Archive for March, 2007
Friday, March 30th, 2007
What we read is real.
Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur SamadhiUnbelievable Beauty of TotaGopinathDinner PrasadamKrsna! Krsna! Cleaning my heart at Gundica temple
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by your servant-bcd
Friday, March 30th, 2007
surya samskar
When I arrived to Bhubenesvar I was looking at the giant wheel carvings outside of the airport to be very surprised that the intricate carvings were of various sexual positions. Not thinking about it again, i didnt connect things til a month later in Mumbai. The wheels were duplictes of those at the sun temple. […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by your servant-bcd
Friday, March 30th, 2007
red dawn
When i was younger I used to watch a movie called “Red Dawn” which used to scare the hell out of me and give me night mares. It was a movie about the Russians parachuting into an American town and taking over. I always feared that day when I would see a Russian soldiers gliding […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by your servant-bcd
Friday, March 30th, 2007
Bhubenesvar
This is the Magazine which revealed the Dhama! All Glories to HDG Gour Govinda Maharajahttp://www.gopaljiu.org/Publications/MagazinesIndividual/7_Shiva1.htmFirst you bath in Bindu Sarovar. Then you take darshan of Ananta Vijay. The devotees of Ananta vijay temple were very nice to our group. They allowed us to take darshan as long as we liked and we allowed to take […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by your servant-bcd
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
Violation of ISKCON Minimum Cow Protection Standards
In response to Madhava Gosh’s letter, I feel compelled to publicly voice my observation on the purchase of new cows to restart the New Vrindavan herd. During the course of numerous discussions with the NV cow department over the last 10 years, it was acknowledged that the breed of choice to restart the New Vrindavan herd would be Brown Swiss.
Last November a donor gave a sizable donation to purchase cows. More cows than we wanted to begin with. At that time, 2 Brown Swiss heifers were located and they were both pregnant. They were purchased and close to Christmas day, they both gave birth to bull calves during the Mangal Artik time (4:30 am). So 2 cows now turn into 4 cows. It was also considered auspicious that both calves born were bull calves, because this will be the 1st ox team for the new herd. So far so good.
About 10 days ago, Ranaka prabhu (goshalla in charge) and I again were talking about the next installment of new cows for New Vrindavan. He said it was hard to find Brown Swiss and he was thinking about the Jersey breed. There was no talk of actually buying the next installment of cows. Three days ago, I heard that 5 pregnant Holsteins had been purchased and they would be arriving on Wed. March 28th. These 5 pregnant Holsteins cost $8,000 and were delivered to the temple.
The problem lies in the fact that the temple goshalla has maxed out the little barn by the temple. The little barn has 8 stalls which will now be filled. The 2 existing calves are now living in what would be the birthing stall and within 2 to 3 months there will be at least another 3 calves. What to do with the calves when the birthing stall is needed?
When I asked Ranaka prabhu about the calves and birthing stall, he said cows could be sent to the big barn in the valley where New Vrindavan ran their commercial dairy that was shut down in 1992. At this location, 2 miles away, 150 cows were milking tied into a commercial dairy quota of milk for sale.
A few years ago, Radhanath Swami and other devotees at NV wanted to counteract the past history of cow neglect that took place at the NV big barn. The consensus was that when the cows are out of sight, less community participation in their care takes place and that’s one of the reasons that the cows were neglected. Even today, the old cows and invalid cows are staying at the big barn and do not receive proper medical attention. Guest are not brought down there, nor do the devotees go down there regularly.
Once again, the cows are being sent out of sight, out of mind.
When I asked Ranaka prabhu what the plan was for the new cows and calves, it was stated that there is no plan.
After 12 years of trying to get New Vrindavan to at least name their cows and to at least comply with the Minimum ISKCON Cow Protection Standards, it is now necessary to bring up this current violation. The purchase of these last 5 pregnant cows was a total surprise to the vast majority of community members, what to speak of some of the current Board of Trustees who had no idea that the purchase was taking place. The final straw of Managerial neglect is that there is no plan other than milk production for these cows.
I have been giving seminars at New Vrindavan for several years now entitled HOLISTIC COW CARE: NOT JUST MILK. It is unfortunate that this topic has fallen on deaf ears and that the cows are still considered as CASH COWS for fund raising, for milk production, and possibly for commercial milk sales. My position as the ISKCON Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture is as an advisor. My advice on this purchase of 5 pregnant Holsteins was not sought. If consulted, I would have said too many cows too quickly. I am writing this letter to go on record that I was not a part of this purchase nor do I approve of this purchase.
Listed below is Standard 9, Requirements for Acquiring Cows, Not Allowed.
This is the standard that New Vrindavan has violated.
Not Allowed
• 1) Animal Acquisition
Procuring or breeding of a cow for the purpose of supplying milk without any plan for the care, training and engagement of offspring.
• 2) Lack of land and funds for animal care. Failure to provide sufficient land, cowherds, and funds to support the cow and/or offspring.
For a full view of the standards refer to: MINIMUM COW PROTECTION STANDARDS, ISKCON Law 507
Go to Section 2: Breeding Standards, Standard 1X Requirements for Acquiring Cows
Your servant,
Balabhadra das
ISKCON Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Balabhadra das
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
Devotees Respond to Climate Change
by Niscala dasi Since the debut of Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth the urgency of the state of the environment has moved up in collective public consciousness. The prospect of the world’s major cities becoming the future ocean bed, and of severe natural disasters becoming a regular occurrence –along with […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by AR
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
New Vrindaban’s Best Kept Secret (Part 2)
By Bhakta-Chris the perfection of life the mode of goodness Srila Prabhupada lays out the bare facts very clearly: “Men do not understand that because they unrestrictedly kill so many animals, they must also be slaughtered like animals in big wars….In the West, slaughterhouses are maintained without restriction, and therefore every fifth or tenth […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Bhakta-Chris
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Srimad-Bhagavatam Meditation: 1:10:4
Once a week, I will be sharing a meditation on a verse from the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge: the Srimad-Bhagavatam, translated and with commentary by His Divine Grace Swami Srila Prabhupada.I humble request you to first read today’s verse, from Canto 1, Chapter 10, Verse 4…”Departure of Lord Krsna for Dvaraka.” […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Bhakta-Chris
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
Cow Protection Around the Globe Part II
Another stop was Mayapur cow project in India. Here is an excerpt from Balabhadra’s letters while there.
“Yesterday we had a 3 hour goshalla meeting. The bottom line depends on how many bulls are working. The agriculture department will take 6 bulls and start working them. The Mayapur goshalla will use 6 bulls for agriculture and transport, and Hrimati’s bullock man will take 2 for 2 months and train them and return them trained. They have now 9 bulls trained and doing service, so if all goes according to plan, 21 will be trained and working. The agriculture department showed up bright and early the next morning after the meeting and was checking out all of the oxen. Hrimati was there and she was amazed that they showed up so quickly and were fired up about picking out their 6 oxen.
Oxen are now employed in spiritual processions in Mayapur
Hrimati is a member of the animal protection committee at Mayapur. She speaks fluent Bengali and is not afraid to get involved. During the meeting, I was able to push through a lot of her proposals and projects that need done at the goshalla.â€
Mahadeva, the lead bull was very sick when Balabhadra was there. He spent much time helping the devotees take care of him. An operation was performed, but we found out later he never fully recovered and has passed away. He was greatly loved by the devotees there.
Mahadeva right before he became very ill
Hrimate with Abhay Charan who will replace Mahadeva as breeding bull.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Balabhadra das
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
“There’s something up there, Mulder”
When I was a wee young child going to the Harper Woods Public Library, I would instantly head right to the beginning of the Dewey Decimal System and check out all of the books on UFOs, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster.I have always been and still am very much fascinated with such paranormal subjects, […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Bhakta-Chris
Sunday, March 25th, 2007
New Vrindaban’s Best Kept Secret (Part 1)
One of the extra benefits of living in an ISKCON farm community, alongside the whole blissful daily practice of getting one step back closer to Godhead, is the many earthy service opportunities.Before I came here, I had some semblance of an idea of what I was getting myself into, and a big part of that […]