Archive for July, 2009
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Hard Times Are Jamming the Ashrams
“The Himalayan Institute is one of many retreats where cash-strapped spiritual seekers can participate in work-study programs in which they pay typically $300 to $900 a month in exchange for a few hours a day of service, like washing dishes, cleaning r…
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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
North Dakota Visit
“Of course, nowadays everyone is seeking after employment, but formerly nobody, there was no industry, no big business. Everyone has to produce something, foodstuff, out of the ksetra, field. So if you become a family man you must have some source of income. That source of income is land, as Rayarama was explaining you. Actually […]
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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Meet And Greet With Sikhi Mahiti
Wednesday Evening at 6 p.m. we are having an Open Community Meeting (used to be called Istagosthi), which will be held in the temple guest prasadam room.
This meeting is to Introduce Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu, the new Temple President.
All devotees living in the temple are required to come so he can also meet […]
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Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” by Higgins-Overstreet
(recorded by Ethel Waters in 1921)
They say don’t change the old for the new
But I found out that this will never do
When you grow old, you don’t last long
You’re just here my honey, then you’re gone
I loved a man for many years gone by
I thought his love for me would never die
He made a change […]
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Monday, July 13th, 2009
Prayer Request for Mundana d.d.
Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances.
I spoke with Sankirtan das today regarding Mother Mundana.
If you don’t remember her, she was the wife of Chandrahas das and one of her services was answering the telephone, receiving & distributing the mail, and greeting the guests as they entered the temple building, […]
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Monday, July 13th, 2009
Catching Up
After being around people during 8 days of traveling to North Dakota, the day after returning was basically lying on the couch all day. Part of it was physically being tired as I missed my afternoon nap a lot of days so was pushing myself to keep going. I pushed because a lot of interesting […]
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Saturday, July 11th, 2009
“I Still Give A Hoot About My Community”
Last week the Istagosthi Team and a lot of other devotees had a lot of fun at Vidya and Shyam’s house to celebrate their father’s birthday. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for providing the fun.
There was some short discussions about next week’s topics. One suggestion was “Simple ways to be self-sufficient”. Devananda Pandit […]
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Friday, July 10th, 2009
Big Shyam Passes Away
Govardhan presided over Big Shyam from the hay loft
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Big Shyam 2 weeks before passing away.JPG)
Big Shyam a year ago on pasture
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Big Shyam a year ago
It was approximately 2 weeks since he could not walk. During that entire time he had Govardhan Sila looking over him from the hay loft above him and Srila Prabhupada chanting continuously from a CD player. Chaitanya Bhagavat would sometimes place Govardhan Sila on his head and give him water in a squirt bottle from several holy rivers in India. Big Shyam would take the squirt bottle in his mouth and with his teeth squeeze the bottle to get the water.
The babies (Brahmans) would sit right next to him for hours at a time, sometimes licking him and he licking them in return. Soon after the babies came to the farm, Big Shyam was put in with them so he would not have to traverse the hilly terrain and he could have companionship. They all became fast friends.
Big Shyam had developed a hip and back leg problem in the fall of 2008. We discovered him limping and then brought him into the geriatric barn. The vet said he would either heal or get worse and there was nothing more he could do. Up until 2 weeks before his passing he was able to walk somewhat, even pasturing on the private pasture connected to the geriatric barn. We had been giving him various homeopathy medicines that seemed to help and aspirin. He was lucky that he had the Brahmans as companions, which helped him accept his limited physical abilities. He was 14 years old and one of the older members of the herd.
Big Shyam was known for his huge size, (1 ton and 6 feet tall) and affectionate nature. He was like a huge teddy bear. Never was he pushy or aggressive, except when it was time for his grain, even though he could easily get away with it due to his size. A friend to all, Big Shyam will be missed.
He was adopted by Kirtana-rasa d., Beth, Clair Chaitanya, Nathan Kesava, and Oliver Rupa
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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Madhu Rides a Bike
JC Police add ‘pedal patrol’ to parks, neighborhoods
Officers on bicycles enhance community policing
Officers Madhusudana Meberg and J.T. Ware in Newtown Park.
JOHNS CREEK, GA—The new Johns Creek Police Bicycle Patrol pedals into service today in parks, shopping centers and residential neighborhoods throughout the City.
Many U.S. cities have taken this informal approach to law enforcement for a […]
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Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
Leavin’ On A Jet Plane
My bags are packed sitting by Bhakta Ed’s door. After he finishes his daily yoga we will be heading to the airport and I will be home this evening. Not as quick as clicking my heels together and chanting “There’s no place like home” a few times but faster than the month it might take […]
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Can You Add?
Posted in Illusions 
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
New Vrindaban Rathayatra Festival July 11th Update
We ceremoniously invite you one and all to join us for a fabulous Country Rathyatra in the Appalachian foot hills.
NEW VRINDABAN COMMUNITY
(Near Moundsville, WV)
Saturday July 11th at 12 noon
(starting from near Rupanuga & Nityodita’s, up the road from the Palace)
(304-845-9591)
Dancing forms of Gaura Nitai on Their cart followed by Jagannath, Subhadra and Baladev on […]
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Monday, July 6th, 2009
Student Reflections
Back in May, New Vrindaban hosted another visit from the Global Leadership Project at Ohio University. Student groups from OU have been visiting for several years, staying overnight, and interviewing devotees, each time focusing on a different topic of study. Several of the students even came back for the 24 hour kirtana in June. Below are excerpts from 2-3 page reflections of most, but not all (just didn’t get around to it), of the students on their visit in May. It’s always interesting to get a glimpse into what visitors think about the community.
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“What I experienced at New Vrindavan was entirely different than what I expected…. Because it’s part of the Krishna religion to be evangelists, I thought that the devotees would be extremely pushy in showing their beliefs to us. I found most of them to be extremely understanding and they were not pushy at all.”
“It was fun dancing at the service although I was afraid I would do something wrong… The next morning I went to the 7:30 service. Once again I was shocked at the dancing and liveliness from everyone in the temple, especially it being that early in the morning…We had a session where many devotees told their stories of how the came to the Hare Krishna religion…. It was definitely an interesting experience and very unique.”
“Tapapunja, the gardener, was very knowledgeable regarding organic gardening and made a whole lot of sense…In comparison to Catholicism, the religion I grew up in, I felt that the Krishna religion was so much more exciting and enjoyable… I wirily dug my spoon into the meal and was pleasantly surprised. The food tasted so pure and natural… My New Vrindavan experience will be two days in my life that I will never forget.”
“I have never seen such jubilance and happiness in any religious ceremony… I definitely want to include kirtan into my religious practices….I love the whole idea of ‘simple living, high thinking’…. I realized that constructing a spiritual community is very difficult and carries with it much responsibility and care.”
“It was an experience filled with spiritually evoking thoughts accompanied by a tranquil external environment. Before visiting New Vrindavan, I could not remember the last time where I was at peace with the world and not concerned about the stresses of school and work…. The prasadam meals are the most fresh and delicious meals I have ever had…. The devotees are more that willing to answer questions and engage in meaningful conversation…. Almost every aspect of New Vrindavan has something to offer spiritually….I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.”
“Before arriving, I envisioned New Vrindavan as a place of tranquil meditation and communal living…. I could not figure out the spiritual relevance of the huge concrete elephant…the call of the peacocks served as a reminder to the celibate monks that sex is an integral part of nature,,,,, the sights and sounds of New Vrindavan were similar to that of a circus equipped with a semi-religious theme…Is a remote controlled swam boat related to Prabhupada’s ‘simple living , high thinking’ standard?…. It seemed that college educated devotees were placed at a higher level of the hierarchical system and asserted control over the others.”
“Before the trip, I was most excited to interact with the devotees and try to understand their lives and their devotion to their beliefs. I’m not sure I was able to achieve the level of understanding I initially hoped for…. To an extent I wish I knew more about why certain things were being done and what they meant…Sankirtana gave us a tour of the Palace also gave us additional background knowledge that I had been looking for throughout the trip….I found it easy to take any of their religious stories or practices, no matter how ‘bizarre’ and draw a comparison to my own beliefs.”
“What I enjoyed most about being there was the feeling of being transported to another world that was so different from the everyday reality of life in Athens … I saw a fascinating religious community that was sincere in its pursuit of Hare Krishna consciousness….Hari Bhakta, the devote we interviewed, was one of the coolest and most interesting people I have ever met….My time at New Vrindavan was a very positive experience.”
“I always thought that the life of a Christian seemed intense…The devotees are so strict in their eating and drinking intake. I could not believe that so many people were happy at 5AM without caffeine!…. One of the most surprising aspects of New Vrindavan was the kindness of the children. I am used to children being frightened of strangers and uncomfortable with anyone who is not in their family. This is not the case at New Vrindavan….While I do question some aspects of New Vrindavan, my overall experience was quite impacting.”
“I tried to have an open mind when I went to New Vrindavan…The ceremonies were fascinating. It was like watching a documentary film…I thought there would be more people around at the ceremonies…My favorite part was learning about the garden and cows…I found all the food really good. The people were friendly, even if some were a little pushy…I am not sure I would visit again.”
“The chanting started slowly, but by the time the ceremony was over all the devotees and students were dancing like crazy…. This was very memorable. I was thinking the culture we were studying was going to be very basic and austere. I was happy to discover that they were such a vibrant and animated religious society which sees dancing and having fun as a way to worship God… To finish off the day we were served a fantastic dinner.”
“In the temple the chanting began and soon transitioned into a harmonious melody. Soon I was taping my feet to the rhythm and slightly muttering the chant…Before I realized, one devote took my hand and dragged me into the middle of the dancing….I was dancing with every move I had in my arsenal, and the devotees were accepting me for who I was… At dinner I dug in and thought ‘Wow. This is amazing’… We interviewed Madhava Ghosh, his wife and son. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t expect our interview to be three hours long… He is an extremely intelligent man, and I’m glad I had the privilege of meeting him…. The trip opened my eyes to a different belief system and a different outlook on life. Meeting the devotees is an experience I will never forget.”
“Prior to my research, my concept of the Hare Krishnas was that it is a cult of oblivious people with shaved heads who dance and sing Hare Krishna for most of the time…. I was surprised to see just a few people around the temple partaking in the daily events… The worship ceremony was not as uncomfortable as I thought it might be. Most ceremonies involve sitting quietly for long periods of time. The Krishna ceremony incorporated music and dance. The worship was actually a more spiritual experience and probably my favorite aspect of the Krishna practice.”
“I wonder how they can be so certain that their religion is the correct one. So much so that they dedicated their lives to it. To me it almost seems a little naïve. But maybe they are right, and I should read Bhagavat Gita and join the enlightenment.”
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Monday, July 6th, 2009
Bloopers In The Church
The following are actual church bulletin board bloopers found in churches across the United States.
11. “Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on ‘It’s a Terrible Experience’.”
12. “Due to the Rector’s illness, Wednesday’s healing services will be discontinued until further notice.”
13. “Weight Watchers will meet at […]
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Monday, July 6th, 2009
Compassionate Communication
Dear Devotees,
As a reminder there will be Compassionate Communication practice sessions in the
library every other week beginning Sunday July 5th, at 3 p.m.
There are also sessions every other Thursday, which began on July 2nd at 6 p.m..
Everyone is welcome!