Archive for October, 2007
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
“Serving Love”
If y’all head on over to www.krishna.com, you can check out the feature “Serving Love”, a film about the awesome and ecstatic Vegan Cooking Workshop prasad program run by the monks of the New Vrindaban Brahmacari Ashram.
This film was made by HG Sri-Kishore Das, a super-friend of the Brahmacari Ashram and New Vrindaban Community, currently working for his master’s degree in Film at Ohio University. This earthly planet will no doubt hear and see a lot more from Sri-Kishore, for he is a soul of great determination, drive, heart, and appetite!
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Club 108
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
Over the decades, the area behind the barn had become a little swampy, so some fill was hauled in and the area leveled and crowned. This is the passageway to the pasture.
The area between where the silos used to be and the side of the barn was also brought up to grade. That had been […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
Picture of Bhakta Seva from March of 2003
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by jm
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
In Memoriam-Bhakta Seva
It has been one year since devotees got the sad email that our dear Godbrother, Bhakta Seva had passed away alone in his apartment.
Bhakta Seva lived in New Vrindavana many years after coming here with his parents and one of his sisters. His father left his body here quite some years back.
He performed […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Friday, October 19th, 2007
Lights, Camera, Action!
With a number of video projects that we have in mind, one of our most immediate needs with Club 108 and New Vrindaban Dham is a professional quality digital video camera. We are humbly asking members of our community and congregation to help donate in the effort to provide Club 108 and the New Vrindaban Community with an essential piece of technology that will help to create so many fantastic service projects, with benefits in the fields of fundraising, advertising, historical preservation, and outreach. Some projects we have in mind are a Palace of Gold Memories video, a Palace of Gold Promotional film, a film commemorating the 40th Anniversary of New Vrindaban in 2008, more films of our college preaching programs, and regular video blogs, or “vlogs”, showing you in color and sound what is happening here in the Dham.
Our price range is flexible, and our most important consideration is a quality camera (with tripod) that can create professional-quality films (i.e not “home movies”) for the pleasure of RVC and Their devotees. (Some examples include the Sony HDRSR7 DV Camcorder, the Panasonic PV-GS320 DV Camcorder, and the Sony HDR-FX1 High Definition DV Camcorder) Please contact us at nvclub108.gmail.com or come by the Club 108 office to help us in this important service.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Club 108
Friday, October 19th, 2007
They are conducted by one single desire
In my Bhagavatam reading today (1.6.26) I came across this sentence, “They are conducted by one single desire: to go back to Godhead.”
I was reminded of my train ride to Vrindavan. At one point I saw a man walk by with a bag and then I saw one of the train employees grab his bag, they started screaming at him, then they began to beat him I could not see it, nor did I want to but I could hear the sound of this poor man being hit in the face and I could hear his piteous cries.
From the core of my heart I cried out to Krishna, “Please take me away from this terrible place of suffering, misery, and cruelty.”
It was so sad because here is this man who is so poor and obviously suffering, and here you have these people taking so much pleasure in beating him.
In India the suffering of life is much more exposed than in the West. You can see this suffering everywhere here in India. You see crippled people, poor people, people suffering from leprosy, orphans, and old people with no shelter and no one to care for them.
In that instance when I truly wanted nothing to do with the suffering and the cruelty of this world I could see how attached I am to remain here rotting life after life. Enjoying as as Srila Prabhupada describes in the last verse of the chapter, the happiness of the hog who lives on filthy stool.
I pray that my life may always be conducted by this one single desire: to go back to Godhead.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Friday, October 19th, 2007
?Gotta Serve Somebody? by Bob Dylan
You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
O Tongue!
radheti nama nava-sundara-sidhu mugdham
krsneti nama madhuradbhuta-gadha-dugdham
sarva-ksana surabhi-raga-himena ramyam
krtva tadaiva piba me rasane ksudarte
O tongue tortured by thirst, please mix the delicious nectar of the name Radha with the wonderfully sweet condensed milk of the name Krsna, add the fragrant ice of pure love and drink this charming drink at every moment!
Srila Raghunath Das Goswami
Stavavali, Abhista Sucanam, Verse 10
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Help Build Ravana’s Heads
Join us this Friday evening as we build the heads of Ravana, to be burned this Saturday evening.
It begins at 5pm, next to the swan boat house near the lake. Bring your hands and plenty of head-making gusto. Pizza party follows!
WHEN: This Friday, beginning at 5pm. Pizza party will commence at 730pm
WHERE: Next […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
AMA Won?t Call Video Gaming An Addiction
By Lindsey Tanner, AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO — The American Medical Association on Wednesday backed off calling excessive video-game playing a formal psychiatric addiction, saying instead that more research is needed.
A report prepared for the AMA’s annual policy meeting had sought to strongly encourage that video-game addiction be included in a widely used diagnostic manual of […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007
The importance of Residing in a Sacred Place (Dhama)
In Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Srila Rupa Goswami lists sixty four items of devotional service, and out of those sixty four he mentions five that are especially powerful, associating with advanced devotees, chanting the holy names, worshiping the deity, hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, and residing in a holy place.
These five activities are especially powerful ways to fix one’s mind on Krishna.
Which is of course the purpose of all the rules and regulations of devotion service. Always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna, all other rules and regulations are servants of these two rules.
Living in the Dhama (the abode of the Lord) provides one the opportunity constantly remember Krishna.
If a place is not a Dhama, an abode of the Lord, it is the abode of maya, the Lord’s external energy, and rather than reminding one of their eternal nature as servant of Krishna it will encourage one to forget their eternal nature as a servant of Krishna.
And rather than identifying oneself as an eternal servant of Krishna one will identify with the material body with so many material desires that are superfluous to the needs of the soul.
Either we live in the spiritual world where the only activity is service to Krishna and experience ever increasing spiritual happiness. Or we live in the material world and try to enjoy separately from Krishna and experience never ending frustration and misery.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
For those want to live in the spiritual world and who may not be so fortunate to live in a holy place such as Govardhan, Vrindavan, or Mayapur, one must make an extra endeavor to make one’s home into a holy place, a place where everything reminds one of Krishna and that service to Krishna is the ultimate goal of life. Otherwise one’s one home simply remains a prison that binds one to repeated birth and death.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta said in his final instructions that anyplace where there is Hari katha (discourses about Krishna) is a holy place. And in the Bhagavatam it is stated that the purpose of a holy place is to visit the pure devotees that reside there, and that everywhere a pure devotee goes is holy place. Because they carry Krishna withing their heart they turn anywhere they go into a holy place. And of course Krishna is directly present in His name and deity form. So by engaging in these other four process of devotional service one can invoke the presence of the Lord, and if one’s residence is place where these activities are going on regularly then one’s home is also a holy place.
And if one is residing in the Dham but not engaging in these activities then according to Bhagavatam one is no better than the animals that live in the Dhama. Where ever we live we must engage in constant hearing and chanting in order to be able to constantly remember Krishna.
But, it is still nice to be here in Govardhan, and although not everything on the external level reminds one of Krishna there is still a lot of opportunity to remember Krishna. When I chant japa from the roof of the building where I am staying I can see the top of the temples located at Manasi Ganga 
and Dhana Ghati,
two of most sacred places at Govardhan. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami describes them in his Shri Govardhanashraya-dasaka.
Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, where the divine couple enjoy Their rescue-fee pastimes, and where the Manasa-ganga flows? In the Manasa-ganga Madhava, dressed as a boatman, took sweetly beautiful Radha on His boat, and when She, frightened by a great storm, prayed that He calm it, He claimed from Her as a rescue-fee the fulfillment of His amorous desires.
Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill where, blossoming with happiness at the outrageous joking words of Their friends, perpetually wounded by the swift arrows shot from the corners of Their cruel, smiling eyes, and laughing at the crooked words of the ever-new dana-keli quarrel, the youthful divine couple displayed so many transcendental pastimes?
A few years ago I was speaking with Aidra Prabhu, he was trying to convince me to give everything up and move to Vrindavan, I was trying to find a way out of surrendering so I said, “Srila Prabhupada said that all his temples were non-different from Vrindavan.” I thought that was a pretty good excuse but he had an even better reply, “Qualitatively yes, but quantitatively no.” I guess it took me four years to realize the meaning of his statement.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Gauranga Kishore Das
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007
Exercise In America
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
Message
Lyrics and music by Devananda Pandit das
(Krsna Book Chapter One Song One)
When the world was overburdened
by the forces of unruly kings
who posed themselves as guardians
but who desecrated everything
The Deity of the Earth named Bhumi
went to see Lord Brahma in her plight
with tears in her eyes she was no more
than a sorry sight
Lord Brahma took compassion
‘pon […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
Gopal’s Garden: Home Schooling at New Vrindaban
This past Monday, October 15th, 2007, marked the beginning of a wonderful new project here at New Vrindaban Dham. It was the first day of school at Gopal’s Garden, the new home-school for young residents of the Dham.
The sweet opening ceremony was marked by a jolly kirtan, transcendental fable-telling from HG Sankirtan Prabhu, some cookie prasad, and more than a few tears from courageous kids and parents going through the ageless emotions of separation and excitement that mark this new adventure.
For a full description of Gopal’s Garden, please keep on reading, and you can visit the school to see what it’s all about by heading over to Cabin #1, which has been converted into a schoolhouse.
“A school with its children can be compared to a garden with its many flowers and fragrances.”
Gopal’s Garden, which is opening this fall here in New Vrindaban, will be unique in that it is one of the very few educational facilities in the West which incorporates the ancient teachings of India known as Sanatana Dharma.
One of the cabins near the temple is in the process of being renovated for the use of the school. Gopal’s Garden is both a pre-school and a home school coop. Children ages two to nine are enrolled.
The children who attend Gopal’s Garden will receive a well rounded education in all the various aspects of Dharma, including training in religion, character development and social skills, along with academic standards that will help them prepare for any endeavor or profession that they may eventually want to enter into.
Gopal’s Garden is a nonprofit whose board members include Shyamasundar das, Shankarananda das, Ranaka das, Govinda Priya devi dasi, and Ruci devi dasi.
Ruci, along with the parents help, will be overseeing the activities and teaching of the students. She is a thirty year resident of the community with over twenty years of experience teaching pre-school and elementary school.
Gopal’s Garden also calls upon the skills and talents of many other Vaisnavas versed in the fields of music, drama, deity worship, cooking, gardening, and art to insure that the students receive a truly diverse educational experience.
For more info, contact Shankarananda Das at 304-221-1000
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Club 108
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
Two funny Varshana Swami stories
When you say “story” and “Varshana Swami” usually you’re talking about his tellings of Caitanya-lila. They are second to none. But it’s rare to hear stories about Varshana Swami. Well lucky me, I’ve got two. And lucky you because I’m about to tell them.
Both happened last year while I was staying for a bit at New Vrndavana.