nama cintamani-rupam
namaiva parama gatih
namnah parataram nasti
tasman nama upasmahe

"The Holy Name is a beautiful transcendental touchstone - it is the supreme goal. There is nothing higher than the Holy Name. I therefore worship the Holy Name."

Ez a legtermészetesebb kérdés, korunkban mégsincs bátorítva és megválaszolva.

Lecke a Srimad Bhagavatam 3.8.18. verséről 2008. május. 14-én Kecskeméten. 2/1. rész.

• “Az Úr Brahma tudatlanságában így elmélkedett: Ki vagyok én, aki itt ülök ennek a lótusznak a tetején? Honnan nőtt ez a virág? Kell lennie valaminek lent, s az, amiből ez a lótusz sarjadt, minden bizonnyal a vízben van.” (SB.3.8.18.)
• A materialista eredetmagyarázatok hiten alapulnak. Társadalmi elfogadottságuk miatt hisznek benne sokan.
• Nem találjuk úgy meg az élet okát, hogy az anyagot részletesen vizsgáljuk.
• Őszinteség is szükséges a válaszok megkapásához.
• “Nem így van!”
• A tudomány nem rossz, az alapja rossz.
• A Bhaktivedanta Intézetek jelentőségéről.

Here’s Madhava Gosh’s article on Dandavats

And here it is on his blog.

The latest topic amongst those in ISKCON addicted to debating is the annotation of Prabhupada’s books.

“Addicted to debating?”  That’s an offensive way to characterize this.  How about “who care about preserving Srila Prabhupada’s books as they are?” 

If I’m addicted to debating, it’s debating against nondevotees.  I hate having to debate against other devotees. 

I stipulate I haven’t read the GBC resolution and don’t know their specific reasons for deciding to annotate Prabhupada’s books…

My first impression on reading some of the feedback is that I think that half the opposing commentators or more don’t know what annotation is…

Gosh is saying that he don’t really know what we’re talking about because he hasn’t read the GBC resolution, but he’s accusing us of debating over a word without knowing its meaning.  Again, a big insult.  We know how to use a dictionary, and would not enter into a debate without knowing what we’re debating about.

One example would be like Srimad Bhagvatam class where after reading the verse and purport, the person giving class gives a critical analysis of what has been read. An oral annotation in other words. 

The speaker of a Srimad Bhagavatam class analyzes what is read, but these spoken words is not officially approved by ISKCON.  A speaker may speak some error and be corrected by a devotee in the audience.  There is a vast difference between someone’s oral commentary and printing someone’s commentary Srila Prabhupada’s books. 

Think of Shakespeare.

He wrote hundreds of years ago and since then the English language, being very fluid, has shifted.  In order to understand not only what the now archaic words meant but the cultural context and nuance of how those words were used, one would need to do an extensive study of the culture of that time.

How many hundreds of years ago did Srila Prabhupada write?  Oh, it was a few decades ago. Does anyone think rape an archaic word, or did it mean something different in 1972 than it does now?  Madhava Gosh is presenting an irrelevant comparison.  It is so bogus that I cannot believe Praghosa published it for any reason other than that it supports the GBC propaganda.

Highlighting these words again:

…the cultural context and nuance of how those words were used, one would need to do an extensive study of the culture of that time.

Is Madhava Gosh speaking at all about Srila Prabhupada’s books?  No.  There is no need for an extensive study of the 1970’s culture because most people who lived through it are still around today.

Annotations don’t change books, they clarify points in them. Shakespeare comes in both annotated and unannotated versions. Just because an annotated version of a book exists, doesn’t mean an unannotated version can’t also exist, so there is no need to worry an annotated version of SP’s books will replace the current ones.

That is something I don’t trust at all.  Annotating Srila Prabhupada’s books will change the officially recognized meaning.  If someone is to have any leadership role in ISKCON, he has to accept the party line in full.  I don’t see any guarantee in the GBC resolution that both annotated an As It Is books should be published side-by-side.  Of course, neither has Gosh, especially if he still hasn’t read what we’re talking about.

As language morphs, the need to annotate will become greater if the desire is there to retain Prabhupada’s books in original versions. That may seem academic now, but will be a greater need as decades slip by.

In that quote Madhava Gosh is attempting to predict the future by his mental speculation.  I can envison an alternative future where annotations are not at all necessary.  I think annotations would more likely be necessary at some point in the future if ISKCON falls to even more of an insignificant position in the world.  If it grows in size and strength, producing many advanced devotees all over the world, then I think the meaning of Srila Prabhupada’s books would be naturally well preserved.  It would appear that Madhava Gosh is thinking that ISKCON will remain marginal in the world, so that some day people will have to study the material circumstances related to Srila Prabhupada’s culture in order to figure out what he meant.  I hope we would have more continuity than that, but maybe it’s wishful thinking.  Considering the trajectory that ISKCON has been on since Srila Prabhupada left, maybe there will come a time when there are no real followers of Srila Prabhupada and it will be up to historians to figure out what he was talking about.  Unnecessarily annotating his books seems to me like a push in that direction.

Britain is turning into a nation of criminals with little sense of guilt, a study warns today.

Nearly two out of five men and women admit to an offence such as fare dodging or shoplifting in the past five years.

More than half do not see the fear of getting caught as a deterrent. And 57 per cent would not let worry about losing their job get in the way of them committing a crime.

The study commissioned by G4S Security Services (UK) into moral attitudes to crime highlights a sharp divide between the generations.

Of those aged 16-24, one in seven - 14 per cent - think it is ethically acceptable to dodge a fare on public transport, more than double the proportion of any other age group.

Nearly two out of five people have admitted to fare dodging or shoplifting in the past year, a study has found.

One in ten of the same age group think it is acceptable to enter a music or sports event without paying, compared with just 1 per cent of those aged over 55.

Douglas Greenwell, sales and marketing director of G4S, said: “Our findings reveal much about our attitude to crime.

“So many people see large organisations as a morally acceptable target nowadays that they don’t appear to have any feelings of guilt about committing crimes against those businesses.

“This is why firms, from retailers to train operating companies, have to protect their revenue by taking the issue of security seriously.”

According to G4S, which surveyed 1,002 16 to 64-year-olds, Britons admit to committing a range of crimes in the last five years.

It calculates that more than 700,000 have used company data for personal gain and nearly one in three (29 per cent) have stolen stationery from work for personal use, which equates to 7.61million.

The research provides evidence of a high level of criminal activity against retailers, with one in 11 of those aged 16 to 24 admitting to “grazing,” consuming items while walking around a supermarket and not paying for them.

On a regional level, London had the highest percentage of those who thought dodging fares was acceptable, at 11 per cent. This was closely followed by the South East/East Anglia with 9 per cent.

Almost one in three adults (31 per cent) said a sense of guilt would not prevent them from committing a crime.

Instead of relying on their conscience to determine whether they should engage in a criminal act, they make a calculated risk-reward analysis.

Visible security deterrents such as security officers or CCTV cameras are among the most effective solutions to deter crime.

Cameras would stop 40 per cent from committing a crime, and 38 per cent would be deterred by the fear of public humiliation, such as being frog-marched across a store by a security officer.

Yet only 28 per cent would be discouraged by concern over being ostracised by their friends and peers.

Hare Krishna.

A few days ago I read Sita-pati’s post at Atma Yogi about how Praghosa closed the comments on the GBC resolutions subject due to the devotees’ upset over the GBC’s decision to add annotations to Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Then I saw Madhava Gosh’s recent blog entry at Walking the Fenceline, in which he expresses his support of the resolution.  I thought his analysis was screwy. 

Now today I see that Madhava Gosh’s blog entry is published on Dandavats.

I’m sorry, but that is dishonest.  

“Dishonest” isn’t the first word that comes to mind, but I don’t want any gentle devotees who might happen to read this to have to see profanity.  I appreciate Dandavats very much and look to it each day for inspiration, but I don’t like that kind of propaganda at all. 

Srila Prabhupada’s words are quite clear.  I don’t need someone to interpret them.  I was attracted to the Hare Krishna movement entirely due to Srila Prabhupada’s words.  Apart from distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books his disciples have been more of an obstruction to my connection to Srila Prabhupada and have done more to thwart my enthusiasm for spiritual life than any inspiration they have given.  That may not win me friends or give me influence, but it is honest. 

Granted, I appreciate that the temples are somewhat maintained, the festivals, and all that.  But it is so far from what it ought to be, that one almost loses hope. 

Case in point:  A little more than 10 years ago my wife and I moved to New Vrindavana with our first baby daughter.  Until then, practically all I knew about the Hare Krishna movement was from Srila Prabhupada’s books, which I had been absorbed in reading for the previous two years since Krishna stopped me on my way to the forest for meditating on Brahman and asked me to join His sankirtan movement. 

I had looked in the back of Bhagavad-gita and saw there were these Hare Krishna “farm communities,” and I decided that what I really wanted to do with my life was to work as a farmer in a Hare Krishna community.  I can still clearly remember my vision of what this might have been like.

So we went for a weekend visit a month before we planned to move.  We met with the temple president, who was at that time Nityo Dita (former-) Swami.  He asked what we planned to do there, and I told him that we wanted to farm in a Hare Krishna community.  I can only imagine how naive he must have thought we were as he advised that I could work in the potpourri pie factory, an inedible “pie” manufacturing business run and largely staffed by ‘karmis’ at New Vrindavana.  I visited once and, upon seeing employees there eating meat and smoking cigarettes, I decided to never go back.  Instead of farming, I found myself doing whatever odd jobs I could get, which typically everyone wanted done for free, although without some remuneration there was no way to pay my rent (to the temple) for living in one of their incredibly cocroach-infested apartments.

During the brief period we lived there, we learned why there was no farming.  Nearly everyone was busy engaged in illegal and morally outrageous activities for the past fifteen-or-so years, under the authority of Kirtananda ”Swami,” who by that time was a felon living in a state penitentiary.  After 8 months of hearing about so many crimes committed there, from murder and child molestation and torture to racketeering, trademark infringement (as a business) and other fraudulent fund-raising, we began to think there was some danger living there, so we left in a hurry at night.

We continued to visit on occasion, and almost six years ago we had seen enough improvement that we decided we wanted to give another try and move back.  I met with Kuladri, and he told me there was no facility for either residence or service, and that if even his own brother wanted to move there, he would advise him against it.    As a result, we moved to Gita-nagari.  The advantage was that I was already a Pennsylvania state employee with a decent career enforcing environmental laws.

There was also no facility for our family to live at Gita-nagari, so we found a house with five acres about 12 miles away.  There we are doing the farming, including growing a wide variety of vegetables, cow protection and protection of many other animals (domesticated farm animals and wildlife), etc., pretty nicely.  We produce natural crafts such as herbal medicines and knitted and woven ahimsa wool products.  We have only a little devotee association though.  There is a surprising deficiency of participation in the Sunday programs, and many devotees are alienated and don’t come to the temple at all.  There is virtually no preaching, other than sankirtan about five times a year, usually about 50 miles away.  Although the cow protection program is somehow being maintained, there is no other farming.  For the past few years there have been practically no growing of vegetables.  Sometimes devotees who like to farm have come to live at Gita-nagari, but they have been driven away.  Others were discouraged from coming during the deciding phase.  

So here’s the problem.  Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have done very poorly in following his instructions, with the result that ISKCON has very little favorable influence in most of the world, and now those same leaders want to tell us how we should understand Srila Prabhupada’s clear statements, and have their ideas officially endorsed by adding them within Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Given that ISKCON’s leaders have given the Hare Krishna movement such a poor reputation (at least in the USA where I live), how dare they interfere with Srila Prabhupada’s communication to us by telling us how we should understand his books? 

I’ll have to comment on the specifics of Madhava Gosh’s article later.

Hare Krishna.

Morning class from Kecskemet on the manifestation of Brahma:

• The empirical system of knowledge is flawed, but is a well-developed tradition promoted by similarly flawed proponents.
• Finding true knowledge doesn’t depend upon our own sensual perception.
• No modern scientific theories are proven but are supported and fuelled by modern educational institutions, which feeds the hedonism of society.
• Brahma had the humility to admit he was wrong, unlike modern scientists whose entire methodology is flawed.

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s home, room, tulasi garden

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada’s room and a small Goverdhan hill, the rocks of which comes from the actual site. And a beautiful pond.

Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi, 24-hr Bajana Kutir 

Before I left Mayapur, I attended a truly beautiful Mangal aarti. There were so many devotees at that time of the morning and so full of energy. I went around the temple bidding farewell to all those whom I had met in my short stay. As I left the devotees, the temple, the village, I could feel how truly a spiritual place, Mayapur actually is. 

Almost 4 hrs of pure bliss

The Vedic cosmology surrounding Krishna Consciousness as we know it includes a pantheon of Hindu demigods, a geographical context fixed around the Indian sub-continent and a cultural context borne of Aryan civilisation. To what extent are these things essential elements of the transcendent Absolute Truth, and to what extent are they a narrative which brings the abstract into concrete focus through the application of conceptual reference?

One of the most lucid expositions of bhakti yoga in general is Aleister Crowley's Liber Astarte vel Berylli Sub Figura CLXXV. Crowley explains the process of devotion through one's heart, mind, speech and actions, but his method is adaptable to any narrative and indeed to any deity. He describes the process of devotional service explicitly:

This is a class given 8 May 2008.

To download the lecture, right click the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.1.14 - Chapter 1: Questions by the Sages

By Lord Krishna's merciful arrangement, and a dash of help from Sarasvati Devi, Bhaktin Luiza was requested to apply for the teaching position in early 2008 at Venables Valley school, right in the heart of Saranagati Valley.

A simple argument:

There is a difference between a person who has never drunk wine, a person who drinks a little, and a person who drinks a lot.

However, the difference between the person who has never drunk and the two who drink is categorical, whereas the difference between the two who drink is merely one of degree.

If you never drink, you can't become an alcoholic. If you do drink, even just a little, you are in the category of people who can become alcoholic.

Similarly: the difference between "not annotating Srila Prabhupada's books" and "annotating Srila Prabhupada's books" is one of category.

The difference between "a little clarification" and "philosophical deviation" is one of degree.

We are poised to take an irreversible step over the line of category and into the land of degree. Do we really want to do that?

BdL from Texas writes:

"I have your DVD series. Are the recipes from these series written or published somewhere on your website, or can they be found in your books?"

My reply:

"There are two series of shows featured on my cooking VIDEOS/DVD's. The earlier 26 shows have recipes from various sources, mainly Yamuna Devi, and if I recall the recipes appear on screen at the end of each segment. I had not written any books when we filmed the first series in a small studio in Culver City, Los Angeles in 1987, right opposite what is now Sony Studios.

By the way, that opening sequence of me wandering amongst rows of sun-drenched fruits and vegetables and biting on that rogue chili were filmed in the Hollywood Farmer's Markets. That was day #1 of my TV career.

The second series of 26 shows, also seen on the DVD series, were filmed in the early 90's ( also in LA) and are lifted from my first cookbook. There are no written recipes on screen for that selection.

I can't recall exactly how many of the 52 shows are on the full DVD set. Probably all of them. Some of those recipes are on my website, and all of them are in 'Great Vegetarian Dishes'.

I did a third series of 26 shows (filmed in Melbourne, and based on my second cookbook, 'Cooking with Kurma') in the late 90's but they were not transferred to DVD. It's a pity, because in my opinion they were my best shows, and were very popular on Australian television.

A full listing of all recipes from all my books (titles of recipes only) are on my website in the BOOKS section. On the RECIPES page, scroll down for a total list and links to recipes published on my blog and website."

(Dear readers: To obtain my cookery DVD's, simply comment on this blog and I'll give you all the details.)

Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (upon taking one's beads):

tribhanga-bhangima-rupam
venu-randhra-karancitam
gopi-mandala-madhya-stham
sobhitam nanda-nandanam

"His form bent in three places, His hands bent over the holes of His flute, the son of Nanda Maharaja stands resplendent amidst a circle of gopis."

Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (on taking the beads for the purpose of japa [japarthe]):

avighnam kuru male tvam
harinama-japesu ca
sri radha-krsnayor dasyam
dehi male tu prarthaye

"O Mala, please destroy inauspiciousness in my chanting of the holy name of Lord Hari and grant me the position of service to Radha and Krsna. This is all I pray, O Mala."

nama cintamani-rupam
namaiva parama gatih
namnah parataram nasti
tasman nama upasmahe

"The Holy Name is a beautiful transcendental touchstone--it is the supreme goal. There is nothing higher than the Holy Name. I therefore worship the Holy Name."

nama-yajno mahayajnah
kalau kalmasa-nasanam
krsna-caitanya-prityarthe
nama-yajna-samarpanam

"The sacrifice of the name is the highest yajna, which destroys the contamination of Kali-yuga. In order to please Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I offer this sacrifice of the holy name."

Sri Nama-mala-sthapana-mantra (establishing the beads):

patita-pavana nama
nistaraya naradhamam
radha-krsna-svarupaya
caitanyaya namo namah

"The holy name is the saviour of the fallen. Oh, please deliver this lowest of men. Obeisances again and again unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, unto Sri Sri Radha-Krsna."

tvam male sarva-devanam
sarva-siddhi-prada mata
tena satyena me siddhim
dehi matar namo 'stu te

"O Mala, among all of the gods, you are considered the bestower of all perfection. By dint of this fact, O Mother, please grant me perfection. Obeisances unto you!"

My premise is that the only way that Srila Prabhupada’s books can be retained in their original version is through the use of annotations. Think of Shakespeare.

Today Mother Shiromani emailed me the following paper that she prepared yesterday on the annotations issue:

Sacred Territory
by Shiromani devi dasi
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Abstract

Srila Prabhupada instructed his followers to write books that explain Krishna consciousness in their own words. It can be reasonably assumed that annotations to his books fall within that mandate. In what form should such annotations be presented? It is my humble contention that Srila Prabhupada’s books should continue to be printed in their original form. Annotations should be presented in separate books which may include Srila Prabhupada’s text.

Issues explored

In this essay I have tried to explore a few critical issues on the topic of “End notes or Appendices in Srila Prabhupada’s Books”. These are classified under the following headings:

• Tradition
• Hermeneutics
• Attraction or Distraction?
• End justifies the means, but where does it end?
• Conclusion

Tradition

It is a standard practice in the Vaisnava tradition especially among the followers of Sri Madhvacarya and Sri Ramanujacarya to provide annotations to the works of their founder-acarya. However two versions of their founder-acharyas’ works are simultaneously available, one version without any annotations, and one version with annotations that may be considered authoritative by later followers of the annotator.

Hermeneutics

In principle Srila Prabhupada’s statements in his books can be of three types:

a)Statements that have only a literal meaning
b)Statements that have a literal and also a non-literal meaning
c)Statements that have a only a non-literal meaning

Since ours is an “As It Is” tradition we operate mainly in Category a) and b). They are our default categories. Category c) is an exception. What determines whether a statement belongs to category c)? I would think that we should let Srila Prabhupada himself draw the line. In other words if Srila Prabhupada explicitly states in the same place or elsewhere in his teachings that something should be taken non-literally, we take it like that. If not, his statements may have both literal and non-literal meanings and the literal meaning of any of his statements cannot be ruled out. In the “rape” quotes that find specific mention in the GBC resolution, there is another instance as Locanananda Prabhu has pointed out where Srila Prabhupada is repeating almost the same thing. I first present the quotes found in the GBC resolution and then draw your attention to the quote brought up by Locanananda Prabhu.

From GBC resolution:

Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 4.25.41, p.

When a husbandless woman is attacked by an aggressive man, she takes his action to be mercy.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 4.25.42, p.

Generally, when a woman is attacked by a man--whether her husband or some other man--she enjoys the attack, being too lusty.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 4.26.26, p.

From Srila Prabhupada’s conversations, Morning Walk, May 11, 1975, Perth:

Rape means without consent, sex. Otherwise there is no rape. There was a rape case in Calcutta, and the lawyer was very intelligent. He some way or other made the woman admit, "Yes, I felt happiness." So he was released. "Here is consent." And that's a fact. Because after all, sex, rape or no rape, they will feel some pleasure. So the lawyer by hook and crook made the woman agree, "Yes, I felt some pleasure." "Now, there is consent." So he was released. After all, it is an itching sensation. So either by force or by willingly, if there is itching, everyone feels relieved itching it. That's a psychology. It is not that the woman do not like rape. They like sometimes. They willingly. That is the psychology. Outwardly they show some displeasure, but inwardly they do not. This is the psychology.

The above conversation is self-explanatory and reveals that Srila Prabhupada did intend a “sometimes” literal meaning of his rape statements in the Bhagavatam purports. It’s too difficult to interpret otherwise. “They like sometimes”, he says. If we take this “sometimes” literal meaning along with context of the purport it is sufficiently probable that at “other times or most of the times” Srila Prabhupada is referring to the sexual aggression of a man towards his wife. This aggression of a man towards his wife is the interpretation that I have heard from senior devotees like Srila Satsvarupa Maharaja, Srila Sivarama Maharaja (in his recent podcast) and Srila Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu.

I do not claim to know how the statements in the above conversation about rape are true and can offer no explanations about them but my contention is that these are unblemished and undisputable words of our founder-acharya.

I am trying to arrive at a salient point here. If the annotations are formulated on the hermeneutical principle that a “sometimes” literal reading is possible wherever applicable, there seems not much scope for confusion. However if the annotations are formulated in an exclusive non-literal sense, it should be strongly backed with explicit statements from Srila Prabhupada on the same topic legitimizing the formulation. If this is not done, there is a clear possibility and danger that ISKCON devotees in general may misapply the GBC’s precedent. They may exercise the liberty to randomly pick statements in Srila Prabhupada’s books that they dislike and provide them with non-literal interpretations resulting in more confusion than solution.

Attraction or distraction?

The proposed annotations are intended to help readers who may have difficulty while reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and thereby attract them to Srila Prabhupada’s message.

I have been preaching to westernized, highly educated girls of Indian origin at the prestigious Manipal Medical and Engineering University in South India for the last 9 years. Manipal is a university town of about 50,000 students. It is 3 miles away from Udupi, the bastion of Sri Madhvacarya and his followers and the abode of Sri Krishna, the famed deity elaborated upon and glorified by Srila Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami in the Caitanya-Caritamrta. Yet despite being only three miles away from the holy land of Udupi, Manipal stands out distinctly in a world of its own as a western haven. I say this from experience having traveled several times to different parts of United States of America.

I took to Krishna consciousness when I was a student at the same medical university and later emerged as a medical doctor from that university. When I mean westernized girls, I mean it in a literal sense. Most of the girls including myself are born and brought up outside India in the west. We come from ultra-modern backgrounds soaked in western values. In fact the first time I heard that a wife should be subservient to her husband is from Srila Prabhupada’s books. Many of these girls who have taken to Krishna Consciousness still retain strong feminist leanings. Yet, in all these nine years, I haven’t come across girls leaving Krsna consciousness because of Srila Prabhupada's comments on women. Some ask me to explain the purport in BG 1.40, 16.7 and so on, as and when we go through them. We discuss a little and move on. Srila Prabhupada’s presentation of Krishna Consciousness is so overwhelming that none of girls get stuck with these statements on women because they are enamored by the message of Krishna consciousness that Srila Prabhupada is trying to present. Ultimately that is the key issue. Srila Prabhupada’s words in his books are not just valuable information but rather they are non-different from Krishna who interacts with sincere readers.

The problem with annotations in the same book is this:

I presume that Srila Prabhupada's statements about women will be marked, probably with an asterisk or something to that effect, to draw one's attention to the added annotation either as an endnote or as an appendix. When someone goes through the book, that statement with a mark next to it will stick in the head. When someone reads a book and wants to remember something, they highlight it, or mark it. That way it sticks in the head. Here the marking is already done.

Furthermore, when they read the added annotation it will make them think about it even more. Instead of spending my time extolling the glories of Bhagavad Gita, Srila Prabhupada, the Holy Name and devotees, I'll be spending time explaining these statements about women and other such topics.

Presently when I do a review of all the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita with relatively new girls after conducting a whole course, I hear different reasons why Arjuna doesn't want to fight and how we can relate to Arjuna's position, as a summary of the first chapter.

Inevitably, with annotations drawing undue attention to other topics, I guess for example that the girls would also include statements about women while summarizing the first chapter.

In my humble opinion, annotations to Srila Prabhupada's comments on women for example will generate unnecessary attention to sexist issues and make ISKCON a sexist religion. It isn't that right now. Likewise annotations on other issues would be intrusive and in fact lead to distraction when the intended purpose of the annotations is instead attraction to Srila Prabhupada’s message.

End justifies the means, but where does it end?

There are controversial statements by Srila Prabhupada on several topics and the GBC resolution indeed has sweeping provisions to annotate all of them. Changing social climate and political correctness in different parts of the world may however lead to a virtually endless process of annotations. When and where does it end?

Conclusion

If annotated versions of Srila Prabhupada’s books are the only versions that may be printed in future then the annotations within those books would implicitly assume the same sacrosanct status as Srila Prabhupada’s own words unless there is a disclaimer that the annotations need not reflect the views of the author. That would however spoil the very purpose of the annotations. Catch 22.

The most compelling argument I have seen so far against releasing only annotated versions of Srila Prabhupada’s books comes from Sitapati Prabhu. I am paraphrasing it here: Srila Prabhupada’s books are central to the voluntary participation of the members of ISKCON - arguably acceptance of these books is the common platform of ISKCON membership. Interfering with that dynamic would mean striking at the very heart of devotees’ sense of self and identity as a member of ISKCON.

Let things be simple.

While annotated versions of Srila Prabhupada’s books are a welcome and vibrant addition to our rich literary tradition, Srila Prabhupada books in their original form should continue to be printed simultaneously. To exclusively print Srila Prabhupada’s books in their annotated form would be an unnerving foray into sacred territory, the ramifications of which may be unimaginably complex and soul boggling.

No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.

- Bertrand Russell

Watch the slideshows from Nrsimha Caturdasi and Vyasa Puja!

Nrsimha Caturdasi

Vyasa Puja

British families now need £1,000 more per year, just to put food on the table…

Rising prices: A basket of essentials has risen by 19.1 per cent since last year

Millions of families are having to spend almost £1,000 a year extra on food after more punishing price rises.

The annual increase in the price of a basket of essentials surged to 19.1 per cent in May, according to the Daily Mail Cost of Living Index.

The rate has jumped alarmingly from 15.5 per cent in April - a 3.6 per cent rise - and there is no sign of the pressure easing.

There is now a worldwide crisis over supplies of key crops such as corn, wheat and rice. It has triggered food riots in some countries. And in the UK it has brought the biggest rises in bills in a generation.

A family which spent £100 a week on food last year now has to find another £19.10 for the same products, equivalent to £993 a year. Once ‘must-pay’ bills for petrol, mortgages, power and council tax are added, the extra cost is more like £2,200. Yet the official inflation rate is just 2.6per cent.

Experts say a worldwide drive to produce biofuels - made from corn, wheat and soya as an alternative to oil - is a major factor. Farmers have switched from food production to biofuel crops.

Last month, the EU agreed the biofuel content of all petrol and diesel should be 2.5 per cent. This is set to rise to 10 per cent by 2020. But the Government’s two most senior scientists, Professor John Beddington and Professor Robert Watson, have called for a rethink on the rush to biofuels.

Professor Beddington said, ‘It’s very hard to imagine the world growing enough crops to produce renewable energy and at the same time meet the enormous demand for food.’

Gordon Brown is understood to be preparing to call on the EU to scrap the plan.

The effect of biofuels on food prices has been dramatic. A litre of corn oil has more than doubled in a year, to £1.38, in one of the big supermarkets.

Fusilli pasta, made from wheat, is up 81 per cent, a baguette by 41 per cent and Weetabix cereal 21 per cent.

Farmers are also facing huge increases in feed bills, leading to dearer meat and dairy products. Milk is up 16.6 per cent, English butter by 62 per cent and mild cheddar by 25.6 per cent.

Free-range eggs, which come from hens fed a corn mix, have leapt in price by an alarming 47.4 per cent in a year to £2.58 a dozen.

Basmati rice is up more than 60 per cent in 12 months and Britain’s biggest supplier, Tilda, has warned of a further rise of around 30 per cent in the coming year.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has called on his EU counterparts to take radical steps on food prices. He wants ‘ fundamental reform’ of the controversial Common Agricultural Policy.

The soaring price of oil is the second major factor battering consumers.

Figures from the AA show the cost of diesel has risen by a quarter in the past year, while unleaded petrol is up 15.4 per cent. The organisation says motorists are the victims of international oil speculators and UK taxes.

Spokesman Luke Bosdet said: ‘The oil companies tell us there is no shortage, but market speculators are having a field day gambling on prices. It is a pantomime. The Government is threatening to add another 2p in duty in October. We think the Chancellor needs to announce as soon as possible that this will be postponed.’

The higher price of oil is dragging up the cost of both gas and electricity. Householders who have seen a 15per cent increase so far this year face another 25per cent rise by September.

The Daily Mail Cost of Living Index is compiled in association with the price comparison websites MySupermarket.co.uk and uSwitch.com.

MySupermarket offers price comparisons across the big three chains - Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Many families, however, are changing to budget stores such as Aldi, Lidl and Netto.

Sales of fresh produce at Aldi are up a remarkable 40 per cent year-on-year.

The Government’s official inflation rate, the Consumer Prices Index, is expected this week to put inflation at around 2.6 per cent.

The Office for National Statistics argues that falls in the price of electrical gadgets, clothes and furniture offset the increases in food. But critics say that fails to reflect real life.

Tim Wolfenden of uSwitch said: ‘ Consumers must be feeling like the rug is being pulled out from under their feet. Every time they regain their balance another set of price hikes knocks them over again.

‘However you look at it, 2008 is shaping up badly for British consumers.’

Mayapur ISKCON devotees took their seventy-strong devotional chanting party, complete with sacred food to distribute, to Krishnanagar this April 26. The town is the administrative head quarters of Nadia District in West Bengal, and is famous as the place where Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura worked as a magistrate while re-discovering Navadvipa’s holy places.

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Watch a video podcast of Sita-pati and David Jorm discussing the annotations issue.

Here is the second of three comments that I submitted to Dandavats.com before the right to discussion and expression was revoked there.

I think we all know deep down that people have problems with ISKCON not because of what the books say, but because of what devotees have done. Out of 100 people 1 will read the Bhagavatam, the other 99 will read the devotee. That’s why Srila Prabhupada opens the Bhagavatam with a sketch of the life of Lord Caitanya, the ideal preacher of the Bhagavatam. People by and large, if they do know of controversial statements in the books, know of them not because they’ve read them, but because they read newspaper and internet articles about what devotees have done.

No-one had such great problems with Srila Prabhupada saying things at the time he said them because of his personal behaviour. He never used any of his own statements to discriminate against women, black people, or gays. He never used them to justify child abuse or rape.

Of the people who have bought and read the Bhagavatam around me in the last decade, no-one did it because they intellectually accepted everything in there at once. They did it because of the personal influence of people who embodied the Bhagavatam principles - devotees.

Trying to write around Srila Prabhupada words in his own books is not the answer. Trying to live following his example is the answer. Changing the books is an impersonal approach. A “voice from the sky” meta commentary on Srila Prabhupada’s commentary is impersonal, and the idea repels me. As a strategy for dealing with our PR ills it seeks to address things on a global, impersonal level, rather than at the local, personal level where change must ultimately take place.

My understanding of the role of the GBC is that it is to make sure that members of ISKCON are reading and following the books, rather than to change them to suit public opinion.

Without ideal preachers of Bhagavatam no amount of rewriting can change the situation, and with ideal preachers no amount of rewriting is necessary.

The Gita Room is a great way to hear about the Bhagavad Gita and join the association of devotees for nectar discussions on this most important book.

Please visit http://www.thegitaroom.com to register.

"My philosophy is that man is here to do good for others," he continued. "And the best way you can help another man is to encourage him to follow his religion. It makes no sense to condemn his religion. And let me tell you what the cause of all the problems in the world is. You wanna know?"

Hare Krishna.

Today I wanted to have a little fun and pick on Sita-pati prabhu a little for his “Banned Comments” post about how Dandavats blocked one of his comments about the annotations topic before closing comments entirely.  I’ve had this happen plenty of times, and I thought it would be amusing to welcome him to the ‘dark side.’ 

Actually, the ‘dark side’ is a real phenomenon that many devotees experience at some point.  One gets frustrated with some issue and feels compelled to say something about it in a way that is heard by those in power.  Those isvaras then blackball the well-meaning but impertinent devotee, which raises frustrations even more.  Eventually those already on the ‘dark side’ find out and start complimenting the new outsider, praising him for going against corrupt leaders.  Somehow the dedicated ISKCON devotee finds himself in a new sanga, characterized by excessive fault-finding of ISKCON devotees.  And that’s how they’re viewed, as devotees of ISKCON, rather than as Vaishnavas.  It’s a sad tale.

No, I don’t think he’s going to the ‘dark side,’ but I wanted to poke a little fun.  So I attempted to log on to his blog to post a comment, and found that I did not remember my password.  The one I had writtend down was a temporary password, and I have enough passwords that I would have to try several to get it right.  Instead I opted to have a new temporary password mailed to me.  Please bear in mind that I was doing all this on a BlackBerry, since I’m at work and his blog is blocked by our firewall.  (Oddly enough, I can fully access my own blog and many others such as almost all the blogspot pages except for comments, but Sita-pati’s blog is stopped by the firewall.)  I got my password reset e-mail, where it arrived via my work computer e-mail, so I had to forward it to my blackberry.  Clicking the link there gave me a message that the link was expired or something, but the thing was only a few minutes old.  So then I figured out the link was not completely hyperlinked.  (Only part of the link was sent to the browser.)   Finally I figured out there was a space in there, upsetting the software that recognizes a valid URL.  Finally, finally I get to the page at Atma Yogi that presents a button that will take me to a page for setting my password, which it warns can only be clicked one time.  Happily I clicked the button.  What comes up?  A 403 error page telling me that I am forbidden from viewing the page.  I’m banned by a stupid computer.  Presumably I cannot even try to guess my password, since it was supposedly reset or something.  I give up.

Well not completely give up, but for now I’ll have to wait until I get home, not that I’ll have any time once I get there.  We’re expecting our fifth baby to be born any day.

Speaking of home, I’m also trying to download Sita-pati’s recent annotations podcast from Google Videos.  It’s a half-hour video adding up to almost 100 megabytes.  Since the best Internet connection we can get at home is 28.8kbps (half-speed dialup, and it’s almost always slower, usually 26.4kbps), that’s about a 12 hour download if nothing else is using the modem.  Fortunately I was able to find a way to download it with a download manager rather than have to stream it, which rarely works even with buffering.  They’re supposed to bring broadband access down our road within the next two years, by law.  No, I do not live in a third-world country.  I live in central Pennsylvania, USA.  About 12 miles from Gita-nagari.

Sorry for rambling.  Hare Krishna.

Guru’s birthday is known in our Vaishnava culture as Vyasa puja. Vyasadeva, Veda-vyasa who wrote the Vedic literature, is the supreme spiritual master because he has given us the spiritual knowledge. Guru’s instructions are complete and gives benefit only if he represents Vyasa. This Sunday was dear Sivarama Maharaja’s Vyasa-puja day. We spent a wonderful day with the dream like Radhe Shyama, ecstatic kirtans and maharaja’s nectarian talks.
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Nrsimhadeva úgy szereti Prahlada Maharaját mint egy apa a fiát.

Ma reggeli lecke Krisna-völgyben a Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.8.36-39 és 7.9.1-7 verseiről.

• A félistenek és Nrsimhadeva kapcsolata olyan, mint szolgák kapcsolata a mesterükkel, de Prahlada természetes szülői kapcsolatban áll az Úrral.
• A lelki tökéletesség akkor teljes, amikor Krisna személyesen megjelenik a bhakta előtt és viszonozza odaadását.
• Senki sem alkalmatlan arra, hogy megkapja Krisna kegyét.
• Prahlada samadhija premából született.
• Prahlada imái mélyen megvilágítják az anyagi feltételekhez kötöttséget, ezért a bhakták komolyan tanulmányozzák azokat.
• Tudnunk kell imádkozni Krisnához. Ez nagy örömet okoz az Úrnak.

(This is a post that I have placed on several other sites.)

For the last five years or so our school in Mayapur (SMIS) have had a very special student in our school. This boy, named Prakash, was born right across the street from the Yogapitha (the appearance place of Gauranga Mahaprabhu). His father helped build Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi and has performed many other services for the community. Prakash has had the opportunity to attend our school for the last five years only because of the financial sponsorship from a generous well wisher. He is a very bright student, well liked among the students and has a pleasant demeanor. Unfortunately, the sponsor is no longer able to continue the sponsorship. We are trying to find a sponsor or sponsors so that he continue his academic, social and spiritual education with us . If we do not find a sponsor soon then he will have to go elsewhere for his education. He has strong desire to stay here with his friends and well wishing teachers. So if you would like to do some service for one of Mayapur’s dhamabasi’s please let us know. The approximate fees are as follows:

Monthly

Rs 2200/USD $60 day school fees

Rs 4400/USD $115 for ashram (provides room and board, many extracurricular activities, good association and guidance)

If you would be willing to help with his tuition or would like more information please write to me at gaura.nitai.rns@gmail.com or you can contact the school directly at e-mail: smis@pamho.net Phone (03472) 245 363

I have written a few articles about our school on my blog at gauranitaidas.com and the schools website is mayapurschool.com

It is mango season in India!!! The mangoes that are available here are far better than the ones we get in the States. They do not have to be frozen and then shipped halfway across the world. I remember when I first gave a mango to my son a few years ago he would not have anything to do with it. Now it is a whole different story. Instead of asking for ice cream or cookies he asks for mango. They are also a lot cheaper here. I bought 20 mangoes for about 50 cents. In fact when we walk through the forest here on the bank of the Jalangi we run into mango trees all of the time. These trees are decorated with an abundance ripe mangoes. Actually many of the trees here give some kind of fruit or flower ( leechi, coconut trees, banana trees, jasmine, gardenia and many others) Everyday we offer Gaura-Nitai 15 or 20 mangoes and then distribute them to friends.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jay!!!

gaura-nitaidas.com

Bhagavatam class today from New Vraja-dhama (in English with Hungarian translation):

• Sri Prahlada’s appeasing Lord Nrsimhadeva.
• The perfection of Krishna consciousness is complete when one is accepted by the Lord.

Although I hope never to see up close his tornadoes which destroy our so-called security, their power also inspires me. We are so tiny amidst even a spark of his splendor. When will I stop trying to compete with him?

It has been said that the masses are controlled by political rulers, intellectuals and financial
concerns. Nonetheless, TV and films, especially in the USA “culture,” have shown that entertainment also has a strong grip on the population of the world.