Here are the latest updates for sricaitanyamahaprabhu.planetiskcom@blogger.com
- H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 2 April 2011--Don't Take Guru as a Buddy or a Pet--and--Can A Married Man Be Initiating Guru?
- Bhakta Chuck, CT, USA: Friday Night Oxen #50
- ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darsana
- ISKCON Toronto, Canada: Re-Living Gaura Purnima Celebrations!
- Japa Group: Attentive Chanting Is Very Important
- Japa Group: Chanting Rhyme
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 267–Poem for April 1st
- H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS
- ISKCON News.com: Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others
- ISKCON News.com: Krishna Kids In India’s IT Hub
- Bharatavarsa.net: Bhakti Vikasa Swami: everywhere people will be very happy
- ISKCON News.com: Old Sanskrit Scriptures Speak In Russian since 40 Years
- Mukunda Charan das, SA: Krishna’s Lotus Feet
- ISKCON News.com: Inside the Ashram: Cooking With The Bhakti Center In The East Village
- ISKCON News.com: Using Electronics Before Bed May Cause Sleep Disorders
- ISKCON News.com: An Australian Catholic Priest Sets Up A Drive-Through Confession As April Fools' Day Joke
- Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Vegan Meringue
- Jahnavi, UK: Synaesthetic Santoor
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Srila Prabhupada's Letters
- Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: Chanting and dancing - Bhaja Gaurango kaha gauranga
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: U.S. Marine Corps Gets Their Biggest Ever Solar Installation
- ISKCON News.com: Boat Festival in ISKCON Vrindavan
- Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Wish people were fools only on April Fool's Day.
- Madhava Ghosh dasa, New Vrndavan, USA: Faith Healing Is For Real
- New Vrndavan, USA: Devotee Care April Newsletter
- H.H. Sivarama Swami: Anatha dasa asks why, when Srila Prabhupada didn’t care about it and demigods are in control of it do devotees preach about protecting or cleaning up the environment instead of preaching about Krsna
- Gouranga TV: Bhajan – 24hr Kirtan – Rupa Madhurya das
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A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(TM)
Saturday 2 April 2011
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri
Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati
Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in
the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri
Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to
rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger
image.)
e
Our Mission: To help everyone awaken
their original Krishna consciousness, which is
eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.
Such a global awakening will, in one stroke,
solve all the problems of the world society
bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and
prosperity for all. May that day, which the
world so desperately needs, come very soon. We
request you to participate in this mission by
reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and
assisting us in spreading this science all over
the world.
Dedicated with love to
ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His
Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and
to you, our dear readers.
Today's Thought:
Don't Take Guru as a Buddy or a Pet
Uploaded from Sri Vrindavan Dhama
Don't
take a guru as a buddy or as a pet. Guru means that
person to whom you fully surrender yourself without
argument. Such a person must be a pure representative of
the original spiritual master, Lord Sri Krishna. If we
put our lives in the hands of such a bona fide spiritual
and always carefully try to follow his instructions, we
will quickly and easily attain spiritual perfection. But
if take him as a buddy or a pet without agreeing to
follow his instructions, we are simply wasting his time
and wasting our time.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Answers According to the Vedic Version:
Question: Can A Married Man Be Initiating Guru?
Dear Srila
Gurudeva,
Please
accept my respectful obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Recently when I told a devotee from South India that I
am a disciple of Sankarshan Das Adhikari he expressed
his surprise and told me that a householder cannot be an
initiating guru, that he can only be a instructing guru.
I did not know what to say. What should I have told him?
Your servant,
Dvijamani Gaura das
Answer: Anyone Who Knows
Krishna Science Can Be a Guru
It is very problematic
when persons pose themselves as authorities making
statements that are not in accord with the scriptures. Such
immature unauthorized behavior causes a great
disturbance in the society of devotees. This is
confirmed in the scriptures as follows:
ruti-smrti-purndi-
pañcaratra-vidhim vin
aikntik harer bhaktir
utptyaiva kalpate
Devotional service performed without
reference to the Vedas, Puranas, Pañcaratras, etc., must
be considered sentimentalism, and it causes nothing but
disturbance to society.
Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.101
Therefore such foolish persons should be informed about
what is the actual statement of the scriptures. In
connection with what you have been told, Srila
Prabhupada clearly states in his purport to Caitanya
Caritamrita, Madhya Lila Chapter 7, verse 108 that a devotee in any
order of life if he knows the science of Krishna, can be an initiating guru. It is
also interesting to
note in this connection that according to Srila Prabhupada's
purport to Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila, Chapter 4, verse 111,
previously the only devotees who could give initiation
were grihastha brahmanas until Lord Caitanya introduced
the system that anyone who knows the science of Krishna
can be an initiating spiritual master. This point is
further corroborated by Srila Prabhupada in a letter he
wrote in November of 1969 to his disciple Krishna devi,
in which he states:
So far as initiating disciples is concerned, anyone who
is qualified can do this. For example, Srila
Bhaktivinode Thakura was householder and Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was staunch brahmacari, yet
they both were qualified for initiating disciples.
In conclusion, do not hesitate to correct persons who
are propagating misinformation. This is for their
benefit and the benefit of the entire human society.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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Hello Everyone,
This is a very nice video and a nice team. A couple of interesting things to note are the yoke, which is of a “head-yoke” style and the shoes.
The Head Yoke is an old design which is still very popular today in many areas. The wood for the yoke itself is specially carved out to precisely fit the horns of each individual team. The yoke is then lashed in place behind the horns, in this case, the lashing itself becomes part of the beautiful ornament on the front of the forehead. This design increases the ability to harness the tremendous power in the neck and shoulders of the Ox.
You can also notice the metal shoes that this team wears. These are specially-fitted and carefully nailed into place to protect the animals feet on hard surfaces and to provide traction. In this instance, you can notice that only the front hooves are shod. Not all Oxen are fitted with shoes and those that are do not need them all of the time, but you will see them occasionally.
Lastly, these boys are fitted out with very nice sets of brightly-polished metal horn knobs. These are not only very smart looking and convey a proud appearance, but provide a little safety from otherwise sharp horns when Oxen and people come into close contact.
Have a nice weekend, in service to the Oxen
ys, Chuck
Chant
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
As we are having the darsana of the Lord we pray to be given the transcendental vision to see Him in everything that surrounds us.
To help us in that quest, Krsna gives us some hints:
"...I am the taste in water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man..."
(B.Gita 7.8)
We invite you to re-live our recent Gaura Purnima celebrations through these wonderful videos which captured some highlights from the festival! Thanks goes out to Raga Manjari devi dasi for both taking and posting the videos below!
Opening dramatic vignette telling the story of how Adaita Acharya prayed for the appearance of Lord Caitanya:
A monologue by Praharna devi dasi, taking us back to 1975 and giving a glimpse into the personal, emotional adversity of hitting the streets to share our spirituality through book distribution:
Two more dramatic vignettes, depicting (1) the famous story of the Chand Kazi and (2) Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Siksastakam prayers:
Highlights from kirtan and the abhisheka (bathing of the Deities):
I do appreciate that I persist patiently and that I’m able to control my mind even when there is no nectarean taste in chanting. I’m just suggesting that if I could be alert and bring the mind back to hearing, then why not try to go further. All the authorities say that attentive chanting is very important and leads to thinking about Krishna’s form, activities, qualities and pastimes. They must be right.
From
Japa Transformationsby Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
There is a rhyme that I invented for my son to encourage him to concentrate while chanting Japa. It's very simple, but underlines two important points....hearing and pronounciation.
Chant the words so you can hear,
the Maha mantra loud and clear
In spiritual life, simple concepts are very important and these simple aspects of chanting are very important for our progress in Japa.
www.sdgonline.org.
5:11 A.M.
A Writer of Pieces
New format–I will begin with a poem written on the day of its printing. Then I will print random excerpts of books I have printed over the last 30 years. I hope this variety will be pleasing.
Poem for April 1st
Like a horse rider, I
dug in my spurs on
the last rounds today
and finished strong
attentive and painless.
You have to concentrate if you want your nama-
yajna to be effective.
Drive out all other mental
thoughts and dwell on
Hare, Rama and Krishna.
I did that. And although they
were silent, they were effective
and on the mark, pushing
up the accumulation to sixteen
rounds.
There is another dimension I
am missing, the dwelling
on Radha and Krishna
in Their pastimes in
Vraja. I fail to go
that far but do hear
the names and am solaced
knowing they are Krishna Himself.
Can I go the extra miles
and reach the goal before
my time is up? Will
I make a qualitative change
in time to save myself?
I pray for better chanting
when I can realize Hare
Krishna is a yugala-mantra
and tells of the wondrous
adventures of the Divine Couple
beyond just going through
the motions.
Please help me, Lord
I can’t do it on my own.
www.sdgonline.org.
From Prabhupada Appreciation
Appreciating Teachings That Bear Srila Prabhupada’s Stamp
“According to Rupa Goswami, the particular teaching of a bona-fide guru can be different from that of other bona-fide gurus, and that difference is known as a ‘detail.’ The detailed instructions of Srila Prabhupada are important personal applications of Krishna consciousness by our founder-
acarya. They are Srila Prabhupada’s personal stamp on ISKCON.
“By studying these details we can benefit in a variety of ways. We can develop a strong sense of loyalty towards Srila Prabhupada; we can learn to clearly see the differences between Prabhupada and other teachers; and we will become firmly linked in a personal way to the acarya who boldly applied Krishna consciousness to the Western milieu.
“The principle of adopting Krishna consciousness for the Western mentality has precedence in the teachings of Narada Muni instructing Dhruva Maharaja how to worship the Deity in the forest:
One should install the physical forms of the Lord, and with the chanting of the mantra one should offer flowers and fruits and other varieties of foodstuff exactly according to the rules and regulations prescribed by authorities. But this should be done in consideration of place, time, and attendant conveniences and inconveniences (Bhagavatam 4.8.54)
“In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada says that ‘The method of worship … is not stereotyped, nor is it exactly the same everywhere … Sometimes our Indian friends, puffed up with concocted notions, criticize, “This has not been done, that has not been done.” But they forget this instruction of Narada Muni … One has to consider the particular time, country and conveniences.’ Srila Prabhupada, as founder-acarya of ISKCON, was qualified to establish these details in his worldwide movement.
“Srila Prabhupada introduced many details during the early years of ISKCON. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had stated that if one did not chant sixty-four rounds, he was to be considered fallen. But Prabhupada, on seeing the condition of his first disciples, reduced the quota to sixteen rounds.
“Another special detail was Prabhupada’s introduction of Ratha-yatra. The Nectar of Devotion states that the Vaisnavas should observe festivals in glorification of the Lord. As a small child Srila Prabhupada had been attracted to this particular festival and had celebrated it with his parents and friends. He also knew that Lord Jagannatha was most merciful and that by enacting this pastime, the Lord of the Universe would bless the Westerners, who had practically no chance of hearing Krishna conscious philosophy.
“In San Francisco one day the devotees discovered small Jagannatha murtis at an imports store. Prabhupada had Syamasundara dasa carve larger Deities, and he then installed Them in New Jagannatha Puri, San Francisco. Looking out his window one day, Prabhupada saw a flatbed truck and asked the devotees to take the Jagannatha Deities on procession in the back of a truck, and to distribute prasadam. After this first small Ratha-yatra, Prabhupada gradually introduced the festival in most of the large cities of the world. Even in his purport to Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 13.9, Prabhupada mentions a newspaper article about the 1973 London Ratha-yatra: ‘“ISKCON Ratha-yatra is rival to Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square”’ … ‘Just as the residents of Puri compare the Ratha-yatra cart to Mt. Sumeru, the residents of London considered the car a rival to the Nelson monument.’
“Prabhupada did not invent the Ratha-yatra; it was already present in Vedic culture. But he successfully applied it to the Western setting. Ratha-yatra was a particularly wonderful idea. It was something Westerners could easily relate to—a parade, a festival, a feast—and Prabhupada knew that those who saw Lord Jagannatha on His cart would get great spiritual benefit.
“Another special emphasis of Srila Prabhupada’s was his constant push for the publication and distribution of his books. Srila Prabhupada considered that he had received his order for life in the exchange he had with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: ‘If you ever get money, print books.’ Prabhupada often mentioned that book publication and distribution were his special services to his Guru Maharaja, and he expected his disciples to help him engage in this service. As his disciples learned how to distribute large quantities of books, Prabhupada again and again stated his gratitude and pleasures in letters to devotees, in his lectures and in his purports. ‘Book distribution is the best kirtana,’ and it was linked to the pleasure of the entire parampara.
“Prabhupada’s emphasis on book distribution was founded on his own compassion for the fallen souls. Even in his first lectures at 26 Second Avenue, he asked everyone to preach: ‘People are suffering for want of Krishna consciousness. Therefore, each and every one of us should be engaged in the preaching work of Krishna consciousness for the benefit of the whole world … the Lord says, “Just take My orders, all of you, and become a spiritual master” … If we can take up the missionary work … Krishna says it can be done.’
From Lessons From the Road, Volume I
Goodbye Raleigh
“Our traveling life began prematurely. The motor home and trailer were not properly stocked or arranged, so we had to do all of that here in Raleigh. The men on the party, including myself, are also not yet completely committed or aware even of what we are trying to do. So the campground was a good place to begin.
“Maria, the girl who checks up on the residents, was friendly with us from the start. On checking in, the men wore pants and caps, and I was hesitant to come out of the motor home dressed in saffron, but gradually it became obvious who we were, and neither did we try to hide it. Marie has started taking prasadam regularly. I noticed that she didn’t have a North Carolina accent and asked her about it. She said she used to be a lawyer in California and had vowed never to go back to that again. Now she works a few hours a day and has the rest of the time to herself. ‘I have a daughter,’ she said, ‘and I like her.’ Yesterday Maria asked, ‘What time is lunch? Did I miss it?’
“Some of the people camping here go daily to look at the archives at the state capital. This week there was a geneology convention in Raleigh. We overheard a man at the pay phone talking excitedly, “I have discovered my roots!’ Some of the men seem to be backwoodsmen who leave daily at 6:00 A.M. for the construction work. Our immediate neighbor is a man from New Jersey who is a specialist in the computer field, and he can’t find work at home. He greeted me with ‘Shalom!’ and said, ‘I have got some of your books, of course.’ He asked where we had been and said he hadn’t seen devotees in years. We gave him, and Maria, copies of Bhagavad-gita, Readings in Vedic Literature, and the biography of Prabhupada.
“In front of this campground they sell recreational vehicles. We saw one old couple, probably in their late sixties, purchasing a twenty-foot Ithasca. He looked like a retired farmer, wearing faded blue jeans held up with suspenders. He was overweight and arthritic and leaned against the counter while his wife wrote out the check for $24,126. She then proudly took possession of the two sets of keys and a pack of owner’s manuals. It seemed like they were packing all their dreams in a tin can.”
From Memory in the Service of Krishna (1990)
“In Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12, the twenty items of knowledge culminate in unalloyed devotional service to Krishna; otherwise, the othr nineteen items are of no ultimate use. Knowledge does not mean observing the interaction of the material elements but knowing the self as part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engaging in His service. Even when we analyze each item in the Bhagavad-gita starting with humility, pridelessness, and nonviolence, we do so to see how they contribute to devotional service. Bhakti is the life of all knowledge. Knowledge is not the study of the material universe but ‘the means to get out of it.’
“When we hear any claim to knowledge, we should queston why bhakti is omitted. When we are invited to swim in the river of experience or to read about it in novels, we will be left unsatisfied unless we demand, “Where is devotional service?’ Real knowledge puts Krishna in the center. He is the center of knowledge and the center of life. Without Him we are like flotsam and jetsam, insignificant pieces of straw in the sea.
“Without knowledge of devotional service, we are unlearned. This was proved by the very powerful and confident man of action, Arjuna, who forgot the goal of life and could not properly act, and who could not speak knowledge before Krishna spoke to him on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, ‘You are speaking learned words, but you are lamenting. A learned man does not lament for the living or the dead.” A learned man sees everything equally. A learned man does not see different objects and different persons, but he sees the spirit soul as one within all beings. A learned man may be a scholar or a simple farmer, but he knows and serves Krishna, however, by the grace of his spiritual master.
“And the greatest intellectual masters are those who can explain the science of self and God as given in the Vedanta-sutra and the Puranas. The learned men are Vyasadeva, Sukaseva Gosvami, Narada-Rsi, and those in the line of teachers like Ramanuja, Madhva, and all the Vaisnava acaryas. The perfection of knowing and serving God is always manifest in the person of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is always feeling ecstatic separation from Krishna and who could teach Vedanta even to the greatest scholars. In Lord Caitanya we meet the best knower as well as the ultimate knowledge.”
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It’s time to take a look at the line between “pet” and “animal.” When the ASPCA sends an agent to the home of a Brooklyn family to arrest one of its members for allegedly killing a hamster, something is wrong. That “something” is this: we protect “companion animals” like hamsters while largely ignoring what amounts to the torture of chickens and cows and pigs.
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By Sahadeva Das for ISKCON News on 1 Apr 2011
|
Modernization of society is taking a heavy toll on the children. Problems like loneliness, depression, drugs & intoxication, inferiority complex, behavioural and mood disorders, suicidal tendencies, unruliness, delinquency, bad mannerism are on the rise. This summer, ISKCON Secunderabad is training 2000 children in 4 camps, starting April 23rd.
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I am so glad to note your realization about the Krishna Consciousness Movement. Actually it is unique and there is no comparison with it of any other Movement. It was Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction that by accepting this Movement, everywhere people will be very happy. Now it is in the hands of the American boys who are intelligent and resourceful. Therefore, this most beneficial Movement can be broadcast everywhere and everyone will be happy.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Kirtanananda, 12 November, 1970
By Olessia Podtserob for ISKCON News on 1 Apr 2011
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The Moscow National Book Fair "Books of Russia 2011" took place on March 16-21 at the Russian Exhibition Center. For the third time in the last two years, Vaisnavas of Moscow Yatra participated in the event.
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‘The spiritual planet, Goloka Vrndavana, the eternal abode of Lord Krsna, is shaped like the whorl of a lotus flower. Even when the Lord descends to any one of the mundane planets, He does so by manifesting His own abode as it is. Thus His feet remain always on the same big whorl of the lotus flower. His feet are also as beautiful as the lotus flower. Therefore it is said that Krsna has lotus feet’
[A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1.16.6 Purport]
Filed under:
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
lotus feet,
Quotes,
Spiritual Life Tagged:
goloka vrindavan,
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krishna consciousness,
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The Bhakti Center of New York City is in East Village, within a three block radius of a funeral home, a nail salon, a cemetery, three gay bars, and a Jewish deli. Dave is preparing food for Columbia University’s Bhakti Club, which meets for a cooking class every Tuesday night.
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By Elizabeth Walling for Natural News on 1 Apr 2011
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We have bottles of melatonin and valerian root stashed in the medicine cabinet. There`s a white noise machine next to the bed. We repeat relaxing mantras in our head as we lay in bed, trying desperately to catch some sleep before another busy day dawns. But are we addressing the root issues of our sleep disturbances?
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“I don’t think I’ll be getting a medal from the Church,” Father Bob admitted. But he said he was happy to play the fool, if it meant that he got the message of Christ into the community. “Like all parables the drive-through was designed to raise awareness of sin and forgiveness especially during Lent,” he said.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/your-sins-fo...
If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.
coup D'e vegan tat : karma free meringues
For months I have been working on perfecting vegan meringues. Sure, there are different recipes around the web, but very few of them looked like anything I could pass off to my grandfather on top of his lemon pie. I’m really excited about this because I have many a friend who grew up lacto-veg and never tasted any treats with egg in them!
The search is over. Chickens might as well stop laying eggs because this whipped concoction is so good, it’s sure to put them out of business. Martha Stewart is going to be having her people call my people to get me to come on her show and make vegan meringue baby food for her grandkid.
pillow soft, subtly sweet
Most vegan meringue recipes I’ve tried send you first to the bulk aisle wearing a lab coat, shopping for all kinds of natural stabilizers and seaweed flakes. Then you are required to assemble your collection of beakers, fire up your bunsen burner and chant some forest witch hymns until you achieve a white mass that you foam by blowing through a glass pipette. Well, hang your lab coat at the door because this recipe requires none of that wacky food science!
Are
You
Ready
?
?
?
?
oh i slay me.
Last night I went to hear Kaviraj Singh play santoor with his brother, Upneet on tabla. It was so wonderful. I’ve never been a big fan of the santoor. Somehow the cross between the plinky-plonky hammered strings and the sometime delicacy of Hindustani music didn’t excite me so much. But this was incredibly beautiful. The faster sections, known as jhalla – sounded like standing under a shower of diamonds – precision cut, refracting light in all directions.
Whenever I attend a concert, I am amazed at how different the experience of listening to music live is to listening to a CD. In my car, I hear the music plain – it may be moving and interesting but there’s a missing layer. In the concert hall, the music rises and shimmers – images and impressions fill the air like mirages. It’s the closest thing I’ve experienced to synaesthesia – the condition of the brain that causes colours or other sensations to be triggered by certain sounds. My friend studying bansuri flute in India has synaesthesia, and it’s particularly fascinating for someone studying raga-based music. She can easily identify a raga, as each effortlessly appears as a specific colour in her mind when she hears it. She described how the colour of a word manifests as a mix of the colours of its individual syllables. Usually I keep a book handy to record the images that arise. Last night while Kaviraj played Raag Gorakh Kalyan – a poem appeared.
Dancing grass shudders wildly with every gust;
and starlings swoop across the sky.
Trees laugh, shaking their arms.
A smile spreads across the earth,
all spinning and alive.
Flowers must burst
at the sound of this music.
Spring weaves a lattice -
ribbons of light,
yellow, white and gold,
and a stretch of blue
that never ends.
1961 April 1: "After the Congress I wish to make an extensive tour of Japan, China and America for preaching this culture of Human spirit. Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha, Lord Christ, Hazrat Mohammed, Acarya Sankara, Acarya Ramanuja, Lord Caitanya, all lived for enlightening men on Human spirit."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64
1966 April 1:
Dwadasi. One Mr. Pop came to see me. He saw the books and took one copy of the 1st Part and paid $6.00. Mr. Greene paid $5.00. Income book & contribution $11.00. I passed the night at Paul's place. It was nice. In the evening the meeting was experimentally held at Paul's 94 Bowery Place. The attendance was four."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966
1970 April 1: "Deity worship is for old and experienced students; it is not good for new students to be given sacred thread. This Deity worship is exclusively for advanced students. Yes, staunch faith in Spiritual Master and Krishna makes one perfect in spiritual understanding."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1970 April 1: "If George Harrison gives us a place at his house, just like John Lennon gave us a place in his garden, then you can start a temple there. But unless there is a tangible program, do not divert your attention. Regarding George's center, if he opens it, I shall give him direction how to do it."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
1971 April 1: "Everything must be done with clear intelligence according to the Parampara revealation of the Absolute Truth and Krishna will give you good understanding for this purpose. Our Krsna consciousness is so nice. By painting, your love of Krishna will become mature."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971
1974 April 1: "Your program to meet her Majesty and Prince Charles will be a great opportunity. If the leading personalities cooperate we can have the whole Parliament as Krishna conscious men including her Majesty the Queen."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1974 April 1: "My next program is to reinstate the Vedic divisions of catur varnyam. If England and America as well as France and Germany can understand this philosophy there will be a great theistic revolution which can counteract the atheistic philosophy of Marxism."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974
1975 April 1: "Encourage Siddhasvarupa to continue to speak as much as possible and give him all facilities. Whenever there is some question or if he speaks something incorrect, you may humbly correct him or if need be, I can also give correction by mail. His booklet is very nicely done."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975
Out on Sankirtan yesterday I met this young couple who were headed to blockbuster to grab a video. They were all cheerful and interested in yoga and meditation. I handed them each a little book and they were really appreciative of philosophy. At one time they started to ask re Urban-edge and I explained how we had different classes. As soon as I mentioned the vegan cooking classes the guy almost jumped and smiled a sigh of relief and asked his friend to join those. They were both laughing and told me she was a vegan and he was into yoga. They took a little book but as they were leaving I asked them if I could tell them a mantra – ‘Gauranga’ which meant ‘be happy’. Within minutes of chanting Gauranga he started to dance and said – this mantra sounds like it needs to be danced to and sung. And he smiled and danced.
Prabhupada purport to Gauranga dui pada: If one is captivated by the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, simply by chanting and dancing and eating prashada the dirty things in his heart will all become cleansed. The heart of anyone who takes to this movement of chanting, dancing, and eating Krishna-prashada will surely be cleansed of all dirty material contamination…Lord Caitanya is so nice that one who simply takes the holy name of Gaurasundara, Sri Krishna Caitanya, will immediately develop love of God.
Lord Nityananda Sings : bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga, laha gauranga namo re
ye jana gauranga bhaje, sei amara prana re
Worship Gauranga, chant Gauranga, speak about Gauranga day and night. Whoever serves Gauranga is as dear to me as my very own life.
by Tina Casey
The U.S. Marines recently made news for their innovative use of suitcase-sized portable solar energy systems, and now they’ve gone in the other direction, sizewise, with a new 1.4 megawatt solar array at Camp Pendleton. It’s the largest solar installation at a Marine Corps base, and one of the largest in San Diego County – and it also illustrates how the U.S. military is becoming a powerful green jobs generator.
Green Jobs and the U.S. Marines
The new installation features solar modules from industry leader Kyocera Solar, Inc., which is an offshoot of the Japan-based Kyocera Corporation. Back-office operations are headquartered in Arizona and California, but the real green jobs story is the company’s new photovoltaic factory in San Diego. The plant opened last June and produced the 6,300 solar modules for the Camp Pendleton system. All together, the system will generate about 2,400 megawatt-hours per year and save the Marine Corps about $336,000 in annual electricity costs.
Camp Pendleton and Sustainability
As reported by Eric Woff of North County Times, Camp Pendleton has become the “epicenter of new green construction.“ One example is a barracks upgraded for efficiency last year, which included replacing an inappropriate lawn with a water-conserving rock/tree garden, dual-flush toilets, Energy Star appliances, extra insulation, and a 50-kW rooftop solar installation among other features. Wolff notes that the base is also constructing water reclamation facilities and installing 1,ooo smart meters. Back in 2009, Camp Pendleton also made news for its recycling and alternative fuel vehicle programs.
The U.S. Military and Green Jobs
When you put together all that activity and multiply it by military facilities across the U.S., that adds up to a lot of employment for workers in green jobs fields, including geothermal and wind power. The U.S. taxpayer stands to benefit because, as illustrated by Camp Pendleton’s money-saving solar installation, the long term effect is to lower the military’s fuel costs. However, with Congress casting a stinkeye on the military budget, let’s hope those green jobs don’t wind up on the chopping block.
Filed under:
Cows and Environment
By Laksman Das for ISKCON News on 1 Apr 2011
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The ISKCON temple at Vrindavan celebrated the boat festival on 28 March 2011. The inner courtyard of the temple was filled with water and created a water pool. The pool was covered with variety of flowers artfully decorated. The floral decorations were wonderful, nobody wouldn’t have suspected a soft bottom below the flower carpet.
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Today is April fool's day but unfortunatley for many it is a chronic condition. Here are some interesting quotes from our Guru Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada.
And yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krsna as a person, but to "the unborn within Krsna." There is no difference between Krsna's within and without. And one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand Bhagavad-gita.
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport BG 2.7
It is said that a fool is undiscovered as long as he does not speak, and certainly a well-dressed fool cannot be identified unless he speaks, but as soon as he speaks, he reveals himself at once. The immediate symptom of a Krsna conscious man is that he speaks only of Krsna and of matters relating to Him.
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport BG 2.54
One who does not understand the instructions of the Gita is faithless, and is to be considered to be misusing the fragmental independence awarded to him by the Lord. In spite of such instructions, one who does not understand the real nature of the Lord as the eternal, blissful, all-knowing Personality of Godhead, is certainly fool number one.
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport BG 4.42
The mudhas are those who are grossly foolish, like hard-working beasts of burden. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor by themselves, and so do not want to part with them for the Supreme
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport BG 7.15
The commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide. No one can explain Bhagavad-gita, or give perfect knowledge of Krsna if he is envious. One who criticizes the character of Krsna without knowing Him is a fool.
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport 9.1
One who understands Krsna in such a way from a bona fide spiritual master and from Vedic literature, who engages all his energy in Krsna consciousness, becomes a truly learned man. In comparison to him, all others, who do not know Krsna properly, are but fools. Only a fool would consider Krsna to be an ordinary man. A Krsna conscious person should not be bewildered by fools; he should avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on Bhagavad-gita and proceed in Krsna consciousness with determination and firmness.
~ Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada's purport 10.8
So perhaps it is okay to act as a fool for a prank or two but the real purpose of life is not to be fooled with. We would be a fool to not take the shelter Srila Prabhupada has offered us. We were all fools before we met Srila Prabhupada and he has trusted these previous fools to now go about saving other fools that are drowning in maya.
Erin Anderssen
Globe and Mail Update
Consider this ethical dilemma: A doctor believes a fake pill might work better for your difficult symptoms – and have fewer side effects – than real medication. But it only works if she doesn’t tell you the truth. Should she do it?
In North America and Britain, medical associations have balked at the idea, saying that giving placebos without patient consent is unethical. (Even though previous studies suggest as many as half of the doctors in Britain, Denmark and the United States are doing so regularly. )
More related to this story
But the German Medical Association is actually recommending that doctors in that country do it more often, after a major study found that placebos often work – especially for chronic pain and depression, which can be hard to treat and often involve medications with severe side effects. (Placebos are usually made up of ingredients such as sugar or flour, though they may also be vitamins or herbal supplements.)
The British Medical Association has taken a strong stand again prescribing placebos, arguing that it would erode trust between patients and physicians. But the German doctors says that although placebos should not be used for illnesses such as cancer or broken bones, they can be effective in cases where some of the symptoms are subjective. Even then, they shouldn’t be used when other effective treatment exists, said Dr. Peter Scriba, chair of the German Medical Association’s advisory board.
And although doctors don’t have to use the word “placebo,” they should tell patients they are getting an unusual treatment. “You could tell the patient you have something that has helped other patients with their condition, and you consider it possible this treatment might help,” Dr. Scriba was quoted as saying in a Canadian Press story. (The American Medication Association, on the other hand, emphasizes that doctors can’t give placebos to deal with a difficult patient, or out of convenience, and then not without the patient’s knowledge. In Canada, a medical working group on ethics has previously suggested that using placebos in trials where an effective treatment exists is unethical.)
Ted Kaptchuk, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has done research that suggests it may not always be necessary for the patient to be kept in the dark.
In a small-scale study published last December involving 80 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, half were given no treatment while the other half knowingly took daily “sugar pills” stored in bottles labelled “placebo.” The fake meds appeared to work roughly as well as some of the most powerful medication for IBS.
Another study published last fall found that sexual satisfaction among women improved after taking a placebo to increase their sex drive.
If a fake pill could make you better, would you be okay with your doctor not telling you about it?
Filed under:
Health
April Newsletter – Six Items
1) The Devotee Care Team – will be meeting on Friday, April 1 at 6 p.m. in the Guest Prasadam Room to present current projects. We will be meeting for 1 hour and we have a number of items already on the agenda. If you have a specific idea for a Devotee Care presentation that you would like to make, please contact either M. Vidya at 304-845-5416 or M. Sukhavaha at 917-495-3646 to arrange a time slot.
This is an open meeting, so, if you are interested to learn what Devotee Care is about, or you are interested in participating / volunteering, please come. Your servant, Sukhavaha dd
2) Madri’s twice a month Holy Name gatherings at the Palace have been discontinued for the time being.
3) Kids Bhajans From M. Atma
Dear NV Community,
We are pleased to announce that our kids in the community have formed a NV Youth Group!!!!!!
And guess what??? Well… now there is going to be ecstatic bhajans and we have some mothers that have volunteered to prepare really nice prasadam for them and those who attend. Radha and Lalita gopi Mataji ki jaya!!!!!!!!!!!
Radha and Lalita, thank you so much for your support and your wonderful cooking!!!!!
If you have any questions, comments or concerns you may contact
Atma @ (304)845-6945
Harinam Sankirtan ki Jaya!!!!!!!
Thank You All Very Much!
Day:Tuesdays
Place: Temple Room
Time: 7:30 pm to 8: 45pm
4) Appreciations
As we warmly welcome Jaya Krishna to NV as a resident and at the helm of NV management, I would also like to thank Nityodita, JayaSri, and Rupanuga prabhus for their service in guiding the temple over the last several years, as well as Tattvadarsana for his management of the NV guest facilities.
5) Our prayers go out to Balabhadra prabhu and his family. He is at Ruby Memorial in Morgantown. The phone # posted at the temple for him is 304 598 4000 – William Dove.
6) The Final Word – The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine which you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form which is so dear. Gita 11:52
And PS:
If you have any items or announcements for May Newsletter, please get them to me at story108@juno.com by April 28. – ys, Sankirtana d.
Bhajan – 24hr Kirtan – Rupa Madhurya das
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