Archive for July, 2007
Thursday, July 26th, 2007
Extreme Sport in New Vrindaban ? Plywood Flying
The other day I read Miracles on Transcendental Street where Jiva talked about devotees becoming invisible. He ended the story with this,”When I submit another recollection for your entertainment, Dear Reader, it will be about the times I’ve seen Devotees fly and or levitate.”
The next day I was talking to an older gurukuli (who […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Take me to the Place I Love, Take Me All The Way.
This is the sign that greeted me as I entered the Pittsburgh Airport.
Yesterday I got a message from my mother saying that Brighu Ma brought my Brighu astrology reading with her from India. For the uninitiated, Brighu is the sage who first propagated the science of astrology and it is said that he has calculated astrological readings for everyone who ever will be born, so everyone has a reading, and if you are lucky you can make the trek to Hosiapur in the foothills of the Himalayas to get you reading and hope that they can find your reading. Somehow the lady who is his current representative found my reading and at the request of Nalini Kanta prabhu brought it with her to America.
My mother has been wanting me to get this reading for years, so off I was on the next plane to California. I couldn’t complain because Radhanath Maharaj is here now and it looks like he will be here all the way through Rath Yatra. So on top of a Brighu reading which is pretty cool in and of itself I also get to see Maharaj again which is also pretty cool. And it only cost me $60. Mrgendra who is a devotee travel agent here in LA got me a super special brahmacari discount ticket, $60 one way on Southwest. You can’t beat that.
This makes my $40 Greyhound ticket from Columbus to New Vrindaban seem not so good. After that trip I have taken a solemn vow to never ride on a Greyhound bus. I would seriously rather have hitch hiked, or walked.
It has been a hectic twenty four hours, trying to get everything taken care of, I had two options for flights, one left at 8 am and the other at 1 pm. Since it was ten o clock at night I figured that I probably wouldn’t be able to arrange a ride for the 8 am flight so I opted for the afternoon flight that was supposed to arrive in LA at five.
The problem was everyone was going to this program with Maharaj in the valley so no one wanted to pick me up, eventually Balarama arranged a ride but my flight was delayed by about two hours and half hours so I presume they went to the program without me.
There was no one to pick me up so I just decided to take the bus, at the stop I made friends with a very nice homeless person, Jesse. 
He had a very interesting attire. At first I thought it was just a strange LA fashion statement but in speaking with him I found out he just got out of jail. It turns out that we were going in the same direction so made sure I got exactly where I needed to go. It was really Krishna’s arrangement because I had no idea where I was going. He even bought my bus ticket. That really blew me away. It was all because I just smiled at him as he first walked by instead of ignoring him as most people would have. Although he was a little rough around the edges he was intelligent and had a good heart. It was sad to see such a kind person who had suffered so much. It was a harsh reminder of the tragedies of this material world. I pray that I was able to brighten his life in some small way.
It was quite an amazing experience because initially I was a little frustrated that I missed the program and that I didn’t have a ride, but as I spent time with him I felt more connected to Krishna being there just listening to this person than even being with my spiritual master and all my god brothers and sisters.
The other highlight of the day was meeting another very nice gentleman who was sitting next to me on the flight from Pittsburgh to Phoenix. He was very genuine and sincere and had many thoughtful questions about Krishna consciousness, he himself was a practicing Christian as well as a Buddhist. 
Eventually I made it to the temple, by this time it was almost midnight, eastern time, I was exhausted but happy to see that I made it just in time for the last darshan of Thier Lordships.
Shri Shri Rukmini Dwarkadisha ki jaya! 
Take me to the Place I Love,
Take Me All The Way,
Rukmini Dwarkadish,
Rukmini Dwarkadish,
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Let It Begin-”School’s Out for Summer!”
by Bhakta-Chris
LET IT BEGIN-“SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!”
Some of us remember the feeling….the last tick of the second hand, the sweet tone of the ringing bell, running away from that classroom as fast as we could.
Jumping into a rapidly moving away vehicle, “toilet-papering” the rascal old man neighbor’s estate, strapping on the roller hockey […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by bc
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Making Hay For New Vrindaban?s Cows
“Prabhupada: Yes. Farming, agriculture, that is nice. There is a proverb: agriculture is the noblest profession. Is it not said? Agriculture is noblest, and Krsna was farmer, His father.”
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg — May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio
Ray, who has worked with Ranaka for 25 years serving New Vrindaban cows, was on my upper […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
Shri Shri Radha Banabehari and Sharanagati Nectar
Just thought I’d share these pictures with you, they are taken in Sharanagati, a wonderful community of vaishnavas in the mountains north of vancouver canada.
One of my dear friends Kartamasa Prabhu, we lived together for about a year while I was in college in alachua, goes up there every year to have association with Yamuna devi and Dina Tarine Devi.
A couple of years ago they started diving into the nectar of the prayers of Bhaktivinode Thakur. They started out with Sharanagati and sang every song in the book from beginning to end. Last year they did Gitavali. I was fortunate enough to be there for that. Yamuna and Dina Tarine have always been exceedingly merciful to me.
Unfortunately this year I couldn’t make it but they did send me some pictures. The first picture is a close up of Shri Shri Radha Banabehari. One time Radhanath Maharaj told me that bhakti means attention to detail, Radha Banabehari Mandir is the personification of this type of amazing attention to detail that is charactaristic of bhakti.
In the second picture you can see Kar’s Krishna Balarama dieties on the altar.
The third picture is some of the local residents, you can see Dina Tarine on the back left, and Kar is in the back with the beard. Kar’s wife Radha Kunda is also there in the front right. Yamuna Devi in not in the photo.
And the last photo is cake that Radha Kunda made, Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Kalyana Kalpataru (Wish fulfilling desire tree of auspicious) has three branches, which are represented on the cake, and each song that is contained in each branch in represented by a beautiful sandesh mango.
It is so wonderful to see people really diving into the nectar of Krishna consciousness. Our culture is so rich that there is unlimited opportunity to do so.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
The people in the companies never see the people who make the products. And the people that make the products will never have to face the people who use them. And the people who use them are not being protected by the people they’ve elected to do precisely that. People, there’s something very wrong with this picture!
On June 19th an article entitled Train Wreck told of a massive recall of wooden trains made in China contaminated by paint containing lead. Mums the word at RC2, the US company that orders the trains. The toy is just one of 24 kinds this year that have been recalled. Over the past year there have been other problems with products made in China: pet food, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, foods, etc. I’m sure there are many other items just waiting to be discovered since only a small fraction of imports are examined.
Lured to China by cheap labor, it seems that companies are only interested in the bottom line. This means more $$$$ for their share holders and more for the company’s big guys. They’re too busy taking the loot to the bank to look at the long ranging picture. They are willing to forego quality control and jeopardize our health. They are responsible for the loss of manufacturing jobs in the States and thus a deterioration of the economy. What to speak of the burden it places on the earth with an ever expanding need for oil to ship products half way around the world. And I wonder what do they do with all these US rejects. Will they just send the trains back to China to sell since they have no restrictions on using lead paint in toys, or maybe they’ll donate the toys to kids in Africa. Or will they slice the trains into toothpicks and send them to Cuba.
“Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.” Bhagavad Gita 16:7
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by New York Times Sanga
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
?Eternity? by Tom Clark
The god of war assured King Arsounas, “Do not be fooled by words. No life is taken. Know that no one was ever born, nor does anyone die.” In the violent mini-eternity of the warrior, combat is conducted according to a ritual formal as song: no one is ever born, no one can ever die. […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
New Cloth For Nrsimhadeva
This morning I got to offer a new cloth to Lord Nrsimhadeva thanks to Naveen Krishna Prabhu’s parents who brought the cloth from India to offer to the Lord.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
Optimism and Atheism
“If you are not an optimist you are an atheist.” B.R. Sridhar Swami
A person who actually has faith in God must be be optimistic because within every situation he can see the hand of God working to bring him closer to God. And to not see reality in this way, to see things negatively is a form of atheism, or lack of faith in God.
An optimistic person is “disposed to take a favorable view of events,”
Whereas pessimism is defined as:
1. A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view.
2. The doctrine or belief that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that all things ultimately tend toward evil.
3. The doctrine or belief that the evil in the world outweighs the good.
As devotees of God we should be optimistic in every circumstance, even in what is normally considered the worst circumstance, the destruction of the physical body, a devotee can be completely optimistic, even while facing illness and eventual death.
Sometimes people criticize devotees for being pessimistic. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that part of knowledge is to see the evils of birth, death, old age, and disease. But that does not mean that devotees should be depressed or morose. A devotee is joyful, and despite the fact that he sees the reality of this world and how everyone is bound to suffer and eventually die nevertheless he “is disposed to take a favorable view of events.” Because rather than seeing the world as a hostile place full of danger he sees Krishna everywhere, in all situations, and in every situation he sees the loving merciful hand of the Lord.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
Remove the Mud Campaign a Success
New Vrindavan crew working on the fence line
Thanks to all our donors and volunteers for the improvement of the barn at the ISCOWP farm. When the ISCOWP farm was acquired in 1996, the property looked quite different than it does today.
Barn now in 1997
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Balabhadra das
Monday, July 23rd, 2007
Revisiting The Lightning Struck Tree
I am doing a little interfaith action this week of the Native American variety.
Thursday, I am going to do a sweat lodge with Yogadev, and Saturday some brahmacaries are cooking some prasadam and we are going to support Vamsa at Parisha’s where she is dancing in a Sun ceremony. We will do some […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
Weekend In New Vrindaban “Festival of Encouragement”
This weekend we had a wonderful festival with Govinda Prabhu and Gauranga Prabhu, two of Radhanath Swami’s very senior brahmcari disciples. It was so wonderful to have their association again.
They are both such dedicated servants of Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
Gauranga Prabhu is an IIT graduate. If your not from India that probably doesnt mean much to you but if you are from India you know that IIT is the top school in all of India and extremely difficult to get into. The brahmcari ashram at Radha Gopinath Mandir is actually full of IIT graduates. Gauranga Prabhu’s is actually quite famous, his Bhagavad Gita classes appear daily on television. He is serving as the vice president of Radha Gopinath Mandir.
Govinda Prabhu is an especially amazing vaishnava. What more can I say? If you ever get a chance to meet him and take some of his association you will understand what I mean. He is so connected on a deep level. His natural vaishnava qualities and his humility charm the heart.
They each gave a semiar, Gauranga Prabhu spoke on the Art of Preaching and Govinda Prabhu spoke on Vaishnava Relationships.
They are also both really wonderful kirtaniyas and certainly the weekend was not deficient in ecstatic kirtan. Govinda Prabhu is actually my favorite kirtan leader in the world.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to attend the seminars I was quite busy on the altar, as were a little shorthanded for the weekend. It was physically challanging but quite ecstatic. On Saturday I dressed Vrindabannath (it is always a special treat to dress them) and on Sunday I did the puja for the Govardhan Shila. (I also posted pictures of Vani’s dressing of Radha Vrindabanchandra and Shantendriya’s dressing of Nathaji)
The highlight of my service on the altar was Saturday evening when I was dressing Lord Nrsimhadeva he just gave me a little slap to put me in my place. I was really tired and I trying to undress Him and was half sleeping, half spacing out, rushing trying to finish quickly, I bumped my head into his hand. He hit me so hard that it took me a couple of minutes to regain my faculties. I almost felt like I had concussion. When I got off the altar I realized I was actually bleeding. He hit me in the eyebrow and it opened up a decent little gash. That was special mercy which I had never received before.
Overall the festival was wonderful, sweet katha, sweet kirtans, wonderful loving association. What more could one ask for?
The big thing for me over the weekend were the conversations I had with Govinda Prabhu and Gauranga Prabhu. It was in regards to my service, I’ll let you know when things are fully revealed.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
Ox Power
Excerpt from the Working Villages International website
The price of gasoline in Congo is now $8-$10 per gallon, and the average yearly income in Congo is $99 - enough to buy at most 12 gallons of gasoline per year. So the question arises: How can traditional, petroleum-dependent models of economic development benefit the people under such circumstances? What are the alternatives? Working Villages believes that much hope is to be found in the models advocated by Gandhi and E.F Schumacher (author of Small is Beautiful), which explain the benefits of village self-reliance in the form of localized economics and wide-spread small scale ownership, relying on local resources and skills.
We have a stevia plant that Vidya winters over in the greenhouse. When I used to still sell at farmer’s market, I’d sell little bunches of it. A few hardy souls would try tasting it and were always surprised at how sweet it was. A healthy sugar replacement? Sweet! By Srila Jiva Goswami dasaNo Comments » - Posted in Contributors by AR
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
Stevia
by Dan Palmer
If you’re like me, […]No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
Miracles on Transcendental Street
Disappearing
One morning, at the Columbus Temple, Krpa Maya Prabhu saw me cleaning the floors, as he had taught me, and he asked if he could talk to me a moment. “There is a boy who is coming to see me,” Krpa Maya declared. “He is sort of a nuisance.”
I […]No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg