By Madhava Smullen

A group of preschool children, along with their devotee parents and grandparents, bustled excitedly into Gopal’s Garden Homeschool Co-Op for their graduation party on November 5th.

The event had ISKCON New Vrindaban president Jaya Krsna Das calling the Co-Op “community building at its best.”

Gopal’s Garden was established in New Vrindaban, West Virginia – Srila Prabhupada’s first farm community -- in 2007 by Ruci Dasi. It runs to eighth grade, and teaches thirteen students in total.

Its preschool, which cares for eight children aged three to five, was an individual effort launched this April by New Vrindaban residents and parents Sundari Dasi and Mercy.

“We decided to do it as soon as my son Sanjaya and Sundari’s daughter Bhumi were the right age, so that they could be together, and play and learn with other children in the community,” says Mercy, who was born and raised in New Vrindaban and wants to pursue a career in teaching. 

Mercy assists head teacher Sundari, who moved to New Vrindaban from Bangalore in 2011 and holds a Montessori teacher training certificate. Under their care from 12:30 to 3:30 each day this year, the children learned basic ABCs, counting, colors, arts and crafts, how to share, hand-eye coordination and speech development along with spiritual projects that put Krishna in the center.

The teachers’ children Bhumi and Sanjaya both attended the recent graduation party at Gopal’s Garden to celebrate their first year of school, along with Malini, Pranaya Keli, Rama Lochana, Nadia, and Harilila. Arjuna, who was absent because he was traveling with his parents, also completed the year.

The event ran from 6 to 8:30pm, beginning with everyone offering ghee lamps together to Lord Damodara, along with the classroom deities of Radha Krishna and Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra.

A video presentation entitled “Glimpses of Gopal’s Garden Preschool” followed, showing the young students’ heartwarming participation in Krishna conscious festivals throughout the year. 

“For our first festival of the year, Pushpa Abhisekha, we had a picking party with the kids where we picked a bunch of local flowers here in New Vrindaban, then they pulled off the petals and showered the deities with them,” says Mercy. “It was so sweet.”

Next, the children participated in ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Rathayatra by helping to make outfits for their classroom Jagannath Deities, decorating a small cart that community members came together to build, and pulling it while having an ecstatic kirtan. All the parents then made a special offering of cupcakes and cookies to Lord Jagannath, and distributed them to the children.

On Janmastami, the students got to bathe their Radha Krishna Deities in saffron water, and take turns pushing them on a special Jhulan Yatra swing that had been constructed for the occasion.

And on October 25th, a week before Halloween, the teachers and parents got creative and held a Krishna-ized Halloween party with all the children dressed as demons from Srila Prabhupada’s book Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead. The parents then ascended a stage with their child and narrated the pastime of how Lord Krishna dispatched that particular demon.

Meanwhile in honor of the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival to the West, the children got to decorate a construction paper “Jaladuta” ship and glue blue cotton balls around it to represent the ocean.

After the video depicting all these activities, the children stood and sang classic gurukula songs like “My Name is Aghasura,” “Krishna’s Devotees Had A Farm,”and Mercy’s own composition to the tune of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” – “Krishna Has A Little Calf.” They also demonstrated their “ABCs.”

Sundari and Mercy then presented proposed plans for improving the preschool in 2016.

“As next year will be more focused on academics and learning, we will introduce a worksheet program, teaching the kids how to trace and write letters so that they can start learning how to write their own names,” says Sundari. “We’ll also start teaching them the Spanish and Sanskrit for English words they’re learning.”

Health will also be a priority. There will be more outdoor games, and yoga taught by Sundari – who has a diploma from Bangalore’s VYASA yoga university – so that the children can burn off their energy and learn motor skills. Lunch time, instead of consisting of store-bought snacks as it did this year, will feature a full meal such as rice, dahl and bread cooked by a different parent each day.

Inside the classroom, individual cubbies will be installed for each child to learn to put away their jackets, shoes and personal items.

And as always, Krishna consciousness will be a priority: a proper altar will replace the current dovetailed bookshelf. “We also want to have a couple of Laddhu Gopal Deities, so that the children can learn to dress Them and offer their food to Them,” Sundari says.

To conclude the graduation program, the children were presented with certificates. Finally, principal Ruci Dasi and president Jaya Krsna Das spoke, thanking Sundari and Mercy for their dedication and enthusiasm and praising how the school has brought the community together.

“It’s wonderful to see the kids hugging each other when they come in, and to see all the parents becoming friends,” said Jaya Krsna. “Many of them would not even know each other if the pre-school didn’t exist, as they live several miles apart from each other.” 

He was glad to see the preschool training the children so early in life in Krishna consciousness, in a way that would be a challenge for their parents to do with their busy schedules. He also appreciated that the preschool gave parents, especially mothers, some much needed free time in which to rest, chant, or engage in other activities, while feeling assured that their children are being nicely taken care of.

Weeks after the graduation event, Jaya Krsna is still bubbling over with enthusiasm and appreciation for the preschool.

“For me, it’s just Krishna’s magic,” he says. “These kids are our future; and so the preschool is doing nothing less than building the future of New Vrindaban.”

Source:http://www.newvrindaban.com/newvrindaban/node/580

A commemorative one-off magazine entitled “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” is set to be released in early 2016 for distribution at celebrations and events throughout ISKCON’s 50th anniversary year.

The attractive 64-page publication, packed with beautiful full-color photos, will be printed on quality matt paper with a firm cover. It is aimed at everyday men and women from all walks of life – academics, students, next-door neighbors, teachers, members of other religions, the media, young and old.

“It’s intended to help the general public quickly grasp what ISKCON is, who founded this movement and what is its history, what members believe and what the movement does,” says project manager and ISKCON Australia communications director Bhakta Das.

The magazine, developed and published by ISKCON’s international communications team under the guidance of its Governing Body, will be much more than just a commemorative publication.

After the first English version print run of 100,000 copies in late December, followed by several reprints shortly after, it will be given some minor edits so that it can be used by devotees to give basic information to the general public about ISKCON for years into the future.

“Currently our movement does not have a publication in which most aspects of ISKCON are explained,” Bhakta says. “Our team aimed to create a ‘one stop shop’ publication, which can inform the general public about the many aspects of the Hare Krishna Movement, such as how it came into existence; its heritage; the good works ISKCON does around the world; how it has grown into a major religious influence over the past 50 years; and finally, that it educates the reader about the Vedic truths so carefully presented in Srila Prabhupada’s books.”

The magazine’s cover features a young devotee with his smiling daughter, and subheadings including “Who are the Hare Krishnas now?” “ISKCON in the World Today” “The Joy of Devotion” and “Festivals, Food, Philosophy, Outreach.”

Inside, a welcome address by ISKCON Communications Minister Anuttama Das forms a connection with readers by talking about how we all seek happiness in different ways, yet it often seems elusive and temporary. To find deeper, eternal happiness we must look to the world’s wisdom traditions.

“The bhakti tradition, or the yoga of devotion, informs us that at our core we seek to love and be loved,” Anuttama writes. “Our deepest pleasure comes not from possessing, but from giving – not in controlling, but in sharing. It lies in making meaningful contributions by serving others. Ultimately, it is to know, love, and be loved by the Divine.” 

He goes on to explain: “The Hare Krishna Movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a global community connecting to each other, the world around us, and to God through service and the reciprocation of love.”

Anuttama describes how ISKCON members come from diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. They include policemen, priests, plumbers, homemakers, professors, doctors, IT professionals, taxi drivers, students, parents, and grandparents. But they share a goal to find eternal happiness through such service and loving exchanges.

Bhaktimarga Swami and Damodara Pandit's piece on Krishna Culture

Anuttama concludes by inviting readers to learn more about ISKCON and the devotional tradition it represents: “We welcome you to visit any of our communities, read some of our tradition’s great literatures, sample our tasty, sanctified vegetarian food, and join us in experiencing the joy of devotion.”

Other articles in the magazine are written by ISKCON ministers in their respective fields such as farming, deity worship and book distribution; as well as prominent leaders like Mukunda Goswami, Jayapataka Swami, Bhanu Swami, Drutakarma Das, Radhika Raman Das, and more.

Some of the pieces include “Master with a Mission,” about how ISKCON began with Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the Western World; “Lessons to Live By,” about learning and the culture of education; “Back to Basics,” about devotee farmers and their simple eco-living and high thinking; “The Finely Tuned Universe,” which asks the question ‘Has science overstepped its boundaries?’ and “Crossing Boundaries,” about how Hare Krishnas help to bridge religious divides.

There are also many other articles about different aspects of Krishna consciousness.

Primarily, however, “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” is a pictorial publication.

Visakha Dasi's article about Srila Prabhupada

“We researched extensively, and received many contributions of the most stunning and evocative photos from ISKCON photographers around the world,” Bhakta says. “The majority of the photos were taken by two amazing devotee photographers, Ananta Vrindavan Prabhu and Bhakta Trevor Gore Prabhu. Other photos came to us from the BBT archives and many other contributing photographers.”

The inside back cover of the magazine is an invite to the reader, and provides a space for local ISKCON centers to insert their details with either a sticker or a stamp.

Distribution of the magazine will be coordinated by various distribution centers in the different continents beginning in January. From the distribution centers, it will be delivered to temples, centers and restaurants.  

After the initial English print runs, editable Indesign files of the magazine will be made available for regions that require another language. Volunteers in those regions will then make their own adjustments under ISKCON Communications Ministry’s editing regulations, which will be provided along with the files.

An excerpt from an article about Deity worship

“The quality of this publication is something we can all get excited about,” says Bhakta. “We anticipate that this publication will be distributed not only by ISKCON’s book distributors, but even more so, by ISKCON’s congregational members. We encourage the ISKCON worldwide congregation to assist in the distribution of the magazine by continually purchasing copies from their respective temples or centers and personally giving them to their work colleagues, fellow students, next-door neighbours, media or local politicians.”

“The mission of this magazine,” he concludes, “Is to spread the glories and information of this wonderful Krishna Consciousness Movement, ISKCON, and its Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada far and wide to as many as possible, especially in the anniversary year and beyond.”

 * * *

ISKCON leaders can enquire about pricing and order “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” from Bhakta Das at bhakta@iskcon.net.au. Congregational members may contact their local ISKCON leaders.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/new-50th-magazine-will-serve-as-introduction-to-iskcon,5257/

Jagannath Puri is one of the four holy “dhamas”, sacred places of pilgrimage, described in the Puranas and is visited by thousands of Hindus on a daily basis. The Brahma and Skanda Puranas mention that city of Puri itself was built-in ancient times by Raja Indradyumna. It is most famous today for the ancient temple of Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Baladev, and His sister Subhadra. This temple was built by the Rajas of Kalinga and Utkala (ancient names of present day Odisha), situated in East India on the bank of the Ganga Sagara (literally “Ocean of Ganges water”).

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, after accepting the order of sannyas, made his headquarters at Puri upon the request of his mother, Sachi Mata. After traveling throughout much of India for six years, he resided continually at Puri for the last twelve years of his manifest presence. Namacharya Haridas Thakur also resided at Puri during the presence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and left his body before Mahaprabhu’s disappearance. One of Mahaprabhu’s
prominent pastimes at Puri was to personally place the body of Haridas into a samadhi on the ocean shore. For these reasons, Puri holds special importance for his followers, the Gaudiya Vaishanvas.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was posted as a Government Officer at Puri around 1870. It was here that his son, Vimala Prasad, who was to become Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur was born. And his disciple, ISKCON Founder-Acharya Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada expressed the desire that a grand center of ISKCON be established at Puri.

The annual Jagannath Rathayatra festival (chariot festival), observed on the aashaadh shukla dvitiya (second day of the fortnight of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of aashadh) draws more than a million (ten lakhs) pilgrims to Puri. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu attended the annual festival during his presence five hundred years ago. Srila Prabhupada instituted this festival around the world. Nowadays this festival has become synonymous with ISKCON, almost everywhere!

Srila Prabhupada wrote to his godbrother, Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj on April 8, 1972:

“You have requested me in your letter to consider for purchasing another house. But there is one difficulty, because the present administration of Jagannath Puri sometimes do not allow us to enter the temple. Of course, for our vaishnavas this discrimination is spiritually illegal: Arche siladhi gurusu navamati vaisnave janavate: if one is dressed in vaishnava dress, according to vaishnava law, if he is considered not a vaishnava, then that is a hellish condition. You know this also. So I think so long Vishwanath Das, Chief Minister of Orissa, is there, he should pass some law to help us. Vishwanath Das knows everything, he can pass an act to allow foreign disciples into Jagannath Puri. Many hundreds of foreign disciples will be coming to India in the near future, and already we have got nearly 100 men there, so it is a great opportunity for the administrative officials of Puri to increase the fame and prosperity of Jagannath Puri all over the world, and it will be their misfortune if so many qualified devotees of the Lord are not allowed into the temple, simply because they have taken their birth in a faraway place. So if you are able to do something, and approach the
right persons like Mr. Vishwanath then we shall be free to have our center in Puri.”

While the struggle for foreign devotees to enter the temple of Jagannath continues, it is a fact that despite the continued ban on entrance, thousands of foreign ISKCON devotees visit Jagannath Puri regularly. To date ISKCON does not have a proper center to facilitate these devotees visits to holy Jagannath Puri dham.

However, that is about to change.

After years of struggles of various types, including having to overcome a number of legal hurdles, ISKCON has inaugurated the beginning of a grand project at Jagannath Puri by performing the bhumi puja and installation of Ananta Shesha on the 18 acre ISKCON project land in a grand ceremony that was attended by thousands of devotees who participate in an annual three day Puri Parikrama (circumambulation of Jagannath Puri) organized by Bhakti
Purushottam Swami, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commissioner for much of Eastern India, including his native Odhisha (formerly “Orissa”).

Seven to eight thousand devotees, mainly from Bengal and Orissa, but also from other parts of India and abroad attended this years Puri Parikrama. Teachers and students of the Bhaktivedanta Academy at Sridham Mayapur performed the bhumi puja rituals. Headed by the Academy Dean Pritivardhana Das, the boys performed homas to satisfy Lord Jagannath.
Later on Krishna Chaitanya Das assisted Lokanath Swami in the installation of the Deity of Ananta Shesha, the expansion of Lord Vishnu who is the supporting power holding up the universe, in the ground where the foundation of the Radha Krishna temple will be constructed.

Twelve ISKCON sannyasis attended the bhumi puja, i.e. Jayapataka Swami, Lokanath Swami, Subhag Swami, Bhakti Purushottam Swami, Bhakti Vishrambha Madhava Swami, Bhakti Gaur Narayan Swami. Gauranga Prem Swami, Bhakti Nityananda Swami, Rama Govinda Swami, Prabodhananda Saraswati Swami, Bhakti Ashray Vaishnav Swami, and Bhakti Priyam Gadadhar Swami.

Several senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada attended the program, i.e. Turiya Das, Pankajanghri Das, Mayapur Chandra Das, Bhaktarupa Das, Basu Ghosh Das, Shakitmati Devi Dasi, Kusha Devi Dasi and Shubhangi Devi Dasi. Senior ISKCON devotees Braja Hari Das, Bhadra Charu Das, Aravindaksha Govinda Das Madhavananda Das, and Vanamali Das were in attendance.

Bhakti Purushottam Swami spoke and described to the assembled devotees about the glories of Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasadam. He explained in great detail why the Lord’s prasadam is offered to the Deity of Vimala (Durgadevi) after being offered to Lord Jagannath.

Devakinandan Das, the Chairman of the Puri Project Committee, which has been mandated by the ISKCON Governing Body Commission as the zonal authority for the Puri Project, addressed the crowd in both Hindi and English and encouraged them to support the project. Bhadra Charu Das translated his speech into Bengali and Oriya.

Jayapataka Swami and other senior devotees on the stage released the large version of the Project brochure – a separate pamphlet was also released – detailing the various aspects of the proposed project. Jayapataka Maharaj himself told the crowd that Srila Prabhupada had a desire to construct a large temple and project at Puri and now that desire of his will be fulfilled. And guests pledged almost a million rupees (Rupees ten lakhs) towards the project on the spot.

The Puri project itself is situated on 18 acres of land at Sipasirubuli, on the Southwestern side of the town. Some of the features of the ISKCON Puri Project, the estimated cost of which will be approximately Rupees one hundred crore (fifteen million US dollars) are:

o Grand Radha Krishna Temple
o Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Museum
o Lord Jagannath Lila Museum
o Library
o Amphitheater and auditorium
o Amusement park for children
o Govinda’s restaurant
o International Guest house
o Ayurvedic Clinic and Yoga center
o Inmate ashram & prasadam hall
o Convention hall
o Bhakta nivas (residence for devotees) – 500 units
o Vedic school
o Dharmashala (low cost residence for pilgrims)
o Vaishnav market area

Detalied project plans can been seen on the internet at the Project website:
www. puriiskcon.com.

Those who are interested to donate for the project or donate for a residence in the bhakti nivas, where one, two, and three bedroom/hall/kitchen facilities are to be constructed may contact Puri Project Director and Temple President Vanamali Das via e-mail at <puriiskcon@gmail.com>, or <vanamali.jps@pamho.net>, or contact him over the phone: +91-94370-65008.

Additionally, the ISKCON Puri Project is already operating a guest house to facilitate ISKCON devotees and life patrons.

The ISKCON Puri Project guest house is situated in a new building located just off the main Chakratirtha Road, behind the Purushottam Vatika on road near the Urban Hatt to Railway station road. Nearby the Puri Railway station, which is only half a kilometer from the guest house.

Eighteen rooms are available, and all rooms have split air conditioners, and wi-fi internet. All the rooms have attached bath rooms with hot water.

The project has already begun a Govinda’s Restaurant. This fully air conditioned restaurant, is situated on the main Chakratirtha Road at Banki Mohan, not far from the Mayfair Hotel, and the Subhash Bose Statue. Govinda’s runs on “alacarte” system. Life Patrons can avail 20% discount at Govinda’s.

Source:http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/iskcon-build-another-temple-sri-jagannath-puri/

The Bhaktivedanta Archives is pleased to offer two new releases: the VedaBase™ 2015.1 update and the original unedited audio of Śrīla Prabhupāda for the year 1972.

The 2015.1 VedaBase™ includes:

1) Updated audio transcripts for the year 1972
2) 23 New Prabhupāda Letters
3) 34 New Secretary Letters
4) Many Moons – Reflections on Departed Vaiṣṇavas by Giriraj Swami
5) This is My Heart,
6) Concepts of Reality,
7) Spiritual Journalism by Patita Pāvana Dāsa & Abhaya Mudra Dāsi

Download link for the VedaBase™ 2015.1 update
(If you already own the “Folio Views” VedaBase™ software version 2003.1, this update is free.)

Download link for the VedaBase™ 2015.1 Mac

The 1972 Original Unedited Audio
(258 hours, 413 audio files, 14 Gb)

Download link for free individual audio files [coming soon]

Available Original Audio Sets Arranged by DATE: *

1977 (237 hours, 387 audio files, 10 Gb)
1976 (340 hours, 703 audio files, 17 Gb)
1975 (315 hours, 563 audio files, 14 Gb)
1974 (250 hours, 439 audio files, 11 Gb)
1973 (252 hours, 418 audio files, 11 Gb)
1972 (258 hours, 413 audio files, 14 Gb)

Total: (1652 hours, 2923 audio files, 77 Gb)
[All audio MP3 files are accompanied by individual PDF text files.]

Available Original Audio Set Arranged by SUBJECT: *

· Arrivals
· Bhagavad-gita Lectures
· Bhavans Journal Questionnaire
· Brahma-samhita
· Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
· Chantings and Dictations
· Conversations
· Darshans
· Departures
· Initiations
· Interviews
· Lectures
· Meetings
· Miscellaneous
· Nectar of Devotion
· Observances
· Srimad Bhagavatam Lectures
· Walks

Total: (1652 hours, 2923 audio files, 77 Gb)
[All audio MP3 files are accompanied by individual PDF text files.]

Have the 1972 original audio mailed to you for $50, including shipping and handling worldwide on an USB Flash Drive. All published years arranged by Date or by Subject for $75. Contact: info@prabhupada.com or go directly to our PayPal donation page: http://prabhupada.com/Donations/Donations.html

Technical assistance is provided via email only, not by phone. When contacting us about a particular problem, try to be as specific as possible. For example: state your Operating System, computer type, etc. Include screenshots to help clarify your issue. We normally reply the same day.

Questions for the Windows Platform: ekanatha@prabhupada.com
Questions for Mac Platform: nitya@prabhupada.com

Thank you.

The Bhaktivedanta Archives staff,
Parama-rūpa Dāsa
Nitya-tṛptā Devī Dāsī
Kula-priya Devī Dāsī
Ekanātha Dāsa

iOS users: The VedaBase™ 2015.1 version update will be available from the App store for the iPad and iPhone soon.

* Disclaimer

While we at the Bhaktivedanta Archives make every endeavor to release an accurate rendering of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy, we also know that when dealing with numerous poorly recorded, unlabeled and miss-labeled audio recordings there are in fact major challenges.

Based on the above we apologize for any inaccuracies that may have resulted through our endeavors under these unique circumstances.

We sincerely encourage anyone to submit verifiable corrections.

We thank you for your support and understanding in this matter.

Bhaktivedanta Archives Staff

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17384

The theory of overpopulation was explained by Srila Prabhupada at the famous New York Ratha-yatra festival in 1976.  I remember clearly, We were at the park, in one of the worlds largest cities, sourounded by thousands of people, and Srila Prabhupada was speaking about how Krsna is feeding the world…

The Sydney Opera House Event.
Damodara Pandit dasa: The Sydney Opera Event is an A-List ISKCON 50th Anniversary global event. We anticipate that many VIPs (government officials, actors, musicians, and so on) will attend. It will also be streamed globally and a commemorative DVD and CD will be produced.
The purpose of this event is to expand the global appreciation of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON movement through a wonderful performance art event. We are looking at inviting ISKCON’S top performance artists to participate.
The evening will be a cultural gala evening, but all acts will fit into a narrative of the Hare Krishna Movement’s roots, inception, growth, achievements and future.
The event has the working title ‘Transcendental Journey: Krishna 50 years on’. The first draft of the storyboard has been completed by Deva Gaura Hari dasa and Damodara Pandit dasa. The story presents Srila Prabhupada’s departure from India and then backtracks to the movement’s source, including the Lord’s pastimes in Navadvipa, Jagannatha Puri and Vrindavana. Then the night will explore the Hare Krishna Movement, expanding in the west with scenes including 26 Second Avenue, Hippy Hill, women of bhakti and the second generation.
We believe it will be a fabulous night out. Get ready. Get excited!

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17386

By Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen)

I recently heard a woman say, “least but not last.” She meant to say the usual, “last but not least,” but somehow, due to a slip of the lip, or perhaps because of some mild form of dyslexia, she inverted the words in this somewhat humorous way. And this got me thinking about humility, which people sometimes confuse with low self-esteem, thus viewing it as an inferior quality. To think of oneself as “least” is the last thing one would want to do.

Our Krishna-conscious tradition, however, exalts humility as among the greatest qualities: “Humility may vanquish might, humility may vanquish weakness. There is nothing that humility may not accomplish. Therefore, humility is greater than it initially seems.” So says the great Prahlad Maharaja in the epic Mahabharata (Book 3, Chapter 28).

Just as people tend to confuse humility with low self-esteem, there are those who correlate its opposite — high self-esteem — with pride and self-absorption. But this is also far from true. People with a healthy sense of self-esteem generally exhibit a humble attitude in relation to others. Their egos are not threatened by admitting and correcting mistakes, although those who truly have low self-esteem tend to be defensive and often feel compelled to prove they are right.

Humility, in fact, is a quality that is lauded in all the great religions of the world, even if practitioners are not always able to live up to it. As an example, one need merely look at the Christian tradition. In the work of St. Thomas Aquinas, the famous 13th-century Catholic philosopher, we find that the word itself is derived from the Latin humilis, which means “low, humble, from the earth.” He also declares that humility is a cardinal virtue “which assists in keeping oneself within one’s own bounds, not reaching beyond one’s limitations, but submitting to one’s superior” (Summa Contra Gent., bk. IV, ch. lv, tr. Rickaby).

Christian teaching tells us that humility is the foundation of true spirituality and inferior only to faith. However, humility is considered the first virtue because it removes the obstacles to faith. It removes pride, thus making one a fit recipient of grace. According to the words of St. James, “God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

A humble person is understood as being unpretentious and modest: someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. Extrapolating freely, it becomes clear why this is a significant quality for spiritual practitioners.

Humility and Krishna Consciousness

The Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila 22.78–80) lists twenty-six qualities that are incumbent upon a serious practitioner. Amani, meaning “humble,” or “free from false prestige,” is one of them. In our Krishna-conscious tradition, such humility has deep implications, ranging from a respectful or even reverential mood toward God, nature, and all living beings to not wanting to be worshiped by others — not usurping God’s position, either grossly or subtly. Humility should not be artificial but honest and natural. Various scriptural passages confirm its importance in terms of not engaging false prestige (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.80); not desiring inordinate respect for oneself (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.12 purport); a general humble disposition (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.20.16 purport); and bidding adieu to pride (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.13 purport).

In the Bhagavad-gita (13.8–12) Lord Krishna, describing a person who is truly in knowledge, presents a list of ethical and moral values, including humility, which is listed first. Its pride of place has deep meaning in the Vaishnava tradition.

Surpassing all scriptural quotations for the importance of humility, we find the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Himself in the guise of His own devotee, offering the loudest proclamation. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, He says,

[inset] O Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, hear from Me the symptoms of how one should chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra to awaken very easily one’s dormant love for Krishna.'” (Cc Antya 20.20)

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” (Cc Antya 20.21)

uttama hana apanake mane trnadhama
dui-prakare sahisnuta kare vrksa-sama

“These are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Although he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on the ground, and like a tree, he tolerates everything in two ways.” (Cc Antya 20.22)

vrksa yena katileha kichu na bolaya
sukana maileha kare pani na magaya

“When a tree is cut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not ask anyone for water.” (Cc Antya 20.23)

yei ye magaye, tare deya apana-dhana
gharma-vrsti sahe, anera karaye raksana

“The tree delivers its fruits, flowers and whatever else it possesses to anyone and everyone. It tolerates scorching heat and torrents of rain, yet it still gives shelter to others.” (Cc Antya 20.24)

uttama hana vaisnava habe nirabhimana
jive sammana dibe jani’

krsna’-adhisthana

“Although a Vaishnava is the most exalted person, he is prideless and gives all respect to everyone, knowing everyone to be the resting place of Krishna.” (Cc Antya 20.25)

ei-mata hana yei krsna-nama laya
sri-krsna-carane tanra prema upajaya

“If one chants the holy name of Lord Krishna in this manner, he will certainly awaken his dormant love for Krishna’s lotus feet.” (Cc Antya 20.26)
[end inset]

In other words, humility is important not only in our day-to-day affairs, but it is also essential in developing love of God.

The Caitanya-caritamrta continues:

[inset] As Lord Chaitanya spoke in this way, His own humility increased, and He began praying to Krishna that He could discharge pure devotional service.” (Cc Antya 20.27)
[end inset]

Thus, showing by His own example how an ordinary soul on the path of Krishna consciousness should pray — existing in a mood of true humility — Mahaprabhu paves the way for all practitioners, then and now.

Conclusion

Ultimately, humility refers to realizing one’s position as a tiny jiva – a spirit-soul — part and parcel of Krishna, a servant of the servant of the Lord. But, in this world, the jiva’s conditioning and materialistic ego are often difficult to overcome. The desire for name, fame, wealth, position, profit, adoration, distinction and gain has a tremendous hold over us, afflicting our consciousness and influencing almost everything we do. Oftentimes, our arrogance seems unconquerable.

Still, by associating with truly advanced spiritual practitioners — the guru and other serious devotees — and by hearing the words of scriptures, we can attain true humility in due course. But we have to want it – we have to be honest with ourselves and admit that we need it.

An honest person will never be offended by hearing truthful ideas. Only one who offends truth – by living in a way that brings one further away from it — will feel offended when hearing truthful words. The spiritual teacher speaks the truth, and to the extent that the hearers’ hearts are possessed of truthfulness and sincerity, to that extent he or she will be receptive to hearing the importance of humility. Even if at first it feels like an affront to our ego, if we are honest and sincere, that jarring sensation will subside and we will submit to its undeniable truthfulness, and gratefulness will overtake our consciousness.

Honesty and truthfulness, then, are two essential elements of humility. They manifest as one’s ability to honestly assess oneself, to recognize and admit one’s own faults and defects as a conditioned jiva, and to admit the truth of one’s compromised situation. Sadly, many of us try to create a false image of ourselves, both to posture, to convince ourselves of our own greatness, and to manipulate others into believing that we are great, too. Only through internal honesty can we begin to make real progress in spiritual life. Thus, to clean out the conditioning that has accumulated in the heart over many lifetimes, one has to first recognize its presence, to admit that it is there, and then to do the needful — to remove it in all earnestness. Without such truthfulness, how can we make tangible progress in developing humility?
END

Steven J. Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa) is an initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He is founding editor of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies and an associate editor of Back to Godhead Magazine. Rosen is also the author of numerous books, including the popular Gita on the Green: The Mystical Tradition Behind Bagger Vance (Continuum International, 2000) and The Hidden Glory of India (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 2002). Several years ago he was called upon by Greenwood Press, a major academic publisher, to write the Hinduism volume for their “Introduction to the World’s Major Religions” series. The book did so well that they further commissioned him to write Essential Hinduism, a more comprehensive treatment of the same subject, under the auspices of their prestigious parent company (Praeger), and the book is now receiving worldwide acclaim. Rosen’s books have appeared in several languages, including Spanish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Swedish, Chinese, and Russian. His forthcoming work, Krishna’s Song: A New Look at the Bhagavad Gita (Greenwood, 2007), will explore key philosophical points in the Gita to illuminate the ancient text’s overall teaching and philosophical narrative.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17479

This holiday season, ISKCON Brampton invites you to a spiritual gathering that promises to invoke euphoric vibrations of your soul through Drama, Music and Dance.

Please join us for an intimate holiday event, consisting of a spellbinding theatrical production by His Holiness Bhaktimarga Swami, enchanting kirtan with internationally renowned kirtaneers Gauravani and Ananta Govinda prabhus & mesmerizing bharatanatyam by Komala Kumari; A wonderful way to spend the holidays. No need to leave your children behind...separate children's activities to keep the younger attendees entertained too. A full vegetarian dinner and beverages will also be served.

Parking is free and public transit is right at the door step of the historic Lester B. Pearson Memorial Theatre in Brampton.

Dress in your best and walk the red carpet upon your arrival as you are greeted by our VIP’s and photographed for memorabilia. Interact with the theatrical performers during intermission while your taste buds are stimulated by the elegant vegetarian preparations from Govinda’s Restaurant in Toronto.

Celebrate throughout the night with International talent who will not only entertain you but give you their association.

Canada’s own Walking Monk will pull you along in his trails of theatrics as he conveys the many pastimes of Krishna.

All of this while the Children will have the opportunity to engage in some of the cultural elements of the holidays; while being entertained by the finest wizards of magic and illusion.

Don’t miss this opportunity to end your holidays on a spiritual high and journey that will kick start your resolutions into the New Year.

Limited premium and VIP seating available.

Source:http://iskcontoronto.blogspot.in/2015/12/bhakti-mela-event-december-28-2015.html

At the Hare Krishna Centre, the month of December is a busy one, as we celebrate our annual Srila Prabhupada Marathon - a collective effort by Hare Krishna temples around the world to share the knowledge of ‘Bhagavad-Gita’ and other spiritual books with public in a grand way. To-date, over five hundred million pieces (500 Million / 50 Crores) of Vedic literature have been distributed around the world by ISKCON.  There are many ways for you to get involved!

The Gift of Knowledge - "Sastra Dana"
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Sri Krishna states, “For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (BG 18.68 & 69)

Taking this instruction to heart, your Toronto Hare Krishna Centre has been distributing tens of thousands of these spiritual books, including a whopping 50,000 last year, and hopes for another 50,000 in 2015. In the last 7 years, we have distributed almost 200,000 books in and around the GTA. Many of these books are placed in hospitals, hotels, community centres, immigration centres, waiting rooms and other publicly accessible spaces through the generous donations of our community. Books (outside of shastra daan) are also distributed for donations on the street, at festivals, door-to-door, etc.

Thus, we are asking for your help with “Sastra Dana” or sharing of knowledge, by sponsoring Bhagavad-Gitas or even other Vedic texts. For example, sponsoring 108 hard-bound Bhagavad-Gitas is $1,080, 108 soft-bound Gitas is only $540, and 108 other smaller Vedic books is $216. You can give as much as your heart desires. There is no minimum, and no maximum, the whole world is in dire need of this literature.

Source:http://iskcontoronto.blogspot.in/2015/12/book-marathon-2015-join-effort.html

By Dhananjaya Das

The last time George associated with a large group of devotees was when he and his wife, Olivia, visited the Manor in the summer of 1997. We had invited him to a celebratory dinner a few days after we got permission to build the new approach road.

This dinner was held shortly after we had another amazing fundraising dinner called “Prabhupada’s Dream”, during which guests and patron members of the Manor were invited to raise funds to buy the land for the approach road. That evening the target was to raise one million pounds.

We rented a large circus tent with a stage, set many tables, and served a nice dinner. There was a positive response—within two hours we raised 800,000 pounds—but we were 200,000 short until Michael, an Irish businessman patron member who imported Indian clothing, so appreciated Prabhupada’s Dream of having 150 acres of land for 150 protected cows, that he pledged 200,000 pounds.

Michael had only once before been to the Manor and at that time he had taken part in arati and heard a lecture, but that evening was the first time he had attended a special patron’s dinner and he pledged more than any other patron member.

What he pledged was a substantial amount of money for anyone, especially for a person of non-Indian origin. It was an auspicious evening. George agreed to come to our second dinner, but we didn’t know if his wife would come. Both were invited but Olivia never attended our public functions.

She wasn’t a great fan of the Hare Krishna devotees—she followed somebody else—and she left it up to her husband to go to such things. But this time she came. A Gujarati disciple of Shivaram Swami named Sruti Dharma and I went to the car park at the Manor to welcome them.

They had brought rubber Welly boots with them because they were enthusiastic to walk through the fields to see where the new approach road was going to be built, and we did that. We walked from where the main gate would be all the way to the Manor property, which is about a half a mile.

We stopped to talk along the way and George observed the fields, “How far does the property extend on this side of the road? How far on the other side of the road? Are you going to have any kind of hedges or trees so that the road doesn’t look ugly, so it doesn’t spoil the overall beauty of the farmland?”

We got into the details and when we were returning George said, “If you want to have a successful business, I suggest you start a garden center.” In England, garden centers are usually incredibly successful. Families who’ve just moved into their home buy trees and shrubs, flowers and herbs. George said, “If you do that, I don’t think you need planning permission for this.”

He’d put a lot of thought into this idea and as I said, he identified himself as a gardener first and a musician second. He said, “I’ll help you set it up and with whatever you need.” We were happy that he was so open-minded about our project.

Then we took him to the temple with Radha-Gokulananda’s altar, Sita-Rama, Laksman, and Hanuman’s altar and the little Gaura-Nitai Deities between Them. George offered his full dandavats to the Deities, Olivia offered her pranams and they both took charanamrita. Then we went into the dining room.

The history behind this dinner is that in 1982 the local District Council decided that it didn’t want to have the Manor as a public place of worship because the building hadn’t been planned as such. They wanted to close down the Manor.

Our 15-year campaign to keep the Manor open was basically a freedom of religion case. During that time reporters were always interviewing the devotees. We were in newspapers, on television, and on the radio.

At one time the Manor had been owned by Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital, an old hospital in London, for a nurse’s training college. Mrs. Ruffles had bought it from Saint Bart’s with the idea of turning it into a nursing home, but she couldn’t carry the financial burden and so she sold it.

Then we moved in and suddenly festivals were going on with thousands of visitors and many cars were in the village. We didn’t want the villagers to be irate with our festivals—we wanted to take the strain off the village.

After a long, hard battle, in 1996, the British Government’s Secretary of State for the Environment, John Gummer, announced on television that, “the government gave permission for the construction of an access driveway which by-passed the local village, plus full planning permission for the Manor to be used as a place of public worship.”

Before that neither the government nor the District Council had recognized us. That was a great victory for us and that’s why we had this victory dinner, which was a nice feast cooked by my wife, Bala Gopala.

Everybody who had been involved in the campaign—over 200 people—were there, all VIP guests including some MP’s, legal people, newspaper people and so on. Akhandadhi mentioned all the different guests that were present and praised and honored everybody.

Finally he came to George and said, “We have to thank George because this would never have happened if he hadn’t agreed to donate this property.” George was an honored guest, but he wasn’t expected to say anything.

But before he spoke, Olivia stood up and said, “I am deeply touched by what I’ve heard and seen tonight, and I feel impelled to say that George has got true friends here, and I feel happy for him. And I feel happy that I didn’t miss the opportunity to witness this amazing gathering.”

This was the only time that Olivia had come to the Manor. Before, when I called George and she answered the phone, she would be rude. I used to pray that she didn’t answer the phone. She would try to stop me from intruding into their privacy by visiting her husband.

Olivia didn’t like us until that evening. After she sat down, Shyamasundar and Mukunda presented George with a little Prabhupada murti with a Prabhupada hat and glasses and a bead bag and a little book rest and a miniature size Bhagavad-gita, a little vyasasana and a sannyasi danda, and a little pair of kartals and a little pair of glasses. It was cute.

George cradled Prabhupada and said, “I’m going to take Prabhupada home with me tonight.” It really touched him. He said, “I didn’t want to say anything, but I feel I’ve got to. First of all, I feel ashamed that I never participated in this campaign.”

George hadn’t given any support, either verbally or in the press or in any other way. He said, “But I was following it on television or in the papers. I knew what was going on. In the back of my mind I thought if it didn’t work out, if you had to close the Manor, you could move over to my place in Henley and take over Friar Park—that could be your new temple.”

He was so moved by what he had heard that evening that he was talking from his heart. Everybody started clapping like anything.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17455

If we are Krishna Conscious, any type of occupation will suit me and we shall always be satisfied. Therefore, I recommend you to read books more and more and try to understand the subject matter from different angles of vision and be always discussing it with your godbrothers even while you are working at the press. Letter to Bhargava — Los Angeles 13 June, 1972: So I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily in the transcendental subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and other books then very easily you will make your advancement in Krishna Consciousness. I am very much stressing at this point that all of my students shall be very much conversant with the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and that they should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17457

All wondrous phenomena showing power, beauty, grandeur or sublimity, either in the material world or in spiritual, are but partial manifestations of Krsna’s divine energies and opulence. He is the supreme cause of all causes & the essence of everything living or non living. Anything extraordinarily opulent, beautiful and glorious should be considered as a fragmental manifestation of Krsna’s splendor. All things are existing due to Krsna’s entering into them as supersoul. Krsna is supreme object of worship. The Bhagavad Gita has long been a source of inspiration and guidance for the world. In this class we will explore how to adopt the spiritual habits from this great book and how they will transform your life and bring you wisdom, happiness, and fearlessness.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17459

By Nanda Priya Nivedita Devi Dasi

While the rescue face for Chennai’s recent flood is over here comes the most difficult phase – the after math. Battered by rains, Chennai is now looking for relief- Relief from not just the heavy showers and a flooded city, but looking forward to hygienic food, shelter, clothing and medical assistance. It’s now that Chennai needs you the most.

Help the helping hands – Like the rest of the city, ISKCON Chennai is also waking out of the shock and reaching out to the people with nourishment, medical aid and personal needs. ISKCON Chennai volunteers are tirelessly trying to help all the affected places. Over 6000 plates of Prasadam are being distributed everyday. Besides distributing in public shelter houses, the volunteers are moving even into streets still knee deep in water and giving the Prasad door to door. A total of 30,000 plates of Prasadam have been distributed. We want to expand that to more areas in Chennai adding items like water, bed sheets, mosquito repellents, new clothes, tooth paste, brush etc.

Preventing any epidemic is a need of the hour. ISKCON Chennai has organised a medical camp in residential areas surrounding the temple. The doctors, the corporation cleaners are in need of basic utilities like gloves , face masks etc. Supply of medicines to the people is essential as well. With your donations ISKCON Chennai can do much more!

Not to forget that the Chennai temple has suffered heavy damages in the current flood situation.Estimated losses to the temple are very large.We request devotees and well wishers to come forward and help us for these loses as well.
Your servant,
Nanda Priya Nivedita dd

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17466

Academic Excellence.
Syama Sakhi devi dasi: The Bhaktivedanta Swami Secondary School at New Govardhana, Iskcon Australia, is intent on creating an environment of academic excellence, Krishna conscious goals and understanding, and meaningful character development. To these ends, this year the gurukula has invited various guest speakers to the school and taken students to different events outside of school. This allows students to broaden their understanding of this world and their role in it.
One such event students attended was the GRIP leadership conference for secondary schools. GRIP is an independent organisation that exists to train and develop leaders with a special focus on school students and the educational sector. Hence, our school captains, Anjali, Gaur, Bimala, Balaram, Lakshman, Suniti and Kalindi received the opportunity to attend the GRIP leadership conference that took place on the 26 October at the Tweed Civic Centre.
The aim of the one-day conference was to inspire secondary school students to take up effective leadership roles in their schools. Through topics like, ‘How to improve your public speaking skills’ to ‘How to make your events more dynamic’, the conference offered our students a chance to broaden their leadership skills. It also enabled them to meet many other teenage students from across Australia.
The whole event was excellent. The students experienced their first professional conference and made valuable contributions throughout.
We are hopeful that through such training offered by the gurukula, the students will be able to develop excellent leadership skills valuable to their life inside and outside of school.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17470

Baker Extraordinaire: Amber Borsotti! 

Mandakini devi dasi: Sydney-born Amber Borsotti was two years old when she was first introduced to the Hare Krishna Vedic lifestyle. Three years later she was enrolled in New Govardhana gurukula where she remained for the next six years before relocating to New Nandagram, Victoria.
Amber returned to Murwillumbah when she was 15, settling into householder life by the time she was 16. A busy and dedicated mum, she has five children ranging in ages from four to 17.
With the family growing up, Amber and her husband, Leonardo, considered some working options. They finally agreed to venture into the bread-making business. Amber had entertained four passions in life: architecture, psychology, fabrics and food. Having produced quality bread on the farm in earlier years, friends and family members had often urged her to “go into food”.
Months of hard work followed as the couple researched equipment and painstakingly developed their own special recipes. The result is an impressive home bakery and an outstanding product called ‘Levadura’, which consists of organic, artisan sourdough (a much healthier and tastier alternative to commercial bread).
When a retail opportunity opened up at Uki Farmers Market at the end of September, Amber and Leonardo took the initiative, and on their first outing ended up selling their entire stock.
Production has since increased from 50 to 90 items twice a week, and still there is a demand for more.
The bread is naturally leavened, requiring Amber and Leo to “rise” at 1.00 am on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to prepare their batch.
Variety being the spice of life, alongside the basic loaves there is much to choose from. For example, savoury loaves like Olive, Rosemary and Pecorino; Dark Euro-style Rye with Caraway and Fennel; and Vegan Fruitful Loaf and Sweet Spiced Rye and Fig, to name a few. Melt-in-themouth croissants and chocolate scrolls, as sampled by the author, must be tasted to be believed.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17468

Sri Saranga Thakura -- Disappearance An important branch of the Shri Chaitanya tree, Shri Sharanga Thakura (Sharanga Murari) lived in Mamagacchi, Modadrumadwipa (Navadwipa). Staying under a Bakula tree, Sharanga Thakura worked hard every day to please his worshipable Deity. Single handedly, he would collect fruits, vegetables and firewood. He would also beg rice, cook, bathe, dress, and feed his Lord. After a full day of Deity service Sharanga would cross the Ganges River to join Mahaprabhu's Hari-Nama sankirtana party in Mayapur. During one visit, Lord Gauranga noticed that Sharanga's beloved Bakula tree was drying up and almost dead. Lord Chaitanya embraced the tree with His beautiful golden arms. Completely rejunvenated, the tree burst forth with green leaves and fresh super fragrant flowers. To this day, Devotees of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worship this special kalpa vriksha tree of Shri Dhama Mayapur. Some Devotees collect small pieces of wood, which occasionally fall off, and make neckbeads or worship it.

Sharanga Thakura vowed to never initiate disciples despite Lord Chaitanya's insistence. One day he relented and decided to initiate the first person he saw. While bathing in the Ganges he brushed against a floating corpse. Suddenly it sprang to life. Stunned, the man slowly identified himself and bowed down to Sharanga Thakura who had just miraculously renewed his life. After giving him mantra diksha, Saranga Thakura became famous as "Sharanga Murari Thakura," because the disciple's previous name was Murari.

In Vraja lila Sharanga serves Radha-Gopinatha as Nandimukhi-sakhi. By taking a forty five minute rikshaw ride from downtown Navadwipa, you an still see the Deities of Sharanga Thakura and the kalpa vriksha Bakula tree.

Read more about Sri Saranga Thakura on www.gaudiyahistory.com 

If you ever desire to cross over this ocean of material existence and achieve the lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Hari then please take shelter of Srimad Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures.Srimad Bhagavatam is declared to be the essence of all Vedanta philosophy. One who has felt satisfaction from its nectarean mellows will never be attracted to any other literature. Srila Vyasadev collected whatever Vedic conclusions were in the four Vedas and 108 Upanishads and placed them in the aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra. In the Vedanta-sutra, the purport of all Vedic knowledge is explained, and in Srimad Bhagavatam the same purport has been explained in eighteen thousand verses.

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By Padmapani das

Ever since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the world has been faced with unprecedented danger and uncertainty. Recent headlines suggest that the threat of terrorism has reached critical proportions. News of another possible attack in the U.S. has been circulating in the press and the rhetoric of war has dominated world politics for quite some time. Once again we are forced to contemplate our fragility and mortality in this material world. Anything can happen now — and we know it.

For those of us old enough to remember, these recent events may conjure up memories of the Great Northeast Blackout in 1965. As a resident of Canada, I remember it well. Although quite young at the time, I distinctly recall the sense of fear and vulnerability that arose in my heart. I realized for the first time that our civilization wasn’t as strong and secure as we had been led to believe.

“At 5:27 p.m., November 9, 1965, the entire Northeast area of the United States and large parts of Canada went dark. From Buffalo to the eastern border of New Hampshire and from New York City to Ontario, a massive power outage struck without warning. Trains were stuck between subway stops. People were trapped in elevators. Failed traffic signals stopped traffic dead. And, at the height of the Cold War, many thought Armageddon had arrived. One pilot flying over a darkened New York City stated, ‘I thought, another Pearl Harbor!’ By 5:40 p.m. that evening, 80,000 square miles of the Northeast United States and Ontario, Canada, were without power, leaving 30 million people in the dark. New York City was particularly hit by this blackout, due to its reliance on electricity for nearly all aspects of city life.”

(The Blackout History Project)

At the time, Srila Prabhupada was staying in New York at Dr. Mishra’s yoga studio on Riverside Drive. He had recently arrived from Butler, Pennsylvania where he had been a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Agarwal for a month after arriving in the U.S. from India. Describing the blackout in a letter to Sally Agarwal, Srila Prabhupada wrote the following words:

“Yes there was all darkness in New York on the 10th instant and it was not a happy incident. I learn that many people remained in the elevators and in the subway trains for more than seven to eight hours in darkness. I do not read newspapers but there must have been some mishaps also which we do not know. That is the way of material civilisation too much depending on machine. At any time the whole thing may collapse and therefore we may not be self complacent depending so much on artificial life. The modern life of civilisation depends wholly on electricity and petrol and both of them are artificial for man.”

(Srila Prabhupada letter to “My dear daughter Sally,” November 13, 1965)

More than forty years later, the world is even more dependent on electricity and petrol. The Internet (on which this website is being published) has become the preferred method of communication. We now (reportedly) have satellites orbiting the earth which allow us to communicate across the globe in seconds. Our methods of warfare are now laser-guided and accurate to the Nth degree. Yet are we any safer as a result?

Intelligence reports claim that the Internet is now being used by terrorists and others of ill intent who communicate freely with each other. In fact, the World Wide Web itself may be attacked and brought down at a moment’s notice. The very fabric and infrastructure of our society could unravel without warning. The situation is perilous. Therefore Srila Prabhupada continually warned us that there is danger at every step in this material world (padam padam yad vipadam), and he urged us to immediately take to Krishna consciousness for the solution to all problems:

“As long as we are in this material world, there must be calamities because this is the place of calamity. But even with calamities our business should be to develop our Krishna consciousness, so that after giving up this body we may go back home, back to Krishna.”

(Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 8)

Not only has Srila Prabhupada helped us to identify the source of all our miseries in this temporary world (duhkhalayam asasvatam), but he has meticulously provided the means of relief in his voluminous books and instructions. Despite that we are now in the midst of troubled times in a perpetually troubled world, we are still very fortunate to have Srila Prabhupada as our eternal spiritual preceptor. Although he has physically departed from this world, Srila Prabhupada so mercifully continues to guide us. The only qualification is that we hear from him sincerely and with faith.

“In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully so if there is anything which you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop.”

(Srila Prabhupada letter, November 22, 1974)

In whatever condition of life we may now find ourselves it is to our eternal benefit to arrange our lives in such a way that we can follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to the best of our ability. Although we can never fully repay him for the tremendous gift that he has given us all, at the very least we can be loyal to Srila Prabhupada and stick tightly to his lotus feet. After all, there is no safer place to be.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Source:http://m.dandavats.com/?p=17424