Author Archive
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Trip-trapping along the ridge at New Vrndavana
This morning Madhava Gosh, Soma and I took a walk behind Rati and Dwija’s at New Vrndavana to the Peter Crow cemetery. Now, while this isn’t a devotee cemetery, it was pretty cool.
Gosh knows I’m a sucker for old cemeteries, so when he asked if I wanted to check it out, I jumped […]
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Friday, April 11th, 2008
New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble Reunites for North American Tour
New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble Reunites for North American Tour
NEW VRNDAVANA, WV — The New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble announced their first tour in decades Monday at a rehearsal in the Palace Lodge as a throng of fans crowded near the legendary Palace of Gold.
The group, which led the Sunday feast program with a live performance […]
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Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
East Meets West: Bhaktipada’s naming of names
Bhaktipada, the guru of New Vrndavana until 1993/94, who seems to have been getting some mention as of late, named many devotees some pretty freaky names (among other freaky things).
In Krishna consciousness, when devotees take initiation, they receive a new name, a name of Krishna with the suffix “das” or “devi dasi” (male […]
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Friday, March 21st, 2008
Happy Happy Happy HAPPY Gaura Purnima!
Happy Gaura Purnima to you and yours!
[Taken in the house of Rati + Dwija on Gaura Purnima, 2008]
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Monday, February 18th, 2008
Happy Nityananda Day!
And in honor of such a festive event, here’s quite a great class given by Varsana Swami sometime in the 80’s. You’ll dig it lots.
Haribol!
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Monday, November 12th, 2007
New Vrndavana recap-a-thon!
Wow! What an incredibly weekend! I’ll tell you about some of it.
I pulled into Rati and Dwija’s lovely little house around 8:30. From then till 2am, we sat and talked. There was a break for the Damodarastikam, of course (it being the month of Damodar and all). Their deities are beautiful! Jaya Nitai-Gauracandra!
It’s […]
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Thursday, November 8th, 2007
Karmi towels are maya!
Sometimes, in Krishna consciousness, we do things a certain way because “that’s how they do it in India.” Our culture originates there and sometimes certain things carry over that don’t really seem to make sense to outsiders (or even to us if we really think about it).
Things that don’t really have a spiritual benefit. […]
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Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Guess who?s going to New Vrndavana!!
ME! That’s who!
This weekend! I’m pretty jazzed about it.
Anyone else going? Radhanama? Chris? Would be fun. I promise!
I’ll be staying with Rati and Dwija and will be at the festival on Saturday and hopefully at the feast on Sunday.
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Thursday, November 1st, 2007
More on ghosts - facts, ideas and personal experiences from NV
Today is the Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It’s a day when (mostly) Mexicans celebrate the lives of the departed. However, though they may have left their bodies, some may have not exactly departed…
We [Vedic culture], like most indigenous cultures, hold a belief in ghosts. We believe that every living thing […]
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Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
Will the REAL Damodarastakam in English please stand up?
A few days ago, Hrishikesh prabhu posted “An English Version” of the Damodar Prayers as penned by True Peace. As I read it, two really weird things popped into my bald little head.
1) “Oh my GOD! I remember singing the Damodarastakam in English!!” [Totally didn’t remember that!]
and
2) “This isn’t it!”
Way back in the […]
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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.
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Monday, October 15th, 2007
New Vrndavana Tshirts that should exist (Random LJ #5)
The first time I showed up at New Vrndavana, they still had a few “New Vrndavana Inmate” tshirts. Loved it. Wish I would have bought one. But maybe this is the next best things…
Last year I spent a lot of time at NV and I was feeling rather snarky, so I made some tshirt ideas. […]
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Sunday, October 14th, 2007
Strange bit of New Vrndavana History
If you’ve not caught on, I’m really into strange New Vrndavana history. And while this item doesn’t take the cake, it’s up there.
In March of 1987, ISKCON officially gave New Vrndavana and Bhaktipada the boot. The reasons were detailed in a “GBC [Governing Body Commission] resolution.” Bhaktipada received the resolution and decided to respond. […]
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Sunday, October 14th, 2007
Pray before it?s too late!
Last summer, around Radhastami, I was hanging out at New Vrndavana with a few devotees who were into personal prayer. Really into it. It’s not like I didn’t agree, of course, I was fine with it, I just didn’t do it.
We’d be talking about one of my many problems and they’d ask, “Eric have […]
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Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
Short New Vrndavana story - a pipe, some robes and typical weirdness
I have a really strange New Vrndavana story. Well, I guess it’s not strange compared to most other ones, but it was really bizarre to me as it was happening.
I had sort of forgotten about this until I was watching Holy Cow Swami, a documentary about New Vrndavana filmed about a year or two before […]