"Planet ISKCON" - 40 new articles
Japa Group: The Greatest Purifier
(1) More sweet than all sweet things, more auspicious than all auspicious things, the greatest purifier of all purifying things – The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything. Hoping you all can have losts of experiences with your japa and that you can realise this love the Lord has towards you. your servant, Aruna devi  Kurma dasa, AU: The Real KFCI'm here in Perth, Western Australia, getting myself prepared for a fortnight of cookery classes. You may have heard of The Real IRA - well here's something equally revolutionary. Why not try The Real KFC - Kurma's Fried Cauliflowers. Crispy nuggets of cauliflower (or any vegetable, for that matter) fried in a spicy batter seasoned with Kurma's secret herbs and spices. I'll be cooking them while I'm here, and they are ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser. Assorted Crisp Vegetable Fritters (Pakoras) Pakoras are popular spiced, batter-dipped, deep-fried vegetables that make perfect snacks or hors d'oeuvres. Ghee is the preferred medium for frying pakoras, although you can use nut or vegetable oil. The tradition of frying things in batter is popular throughout the culinary world. In Italy, there's the delicious Neapolitan fritters known as pasta cresciuta, comprising of things like sun-dried tomato halves, zucchini flowers, and sage leaves dipped in a yeasted batter and fried in olive oil. The Japanese dip all sorts of things, including zucchini, eggplant and carrot into a light thin batter and serve the tempura with dipping sauce. In India, pakoras (pronounced pak-OR-as) are almost a national passion. Cooked on bustling street corners, in snack houses, and at home, the fritters are always served piping hot, usually with an accompanying sauce or chutney. The vegetables can be cut into rounds, sticks, fan shapes, or slices. The varieties are endless. Try batter-frying various types of vegetables. Cauliflower pakoras are probably the most popular, but equally delicious are potato rings, zucchini chunks, spinach leaves, pumpkin slices, eggplant rings, baby tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red or green pepper slices, asparagus tips, and artichoke hearts. Cook pakoras slowly to ensure that the batter and the vegetables cook simultaneously. Makes about 2 dozen pakoras. 2/3 cup each of chickpea flour, plain flour and self-raising flour 2½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons yellow asafoetida powder 1½ teaspoons turmeric 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1½ teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons nigella seeds 2 finely chopped medium sized fresh hot green chilies (optional) 2½ cups cold water, or enough to make a smooth batter bite-sized vegetable pieces of your choice ghee or oil for deep-frying Combine the flours, salt, powdered spices, nigella seeds and optional green chilies in a bowl. Mix well with a wire whisk. Whisk in sufficient cold water to make a batter the consistency of medium-light cream. When you dip the vegetable in the batter, it should be completely coated but neither thick and heavy nor runny and thin. Have extra flour and water on hand to adjust the consistency as required. Let the batter sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the ghee or oil to a depth of 6 – 7 cm in a wok or deep-frying vessel until the temperature reaches about 180°C/355°F. Dip 5 or 6 pieces of vegetable in the batter and, one at a time, carefully slip them into the hot oil. Fry until the pakoras are golden brown, turning to cook them evenly on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue cooking until all the pakoras are done. Serve immediately or keep warm, uncovered, in a preheated cool oven for up to ½ hour. Rupa Madhurya das, TX, USA: KulimeLA 2009 - A Mosaic of Our Generations - Gala Event
KulimeLA 2009: Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Envision the Future. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, a meeting of second-generation Hare Krishnas, young Vaishnavas from around the world came together to share in an amazing cultural presentation. The John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Gurukulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades. Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas came together to walk the red carpet and share in an amazing evening of music and dance. The Ford Amphitheater, formerly known as the Pilgrimage Theatre, opened in 1920 and is one of the oldest operating performing arts venues in Los Angeles. ISKCON News.com: Radhanath Swami Embarks on North American Book Tour
ISKCON Melbourne, AU: BBT Art Seminar 2010The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust will be holding their fourth annual Art Seminar in Vrindavana, India, from October 30 to November 19, 2010. ISKCON News.com: New Yorkers Go Dough Nuts for Prasadam
Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 July 3: "They have simply a faint idea of God as order-supplier. There is no ecstasy in such simple faith; there cannot be any ecstasy."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 July 3: "We want ecstasy, it does not matter where one feels it, this church or the other. But, one who feels the ecstasy of Krishna Consciousness, he finishes his ecstasy of material enjoyment - that is the test."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1969 July 3: "Please convey my blessings to Jayananda, who is helping so much now in organizing for the Rathayatra Festival. LA temple is now an ideal place for all centers to take example. Now make San Francisco as important."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1971 July 3: "Politicians pose as the friend of the people, but they are actually not. The real friend is Krishna. Still, if you can make arrangements to meet with Nixon, it will be a great event, so try for it."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1971 July 3: "I have not heard from you concerning our Mayapur program. Is the fence being constructed? What news of Indira Gandhi? Please let me know. I am very anxious to hear from you."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1972 July 3: "There are only a handful of you who are convinced beyond any doubt about this Krsna consciousness movement - but that is sufficient to change the entire course of history."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1974 July 3: "I am relieved to know your whereabouts again after not hearing from you for some time. You want to see me and I also have some important things to discuss with you, so best thing is we meet at the end of July in Vrindaban."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1975 July 3: "We have received sanction for constructing the Juhu temple. Until further order whatever money you collect should be sent to Bombay. Print books as far as possible, and whatever money you collect send to Bombay."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1968 July 2: "By denying my application injustice has been done to me. Please try to convince him that my presence is essential. I am qualified Religious Minister. I have got sufficient money to maintain myself."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1969 July 2: "In our Krishna Book we are showing the Western World for the first time what is God. So painting is no unimportant task. I have so many ideas for paintings. Try to help us out in this way as far as possible."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1969 July 2: "This is the sure and certain method. If we simply chant Hare Krishna with karatalas and mrdanga and if we speak from Bhagavad-gita As It Is then automatically the people become attracted."  Srila Prabhupada's Letters1969 July 2: "I am pleased that this boy has become attracted. Please take nice care of him. When someone is sent by Krishna to help us it is our duty to help them understand Krishna Consciousness as far as possible."  Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: "This is Vaisnavism."So in the fighting principle, Arjuna is fighting for Krsna. He is following the previous fighting acarya, Hanumanji. Therefore he has depicted his flag with Hanuman, that "Hanumanji, Vajrangaji, kindly help me." This is Vaisnavism. "I have come here to fight for Lord Krsna. You fought also for the Lord. Kindly help me." This is the idea. Kapi-dhvajah. So any activities of the Vaisnava, they should always pray to the previous acarya, "Kindly help me. Kindly..." This is, Vaisnava is always thinking himself helpless, helpless. And begging help from the previous acarya. Just like in Caitanya-caritamrta you will find, the author, at the end of every chapter: sri rupa-raghunatha-pade yara asa caitanya-caritamrta kahe krsnadasa His every line, he is thinking of Rupa-Raghunatha, previous acaryas. "So let me surrender to the gosvamis and they will help me how to write." You cannot write. That is not possible. So this is Vaisnava's policy. Vaisnava thakura, tomara kukkura, baliya janaha more. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, "My dear vaisnava thakura, you just accept me as your dog, as the dog works by the indication of the master." He will give his life. Dog has a good qualification. However a strong dog may be, when the master orders, he will give his life. This is dog, faithful, so faithful to the master. So vaisnava thakura... So Bhaktivinoda Thakura is praying, vaisnava thakura, tomara kukkura, baliya janaha more: "My dear vaisnava thakura..." Vaisnava thakura means guru. "Kindly accept me as your dog." And he describes, I forget the exact language, that "I will always try to protect you. As dog keeps watch, so I will watch so nobody will come to disturb you. And whatever little prasadam you'll give me, I'll be satisfied." That dog's qualification. The master is eating, but the dog will never come, unless the master gives little morsel. He is satisfied. He is satisfied. So this is Vaisnavism, to follow the previous acarya. This is Vaisnavism. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973 H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Europe's 2nd Brahmachari Convention Inspires, RevivesFrom ISKCON News.com
From Dandavats.com
H.H. Prahladananda Swami: Photos: 2nd Annual Brahmacari Convention @ Bhaktivedanta Manor 6/19/2010
All pictures by DavidC Photography see the entire Brahmacari Conv. 2010 (Set) European Brahmacari Convention 2010 on Dandavats.com Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: Radhanatha Swami comes to RadhadeshThe kirtana could be heard in all rooms of the Castle, as HG Ramacandra Kaviraja Prabhu led on his miniature, hand harmonium. HH Radhanatha Swami exited the vehicle and the crowd went wild. Radhanatha Swami was greeted by the senior devotees of the temple, including HG Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu. The whole crowd accompanied Maharaja for his walk to the guesthouse, where he was going to stay the night. Maharaja graced his audience with an evening lecture and bhajan. Early the next morning HH Radhanatha Swami crept his way through the crowd in the Mangala Arati ceremony. He was short in stature compared to the others but he shone of a spiritual radiance. As we sat for japa, Maharaja's simple jnana mudra was being imitated by about a dozen men as they chanted. Maharaja carefully and intensely fingered his way across a couple sets of new japa beads before putting his hand into his bead bag and chanting the rest of his rounds. He chanted with intense attention and taste. Sometimes his eyes would wander and sometimes he would fix them on the tip of his nose. The morning Bhagavatam class was ecstatic and humorous. We were reading from the story of Puranja Maharaja, the allegorical story told by Narada Muni to Pracinabarhisat Maharaja, a king in the line of Dhruva Maharaja. HH Radhanatha Swami commented a couple times on Narada Muni's "creative" way of preaching the ancient philosophy of Bhagavat Dharma. He began to tell tails of people who Narada Muni had preached to and turned into amazingly, saintly devotees. First he talked about Prahlada Maharaja, then Mrgari the hunter and finally he brought the class back to the story of Pracinabarhisat. Maharaja used the story to remind us how important association was. When Maharaja asked for questions almost no one could say anything, they simply wanted him to continue. When Maharaja finally received a question he was very much distracted by a couple youngsters and their toy snakes. Maharaja made a bit of fuss about it as to make the children feel extra special and some how used the little theatrical in his answer to the query. The class broke and devotees could barely leave the temple room. Some of the devotees began to manoeuvre their way through the crowds, carrying large pieces of paraphernalia for the initiation yajna, soon to begin. A couple devotees, who were to study with me in the upcoming semester, received first initiation and some others received second. Radhanatha was gone as quickly as he came but his holy presence uplifted the Castle atmosphere for many days to come. [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com] Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: Original Aussie Journey: Day 13Tuesday 1st, January 2008. We arrived at Sydney temple after our gig at Govinda Valley. We slept a little and awoke for morning class. HH Prabhavisnu Swami gave the Bhagavatam class which was followed by an ecstatic kirtana. HH Janandana Goswami helped serve the devotees Prasadam that morning, which was a blissful but guilty service to appreciate. I escaped with Gaura Hari and a few others, for a swim at a beach they selected, which had no waves. I mentally commented "Europeans…hoi". I had a little social interaction with the crew, which was nice, because I still felt like the new guy or even the adopted child. They were all performers or integral parts and I was just some dopey boy who was tagging along for the fun. We returned to the temple for lunch and ice-cream. I found myself in front of a familiar computer screen, trying to do a familiar task, which I was doing a few days before. Again, a similar situation arose; HH Prabhavisnu Swami walked past and asked "who are you?" I told him my name and the name of my father. He began to tell me all sorts of stories about himself and my father and I eagerly heard him out. I anxiously withheld the information that Prabhavisnu Swami had actually given me my first grains, deciding I might tell him on another occasion. I was sure that I would see him again, somewhere in his travels. [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com] Maddy Jean-claude Durr, New Govardhana, AU: Original Aussie Journey: Day 12Monday 31st, December 2007. We did our normal program - had our breakfast and then packed for the road. We were leaving Govinda Valley and it seemed like this time it would be for good. We helped out the local devotees with different tasks, to show some of our deep appreciation. I was lumped into the kitchen, making lumpy guacamole for many munching mouths, while other devotees were doing various cleaning services. Soon after this, we left again for Sydney temple. We quickly crossed the harbour bridge to have a celebratory lunch at Pratapana Prabhu's house. The menu was simple - pasta, pizza and ice-cream, and a whole lot of it. I don't think anyone complained… To help digest the meal, we were straight off to Circular Quay for an early new years eve harinam. We marched our harinam squad into the masses. We waited at one particular spot, chanting and dancing. Everyone looked on, mildly entertained. All of a sudden, a wave of saffron, white and multi colours could be seen in the distance. HH Janananda Goswami arrived with another harinam party. Their harinam party joined into our dance step and the volume of bodies increased. People were starting to take a more serious notice of us now. Finally, when it seemed like we were done with our business, another band arrived. HH Prabhavisnu Swami arrived with his own harinam party. We all merged into one lengthy line of chanters and purged into the masses. We chanted along but I soon found myself twenty to thirty bodies back, due to the length of our harinam party. We could no longer hear the leader to accompany him with a chorus. I was grouped with two young boys from New Zealand, who were travelling with HH Janananda Goswami. We soon found ourselves totally broken from the harinam troupe. We were deserted, in a sea of bodies, and worst of all - not one of us knew the city of Sydney. We frantically broke our way out of the masses congregating in the Quay. We ran towards the streets, presuming that would be where the harinam would head next and presuming that is where they would have to finish before driving home. We ran and we barely spotted the harinam, some way off in the distance. We speedily followed as they ducked around the corner. We rejoined our companions and started to blissfully chant again. HH Prabhavisnu Swami called me over, handed me his camera and asked me to take a few snaps. I did my best and felt privileged with the menial service. Although our business was done in Govinda Valley, HH Indradyumna Swami felt indebted. The guacamole I was making in the morning was actually for the Govinda Valley's new years celebrations and HH Indradyumna Swami was thinking we should also attend the event. We weren't going as casual guests though, we were going as Le Carnaval Spirituel and we were going to perform. Everyone from our group who wasn't directly involved in the show changed out of Vaisnava attire and put on their best yogi pants, hoping to blend into the background. I was already prepared, wearing shorts under my dohti. I had little part in the preparations for the mini gig but I had the privilege of watching yet another amazing show. We shortened the program, removing the drama and a few other snippets. Maharaja arrived for his talk and gave a very selective speech, encouraging all the yogis and spiritualists on their paths. It was a night to remember and we soon drove our way back to Sydney temple. On the way, someone in the back seat began to manifest box after box of ice-cream. We were having a midnight ice-cream feast as the fireworks exploded over Sydney harbour. This was life on the road. [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com] H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: 4854:02 A.M.My chanting has been calm and peaceful. I whispered the holy names and tried to stay close to them. They are the main reason for rising early, so that I can feel the special quality of the early hours for chanting without disturbance. I am in Sastra's room in Delaware and chanted by myself. I paid attention and whispered and heard the sacred syllables. I do my chanting out of solemn duty and a spontaneous desire to do so. It would be unthinkable for me to not get up early and do my chanting. It's just my set routine for life. You whisper your japa, read more from SDGonline - daily updates from The Yellow Submarine: My Bhajana Kutir journal H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami: In an Airport Surrounded by DevoteesPrabhupada Smaranam |
 | When it comes to almost anything, including education, finances, health and family concerns, "What you see is what you get" and isn't seeing believing? We seem to be visually fixated. |
Gauranga Kishore das,USA: Warning Alligator Habitat
I guess it has been a while, we've spent a good portion of this month moving and setting up our new place. We moved to a nice condo at the south end of gainesville. The place is really nice, it is right on a large lake that hosts a plethora of wildlife including many different varieties of birds and fish, turtles, snakes and yes of course alligators.
But in the material world there is danger at every step, and this time it has come in the form of an oil spill. From an ecological point of view is going to be the worst disaster in the history of human race, some worst case scenarios have the oil contaminating the entire ocean, it depends on how long it continues to gush for. One worst case sceenario has the gusher getting bigger and bigger until destroys all life in the ocean. No one really knows the long term effects becuase it is not clear how much oil is going to be released. It seems that BP hit a huge pocket of oil with pressure so high it may be impossible to contain. We'll see what happens.
But more specifically I've become a concerned about possible dangerous effects of various toxic gasses that are also being released along with the oil, especially as Lacie is pregnant. It is hard to get definitive information on the situation. I definitely wouldn't want to be out on the water cleaning this stuff up, I'm not sure if we are far enough inland to avoid the effects.
There are also concerns about the chemical BP is using to disperse the oil, it is supposed to be many time more toxic than the oil itself and if it evaporates it could itself get dispersed into places it shouldn't be.
Others are saying that once all the oil gushes out the there will be some kind of volcano explosion kinda thing that will create a huge tsunami that will destroy all of florida. I guess if that happens we wont have anything to worry about.
Hmmm, maybe moving to Florida wasn't such a great idea.
ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Ratha-Yatra Postering this Sunday!
Postering and inviting people personally are among our more extensive and important tasks as we need to constantly keep the public informed of the festival and one of the best ways is to hit the streets and put up our beautiful posters. This effort will continue between now and the festival with volunteers meeting every weekend, hitting the streets armed with tape, staple guns and posters!
Volunteers will meet at the Hare Krishna Temple (243 Avenue Rd.) at 1:00pm this Sunday. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking. As a special surprise, there are always scrumptious snacks and refreshments waiting for everyone once we are finished our "postering missions"! If any of the volunteers with a car would like to help transport volunteers to postering sites please let us know. Please email volunteers@feedyoursoul.to if you have any questions or concerns.
If you would like to sign up to be part of the team, please click here!
Akrura das, Gita Coaching: CHOICE
With the Lord's mercy, happiness is a choice, not a destiny.
Akrura das, Gita Coaching: HONESTY
Honesty does not mean merely admitting our weaknesses or having perfect excuses for them.
Honesty does not mean saying, "That's just the way I am."
Honesty means being ready to change and doing something about it every day.
H.H. Sivarama Swami: Why Srila Prabhupada discourages us from too much “philosophical” speculation
and how is it that Krsna delivers living entities in every species of life? Questions from Ananda Caitanya.
Kaunteya das, Mayapura: Wreckage by digital manipulation
I found this article instructive:
http://www.economist.com/node/16478792 It's about the history and estimate potential of cyberwar; it has aplanetary perspective so I thought that you (who apparently use a computer)
might be interested. I leave up to you to decide what kind of repercussions the enactment of the
various scenarios outlined in the article could have on the life, safety and
economy of your family and community. The article made me connect with Srila Prabhupada's statement (morning walk
in Perth of 14 May 1975): "This civilization will collapse. It cannot be run on. Fourth-class men, I
tell. Because it is conducted by the fourth-class men . . . Just like
misadministration not immediately detected. After some time, when the case
is unmanageable, it is detected."
Yoga of Ecology, Bhakta Chris, USA: The Choices Before Us
From author John Robbins at the Huffington Post
There are a lot of different ways people are responding to the tragic events currently take place in the Gulf of Mexico. Some right wing pundits -- including Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh -- have been blaming the worst human-caused environmental catastrophe in the nation's history on, of all people, environmentalists. In a stunning twist of oxymoronic logic, the people whose mantra is "drill, baby, drill" have been placing the fault for this disastrous result of offshore drilling, on those who have opposed offshore drilling.
In his May 17th broadcast, Limbaugh complained: "What the environmental wackos are making us do is drill down 35,000 feet, when there's oil practically begging to be taken out of the ground in areas that are now off-limits because of U.S. regime regulations." William Kristol agreed, saying that it if weren't for restrictions passed "after the Santa Barbara incident 40 years ago," we would be drilling closer to shore, in shallower water, and everything would be okay.
Such statements make dramatic political theater, but their connection to reality is minimal to nonexistent. According to the federal agency in charge of offshore drilling, the Minerals Management Service, there are today 3,417 active shallow-water oil platforms operating close to shore in the Gulf of Mexico. This is more than 100 times as many platforms as are operating further out, in water depths of more than 1,000 feet.
But Kristol is right about one thing. The "Santa Barbara incident" he refers to did in fact help give birth to the modern environmental movement. That's because, at the time, people responded to a horrible offshore oil spill not by blaming those who took threats to the biosphere seriously, but by mobilizing to protect the environment.
Here's what happened: On January 28, 1969, an oil well being drilled six miles offshore by Union Oil Company of California (now part of Chevron) suffered a blowout. It took ten days to plug, during which 100,000 barrels of crude oil poured into the Santa Barbara Channel and onto the beaches of Santa Barbara. As the oil slick grew to cover 800 square miles, there was widespread shock and outrage. One reporter called it a sacrilege, and another said it was like watching mud thrown at the Mona Lisa. Californians were horrified as waves, thick with crude oil, broke on shore with a sinister silence. Many publicly burned their gasoline credit cards in protest.
As anger swept the nation, Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which to this day requires environmental impact assessments and statements for all actions involving federal agencies that could have a significant effect on the environment. The following spring, millions of people took part in the first Earth Day. In the two years following the oil spill, more environmental legislation was passed than at any other time in the nation's history. It was during this period that President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and signed the Clean Air Act.
But the Santa Barbara oil spill was child's play compared to what's happening now. Every single day, the BP catastrophe (also called the Deepwater Horizon oil spill) is vomiting as much crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico as was spilled in the entire duration of the Santa Barbara disaster. This assault against the natural world on which our lives depend has been going on since April 20th, and no one knows when it will stop. The best-case scenario at present is that relief wells may be operative by August, by which time something like five to ten million barrels (210 to 420 million gallons) of oil will have gushed into the ocean. But it is by no means certain that the relief wells will succeed in terminating the flow of oil. Worst-case scenarios, which include the whole seabed of the Gulf collapsing, are so dire that they are difficult to comprehend, with the most extreme rivaling worldwide nuclear war in their apocalyptic implications to life on earth.
There remains a great deal of uncertainty about how bad this will be. What's certain is that we are now at a far greater turning point in the history of our relationship to oil than we were 40 years ago when the Santa Barbara incident took place. The millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico now add to the other massive burdens that stem from our oil addiction. Climate change, the trade deficit, military entanglements in the Middle East and Venezuela, air pollution in our cities, and rapidly growing rates of asthma among our children are other consequences of our unabated oil consumption. It is no exaggeration to say that how we respond to the current upheaval will help determine the future of this nation, and indeed what manner of civilization our planet can sustain in the generations to come.
The good news is this: Contrary to what might logically be inferred from the pronouncements of some right wing pundits, oil consumption is not akin to a constitutional right. Nor is oil equivalent to the oxygen we need to breathe. Rather, it is an addiction. A formidably tenacious addiction, yes, but an addiction from which we may yet recover.
Weaning our economy from the addiction to oil would certainly mean making fundamental changes in the way we live, and thus far, despite being drawn into war after war in pursuit of oil, we have not been willing to make those changes. But as I describe in my recently published book The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less, there are ways to cut down substantially on the amount of oil we consume that can actually improve the quality of our lives. And there is a precedent for the size and speed of the call to action before us.
Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. resisted becoming engaged in World War II. But after the attack, which took place in December 1941, the country immediately began a massive restructuring of the economy in order to mobilize for the war effort. Less than a month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt announced the goals, which included immediately producing massive numbers of tanks, planes, and anti-aircraft guns. He met with automobile industry leaders, including the heads of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, and told them the country would need them to totally redirect their production facilities in order for the nation to reach these arms production objectives. Soon, the sale of private automobiles was banned. For nearly three years, no cars were produced in the United States, other than those for the army, navy, coast guard, and other military services. In addition, highway and residential construction was halted.
When Roosevelt originally announced that the U.S. would need 60,000 planes, experts said it would be impossible to come anywhere close to that number. But as a result of the massive redirection of the country's productivity, the nation's needs for planes, tanks, and other military requirements were fully met, and greatly ahead of schedule. In the three years beginning with 1942, the U.S. far exceeded the initial goal, turning out 230,000 aircraft.
The speed and extent of this economic conversion was astounding, as was its impact. Military historians almost universally agree that without it, the Allied Forces would have lost the war.
The mobilization of resources that took place within a matter of months is a compelling demonstration that we can restructure the economy swiftly and effectively, if we are convinced of the need to do so. But so far, the prevailing response to the BP oil disaster has been about using safer drilling methods. This strikes me as equivalent to heroin addicts using clean needles. It's an improvement that does absolutely nothing to challenge the addiction itself.
But what if we were to respond to the tragedy taking place in the Gulf of Mexico and the many other disastrous consequences of our addiction to oil with the same level of urgency and commitment our nation displayed in restructuring the economy during World War II?
Albert Einstein once famously said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." What if we were to truly think outside the box and seek, not just to make our addiction more palatable, but to truly overcome it? Too expensive to contemplate, you think? The oil companies have amassed $289 billion in profits over the last three years. The U.S. imports more than $300 billion worth of oil every year. What if that kind of money was used to move us away from a petroleum-based economy?
We have the technology, if we have the will. Consider, for example, what would happen if we made an immediate and massive commitment to plug-in hybrid cars (and other electric vehicles).
As I explain in The New Good Life, plug-in hybrids are a quantum leap over current hybrids. Though they are not yet commercially available, they will be very soon, and could be within months. They get 100 miles per gallon or more, but the advantages go way beyond fuel efficiency. It's not an exaggeration to say that plug-in hybrids could help save us from oil dependence, air pollution, and a deteriorating atmosphere. By dispensing with 80 to 90 percent of the gasoline used by conventional cars, these vehicles could play a key role in breaking our addiction to petroleum.
It's not just environmentalists who are agog about plug-ins. One of the foremost advocates in the country for these vehicles is R. James Woolsey. A former director of the Central Intelligence Agency who spent three years as a member of then-defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Policy Board, Woolsey is on the board of directors for the electric vehicle advocacy group Plug In America. He is also a founding member of the Set America Free Coalition, whose support for plug-ins recognizes the national security problems of the U.S.'s current oil dependence. Even before the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico took place, the organization declared: "Ninety-seven percent of the fuel used in U.S. transportation is petroleum-based, and two-thirds of our oil is imported. With gas prices on the rise and no end in sight, our cars' addiction to oil is bankrupting us. And because so much of the oil we import comes from countries that hate us, we're actually helping to bankroll terrorists that hunt us. As long as our cars can only run on gasoline, we'll continue to be held hostage."
A commonly raised question about plug-in technology is whether you are simply trading one form of pollution for another--tailpipe emissions for power-plant smokestack emissions. In 2007, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Electric Power Research Institute conducted the definitive "wells-to-wheels" life-cycle analysis to find out. It turns out that power-plants are vastly more efficient than internal combustion engines. The study found that a shift by the United States to plug-in vehicles would reduce pollution spectacularly. The reduction in carbon emissions alone is prodigious -- it would surpass five hundred million tons annually -- and other exhaust pollutants would similarly decline.
The study also found that the existing U.S. power grid could easily handle the load of three-quarters of Americans switching to plug-ins, even if the rest of the nation's commercial and residential power consumption continued on its present scale. These vehicles will generally recharge at night, using excess electricity from power plants that can't shut down completely, so they won't add to the peak load. "Recharging batteries with off-peak, wind-generated electricity," says Lester Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute, "costs the equivalent of less than $1 per gallon of gasoline."
A large-scale shift to plug-in hybrid cars would massively reduce gasoline use, eliminate our dependence on imported oil, rid us of the need for offshore drilling, and dramatically decrease air pollution and carbon emissions. If we were, at the same time, to build thousands of wind farms across the country to feed renewable, nonpolluting energy into the electrical grid, we could run our cars entirely on energy from the wind. This would rejuvenate farm and ranch communities, and shrink the U.S. balance-of-trade deficit.
Assembly lines that formerly made 20th century cars and trucks could be used to produce 21st century plug-in hybrids, other electric vehicles and wind turbines, revitalizing Detroit and other cities (including New Orleans and other areas whose economies have been devastated by the BP oil disaster). Though there would be jobs lost in the transition, many more could be gained. Those whose jobs would be lost, as well as those who are currently unemployed, could be trained to perform many of these new jobs. And even more jobs could become available in the development of algae-based biofuels and other biofuels made from nonfood sources.
Just as plug-in hybrid cars represent an extraordinary opportunity to wean the transportation sector off of dependence on fossil fuels, so too can we find abundant options in other areas of our society. From what we eat to the houses we live in, from how we manufacture our goods to the efficiency of our workplaces, from how we plan our cities to the lifestyle choices we make, we are awash with opportunities to build a new, more sustainable and self-sufficient economy.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is already a colossal environmental and economic disaster. It is one of the most ominous events of our lifetimes. But if it raises into our awareness just how intolerable a price we are paying for our addiction to oil, and if it sparks the commitment that is required to truly go "beyond petroleum," then out of something unutterably dark and brutal we will have wrested something precious. Out of this monstrous tragedy we will have taken a healing step toward a livable future for all generations to come.
Adapted from the newly released book The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less, by John Robbins. For information about the author, visit johnrobbins.info
Madri dd, South Africa: Harinam in Johannesburg City Centre
On Saturday mornings Johannesburg City Center is swarmed with a buzz of shoppers. On one Saturday every month a small group of us do harinam in the streets. It enlivens us to chant and dance amidst the African people. Below HG Mayapur Chandrodaya Prabhu distributes some books to passersby. I also do books on the harinam and find that Srila Prabhupada's books are well received. People give small donations. We sponsor the books and accept whatever contribution they give. Most Africans that I encounter speak English. So we distribute books in English. To survive in the working environment English literacy is important. Indeed even in our neighborhood young children converse in fluent English. It seems like soon native languages will be a thing of the past. 
Below a group of youngster from Soweto joined in the harinam under the guidance of HG Mahaprabhu Dasa. Mahaprabhu and his good wife Malini devi dasi are originally from Soweto but have lived as full time devotees in asrams for many years. They moved out to start their own preaching center at Mother Malini's dad's house which she inherited after his demise. There they operate a Sunday program and do Food for Life. Many school children are attracted and attend these programs. 
Mother Svaha who also works in the co-operate environment joined us for harinam and is seen with the hailer in hand. She led and ecstatic kirtan and many danced as her voice resounded the holy name. 
Hg Nrsimhananda Prabhu is seen with a yellow mrdanga. He is also in the co-operate world and is my husband. He serves as the co-international director of the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture. Most evenings after work he teaches Srila Prabhupada's books at varying venues. He served as temple president for many years as was responsible for growing the congregation long before Namahattas were established. Actually the namhatta council was established only earlier this year or perhaps late last year. BCEC has been operational since the last 18yrs and continues to do so. Most initiated devotees in this area have been introduced to Krishna consciousness through the College classes. As a person preferring to act he remains an active preacher and follower making himself available to the devotee community at large at all times. The Iskcon News in its coverage of Iskcon in Johannesburg seems to create project a different perspective of how the congregation development took place here. 
An enthusiastic bystander adds a few beats to the kirtan with an empty bucket. 
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
Gouranga TV: BB Govinda Maharaja &Madhava prabhu ecstatic kirtan in NVD!!!!( part 1)
BB Govinda Maharaja & Madhava prabhu ecstatic kirtan in NVD!!!!( part 1) 
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