Archive for November, 2007
Friday, November 23rd, 2007
Putting the garden to bed. Part 2
It was a little nerve racking due to the weather. We had almost a week of cold and rainy days. The weather forecast was then calling for warm temperatures but with rain showers. What we needed was the weather to be warm and dry in order to be able to dig up the potatoes. Luckily the weather did cooperate and provide us with some really nice days for digging. The weather started to change the afternoon we finished digging up the potatoes. That evening we had a rain storm and the next day the temperature had dropped 20 degrees.
All we have to do now to finish putting the garden to bed is to put cow dung on a few more areas of the garden. We also need to take care of the asparagus patch.
Submitted by Lakshmi Devi
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Friday, November 23rd, 2007
Kartik Nectar-Repairing the Weak Heart
Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a lecture from HH Sacinandana Swami titled “Repairing the Weak Heart”, spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Radha Kunda.
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Asrama Items
by Suchitra devi dasi, as taken from the November Issue of the 1977 Brijabasi Spirit
ITEM: Since becoming the official women’s asrama of New Vrindaban, Madhuban temple has shown a new face. Although an outpost in certain respects, Madhuban’s core has always been rigorous devotion.
For example, after a genuine ice cold shower at 2 a.m. in […]
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Srimad-Bhagavatam Meditation: 2:3:18
It is once again time for a guided meditation on the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge, the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
I humbly ask you to read first the translation and Bhaktivedanta purport to today’s verse, the 18th verse from the Third Chapter of the Second Canto
taravah? kim? na j?vanti
bhastr?h? kim? na ?vasanty uta
na kh?danti na mehanti
kim? gr?me pa?avo ‘pare
Prabhupada sums up the whole darn situation pretty straight when he writes in the purport that “The modern man wants to live forever by the advancement of material science, and there are many foolish theories for prolonging life to the maximum duration. But the ?r?mad-Bh?gavatam affirms that life is not meant for so-called economic development or advancement of materialistic science for the hedonistic philosophy of eating, mating, drinking and merrymaking. Life is solely meant for tapasya, for purifying existence so that one may enter into eternal life just after the end of the human form of life.”
This pushing forward of tapasya at the expense of personal enjoyment is one of the foundations of the revolution in consciousness that we are trying to spread via the teachings of the parampara, and it is one of the most difficult aspects. After all, we know from our own personal experience, via our cultural upbringing, especially in the West, that we aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to give up all we find comfortable, pleasurable, and soothing.
Prabhupada was keenly aware of this. He knew because of the various sundry influences of the age of Kali, we were not meant for the traditional forms of tapasya like sitting and fasting and controlling the breath in the examples of Parkisit Maharaja and Dhruva Maharaja.
In the purport to SB 10:3:34-35, Prabhupada writes “human life is meant not for becoming a hog or dog, but for tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1], transcendental austerity. Everyone should be taught to undergo austerity, tapasya. Although it may not be possible to undergo tapasya like that of Påçni and Sutapä, the sästra has given an opportunity for a method of tapasya very easy to perform—the sankirtan movement…..yet simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahä-mantra (kirtanäd eva krsnasya [SB 12.3.51]), one can become so pure that one becomes free from all the contamination of this material world (mukta-saìgaù) and goes back home, back to Godhead (paraà vrajet). “
So, there’s no doubt about it. We can’t avoid austerity, we have to give up material sense enjoyment, but this seemingly impossible process is made easy simply by chanting, with all sincerity, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. This is the mercy of the panca-tattva.
HG Balarama Chandra Prabhu spoke nicely in relation to this in his Bhagavatam class this morning. One point he made was that when we think of establishing varnasrama, there is a tendency among devotees (myself included) to think of farm life, cow protection, and the like.
These aspects are certainly essential to Prabhupada’s vision of varnasrama, but we must not forget or ignore the actual developing of the varnas, or the development of brahminical consciousness, as being the most important aspect. We can’t begin to develop self-sufficient lifestyles in our communities without the proper consciousness preceding it.
This summer, I remember being told that one devotee who was visiting had been helping in some harvesting in our Garden of Seven Gates here at New Vrindaban, and at one point he suddenly got very fed up and stopped, saying that he wasn’t there to do “slave work.” I was very much taken aback by his strong, negative response to some very needful service. I understand more now that his consciousness was not in the right place to understand and appreciate the austerity of the service he was performing.
For anyone who harvests crops, and for anyone who’s not used to harvesting crops, it is austere work. As we really don’t like in this age to have to undergo austerities, unless we have developed a strong consciousness as to why we should perform services that are difficult for us, we will think of it simply as “slave work.”
Chanting the maha-mantra is our main austerity, and as we develop an appreciation and real taste for the Holy Name, then we will not find other austerities so difficult.
I also like Prabhupada’s image of the “polished animal” or “persons who are simply engaged in planning a better type of animal life consisting of eating, breathing and mating”. These “polished animals cannot benefit suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal but rarely do good.”
By doing all we can to get out onto the streets and spread the resounding sound of the Holy Name, we can provide the actual benefit, the highest benefit. We can strip away the polish, break down the animal instincts, and let the light of the soul we shine through. When we actually experience that bliss, how can anything in Krsna consciousness be considered an austerity?
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
A Day of Harinama Madness, Part 9!
Boys will be boys on Saturday night on 1st Ave in Manhattan. I mean, what else is there to do besides chant the Holy Name at the top of your lungs. The brahmacaris from the Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Manhattan and from New Vrindaban in the holy hills of west Virginia certainly can’t think of any better to do. The proof is in the pudding!
Click here for quite a sidewalk parade.
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Thirteen Ways To Say This Poem Sucks
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Kartik Nectar-Krishna, The King of Vraja
Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a lecture from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Krishna, The King of Vraja”, spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Govinda Kunda.
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
A Day of Harinama Madness, Part 8!
Our fearless transcendental warriors now emerge from the cavernous subways and hit the steamy nighttime streets of 1st Ave in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Check out via the magic of recorded video, produced by the one-and-only Bhakta Kerel of NYC fame.
Click here and here for all the mayhem!
And remember, no one may care about your soul if you smell bad…
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Laxsmi Left Her Body
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Mother Kamalavati’s Health Update
Please accept my obeisances. Jai Srila Prabhupada!
I’m happy to report that Kamalavati is progressing nicely. Yesterday for the first time she was able to wiggle all four fingers on her right hand. The left arm and hand are at about 75% normal mobility and strength. Her right arm and hand are at about 40% normal […]
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
New Vrindaban Thanksgiving Festival Weekend
by Janaka Mahajana das
Thursday 22nd
“Hanuman” cartoon show in the temple 4:00 PM
Thanksgiving sermon 6:00 PM
Evening Arotik 7:00 PM
Auspicious fire sacrifice “YAJNA” 7:30 PM
Sri Sri Radha Vrindabna Candra’s Darshan- 8:30 PM
” PRASADAM AVALIBLE IN THE SNACK BAR
From 12 PM till 9:30 PM
Friday 23rd
“Black Friday”
Chant Hare Krishna and be Happy!
Saturday 24th
NV […]
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Kartik Nectar-Tax Collection Pastimes
Our Kartik Nectar Series continues with a lecture from HH Radhanath Swami titled “Tax Collection Pastimes ”, spoken during the Vrindavana Yatra of 2004 at Dan Nivartana Kunda.
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Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
A Day of Harinama Madness, Part 7!
The fun in the subway continues!, as Part 7 of “A Day of Harinama Madness” is all up in your daily sadhana. Click here for full satisfaction, and also admire the charismatic preaching abilities of Hg Caitanya Das Brahmacari.
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Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
Laxsmi Departed Late yesterday
Picture on left was taken yesterday around noon and the close up was taken on Nov. 9th.
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Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
Premanand’s Birthday
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We request your gracious presence on our son Premanand’s Birthday. Please come and bless little Premanand.
H.H Varsana Swami will be blessing us with his presence.
Date: Friday 23rd November
Time: 5:00 pm
Venue: Guest Kitchen( left of the temple hall)
Your servants,
Govinda Priya Devi Dasi & […]