HH BhanuSwami Mahraj, the chairman of GBC today hoisted the Garudadev flag to mark the auspicious inauguration of the GauraPurnima...

HG Praghosha dasa, festival co-chairman remarked that “Srila Prabhupada wanted this Gaura-Purnima festival to be done in a grand way’’...

Maybe you saw Adi Guru Dasa strolling down Boundary Wall Lane, but you didn’t know it. Perhaps you caught...

I had just arrived in Sri-dhama Mayapur and was walking through our beautiful park when I saw a little girl with books in her hands trying to give them to the people passing by. Then I saw another girl doing the same. Then I saw a man doing harinama on the sidewalk next to the park. I went up to him, attracted by his one-man harinama. He and his children, three of them, are from Brazil. He said they do harinama and book distribution from 10 AM to 2 PM every day. As he was telling me this, his young boy Krsna-kirtana walked up to me and handed me a book, "The Perfection of Yoga." I couldn't resist, so I asked him, "How much do you want for this?"

"Twenty rupies" was his reply, whereupon I reached for my laxmi. He was happy to distribute another book.

It was the first book I ever bought from a sankirtan devotee, Krsna's mercy, for both of us.

your servant, Vijaya dasa

I met that family also. The boy did 1000 books for December. I was not carrying laxmi when I met him, but I will buy a book next time.. I met another family that lives in Mayapura. They have two young daughters. the father is from brazil and the mother is from the USA. In the summer they travel in the UK and distribute books and in that way maintain themselves. She said that she used to distribute for the temple and figured and if a temple could be supported, so could a family. They say that they have no money anxieties and all are very blissful...

Here is my experiences about book distribution vs sticker collection,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

In response to the message Devaki Nandana wrote about how in Sydney, some devotees still think its ok to distribute stickers, the actual truth is that in Sydney devotees are given no alternative BUT to distribute stickers, or collect with buckets. Only if you really argue with the TP can you be given the right to distribute. When I joined as a Bhaktine last april I was already studying the movement and was joining the ashram to become a book distributor, which really annoyed the TP who repeatedly took me in his office asking me to "surrender" to him and do collection with stickers. Luckily one senior devotee kept supplying me with books.

The rule for the sankirtan devotees is that they get 15% of the money they made in collection the previous day, to give out as free books the next day. So if earn $100 in stickers today then I get $15 of books for free distribution tomorrow. Only a few soft covers and SSR are available. The temple hardly has any books in stock at all, only small books, even for the visitors. It really is devasting for a book distributor. Due to my book smuggling and my enthusiasm for books I was basically asked to leave Sydney temple. Luckily Krsna sent my Guru Maharaja at this time and I was able to travel overseas with him and distribute there. Now I am back in Australia and luckily also Krsna has married me to a nice book distributor, or I would have a lot of trouble distributing books. We both did the marathon in Melbourne where there is a good distributing spirit.

There would have been a lot of conflict in Sydney, which is a shame as it is such a nice place to distribute, people are really happy to recieve the nectar and they give generously. My husband and I were asked by the TP not to encourage any others to distribute, as it would upset their finances. We can't even ask the bramacaris to go on harinama with us or mention our bookscores, as they all have quotas to reach. This is the mood there.

So reading these wonderful positive stories on the BDS really helps me to keep motivated, it is sometimes tough here to get out the door everyday without the support of a book distributing temple! Actually the TP preaches against book distribution and thus many times I have been so upset and really feel uncomfotable and would like to move elsewhere. My husband feels obliged to push on the Book distribution here, or there will be no hope for Sydney! My experience proves this is the only service which really gives that higher taste!

your servant Bhaktine Katherine

More from the Nityananda Marathon

Then I met a Chinese couple that I had given a book to before. The Girl is from a buddhist family and already chants buddhist mantras and is vegetarian. Her name is Li Huabing and the Guy's name is Jin Feng Wang. I gave them a small book in Chinese from the Hong Kong BBT and told them how to chant the Mantra and they really thought it is nice. I spoke to them for a while and gave them another book. They were some of the most receptive people I've ever met, so I'm keeping in touch with them and am trying to cultivate them. With the help from some Chinese devotees here I think they will become devotees. They invited me to their wedding and for a gift I got them the mother Ganga DVD and a chinese chant and be happy. In a week or so I'm inviting them to a devotees house for some chanting and Prasad. Then to Gaura Purnima festivalhere in Perth. Either way, they are getting a lot of benefit. They've invited me to come to see them in China some day when they return so nowthat I have their email's and numbers I plan to try to cultivate them as much as possible.

>From this I'm realizing that anyone anywhere can become a devotee. In a letter I remember reading Srila Prabhupada saying that there is a devotee on every street corner all we have to do is go out and pick them up. THe world is so corrupt and full of suffering it's time now for devotees of the world to unite in a huge sankirtana Yajna. Srila Prabhupada said that distributing books can stop world wars. He also said, "This Krsna consciousness movement will save the world in it's darkest hour." Let's make sure that happens.

Please try to distribute books, distribute books, distribute books.

Your Servant, Devaki Nandana Dasa

Hari bol Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Here in Taiwan we recently took part in the International Book Exhibition. We were selling many of Prabhupada's books, incense, CDs, cards etc. One lady stopped by and a devotee was talking with her when she said that her husband is a Buddhist. She is not practicing Buddhism. She said her husband told her that he is going to become God very soon. She was worried about this and asked, "What will I do when my husband becomes God?" The devotee had a very hard time controlling herself but she managed, and she also sold 4 books to that lady. After the lady left, she told me what had happened and we both burst out laughing!

Your servant, Krishna Bhavna devi dasi.

• Last day of GBC meetings.
• Kirtans with Panca-tattva.
• More nectar from Sri Mayapur.

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Wise Guys and Everything Else

by Srila Jiva Goswami dasa

As a resident of Old New Vrindabana, I used to like to make Devotees laugh. I’d think up one liners and rim shots all the time, and when the opportunity arose, I’d go ahead with the humor.

This is a little vignette for your amusement about the time I brought suit against Jai Maurari Prabhu.

One of the most beautiful vehicles on the farm at the time was the 3/4 ton Dodge pick up we called Dodge Rama Dasa. By agreement, she was driven exclusively by yours truly, selected with the expertise of Janalada Prabhu, and purchased brand new with cash.

The arrangement was that the Community laid out the money and I paid it back. I used the truck for personal transportation, and for Devotional Service. It was an extraordinary, dependable simple truck. It had the famous reliable Dodge 318 engine, a four speed manual transmission, the sliding window in the back of the cab, a limited slip differential, and a black cap with roof racks. The cap had side windows for easy loading. There were heavy duty helper springs. The truck ran smoothly and well, and performed terrifically for years.

How it was purchased was an unusual arrangement, but I kept my side of the bargain, and Janalda’s expertise paid off in spades. There was no air conditioning, or power windows. There was no cassette player or even FM radio. It was a work truck, pure and simple. It dovetailed perfectly with the ideals of Devotional Service. I was very proud of the truck, and the trust the New Vrindabana Community showed by sponsoring me in the acquisition of Dodge Rama Dasa.

In the town, it was not unusual to pull into a station or a stop, loaded with sheets of plywood, racks of pipe, stacks of roofing, barrels of nails and sacks of cement and have people wander over and ask me where the work was.

Vahna Prabhu is the author of the somewhat notorious observation that Devotees treat vehicles like paper cups. We did not see many brand new vehicles at the farm. Anyone could drive virtually any vehicle, and with unlimited drivers, the responsibility for maintenance was unavoidably diluted.

Dodge Rama Dasa stood out in stark contrast. She was even under warranty.

When we were building the temple it was my practice to pull up with whatever I’d be delivering to that location. I’d park a little ways out from the big double front doors where Jaya and Vijaya stand today. There was almost always a delivery to be made there. I loved the fact that I was assisting Devotees in their Service. I was Serving the Servers. Dodge Rama Dasa positively glittered in the afternoon light when I made deliveries there. She was new, pristine and beautiful.

Jai Maurari Prabhu sometimes took his plumbing truck right on into the temple in order to carry out his service.

One day, to my initial horror, Jai Maurari backed out of the temple at pretty high speed and rammed straight into the exposed flank of Dodge Rama Dasa with such stunning and sudden force that the side nearest the Temple was lifted off the wheels and into the air. She came down with a slam and a cloud of dust. There was no harm to Jai Maurari’s vehicle, but for Dodge Rama Dasa there was a new tremendous marring stove in dent.

“Sorry!” Jai Maurari gave me a broad grin as he climbed down from his cab. He was wiping his hands on a rag. His body language was as if he’d just completed a job well done. His eyes seemed to be twinkling.

It did not seem to me that he was sorry at all.

With all the examples we hear about not being our bodies, any more than a Karmi supposedly thinks he is his or her car, I understood that the hit did not really matter, and that in ways as yet unperceived, it was a benediction.

I recalled an episode of “Kung Fu”, many many years earlier when the actor David Carradine was walking through a village and experiencing his periodic flashbacks to flute and “Grasshopper” admonition. In this particular episode I was recalling, along the path where Carradine’s Caine character strode, a young handsome boy stood, berating his parents. The mother and father were intimidated by their good looking but ill-mannered son.

Caine, without breaking stride, upon passing, fetched the boy a sudden ruinous blow which broke the lad’s nose.

To the accompaniment of flashback and flute, we learned that to be to pretty (Like Dodge Rama Dasa?) is not productive, and can lead to falldown due to pride.

So, I was taking the blow philosophically. But I felt the seedling of a joke. I could bring suit against Jai Maurari Prabhu … I could sue him to help me become Krsna Conscious.

The next time I saw my Guru, I told him that Jai Maurari had smashed into my truck and I wanted permission to sue him. This was a crazy proposition, but the punch line was: “…to help me to become Krsna Conscious.” At first, Kirtanananda took my request at the level of buffoonery it could only elicit. It was preposterous … sue Jai Maurari who had no material goods whatsoever?

On its face, this was in itself a sin and offense. Then I delivered the punch line: “…to make me Krsna Conscious.”

Kirtanananda waved at me then. The mood I took away was a sort of “…go on, then.”

It wasn’t long before I again had the chance to confront Jai Maurari Prabhu. I opened up with the declaration that Kirtanananda had given me permission to bring suit for the damage he had wrought upon Dodge Rama Dasa.

Jai Maurari was of course, totally unperturbed. “Go ahead …” he returned. He gave me one of his patented wide open contagious smiles.

I could not help smiling back. “To help me become Krsna Conscious,” I finished off. Badda bump bump bump.

To this, Jai Maurari raised an eyebrow. “OK,” he declared solemnly. Like any other joke, this one was fraught with a very serious edge. Jai Maurari was and is one of the rare masters of renunciation.

Even before since then, Jai Maurari has always shown only that total Krsna Conscious example, and it boils down to another return of question by my Guru when I’d asked him one day if he would help me become Krsna Conscious: “Will you give up your material desires?”

Maypur Katha: How did you become a devotee?
Narottama Das: I was in Kulaguru’s house, in Navadwip. One day I came to Mayapur, and was very attracted to Sri Sri Radha Madhava. When I saw so many foreign devotees dancing and chanting harinam in front of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I became very happy and decided to join ISKCON. Then I collected a book from a table, after reading it, finally I joined.
MK: What did you like most about Krishna Consciousness that caused you to join?
ND: I liked very much the Deity, harinam, sankirtan (book distribution), chanting and listening.
MK: What does your family think about your choice?
ND: I was born in a traditional Goswami Family. In my childhood, I lost my mother, so somehow or other, I grew up in my grandfather’s family. Later, I tried to convince my brothers, but they didn’t like it.
MK: What were you planning to do in life before you came to Krishna Consciousness? Did you have any kind of spiritual practice before and how did your previous faith or religion help you go closer to Krishna?
ND: As I was from the Goswami caste, traditionally, I read Bhagavad Gita every day. Later, I took institution [education] from Kulaguru and regularly read Bhagavad Gita and took foodstuffs offered to Gurudev, Laxmi Narayan, and Lord Siva. One night, I had a dream, with Lord Krsna, with a flute, wearing a blue cloth, a peacock feather, and nice garland, calling me, “come…come…come…”
MK: Which services have you done all these years?
ND: At first, I served in the Traveling Sankirtan Party, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books in different states of India for 12 years. Then I ran a supply store, and a book table, and now I have been doing service in the pujari department for the last 15 years.
MK: Which service did you like most, and why?
ND: According to my ability, I like to chant nicely, to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam class, and to preach Krishna Consciousness to people. I like to fulfill the desires of the previous Acaryas.
MK: What are your plans in Krishna Consciousness? Would you like to do some particular or different service for Srila Prabhupada’s movement?
ND: By the mercy of sadhu, and guru, I would like to serve Gaur Nitai, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, and finally to get Their Lotus Feet, love of Krishna.
MK: What kind of benefits did you receive from your devotional life in Krishna Consciousness?
ND: By the mercy of Srila Gurudeva, I understood that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that only by service to Him, I can get real happiness and it would be more beneficial when I serve the devotees.
MK: Do you have any nice, spiritual story that you would like to share about Krishna Consciousness or preaching?
ND: After I completed 2 months of new devotee training, the authority sent me to Kolkata Ratha Yatra--that was in 1978. It was whole day service, the Ratha, etc. At that time, many devotees, gurus, and sanyassis joined Kolkata Ratha Yatra from different parts of the world. Every day, huge amounts of prasad were distributed. Approximately 10-12 thousand people joined in the sankirtan procession. I wondered about the fact that in Kolkata book distribution marathon, Srila Jayapataka Swami personally distributes books.
I got the opportunity to serve in the book table with H.G. Pankajanghri Prabhu. People were also interested to purchase books from foreign devotees. We were so happy because sometimes Guru Maharaja and Bhakti Caru Maharaja personally came and brought prasad for us. How merciful the vaisnavas were.
MK: Which is the biggest obstacle in Krishna Consciousness that you had to face, and how did you overcome it?
ND: I feel the biggest obstacle in Krishna Consciousness is to deal with the temple management because from time to time the managements change and neophyte devotees find it hard. Due to some management problem, once I left ISKCON. At that time, I was in a house of a devotee, and Srila Prabhupada appeared in a dream and instructed me, “What are you doing here? Your Guru Maharaja is calling you to Mayapur.” The next day, there was a pandal program where Guru Maharaja came and during Guru Puja, he told me to come to Mayapur. Not only that, but Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja sent money for me as bus fare. So everything is possible by the mercy of Guru and vaisnava.
MK: What is inspiring you and keeping your enthusiasm in Krishna Consciousness now?
ND: Mangal aarti, service in Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir, regular Bhagavata path [lectures], and aarti kirtan in front of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Prahlada Nrisimhadev, and Pancha-Tattva. I like to serve more and more.
MK: What do you like about Mayapur?
ND: I like most the service attitude of Mayapur devotees. To dance in front of Panca Tattva, where all of the devotees are involved with guests. Also, I like to distribute books.
MK: Do you have any friends here in Mayapur, and what they like?
ND: I always noticed Jananivasa Prabhu, who is a very dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He is always in direct service of Sri Sri Radha Madhava with great responsibility, although he is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and my siksa guru. Still I have friendship with him. I don’t know why. One of the good qualities of Jananivasa Prabhu is tolerance. If any one comes to ask him something, he listens with great attention and then very politely speaks with him. He is always careful about deity worship, dressing, etc. Every day, he listens to Srimad Bhagavatam class, follows all the principles and is 24 hours engaged in the devotees’ service. When he gives class, everyone listens very carefully, even Bengali devotes who do not understand English. He has no problem. He deals with managers as well as other devotees very nicely. How great a vaishnava is Jananivasa prabhu! He is one example for me. I pray for his mercy, so that I can get devotional service to their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava.
MK: Do you have any message for the readers of Mayapur Katha?
ND: First of all, I pay my obeisances to Srila Gurudeva, because he has given me the opportunity to stay in Mayapur (ISKCON.) By his mercy, I have residence of Mayapur. I like to spread the holy message of Mayapur.
 

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MK: Well, we will start with your name…
Sankarsan Prabhu: Hare Krsna, my name is Sankarsan Das. I am a disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and I joined ISKCON in 1970, and I took initiation in 1972 at Sridham Mayapur. From that time, I am serving in this movement. I used to serve in Calcutta temple as the public relations director.
MK: What does that mean?
S: The public relations director means that I had to go to all the newspapers. I used to cultivate all the newspapermen, all the ministers, all the VIP's, all the journalists, and all the lawyers.
This was my job, and particularly, it was the assignment given in the beginning, under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. Since 78', I used to do all the public relations in Calcutta temple and in Sridham Mayapur.
I used to come into the temple distributing magazines with Jayapataka Maharaja, going to sankirtan, and distributing books to libraries and universities. And I was giving prasadam to needy people, like this, all the welfare work I used to do, under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada.
MK: Where were you staying?
SP: I was living in Taliganj. I was born in Taliganj, in the same house that Prabhupada was born in. In the same land my father was born, I was born, my grandfather was born, and Prabhupada's sister was born, so a long time I had a good relationship with Srila Prabhupada and his family. His family relationship to me was that he was my granduncle and I was his grandnephew, and not only that, Prabhupada instructed me in my childhood time. I used to come to Taliganj, and stay in his house. It was a very favorite place for me at that time, because it was at that time, totally village. Now we are seeing that it is Calcutta, but that that time, about 100 years back, Taliganj was totally village. It was a nice place because there were about four of Lord Krsna's temples there, and in the village Mother Ganga was flowing. So in that very auspicious place, I am talking about 100 years back, I am talking about where Prabhupada was born, in our family. So, I am also very fortunate and lucky regarding this. Among our family members, only myself and one of my sisters took initiation from Srila Prabhupada. We joined. And Prabhupada highly appreciated us, because he was very glad that of his family members, we joined in this movement. That was 1970, in the beginning of the ISKCON movement in Calcutta. So, in the beginning times, I used to distribute books under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. And also I used to go to all the libraries and universities in Calcutta to distribute Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. And sometimes I used to go with the sankirtan party. And also distributing prasad. This was the beginning of my service.
In 1996, the 100-year anniversary came, and then some sanyassis requested me, also Adridharan das, and Abhiram das requested to give the land where Prabhupada was born. So I told my father, Krsna Chandra das, who was occupying the land. I requested my father to give the land to ISKCON, so they could do something as a memorial for Srila Prabhupada.
It was '95 that we gave the land to ISKCON. Then '95 we shifted to Mayapur - my wife, my children, and myself. Then Jayapataka Maharaja gave me this service in Swarupganj. He told me you take charge of Swarupganj. Because here we had only the land and one house.
MK: Can you tell me more about the family relationship?
SP: Okay. This is my family relationship. Prabhupada mother's name was Rajani Devi.Rajani Devi had an elder sister, named Laksmimoni. So Laksmimoni and Rajani, they're two sisters. So, Rajani's son was A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Abhay Charan. And Laksmimoni's son was Purnachandra. So Purnachandra and Abhay Charan, they're two brothers-'cousin brothers'. They had a very good connection. So naturally when the child's birth time came, the elder sister called Rajani, Prabhupada's mother. Laksmimoni called Rajani, "Please come to my house. I will look after you." At that time, childbirth was at home, not in the hospital.
MK: Laksmimoni was living in Taliganj ?
SP: Laksmimoni used to live in Taliganj, Rajani's parent's house, [for] 300 years actually our house, was very big. So, we gave some land and some room to Rajani's parents. Very big house.
MK: But it was actually her husband's.
SP: Laksmimoni's husband's name is Tarupnath. Laksmimoni's property actually belongs to Laksmimoni's son, Purnachandra. Like Abhay Charan, Purnachandra was a very prominent son. Abhay Chandra conquered all the world and Purnachandra was a very good, very lucky businessman. Purnachandra used to do business with the foreigners, I mean at that time, British. He was a gold merchant. He used to purchase gold from the government and sell it. At that time, the British government was there. So, in that way, he made a lot of money and purchased a lot of land.
At that time, the British government was there, and so whatever you have to purchase, you had to take permission. You had to take permission from the government. Otherwise, you cannot do anything. So that way, he made a lot of money.
So, Rajani devi used to come to our house in Taliganj. She was pregnant at that time and stayed there before childbirth. Then in 1896, first September, Prabhupada was born in Taliganj, in presence of his mashi, Laksmimoni. In Bengali, we say 'mashi', mother's sister.
Mother was there. Purnachandra was there. So all the relatives were there. Purnachandra was already born…elder brother. Then about one and a half years he [Prabhupada] was at Taliganj. When he was 2 years old, he shifted to Mahatma Gandhi road.
We did not need to buy anything. We had the garden. We used to grow potato, paddy, and all vegetables. At that time, we had a big garden. We never used to purchase anything. Milk, paddy, it was all coming. And even to 100 people we used to give prasad per day, no problem.
My grandfather, Purnachandra was a very rich man.
MK: Is Purnachandra your grandfather?
SP: Yeah, yeah.
MK: You came from his son or daughter?
SP: My grandfather, Purnachandra, and then my father was Krsna Chandra, then I am his son.
MK: You are from Krsna Chandra?
SP: Yes, So, my relation is grandnephew, or grandson, same thing. But it does not matter if I am family relationship or not, but Prabhupada was born in our family, in the presence of all of our family members. And we are actually Vaishnava, which is why Prabhupada used to always like our house. We are not fish/meat eaters. Why Prabhupada liked our family? Because Laksmimoni was a pure Vaishnava. She is a very pure Vaishnava. Whenever she used to cook something, or she used to bring something, first she would offer to Lord Krsna. We have a big temple in our house, just opposite Taliganj. You'll find a big Radha Mohanji temple, which is one of our local temples. So, that is a very old temple, about 300 years, that temple.
We used to get everything from our own gardens - fruits, vegetable, and milk. I have heard from my father. First, we used to give fruits, vegetable, and milk to Madan Mohanji, so naturally we were very rich family.
MK: Is Madan Mohanji the local deity?
SP: Yes, the local deity in Taliaganj. His temple still exists and Madan Mohanji is still there - very nice, very prominent deity.
MK: How are the Malliks related to Prabhupada exactly?
SP: It is just the same caste, Mallik. We are born in Suborna-bunik. Suborna means 'gold' and 'bunik' means business. So those who are doing gold business, gold merchants, they are called Suborna-buniks. And Udaram Datta Thakur, among the Dwadus Gopa's, in the Caitanya Caritamrita, you will find that he is a Suborna-bunik. He was an associate of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he was a very exalted devotees. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu uttered his name many times.
In Caitanya Caritamrita, many times, you will find the name of Udarama Datta. He was a very elevated Vaisnnava. He was Suborna-buniks. We have heard that all the Subornabunik family descendents came from Udaram Datta Thakur. Like if we want to know if you are Russian, or American, there must be some origin. So if you want to know how the Subornabuniks family comes, the origin is Udarama Datta Thakur. We have heard from Srila Prabhupada, and in the Caitanya Caritamrita you will find that Prabhupada gave a very nice explanation about Udarama Datta Thakur. The descent of all the Subornabuniks comes from Udarama Datta Thakur.
So in that way, Prabhupada was related to the Mullik family, who were very rich in North Calcutta. There is some connection with Mullik. They gave some accommodation to Gaur Mohan De, to do some business on their property, as well as a place to stay, in North Calcutta. Then they admitted Srila Prabhupada at Multilal Sil School. This was very near to his house, just 5 minutes by foot. He used to go to school every day by foot. Multilal Sil School, on Mahatma Gandhi Road, in North Calcutta. It is a very old school where Srila Prabhupada used to go. Gradually, after passing school, he went to the Scottish Church College.
His father had started a cloth business in Mahatma Gandhi Road. Every day he had to go to work, and every day he used to come by tram. When the child comes to the age of 8 months, we are giving the grains ceremony, first prasadam. So naturally he was 8 months there, under the care of Laksmimoni, and for 1.5 years, he was in Taliganj with Rajani devi, then sometimes he used to go to North Calcutta. After the grains ceremony, then he moved to Mahatma Gandhi Road. After he finished his school life, then he went to his college life, then he started work at Kartik Business Laboratory.
Because they have a small business, cloth business. That's why the had a house at North Calcutta, Mahatma Gandhi Road... Not so many people used to stay in Calcutta during the British times. So people at that time invited them, "Oh, I have a big house. Why don't you come stay with us?" Like that. There is no question of rent. Please, come here! The richest people in Calcutta at that time, particularly the Suborna-bunik community, they used to (to their relatives) say, why are you staying in there? Please come to our house because… well, they get some association.
Prabhupada's mother would think that 'my son will become a lawyer.' He will go abroad for the further advancement of his education and he will complete a law degree there. And the father, Gaur Mohan, used to think that my son will become a nice devotee of Radharani.
Prabhupada had two brothers. Another brother, named Krsna Charan, his own younger brother, used to stay in Taliganj, and he passed away there. So we had much nice family connection with Srila Prabhupada.
Particularly when I met with Srila Prabhupada the last time in 1977, he used to say that my health is not permitting. In 1976, he was in Calcutta temple, and he said I have to go to Bubeneswar myself. So we took him to the Howrah railway station, to drop him at evening time, on the Jagganatha Express. I was crying because his health was not permitting and some foreign devotees were there. Tamal Krsna Maharaja was there.
I asked Srila Prabhupada, "What do you think about Taliganj?" He said, "This is a very old place, my childhood place. I like it very much. When I remember your forefathers, I cry, because they used to love me like anything." In the beginning, all the family members are very much pious, so much affectionate; that's why everyone had a good connection. That's why Prabhupada had a big, good heart. He learned from mother, Rajani, his father, Gaur Mohan, and his aunt, Laksmimoni, all the big-hearted people.
When any devotees came to his house, he used to feed always. Even I saw in 1970, '71, '72, so many life members, and Prabhupada was always watching that they have nice prasad, everyone. So this is something. Even in the West, he used to call all the devotees for prasad. When any devotee comes to the temple, first he was thinking about prasad. In that way, Prabhupada conquered the heart of everyone, all the Western people. And particularly, you people that came under the banner of ISKCON, this is a miracle in the age of Kali. In the age of Kali, we have seen so many miracles, but this is a miracle to us, that particularly the Russian devotees are fully surrendered unto the Lotus Feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by the blessings of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Without his mercy, nobody can come to this platform.
So then I was advised by Abhiram das and some senior godbrothers like Jayapataka Maharaja, Tamal Krsna Maharaja and Subag Swami: "Why are you not doing something at Taliganj?" Then I gave the land to ISKCON, in 1995, before the 100-year anniversary of Srila Prabhupada. They promised that they will do something to make some memorial there. My wife used to do [service] as assistant head mistress in gurukula in Mayapur. She was working with Kala's wife, Yasomati Mataji. After leaving the property at Taliganj, I used to do the same service, Public Relations Director and the assistant editor of Bhagavat Darshan, and also making some life members from the very beginning.
Bhakti Caru Maharaja was Chairman at that time. Bhakti Caru Maharaja called my wife, because she used to teach all of the foreign children nicely Bengali and English and mathematics. Then one day, Jayapataka Maharaja and Bhakti Caru Maharaja called me and said "We have some property at Svarupganj, why not you are taking charge over there?" I said Maharaja, "I am alright, I am in Mayapur. "They said, "No, no, you go over there because we want to do some medical activities over there."
Actually, Prabhupada had a desire that we do some welfare work in the surroundings of Mayapur because he told us that within these ten miles, no one should be hungry. That's why we started prasadam distribution. And similarly, we have this charitable medical service because the villagers will come and get free medical treatment, particularly we are focusing on the name of ISKCON, that ISKCON is doing this type of village, free service. This is because when some opulent king is there, naturally the neighbors expect something from the king because he has too much opulence. So, in the same way, people are thinking that ISKCON is here nearby like a king, which is why we are doing some good service for ISKCON's good name in West Bengal, with food relief, and medical relief. In the 2000 flood, 500 residents from the local neighborhood came to the temple and we gave them all rooms, shelter.
MK: How did you met Srila Prabhupada?
SN: It was 1970 that I met Prabhupada in Gaudihat Road, near Hindustan Road. So it was in the month of August, 30th of August, he came from abroad with a few of his foreign disciples like Tamal Krsna, and Jayapataka, Hamsadutta, Devamrita Swami, Bhanu swami, and one foreigner lady, Himavati, Hamsadutta's wife. So Prabhupada was on Hindustan Road, and one very prominent businessman in South Calcutta, Mr. Das Gupta was building a new house there. Prabhupada just came and was looking for a new place where he can start his organization. Somehow or other, he found a place in South Calcutta, where he started. This is before 3C Albert Road. He was at Hindustan Road about 5 or 6 months. It was a nice, new building, the ground floor he was there. From Gujarat. This place I met Srila Prabhupada first. Then I came to know through the newspaper, there was a nice article saying that one Indian monk with foreign disciples was at Hindustan park. So, I saw that news clipping, and I went to see the foreigners and that Indian. But I did not know that he is my relative and that he was my granduncle. It was my curiosity. So, I went there. Prabhupada had a very nice habit, that whenever he met some newcomer, he used to ask them their name, tomar nam ki? What is your name? Where are you coming from? He was asking like that. So, I went to see him as a visitor. I did not know that he was born in our family. But I had heard from my father a long time back that that man, Abhay Charan, (we used to call him 'Abhay Kaka') had went abroad. We knew that very well. But Prabhupada never informed us that he came back with all the foreign disciples. So, I went there, and Prabhupada asked my name. I told him my name, and he said, "Oh, you're coming from Taliganj?" My name then was Gauri Shankar. My calling name is Shankar. So when I told him my name, immediately he was very pleased. He said "very nice, very nice. I saw you when you were a child." Maybe when I was 1.5 years old, he used to visit Taliganj and he saw me at that time. I don't know, but he told me. He named all of my family members, and asked how they are and he said, do you know that I was born and brought up there? I said, No, but I have heard it from some of your brothers and other members. Then he asked me how is the Radha Mohanji temple-still that temple is existing? "Yes, still that Radha Mohanji temple is there", I told him. Then immediately he was very pleased and asked Acyutananda to kindly give me some prasadam after class. This was the first meeting with Srila Prabhupada.
Then Acyutananda Swami took me inside, to the kitchen. They had made some kitcheri on that day, so very nice kitcheri prasadam was there, and they gave us some. Then Prabhupada told me, "Please come again, and please inform your father and uncles that I am here. They should come and see me". Also, he told me, "You know my sister's house?" I said, "Yes, I know your sister's house, Tatala." Prabhupada said, "Please kindly inform Bhavatarini (Pishima) that I am here." And immediately I went to North Taltala, Bhavatarini's house and went to her son's shop. I informed them that Prabhupada is here, on Hindustan Road, so kindly send Bhavatarini di, that means Pishima, immediately. Tatala, that place is far away from Taliganj, where Pishima used to live. They have their own house, rich lady. So again, I went the next day, and I saw that Pishima had come, and she used to cook, and very many foreigners liked Pishima's cooking. Prabhupada was asking me so many things. Then I said, "Do you know your own brother, Krsna Charan?" Prabhupada said, "Yes, I know that he passed away." Krsna Charan used to stay in our house, and he left his body over there. In that way, so many family matters were discussed on that day, and it was a very nice impression when I met Prabhupada. In the beginning, it was so nice that all the foreign disciples used to visit North Calcutta, all the schools and colleges, particularly in the main square. They used to distribute books, particularly I saw Acyutananda and Jayapataka Maharaja. They used to go into all the office areas, distributing Back to Godhead. I also went there one day, with Acyutananda and Jayapataka Maharaja doing traveling kirtan, distributing prasadam and Back to Godhead. At that time, it just cost one rupee. Prabhupada had said, just whatever they can give, you take the money and give the magazine. This is the beginning. Gradually, so many places I had the chance to visit with Prabhupada, so many home programs. In that way, I am very much pleased to serve the ISKCON organization. Thank you.
He, after renouncing his life in 1950, never used to visit any relatives' houses. Even I have seen that he never used to visit any relatives' house. This I have seen in my lifetime, when his sister Pishima came, who he is fond with. Pishima took initiation from Goswami Maharaja. The first initiation was taken from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and the second initiation from Goswami Maharaja. And from the very beginning, Pishima used to cook and she was helping. So, they were very fond of each other. So, I have seen from my family that myself, my father and my sister, and a few of us used to visit Prabhupada because only we were following Vaishnava rituals. Of our family, Prabhupada used to like us because he was born and brought up there on that land, particularly during his childhood pastimes. So many times I saw that Prabhupada didn't like any relatives. I have heard that Pishima used to say that Radharani used to come, Pishima would say this when Prabhupada was in a good mood. And then Prabhupada would become angry, and say that "I am a sanyassi, I cannot see anyone that is my relative. I will not come to Calcutta."

He said my own sons are foreigners, because they have taken this vow to preach the divine message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. This is why they are my own sons. Because whatever they are doing, I have no words to describe this thing, Prabhupada said once upon a time. I saw myself that he is a very strict sanyassi. One of his two sons (Vrindavan and Matura Mohan), Vrindavan came. They were very eager to see their father. Prabhupada was just asking, "What about your spiritual life?" Not so many things this way or that way. He was asking as spiritual father, not as a material father. Not how is your property? How is your family? How is your health? All the time, 100% he was concerned about the spiritual life. How you are progressing? In that way, we learned that he was always conscious to serve Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

1966 February 16 : "Now I am anxiously awaiting your favorable reply. My Visa period will be finished by the end of March, 1966 and I will have to submit application for increasing the period at least a fortnight before."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1968 February 16 : "I will simply cite one nice verse: 'Oh Lord! When will You be pleased with me and call me to the shelter of Your Lotus Feet which are soothing like the smiling beams of ten million autumnal moons?'"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 February 16 : "Please inform John Lennon this message on my behalf. I have dreamt something very nice about him which I shall disclose in proper time."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 February 16 : "It is like kicking of the small child, which is taken pleasingly by the parents. So don't worry you have committed offenses."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 February 16 : "We should not compromise in any way just to accommodate the public, but if we can so tastefully present the real thing then we will change the people to accommodate us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 16 : "What do they know of boy or girl at such young age? A little girl asked, 'Father, when you were little, were you a boy or a girl?'"
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 16 : "If he is shaky, how he can teach the children? Unless one is firmly convinced about Krishna Consciousness, I don't think the children will learn properly from such a person."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 February 16 : " Any deviation is the responsibility of the local GBC to rectify immediately. Within these Vaisnava standards which I have put forward lies the spiritual strength of our movement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

Today I found a very interesting article by Mangalananda das (Michael Cassidy), a prominent devotee musician, about the modern Kirtan phenomenon sweeping the world. In it he contrasts the modus operandi of popular kirtan singers such as Dave Stringer and Krishna das with the modus operandi of what I like to call "classical ISKCON".

Here is a quote:

When I step back and look at the Hare Krishna Kirtan movement here in America I see that the heart is missing and the missionary spirit is lost. Sharing the joy of kirtan with Americans involves making a real connection with the public. That connection is made first through recognition of common moral and ethical values and cultural norms. With that foundation in place, building a relationship of mutual respect and trust is possible.

Thi s is very topical for a number of reasons. Recently in Mayapura it was reported from the GBC meetings:

Anuttama dasa Prabhu mentioned that the GBC needs to plan strategically so that it does not continue just “missing trends”: for example, multiple independent musicians are now world famous for chanting Hare Krishna instead of us; yoga is on the cover of TIME, while we are busy reacting to problems.

I find a lot of the suggestions that Mangalananda prabhu makes obvious and necessary. If you want to see what outreach on the edge of the organization looks like, the model is Srila Prabhupada's early efforts to engage with the public. For those who live on the expanding edge of the organization the "early days" of the movement are every day. The movement does not mature, people within it do. At the core of the organization things are more developed in a particular way, but we cannot do away with the initial contact phase and the needed presentation while we do that.

One thing that I'm not so sure about is Mangalananda Prabhu's recommendation / conclusion that "(p)olicies to bring the religion in-line with the conventions of local behavior and culture need to be established." To me it's like - if you've got the realization, then just do it. You can't mandate culture.

At a point in time where I am dealing with having committed last year to doing kirtan at the Brisbane Yoga Expo, and then finding out that it falls on Gaura Purnima, the appearance of this article is encouraging.

As Srila B.R. Sridhara Swami said: "I will not be so bold as to say that I have seen God, but I seen signs along the way and I am encouraged."

Have a look at the article here:

Kirtan in America: An American Perspective.

When will I become infatuated with Krishna?!

NEW DELHI: Nicholas Stern, whose eponymous report recently stirred the world into debating climate change afresh, reiterated that India and other countries in the sub-continent stood to suffer the most from global warming. He said this in Washington, talking at a two-day legislators’ conference on climate change.

Precipitation comes, and the glaciers hold it, he explained in an interview conveyed to the media by the World Bank.

“That’s how you get water in the rivers. That effect will not be there if the glaciers and snow are not there. Which means you’ll get torrents during the wet season and dry rivers in the dry season. So you’ll get a combination of flood and drought,” he explained.

“We also don’t know what effect that will have on the monsoon, and it could have quite a strong effect. That kind of thing is being studied now,” he added.

Stern pointed out that both Indian agriculture and its urban areas would suffer economically. He pointed out that countries had to adapt, prepare, and work towards mitigation.

“We have to adapt how we handle water extraction and irrigation. Water management is involved in all of this. Work has to be done on what crops would be resilient.”

He made it clear that urban areas in the region were also at risk, as water supplies could be disrupted over time. Urban areas on the coast were especially vulnerable and work had to be done to create resilience against future changes.

In his report, Stern had pointed out that the potential melting of the Himalayan glaciers could affect millions in India along with almost one-quarter of Chinese population.

Any changes in rainfall patterns of the Asian monsoon, would severely affect the lives of millions of people across south Asia. The talk in US, a country which has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, didn’t focus too hard at the international politics that underlies all climate change negotiations.

The following is an excerpt from “Srila Prabhupada Is Coming!,” by Mahamaya Devi Dasi. In keeping with the theme of the podcasts sent from Mayapur, we will post several different Mayapur pastime articles in the coming days…
Chapter 15
Mayapur — November, 1975-March, 1976

Living in Mayapur

Mayapur was quiet when I arrived, compared with festival time. So few devotees lived there: a few brahmacaris, about two dozen Westerners and several families, most refugees from Bangladesh. All the men — even grhasthas — occupied rooms along the boundary wall. Homes for the Bengali ladies and their daughters and pre-school sons were in the boundary-wall rooms nearest the Big Kitchen; their older sons lived in the gurukula rooms, also in the boundary wall, near the front gate. The school included a few local nondevotee boys, and classes took place outdoors on the grass.
Living above the Big Kitchen were the Western ladies: Vrindaban Biharini dasi, from South Africa; Krishna-rupa dasi, from Australia; Svati dasi and her three-year-old son Sivajvara, from England; Kamadhuk dasi, from Scotland; Khandabasi dasi, with her eight-year-old daughter Susasita, from Germany; and Australian Rasamandala and her two-year-old son Damodara. A round bathroom building accommodated everyone: men in the outer ring and ladies in the inner circle. Two hand-pumps provided water.
The Deities — Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Lord Caitanya and a saligram-sila (a stone Deity of Krishna) — were nicely looked after by only three pujaris: Jananivasa dasa brahmacari, from England, the dedicated head pujari since Day One of ISKCON Mayapur; Pankajanghri dasa brahmacari, his identical twin brother; and Anakadundubhi dasa, another Englishman, whose wife was Vrindaban Biharini prabhu. The Bengali men maintained a twenty-four-hour kirtan in the temple room, and many of them sang like Gandharvas (angels).
The Lotus Building rooms were reserved for guests. Huge tulasi bushes, some nearly five feet high, grew at the back of the building, and more distant was a small vegetable garden. The Deities’ flower gardens, all along one side of the path from the front gate, provided many fragrant varieties and even imported American roses.
Muslim guards played sahnai music in a small room above the front gate during every sunrise. No shops or rickshaws, except one or two, were outside the front gate, and guests were rare.
The weather was hot and humid most of the year, with perhaps eight weeks of cold in mid-winter. The storm season was most exciting. The cyclones approached so fast that, if I was in my room, I had only enough time to close the wooden shutters before the high winds blasted. The incredible beauty of the rainy-season skies proved that Krishna is the supreme artist. At every sunrise and sunset there was a twenty-minute light show.
Bhavananda Maharaja told us that once he asked Srila Prabhupada: “Is it wrong to enjoy the beauty of Mayapur?”
“No,” Srila Prabhupada said. “I’ve given you Mayapur to enjoy.”
And we did enjoy Mayapur. Here we could appreciate the wonderful sunrises and sunsets and not be in maya — Srila Prabhupada said! Mayapur only seemed to be in the material world, but actually it was entirely spiritual.
Communication with the outside world practically didn’t exist. Letters delivered through the Muslim-run post office near the Yogapitha — if they did arrive — were already opened. Mayapur had one telephone in the Lotus Building, on the back verandah behind the stairs. If someone phoned, everyone in the vicinity could hear the person on our end yelling into the receiver. Hardly anyone called.
The lack of communication really didn’t matter, because we were in the holy dhama, Lord Caitanya’s home, and He is especially merciful to fallen souls. I could feel His presence often. Even the banana trees reminded me of Him. Our real, important business was chanting Hare Krishna. Although quiet, Mayapur was the world headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The sankirtan movement started here, which made it the center of the universe.
I noted that when large groups of pilgrims came, they invariably consisted of all women, with two or three men chaperones. So I understood that women formed the bulk of the Krishna devotees in India. Even though to stay in India we Western women were more or less forced to accept being treated as lower-class citizens, I understood that having a woman’s body was conducive to spiritual life. Women were naturally in a subservient position, which is necessary for maintaining a proper, humble relationship with guru and Lord Krishna.
The back verandah of the Lotus Building was my outdoor office. To type, I sat cross-legged on the floor and perched my typewriter on its hard case. Jayapataka Maharaja dictated letters on tapes, but I didn’t have a transcriber; so I nearly wore out my tape player transcribing his tapes.
As the temple secretary, I had a few other duties, such as keeping a current list of the foreign devotees’ names and passport numbers, for the Foreign Registration Office (FRO), in nearby Krishnanagar.
I also helped Krishna-rupa dasi sew for the Deities. Navadvipa was the nearest town. I hardly ever went shopping there. However, a few times I traveled by train to Calcutta with Krishna-rupa to shop for cloth, trims and decorations for Radha-Madhava’s outfits.

The Bengali Devotees

The Bengali ladies were Krishna devotees at heart, but they had a problem chanting japa. When given japa beads, they’d just sit around and talk. So Srila Prabhupada told them to do service instead of japa, and thus directly after mangal-arati they went to the Big Kitchen to hull rice or to cut fruits and vegetables.
Srila Prabhupada was merciful in giving first initiation to all the Bengali devotees, forgiving the ladies’ their lack of discipline in chanting japa. However, only the three ladies who did chant sixteen rounds were later offered second initiation.
The mother of Haridasa prabhu from Bombay temple came to live in Mayapur. Being a cultured lady who could read and write, she didn’t live with the Bengali ladies, but shared a room with me above the Big Kitchen.
We called her “Haridasa Ma” (Haridasa’s mother), as was the custom — the ladies were known by their child’s name. She lived in Mayapur for quite some time before we discovered she was a fabulous cook. After that, she cooked for Radha-Madhava. At some point, the devotees started calling her Didi Ma, meaning “older sister.”
The Bengali men made saris on looms. This cottage industry provided income for the temple when the saris were sold during the Gaura Purnima festival. Once or twice a year each female devotee living in Mayapur received one of the colorful handloom saris.
The Bengali ladies wrapped their saris differently than we Western ladies — only city slickers in India wore their saris like us — so we adopted their style, which was faster to wrap and cooler to wear, though harder to keep over the head.
I liked to watch the easily pleased Bengali children. The toddlers were satisfied playing with a small stick or some leaves. They were not suffering for lack of store-bought toys. Kids in America were less peaceful, though perhaps more intelligent because of being brought up on cows’ milk.

Prasadam

Everyone ate in the prasadam pavilion behind the Big Kitchen. The prasadam was austere by Western standards, but it was “either eat there or starve.” Except for a few bites of maha-prasadam each morning, we had no other prasadam, not even for a price — and no means to buy bhoga (unoffered foodstuffs), nor any facilities for cooking. There was one concession for Western devotees: we each received a piece of fruit at four p.m. daily.
I looked forward to the twice-monthly Dvadasi day — the day after Ekadasi, when we fasted from grains and beans — for this was the only time we got a few mouthfuls of sweet prasadam. That small amount of delicious atta (wheat flour) halava, however, was insufficient to satisfy my sweet tooth. I never realized how many naturally sweet things I was accustomed to eating until I was deprived of them — hardly any fruit, no fruit juices, no Sunday feast.
Desperate, during my daily stint at the temple book table, I’d sneak some gur-badam — peanuts and gur — meant for the infrequent guests. I also asked the purchaser, or “kitchen in charge,” to buy me a supply of rock candy, which I kept in a jar in my room.
Instead of a Sunday Love Feast we had two “feasts” per week, on Saturday and Sunday: kittri cooked with mustard oil-distributed to two thousand people besides us. I no longer looked forward to the weekends as I used to in America. However, when a feast day came around, Radha-Madhava ate sumptuously, and so did we. I felt very satisfied. The Bengali ladies really knew the art of cooking!
We drank water from the hand pumps, none of which were deep wells. I suffered from stomach ailments caused by the lack of pure water but bottled water and filters were unknown to us.

“Better Not to Mix”

We did not visit other temples in Mayapur except as a group, once a year, during the Gaura Purnima festival, because Srila Prabhupada didn’t want us to associate with his Godbrothers. He wrote to Rupanuga prabhu, on April 28, 1974, in a letter that circulated all over ISKCON:
. . . Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them. . . .
Because we lived so near to Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers in Mayapur, our local leaders stressed this point even more: “Don’t go to their temples; don’t buy their books; don’t take prasadam there. Be respectful if you meet them, but don’t mingle.”
Other Vaisnavas were bound to have perspectives different than Srila Prabhupada’s and to say things differently, and the result would be confusion. Besides that, Srila Prabhupada told us many times that some of his Godbrothers envied his success. Therefore Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all.” Not just Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers, but many camps and philosophies were represented in India. Our spiritual lives depended on our chastity in following Srila Prabhupada strictly, without deviating — no adding, no subtracting, no interpreting.
And why should we neglect his pure teachings to hear from others? Obviously, Srila Prabhupada was the only one of his Godbrothers to fully understand and fulfill the desires of their guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, to preach Krishna consciousness worldwide. Lord Caitanya’s mercy was flowing through Srila Prabhupada, enabling him to succeed in spreading Krishna consciousness on an unprecedented scale. Our spiritual father was the greatest empowered personality — the jagat-guru, or guru of the universe.
I was glad to live in India, because I clearly understood the urgency of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions regarding his Godbrothers. Practicing spiritual life, we were on the razor’s edge — any inattention and we could be cut. Eventually I saw devotees who paid no heed to his warnings and wandered off the path. Srila Prabhupada rectified some of them, but others he couldn’t retrieve.

Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival

On January 17, 1976, all the Mayapur devotees — Bengalis and Westerners — had a rousing kirtan outside the now completed front gate. We were waiting for Srila Prabhupada to arrive and expecting him to stay through the Gaura Purnima festival in March. Finally, his car came! “Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Haribol!” We paid obeisances to him in the street.
Bhavananda Maharaja handed Srila Prabhupada a pair of scissors to cut a wide, inaugural ribbon hanging on the gate. With kirtan going full blast we all followed him under the arch and through the metal gates. We were so happy to see Srila Prabhupada! We were not identifying with our bodies, but were truly an international family, exuberantly celebrating the arrival of our glorious spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada walked the main path to the Lotus Building. Just as he approached the templedoor, a flower shower that looked like an offering from the demigods fell on Srila Prabhupada, thanks to Svati and Kamadhuk prabhus, one flight up.
After taking darshan of Radha-Madhava, Srila Prabhupada sat on his vyasasana. In his arrival address, he expressed exactly what I was feeling that day:
It was Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s aspiration that the Europeans, Americans, and Indians all together dance jubilantly and chant “Gaura Hari.” So this temple, Mayapur Candrodaya temple, is meant for a transcendental United Nations. What the United Nations has failed to achieve, that will be achieved here by the process recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: prthivita ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. So you have come from all parts of the world and are living together in this temple.
So train these small boys. I am very glad, especially, to see that the small children from all other countries, and Indian, Bengalis, all together, forgetting their bodily consciousness. That is the greatest achievement in this movement, that everyone forgets the bodily conception of life. Nobody thinks themselves here as European, American, Indian, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. They forget all these designations, and simply they are ecstatic in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. So kindly what you have begun, do not break it. Continue it very jubilantly. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the master of Mayapur, He will be very much pleased upon you, and ultimately you will go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.

The Long Building

Whenever I saw Srila Prabhupada, I hardly knew of his activities as the manager of his worldwide organization, even if I was right there in the same temple. But occasionally news trickled down. For instance, the day after his arrival he toured the grounds and suggested that a new building be constructed along the north boundary line, parallel to the Lotus Building. He wanted it finished in time to house the visiting devotees during the Gaura Purnima festival.
“But, Srila Prabhupada, the festival is only six weeks away,” the leaders protested. “How can we get it finished on time?”
The task was impossible, but Srila Prabhupada asked that they try. He often pushed his disciples to increase their service, sometimes quipping that “impossible” was a word found in the fool’s dictionary. The new building did go up — quickly, too.
Srila Prabhupada himself got involved with some details of the construction, and he kept Jayapataka Swami, Pancaratna prabhu and many other devotees busy. Almost a thousand feet long — five times the length of the Lotus Building, and similarly designed — everyone called it “the Long Building” and the nickname stuck.
Since the Ganga flooded Mayapur every eight or nine years, the plans called for two floors of rooms above the hollow space around the plinths on the ground level. Realizing that this was a waste of space, Srila Prabhupada later told the workers to enclose the ground floor to make basement rooms. Srila Prabhupada mentioned it at an evening darshan, “For a few more rupees you get thousands of square feet of useable space, so I told them to finish it off.”

Morning Walks

Women were not invited on Srila Prabhupada’s morning walks, but I was always outside chanting japa during that time. Spotting His Divine Grace, I would usually offer obeisances three times: when I first saw him from a distance, when I could see him more clearly, and when he was very close.
The pukkur near the front gate was his favorite destination. It was a man-made pond, crudely dug, more or less square. Srila Prabhupada walked along and around its raised sides, his entourage following in single file. The raised sides were fifteen-foot-high piles of dirt blocking the sight of the pond itself. Patches of wild subjees — okra and portals — grew on these small hills. I relished watching Srila Prabhupada’s stately form, even from a distance. He walked majestically, using his cane to balance himself as he went around the pukkur.
One morning I picked a beautiful, newly opened rose from the flower garden and handed it to Srila Prabhupada as he passed. I felt so good about this — until Bhavananda Maharaja, who hung back, heavily criticized me for picking the rose.
“Roses have to be fully bloomed before you can pick them,” he yelled. He angrily banned me from picking roses.
I was aware of his rule about picking only fully bloomed roses, but what he didn’t consider was that a fully bloomed rose, whose petals are wide open, is on the verge of falling apart, as the garland-makers experienced daily, with great frustration. The pleasure of giving Srila Prabhupada that “contraband” newly opened rose outweighed the aggravation of being scolded for picking it.
One time I was walking on the construction site of the Long Building, so absorbed in my chanting that I didn’t notice Srila Prabhupada and his entourage approaching from behind. I was caught by surprise! For a minute I was part of the morning walk as they encircled me. They continued walking on without me, of course.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam Classes

The Mayapur temple schedule that we followed throughout the year differed, in some details, from the schedule of the annual international festival. Normally, during the year — after mangal-arati, tulasi-puja and some japa — we’d sing “Udilo Aruna” at sunrise. This song celebrates the rising of the sun in Mayapur, a time of day when Lord Caitanya would perform sankirtan through the village. And usually we held the Srimad-Bhagavatam class before we greeted the Deities. So now Srila Prabhupada followed this normal schedule.
Srila Prabhupada gave classes on the Seventh Canto, Chapter Nine. After his first class was over, he turned to Subhaga dasa and said, “Now you translate it into Bengali.” Subhaga prabhu was stunned. Srila Prabhupada had not asked him to translate sentence by sentence. Rather, without warning, Srila Prabhupada expected him to remember the class and summarize it. So difficult! He was on the spot and could say hardly anything. Srila Prabhupada then asked Nitaicand dasa, and he made a passable attempt.
After that, it became a regular feature that one of the bilingual devotees would give a synopsis of the class in Bengali. Now they knew what to expect and listened carefully to the class.

Guru-puja

After the Deity curtains opened at seven a.m., we greeted the Deities with the “Govindam” prayers, followed by Srila Prabhupada sitting on his marble vyasasana, with its brightly colored cushions, for guru-puja. Then Srila Prabhupada circumambulated the temple room three times, stopping to ring the bells on either side of the altar. Surrounded by dancing gurukula boys, Srila Prabhupada gestured to encourage them to dance and jump higher. We all had just as much fun dancing for Srila Prabhupada’s pleasure as we did with the festival crowds.
One morning Srila Prabhupada had gotten up after guru-puja and was walking towards the Deities when Jananivasa prabhu stopped him, holding out a plateful of mangal-arati sweets. Srila Prabhupada took a piece and popped it into his mouth. Then he distributed the remainder of the sweets to those lucky devotees nearby.
The next day Jananivasa prabhu brought the plate of mangal-arati sweets earlier, while Srila Prabhupada was still on the vyasasana and the kirtan was still going on. Srila Prabhupada again popped a piece in his mouth and indicated that the gurukula boys should come forward to receive pieces. The area right in front of the vyasasana was very congested, but the boys pushed and shoved to line up, and approached Srila Prabhupada through the small opening in a marble barrier that separated the vyasasana area from the temple room. They looked so happy to receive their sweets from his hand.
This was the start of a daily routine. If Srila Prabhupada broke up the sweets into small enough pieces, there were enough for the men to also receive sweets. Some days there were still some leftover after all the boys and men had received theirs, so the little girls — there were only five or six of them — would get sweets.
Last came the women. Oh, those rare and wonderful days when the ladies got the mercy of receiving pieces of mangal-arati sweets from Srila Prabhupada’s hand! He wouldn’t just drop the sweet into my outstretched palm — he would push it into my hand, touching it.
When the sweets didn’t stretch to include us, however, the little girls were so generous that they would share their tiny pieces with the ladies, so no one missed out.
The blond-haired boys, Sivajvara and Damodara, loved getting sweets from Srila Prabhupada. They stationed themselves in front of his vyasasana and would not budge. They kept their hands out constantly. Srila Prabhupada reciprocated by giving them sweets three or four times. Srila Prabhupada often laughed at their antics. Each time one of them got a piece, he ate it, wiped his hand on his sikha (the tuft of hair left on the shaved head of male Vaisnavas) and held out his hand for more — all in one motion. The boys must have been imitating the guests who received in their right hands a tiny spoonful of carinamrta — the Deities’ bath water mixed with yogurt and sugar — and sipped it, then wiped their hands on the back of their heads.
Srila Prabhupada’s distributing prasadam to all of us was a sweet and intimate affair.

Flower Pastimes

The little nine- and ten-year-old Bengali girls picked flowers from the gardens for the Deities’ garlands every morning after mangal-arati. It was dark at that time of the morning in the winter, but that didn’t deter them. These girls were quite responsible and made all the garlands.
Now they increased the amount of flowers so as to make a garland daily for Srila Prabhupada. They made a huge garland, four inches in diameter, with spirally strung, super-fragrant flowers called rajani-gandha (”the queen of scents”), which resemble small white bugles. The girls included in the garland both sections of red and pink roses and variously colored marigolds. It was a masterpiece every day, often reaching Srila Prabhupada’s knees. Srila Prabhupada looked aristocratic wearing these garlands.
Usually there were extra flowers and petals that the little girls sprinkled on top of Srila Prabhupada shoes, outside the door. Srila Prabhupada put on his shoes with a devotee’s assistance, and when he started walking, the flowers would fall off.
One day they didn’t fall off. I watched Srila Prabhupada take several steps and then look down. Noticing that the flowers were still there, he lifted one foot and gently shook it, then the other, but the flowers didn’t move! He looked puzzled.
The little girls were in stitches watching this, for they had played a joke and tied small garlands of flower petals around the toe of each shoe. They had let the ladies in on their trick, and we were also cracking up. Then Srila Prabhupada figured it out and laughed, too, enjoying the joke very much! He had a great sense of humor and didn’t mind the girls playing a joke.
Evening Darshans
Evening Darshans
Bhavananda Maharaja renounced his room on the Lotus Building roof for Srila Prabhupada’s use, particularly for his afternoon nap. Coming down from the roof after four o’clock, Srila Prabhupada started evening darshans at five. Anyone could come. From the day he arrived, I was inspired to go.
I really liked these evening darshans and kicked myself for not going to them when I could in Vrindaban and Bombay. Hearing Srila Prabhupada’s enlightening conversations and watching his facial expressions and gestures was like tasting nectar. So was seeing him deftly pour water from his drinking glass into his mouth without touching the glass to his lips. His every move was majestic, and he was the cynosure of all eyes. Comfortable and relaxed, Srila Prabhupada was at home in Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada’s right hand would often be in his beadbag during a darshan, and I’d notice him chanting quietly during lulls in the conversation.
Being in close proximity to Srila Prabhupada both exhilarated and penetrated my mind. He was so focused on Krishna that his every word and action revealed his addiction to the Lord. Because I felt I couldn’t hide anything from him, not even my mind, I thought, “I must think of Krishna so that my thoughts aren’t a disturbance to Srila Prabhupada’s meditation.”

Bhavananda Maharaja once asked Srila Prabhupada: “Is it wrong to enjoy the beauty of Mayapur?”
“No,” Srila Prabhupada said. “I’ve given you Mayapur to enjoy.”

- “Srila Prabhupada Is Coming”

You are invited to visit   http://www.newvrindaban.com/gallery/  and see many wonderful pictures of all the Deities here, Srila Prabhupada here  and New Vrindaban thru the years. New pictures are posted regularly.  If you have a special request some picture, please contact me by e-mail at    JayaMurari@msn.com  But first check out the “Gallery”, as I’m sure that you’ll be able to download from there quicker than this really slow dial-up I’m using.

 

In this way Krsna shows you there is illusion in the spiritual world. There is illusion in the material world. Your job is not to become all-knowing, your job is simply to become dependent on Krsna. This is what Vidura will realize as he's wandering through the holy places of pilgrimage.

(This is an article written and published by Suresvara Dasa in 1985. Suresvara is a wonderful writer, s dedicated bhakti-yogi, a lover of the cows and a very nice person. I always enjoy everything he writes.)

Milk - Religion You Can Drink by Suresvara dasa

“It’s fitness you can drink,” say the billboards, as a sportsman goes diving for a ball. The milk ads these days hit us right where we live — the body. For ages, though, India’s sages and scriptures have offered us a spiritual reason to drink milk. From the spiritual perspective, therefore, a more appropriate billboard ad might be: “Milk. It’s religion you can drink.”

What does milk have to do with religion? Let’s go to God’s country — where cows make milk — and find out.

The sun shines on our hillside pasture, green and serene against the morning sky. Bells tinkle where the cows munch fresh grasses and drop their fertile compliments to the earth. Sometimes the cows team up to lick and nuzzle each other, or to tail-whisk the flies. Now ruminating with half-closed eyes, the cows look a little like sages themselves. Their meditation: making milk.

Cows make milk from their blood. The blood carries the products of digestion and absorption to the udder, which changes the raw materials into milk components. To make fifty pounds of milk in a day, a cow must pump some ten tons of blood through her udder. That’s why all the grazing and cud-chewing. But exactly how that grass turns into milk is as mystical as life itself.

“Within your body, by mystic power, you can transform food into blood and tissue,” writes Srila Prabhupada, the Hare Krsna movement’s founder and spiritual master. “Similarly, by mystic power, the cow eats grass and produces milk.”

Scientists say that the chemicals of life vary in their proportion and distribution from one species to another, and that a specific biochemical condition accounts for the cow’s producing milk.

“But who produced those chemicals and that arrangement?” Prabhupada presses. “You cannot produce milk from grass in your laboratory. But the cow can give you milk by mystic power.”

Twice daily our ruminating mystics enter the barn to let down their milk. Giving milk is a function of motherhood; kindly treatment helps the flow. And so our milkers sing to the cows as they go, handling each mother with care as they draw the sweet liquid from her body. From nature’s lab comes miraculous milk.

The single most important article of food for the maintenance and health of both child and adult,” proclaims The Mother’s Encyclopedia. “The most valuable food we have,” advises the Red Cross. “Contains almost all the food elements that the human being needs,” says Dr. Spock."

"All the elements a milk marketer needs, too. Hence the blizzard of ads. We are reminded that “you never outgrow your need for milk.” We are encouraged by some athlete with milk on his upper lip to “wear a moo-stache.” We are exhorted by trim, glamorous movie stars to drink milk and “be somebody.”

“Hold on!” the sages announce. “You’re not that body; you’re the soul within. If you miss that point, you’ll miss all others — like the spiritual value of cow’s milk.”

Take it from the sages — cow’s milk is God-given nectar. It fortifies the body and develops the brain’s finer tissues as well. By filling us with goodness, milk clears the consciousness so we can consider higher, spiritual life.

In ancient India, early in the morning at milking time, the sages would approach the dairymen for a pound or two of milk. The villagers would welcome these holy men, who would enlighten them with sublime, spiritual knowledge. Their inspiration: Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“As the sun alone illuminates all this universe,” says Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita, “so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.”

Consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Though we cannot see the soul inside the body, we can perceive its presence by consciousness. During the dawn milking, we can’t see the sun, but we can perceive its presence by the early light.

Similarly, the presence of an individual consciousness illumining all living bodies — whether man or animal — indicates the presence of the soul. Each soul, though divine, displays different powers according to its bodily circumstance. The soul embodied as a cow, for instance, can turn grass into milk. And the soul embodied as a human being can turn his consciousness toward God.

It’s natural to remember God in the country, whose beauty reflects His eternal kingdom. The Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures describe the kingdom of God as a spiritual wonderland, where everything is possible in loving service to Krsna.

The “desire trees” there yield any fruit upon request, and the surabhi cows, beyond the constraints of flesh and blood, give a limitless supply of milk. The Lord keeps many such cows, and in His transcendental form as a cowherd boy. He herds them.

“Lord Krsna and His cowherd friends entered the forest to enjoy the new, seasonal atmosphere,” the sage Sukadeva relates in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. “The cows, being fed by new grasses, became very healthy, and their udders were all very full. When Lord Krsna called them by name, they immediately came to Him out of affection, and in their joyful condition the milk flowed from their udders.”

Sadly, though, the cries of the cows in the modern slaughterhouses mock the country’s reflection of Krsna’s peaceable kingdom. We’ve heard that “man is made in the image of God,” and so we hold human life sacred and religiously protect a person’s right to live. But the cow, made in the image of the Lord’s beloved surabhis, also protects us by supplying us nourishing milk. Shouldn’t we protect her, too?

Srila Prabhupada comments, “By God’s grace, the innocent cow is simply eating grass and supplying the finest food, milk. The cow’s blood is very nutritious, but a civilized person uses it in the form of milk. From milk, we can make so many things — yogurt, cheese, butter — and by combining these products with fruits, vegetables, and grains, we can make hundreds of wholesome preparations. That is civilized. Not spilling the cow’s blood in big slaughterhouses and eating her flesh.

“So protect the cow,” Srila Prabhupada continues. “Don’t be ungrateful. That is Krsna’s advice. From infancy, we are drinking the cow’s milk, and if in return we cut her throat, that is barbaric, less than animal. Even an animal respects its mother. But the ‘civilized’ men are doing that — killing mother cow. And they want peace. Just see the fools. They are less than the lowest animal.”

The message is clear. Milk — a product of the cow’s goodness — enriches human consciousness. Meat — a product of man’s ignorance — degrades it. That’s why meat-eaters, even if they drink milk, cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So draw your nourishment from the cow, say the sages — not by spilling her blood, but by drinking her milk — and listen to the messages of Godhead. There’s a limit to the amount of milk you can drink, but there’s no limit to how much you can hear about Krsna. And the more you hear, the more you grow in spiritual understanding. Such is the milk of Krsna’s kindness. And that’s religion you can drink forever.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.6-7 - The siksa guru & diksha guru.

This is a class given on 16 Dec. 2006 in Orissa, India. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 3.33 - Chapter 3: Karma-yoga Click here to download (duration: 26m, filesize: 6mb) (Right click the link and choose either “save link as” or “save Target as”)

by Sankirtana das

(for my son and daughter)

New Vrindavan quarantined! No one could come or go. All across the country it was on the radio. I don’t know why, but that didn’t stop us. We must have had more faith then, back in ’76, coming up the lonely twisting roads in Bhokta’s van, driving through the dead of night on the eve of Gaura-Purnim.

Our journey started eight years earlier, toward the close of our college days. My wife and I set out to find out about ourselves and about life. Almost imperceptibly, the commitment to a relationship grew, and deepened, as well as the commitment to our goal. We are still on that journey.

It has taken us to dark doorways, watching LSD induced
heavens and hells on New York’s lower east side, where utopia met desolation row, and where we meander up and down St Marks Place, rapping, philosophizing, babbling and dabbling, and occasionally looking out past the edge of the civilized world towards Broadway.

It has taken us on daily excursions on the Staten Island
Ferry, waving to the Statue of Liberty, wondering what happened
to all the humble and tired and poor, and reading to each other
from the Teachings of Don Quan, Krishnamurti, Lawrence
Ferlingetti and Bhagavad- gita, wide eyed, with occasional
utterances of “wow” “farout” and “heavy.”

It has taken us on a freighter to Morrocco and back, through
the streets and cafes of Fez and Tangiers, along with Timothy Leary and the Living Theater, making a pilgrimage to antiquity, to the edge of the desert, where people are perpetually high and who are perpetually waiting for the all powerful American dollar but despising the Americans who bring it.

It has taken us on all night train rides through Spain, Italy,
Germany, sleeping on deserted beaches, and walking forever on
highways and byways with knapsacks on our backs. We find the same
trees, the same ants, the same asphalt, the same fears and passions everywhere.

It has taken us to a little house in Wassereberg, Germany
where I was born, and which, at the age of five, I left for the
New World. As a child, playing in a backyard that stretched to the mountains, the forest animals would come to me and we would speak together. But now, they no longer approach.

It has taken us back to the lower east side where we eat
and chant with, and film the Hare Krishna’s in their childlike
enthusiasm for singing and dancing. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna
Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

It has taken us to the coast of Nova Scotia, to a cabin
overlooking the North Atlantic where we spend many months, again
reading from our precious Bhagavad Gita As It Is. This time
there are less “wow’s” but we are more serious. There, on the
last LSD trip we are to take, we see how lonely and empty and
precarious this world really is, and even though we may be
sitting or walking or lying with a dear friend or lover, we can
never really help that person, nor can that person really help
us.

It has taken us hitch-hiking across Canada, to four A.M.
services at a Temple of Lord Krsna in Toronto. Incense, flowers,
bells and mantra pervade the atmosphere as devotees sway, dance
and chant in front of the altar of the strange, smiling,
wondrous Jagannatha, with me fingering prayer beads and
wondering why this is all necessary. “Just chant Hare Krsna you
fool, and you’ll understand everything,” an inner voice assures
me. I am jolted. I am being called a fool… but I take it in
stride. I must be on the right path.

It has taken us to the front lawn of the Detroit Temple,
waiting amongst the faithful for His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada to arrive from the airport. An elderly, fatherly,
saffron clothed figure steps from the car, his movements slow,
graceful, deliberate. Here is no stranger, but we recognize a
gentle, eternal friend. And when he sits down to speak amidst a
sea of bright faces, I hear the same inner, assuring voice. I am
stunned.

Prabhupada speaks about the six pushings that we are all
subject to. The pushings of the mind, words, and anger, of the
tongue, belly and genitals. Should we let these six pushings
control our lives… to mercilessly badger us, beat us, hound us,
and push us across the face of the globe in pursuit of
proverbial pleasures?… Be careful! What is nectar in the
beginning becomes poison in the end - and what is poison in the
beginning (like learning how to regulate and yoke -yoga- our
senses) becomes nectar in the end.

It has taken us to Madison, Wisconsin where I join the Broom
Street Theatre. But after some months I make a startling
discovery- my all-important theatre work doesn’t seem so
important any more. It has turned stale. Instead, our early
morning walks, with pray beads in hand, softly uttering the Holy
Name - Hare Krsna - bring us real joy and freedom.

It has taken us also on evening walks past houses which seem to have been arranged for our viewing. Krsna opens up to us the lives
dwelling therein. A flood of images rush out from the windows:
youngsters playing with their dog, a student studying, a girl
brushing her hair, an old man at his rocking chair, someone with
their feet over the couch watching TV, a wife in the kitchen
cooking, a family around the dinner table, people making love,
people arguing, people worrying about the mortgage, people
waiting, people being born, people dying, everyone wrapped up in
their own world. We expect to see ourselves in the next house we
pass. And actually, we do. We see ourselves in every house.
Krsna is showing us, Krsna is giving us a vision, giving us
realization far beyond what we had ever read in Herman Hesse.

O’Krsna, we have traveled and looked everywhere, but we
found You while walking through a Madison neighborhood, chanting Your
Holy Name. Krsna’s timing is perfect, bringing Srila Prabhupada
to the West, at the height of its materialistic culture. Material
pleasures will never satisfy us, Prabhupada bellows, shattering
our fragile realities. This skyscraper culture, this atomic,
computer age culture is like a charging rhino which has already
been shot dead! Due to its momentum it is still rushing
forward… but it can drop at any time.

O’Prabhupada, we have traveled across oceans, stumbled
through cities and over philosophies, tumbled down deadly
highways like weeds in the wind, searched for the third eye,
journeyed into night’s deep recesses, stood at dusk on rocky
beaches, and combed the mind for contrived revelations, while
you, Srila Prabhupada, have waited for us patiently like a parent
for his child. You knew what we were really looking for, whereas
we did not know. You came to us with real culture and real civilization. You knew that unless we served and understood God, no relationship or experience or place in this wide, wide world would ever be satisfying.

O’Prabhupada, we did not deserve your efforts, but you had already given yourself to us before we ever heard of you. You came here with seemingly nothing, an “insignificant beggar,” but you were ready to give us everything, for everything that we were searching for is
contained within the Holy Name. You taught us that Krsna’s names are innumerable and that He is the oldest, the purest, the source, the goal, the master, the witness, the primal God, the cause of all causes, the unborn and all pervading beauty.

O’ Prabhupada you are a wealthy philanthropist, a magnanimous
king, a wise man, a poet, prophet, musician, magician, a thief in
the night, and a mischievous child all rolled into one. You are
an ocean of mercy, a mysterious forest, an abundant valley, and
the radiant sun. You are the supreme giver of gifts, bringer of
good news, performer of Herculean tasks. You are our benefactor,
our ever well-wisher and our dear most friend. O bestower of
causeless mercy, let us not ever forget your loving kindness
under any circumstances.

By the GBC Chairman

On behalf of our beloved Founder-Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the GBC Executive Committee, extends its grateful appreciation to His Holiness Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami for his outstanding service in dealing with the difficulties facing the Kazakhstan yatra during the year 2006.

By Tattvavit Dasa

Bhanu Swami chaired the Open Forum and began with a letter from Jiva Tattva Prabhu (Spain), who asked why ISKCON does not have a varnasrama social system and whether the GBC's role is spiritual or managerial.

As I write, parrots squawk loudly and animatedly in the gum trees outside.They're very vocal right now because the gums are flowering. Their happiness increases as a result...

The computer is slow,annoying. I pick up Bhagavad Gita to fill a moment. Underlines on the page catch my attention and direct my gaze to a particular paragraph:-

"When one understands that Krishna is the only enjoyer of all ..that He is the proprietor of all...that He is the real friend of all...THEN only one can have peace."

read more

Finally, a gorgeous, sunny day in Mayapur! The blissful sounds of Mayapur in the morning create a beautiful background to Maharaja’s recording:

• As the sun rises in the east, so Dvija-mani — Mahaprabhu, the jewel of the twice born — appeared in Sri Mayapur-dhama

• “tathai tathai bajalo khol, ghana ghana tahe jhajera rol, prema dhala dhala sonara anga, carane nupura baje” — “The mridangas sounded ‘tathai tathai‘ and the jhajas in that kirtan played in time. Lord Gauranga’s golden form slightly trembled in ecstatic love of Godhead, and His footbells (nupura) jingled.”
• This is not just a song by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, it is a reality that is taking place now as we speak.

Please note there are two uploads today: the other is a separate posting, Srimad Bhagavatam class by Devamrita Swami.

Download (00:17:34) 8 MB

By Deena Bandhu dasa

Everywhere there were South Indian brahamanas mostly with their distinctive sikhas where they shave about two inches back from the forhead and around the ears and tie all their hair in a bun at the back.

Download (00:09:25) 5.3 MB

Given by HH Devamrita Swami in Mayapur

Download (00:32:00) 29.5 MB

By Advaitachandra das & Kalasudha dd
Photos: Neil Parikh Prabhu

Chanting of the holy names being the very foundational goal of spiritual life inspired the Houston devotees to tap into this vital aspect of spiritual advancement by conducting a workshop on japa to improve and experience the joy in chanting of the holy names.

This japa workshop, held on January 27, 2007, was attended by around 40 devotees from various Bhakti-vriksha groups, filling the attendees with renewed energy and confidence to chant effectively.

Her Grace Guru Bhakti Mataji, a very senior devotee and a disciple of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja, presented this wonderful workshop with amazing but simple techniques easily applied by everyone to improve their chanting. The participants were able to apply the techniques immediately and feel the difference.

read more

1967 February 15 : "You are all innocent boys without any experience. The cunning world can befool you at any time. So please be careful. We should not ask Krishna to give us a house. Let Krishna give us when He likes."
Letters :: 1967

1968 February 15 : "I may be your Spiritual Master in designation, but actually I am servant of the servant of Krishna, and because you are all sincere servants of Krishna, I am your servant."
Letters :: 1968

1968 February 15 : "We are mendicant, we can adjust things in any kind of place. I shall stay anywhere heaven or hell, if it is approved by you."
Letters :: 1968

1968 February 15 : "There is variegatedness in transcendental activities. Sometimes we like to chant, sometimes we like to wash dishes. There is no difference on the Absolute plane."
Letters :: 1968

1971 February 15 : "From the beginning it was my program in India not to sell books but to make life members. They are not accustomed to pay so much for books but when we speak of membership they agree very easily."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 February 15 : "I have just received a cable that Mr. Saraf has given us the land. So draw up all the legal papers and we shall settle up our Vrindaban program when we meet in Mayapur."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 15 : "We have just purchased a very large and beautiful plot in Bombay so I shall be staying in India one month longer. When I go to Australia I shall gladly stop for a visit in Djakarta."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 February 15 : "If no one hears you the walls will hear. My Guru Maharaja said it does not matter if anyone comes to hear. You go on with your chanting."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

Awaiting Siva Ratri we are taking His instructions rather than following His actions. My mother used to tell me "do as I say not as I do." I used to think that statement was not the best but now I understand it to some extent.

We have many funny stories.... nagababas attacking Jason etc...coming soon(talk about culture shock!).


After Palitani we headed to Ahmedabad. Here we relaxed in the bangalo of our best friend Vinodcandra Bhai. It was his 71st Birth day so we had late night celebrations with his 60 close family members. Nice to see him holding the family together.

Hopping on a train to Dheli is always fun. We rode oppulently on the rajadhani express two tier sleeper air conditioned. You cant just buy a ticket to Vrindaban. Showering in a train is the best-true indian style. That is for intimate asociates only or those in the know.

When we arrived deelhi we met with our driver having an accident or sleeping in and he didnt come. We were left to haggle with the local pirates and get a ride to Vrindaban. Basically any taxi connection goes like this:

1) man dressed nicely with smile and corjually broken english approaches you.
2) He says hare rama hare krishna!
3) taxi?
4) mathura?-or other common destination
5) how many people?
6) you good price!
7) new car!-its always a old crappy car no matter what!
8) we say "no we want Qualis!"
9) he says "no qualis ambassador no problem nice car, first class."
10) but our baggage wont fit!
11) no problem big truck
12 no we want qualis
12) ok van but 200 more ruppee
13) no we go somewhere else
14) you ask someone else then they follow you and start yelling at the other
15) you are carrying heavy bags and are tired and just want to see the dhama...
16) They say ok here is you car...
17) they grab your bags throw them in squeeze you in thenthey ask for half the money
18) one guy puts it in his wallet with a big smile
19) then a fight breaks out
20) your sitting in the car wonderring whats happening
21) they are yelling -they are white epople why so cheap you idiot charge them more
22) then they dirve you some distance away and then say " this car is no good we are putting you in another better one
23) some more yelling goes on and you feel like you may be killed in a moment or so
24) then they shove you in worse car who they bought for half the price and your off
25) while on the road the man who's driving asks" so where are we going?"

Basically everything works that way...until you learn the look...

It seems as everyone is knowing about Krishna, even unknowingly: “Little Boy Blue go blow your horn, the sheeps in the meadow and the cows in the corn”

Do not indulge in useless criticism and finding faults in others. Deep within your heart simply worship the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with unflinching devotion.

- Sri Jagadananda Pandit