last updated 24th June 2007
 

Kazakhstani online petition

Kazakhstani online petition

By Radha Mohan Dasa

Please visit http://www.krishnatemple.com NOW and click the link to the new petition, or go straight to the petition webpage:

http://harekrishna.epetitions.net

Please sign it soon as you can, and please tell as many people as you can about it.

Background: Workers and police arrived on 15th June at the village near Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the embattled Hare Krishna commune is based to demolish twelve more Hare Krishna-owned homes. “The houses were literally crushed into dust. By ten o’clock it was all over,” said ISKCON spokesperson Maksim Varfolomeyev.

The temple, which the devotees have been ordered to destroy, has not been touched but the devotees fear it could be the next target. Human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis is outraged at the continuing destruction. “The authorities are showing that they will do what they want, despite the international outrage at the earlier demolitions of Hare Krishna-owned homes.” He believes the local administration chief “doesn’t care about the political damage to Kazakhstan’s reputation – or to its desire to chair the OSCE.”

ys Radha Mohan das

17th June 2007 - Devastating news from Kazakhstan. It is hard for me to express exactly how I am feeling, except to say that my head is reeling and I feel like I have just been kicked in the stomach. Suddenly, the reality of what has been going on there is hitting home. Hard.

Please pray for these innocent devotees, that they may manifest the strength to overcome this ordeal and that they may be blessed with justice and protection.

I will try to update and include some more personal stuff here in the future, but right now I have my hands pretty full. Here is the official letter to ISKCON I wrote on the situation:

Early today, the officials in Kazakhstan demolished more homes belonging to Hare Krishna devotees at the farm in Almaty.

This ten minute video gives an overview on the background of the situation in Kazakhstan.

[]Preliminary reports are placing the number of homes demolished today at twelve (added to the demolitions last November, that would bring the total to twenty-six homes destroyed). As before, the officials brought busloads of laborers and police officers with them, indiscriminately taking crowbars and sledgehammers to the homes. They threw personal possessions out into the street, even as the horrified devotees pleaded with them and begged for mercy. Mechanical diggers then moved in, literally "crushing the houses to dust."

[]We do not think that the (makeshift) temple or cow-barn have been demolished yet. However, local officials have included these buildings on their list of buildings to be demolished. This is especially troubling because the temple is the official site linked to ISKCON's registration as a religion in the country. Because of the way Kazakh law is structured, there is a possibility that if the temple structure is demolished, ISKCON will simply lose its right to exist legally in the country at all.

The latest report is available at http://www.Forum18.org, a religious freedom watchdog news agency.

Please keep checking the following sites for updates:
http://www.Forum18.org
http://www.KazakhKrishna.com
http://www.iskconcommunications.blogspot.com

His Holiness BB Govinda Maharaj is in the United States right now in order to raise awareness about (and funds for) the crisis in Kazakhstan. He is in Washington, D.C. right now with Anuttama Prabhu and they have had several successful meetings with high-ranking US officials and human rights advocates.

I will try my best to let you know more details as they emerge; right now, please inform everyone you know about the situation and request their prayers. Organized kirtan is always a nice idea in situations such as this.

Also, now it appears certain that the devotees will have to relocate very quickly and this requires substantial funds, so any financial help would be most welcome. You may help by contacting your local ISKCON temple about how to give donations, or by visiting http://www.palaceofthesoul.com and clicking on "Donate Online."

Please do NOT stage any protests or contact any officials without first coordinating it with our office.

on behalf of ISKCON Communications,
your servant,
Vyenkata Bhatta dasa

PS: BB Govinda Swami's inspirational words to the devotees in Kazakhstan:

"Take shelter of Krishna. Everyone should remain very brave and remain fixed in chanting the holy name. Pull together and take care of the devotees whose homes have been destroyed. What is being done is cruel and certainly not fair but we still have our lives….so tthose lives should be focused on serving Krishna and our consciousness should certainly not become like that of the people who are doing this. We are witnessing a rude exhibition of material consciousness – never beecome like that. Pull together, even more than you did last November. Make sure the homeless devotees have shelter and try to gather together their belongings. And by this try to understand how special devotee association really is…"

By BB Govinda Swami

MEDIA RELEASE - ISKCON COMMUNICATIONS

KAZAKH GOVERNMENT DEMOLISHES HINDU HOMES Persecution of Hindu minority continues despite international outcry, condemnation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; Date: June 15, 2007

Almaty ­ The government of Kazakhstan demolished twelve homes belonging to members of the Hare Krishna religion early this morning, leaving several families homeless. Government officials and twenty police officers observed while two busloads of hired laborers used sledgehammers and crowbars to systematically dismantle the homes. Later, industrial mechanical diggers reduced what remained of the structures to rubble.

Today’s attack virtually mirrored the government’s bulldozing of fourteen homes belonging to members of the Hindu minority group last winter. Both demolitions are part of what human rights advocates have characterized as blatant religious persecution.

“The authorities are showing that they will do what they want, despite the international outrage at the earlier demolitions,” human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis told Forum 18. According to Zhovtis, none of the other home owners in the village ­ many of whom have identical legal status as the Hindus ­ have had their homes destroyed. “Clearly they are attacking only the Hare Krishnas,” he said.

Despite their claims to the contrary, Kazakh officials appear fueled by religious intolerance. When Forum 18 asked Serik Niyazbekov, a senior religious affairs official, the basis for the government’s conflict with the Hindus, he responded by asking “Why did they choose to move here? They’re from India.”

Witnesses to the demolition described a grisly scene, with laborers breaking windows and tearing down walls even while residents ­ including several women and children ­ cried and pleaded for them to stop. Officials present ordered workers to continue the attack and to throw the homeowners’ possessions into the street.

“The houses were literally crushed into dust,” said shaken community spokesperson Maxim Varfolomeyev, who witnessed the horrific demolition.

Incredulously, today’s attack came a few days after an open letter from Aaron Rhodes, executive director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, chided the Kazakh government for “discriminatory attitudes towards the religious minority” and beseeched the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan to “ensure that no demolition of their homes be carried out.”

“New demolitions would mean that dozens of members of the community are rendered homeless,” Mr. Rhodes warned in his prophetic letter, dated June 8. “This would make Kazakh authorities liable for violations of international human rights provisions that guarantee the right to housing and protection against forced evictions.”

Kazakhstan’s past persecution of Hindus also elicited condemnation from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and even British Prime Minister Tony Blair. It was one reason Kazakhstan was refused in its bid to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2009. The latest attack, however, seems to indicate that local Kazakh officials are unfazed by a tarnished image. Human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis told Forum 18 that the local Hakim
(governor) “doesn’t care about the political damage to Kazakhstan’s reputation ­ or to its desire to chair the OSCE.”

In an ironic twist, a few hours before the demolition took place in Kazakhstan, at a Washington D.C. reception last night, representatives of the OSCE and human rights groups directly appealed to the Kazakh ambassador to protect the Hindu religious minority. Those appeals seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

For Hindu leader Govinda Swami, currently meeting with U.S. government agencies and human rights groups in Washington D.C., the need of the hour was to remind the Krishna devotees back in Kazakhstan to hold steadfast to their faith and take the moral highroad.

“What is being done is cruel and certainly not fair but we still have our lives,” he counseled them over the phone, “and our consciousness should certainly not become like that of the people who are doing this. We are witnessing a rude exhibition of material consciousness ­ never become like that. Pull together, even more than you did last November. Make sure the homeless devotees have shelter and try to gather together their belongings. And by this try to understand how special the power of community really is.”

For more information about the persecution of Hindus in Kazakhstan visit: http://www.KazakhKrishna.com

Hindu's Problems in Kazakhstan

Pictures of the destruction of Hindu homes and temple in
http://kazakhkrishna.com/en-fotoarchive/

News links:
http://kazakhkrishna.com/en-main/

Written by HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami

Dear Maharaj/ Prabujis/ Matajis,

It is my great pleasure to inform all the devotees of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that a great service opportunity has been offered by the temple authorities of Gambhira, in Puri dham, where Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spent the final years of His manifested pastimes on this earthly planet. Kasi Mishra's house, also known as Gambhira, and the Radha Kanta math, were both under the care of the Orissa government due to 20 years of litigation. Finally, this litigation problem has been resolved and the management of the institution has been returned to the temple mahanta.

The temple has sustained much damage over the years due to lack of proper maintenance. The whole place is very dirty and the roofs and walls are falling down. The temple roof is also cracking. Additionally, the temple has a lack of proper income for the maintenance of the devotees and for deity puja—and, of course, the more the Gambhira is allowed to deteriorate, the fewer visitors it will have.

At this crucial point, the mahanta of Gambhira has requested ISKCON to extend kind assistence to him in order to protect and maintain this most holy place. Devotees from all over the world come to offer their prayers and obeisances at Gambhira. This is one of the most important places for the followers of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and must be maintained nicely.

Thus, this is a golden opportunity for devotees to render service to this most sacred cause. I request all devotees to kindly donate towards this purpose. There are many things to be fixed at the place. For the time being we have prepared a rough budget, for whatever the most urgent needs are, just to bring the situation up to  survival position. Later on, we will let you know about further opportunities for service in the development of the Gambhira.

For further information contact

Bhakti Purusottama Swami

Phone: ++ 91 9434506434

E mail: bps@pamho.net

Imagine 60 Vedic Pandits from India, dressed in traditional white cotton dhotis and shawls, arriving at a small town after a long journey. The citizens of the city wave festive banners, ring bells and blow conches. The Pandits burst into a joyous, rhythmic chant as they enter their new home.

In ancient India, this would be a normal scene. But it's a surprising sight in the vast Iowa cornfields of modern America. This group of Vedic Pandits is the first to arrive in Maharishi Vedic City, and they are moving into a new campus prepared especially for their needs. They are here to participate in the Invincible America Assembly, an initiative to create peace and prosperity for America that started in July 2006.

"We're very happy to have them here," says Dr. Robert Wynne, Mayor of Maharishi Vedic City. "Their arrival fulfills the purpose of Maharishi Vedic City, a town designed to uphold Vedic principles. And by participating in the Invincible America Assembly, they're helping change the destiny of America."

The Tradition of Vedic Pandits

The Vedic Pandits have grown up in families that have maintained the tradition of Vedic recitation from generation to generation. "They start learning from a young age, and this is their profession," says Mayor Wynne.

He also points out that UNESCO has determined that the tradition of Vedic recitation is an international world heritage. When recited with the proper pronunciation and meter, the traditional melodies lead to positive effects in the surroundings.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation® program and the Global Country of World Peace, has instituted training programs to help preserve this tradition. The Vedic Pandits learn ancient Vedic technologies of consciousness to develop their total brain potential and create coherence and peace in society.

These Vedic technologies include the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi® programs, including Yogic Flying, and other procedures for enlivening Natural Law to create and maintain peace in the environment.

"The Vedic Pandits are Yogic Flyers, but they are also trained over many years in Vedic recitation," explains Mayor Wynne. "The Vedic recitation has many beneficial effects on the environment. The Vedic performances function from the Unified Field of Natural Law as do the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, and like those technologies, they improve positive trends and decrease negative trends in individuals and in society as a whole. The larger the group, the larger the effect."

Crowning America with Invincibility

The Vedic Pandits will be part of the Invincible America Assembly, which has created remarkable transformations in America since it started in July 2006. For example, the stock market has reached record highs, the United States has taken a major role in ending the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, and the U.S. government is adopting a more diplomatic, consensus-based approach to tensions with Iran and North Korea.

"We want to create an Invincible America—an America that disallows the birth of an enemy," says Mayor Wynne. "These Vedic Pandits have left their homes and traveled so far because they wanted to crown America with invincibility."

A vast amount of research published in major academic journals has shown that when large groups practice the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, the benefits to the nation are manifold. Positive trends in society increase—such as economic growth, improved health and social well-being. At the same time, negative trends decrease—such as crime, violence and war. Where there is greater coherence, there is less turbulence.

Research shows that even a small percentage of the population practicing these Vedic technologies can create this positive influence, which scientists have dubbed the "Maharishi Effect." In fact, it takes only the square root of one percent of the population of a country. For America, that number is currently 1,732 people to bring invincibility to the entire population of nearly 300 million.

"This initiative has been very successful," says Mayor Wynne. "So far 800 people have come to participate in the Invincible America Assembly, joining the 1,100 who already live in Maharishi Vedic City, Maharishi University of Management, and Fairfield."

That number includes 372 Vedic Pandits who arrived last fall and are housed temporarily at the University. The 60 Vedic Pandits who just arrived bring the total number of Vedic Pandits on the Assembly to 432, the largest group of Vedic Pandits ever to gather outside of India. The goal is to bring a total of 1,050 Vedic Pandits to Iowa.

"The Vedic Pandits magnify the positive effects because they not only practice Yogic Flying like the other assembly participants, but also create a very powerful wave of positivity with their Vedic recitation," says Mayor Wynne.

Groups of Vedic Pandits are also being sent to other countries to create invincibility there. "Small countries such as Norway or Ireland only need a few hundred people to create invincibility, so a group of a few hundred Vedic Pandits could secure their future," says Mayor Wynne. "With groups of Vedic Pandits in every country, the entire world can be transformed very quickly."

Putting the Veda in Maharishi Vedic City

This new group of 60 Vedic Pandits is the first to stay in the recently-completed campus in Maharishi Vedic City. "The entire campus is designed to allow the Vedic Pandits to maintain their traditional diet and daily routine," says Mayor Wynne.

The campus has an infrastructure in place for 100 homes, with a total of 500 homes planned for the 80-acre site. It also includes a 7,000-square-foot building with space for kitchen, dining and meditation halls, and a 6,000-square-foot assembly hall for the performance of Maharishi Vedic technologies for peace. When completed, the campus will house 1,050 Vedic Pandits, plus their staff and cooks.

The construction is progressing in record time, having just started last fall. Hundreds of volunteers have contributed to the project, helping with clean-up and preparation of the homes for the Vedic Pandits' arrival.

"This is a time of great fulfillment for Maharishi Vedic City," says Mayor Wynne. "Since its inception in 2001, the city has always wanted to have large groups of Vedic Pandits living here. Now Maharishi Vedic City will be an even more powerful lighthouse of peace and positivity for the entire nation."

------

To help complete the construction of the new campus for 1,050 Vedic Pandits and to support the costs of the Vedic Pandits coming to America, everyone is encouraged to make a tax-deductible contribution by sending a check to Vedic Pandits in America, Global Country of World Peace, 2000 Capital Boulevard, Maharishi Vedic City, IA 52556, or by making a secure Internet contribution at
http://globalcountryofworldpeace.net/vedicpandits.html.

British cops shine light on late-night lunacy By Paul Sims
June 07, 2007 01:03am

Link between full moon and violent crimes Some police sceptical about moon's effect Moon may also influence alcohol consumption

YOU might have always suspected it, but now it's been found to be true: a full moon brings out the worst in us.

A study by a British police force found cases of anti-social behaviour rose noticeably on the brightest nights.

"There is definitely a trend," Inspector Andy Parr of the Sussex police said.

"With each full moon the number of disturbances recorded increased significantly."

Insp Parr, who led the study, said its findings were too striking to dismiss as coincidence.

Violent crime increase with full moon

He compared the number of violent crimes recorded in the region last year with the date of each full moon and discovered a distinct correlation.

"It may be dismissed as an old wives' tale but there's plenty of other research to suggest that the moon has an impact on human behavioural patterns," he said.

In Queensland, however, senior police remain sceptical about the moon's effect on criminal behaviour.

'Urban myth'

State Homicide Group inspector Darryl Johnson said last year the full-moon phenomenon was nothing more than an unsubstantiated urban myth.

"I know the kids play up a bit when there's a full moon," he said.

"But officially, there's nothing to link the full moon to any out-of-the-ordinary activity."

However, some police have long held the view that the full moon made their lives a little busier.

Other studies have identified a link between full moons and extremes in human behaviour.

Binge drinking also affected

A study published by German scientists in 2000 claimed the full moon also sparked a rise in binge drinking.

They checked the police arrest reports and blood-alcohol tests of 16,495 offenders.

Most of those with an excess of 2ml of alcohol per 100ml of blood - drunk, under German law - had been caught during the five-day full moon cycle.

Another study, published in 1998, discovered an increase in violent incidents among the 1200 inmates at Britain's Armley Jail in Leeds during the days on either side of a full moon.

By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

The world stands in no need of any reformer. The world has a very competent person for guiding it's minutest happenings. The person who finds that there is scope for reform of the world, himself stands in need of reform. The world goes on it's own perfect way. No person can deflect it but the breadth of a hair from the course chalked out for it by providence. When we perceive any change being actually affected in the course of events of this world by the agency of any particular individual, we also know very well that the agent possesses no real power at any stage. The agent finds himself driven forward by a force belonging to a different category from himself. The course of the world does not require to be changed by the activity of any person. What is necessary is to change our outlook to this very world. This was done for the contemporary generation by the mercy of Sri Caitanya. It could be only known to recipients of His mercy.

The scriptures declare that it is only necessary to listen with an open mind to the name of Krishna from the lips of a bona fide devotee.

As soon as Krishna enters the listening ear, He clears up the vision of the listener so that he no longer has any ambition of ever acting the part of a reformer of any other person, because he finds that nobody is left without the very highest guidance. It is therefore his own reform, by the grace of God, whose supreme necessity and nature he is increasingly able to realise by the eternally continuing mercy of the Supreme Lord.

By Kesava Krsna dasa

Within this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, it should not surprise us to see friction between the disciple and spiritual master. Improper as it is, disciples sometimes cite a buzzword like ‘maturity’ to lend credence to their challenge, even in the public domain.

Is there such a thing as a legitimate challenge? If so, is there a time and place when and how to do so? If not, why do they occur? Is there any victor is such acrimony? Can they be disparate allies in the spiritual cause?

Being one of countless teeming living creatures sitting in a room within a building on a street, in a city within a country within a continent upon this globe earth, floating in space situated within the vast mystical stem of the lotus upon which Lord Brahma, our original universal spiritual master regularly meditates, we are told: “…Lord Chaitanya explained that of the many thousands and millions of living entities wandering in the material world, one who by the grace of Lord Krsna and the spiritual master gets the seed of devotional service is very rare and fortunate.”[TLC page 53]

Before taking initiation, the benefit of compatibility should help reduce any potential quarrel. Srila Prabhupada says, “…that acceptance of spiritual master must be selected you see, after careful examination, just like, one selects his bride or bridegroom after careful examination.” [BG 2.7-11, New York, March 2-1966]

A cautionary message is also sounded for aspirant sentimentalists who may be attracted to a spiritual master for all the wrong reasons, citing good looks, showy behavior, nice personality, powerful aura and the rest. Srila Prabhupada urges vigilance: “Yes. Blind following and absurd inquiries. These things are condemned in this verse. [BG 4.34] Blind following means “Oh, there is a swami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple.” [BG 4.34-39, Los Angeles, January 12-1969]

In the same lecture he gives the correct course of action: “Suppose you are going here. You are coming to learn something. When you are convinced that “Swamiji knows the thing,” when you are convinced, then you accept. Then you ask for initiation. Otherwise don’t do it hesitatingly or knowing half.”

Nowadays of course, in the physical absence of Srila Prabhupada, his disciples and some grand-disciples are eligible gurus. Among the numerous disciples, we find the younger ones tend to see their masters as maha-bhagavats, whilst the senior or mature followers or those who have witnessed guru fall-downs will still hold great respect, but see them as perfecting sadhakas.

In this case, can such rare good fortune be taken for granted? Is it correct that a mature vision which has realistically assessed things, conclude his spiritual master to be less than maha-bhagavat? Or would it be a hindrance to his spiritual life?

It will certainly be problematic when on this basis the disciple sees traits of bhrama, pramada, vipralipsa and karanapatava, thus expecting the guru to pass faulty spiritual judgments on the issues of the day. A ‘mature’ disciple may feel he can challenge the spiritual master.

This challenge need not be outside of usual policy making and managerial concerns where differences of opinion are common place. It is where a chronic matter has failed to be resolved to such an extent, the disciple feeling vindicated, wishes to amplify the matter to a wider audience, perhaps for commiseration and support. Is this a healthy case of freedom of expression? Or is it a motivated ruse to seek a moral victory over the guru?

The guru/disciple relationship works both ways, and the onus is on the guru to be above suspicion. By far the easiest way to achieve this is to be steeped in chanting the holy names. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as being a busy-body, or an excuse to be manually engaged as a cover for lack of taste in chanting. Constantly being absorbed in meetings and decision making, apparent contradictions - like saying one thing, and doing another - can cause confusion for disciples. Genuine disciples want their spiritual masters to be immersed in Nama-bhajana.

Still, humility is required by the disciple come what may. It can be difficult being humble if one is learned or very senior. It takes great strength to be genuinely humble. So the stronger devotees are the humble ones. Yet this foundation appears to be one way traffic with a proud disciple having to do all the groveling, can be a painful experience, especially if he thinks he knows as much or more than the guru. Is such a disciple blameless at all if he wishes to correct a perceived wrong?

Here are some answers to refute what would probably be a malevolent trend. As for observing faults like mistakes, illusion, cheating and imperfections we are advised in [NOI-6] not to do so, and in Krsna Bhajanamrta verse 39: “No one should find fault with a vaisnava for his activities or behavior. What person is free from the influence of Kali-yuga or has pure behavior and action?”

In verse 54 of the same work we find this: “If a father or spiritual master or husband are not possessed of outstanding qualities, even then they are always worshipable.” Since a disciple has committed himself for life, he has no option but to hold high regard; verse 43 says: “Among all vaisnavas the initiating spiritual master [diksha guru] and the instructing spiritual master [siksha guru] are special.”

Srila Prabhupada himself was occasionally challenged by some of his disciples, not that it would have surprised him too much. In the same 1969 speech, commenting on his own purport to BG 4.34 he states: “So inquire from him submissively. Where you cannot submit, if you think that “Oh, what is this spiritual master? I can challenge him.” Then there is no question of accepting as your spiritual master.”

Sometimes the association of the guru is appreciable, and sometimes not so, in which case a disciple had better keep a distance. In the western world we are taught to be assertive as befitting the ascending quest for perfection. The eastern way of submission and humility is seen as effete or cowardly. But subordination to the guru has to be ingrained. Srila Prabhupada reconciles these two approaches: “Yes. Clear understanding. Don’t accept anything. First of all there must be submissiveness, no challenge. But at the same time, you must clearly understand. Because you have submitted, it is not that you have to understand something dogmatic. No. Submission must be there, but at the same time, you should have clear understanding. This is science, not that if something is pushed and you are “Oh, my spiritual master has said; therefore I accept it.” That is fact, that you should, but at the same time, by inquiries, by inquisitiveness, you must clear everything.” [Same talk]

We take note how any misunderstanding ­ chronic or acute ­ has to be cleared by humble inquiry, preferably in private. In fact the only time a challenge can be issued is when and if ­ God forbid ­ a guru falls badly from the standard. If he becomes offensive, bewildered, is inexperienced or ignorant, who has deviated or is falsely proud, then [K.B’amrta ­ 59] recommends: “If the spiritual master commits a wrongful act breaking vaisnava regulative principles then in that case one should in a solitary place confront him for his rectification using logic and appropriate conclusions from sadhu, Sastra and guru references, but one is not to give him up.”

What happens if a guru in good standing is challenged in public by a disciple? It can only be an attempt to outwit or defeat the guru, because the end result of a challenge is victory. The result will be denigration of the spiritual master. [K. B’amrta 56] laments: “In this world, what kind of person is there who can remain alive at the expense of his father’s or guru’s defamation or disgrace?”

To do such a thing to one who has given the treasure of the holy name at initiation must confound reason, however strongly a disciple feels. Srila Prabhupada writes: “A bona-fide spiritual master chants the holy names ­ Maha mantra ­ and the transcendental sound vibration enters into the ear of the disciple, and if a disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the holy name with similar respect, he actually comes to worship the transcendental name.” [TLC page 204]

Even so, with intent for victory, will a disciple ever win a challenge? [CC Madhya 10-176]: “Brahmananda Bharati admitted that when there is an argument between the spiritual master and the disciple, the spiritual master is naturally victorious, although the disciple may put forth a strong argument. In other words, it is customary that the words of the spiritual master are more worshipable than the words of the disciple.”

If however there remains a persistent divergence of opinions, the quiet way is suggested, and the superiority of the guru can never be discounted; “Why are you asking about the same subject matter which has already been explained to you? Why are you so forgetful?” A spiritual master is always in the superior position, so he has the right to chastise his disciple this way.” [Krsna Book, chapter 28]

If a disciple is truly learned, he will relish hearing topics about Krsna as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exemplified; “The Lord further pointed out that because Sanatana was in Krsna consciousness, he was naturally, by the grace of Krsna, already conversant with everything. “Because you are a humble devotee,” the Lord continued “you are asking Me to confirm what you already know. This is very nice.” [TLC page 53]

By displaying humility a disciple creates a congenial atmosphere which can gladden the guru: “Thus the speaker and the audience [or disciple] is very intimately connected; the speaker is enlightened by the presence of the audience. The speaker, or master, can speak very nicely on transcendental subject matters before an understanding audience.” [TLC page 155]

If for 10,000 years of the golden age the Vedic tradition spearheaded by Iskcon is to flourish, we must nip in the bud any likelihood of dissent in this most sacred of relationships, lest we divert everyone’s path from Godhead to hell: “…if one thinks the spiritual master to be an ordinary man prone to die, is certainly a resident of hell.” I would rather we all go the other way.

Ys, Kesava Krsna dasa.

British Still Rule When it Comes to Chennai Cricket Club

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/06_2007/no-entry-in-dhoti-in-tn-cricket-club-42420.html

CHENNAI, INDIA, June 7, 2007: Chennai's prestigious cricket club is in the middle of a controversy for disallowing a civil servant entry because he was clad in a veshti--the traditional Tamil attire. But the club maintains its only maintaining its time-honored tradition by imposing the dress code. Even Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi might have to wear trousers if he's to enter the Tamil Nadu cricket association's club. At least that's what A. Narayanan figured out. the Congressman and advisor to the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj was denied entry into the club for a lecture all because he came in Tamil Nadu's most traditional attire. Narayanan says, "It's an insult to an Indian traditional dress. They have not insulted Narayanan. They have insulted a representative of the union ministry." Furious with the club's decades-old tradition, Narayanan's shot off a letter to the Chief Minister and is now launching a signature campaign against the TNCDA club. Several other big clubs in the city too have strong rules on dress code and Narayana's out to fight for the dhoti to be part of that code. While the TNCA club authorities did not comment on record they did admit that in the past even ministers have been asked to shed their dhoti and wear trousers before entering the club.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

From HH Bir Krishna Swami’s blog http://www.bkgoswami.com/Blog/Blog%2016,%20June%2015,%202007.html

That’s an interesting title for a Krishna conscious blog-”Love Yourself.”

Many devotees are under the impression that we should love Krishna and denigrate ourselves!

It is understandable that they think this way because there are many statements that one may misunderstand such as:
1. Thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street
2. The soul is one ten thousandth the tip of the hair in size
3. The individual soul is tiny
4. One should be selfless
5. Etc.

Also we may come in contact with people who in the name of Krishna consciousness authority denigrate us, telling us that we are useless, hopeless, fallen, degraded, in maya, sense gratifiers, bhogis, etc.

In addition we may be reminded about our past “wonderful” (vikarmic) activities in this world, and this remembrance will add to the negativity.

So, this negativity may culminate in a lack of self esteem and even self hate. This can lead to depression at worst and also deflate our enthusiasm to serve Krishna as we may be think that we are a “hopeless case.”

I am writing about this subject matter because many devotees have contacted or talked to me about this mental state. When I hear devotees talking like this it causes tears to come to my eyes because I know that all the devotees are very very dear to Krishna.

Even though ontologically we may be small-we are important to Krishna. We are not small in Krishna’s eyes.

Take the story of Gopa Kumar in the Brhad Bhagavatamrta for example. Krishna was feeling so much love for Gopa Kumar and so much hankering for his association in the spiritual world, that Krishna personally became Gopa Kumar’s spiritual master.

You may say that Gopa Kumar is a special devotee, and that is true. But, it is a fact that Krishna personally is the Caitya Guru of all of us residing in our hearts and personally takes the trouble to direct us to our spiritual master.

Even before we take to Krishna consciousness, Krishna is residing in the heart waiting for us to realize that our real happiness is in relating to Him rather than this external energy.

So, Krishna considers us significant, important, etc.

When Gopa Kumar finally goes back to Krishnaloka, Krishna faints in ecstacy upon receiving him. Even Krishna’s associates can not understand what is going on.

Krishna feels the same way about us.

There is an interesting statement in the Isopanisad (Mantra 6):

“He who sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.” So we are parts and parcels of Krishna. Therefore we should not hate ourselves. On the other hand since we are supposed to love Krishna we should love all his parts and parcels and that includes ourselves too!

What does that mean, to love oneself?

It means to picture or visualize or imagine how you want to be. Forget about all the negativity; whether the negativity comes from yourself or from others.

If you think negatively that is what you are meditating on and those thoughts will impede your spiritual life.

Here are some things you can think about:

1. Radha and Krishna love me and want me to be with Them in the spiritual world!
2. Taking care of my spiritual needs will not impede my spiritual progress
3. Taking care of my material needs will not impede my spiritual progress
4. I am an eternal soul, full of bliss and knowledge!
5. I have an eternal relationship with Radha and Krishna and will realize this relationship.

And don’t remain in a situation where others are denigrating you. You owe it to yourself and to Krishna to reject situations that are unfavorable for Krishna consciousness and accept favorable situations.

Have positive spiritual self-esteem!
From HH Bir Krishna Swami’s blog http://www.bkgoswami.com/Blog/Blog%2016,%20June%2015,%202007.html

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=palakmalik1&AW=1181847565921

MUMBAI, INDIA, June 15, 2007: As dusk falls on the corridors of one of the oldest temples in Matunga, chief priest M. V. Ganesh Shastry gently chides a youth squatting near him, "You haven't got the intonation right. Chant it once more." The 63-year-old Vedic practitioner warns the student that the holy chant becomes gibberish if an aksharam or letter is swallowed during the rendering. Perhaps it is this adherence to orthodoxy that has made Ganesh Shastry's career soar--the poor brahmin from a remote Melattur village in Tamil Nadu is today a high-profile family priest. City-based brahmin priests have transformed the 7,000-year-old ritualistic Vedic tradition into a profitable service industry, catering to all classes of people.

Apart from performing rituals at temples, the priests move from one suburb to another through the day and perform pujas, havans and yagnas for a fee ranging from a few thousand rupees to heftier undisclosed amounts. "I would never have made it this big if I had stayed back in my village,'' says Shastry sitting in his spacious three-bedroom apartment at Sion. Forty-six years ago, the priest left his village in Tamil Nadu which had nearly 400 brahmins eking out a living and burdened with a huge family responsibility. "I reached Bombay and slept at the entrance of this temple, which did not even have a proper roof," he recalls. He began doing pujas at the Ram temple at Matunga.

There are around 200 Vedic priests from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala who have settled down in Mumbai for the past three decades. They are affiliated to various temples and also carry out independent services according to the client's needs. Ganesh Shastry recalls, "Initially I would go to people's houses to perform religious ceremonies like the thread ceremony, shraadh, griha pravesh, and naming ceremony. It began as part-time freelance service, as I had to send money home." His erudition in the Krishna Yejurveda proved beneficial to him. "Over 13 generations in my family have been learning the Vedas," he says.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Antares is the 15th brightest star in the sky.  It is more than 1000 light years away.

The universe is so vast it is not comprehensible by the human mind.

It would be like an ant trying to understand the wonders of the Internet.  It can't be done.

The universe humbles us, as it should.

........AND this is just one little bit of one universe in material creation.............

A vegetarian banquet, right?

Wrong.

Find out...

Dalai Lama digs into veal, pheasant
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=605615
Nancy Stohs

It's a question most chefs never get the privilege of pondering:

What to serve the Dalai Lama?

In Milwaukee chef Sandy D'Amato's case, the answer was veal.

Veal?

Despite expectations that a vegetarian feast would be in order, the team of chefs assembled to cook for His Holiness on his recent visit to Madison was given no such instruction, said Catherine McKiernan, executive chef at the Madison Club, where the elaborate luncheon was held.

The Dalai Lama is, it turns out, a meat lover.

And so the five-course menu, served to about 60 people on May 3, including the guest of honor, his entourage and assorted citizens, included a stuffed pheasant breast, D'Amato's slow-cooked veal roast with scalded morels and escarole, and an asparagus soup with a chicken stock base.

A cured fish appetizer, mixed green salad, eggplant-and-chickpea entrée, and three full-size chocolate desserts completed the menu.

Created and coordinated by Jim Walsh, a Wisconsin native who attended UW-Madison, the luncheon cost $500 to $1,000a head and was a fund-raiser for the Deer Park Buddhist Center and Monastery near Madison.

Walsh is the founder and CEO of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, a premium chocolate whose trees were blessed by the Dalai Lama and whose chocolate was the first ever eaten by the spiritual leader.

Fittingly, his latest product, Intentional Chocolate, is a dark chocolate that's engineered to promote "an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being" in those who consume it.

Walsh told D'Amato he picked him to be on the chef team after eating at Sanford Restaurant in Milwaukee.

He was looking for restaurants that had a zen-like feel, where the service and food and ambience "all made sense together."

Sanford measured up, as a place where "nothing seemed forced," and it seemed as though "everything was meant to be there."

D'Amato may not have put "zen" and "Sanford" in the same sentence before, but he was duly flattered.

The other chefs were Shawn McClain from Chicago's Spring Restaurant, Green Zebra and Custom House and John Gadau and Phillip Hurley, co-owners and chefs of Sardine and Marigold Kitchen restaurants in Madison.

They weren't operating completely in the dark about their honored guest.

They knew the Dalai Lama eats only breakfast and lunch, and that his vows prohibit him from eating anything after 1 p.m.

"Everything had to be seasonal and local and Wisconsin-themed, as it were," McKiernan said, noting the presence on the menu of pea shoots, pheasant and "a lot of asparagus."

D'Amato's veal came from Strauss Veal in Franklin.

For security reasons, the chefs didn't know exactly when the exiled leader would show up. They were told it could be 11:15 or 11:45 a.m., 12:15 or 12:30 p.m.

The chefs also had been briefed on Dalai Lama protocol: Never turn your back on him. Don't touch him. Don't speak to him unless he speaks to you.

Right around noon, D'Amato was heading downstairs to the kitchen, one level below the dining area, to check on his food.

Halfway down, he met His Holiness heading up the stairs.

"So I did kind of a little moonwalk backward all the way up and smiled," D'Amato said.

The chefs had hoped it would be possible to get a photograph with him but were not planning to press the issue.

When the Dalai Lama saw them all standing behind the table of food, the Dalai Lama said, "Oh, the cooks! Picture! Picture!" D'Amato recalled.

"He grabbed my hand and another other fellow's . . . " and the proof is printed in this newspaper.

And how did His Radiance like the food?

With all due respect, "he chowed down," D'Amato said.

In addition to the veal dish and a Warm Bittersweet Intentional Chocolate Tart with Coffee Ice Cream, D'Amato brought bread for the meal from his Harlequin Bakery.

"He ate nine pieces of bread," the chef said.

The Dalai Lama commented later that everything was really delicious, D'Amato said, asking how this dish and that were made. And, he noted approvingly, "it's good quantity."

Ashley Walsh of Los Angeles, Jim Walsh's daughter and co-coordinator of the luncheon, sat at the Dalai Lama's table.

"He pretty much lapped up every single plate that he had put in front of him," she recalled. "He loves food; he likes good food."

Before this, the biggest luminary D'Amato had cooked for was Julia Child, on her 80th birthday. For McKiernan, it was Al Gore.

By comparison, McKiernan said, "This was much more intense. It was nerve-wracking. There was more security here for the Dalai Lama than there was for Al Gore."

"This was the biggest thing I've ever been involved in," D'Amato echoed. "It was really exciting when he came in.

"You listen to him speak . . . he just transcends politics and religion. What he's saying is . . . all about compassion and love and getting rid of your anger. And everything that is bad in the world was created by man, so man can fix it all."

D'Amato had brought along a copy of the Dalai Lama's latest book, "How to See Yourself As You Really Are," hoping to get the author's signature.

The Dalai Lama obliged - but first he referenced the title and laughed.

"He has this real infectious giggle," D'Amato said. "He said, 'Look, there's no "self" in Buddhism, and this is my book.' "

Nevertheless, he signed it, addressing D'Amato and his wife, Angie, with a message in Tibetan. He translated it as: "I hope the two of you have wonderful success and wonderful happiness in all of your lifetimes."

Yes, that last word is plural.

D'Amato said he's always believed he'd come back in his next life as a food.

"Maybe a hot dog."

http://hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4e4d6d35-ef7f-4e42-808c-589ea4540202&MatchID1=4464&TeamID1=10&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1109&MatchID2=4466&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=4&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1110&PrimaryID=4464&Headline=Google+to+digitise+books+at+Mysore+varsity

MYSORE, INDIA, May 21, 2007: At least 800,000 books and manuscripts, including India's first political treaties the "Arthasastra" written in the 4th century BC by Kautilya, that are lying in Mysore University in Karnataka, will be digitized by Google, the world's leading internet search engine. "Written in both papers and palm leaves, there are around 100,000 manuscripts in our library, some dating back to the eighth century. The effort is to restore and preserve this cultural heritage for effective dissemination of knowledge," said J Shashidhara Prasad, vice chancellor of the university. "Many manuscripts on Ayurveda, mathematics, medicine, science, astrology and economy including Arthasastra and several paper manuscripts of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore will be digitized first," Prasad said. Written either in Sanskrit or Kannada, these resources of knowledge would be patented (we think they mean copyrighted) and printed after the digitization work is over , Prasad said. "Depending upon the exclusivity of the materials, we will patent them before making them available on public domain," he said, adding that Google has offered them free service. "Google has offered to digitize these manuscripts as well as 700,000 other books free of cost. Google India chief, Eric Schmidt had already interacted with us and is ready to provide us expertise, software and even manpower," Prasad said, adding that they have also received some financial assistance from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the digitization work.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Vedic World Heritage links:

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
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This article was sourced from His Holiness Sivarama Swami's website. http://www.sivaramaswami.com/?p=1308

The phenomenon of something changing from material to spiritual is an extraordinary one, but it is something we as devotees are involved in daily—often several times a day. It happens when prasadam (unoffered food) becoming prasadam, or food sanctified by the Lord.

When I was a new devotee in Montreal, we arranged a program that was to be given on campus at McGill University. The leaflet advertising the program read, “See matter transformed into spirit before your very eyes.” That title certainly drew interest from a lot of people.

During the program, the temple president was giving the presentation, and he was leading up to this point. Finally he said, “OK, now it’s going to happen. You are going to see spirit manifest before your very eyes.”

The students were sitting on the edge of their seats. The plate of unoffered food, which was the feast for that day, was brought in and placed in front of a picture of Panca-tattva (Lord Chaitanya and His four main associates). A devotee then bowed down, rang the bell, and uttered some mantras.

Finally he stood and declared, “Here it is! We brought in ordinary food, and now it’s transformed into spiritual substance.”

And before anyone could challenge, he said, “The proof will be that you eat it now and see the effect that it has.”

As Krishna says, pratyakshavagamam dharmyam: “The principle of religion is understood by direct experience.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.2), or in this case, the proof is certainly in the tasting. Those who have tasted Krishna’s prasadam know that it has extraordinary potency, and eating it is a very different experience from eating food that isn’t offered to the Lord with love and devotion.

So when does prasadam become prasadam? When it is offered, certainly. But for an offering to be successful, it must be accepted. When Krishna accepts what we offer to Him, it becomes prasadam. The word prasadam means “mercy,” and in the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says, prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate: “Receiving the mercy of the Lord destroys all misery.” Therefore, when we eat (or, as we say, honor) prasadam, we feel elated. prasadam destroys the results of our past sinful activities. Rupa Goswami says it makes us feel “very auspicious.”

And what is it that is really being accepted? Is it the foods itself? Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26),

patram pushpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahritam
ashnami prayatatmanah

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” He says, “I accept the bhakti.” You may offer a leaf, a flower, fruit, milk, or ghee-cooked preparations, but the devotion is what carries those preparations to Krishna, and that’s what makes Him inclined to accept it. Sri Ishopanishad (Mantra 5) tells us, tad dure tad v antike: although Krishna is very far away, He is also very close. So wherever we are when we offer something to Krishna, devotion brings Him right to us.

We should recognize, however, that not all offerings are on the same level; they depend on the nature of the devotee. Although there are many ways to categorize devotees, in this case we may consider three types: motivated, pure, and love-saturated devotees. Consequently, their offerings will fall into one of these three categories.

The Motivated Offering

A motivated offering is when something is offered to Krishna with the idea that some material benefit will come in return, such as liberation from material suffering: “If I give this to Krishna, I’ll be prosperous, I’ll be healthy, my children will find suitable spouses,” and so on. Or someone might desire to be free from suffering, or to recover from an illness—this is offering with motivation. But even that motivated offering can be done in two ways. If it is done through the guru-parampara, the succession of gurus, then Krishna will accept it, because pure devotees are very merciful, and to elevate motivated devotees they beseech Krishna to accept their meager offerings. In other words, it is the purity of the devotees in the guru-parampara that transforms the impure offering into a pure offering. If a motivated person just makes an offering whimsically, however, not through a guru-parampara, then the offering doesn’t become prasadam but remains prasadam. Yet still such offerings have value in the sense that the person is thinking, “At least I am offering this to Krishna.”

Of course, whatever way people think of Krishna is beneficial. Akama, sarva-kama, moksha-kama: without material desires, full of material desires, or desiring liberation. In each case they become gradually purified. But unless Krishna exercises some extraordinary mercy, He doesn’t accept food offered with ulterior motives. Yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi: “Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement.” (Gurvashtaka 8th verse) Krishna won’t accept something unless it comes through the guru-parampara.

An interesting question often arises regarding congregation members or new devotees who are not initiated but who are making offerings: Are the offerings prasadam or prasadam? In this case we should consider the potency of the disciplic succession. The disciplic succession is not restricted to initiated devotees. If someone receives an instruction from an authorized Vaishnava to offer food, then Krishna will accept their offering. Krishna won’t reject their sincere approach, because such persons are, in effect, accepting the guru-parampara even though they have not yet gone through the process of diksha.

The Pure Offering

The second type of offering is the pure offering, when a devotee offers something to Krishna to please Him. A devotee has no selfish motives; he only wants please the Lord. Therefore at home he offers food to a picture, to a deity, to a shalagrama-shila. And in the temple, pure-hearted pujaris try to please Gaura-Nitai and Radha-Krishna. But even in this category there are two types of offerings: regulated and spontaneous. Regulated offerings are done out of duty, following all the rules and regulations. The other also involves the devotee doing everything just right, but out of a spontaneous attachment to the Lord. Such a devotee has a certain degree of affection, and the dominant thought is not one of obligation—”I will do this because I’ve been instructed to by guru and shastra.” Yet by doing things according to guru and shastra, devotees awaken their natural attraction to Krishna and perform spontaneous acts of devotion out of affection. This affection is a little different from mature love, spiritual love, but it is genuine. Still, both these pure offerings have to be made through the guru-parampara.

The prasadam is also different in this category. When you offer something to Krishna out of duty, He accepts it out of duty. He feels duty-bound. In the Bhagavad-gita (3.24) Krishna says, “If I didn’t follow the rules and regulations, then other people would be misled.” Krishna is acting out of duty. But Krishna considers that of all the devotees who are surrendered to Him, the one who is offering things to Him with affection is most dear to Him. Consequently, Krishna reciprocates in kind: He responds with loving affection toward that devotee.

Naturally the question arises, Are there different kinds of prasadam? And the answer, then, is yes. Krishna says, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamyaham: “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” (Bg. 4.11) According to the quality and quantity of devotion with which one makes an offering to Krishna, that offering proportionately becomes prasadam. It is interesting to note that a devotee’s ability to taste prasadam will also be in proportion to his or her ability to offer prasadam. In other words, devotees will taste the spiritual nature of prasadam in the same degree they are manifesting devotion in the offering.

The Offering in Pure Love

The third kind of offering is that which is done with pure love. When devotees come to the stage of loving devotion, Krishna directly accepts offerings from their hands, and He reciprocates with them in kind. Loving devotion is that which is exhibited by Krishna’s eternal associates in the spiritual world, where He is directly engaged in tasting all the types of love His devotees offer.

So what is it that’s different, and how is it that prasadam becomes spiritual? The food looks the same before and after the offering, but what actually happens is that Krishna reciprocates with the devotion of the devotee by manifesting His svarupa-shakti, or His daivi-prakriti, His internal spiritual potency, to the degree that the devotee allows. By “allows” I mean to the degree the devotee wants, or to the degree that he manifests a quality and quantity of devotional service. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in Jagannatha Puri and tasted Jagannatha prasadam, He became overwhelmed by the ecstatic taste of the prasadam. He glorified the prasadam and could directly taste the saliva of Krishna’s lotus lips mixed in with the food. He went on to glorify the effect of the touch of Krishna’s lips.

This is what happens when someone in loving devotion tastes food that has been offered to the Lord. And in this case, no doubt, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s ability to taste the potency of the prasadam exceeds that of the brahmanas who offered it to Lord Jagannatha. But, still, that prasadam is Krishna’s internal potency. It is non-different from Krishna, and it is dynamic. A loving devotee may taste more of the spiritual potency present in prasadam than was originally manifest to the pujari who offered it.

We may also consider the examples of Prahlada Maharaja and Mirabai: Both were given poison to drink, but because of their great loving devotion, the poison was transformed into nectar and had no effect. Why is that? Because both poison and nutritious food are part of the relativity of this material world. But when we offer something with love to Krishna, then Krishna’s sac-cid-ananda potency manifests in that food. In this way, poison becomes as much prasadam as a pakora does.

Offering Our Lives

We shouldn’t think, however, that an “offering” is simply the prasadam or food we offer to Krishna. Devotees make their entire life an offering:

yat karoshi yad ashnasi
yaj juhoshi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurushva mad-arpanam

Krishna is saying, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bg. 9.27) Ultimately every breath a devotee takes is an offering: when devotees sleep because they need to maintain their bodies for Krishna’s service, then that sleep becomes an offering to the Lord; their eating to maintain their bodies so they can remain healthy to serve Krishna is an offering to the Lord; when they receive anything—food, soap, money—all of these things are offered to Krishna. In New Vraja Dhama (the devotee farm community in Hungary) anything the devotees acquire or receive, they first offer to Radha-Syamasundara, the presiding deities, on a tray that sits before the altar. In this way the practice of offering everything to Krishna becomes natural.

We should learn how to offer everything. We rise early in the morning, and the first thing we do is offer prayers to the Lord. We chant Hare Krishna not as entertainment but as an offering to glorify Krishna. And when someone lives like that, then in one sense the act of making the offering becomes unnecessary (although devotees do it to set the example) because such devotees are always absorbed in doing everything for Krishna. Therefore, yo me bhaktya prayacchati—the bhakti is already there, and Krishna is very eager to receive it. In fact, Krishna follows behind devotees to accept their loving devotion every moment of the day, in every movement of their bodies, and in every thought they manifest in relation to their devotional service to Him.

Ultimately this is what we aspire for, and this is what loving devotees do: they live for Krishna, and thus everything they do becomes Krishna conscious—it becomes prasadam. The cowherd boys simply sit down with Krishna and eat from their lunch packs—they don’t make any offering to Krishna. When they offer something to Krishna, they take from their lunch packs and put it right in Krishna’s mouth. Or they may even bite off half a sweetball and then say, “Oh, Krishna, just see how wonderful this sweetball tastes!” and put the rest in Krishna’s mouth. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati: it’s just their love. The formality and technicality of offering is no longer relevant, because what Krishna really wants is the love and devotion. That’s all that actually interests Him. And whether Mother Yashoda offers her breast milk, the gopis offer their bodies, the cows offer their milk, the cowherd boys wrestle and jump on Krishna’s shoulders—everything becomes prasadam because everything is an offering of love.

Our business in Krishna consciousness, therefore, is to live in this world of prasadam and thereby become prasadam ourselves. This is what Krishna concludes in the Bhagavad-gita (4.24) when He says, brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam …: “A person who is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities.” If we’re thinking about offering everything to Krishna, if our physical acts are an offering to Krishna, if our words are an offering to Krishna, then ultimately we become an offering to Krishna. Then we become prasadam. And Krishna is always very eager to taste the wonderful mellows of our loving offerings to Him.

See our World Vegetarian Day Newsletters 2004 - 2005 - World Vege Day

See similar articles at Vegetarianism & beyond:
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By flapping its wings, each goose creates an upwind for the ones following it. Flying in a V-formation allows the flock to fly seventy-one percent further than would be possible for an individual goose.

Lesson 1: People who share a common direction and a sense of community reach their goal more quickly and easily, because they benefit from the energy of others.
 

Whenever a goose swerves out of formation, it immediatly becomes aware of the resistance present when one bird flies alone and quickly reenters the formation, in order to be able to use the lift caused by the preceding geese.

Lesson 2: If we are as sensible as a goose is, we will stay in formation with those wanting to go to the same place we do, and we accept their support in the same way in which we are willing to support the others.
 

When the lead goose becomes tired, it falls back and another goose takes the lead position.

Lesson 3: It pays to relieve one another working and to take turns in the leadership position.
 

The geese flying in the rear rally the ones flying up front with their calls.

Lesson 4: We should be sure of the encouragement resulting from our rallying calls.
 

When a goose is sick or wounded and is no longer able to fly, then two other geese leave the formation and accompany it on its way down in order to help and protect it. They stay with the goose until it can either fly again or until it dies. Then they join another formation and try to catch up to their own flock again.

Lesson 5: Sangha members should feel secure that they are not abandoned by their spirituel family. When faced with a serious illness, physical or mental problems, they can rely on the support of experienced and sympathetic Sangha friends.

See similar inspirational snippets HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/parables.htm

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http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-yoga.html

World Vegetarian Day October 1st yearly &
World Vegetarian Awareness Month of October yearly
...please visit our links and see what you can do to help

World Smoke Free Day
31st May Every Year 

http://www.be-free.org/b-media/market-bfree03/cinema.php

yeah kick the butt
...and remember from 10th December 2004 no more smoking in public places in New Zealand by law