Archive for October, 2007
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
A New Kartik Nectar Series
“If one lives in the earthly land of Vrndavana, touches it, sees it, travels to it, meditates upon it, bows down to offer respects to it, sings or hears about its glorious qualities, carries the dust on his head, or has any relationship with it, the this purifying earthly Vrndavana will carry him to […]
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Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
The Great Mantra
Courtesy of The Post, the student newspaper at Ohio University, check out this article about the recent visit by the kids from the Global Leadership Center, run by Dr. Greg Emery, a longtime friend of the New Vrindaban Community.
Click this link to read the article.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by bc
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
The Highest to the Most Undeserving
I was sitting sitting on the roof this afternoon relaxing eating some bananas when a polite elderly female monkey appeared on a ledge about fifteen feet away from me. She very made some cooing sounds as a friendly gesture in hopes that I would share some of my ripe delicious bananas with her. Which of course I did, who could resist such a cutie.
Then I started thinking about how Krishna likes to feed butter and yogurt to monkeys. This is actually quite amazing if you think about it, yogurt and especially butter are the most valuable substance. They are the most nutritious foods, and Krishna is just distributing them freely to the monkeys who are in many ways are the most undeserving.
No one really likes monkeys, they don’t serve any useful purpose and they are always causing trouble. You hang your clothes on the line and the come and ripe you clothes to pieces just for the fun of it. If you leave your shoes outside they come and steal them.
They are rascals, but nevertheless Krishna loves to feed them butter and yoghurt.
Krishna’s nature is so compassionate that he is naturally inclined to give the highest thing to the most undeserving.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
Rust Is Stylish?
Bhimasena commented on the rust discussion with:
“When I visited Audarya they were building a very nice temple structure. Considering their substantial focus on the aesthetics, I was surprised to see that they were using a tin roof. The lead builder explained that the rusty tin look could be stylish as well as good long term […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
“Burn Ravana! Burn Lust!”
This past weekend was chock-full! We here at the New Vrindaban Community celebrated Ramacandra Vijayotsava (“The Burning of Ravana”) in our usual harvest style, as a 15-foot high wooden sculpture of Ravana was expertly cut, painted, and assembled by the hands of HG Rupanuga Prabhu, all with the intention of shooting a flaming arrow […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by bc
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
Halloween Harinama!
HALLOWEEN
HARINAMA!!!
starring Lord Jagannath!
The fun happens this Saturday night, October 27th in Athens, Ohio, home of Ohio University.
Dress in devotional gear or your most transcendental costume.
For all the info, please see Chaitanya Das or Bhakta-Chris. We will be leaving early Saturday evening and arriving around 8pm. Bwahahahaha! Haribol!
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by bc
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Krishna Camp coming to After Burn Party in New York City
Hey everybody!
It was great to see so many of our buddies, new and old at Burning Man in Black Rock City, and now we really miss ‘em!
So if you’re in the New York area, come down to the NY Decompression party for a happy family reunion!
We’ll be attending with a talented crew, setting up […]
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Bhakta Seva’s Kacchori Recipe:
by Gokulataruni d.d
In memory of,Bhakta Seva Prabhu, I thought I’d write down and share the kacchori recipe that he taught me many years ago, to the best of my memory it went something like this.
Filling:
2 large potatoes (peeled and boiled)
1/2 head of cabbage (chopped into tiny cubes and fried)
Chaunce:
(Heat a few tablespoons of ghee and […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by jm
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Seeing with the Ears
I was feeling a bit sick wasn’t sure if I would be up for the trek to Radha Kunda but after chanting a few rounds I was able to muster up the determination.
The walk is a bit of an austerity, it is really crowded, and between the blaring speakers of the roadside shops and temples and the horns of the passing motorcylces and cars it is extremely loud.
Walking at a fast pace we made it in under and hour, we had darshan, paid our respects, chanted few rounds and then it was time to head back.
Now it is time to have the real darshan, Caitanya Caritamrita Antya Lila Chapter 6: The Meeting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
“Krsna’s darsan can only be attained through the medium of the ear as one hears Hari-katha from pure Vaisnavas; there is no other way.”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Upadeshavali 18
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Rust and Artistic Sensibility
I recently wrote about painting the rusty roof at the Winter Barn. I included a photo of the roof taken from a higher elevation. Madhu suggested painting something on the roof. Soma, overtaken by his creative side, made the following offer:
“I will paint a big Hare Krsna on it. if somebody supplies the paint.”
I […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Monday, October 22nd, 2007
Hindus In America
Louisiana elects first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) — U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal became the nation’s youngest governor and the first nonwhite to hold post in Louisiana since Reconstruction when he carried more than half the vote to defeat 11 opponents.
[…]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Monday, October 22nd, 2007
May Radha Kunda be my only shelter
vraja-bhuvi mura-shatroh preyasinam nikamair
asulabham api turnam prema-kalpa-drumam tam
janayati hrdi bhamau snatur uccair priyam yat
tad ati-surabhi radha-kundam evashrayo me
For one who bathes in Radha Kunda a desire tree of pure love, which is even rare among the beloveds of Lord Krishna in Vraja, immediately sprouts in the land of the heart. May that very dear and fragrant Radha Kunda be my only shelter.
Srila Raghunath Das Goswami
Stavavali, Radhakundastakam, Text 2
This verse by Srila Raghunath Das Goswami describes amazing result of bathing in Radha Kunda, a result that is rare even amongst the supremely exalted gopis of Vraja, to be a maidservant of Srimati Radharani.
I’ve been here for about two weeks and have not visited Radha Kunda yet. I’ve been trying to prepare myself and wait for the right opportunity.
Tomorrow is the Disappearance day of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj and Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami.
All three of these incredible personalities have thier bhajan kutirs on the bank of Radha Kunda and both Raghunath Das Goswami and Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj’s samadhis are there on the bank of Radha Kunda.
Krishna willing tomorrow I be able to make the pilgrimage to Sri Radha Kunda and take the blessings of these great personalities on the most auspicious day of their dissapearance.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
The Library at New Vrindaban (aka Sanctuary Library)
by Malati dd
Located adjacent to Room 3 and next to the Ladies Bathroom on the ground floor of the Guest Room Wing
First of all, it is still “The Library.” In spite of a clandestine effort to convert it into a facility for excess deity clothes and sewing, complete with a sewing machine, by removing […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
This Morning?s Realization
The sporting of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with the gopis in the fragrance drenched groves of the forest where orchids display colors unimagined even by Picasso, is the…
Nah. That isn’t it. Much more pedestrian. If I swing a pickax at the same rate I was previously able to, […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
The local children hanging out on rooftop
In India there is a whole “roof top culture.” In the evening everyone goes up to relax and cool off. This time of day the sun is gone and outside the weather is quite pleasant but inside it is still hot.