By Rachael LeValley
tesam evanukampartham
aham ajsana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jsana-dipena bhasvata
To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. (Bg 10.11)
Last week was Save The Cow Kirtan Mela at the ISKCON New Talavan Farm Community in Carriere, Mississippi. A three-day festival, it is held to bring awareness to animal rights and is an effort to save and to protect Mother Cow.
Across the farm’s Southern Mississippi landscape, in sweet October, yogis were spread about breathing deeply and sitting nicely; their eyes closed. Tents had been set up: devotees were making sugarcane juice from sugarcane harvested on the farm; Prabhupada’s books were distributed; child protection within ISKCON communities was openly and graciously discussed; devotee-made medicinal oils and dolls were available… everyone came with something to share.
And what’s a festival without music?
“When Lord Caitanya was in Benares promulgating the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, thousands of people were following Him.”
Madhava Prabhu joined Aindra Prabhu’s 24-hour kirtan when he was 18-years-old. With this experience, Madhava Prabhu deeply understands that Krsna is listening to the kirtan and He has very sensitive ears. We have to chant nicely.
To begin his kirtans, Madhava Prabhu reads something written by one of the great acaryas, something for everyone to consider before chanting – heart to heart, crying for the Lord.
Nine years running, this year is the second year the festival hosted a 24-hour kirtan! Sri Nama Prabhu, with us through the darkness and the Transcendental Sound Vibration sent into the night, emanating from New Talavan which sits in the middle of all the ill-effects and results of the material world – slaughterhouses, the “entertainment” of illicit sex, soil erosion, government corruption, the legal and illegal drug industries that prey on the human Soul, the human rights abuses… Yes, Nama Prabhu, smack in the middle of Kali Yuga. Sri Krsna appears in the form of His name and Sri Nama has His own reason for being there!
The organizers, a very busy group of devotees – residents of both Alachua and New Talavan, gave us this Mercy. Nectar for the fallen, conditioned Souls.
“Sometimes Mayavadi philosophers criticize the devotees because they think that most of the devotees are in the darkness of ignorance and are philosophically naive sentimentalists. Actually that is not the fact. There are very, very learned scholars who have put forward the philosophy of devotion.”
Kish Rico, leading kirtan, recited the 12 Holy Names of Lord Nityananda and recommended this list of descriptions be used as a reference for how to be a good husband; the young people danced as Vijay Krsna amped voice rang out, late into the night, “Who’s going to Mangala-arati? Not me!” (He made the Srimad Bhagavatam class! With enthusiasm!)
Dear servants of Sri Nama.
Underfoot was Mother Earth and her blades-of-grass soldiers; In the distance, the call of Mother Cow; these are the givers of wealth and abundance.
“Man can go on speculating for several millions of years, and if he is not devoted, if he is not a lover of the Supreme Truth, he will never understand Krsna, or the Supreme Truth. Only by devotional service is the Supreme Truth, Krsna, pleased, and by His inconceivable energy He can reveal Himself to the heart of the pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Krsna within his heart; and with the presence of Krsna, who is just like the sun, the darkness of ignorance is at once dissipated. This is the special mercy rendered to the pure devotee by Krsna.”
Tapahpunja Prabhu is spearheading the other 50% of Prabhupada’s desire at New Talavan with his Small Farm Training Center which will train people in the community to grow their own food according to the scale that suits their needs; recover from junk food addiction, slavery and malnourishment (physically and spiritually); offer transformational experiences through raising food, free of karmic consequences; and engage others in devotional service through sacred community… In a word: Varnashrama.
“Due to the contamination of material association, through many, many millions of births, one’s heart is always covered with the dust of materialism, but when one engages in devotional service and constantly chants Hare Krsna, the dust quickly clears, and one is elevated to the platform of pure knowledge. The ultimate goal, Visnu, can be attained only by this chant and by devotional service, and not by mental speculation or argument. The pure devotee does not have to worry about the material necessities of life; he need not be anxious, because when he removes the darkness from his heart, everything is provided automatically by the Supreme Lord, who is pleased by the loving devotional service of the devotee.”
The festival raised $1,700 for the Cows.
Next year, the organizer-devotees plan to have an even bigger outreach with more cooperation among devotees and, of course, milk sweets!
All glories, all glories, all glories to the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. Jai Srila Prabhupada!
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