In order to reawaken our integral connection towards our two forgotten mothers, Mother Earth and Mother Cow (Surabhi), the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign reached the shores of the Gulf last week. HH RP Bhakti Raghava Swami, Minister of the ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (IDVM-India), is currently visiting different parts of the world making people aware of the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign, a 12 year initiative to spread the glories of Mother Surabhi.
HH RP Bhakti Raghava Maharaja arrived at Damodardesh on 21st June after a brief stop at Balaramdesh. During his 4 days visit, Maharaja spoke at various house programs introducing the congregation to the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign as well as enlightening the devotees on a lesser known essay, Gita Nagari (1956 Edition of Back to Godhead) written by ISKCON Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The essay propounds four different waves by which Srila Prabhupada wanted to spread the message of Lord Caitanya in every town and village around the globe namely, 1. Sankirtan Movement, 2. Deity Worship Movement, 3. Spiritual Initiation Movement and, 4. Classless Society Movement (Daiva Varnasrama Dharma).
Maharaja spoke extensively on the need to establish Daiva Varnasrama in order to facilitate steady progress of devotional life for the members of the ISKCON society as well as to set an example for the rest of the world to follow. Maharaja highlighted the dangers we are exposed to nowadays by living on adulterated food and milk. He explained the importance and the need to use pure ghee for daily consumption and highlighted the harmful effects of commercial oils. Maharaja also emphasized the need to promote the regular use of ahimsa milk (milk obtained from protected cows).
Congregations from nearby regions, Avataridesh and Shyamadesh, also hosted Maharaja where he conveyed the same message and awareness of the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign. A video produced by the ISKCON Daiva Varanasram Ministry depicting the current situation of cows around the world was shown. The video includes a short talk by Allan Savory, a Zimbabwean Ecologist, Farmer and President and Co-Founder of The Savory Institute. Mr Savory presented a solution to the rampant desertification of land. He showed with positive results that by allowing bunched and moving livestock to mimic nature, a barren land could be transformed to become more fertile and support vegetation again. Such techniques have been known since Vedic times and the knowledge needs to be revived and systematically presented.
Maharaja invited all the members of the congregation to actively participate in this campaign and become an instrument in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire to establish Varnasrama Dharma. More information about the campaign can be found at www.srisurabhi.org. Different materials, in particular the “Campaigners Guide” are available for download from the website. Also Power Point Presentations and weekly Interview Series with devotees around the world involved with the campaign or similar projects are uploaded every week. Maharaja left Damodardesh on 25th June to bring the message of the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign to Zurich.
Everyone at Damodardesh is very grateful to HH RP Bhakti Raghava Swami for visiting us here and enlightening us about the crucial aspect of Varnasrama Dharma. To show his appreciation, Srivallabha prabhu, on behalf of the entire Yatra, presented a donation of $ 1,000 to the IDVM-Ministry.
Reported by Akincana Krishna das
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