combination may indicate a sannyasi, but it cannot be the mark of a world acharya. Mercury is an intellectual planet, and cannot be compared to Jupiter, the significator of religion, in the 9th. Dhanush lagna makes for an extraordinary horoscope. Here the dharmastan or 9th house Guru conjoined swarashi (lit., “own sign”) Sun, along with the chart’s other perfect combinations reveal an empowered vibhuti or shaktyavesha avatar. The astrologer who had the first glimpse of Shrila Prabhupada’s chart was right. He had never seen such stars. The main focus of this article is not astrology. It is about honoring the true position of His Divine Grace Shrila Prabhupada. If we have the possibility of two charts, one which is ordinary and the other which is extraordinary, and which appears within fifteen minutes of each other, why should we pick the chart which minimizes the position of the most extraordinary personality in Vaishnava history? Learned pandits may argue about who said what and express their attachments to different sides of the issue, but the planets in the chart also speak. The demigods who rule the nava-grahas are powerful devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Shri Krishna. Their opinions were sealed in a verdict 113 years ago. An avatar cannot have an ordinary chart as seen by Makara lagna on the afternoon of Sept 1, 1896. As we all know, Shrila Prabhupada did not have much interest in astrology, although he naturally accepted it as a bona fide Vedic science. His main mission was to chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Please sign the petition to preserve and protect sites of Yamuna and VrindavanaMahadevi dasi: Pranam. All glories to Prabhupada who so kindly revealed Sri Vrndavana Dhama to us. Please take a minute and log on to this site and sign the petition. Cultural/Dance PromotionAmber McRae: Workshops, master classes, lecture demonstrations, and private instruction in Bharatnatyam and Odissi will be available from December 28th until January 10th Devotee with editing/writing skills in EnglishAnanta: We are looking for a devotee with editing/writing skills in English who can help us develop and edit content for devotional projects Online soon: “Gita changes” for chapter twoKaisori dasi: The "changes" for chapter two of Bhagavad-Gita As It Iswill soon be online at www.BBTedit.com/changes Glorious Passing of Rasajna devi dasiMalati Dasi: Srimate Rasajna devi dasi quietly departed for the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada Monday afternoon in Austin, TX. Yesterday, Sumati devi dasi, her care taker, feeling the end was immanent, called a god-brothers who lived locally for kirtan. More Recent Articles |
By Kancana valli Devi Dasi
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