Planet ISKCON 13 July 2010 - Gouranga TV : Bhajan – Giriraj Swami – Vande Ham
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So if you accept Krsna as your son, as your friend, as your lover, you will never be cheated. Give up this false illusory servant or son or father or lover. You’ll be cheated. You’ll be cheated. If you love your son with your heart and soul, that very son will may be someday your most veritable enemy. Yes. This is the world. The wife you love so much, but the wife may be someday so great enemy that she can kill you for her own interest. There are so many instances. …if you make the same relationship with Krsna, it will never become zero; it will be enthusiastic more and more.
I then pushed on like a soldier with a bullet wound, and I have completed all my 16 rounds. Despite my physical difficulty, I kept my mind fixed on the Names and simply persisted. There are days like this when you have no recourse but to go on chanting and remain sober.
We have a choice of being thoroughly honest with ourselves and realizing the highest truth or we can cheat ourselves by running after the cheap thrills of material sense gratification. The choice is ours. An intelligent person will carefully analyze both options to see what the results of each are. And then he will naturally go with the choice which...
The Art of Krishna Conscious Home Schooling Tips and Techniques for Successful Parenting
Preparing the Home
Homeschooling in the early years
How to teach through the Bhagavatam
Motivating the Child
Discipline and Character Building
Social Life and Skills
Cultivating Academic Success
Extracurricular Activities
Preparing for University
Advantages of Krishna Conscious education
Are restrictions good for children?
Celebrating Festivals
Aruddha devi dasi shares her experiences on home schooling and raising children using Srila Prabhupada's books. She answers questions parents may have on how to get started and offers guidance on difficulties that may arise during a child's educational years.
A seminar by Aruddha dasi (mother), Radhika Ramana dasa and Gopal Hari dasa (sons)
from Boise, Idaho
24th July
10a.m. - 1p.m. & 2.30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
25th July
10a.m. - 1p.m. (questions & answers)
at Brisbane Hare Krishna temple, 95 Bank Rd Graceville Cost: between 60$ – 90$ (to be confirmed)
On July 17th, this same Ratha-Yatra festival or Festival of India will be taking place in Toronto with a vibrant parade down Yonge Street in which three, giant floats are hand-pulled by thousands of attendees and spectators amidst melodious singing, chanting, drumming, and dancing.
This parade down Yonge Street echoes this annual procession that has taken place for centuries in the ancient city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India. There, three mammoth chariots, known as rathas are taken on a jubilant procession, called a yatra. Hence, the Festival is also known as Ratha-Yatra or "chariot procession". In Orissa, this age-old Ratha-Yatra procession continues to attract over a million people every year!
Seated on each float (chariot) are beautifully bedecked Deities of Jagannatha (another name for Krishna), Baladeva (Krishna's brother), and Subhadra (Krishna's sister). The procession itself symbolizes the pulling of the Lord into our hearts and thus is done with great pomp and grandeur.
Join us on July 17th and 18th at the Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra)
Join us for two 12 hour days of blissful kirtan at the Hare Krishna Temple, Toronto and experience ecstatic and sweet kirtan leading up to North America’s biggest Ratha-Yatra (Festival of India)!
July 15th - 10:00am - 10:00pm July 16th - 10:00am - 10:00pm including a Maha Harinama (Street Kirtan) through downtown Toronto!
This Pre-Ratha-Yatra Kirtan Festival will feature kirtaneers like Madhava das from Switzerland, Gopal das from UK/Vrindavan, Ajamil das from Toronto, Akinchana das from USA and many many more! It is an event that no kirtan lover must miss!
And the kirtan bliss continues a Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) on July 17th and 18th with a rockin' Parade kirtan, Spiritually chaotic kirtan in the Toronto Tunnel, kirtan on the ferry ride to Centre Island and non-stop kirtan at the Festival site!!!!
New Vrindaban’s annual Ratha Yatra drew over 350 people from across the United States to Marshall County last weekend. “I can’t believe the entire parade lasted 90 minutes! Once I started singing along with everyone else, the time just flew,” said Jenny Santilli, a Spanish teacher at South Harrison High School in Clarksburg, WV. “The chariot was gorgeous. There was so much decorative detail – paper swans, cow-shaped and parrot-shaped balloons, and garlands of fresh flowers.”
Santilli, who is working on her doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction at Marshall University, attended the Ratha Yatra to fulfill part of her Multicultural Studies requirement. Her assignment was to visit a community that is different from her own. “I am a practicing Catholic, so the Hare Krishna community is definitely different. But after talking with the devotees, I can see many similarities in our fundamental belief systems.”
Santilli also brought her 15-year old son Jonathan to the Ratha Yatra. “I want to expose my kids to as many different cultures as possible. Jonathan saw things he had heard about in school. Everybody was so friendly and answered all our questions.”
The recording for this week's Sunday Feast can be viewed by clicking the image below. As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.
So if you accept Krsna as your son, as your friend, as your lover, you will never be cheated. So try to accept Krsna. Give up this false illusory servant or son or father or lover. You'll be cheated. You'll be cheated. If you love your son with your heart and soul, that very son will may be someday your most veritable enemy. Yes. This is the world. The wife you love so much, but the wife may be someday so great enemy that she can kill you for her own interest. There are so many instances. So if you want to have real... The Mayavadi philosophers, they are afraid of having such relationship again. Because they have got bitter experience of this material world, they want to make it zero -- no more relationship, no more son, no more daughter, no more lover, no more master. "Because we have got very bitter experience of these things, I am disgusted with these things. I will make it zero." But that is not the fact. The fact is that if you make the same relationship with Krsna, it will never become zero; it will be enthusiastic more and more.
Our first business is this book distribution. There is no need of any other business. If this book distribution is managed properly, pushed on with great enthusiasm and determination and at the same time if our men keep spiritually strong, then the whole world will become Krishna conscious.
BG 13.12 purport
Non violence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement. That is nonviolence.
Our first business is this book distribution. There is no need of any other business. If this book distribution is managed properly, pushed on with great enthusiasm and determination and at the same time if our men keep spiritually strong, then the whole world will become Krishna conscious.
BG 13.12 purport
Non violence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement. That is nonviolence.
Monday 5th, July 2010. We were instructed to sleep in by HH Indradyumna Swami, in his address the day before but now we were being woken up because he was going to give class. We rushed downstairs, cleaned up and joined the crowd of devotees attentively waiting for class. Maharaja led his legendary Radha Madhava prayers and the effect was hypnotic. The class was on the Nama Rupa. He also decided that we would be speaking on the pastimes of Ajamila, in the coming weeks of the tour. He wanted, while we were spreading the holy name, to talk about the amazing mercy present in the holy name.
I went for a japa session out in the sports field. HH Indradyumna Swami was walking out from the school. He called me over and I obeyed without delay. I walked up to him, just as he was sitting on the bench. I felt him urging me so I sat down next to him. Was I in trouble? Did he want to ask me something confidential? “I need a brahmacari near me because there are too many matajis around” he said at last. It was a rather humorous reason to call me over but I appreciated any chance to gain his association. Eventually the crowds wore off and he sent me on, telling me to stay near just in case he needed me again.
I was chanting my rounds in the reception. I saw devotees transporting an enormous cake on a table, heading towards the gymnasium. Quite soon we were following the cake in for the Monday feast, which was extra special in celebration of the arrival of HH Indradyumna Swami and the beginning of another Polish Tour. The feast was a rather opulent affair but the cake, made by Rajesvari Mataji, was outstanding, both in quality and quantity.
We had some time off to digest before the evening arati. While we were in our rooms we decided to indulge in a typical Gurukuli pastime of displaying dhoti and chada techniques. We flipped around the unstitched cloths into as many different combinations as we could comprehend. We all prayed that, after all our messing around, no one’s dhoti would fall off in the coming arati.
We came down for an unreal kirtana. While the devotees bathed HH Indradyumna Swami’s feet, we started up the pace for the dancing feet on the floor. All of a sudden the pace was raging. We were running, dancing and jumping. Someone produced a long piece of cloth, tied in a circle, and we all held onto it tightly, spinning as fast as we could. The kirtana was totally out of control and soon I couldn’t even manifest enough breath to chant or dance. Just as I was about to loose the energy to stay standing the kirtana came to a close.
The class was all about the holy name. HH Indradyumna Swami was talking about understanding what the Maha Mantra actually meant. “We need to study the meaning of all these songs we sing” he said. He told stories of Bengali singers choking up in kirtana simply because they knew what the words to the bhajans meant Throughout the whole class Maharaja was making the whole audience chant the Maha Mantra, over and over again.
Maharaja went on to talk about his tours around the world and expressed thanks to different devotees who had donated to them. He thanked Pratapana and Jaya Sri, who had helped arrange and sponsor most of the Australia Tour. He also singled out HG Sakhi Rai Prabhu, who was sitting in our audience, for all his many contributions over the years. Maharaja also seemed to suggest that someone had given him a generous donation so he could look into taking the tour to North America. It was all too much; the tour would have to go global some time in the future. Maharaja went on to talk about the coming tour in South America also.
Maharaja finished the lecture with some special thanks. He thanked Nandini and Jayatam for their tireless work throughout the year. Whilst we all took a break between the tours they were starting to plan the next year. Indradyumna Swami also thanked Dominik for his endless service and all the other tour veterans. We ended with a big applause for Tribhuvanesvara Prabhu (Tribi) for all of his kirtanas.
After the applause wore off Tribi began the evening arati. Maharaja called me forward and instructed me to dim the lights. The alters shone in the darkness, like a dazzling diamond on a dark cloth. We danced in that kirtana like we had never danced before. The holy name was belting out at the top of our lungs and the crowd was moving from one side of the gymnasium to the other. I could feel my feet start to blister and my left knee started to give way. It was something like the kirtana we had in Woodstock 2008 but it was only devotees here.
Once the kirtana dispatched, we made our way to the Prasadam room (there is a room where left over Prasadam can be consumed at the devotees convenience). Cups and bottles were out as we tried to compensate for all the sweating that we had to ordeal in the hours kirtanas. The body was simply an instrument, insufficient at most, and the nectar was simply pouring out indiscriminately for all to savour. All you could do was try an assimilate as much as your limited capacity allowed you, knowing that the limited quantity you could obtain would have an eternal, purifying effect.
"When the rising sun appeared in the East, the jewel of the twice-born, Lord Gaurasundara, awakened, and, taking His devotees with Him, He went all over the countryside towns and villagesand played the mrdanga, and the cymbals chimed in time. Lord Gauranga's shimmering golden features danced, and His footbells jingled." [SVA 2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)] "All the devotees chanted the names Mukunda, Madhava, Yadava and Hari, their mouths being filled with the vibrations. They would announce to the still sleeping people, "You spend your nights uselessly sleeping and your days decorating your bodies!" [2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)] " "You have achieved such a rare human body, but you do not care for this gift. You remain not serving the darling of Yasoda and slowly fall through your last moments to death." [SVA 2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)] "With every rising and setting of the sun, a day passes and is lost. Then, why do you remain idle and not serve the Lord of the heart?" [SVA 2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)] "This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business." [SVA 2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)] "To penetrate the darkness of ignorance and bless everyone's heart, the holy name has risen like the shining sun.Drink the pure nectar of the holy name. There is nothing but the name to be had in the fourteen worlds. It has filled the soul of Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura." [SVA 2: Arunodaya-kirtana I (udilo aruna)]
The above darsan was on the Disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.
1947 July 12 : "Dear Friend Mahatma Gandhijee, You must immediately retire from active politics if you do not desire to die an inglorious death. Retire for a month only and let us have discussion on the Bhagavad-gita. I know you are sincere, honest moralist." Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64
1968 July 12 : "Krishna Consciousness is so nice one forgets his material designations and tries to associate with similar Krishna consciousness persons. That means melted on the pure spiritual platform. We hope to bring everyone to such spiritual platform." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1968 July 12 : "If you can introduce this Krishna Consciousness movement in such a distant place, Lord Caitanya will pour His incessant blessings upon you. If you establish a center there it will be a record in the history of Lord Caitanya's movement." Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1969 July 12 : "Devote your attention for first-class editorial work. You may continue to send me Sanskrit transliterations for being corrected as I did last time. Your first business is to see my books and magazine are published very nicely." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 July 12 : "Usefulness or uselessness, it all depends on proper management. You can't expect that all men and women there will be very useful. You have to make them useful by your arrangement." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1970 July 12 : "Our process is for manufacturing sincere souls. If you are sincere, other sincere souls will come. How is it possible? Simply by following the rules and regulative principles and chanting offenselessly." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1972 July 12 : "At every step there is danger. We must become very diligent in executing spiritual life, and not neglect even a moment. I am very much anxious to know what is your condition, and how you are recovering." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1975 July 12: "Do not spend very much time in this way. There are already so many prayers written by the great acaryas. What will you add to this? If you have got inclination, put the chapters of Krsna Book into verse." Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
I slept without interruption and woke up around 2:00 A.M. but my chanting has been slow and not wide-awake. I don’t know why that is, just the unpredictable varieties of japa on a given day. I’ve only chanted about seven rounds, and it is going slowly. My attention is decent but not very deep. I will try to pick up the remainder of my quota. My eyelids are a bit heavy, and I’m plodding. I will no doubt get my vow done, but it may take a little more time today due to slowness.
Less than vigorous japa, there is no reason for it, but slow and steady will win the race. I ask my mind to focus keener and not be sleepy-eyed. But some days are better than others, and I try to stay awake and keep aware of the great benefits I’m receiving by taking Nama Prabhu.
An old man stumbles and prays to improve in his most easy, vital hours.
One of my favorite book to read to my kiddies is Linda White’s Too Many Pumpkins. It is about a woman who hates pumpkins because as a child of poverty, she had to eat way too many of them. One day, a pumpkin truck bounding by her house loses a pumpkin in her yard. Splat! Probably about a hundred days later, she discovers that her land is overrun by pumpkins! What to do? The pumpkin heroine gets cooking, canning and baking. Neighbors come by to share in the pumpkin love. I find this book nothing short of inspirational.
Now, we don’t have much full sunshine in this pine forest of a yard of ours. And we don’t have much nutrient rich soil. But that did not stop me from ordering pumpkin seeds last night.
Here’s what’s coming in the mail from Sunrise Seeds. I am really excited. Here are the descriptions from the seed website:
Potimarron Squash
Famous winter squash from France. Very aromatic and chestnut-like taste. One of the very best for baking and roasting. Nice sized 3-4 pound fruit store well. 85-95 days.
Amish Pie Squash
Heirloom variety obtained by James Robinson from an Amish gardener in Maryland. One of the best processing pumpkins we have ever grown. The slightly pale orange flesh measures up to 5″ thick, and the largest fruits weigh 60-80 pounds. Firm moist flesh is excellent for making pies and for freezing. 90-105 days.
Musque de Provence
Also called “Muscat de Provence”, French Heirloom rare winter variety. Flattented extremely tanned 5 to 10 lb fruits have a smooth orange terra-cotta finish to it. Deep ridges and sweet flesh. Particularly know for lasting in storage throughout all of winter, a most excellent storage variety! The finest “Cheese Wheel” type Pumpkin/Squash for eating you will find!
LA ESTRELLA CALABASA
la estrella calabasa
A tropical pumpkin hybrid from the University of Florida. Bred by Dr. Don Maynard for uniform fruit size and superior flesh color. When grown in the northern states, La Estrella produces 10 pound fruit in 125 days. When it is grown in Florida in the winter, La Estrella produces 6 pound fruit in 70 days.
Because our growing conditions are less than ideal and it is Florida, I am hoping for an average of a few 4-5 pounders. Like with most things in life, I tend to set my expectations at the low end of the spectrum. Also, I am a very lazy girl, so although there are things I can do to increase our pumpkin yield. I most likely won’t do them. The last variety listed seems most promising, since it was tweaked right down the road at UF.
Here is Srila Prabhupada walking on the beach in January 1974 in Honolulu when I first became his traveling servant. He once said that Juhu and Honolulu were his favorite places because there were palm trees there, and where there are palm trees it was paradise. Thirty-three years have passed since his disappearance, but the memories of his presence are still fresh. His presence was eternal because he was a pure devotee, and so it is like with the presence of Krishna 5,000 years ago. If you are pure and devoted, and concentrate your mind, you can feel like Prabhupada is with us even now. Personally, I recall the times I was with him, and fortunately I had the presence of mind to preserve it in writing in books like My Letters from Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada Meditations, Life with the Perfect Master, and others.
His influence is not fading in my life but is solid and palpable. Certainly there is a difference between when he was physically present and now. That difference is called vapuh and vani. Vapuh refers to the physical presence, and vani refers to the presence through separation. As early as 1967 when Prabhupada left us in New York City and went to San Francisco, and we felt initially bereft, he wrote to us and said the physical presence of the spiritual master was “immaterial,” and the real substance of life with him was in the transcendental sound vibration. As he wrote in his dedication of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, dated on the disappearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta, “To my spiritual master. He lives forever in his instructions, and the follower lives with him.” I am still walking behind him on the beach at Honolulu. I am still meeting him for the first time in the summer of 1966.
I want to write you a poem, but I am not in a very free mood. I always want to write about Krishna, Lord Krishna, but I do not know Him very well. At least I can tell you from the scriptures we are reading.
Vallabha-bhatta, the head of the Vallabha sampradaya, came to visit Lord Caitanya. The Lord introduced him to Rupa Goswami, but when Vallabha went to move toward Rupa, he ran to a distant place. He said, “You shouldn’t touch me. I am of a lower, fallen caste.” “Yes, that’s right,” said Caitanya to Vallabha. “Rupa is of a lower caste, and you are a refined, aristocratic brahmana.” He was actually indirectly hinting that Rupa was indeed worthy and transcendental. Vallabha took the hint and stated that because Rupa was always chanting Hare Krishna he was on the topmost platform, despite his caste. And he cited many scriptures to prove it. Mahaprabhu was pleased.
I can speak from the scriptures, and I can write from my little life. We have moved into a new home, and we have some financial and legal obligations, and we have to get ID and banking status in New York. Some more work has to be done to fix the house to move in. It will all take time.
I am still getting used to these new quarters and my new life. “I thought it would be just like changing musical chairs,” said Baladeva, and essentially it is. The neighborhood is quiet, and my room is comfortable. I’m still concerned with my longevity and my ability to write a poem each day.
We’ll keep reading Caitanya-caritamrta and those adventures will sustain us. We are coming to the section of Lord Caitanya’s teaching to Rupa Goswami. That’s mostly philosophy and not so much lila, which I prefer. I like to hear what the Lord did and how His devotees responded to His ecstasies, and His love for them.
I will continue to write poems that you can understand, but I can’t promise that they will be all that good.
This is in the mood of viraha-bhavan. When Lord Caitanya spent His final 12 years in Jagannatha Puri, He assumed the mood of Radharani feeling separation from Her beloved Krishna. He always thought of Vrndavana and the places there. Svarupa Damodara would recite sastras that augmented His mood, and Ramananda Raya would sing songs. Both of them knew His inner moods, and He shared His feelings with them in the room known as the Gambhira. Sometimes in His ecstasies He would do extraordinary things and undergo bodily transformations. Once He saw the sand dunes on the beach, which had accumulated by winds, and He ran after them at great speed, thinking they were Govardhana Hill and desiring to embrace them. The sand dunes are called Cataka Parvata, and in this pastime Lord Caitanya demonstrated His maha-bhava, or greatest loving attachment, for Govardhana Hill. According to the words of the gopis in Srimad Bhagavatam, Govardhana Hill is haridasa-varya, the best of the servants of the Lord.
Devotees sometimes give the names of places of Vrndavana to local landmarks on their temple grounds and in different places around the world. In Gita Nagari dhama, Pennsylvania, there is a hill called Govardhana Hill which the devotees culminate their procession by effortlessly pulling the chariot to the top of the hill. There is no substitute for the original Govardhana Hill in Vrndavana, but a pure devotee like Lord Caitanya can see Govardhana Hill manifested even in a sand dune on a beach at Jagannatha Puri.
The day prior to Ratha Yatra is Gundica Marjana- cleaning of Gundica temple takes place to welcome Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed Gundica Marjana with great jubilation. By cleaning the Lord’s temple, one’s mind becomes purified. “In this way all the quarters of the Gundica temple were completely cleansed and cleared. All quarters were cool and spotless, like one’s cleansed and pacified mind.” In Mayapur, devotees enthusiastically cleaned Sri Sri Radha-Madhava Mandir.
11th July was the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita and also of Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura. In Mayapur, all the Vaisnava acaryas appearance and disappearance day festivals are observed in such a way that throughout the day, you can remain absorbed in the pastimes of these great personalities. During the morning Srimad Bhagavatham class, HG Jananivas prabhu spoke on the glories of Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura. At noon, there was bhoga offering, pushpanjali, arti & prasada distribution.
This Krsna consciousness movement is the solution and we have been given the responsibility of organizing it in such a way that it becomes the solution. Specifically in relation to exploitation and modern slaves, there is nothing that worries the powers that be more than a system such as varnasrama. The varnasrama system by its very nature creates a society that is not only independent of ugra karma needs and their suppliers but it also creates independent thinkers with revolutionary views on how society should be structured in a God-centered way, where slaves are conspicuous by their absence
Akruranath das: History will record that, beginning in the early part of the 21st century, a large percentage of hotel and motel rooms across the United States and Canada were first stocked with Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Ortrun Gates: We have just recently found out that we will host the following guests are this year's Ratha Yatra at Gita Nagari Farm. They are listed here in no particular order. Her Grace Malati prabhu, HH Bhakti Vasudeva Swami, HH Chandramauli Swami, HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, and last but certainly not least, His Grace Ravindra Svarup
Rama and Murli: Join us in a lively procession, chanting the holy names of the Lord in a kirtan led by Gadi Prabhu. Help us carry the Deities of Chota Goura-Nitai and Srila Prabhupada in a palanquin to the pond where we will all offer Them abhiseka
Malaharini dasi: On behalf of the Ratha Yatra team and all Polish devotees, we would like to cordially invite all devotees from all corners of Europe to participate in the Ratha Yatra Festival that for the second time will take place in Wroclaw on August 26th, 2010
ISKCON’s 2nd Generation Go Green at French Kuli Mela
An article written by Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News and originally posted on July 9th, 2010.
This August, 350 “Kulis,” or members of ISKCON’s second generation, from France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium will converge on the rural community of New Mayapur two hours south of Paris, France.
In a way, their journey will be a spiritual trek; one that will end at Europe’s second Kuli Mela in as many years. Kuli Mela—meaning a gathering of community—arose from an effort to mature annual Kuli reunions from mere social events into productive sharing of attendees’ lives and talents.
After its inaugurative festival in New Vrindaban, West Virginia in 2006, Kuli Mela became something of a phenomenon, kicking off a spate of regional events around the world—each with its own theme and mission.
And France’s Kuli Mela promises one of the most interesting themes yet: Ecology. “With high pollution levels around the world, global warming, environmental disasters such as the BP oil spill, and general mistreatment of Mother Earth, it’s an extremely important subject,” says Chandra Bellamy, one of Kuli Mela France’s ten-strong organizational team.
It’s no accident that the team has chosen New Mayapur, an 85-hectare rural community set around a historic castle, as the location for the event. “Srila Prabhupada’s dream for New Mayapur when it was established in the 1970s was to have it become a self-sufficient community,” Chandra says. “And our goal at this Mela is to inspire a return to the simple life of gardening, working the land, and taking care of cows that he taught.”
Many of the workshops offered over the five days of the Mela, from August 5th to 8th, will pursue this goal. Dhanesvara Dasa, author of Lessons in Spiritual Economics from the Bhagavad-gita and inspiration behind village communities in Lithuania and Ukraine, will speak on spiritual economics and how to understand and apply Vedic Dharma in managing a rural community.
Yamuna Dasi from the UK, meanwhile, will speak about climate change, and about how to resist a globalized and capitalized world.
And French native Prema Rasa Dasa, herbalist and author of The Art of Cooking With Wild Plants, will conduct an experiential workshop were attendees will learn how to recognize, choose and pick wild herbs in the forest land around New Mayapur, before cooking up and eating them.
Several films with ecological themes will also be shown at the event. There’s “The Lost Village,” a documentary produced by Bhakti Vaibhava Swami and starring Lokanath Swami, which examines the destruction of traditional village life in India by urbanization. There’s Food, Inc., an Oscar-nominated documentary that explores the food industry’s detrimental effects on our health and environment. And there’s Solutions Locales pour un Désordre Global—or “Local Solutions for a Global Disorder”—a French film by director Coline Serreau, who traveled around the world for three years with her camera, seeking community village initiatives across India, Brazil, and Russia.
The environmental consciousness of Kuli Mela France even extends as far as dinnerware. “We will give each attendee their own plate and cup bearing the Kuli Mela logo, which they will use for the entire event,” Chandra says. “At the end of the Mela, they will either keep them as souvenirs, or we will return them to the company they came from for recycling.”
The meals themselves—breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner every day—will be organic, with half of the vegetables used to be grown by Kulis themselves or donated by devotee farmer Kutastha Dasa, and the other half to be purchased locally. Chef duties will be performed by Rupanuga Dasa, an expert with five years of experience cooking for organic fair crowds.
“Even the snacks we serve will be organic and healthy,” says Chandra, ticking off a list of delicacies including French crêpes and Indian chaat snacks such as pani puris, dahi puris, and aloo tikkis. “You won’t find any pizza, Coca-Cola, or fries at this event!”
As well as emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency, the Kuli Mela France organizers hope to create a consciousness of valuing ISKCON’s rural farm communities, and to inspire Kulis to get involved so that they don’t disappear.
This is not merely theoretical—after fifteen years in decline, the New Mayapur property narrowly missed getting sold off several years ago. And the community—which many French Kulis grew up in—is still struggling, with only a handful of devotees living in the temple and maintaining the Deities.
“We see this Kuli Mela as an opportunity to get the community back on track,” Chandra says. “A group of youth are already interested in settling in New Mayapur and building up the project. And we feel that the Mela may attract more young people to start something there, or at least contribute six months of their time. And little by little, something can happen.”
That vision will start with hundreds of Kulis arriving at New Mayapur for the Mela’s opening ceremony on August 4th. The next day, meanwhile, will begin bright and early.
“Our Deities at New Mayapur—Sri-Sri Radha Govinda, Krishna-Balarama, and Gaura-Nitai— are so beautiful, adorned with locally grown flowers and beautifully decorated by the head pujari (priest) Visesa Dasi,” says Chandra. “But They don’t see many devotees throughout the year. So we’re really encouraging all the Kulis to attend the temple program every morning and give Them as much devotion and attention as possible.”
Breakfast on each day of the Mela will be served at 9am, followed by workshops from 10:00am to 1pm. After lunch, another session will follow, from 3pm until 6pm. As well as those with an ecological theme, a total of fifteen workshops will cover a wide variety of topics such as yoga, massage, dance therapy, pottery, transformative communication, and self defense using martial arts.
Bhajan singing will be held throughout the day in the temple room, while evenings from 7pm till midnight will see a wide variety of musical entertainment.
Singer Prana Ji and guitarist Mathura Dasa of the Bindoo Babas, an alternative reggae/jazz band based in the UK, will have Kulis jiving to their ‘70s inspired easy-going grooves. Michi, former frontman of the Spanish hip-hop group Dhira, will appear solo with his energetic and catchy melodies and rhymes. Hardcore metal band Bhimal from Poland are sure to inspire a head-banging mosh pit. And acoustic folk artists Jaya and Govinda from France and Chakrini from the UK will bring a more chilled-out vibe with their soulful sets.
Meanwhile, kirtan singer Madhava Naidoo will have everyone chanting and dancing their hearts out, sending the Holy Name of Krishna soaring into the sky.
“There will also be a lot of electronic music and DJs,” Chandra says, “Including Ashirvad, who will play a set based on their epic musical journey across sacred India; Silly Pundit and Haridas from the UK, DJ Veda from France, and DJ Sanj with his Bollywood beats.”
The festival will be rounded out with an evening of Indian music and dance featuring dancers from France and Belgium, including bhajans, classical Odissi dance and Bollywood Dance.
“As well as Kulis, the Mela will be attended by friends of ours from neighbouring cities whom we’ve invited to experience our culture,” says Chandra, “So we hope the event will bring everyone together.”
Senior devotees from around the world will also be a strong presence at the event—ISKCON had a large, thriving community in France in the 1980s, and Kuli Mela will be an opportunity for all those who have since moved to the US, Australia, and other countries to reunite at New Mayapur and spend some time together.
“We would like this Mela to leave people with an enthusiastic feeling of happiness and creativity, and to inspire them to become active in the New Mayapura community,” says Chandra.
The New Mayapur guesthouse has already sold out for Kuli Mela, although space remains in two large tents to be used as men’s and women’s dormitories. Attendees also have the option to camp using their own tents or to stay at one of several hotels in the area. Shower and toilet facilities will be provided on site. For more information, please write to contact@francekulimela.com.
Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:
The best purpose of Vedanta philosophy is served by inoffensively chanting the holy name of the Lord. Vedanta is the last word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedanta philosophy is Lord Krsna; and the highest Vedantist is the great soul who takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord. That is the ultimate purpose of all Vedic mysticism.
There is one thing we all have in common in this age, and that is tons of anxiety. We have one anxiety stacked on top another anxiety, stacked on top of another anxiety, stacked on top of another anxiety, reaching all the way up into the sky. What if we could transform this mega load of anxiety into the sweetest happiness? Wouldn't that be great? Well,...
Dipak had a couple of other, more personal, questions. "Srila Prabhupada," he asked nervously, "could you give me the secret to spiritual advancement?" Dipak was hoping for a mystical, esoteric answer. "Yes," replied Prabhupada gravely. "chant the holy name, 16 rounds every day. Never stop chanting, and you are guaranteed spiritual advancement." Dipak had one more question. "Srila Prabhupada, what can I do for you?" Prabhupada's answer was completely satisfying. "Your service attitude," he said, "is enough."
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Saturday, 8 April 1972
>From The Great Transcendental Adventure by Kurma Prabhu
This morning I was listening to the news there was a notation to the lengths people were going to in order to be in South Africa to see the world cup final. Many had spent there life savings, or run up a huge credit bill, taking many flights and road-trips just to be a part of [...]
Written by Kapila and originally posted at the Sampradaya Sun website on July 9th, 2010.
This is an excellent article about Kuli Mela. In it Kapila, one of the lead organizers of the Kuli Mela Association, eloquently and succinctly elaborates on some of the moods, mindsets and intentions behind the events. He also offers more details about the Gala Evening at the Ford Theater from KulimeLA 2009. Recently we released the Ford Theater video on the internet and it seems an elaboration is needed to explain some of the deeper contexts of the Melas, and the 2009 Gala Evening in particular. There’s a lot of history contained in that video and it might be a challenge for some to understand and appreciate it without more information.
Sometimes a little controversy can be a good thing. It increases the focus on a particular issue, even if we don’t want it to. Seen in the right light, it can be opportunity for us to create a space for meaningful dialog, where people feel welcome and comfortable so they’ll be more inclined to share and be more open to receiving what others have to offer in return. It allows us to continue to build a vibrant community based on love and trust, with all the dynamic and diverse layers that entails. Of course, at the center is finding ways for us to connect on deeper levels, which ultimately lead us back to the Source…
Miniskirts… Skirting the Issue
By Kapila
I appreciate the articles written by Madhavananda Prabhu [Don't Allow this Miniskirt or Minishirt] and Radhika Mataji [Miniskirts... and Proper Saris!] in regards to the recommended attire of a brahminical devotee. It is always good to be reminded of the most correct form, and to recognize standards which apply to temple environments.
I would like, however, to clarify the position that I take when approaching both the kulimela’s and the youth, as it will better inform these devotees and others why some things are the way they are.
It is pertinent to note first and foremost that although Kulis (youth born into the Hare Krsna movement), are members of the community, and often great devotees too, the majority are not initiated devotees.
So we see that there are initiated devotee youth, youth who are active members of the community, and others who are not active but still attend to their friends, and still others who are inimical.
The kulimela is actually a space where all such are invited to attend, and to come together and rejoice in friendship, family, community, and spirituality.
So for the kulimela event we set aside our particular conditions and standards and set a more comfortable space.
This space, of course, still has some rules we ask all attendees to respect, on temple property, such as no alcohol or drugs.
Although a number of kuli’s do partake of such substances in the outside world, the vast majority, even amongst these, are happy to set aside these activities during the mela, and we have had no issues with drugs or alcohol at our events (ironically we did have one old Prabhupada disciple who was smoking weed in the woods and he was politely asked to stop.) If there are other issues, they have been minor and incomparable to the wonderful benefits that the kulimela’s bring.
I would note that Radhika Mataji has also mentioned the sunday feast, which again was set up to be the Sunday love feast, a place where the public are invited to join and come for the feast etc.
The fundamental issue here is that the majority of kuli’s have not made any vows or taken initiation, and are attending as members of the wider community. They therefore have no obligation to attend the lectures, to dress according to brahminical standards, or to do anything other than enjoy the feast and socialise, although almost all will be found in the kirtan, singing, dancing, and playing instruments, surely something wonderful and to be encouraged.
Their attitude can create a disturbance to some who evaluate them as initiated by default, which is not a fact or the process at all.
Of course, there are still certain expectations even of the wider public in the temple environment (such as not wearing shoes inside), and dressing to some degree of modesty, but it is hardly the same as the standards we would expect of initiated disciples, or temple pujaris.
So the question can be asked, what is the value of the Sunday feast being open to all, and of the Kulimela’s being a more open environment?
The benefit is that we can reawaken the taste of bhakti in such circumstances.
So we don’t say that only people who follow the four regulative principles can attend a Sunday feast. Why not? Because then how can we preach. Yet we would say they cannot eat meat on the property, which is appropriate. As an example of how people and place can change our approach, when we go out on Rathayatra, the space is even more open, because people can come and view the tents in their bikini’s and even be eating meat while talking to a devotee.
My point is that standards should be known, understood, and explained, but that they are personal and place dependent.
Let me give those who have not attended and experienced the magic of the Kulimela’s a few important things which happen at the melas.
Firstly, nearly everyone participates in service. At the Radhadesh mela we had more than 75% of all delegates participate in service, from cooking, to cleaning, to presenting, etc. How do I know? We gave a gift t-shirt to everyone we could identify who had done some service and that was the figure, it was probably higher.
This is service done with genuine happiness and love, and the smiles on the face of the servers was very real. When service becomes a burden and expectation, this smile disappears, and can lead to burnout. The mela’s are an attempt to overcome some of the damage done by burnout from the past (not an issue with the new generation of youth, but the older generation 25+ certainly experienced such burnout), so we ask and make no demands.
If you want to come, play sports, talk to friends, that’s fine. And it works. I have had many experiences where youth who came just to play sports, and attended no seminars or lectures, were so inspired by the event that they organized lectures and seminars a year later! And these seminars were on preaching….
If we had put pressure on this young man not to play sports, if we had told them to wear a dhoti and proper kurta (most of these young men had no shirts on at given times), and if we had insisted on the morning program and lecture, they would not have attended, not been inspired, and we would not have their energy for the future.
Secondly, the most popular activity at a mela is not the entertainment, it’s not the seminars, it’s not even the prasadam, it’s the Bhajan Kutir. The nama yajna for the mela’s.
We place this at the centre of the event, and it runs all day. It’s so appreciated that the attendees won’t leave even for prasadam and the evenings entertainment.
Thirdly, we schedule spiritually infused entertainment so that youth who will go out and enjoy night clubs and all that the material world has to offer, will always remember that the best time they ever had was dancing with their friends, without any drugs or alcohol, and with reminders of Krishna.
But that is not where it ends, we escalate the evenings dance, so that first there is a more neutral space, with dance music etc, but then we transition the next day to a rocking kirtan, where the mood, of course, only goes higher and becomes the most powerful and appreciated.
The power of a rocking kirtan is such that the taste can remain even after 20 years of material life. And so with our neutral space we entice kuli’s back to experience it.
But again, this is all by the process of invitation, by welcoming, by putting aside judgment, and by embracing our wider community.
I would add one final note for those who may not understand the Gala Evening at the Ford Theatre. There were very specific reasons why we hosted such an event off the temple property. (We hosted a Rukmini and Krishna play on temple property). This was because the evening was one that was reaching out to the most abused and mistreated of our second generation, young men and women who would not feel comfortable or safe in any temple environment.
And inside of that space we had to widen the boundaries of our neutral space, where inside the temple we would narrow those same boundaries.
It is a reminder that we are not devotees “because” of our dress, but that we may dress in certain ways because we are a devotee. So to me it is an inspiration when George Harrison sings Hare Krsna, or when a model says she chants Hare Krsna to the Daily Mail newspaper in the UK, these are events which say, you never know where you will find a devotee, and in what guise or factor of life.
I won’t go into a full analysis of all of these circumstances, except to say that I greatly appreciate seeing a devotee in full garb, because it creates contrast as well as comparison.
So when I organize events in the UK for professionals, we have many devotees in suits, interacting with bankers, lawyers, and the like, and they don’t know if they are speaking to a devotee or a non devotee, they can appreciate Hare Krsna’s are also professional. But I also invite the brahmachari’s and temple president to attend in their professional garb, a dhoti, and this contrast and comparison in a neutral space is very effective.
I can state with absolute certainty that if we only had devotees in dhoti’s at the professional events I host, or if we established a traditional temple garb on all mela attendees, we would have very few people there. And those few people are well served by many other events.
So my argument is not against standards, and I respect and appreciate being reminded of them, I just wanted to perhaps explain a few things to those who might misunderstand what the value and purpose of the mela’s are.
One final point about what is probably the most disturbing “garb” issue from the evening at the Ford Theatre, that is the dance in which the dancer rips off certain elements of her clothing.
This dance is supposed to be awkward and uncomfortable at that moment. It is a statement against hypocrisy as experienced in our youth, where we were judged by the “appropriateness” of our clothes, rather than the spirituality in our hearts, and where we were instructed not to dress like whores, while a number of youth were sexually abused, assaulted, and molested, or given away in marriage at the ages of 11 and 12.
These are issues that we can forget, but they are not forgotten by those who lived them and were there.
This dance addressed those issues, daring the viewer to treat the dancer as a sex object, while demanding at the same time that she dress appropriately. At least that is how I interpreted it. As a work of art, there are other experiences possible.
This resonance will not be understood by all, but I for one defend it, and appreciate it, in the context in which it was presented.
That same dancer organized all the young children (and a number of older youth), to dress up in fantastic garb to add to the glory of the parade for Lord Jagannath, she also gave up huge amounts of her time and energy to make the mela happen, and is a very dedicated participant in this spiritual path, raising her children wonderfully. How do I know this? She’s my sister.
Saturday 3rd, July 2010. I woke up early to catch some solid rounds. I was humoured by the sliding sounds of countless sandals, as the troopers marched their ways to the bathrooms. My seva had been postponed from 6AM to 7AM. I think this would later prove a blessing because the tour was sure to heat up and exhaustion was due to kick in any day now. I took this spare time this morning to read Caitanya Caritamrta. The context was exactly the same as Sitala Mataji’s class the day before. The whole concept had me more excited, thinking that HH Indradyumna Swami would soon be arriving and we would also be chanting and dancing in ecstatic kirtana.
The dough kneading seva was relatively easy but there was some expertise in measuring the water to dough ratios, which proved to be a constant meditation and anxiety for this rusty beginner. Whilst rolling my sixth massive ball of dough (enough dough for one hundred and fifty samosas), Dominik Prabhu came in. He made a plea to me that he needed my assistance on the sound crew. I was reluctant but as I was kneading ball after ball of samosa dough, I was listening to Bhakti Sastri lectures by Bhurijana Prabhu and it was emphasising that one’s duty was to perform the needful. I could speculate on the matter further but the matter seemed relatively clear. I compromised some reasonable schedule terms with Dominik Prabhu so that I could maintain some sanity over the period of the next two months. I had to renounce late night shifts with the break down crew and pushed towards relinquishing myself of the responsibility of setting up the festivals. I was simply submitting to the responsibility of DJ for the stage show music.
The devotees were off to harinam again in the afternoon but I stayed back yet again; the devotees were going to be back late and I needed one more night of regulation before the tour’s motion took the privilege away altogether. I had to struggle with the boys who were enthusiastic to drag me out on the streets and I barely resisted their enthusiastic encouragement.
I found myself in the reception, catching up on emails and publishing old diaries. Sitala Mataji sat close by, accessing the internet. She informed me of HH Indradyumna Swami’s secret arrival! Maharaja seemed to have misinformed everyone so that he could ease his way into the base while everyone was out on harinam. Maharaja had done a similar thing when he was leaving Australia last. We were going to wake up early and see him off but Gaura Hari had warned us not to. It was a show of his character to avoid the lime light, which was shone upon him by default due to his saintly qualities.
Sitala Mataji also informed me that it was HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s disappearance day. I had lost contact with the world and I had also lost track of the Vaisnava calendar. I took some time to reflect and be grateful for what HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami had done for me. I proof read an old homage and posted it, thinking that it was rather suiting for the day. When I left Radhadesh I was asked to transport only one thing: a book - Spiritual Warrior One. I had only ever had physical association of Bhakti Tirtha Swami once, in New Govardhana. He gave a class and some aspects from it had been burned into my memory. My father purchased some of his books and had him sign them. The signed copy of Spiritual Warrior One was my first read and was the start of an epic spiritual journey, which had led me to where I was now. It had reignited the spark of Bhakti within my heart and had shed layers of gathered ignorance. This disappearance day was sad for me also because HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami left before I could even realize his amazing spiritual impact, in my life and the life of others. The feelings of gratitude and helplessness made a strange mix in my consciousness.
I spent some time with Braja, in our room, revealing my mind in confidence about this year’s tour. Each year had it’s own flavour and unpredictable outcome. It was a great surrender and a great adventure. You could simply admit that Krsna was in control and merely take your post in the whole arrangement. It was great, in the end, to have a group of amazing Vaisnavas to accompany you on the ordeal and help strengthen the amazing realizations that were to come. As I left the room, I passed Gurudeva’s room, peeking in as he casually organized himself. The spiritual general had arrived and the troopers were waiting for him at the first festival in the town of Dzwirzyno.
I moved to the front of the school. The bus was waiting to be loaded with eager festival goers. I marched to the front of the line and Ganga Mataji motioned me through. Those who have crucial services have to be on the bus and whatever room is left can be occupied by the eager devotees who line up for the ride. We had a brand new set of buses this year, which took away a lot of the previous austerity. I sat in the back slanted seat of the coach liner and found myself dosing off in no time.
We arrived in the small township of Dzwirzyno. This coast town had been the same place that we kicked off Festiwal Indii each year, since I had been on tour. We sorted out the majority of the glitches here and learnt our limitations for the many festivals to come. This year they had located us on the other side of town, in a long stretching car park. I made my way to the sound tent; I was surprised with the new arrangements. Dominik had purchased a new desk, smaller than the last and had scoped out our effects unit into a new power packed mini console. It seemed to be a lot more convenient but I could tell that, at least for the first few festivals, some bugs would come up.
I had Prasadam with the boys, spending some time to familiarize with one another. I was certain from the start that this young group of delinquents were going to make good tour buddies but this initial meeting reassured me of my conviction nonetheless. It wasn’t long into the piece that HH Indradyumna Swami arrived on scene. Vanamali beckoned us to the front gate, feeling the presence of his gurudeva, even before he had arrived. Everyone anxiously gathered around Maharaja’s car but he remained hidden within for some time. Mahavana (our good friend from the previous Polish and Australian tours) sat within, tending to Gurudeva’s wants and needs.
The show kicked its way off for the first time. Tribuvanesvara Prabhu gave a short introduction before Sankya group stole the stage. Dominik took the wheel for the first festival and I was free to roam about. I was even a little uncertain, thinking maybe Dominik would be able to handle the sound this year on his own after all. I was stolen away by another mission; Sitala Mataji needed some stationary for her workshop and sent the boys on her little quest. We roamed through the township looking in various shops. Radheya, who was still shaking off his time in India, tried to barter but to no avail. It was hard enough to tell if the merchants understood what we were saying what to speak of trying to have a financial debate with them. Eventually we had our small success and returned to the camp to catch the rest of the show.
We had a new puppet show this year; the Govardhana Lila was going to manifest on the stage of Festiwal Indii, in the distant land of Poland. It was an unusual but amazing presentation. The story was filled out with music, song and dance; it even featured a rap. Maharaja scrutinizing watched from his usual place in the sound tent. There were a few hiccups but I could see that this was going to be a dynamic presentation in the end.
Dina Dayal soon filled the stage with his new mini drama. A black curtain on rollers crossed the stage and all of a sudden there was a mysterious sage sitting in yogic posture. The curtain moved back and the sage was gone. All of a sudden Dina Dayal was manifest, throwing his stick wildly around the stage. The curtain engulfed him yet again and Devaprastha Prabhu, the original tour martial artist, manifested. Soon again it was just the sage, sitting in meditation. Devaprastha Prabhu then appeared from the side, seeming a little fatigued. He approached the sage for water but was not granted his desire. In anger he was ready to severe the sage’s head with his sword but then Dina Dayal came to save the day. At the climax of the martial encounter, the sage halted the two Ninja-Brahmanas and led them off set. The black curtain made its path across the stage yet again and the three were seen sitting in yogic asanas, only the sage was levitating a meter or so off the ground!
Vanamali’s redirected Gita drama was next. It stayed true to Bhaktimarga Swami’s classiness but had a few little trinkets thought up by our own Sri Nama Vanamali Krsna Dasa Prabhu. The players were a little rusty but I could see that we had another impressive performance to amaze the people of Poland.
I found Pulkit in the back of the restaurant tent, deep frying vegetarian kabobs. When he was done on his shift he finally had an opportunity to greet Maharaja. While Pulkit was distracted with his transcendental meeting, I talked to Jayatam Prabhu. We talked about the situation of this year’s tour compared to others and my services also. He was aware this year that I was writing a diary and was encouraging me on it and querying. Jayatam Prabhu and Nandini Mataji are the main organizers of the festival and work all year around to put it on. (Those who read HH Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental diaries would know who I am talking about because Maharaja constantly notes their struggles to keep the tour afloat.)
Pulkit and I began to speak about Bhakti Tirtha Swami. Every time I though of him I could remember the great journey I undertook whilst reading his books. It was my foundations that were to hold up my growing ambition in the spiritual revolution of Krsna consciousness. I looked up to the stage and HH Indradyumna Swami stepped on to give his class. I had recently been writing diary entries from my first tour with Indradyumna Swami and this also brought me back to some of my spiritual roots. As an eager young bhakta my parents had arranged for me to meet up with the Le Carnaval Spirituel troupe in Australia and I had wisped away on my first great journey. This had a domino effect and from there I ended up on my first Polish tour. Maharaja’s class on stage really brought my mind back to the whole reasoning behind this great festival. His philosophy shone through the gloom and brought great insight to the soul.
I found myself dancing with the Prabhus in the final kirtana, a rare privilege for me. It was impossible not to feel the bliss, as Maharaja blasted out mantra after mantra of pure sound vibration. It was both musically appealing and spiritually sound. Maharaja had been chanting Hare Krsna for longer than I had lived and vhis taste for the holy name was eminent when he shared it with the crowds of Festiwal Indii.
We all loaded into the bus after a long solid day. Katyani mataji conducted an interesting Nrsimha prayer, which had us all taking turns at the lead. Such were the bus kirtanas, all original in their own right, and spontaneous due to the mood and inspiration of the devotees. No kirtana was quite the same as the other and no one could predict what the next would entail. We soon arrived safely back at the base so we could rest up for another day of festival.
Sunday 4th, July 2010. I awoke, feeling exhausted. I trusted that this feeling was temporary so I fought against it. I reminded myself that it would take a few days to fully appreciate the routine of the tour and until then you could simply tolerate the minor difficulties that became of it. I did some reading, and then made my way down to the kitchen for some my seva. I finished up and made my way to class, which was given by HG Adi Karta Prabhu. I had met Adi Karta Prabhu at Polish Woodstock in 2008. Now he was back and was staying for most of the tour.
HH Indradyumna Swami led a prayer to the Deities at the greeting and then he gave his first announcements for tour. Mostly he was giving out the sauce, telling everyone that they should attempt to make the morning program, unless their services didn’t permit it. I was normally restricted by heavy duties from the setup crew but this year I was restricted by the time clash of my service in the kitchen. It seemed I just couldn’t win and merely had to chant my prayers in my own time. Maharaja was teasing that almost no one came to that morning’s program. “I can understand it if it was five weeks into tour” he said, “but it’s only been two days?!” In the end he suggested that if anyone else was still in bed at this time it was simply due to tama guna.
After Maharaja gave out the sauce I managed to take his darsana. I approached him and he greeted me warmly. “Maddy, I didn’t know you were coming to Poland?” he said. I purposely didn’t tell him I was coming on tour, partially because I wasn’t sure if I could attain my residency on time and mostly because I wanted to surprise him. He asked me what my services were this year and I gave him a rather confused reply; I still wasn’t sure myself. I was either going make a dough mix, mix sound or mix both services together. Nonetheless I was happy that I was finally physically recognisable by this great devotee; this reassured me of my hope against hope of one day escaping this world. Maharaja also asked me if I was coming to Brazil with him. I regretted to inform him that I would be caught up studying in Radhadesh.
I was back in the kitchen for the next leg of samosa production. I was handed a rolling pin and left to create obscure shapes. Dominik came in and made a final confirmation that I was going to be DJ for the festival. I was now officially DJ, unofficially Dough Boy and more than superficially confused.
I rushed out to catch the bus in the afternoon. I was a priority for seating yet again, although on this tour there was enough space so it wasn’t as crucially encouraged as last year. I sat with Dina Dayal Prabhu, knowing I would have a serious japa session in his association. I felt like I was slowly gathering a taste for the holy name in his presence and was grateful that Krsna had arranged such an opportunity. Sleeping and japa standards are something you have to monitor on tour; neglecting one usually leans towards neglecting the other and you need whatever material and spiritual shakti you can obtain on tour.
We sat for lunch Prasadam with our usual crowd and HG Adi Karta Prabhu, a Prabhupada disciple from Alachua. Adi Karta Prabhu was very much interested in farming communities and we found ourselves talking about New Govardhana, in Australia. We also talked a little about the continuation of ISKCON - what needed to be done to secure the longevity of our society in the rampant age of quarrel.
After all was said and done, it was time to take the post of DJ again, for the third year running. I was given a short introduction to the new setup and was on my way. The first track was a success and I was hoping for many more to come. There were still a lot of glitches though and I almost played a wrong track rather early in the piece. It came to one Sanatani and Sivanjali, and I didn’t have their tracks at all. Braja called Dominik on the mobile phone. I was anxious and upset. I couldn’t handle this kind of thing so early in the piece. I had lived with these two matas for a while in Australia so I didn’t want to upset them now that I was familiar with them. Dominik ran to the scene and managed to fix the player, where the tracks were located. For the rest of the day I simply played tracks off Domonik’s laptop and it was a lot more convenient.
I was with Pulkit in the sound tent. I finally set some time aside to begin writing the epic diary. It is always an unpredictable effort to write a diary on tour. It’s simply a daily effort to sleep and chant, what to speak of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, and adding the task of writing and proofreading to the already super busy, exhausting schedule can be rather consuming. The reason why I pursue this ambition is simply because I know I have not amassed the spiritual credits to participate in such preaching activities and I know that without the blessings of the Vaisnavas, who read this humble offering, I will not have the fortune of continuing to adventure in such a spiritual environment. In essence, it simply isn’t tour for me unless I can write about it and share it with others.
1966 July 11 : "To the surprise of the people gathered Mr Goldsmith stood up and made a short announcement asking for signers on an incorporation document for the Svami's new religious movement." Prabhupada Journal :: 1966
1967 July 11 : "On the plane I had no inconvenience and I got down safely and was received by the anxious devotees. Jayananda in a nice car brought me to the house, which is situated in an exceptionally nice spot." Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1969 July 11 : "You have asked, is it true that the Spiritual Master remains in the material universe until all of His disciples are transferred to the Spiritual Sky? The answer is yes, this is the rule." Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1970 July 11 : "Each and every one of our books should have pictures as many as possible. That is my desire. People become attracted and even without reading they become inclined to purchase. It is simply to the pictures." Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1971 July 11 : "I have not heard from you and I am anxious to know what is your program; how construction is going on, what plans are being made there, etc. So please let me know all the details as soon as possible." Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
1972 July 11 : "Yes, Bhagavat Dasha, or ten day festival of reading from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam will be nice. If I am in India at that time, I shall be pleased to attend." Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1973 July 11 : "We can use everything in Krsna's service. When Krsna gives us a nice big house that does not mean we use it for our eating and sleeping - but we work harder in His service." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
1973 July 11 : "People are fed up with materialistic propaganda so you will find good response simply by chanting, speaking from Bhagavad gita, and distributing prasadam to everyone." Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
May 1-3 2010: Next stop on the tour was the capital of Croatia, Zagreb.
The devotees have constructed a beautiful three storey temple and asrama, up in the hills in the south of the city.
They gave me a third floor room with a great view of the valley:
The temple room is attractive and spacious and the Deities of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai are very beautiful:
I have been to Zagreb before and I was happy to be back. The Sunday feast was well attended, and the audience attentive as I delivered my SPLB seminar, this time on the topic of Deities.
I was told the temple has another set of Deities hidden away behind curtains at the back of the temple hall. I took a peek and saw some of the most beautiful Radha Krsna Deities anywhere in ISKCON.
They are six feet tall and have been waiting to be worshipped for several years. Wisely though the managers are waiting until they can be certain that they can maintain the demanding schedule that Their Lordships require.
One of the highlights of my visit was a trip to a local museum on May 4, to see an exhibition called “Body Revealed“.
Its an amazing display of real human bodies, sliced, diced, bisected and exposed in every possible way. It shows all the different structures and organs of the body including bones, cartilage, muscles, brain, heart, various senses, lungs, liver, reproductive, veins etc. using once-real human bodies.
Quite bizarre and very striking. Different chemicals are used to preserve specific parts of the body while other parts are stripped away. Its pretty amazing to see a body split down the middle (reminds me of the story of the killing of Jarasandha!) with the bisection exposing all the bones and organs etc.
Impressive work and I am sure Da Vinci would have been most impressed
He was known to have had dead bodies plucked from the grave yards so that he could study their structures. His drawings were of actual bodies that his men dug up fresh from burial:
The one thing that I realized is that although these cadavers were once ‘people‘, now they are just displays and the real people are not there. The bodies remain, with every aspect preserved and inspected, but where is the principle that made them “people”? That of course, was only on display in the observers.
My sleep was interrupted during the night, but I was asleep when the alarm clock rang at 2:30. I woke with a headache but completely subdued it with medicine. My first japa period was good. I chanted with some feeling, not just mechanically. I came close to the holy names and whispered them and said them quickly. I never grow tired of chanting but approach it each day with fresh enthusiasm. There is always a frustration that I don’t do it better, but I have to live with that and not berate myself. I do the best I can, and this morning my mind was clear from other subject matters other than hearing the names slip through my mind smoothly. I chanted nine rounds, and I’ll make up the rest later in peaceful time. The Viraha Bhavan is a good place to chant early in the morning, equal to the Yellow Submarine.
Chanting smoothly, you hear harinama as clear as a silver bell, as pleasing as the call of the wood thrush in the forest. I am up chanting with all the birds in this rural town. It is as if we are all calling the glories of the Names . Unlike the birds, I have been specifically given harinama initiation from my spiritual master, and I fulfill my vow given on that day many years ago. Prabhupada is with me as I utter the names in a sacred space, aspiring for the day of my deliverance.
I am writing this with a headache, and it reminds me of the time I was sick when I was in Prabhupada’s presence as his traveling servant and secretary. I contracted hepatitis in Bombay, and by the time we reached Rome I was completely yellow and had to give up my duties and stay distant from Srila Prabhupada. There was no bed or room for me, and I lay on the floor in a room near the kitchen. Prabhupada would pass me on his way to and from lectures, and I would bow down but then lay back on the floor, I was so weak. Then Bhagavan dasa told me that Prabhupada said if I did not recover he would leave me behind in Rome and not take me with him to Geneva. I became so frightened of being left behind that I forced myself to get better, and he took me with him. But in Germany I contacted a high fever and couldn’t massage him, and then in Australia, I grew a big boil on my knee.
As for Srila Prabhupada, he was frequently ill. Ever since his two major heart attacks on the Jaladuta and his stroke in New York City in 1967, he had a series of colds, stomach disorders, and other bodily ailments. He did not complain or announce his illnesses, and sometimes only his intimate physical servants were aware. Once during a lecture in 1966 he was coughing so much that he gave himself as a philosophical example. “Just see,” he said, “this body is always giving trouble.” Once in Los Angeles he had such a bad cough that he was constantly spitting up phlegm into a cup while he gave his lecture. Sometimes he seemed to bounce back and have periods of good health, but then again he would have a relapse. Once in Mayapur in 1973 he called me into his room and asked if I knew a cure for stomach disorder. Did I know a place that had curative waters? I was dumbfounded that he asked me, and felt like a complete ignoramus because I did not know of any curative waters. During this same stay in Mayapur he developed a sore red eye. Once when he was rubbing it, his disciple Devananda Maharaja said, “Don’t rub your eye, Prabhupada, it will get infected.” Srila Prabhupada replied curtly, “The spiritual master is never infected.” Prabhupada was a pure devotee and above karmic reactions, and his appearance of diseases was not a case of material conditioning.
But as long as he was in this world, he underwent suffering just to deliver fallen souls. He disregarded his health and was not a dutiful patient to the doctors he consulted. He used to periodically make miraculous recoveries from his illnesses. I was with him in Calcutta in 1973 when he got stomach cramps from eating his sister’s rich food. He was moaning in bed and asked us to put a picture of Lord Nrsimha on the altar. But then he received a flamboyant telegram from Syamasundara Dasa inviting him to a gala Ratha Yatra festival in London. The next day Srila Prabhupada got up from his sickbed, flew to London, and walked the whole way with the procession. Who can understand the activities of the pure devotee? The French philosopher Voltaire was called “a fabulous invalid” because he was mostly sick but always prolific and active. Srila Prabhupada may often have appeared to be sick, but he never stopped his active life of traveling, writing, preaching and worshiping Krishna. You cannot say he was a sickly person but a great soldier and transcendentalist in Lord Caitanya’s army.
Krishna is aprakrta, beyond the material vision, so I cannot see Him. Even Raghunatha dasa Goswami prays that one day he may gain the vision of the Lord. Saksad-darsana is very rare, but we can hear Krishna in His holy names and that is as good as seeing. They say the name is more merciful than the form.
Let us sing loudly and mutter softly the Hare Krishna mantra. The benefit is great even if you don’t understand it at first.
Lord Caitanya distributed it and said it is like a mango fruit, and I have so many I cannot distribute them all by Myself. Please join Me and give them out to everyone you meet.
His mango-mantra brings love of God, ecstatic symptoms to the chanter. It costs nothing, just your desire to take it. But it must be handled carefully as it is passed down the tree from person to person to you standing at the bottom.
There are different ways to chant and even variations of the mantra, but you should take it exactly as given by the sat-guru, the spiritual master in disciplic succession. Milk from the tongue of a serpent causes poisonous effects.
Hare Krishna is for everyone around the world. The people in the foreign countries can learn it and embrace it in their hearts because it belongs to all.
The best chanters are humble and think themselves unworthy. They can chant constantly, and Krishna gives them the one thing even the proud scholars lack, the taste for which we are always anxious.
This looks like the early painting done by a first initiate, Haridasa (Harvey Cohen), which was placed in the picture window of the Matchless Gifts storefront. Haridasa gave Prabhupada permission to stay in his artist’s loft in the Bowery with a roommate, and then Harvey went to California. But he gave this painting which he had done to Prabhupada, who used it in a new storefront at 26 Second Avenue. Some passersby took the young persons with long hair as women or transvestites. But they were naturally critical and thought the long-haired young dancers were strange. (They didn’t stop to think that if Lord Jesus raised his arms and danced he would look much like the men in this sankirtana party.) Some passersby were intrigued, couldn’t figure it out, but liked the occult aura. After a few weeks of operation, Prabhupada had people inside the storefront up on their feet and dancing like the figures in the painting. Then the painting made more sense and became an invitation to come on in and join the sankirtana song and dance.
The picture shows Lord Caitanya in a yellow dhoti, Lord Nityananda in a bluish dhoti, Advaita Acarya in a full white beard and white dhoti, Gadadhara, with arms upraised, in reddish dhoti, and Srivasa Acarya with shaved head and hands in pranams. Perhaps Haridasa Thakura is playing the mrdanga. There are other dancers and players in the background. While a little strange for the Lower East Side hippies, it is certainly perceivable as a group of mind-expanding, ecstatic nonconformists, Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana party, first appearing on Second Avenue in an otherwise bare window front under a big sign, “Matchless Gifts.”
Recently, volunteers of The Pancajanya Project (www.MotelGita.org), a branch of ISKCON established a project dedicated to place at least 1 million Bhagavad-gitas in guest rooms across the U.S. A few days ago, Vaisesika Das from San Francisco was interviewed about this initiative by CBS Television.
For the first time, a Ratha Yatra or Chariot Festival was held in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Situated 6000 feet above sea level, the hour long windy road is quite a feat to drive
This August, 350 “Kulis,” or members of ISKCON’s second generation, from France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium will converge on the rural community of New Mayapur two hours south of Paris, France
There have been some people who have declared that the worship of Deities or images or the murti in the temples is but a recent invention of Vedic culture. However, that is not an accurate point
We love to picnic, barbecue, celebrate birthdays and entertain guests. We may hesitate on what fast-foods are on offer. Here is some “Party-pooping” information, which should enhance our parties even more. So “let’s party,” as they say
The initial years were joyful and exuberant but now the tendency to watch porn has comeback to haunt. Earlier I used to watch these unmentionable things for hours on the internet. Coincidently I have some work related to internet and I end up getting side tracked on the net due to my flickering mind. This is my disease. Please cure it.” (Video)
Sri Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe. His Kitchen is considered as the largest and the biggest Kitchen in the world. It is situated south-east direction of the outer compound of Srimandir.
Bharat Chandra (das) BRS (NC VAD Ministry - IN): It was afternoon when a distress call came from a devotee, Shankar Prabhu. He had spotted two vehicles pathetically loaded with cows and rushing at high speed. The cows were obviously being taken for slaughtering to a nearby slaughterhouse
Bala Krsna das: Please accept this as my personal invitation to our Saranagati Harvest Festival in August. For more info visit the website balaramfest.com
Louise Infante: A study team from Arizona State University conducted a cross-sectional study to match the mood of vegetarians who never eat fish with the mood of healthy omnivorous adults
New devotees are the life of our ISKCON movement! Their youth, enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge, and fresh energy rejuvenate us all and support our services and preaching activities
Almost a quarter of Americans think scientists are hostile to religion. But what do we really know about how scientists think about morality, spirituality and faith?
From 2005 to 2008, I surveyed nearly 1,700 natural and social scientists on their views about religion, spirituality and ethics and spoke with 275 of them in depth in their offices and laboratories. It turns out that nearly 50 percent of scientists identify with a religious label, and nearly one in five is actively involved in a house of worship, attending services more than once a month. While many scientists are completely secular, my survey results show that elite scientists are also sitting in the pews of our nation's churches, temples and mosques.
Of the atheist and agnostic scientists I had in-depth conversations with, more than 30 percent considered themselves atheists; however, less than six percent of these were actively working against religion. Many atheist and agnostic scientists even think key mysteries about the world can be best understood spiritually, and some attend houses of worship, completely comfortable with religion as moral training for their children and an alternative form of community. If religious people better understood the full range of atheistic practice -- and the way that it interfaces with religion for some -- they might be less likely to hold negative attitudes toward nonreligious scientists. The truth is that many atheist scientists have no desire to denigrate religion or religious people.
In fact, about one-fifth of the atheist scientists I spoke with say they consider themselves "spiritual atheists." Perhaps their stories are the most interesting. One chemist I talked with does not believe in God, yet she says she craves a sense of something beyond herself that provides a feeling of purpose and meaning and a moral compass. She sees herself as having an engaged spirituality, one that motivates her to live differently. For example, spiritual reasons keep her from accepting money from the Department of Defense, she says; for her, it's too linked to the military.
Given the presence of religion in the scientific community, why do Americans still think scientists are hostile to religion? Within their scientific communities, religious scientists tend to practice what I call a "secret spirituality." They are reluctant to talk about religious or spiritual ideas with their colleagues. I spoke with one physicist who said that he thinks universities are not always very accepting environments for scientists of faith. He believes that if he openly said he is religious, others would question the validity of his scientific work; it is his sense of things that at his elite school, he can be a scientist or be religious, but not both.
And within their faith communities, religious scientists often practice a "secret science." Sitting in the pews, they are often hesitant to discuss scientific ideas because they are afraid of offending those next to them. The result of this reticence is that people of faith are not aware of the religious scientists in their midst. More than that, these scientists fail to serve as role models for religious youth who might want to study science but fear science might lead them away from faith. As a result, these children lose out.
Research shows that the experiences students have with science in elementary and secondary school, and how well their science abilities evolve from there, help predict both whether they'll attend college and whether they'll enter into high-status professional fields. Other research has shown that those with stronger science skills and a better scientific understanding tend to have greater socioeconomic stability and overall success. So if religious folks want their children to succeed (as a scholar of American religion, I have every reason to believe they do) and if scientists want more children to consider a career in the field (as a scholar of the American scientific community, I know they do), there needs to be a better dialogue between people of faith and the scientists among them.
We need real, radical dialogue -- not just friendly co-existence between religion and science, but the kind of discussion where each side genuinely tries to understand why the other thinks the way it does and where common ground is sought. This dialogue should reach the rank-and-file in religious communities with the message of how to maintain faith while fully pursuing science. And it needs to reach the rank-and-file in the scientific community as well, providing them with better ways to connect with religious people.
Religious people need to remember that not all atheist scientists are hostile to religion. They need to know that even the most secular scientists struggle with the moral and ethical implications of their work. And scientists need to do a better job of communicating the importance of science to religious people -- especially in those areas in which religion might actually motivate them to care about science (like environmentalism, or "creation care"). Because if people of faith believe they have to become antireligious or completely secular to be a successful scientist -- when this is not a full reflection of the scientific community -- it would be a disaster.
My chanting was relaxed and wide awake. I settled into the rou tine with regular attention to the names, and my mind did not wander to other things. The bhajana-kutir is a suitable place, as good as the Yellow Submarine, for soli tary chanting. I have completed 12 rounds.
When Krsna is with His brother and sister, He is Jagannatha, and when He is with His village girlfriends, that is Radha-Krsna with gopis. So whomever you worship, it is the same. But if you like to worship Jagannatha, you can continue and it is as good as worshiping Radha-Krsna.
HH Mahavishnu Swami has recently changed his web-address and is also asking devotees if they can compose/write articles for it. The web-address is as follows: http://www.mahavishnuswami.net/ Here is a small though I had but the stream or thought applies to how we view all our spiritual masters: Pondering and thinking of the importance of our ever well [...]
Svarupa Sakti Mataji just came back from Botswana and has kindly shared a little report about the temple there: "Arriving at the place where 5 years ago I had met Krsna Balarama for the first time, it was still the same. I had wondered how I will survive a sad yet uplifting event like a funeral to a very memorable experience.Little did I know. Upon arrival to ISKCON Botswana, I came across the Temple President Devakinandana Prabhu and his family who greeted me with such love and kindness. Everyday I would honour prasadam at a devotee's house, Narayan Dasa and his wife, who were my high school physics and biology teachers.
That same week, the Kala Hari Youth Group, made up of the young devotees, had invited the Krsna Balaram youth from South Africa for a Kirtan festival. There was Harinam in the city centre which was very well received and prasadam distribution. In the evening we all made it back to the new temple building site for a night of Kirtan and Feasting.
The commmunity there is growing, books are distributed and the chanting of the holy names heard all over the city. Now when I tell the locals that I am a Hare Krsna , they smile and always remark about how beautiful the new Temple is. So there is no doubt, Krsna Consciousness is coming out into the streets of Gaborone. The glories of Krsna Balaram will soon be revealed to all."
Here is a link to the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Botswana.
The age of Kali is dangerous time indeed because it is a time when demoniac qualities become increasingly predominant in all spheres of the human society. Since our consciousness is developed according to our association, and since our association in this age so poisonous, we need an antidote to counteract this poison. That antidote is the Hare Krishna...
Meadow green glass mosaic tile from Hakatai Classics line. Cheap! Love the green, especially with the white ranges. Love the tiled soffit--looks more loveable in real life. Obviously there is some de-fingerprinting that needs tending to.
Porcher London sink in front of Meadow Hakatai tile. Running water in the kitchen, I long for you! Today was supposed to be the day but it looks like tomorrow is the new day.
You saw this yesterday but here it is again. It looks so slick! Gray grout, white subway tile. Cheap yet classy.
Mint Ice tile is so sooooothing. Bluer in real life.
Husband. Tile. Two of my greatest loves in life. The two 72" stainless steel restaurant shelves still need to go up. Hopefully that will happen soon.
Who'd of thunk that I would love the white (Porcelain) glass mosaic tile so much on the support post? This support post has been the bane of the remodel, yet I managed to build a good design in spite of it. And now, grouted with white, I love it! Well, love as far as a support post is deserving of love. Okay, maybe a smidge more.
White on white. On white on white. On white. There are a whole lot of competing whites that seem to get along just fine in my kitchen. Matchy matchy would not have been a pretty sight.
The other day I was reminded of how easy it can be to be lulled into a false sense of security especially when it comes to our devotional life, thinking one self secure or more elevated than we truly are. My mind wondered to a devotee who I knew some time ago, he was one of [...]
Shortly before the end of his visit in 1975 to Atlanta, where he had clearly been pleased with the temple and the devotees, Srila Prabhupada was asked "What was it about Atlanta that was so pleasing to you?"
Srila Prabhupada replied, "When I saw all the devotees working together in a cooperative spirit."
Friday 2nd, July 2010. I awoke early and chanted all my rounds in a single sitting. I felt refreshed and renewed. I had the renewed realization from this experience that I could only endeavour but ultimately it was up to Krsna’s mercy and intervention. As I chanted, I could feel the vibes of the tour. I heard the devotees doing “the march” from their rooms to the bathrooms near the gymnasium. Things were really starting to fit into their place.
The Mangala Arati was lead softly sweet. Many devotees who were on harinam yesterday, when we arrived, were now present so it felt a bit more lively. After the arati, Jayatam Prabhu gave some announcements. Mathuresvari stepped up to translate, a long time tour veteran and one timer to Australian tour. Jayatam pointed out that our numbers were less this year, which meant that we would most likely have to put in extra effort to keep everything running as smoothly as usual.
The morning kirtana was lead by Tribhuvanesvara Prabhu (Tribi). I spent two months living with Tribi, in Australia, and his kirtanas were something to relish. I couldn’t help but dance along to the maha mantra as we all belted it out at the top of our lungs. Sitala Mataji gave the morning Bhagavatam class. She decided to read from the Madhya-Lila, about the devotees performing kirtana in Jagannatha Puri. I was shocked because it was barely a couple texts past what I was reading that very same morning. Devotees were coming together in kirtana in Poland just like they were five hundred years ago in the times of Lord Caitanya and His associates. Sitala Mataji had excellently selected a powerful part of the text to enthuse all the devotees as they came together in the modern day pastimes of the Golden Avatara. She also included stories about Srila Prabhupada shooting tears of ecstasy, once whilst greeting Radha Parisesvara and once whilst teaching the devotees the Radha Madhava bhajan.
While the Guru was gone the Gurukulis came out to play. When I say “out”, what I really mean is “in”. I had been given a Frisbee, on sankirtana in Australia, and now I was going to use it in mischief making. We played a vicious game of branding (a game in which you throw a ball or object at others) in our room, amongst all furniture and the like. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, considering we would have to apply volume control when HH Indradyumna Swami and other senior devotees arrived.
I took the boys for a walk to the local shops, to show them the scene. For some, to survive Polish tour, they need a regular supply of junk food. Others take the option of stashing large quantities of Prasadam, whilst others go for stealing Prasadam and some even simply surrender to austerity. Either way, it was my duty to show the boys the methods to execute whichever of these paths they chose. While we were off to the shops, Jayatam was asking around if anyone had seen thirty asafoetida bottles that had gone missing. It was a mystery and that was all I heard of it.
The devotees headed out to harinam in the afternoon but I stayed at the base to sort myself out. The illustrious dance group, Sankya, entered the school. They had brightened up our stage in the previous year and were here to honour us yet again. They had replaced almost half of their dancers, mostly the males, and were going to be performing a variety of new dances for the pleasure of our audiences. Also to arrive were the famous tour couple Mandakini and Jananivasa. We had lined up for our train out of Poland with these two and they were back for another round. Jananivasa had grown his hair out rather wild, like a rock star; indeed the thing that had changed the most about the tour devotees’ externals this year would be, in my opinion, their hair cuts. No one had aged a day but they had definitely all spent some time on their headpieces.
I looked at Vanamali, directing yet another drama. He was redirecting HH Bhaktimarga Swami’s play - Gita. I wondered to myself what my service would be this year so I approached Jayatam Prabhu without delay. He called over Rasikendra Prabhu, the head of the restaurant tent, so they could inform me that I was going to be kneading samosa dough. I was now Dough Boy for the tour and was rather enthusiastic about the task. It wasn’t long on hours, had a bit of muscle involved and it was in the kitchen, which was good for cooking experience. It seemed Krsna had made this my fate for the tour but I was still going to leave my mind open to divine intervention, although I did like the idea of early mornings and solid sadhana for the whole tour. The day was wrapping up and tomorrow was our first show. HH Indradyumna Swami was going to arrive some time on the same day and it seemed that the tour would really be rolling.
From April 28- May 1st I was in Ljubljana (pronounced Yubyana)
Its a two hour car ride from Rijeka through some stunningly beautiful country side to Slovenia’s capital.
Slovenia has a small population, about 2.8 million, and until recent decades its main economy was all agrarian. People are very nice, friendly and the country is well maintained. New highways enable you to zip from one place to another without anxiety.
The temple in Ljubljana is excellent. Its a complex of large old stone buildings, with walls about 2-3 feet thick. There’s one main building for the temple and asrama. And another for offices, guest quarters etc.
The presiding Deities are gorgeous 4′ forms of Sri Sri Panca-tattva.
It was my second visit-I was here a few years ago-and recognized a few familiar faces. Its nice to see the same devotees whenever you go back to a temple, it shows steadiness and solidity in the yatra.
One face I was very happy to see was Madhusudana prabhu, who used to be my secretary when I was Co-Director in Mayapur in 1999-2001. He’s been off doing his own thing for the last few years but he came over to spend a day and catch up.
He was a young man when we parted company, now he’s creeping into middle age and he’s had a few good realizations, mainly about the limited nature of material happiness.
He told me how during the recent economic recession so many people in Slovenia lost their jobs and businesses, including his own, went bust. He told about a contractor he knew who had a company which employed 70 people. The hapless fellow, whom he had a friendly relationship with, did a job worth $2 million, and then ended up committing suicide because he couldn’t pay their wages. They had done the job and then the customer failed to pay. Very sobering.
Now this week Madhu is paying his first visit back to India in many years. [believe it or not, he just rang me from Delhi as I was writing this blog]
One new and very wonderful addition to the Ljubljana temple complex is Govinda’s restaurant. Its privately run by devotees but adjoins the temple buildings. Its beautifully decorated, and in two years has become the number one vegetarian restaurant in the city. Its very popular and the food is – divine!
Now you know why I have been putting on weight recently!
Another ‘must visit’ if you are thinking of going to Europe.
I did six sessions on Chanting from my seminar, again well received and I was sad to leave.
The devotees also hold many congregational meetings in nearby cities, and we paid a visit to Kranj, about an hour’s drive from Ljubljana, for a successful evening program in a small hired hall. A small but enthusiastic crowd of about 20 turned up for couple of hours of Prabhupada katha.
One pleasant surprise was meeting HH Chandramauli Swami who arrived from Zagreb just minutes before I left to go there, and we shared a few pleasant moments before I headed off to Croatia’s capital.
BY JAI SITA RANI DEVI DASI VIDEO BY MULAKARANAM DASA PHOTOS BY ISKCON MALAYSIA DEVOTEES CAMERON HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA – For the first time, a Ratha Yatra or Chariot Festival was held in Cameron Highlands. Malaysia’s largest and best-known hill resort, once the retreat of 19th century British settlers and today easily reached by road from [...]
I flew from Prague to an airport near Venice, and then drove 3 hrs. over the border to Rijeka. Nice place, on the Adriatic coast. It was my first visit. The temple is a spacious rented flat in an excellent location right in the down town area, exactly opposite the Opera House.
Here’s the view of the opera house from the temple room balcony:
And next to it is the main city square:
Only one devotee and the Deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra devi stay there,
But we had a good turn out, especially for the Sunday feast.
I presented the module on ‘Association‘ from my “Srila Prabhupada The Living Bhagavatam” seminar series and the devotees seemed to appreciate it alot. It was the first time for most of them to hear a few hours of Prabhupada-katha.
If you are ever in Croatia, pay a visit, you’ll like it, and the devotees will appreciate your association.
I have been struggling overnight and in the morning. I woke at 12:30 with a headache and took medicine. I stayed in bed and the headache went down, but I could not sleep. I got up from bed at 1:15 and began chanting. The chanting was good and clear and rapid. But after a while another headache began, this time a migraine in the right eye. I took medicine for it, but the headache remained. I then pushed on like a soldier with a bullet wound, and I have completed all my 16 rounds. Despite my physical difficulty, I kept my mind fixed on the Names and simply persisted. There are days like this when you have no recourse but to go on chanting and remain sober. I feel a good sense of accomplishment that it is early in the morning and I have already finished my vow, but I don’t know if I will be able to do all my required writing on time now that I feel so tired and pained. I will try to do my best.
Chanting with a handicap, you look for a clear space to push the mantras through. Because you are sincere, Krishna permits you to persevere and get your quota done. He allows you to take your mind off your pain and fix it on the flow of Nama Prabhu. For this you are very grateful, and even lighthearted, despite the body’s heaviness.
Srila Prabhupada plays karatalas with a somber expression. Four microphones are set up beside him on a large vyasasana. The book is placed before him on the desk. When the kirtana is over he will begin his lecture. He is always confident in what he speaks. He recites a verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam and starts from there. But he expands the topic from the original subject matter and freely improvises with related Krishna conscious slokas, examples, stories and lessons as they occur to him. He ranges widely and spontaneously but never wanders off the parampara, never enters speculation or mundane talk.
The solution to all the world’s problems is Krishna consciousness. He doesn’t avoid Krishna or speak in a vague way. Rather, he emphasizes personalism, bhakti, or devotional service to Krishna.
In describing Lord Caitanya speaking to a Muslim saintly person, Prabhupada told how Mahaprabhu defeated the Muslim’s attempt to establish impersonalism on the basis of the Koran. He proved that in its ultimate conclusion, the Koran teaches that God or Allah is the Supreme Person, and all energies come from Him. He always taught against impersonalism, especially the Mayavadi doctrines taught by Vedic practitioners coming from Sankara. He usually spared some time to speak on the nectar of Krishna’s pastimes in Vraja and point out that in Vrndavana Krishna displays His all-attractive form. Here he appears to be in samadhi, with his eyes closed, relishing the holy names and anticipating his impromptu and yet deeply prepared speech on his beloved, govindam-adi-purusam-tam-aham-bhajami.
In the bathroom on the tape cassette I heard Prabhupada say, “It is natural for a young man in this material world to always want to please his girlfriend, because the original desire is there in Krishna. Radha is His female counterpart, His hladini-sakti or pleasure potency, and He always desires to please Her.” Krishna has many potencies and they’re in the humans and even the animals have multipotencies. Little insects can fly without a machine, and fish can swim in the ocean. Men can’t act as expertly as some animals. And God can manipulate better than a trailer truck, and He can far outdo the puny efforts of humans to travel in outer space, as He spins gigantic self-sufficient planets in the sky.
Nobody can compete with God. The scientist is proud that he can send a rocket into space, but it is nothing compared to the sun planet or the millions of planets coming from the effulgence of Krishna’s body.
Let us consider who is great and worship Him. Let us hear of His wonderful activities and aspire to one day render direct service in the spiritual sky.
Krishna’s energies work apart from Him. He has nothing to do, and no one is greater than Him. He simply engages in sports as a cowherd boy with no responsibilities except to please the gopas and gopis and cows and protect them from demons sent by Kamsa.
Krishna is the greatest and everyone is subordinate to Him. “Even in this meeting,” Prabhupada said, “someone is the greatest. Say for argument ‘you’ are the greatest, but you have your spiritual master and he has his spiritual master, and you go back to Lord Brahma, who is the original spiritual master. But he says isvara parama krishna Krishna is the greatest, the original person, and the cause of all causes.”
It is reassuring to hear Prabhupada establish Krishna’s supremacy. It is scientific fact, and it comes from our master, so we do not doubt it.
The way this young man is dressed, he does not look like a policeman carrying a gun to enforce law and order. He appears to be a ruffian hunter. In the days of old, the ksatriyas used to be allowed to hunt to practice their fighting skills for battles against invading armies. But they would hunt ferocious animals like lions and tigers, and arm themselves with a sword. When they killed a tiger, the animal would be given a royal funeral. With the invention of gunpowder and bullets and rifles, the danger of hunting wild animals was reduced. The result was the slaughter of innocent beasts who had no chance to protect themselves. The extreme example was the annihilation of the whole species of wild bisons or buffalo in the West of America. The hunting was so uncontrolled and easy that parties of men used to shoot the buffaloes from moving trains. The animals were killed for no useful purpose and were left to rot, or sometimes their skins were used for various purposes. The population of bisons is almost extinct, and the lions, tigers and elephants are becoming endangered species. Despite attempts to protect them in sanctuaries, poachers continue to kill them for their marketable by-products and for the sheer sport of blowing off the heads of these creatures with high-powered guns.
Despite the great support for hunting, and the powerful political lobby of the National Rifle Association, hunters are considered sinful by Vedic standards.
There was once a hunter named Mrgrari who was so cruel that he took pleasure in leaving animals half-dead, to writhe in pain (a habit he learned from his father and which he considered non-objectionable). Mrgrari was fortunate enough to meet up with the great saint Narada, who saw the half-dead animals lying on the path. Narada taught Mrgrari that he would have to face painful karma in his next life for his mistreatment of animals, and just by Narada’s powerful influence, the hunter gave up his profession and became a great Vaisnava. It is unlikely that today’s hunters will give up their killing, but the Krishna consciousness movement and other nonviolent associations make vigorous propaganda for SAK (Stop All Killing). If people can be educated in the danger they cause themselves by karmic violence, there is hope they will put down their rifles and take to activities that are actually pleasing to God.
By Jai Sita Rani Devi Dasi 
The initial years were joyful and exuberant but now the tendency to watch porn has comeback to haunt. Earlier I used to watch these unmentionable things for hours on the internet. Coincidently I have some work related to internet and I end up getting side tracked on the net due to my flickering mind. This is my disease. Please cure it.” (Video)
By Saroj Kumar Panda 
"Arriving at the place where 5 years ago I had met Krsna Balarama for the first time, it was still the same. I had wondered how I will survive a sad yet uplifting event like a funeral to a very memorable experience.Little did I know.
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