Newsletter Number #143  ( Xmas issue 2004 A.D. Gaurabda 518)
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm
http://welcome.to/hknetworks

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ki jaya

WeWishYouaHareKrishnas
Please play the following URL:
http://web.icq.com/shockwave/0,,4845,00.swf

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Please Accept My Respectful Obeisances & Best Wishes To All

_0____,

All Glories To Srila Prabhupad.

\o/
(_)
/ \ All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

Welcome to the latest re-vamped edition of the on-line HKSRNewsletter, and our humble attempt to render some service to the devotee community. As you can see we've changed the format, and everything is here hyper-linked on-line, we hope it's now easier for you all. This newsletter now goes out to way over 2108 receivers. We trust that all is well with everyone by the Mercy of the Lord. However, if anyone would like to be removed please just send us a message requesting me to do so, and we will do it promptly. If you are receiving this from a friend, and would like to be added directly to the mailout please also let us know and we will do the needful there too. Removal and Subscription details at the very end of this newsletter.

Hare Krishna. =>B-) JTCd

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The Nectar in this Issue 

See the events on Interactive Calendar site for details:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2002-2003.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

Vaishnava Calendar for 2005-2006????
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2005-2006.html
(some selected locations are available already below)

Download the Vaishnava Calendar software VCAL 4.01

Local temples

Words of Wisdom - Shastra & Shastrakaras speak:
... (Srila Prabhupad & the previous Acharyas)
... Coming Festivals
... Local temples
... Verses from Shastra
... Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
... Hare Krishna as ancient religion - NOT a cult
... Vaishnava Songs
... Samskaras and Agama Tantra
... Articles - Topical links
... Vedik revival - Vedik World Heritage
... Xmas Expose

Advertisements - what's on where: check them out...
... Cyber Community Notice Board
...lastest important news items !!!!

... Hare Krishna School in Auckland
... Ayurvedic health - and seminars - Radiance Ayurved has new site
... Fire Safety - Water Safety - Internet Safety
... Singles - Hare Krishna Singles - Vegetarian Singles - Marriage Compatibility checking
... FREE CD Rom
... Sri Shalagram Tirtha Pradarshini web-site and new newsletter
... Vegetarianism and Beyond site gets re-vamped
... Gaura Yoga - Wellington
... The Loft Auckland
... The new Auckland Temple now open
... and much more
At Grass Roots: Topical stuff
... Ho Ho Ho ...Seasonal Greetings...Happy Xmas...Happy Hanukkah & Chanukah...Happy 2005
... Have a Happy Year - Gaurabda 518

Prasadam Recipes: To slake the thirst of body, mind & soul
... some really useful Vege links and support
... inspiring Vegetarian articles
... Eggless cooking - baking - cakes
... Vegetarian Cheeses - new page (try the Tuxford range...)(updated August 2004)
... Vegetarian clubs
... Hare Krishna Food For Life - local and international food relief
... check out the new Ekadasi recipes link
... 101 reasons to be a vegetarian
... Meat substitutes - Tofu - Soy - TVP - tempe recipes
... White Sugar free from bone char in NZ
... FREE Meet your Meat CDRoms
... How to offer your food to God
... You mean that's in the Bible?
... visit our Vegetarianism and Beyond Award winning web-site
... Kurma's new web-site
... The Meatrix
... Xmas survival recipes

Krishna conscious - Vedikly acceptable jokes:
... cut loose have a laugh
... serious therapy in humour !!!
... did U ever wonder -  Ways of the world - Strange but true

Thanx 2 our sponsors and supporters:
... sponsorship and support
... add or remove - sub or unsub
... HELP !!!
... donations welcome

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On the WWW News, Events and Views

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New Zealand Hare Krishna
Spiritual Resource Network
Check Out Our Main-index page
Easier to Navigate - Faster Loading
Lots of NEW links ....HEAPS !!! New Format & Layout ...have a surf !
NZ Hare Krishna Spiritual Resource Network Main Index:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

Archana, Articles, Astrology, Audo files, Books, Calendars, Community, Downloads, E-cards, Education, Family, Food For Life, Harenama, Health, InterFaith, Iskcon, Jesus, Krishna, Karma, Lofts, Maori, Marketplace of the Holy name, Marriage Compatibility, Meditation, New Zealand centres, Prasadam, Questions and Answers, 4 Regulative Principles, Salagram.net, Self Help, seX-files, Srila Prabhupada, Temples world-wide, Varnashram Dharm, Vedik Culture, Vegetarianism & Beyond, Weather, X-poses, Yoga, Youth Forums, Zips.......and much much more !!!!!

http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

http://welcome.to/hknetworks

So much more to be found there too... HEAPS of New sites/links
last updated on 25th November 2004

Simply the Cheapest & Best

Now you can view the FULL years 1999-2000 & 2000-2001 & 2001-2002 & 2002-2003 & 2003-2004 & 2004-2005.
All Calendar entries are explained - Appearance or Disappearance
days, festivals, fasts, feasts, etc.

View previous years festival dates on the Calendar:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2001-2002.htm
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2002-2003.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html
Vaishnava Calendar for 2005-2006????
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2005-2006.html
(some selected locations are available already below)

The present year's calendar:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

Sri Katyayani vrata ends

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada - Disappearance  - Tirubhav (Fasting till noon)

Sri Devananda Pandit - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Fasting for Saphala Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 7th January 2005  in NZ)

Sri Mahesa Pandit - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Uddharana Datta - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Locana Das Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Srila Jiva Goswami - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Jagadisa Pandit - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Makara Sankranti (Sun enters Capricorn)
Makara Sankranti all about Makara sankranti

Fasting for Putrada Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 21st January 2005  in NZ)

Sri Jagadisa Pandit - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Krsna Pusya abhisheka

Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Jayadeva Goswami - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Locana Das Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Fasting for Sat-tila Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 5th February 2005  in NZ)

Sri Ganga Sagara Mela

Sri Vasanta Pancami

Srimati Visnupriya Devi - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Srimati Sarasvati Puja

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Raghunandana Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Raghunatha Das Goswami - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Kumbha Sankranti (Sun enters Aquarius)

Sri Advaita Acarya - Appearance  - Avirbhav (Fasting till noon)

Sri Bhismastami

Sripad Madhvacarya - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sripad Ramanujacarya - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Fasting for Bhaimi Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 20th February 2005  in NZ)

Sri Varaha Dvadasi - Appearance of Lord Varaha deva
(The fast is observed till noon on the Ekadasi)(Feasting is done today.)

Sri Nityananda Trayodasi - Appearance of Nityananda Prabhu (Fasting till noon - 22nd Feb in NZ)

Sri Krsna Madhura utsava

Srila Narottama Das Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Srila Gour Govinda Swami -- Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupad - Appearance  - Avirbhav (Fasting till noon)

Fasting for Vijaya Ekadasi- (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 7th March 2005  in NZ)

Sripad Isvara Puri - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Shiva Ratri - Appearance Day of Lord Shiva

Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Rasikananda - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces)

Fasting for Amalaki vrata Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 21st March 2005  in NZ)

Sripad Madhavendra Puri - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Holi

Sri Krishna Chaitanya (Gauranga) Mahaprabhu - Appearance - ( 26th March 2005 in NZ )
Gaura Purnima - (Fasting Ekadasi style untill moonrise)

Jatakarma Festival of Srila Jagannatha Misra for Birth of Baby Lord Chaitanya

This year's also now available for viewing:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

All Calender information HERE
http://www.hknet.org.nz/CalendarWhosWho-page.htm

http://panjika.pagehere.com/

Check out the Ekadasi pages with links to every Ekadasi:
(also find out from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada what is, and what constitutes a mahadwadasi)
Find out about Dwadasi and Mahadwadasi here:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/dvadasi.htm

NEW EKADASI RECIPES:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/ekadasi-page.htm

kasmad ekadasi jata tasyah ko va vidhir dvija
kada va kriyate kim va phalam kim va vadasva me

ka va pujyatama tatra devata sad-gunarnava
akurvatah syat ko dosa etan me vaktum arhasi

"Oh Gurudeva! When did Ekadasi take birth and from whom did she appear? What are the rules of fasting on the Ekadasi? Please describe the benefits of following this vow and when it should be followed. Who is the utmost worshippable presiding deity of Sri Ekadasi? What are the faults in not following Ekadasi properly? Please bestow your mercy upon me and tell about these subjects, as you are the only personality able to do so."

Find out what was said HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/ekadasi-page.htm

Download yourVaishnava Calendar and make a hard copy for this
last year's ( 2003-2004 AD - 517 Gaurabda ) from our site:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html

This present year ( 2004-2005 AD - 518 Gaurabda ) from our site:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

Vaishnava Calendar for 2005-2006????
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2005-2006.html

Vaishnava Calendar Program Vcal 4.01 FREE Download, and make your own Calendar for 2004-2005:
http://www.iskcon.org/calendar/vcal401.zip

or if you can't do that and you'd like a 2004-2005 Calendar for your longitude, latitude and time zone ANYWHERE in the world I can do that for you and e-mail it to you - FREE    Vaishnava Calendar Software 4.01

MAKE YOUR OWN CALENDAR FOR YOUR LOCATION,
no more dodgy calendars/panchangas/panjikas from India

...some already made for you http://www.hknet.org.nz/Cals2005-2006-World.html

Vaishnava Calendar maker for your region - on-line:
http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/vcalndx.pl

Astrologically/Astronomically Accurate and FREE

Please download the software from:
http://www.iskcon.org/calendar/vcal401.zip

How to use the VCAL calendar program:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VcalHow2use.html

mailto:jtcd@xtra.co.nz

Vaishnava Calendar maker for your region - on-line:
http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/vcalndx.pl

Festivals on the Vrindavan Calendar
http://www.naturalnirvana.com/Braja-Mandala/Braja-Mandal-Files/Braja-Vrindavan-Festivals.htm

Time Zones and Countries World-wide:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Here's a few Vaishnava Calendar locations around the World friends asked for us to post !!

Newsletters:
Do you get the Hare Krishna Newsletter from Auckland?
If not send a message to Mother Madri to add yourself to their list:
mailto:madri@pamho.net
mailto:harekrishnanews_auck-owner@yahoogroups.com

See Auckland's latest newsletter HERE:

Christchurch Temple Times:
mailto:nitail@zfree.co.nz

Wellington Temple Newsletter:
mailto:jagjeevandas.mvgm@paradise.net.nz

Gaura Yoga Centre (Wellington) newsletter:
mailto:gaurayoga-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

...and across the ditch in Aus': 
Brisbane temple newsletter
to subscribe - mailto:brisbane@pamho.net

Melbourne Temple F.O.L.K. News Daily Newsletter/diatrobe:
http://anitest.manilasites.com/

Sydney Temple Newsletter:
http://www.iskcon.com.au/Mailing_list.html

Other Journals, Newsletters, & KC Blogs:
Aniruddha's blog:
http://www.iskcon.net.au/aniruddha/

Ekendra's Mrdanga
http://www.gopinatha.net/journalKC/index.php
This is my new journal where I hope to contribute something worth reading to the world. The inspiration for this comes from Nectar of Devotion wherein it is stated that to reveal one's mind in confidence is one of the loving exchanges between Vaisnavas. Ekendra dasa.

The Conch newsletter - Radha Giridhari temple Auckland
http://www.hknet.org.nz/TheConch-newsletter.html
The Conch Newsletter is a subscription newsletter that is sent out in Word format either as a printable attached file through e-mail, or hard-copy by snail mail. The newsletter is monthly, and compiled by Amrita-pani devi dasi in conjunction with the editorial advisor HH Mukunda Goswami.

From the virtual pen of Sita-pati dasa http://blog.worldsankirtan.net/sitapati/
News and views from Sita-pati dasa.

The International Society for Education in Krsna Consciousness http://www.isekc.com/ has a Blog called Vaishnava Sanga which one can access from the ISEKC home page.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:  Chapter 2 - Contents of the Gita Summarized

                                TEXT 45

                         trai-gunya-visaya veda
                        nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna
                      nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
                          niryoga-ksema atmavan

                             WORD FOR WORD

   trai-gunya--pertaining to the three modes of material nature; visayah--on the subject matter; vedah--Vedic literatures; nistrai-gunyah--transcendental to the three modes of material nature; bhava--be; arjuna--O Arjuna; nirdvandvah--without duality; nitya-sattva-sthah--in a pure state of spiritual existence; niryoga-ksemah--free from ideas of gain and protection; atma-van--established in the self.

                               TRANSLATION
   The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.

PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
   All material activities involve actions and reactions in the three modes of material nature. They are meant for fruitive results, which cause bondage in the material world. The Vedas deal mostly with fruitive activities to gradually elevate the general public from the field of sense gratification to a position on the transcendental plane. Arjuna, as a student and friend of Lord Krsna, is advised to raise himself to the transcendental position of Vedanta philosophy where, in the beginning, there is brahma-jijnasa, or questions on the supreme transcendence. All the living entities who are in the material world are struggling very hard for existence. For them the Lord, after creation of the material world, gave the Vedic wisdom advising how to live and get rid of the material entanglement. When the activities for sense gratification, namely the karma-kanda chapter, are finished, then the chance for spiritual realization is offered in the form of the Upanisads, which are part of different Vedas, as the Bhagavad-gita is a part of the fifth Veda, namely the Mahabharata. The Upanisads mark the beginning of transcendental life.

   As long as the material body exists, there are actions and reactions in the material modes. One has to learn tolerance in the face of dualities such as happiness and distress, or cold and warmth, and by tolerating such dualities become free from anxieties regarding gain and loss. This transcendental position is achieved in full Krsna consciousness when one is fully dependent on the good will of Krsna.

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

 - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - http://www.asitis.com/

View our Bhagavad Gita Overview:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/BG.html

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

Archive: http://www.cs.rice.edu/~vivek/btg/archive/
Home Page: http://www.cs.rice.edu/~vivek/btg/

Join Bhagavad Gita eGroups HERE
mailto:bhagavad_gita-owner@egroups.com

Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, or sometimes from a letter, but still nectar...)

You can never be cured

I had been serving in India for two and a half years and had contracted jaundice. With great patience and care, I was able to overcome my condition, but within two weeks, I had a relapse. Then, no matter what I did, I could not recover. Finally Srila Prabhupada said that as long as I remained in Bombay I would not get better.
With great difficulty I got the necessary stamps in my passport to leave the country and undertook the arduous flight from Bombay to Chicago. In Chicago, my parents received me at the airport and took me to their home, where I had lived from the age of eight. One day an old family friend who was a psychologist came to meet me. She came in my room and began to inquire: "Tell me, Glenn, did you feel that your parents didn't love you?" Which parents?" I asked. "I have passed so many lifetimes, and in every lifetime I have had different parents." In this way, whatever questions she asked, I answered with Krsna Consciousness. After some time she left my room, and I could overhear her speaking with my parents. "I am sorry, I did whatever I could. But I don't think I can help him." Then I realized my parents had sent her to "cure me."
After three days I began to feel uncomfortable at home and went to the temple in Chicago. And a few days later I flew to Los Angeles to recuperate at the temple there. Soon Srila Prabhupada also arrived from India. He inquired about my health and my stay in Chicago and I told him how the Psychologist had come to cure me. Srila Prabhupada remarked, "You have been infected permanently. You can never be cured."
Some Days later Srila Prabhupada responded to appeals for me to return to India. He encouraged me, in his words, to go "back home, back to Bombay." I got the distinct impression he was telling me that if I go back and serve him in Bombay, I would go back to godhead. After some time I was well enough to return back home, back to Bombay.

- From the "Watering the Seed" by HH Giriraja Swami Maharaja

To receive little snippets of nectar like this on a daily basis subscribe HERE: or If you want to introduce anyone else in reading Srila Prabhupada Nectars, please send their eMail addresses to mailto:krpamaya_gauranga@hotmail.com

Please Chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Listen to Srila Prabhupad on-line
....a different lecture, morning walk, conversation or class daily.

" Chief Saktyavesa Avatara "

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.367-384
New York, December 31, 1966

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadavani.org/Caitanya_Caritamrta/RamFiles/CC66.ram

Prabhupada:

saktyavesavatara krsnera asankhya ganana
dig-darasana kari mukhya mukhya jana

Lord Caitanya says that incarnation of opulence... Saktyavesa avatara means incarnation of opulence. We have analyzed the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So saktyavesa avatara... An incarnation who represents a particular opulence of the Supreme Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. So Lord Caitanya says that there are innumerable incarnations like that, of whom only the principal, I mean to say, principal incarnations, they are mentioned herein. And who are they?

'sanakadi', 'narada', 'prthu', 'parasurama',
jiva-rupa 'brahmara' avesavatara-nama

Jiva-rupa 'brahmara' avesa. Brahma, the first creature of this universe, he's also considered as one of the saktyavesa avataras.

Now, so far our experience is concerned, Lord Caitanya says there are innumerable. So how we can accept a avatara, a saktyavesa avatara, whose names are not mentioned herein? Then we have to... As in the beginning, Lord Caitanya says that by the symptoms we can understand that He is saktyavesa. By the symptoms and activities and influence. So what is that symptom? Symptom is that eternal and temporary. So avatara, incarnation, comes to glorify the eternal existence of the Supreme Lord. So any avatara, any incarnation, he comes to glorify that "There is spiritual kingdom, there is God, and I have come to reclaim you to back to Godhead, back to home." This is the symptom. So therefore, by that symptom, we accept Lord Jesus Christ as saktyavesa avatara, or Hazrat Muhammad, he's also. Because these two religious leaders of the world, they preached about the glorification of the Supreme Lord. And they sacrificed everything for preaching the glories of the Lord. Therefore... And their influence and their followers, there are... These are the symptoms by which we can understand that Jesus Christ and Hazrat Muhammad was, were saktyavesa avataras.

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered saktyavesa avatara. He preached this nirvana philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes... Nirvana. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He..., you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince. He, he was in a very young time. He renounced the world and underwent severe penances. These are the symptoms by which we can understand that he's also saktyavesa avatara. And the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam. Anyone, not only Lord Buddha or others, but anyone, Lord, in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, anyone who has got some extraordinary power, uncommon power, he's to be considered vibhu. Saktyavesa avatara, there are two kinds, one directly empowered for particular mission, comes from the transcendental spiritual sky, and others, those who are in this material world, but they have got some specific power, uncommon power, not found in ordinary man. They are called vibhuti. This vibhuti (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gita: yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo-'msa sambhavam. That is out of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

sanakadye 'jnana'-sakti, narade sakti 'bhakti'
brahmaya 'srsti'-sakti, anante 'bhu-dharana'-sakti

Now, so far the principal saktyavesa avataras are concerned, as mentioned by Lord Caitanya, now, what are the manifestation of opulences in each of these saktyavesa avataras? He says that sanakadye, the Kumaras, the four Kumaras-Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda, Sanat-kumara -- these four Kumaras, they were vastly learned, and they..., first they preached the philosophical way of understanding the Absolute Truth. Sanakadye. Later on, they become devoted, devotees, and they have got a sampradaya, or party, they are called Nimbarka-sampradaya. Sanakadye 'jnana'-sakti. Now we have analyzed that the Supreme Lord has the opulence of knowledge, full knowledge. So these four Kumaras-kumaras means unmarried brahmacaris -- they were sons of Brahma. Because in the beginning Brahma begot so many sons, and each of them were asked to increase the population. Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, they were also requested by their father to increase population, but they refused. They said, "No, we are not going to be entangled in these material affairs. We shall remain kumaras, brahmacari, and preach the glories of God," by which Brahma was angry. And while he was angry, from his anger Rudra, Siva, was produced, and Lord Siva is therefore supposed to be son of Brahma.

...............continued

"Glory to the Sri Krishna Samkirtan which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death, is extinguished. The Samkirtan Movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction Moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge, it increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it helps us to have a taste of the full nectar for which we are always anxious."

(Every Town & Village, album cover)

On-line Virtual Arati to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai - check it out
http://www.in2-mec.com/GNpuja.html

http://www.hknet.org.nz/harernam-page.htm
http://Harinam/rulestheweb.com

What's So Special About Chanting Hare Krishna?
By Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandan dasa ACBSP):
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/chanting_hare_krishna.htm

Hare Krishna is NOT "a Cult":
Is ISKCON a Cult or part of the "Hindu Culture" or Something Else?
http://www.hknet.org.nz/not-a-cult.html

Hare Krishna is NOT a Cult letter by Kunti dd editor of Hare Krishna World:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/HK-no-cult.html

38 Years of Krishna Consciousness through Iskcon.........
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa081201a.htm

Very nice articles and numerous links on the About Hinduism web-site.

What is ISKCON ???
http://www.iskcon.org/main/twohk/iskcon/what.htm

Is Iskcon a Cult?
http://www.hknet.org.nz/not-a-cult.html

Iskcon and Hinduism
http://www.hknet.org.nz/IskconHinduism.html

SONGS AND MANTRAS by Vaishnava spiritual masters:
http://web.tiscali.it/no-redirect-tiscali/gopala/Vaishnava-Songs/index.html

Vaishnava Song Book:
http://www.iskcon.org/sastra/f_vs.html
http://www.iskcon.org/sastra/vs_other.html

Vedic Art Publications
http://www.vedicarts.net/catalogmain.html

.........this library is temporarily not working

Listen to or download Prabhupad lectures and bhajans
http://chantandbehappy.com/prabhupada/index.html

Devotional Bhajans and kirtans
http://chantandbehappy.com/bhajans/index.html

Hundreds of devotional songs by various artists - singers - performers - and many more coming soon:
http://www.radiokrishna.com/modules.php?name=NukeView&file=index&query=http://www.radiokrishna.com/rkc_archive_new/index2.php

Download songs
http://www.harekrsna.cz/mp3/folk/

Krishna Vision of Krishna Prema dasa ACBSP Sound Track Vol. 4 samples:
http://www.krisnavision.narod.ru/

Sydney temple Audio page
http://www.iskcon.com.au/Audio.html

Leicester Temple UK Audio page - many bhajans and kirtans
http://www.gauranga.org/audio_page.htm

Listen to Krishna Radio on various subjects on-line:
http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=260

Agama Tantra and the Vaishnava Samskaras as a way of life:

Recently I was asked, "Don't you find it an inconvenience to always be checking to see when is the right time to do this or the best time for that?"

In simple terms my answer was and still is; if you go to the bus or railway station or airport it is probably an intelligent venture to enquire about the times and routes of vehicles than to just hope that one will be along soon, or one is going in your direction.

There are subtle influences in the Universe that, for thousands of years gone by, advanced cultures have honoured, respected and utilised. Before the corruption of the Vedik literatures by the Christian and Moslem invaders to India all these things were used; Ayurvedik Medicine; Vedik Astrology; etc. Today there's a rennaisance among many to revive these arts.

We have been trained and studied to be able to provide these services. See some of my sites:

http://www.hknet.org.nz/jtcd-samskaras.html
http://www.iskcon.net/nz-namahatta/jtcd/1-homepage.html

or contact me directly: mailto:jtcd@xtra.co.nz

aham kratur aham yajnah
svadhaham aham ausadham
mantro 'ham aham evajyam
aham agnir aham hutam

"But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb,
the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering."(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 9.16)

Krishna conscious affirmations:

 Always remember Krishna and never forget Him

Join and receive Krishna conscious affirmations:
mailto:Sravana.SPGTSI@pamho.net

Topical Articles:
Abortion - http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-abortion.htm
Genetic Engineering ( GE or GM ) - http://www.hknet.org.nz/GE.html
Environment - http://www.hknet.org.nz/Environment.htm
Encroachment - http://www.hknet.org.nz/WE-Day2004.html
Cloning - http://www.hknet.org.nz/cloning.htm
Science - http://www.hknet.org.nz/science2KC.html
Cow Protection - http://www.hknet.org.nz/Cow-protection.htm
The Four Regulative Principles of Freedom - http://www.hknet.org.nz/Regs-4page.htm
seX-files - http://www.hknet.org.nz/seX-files.htm
Mundane Knowledge - http://www.hknet.org.nz/mundaneknowledge.html
Death (Yamaduttas - Terminal Restlessness etc)- http://www.hknet.org.nz/death.html
Near Death Experience - http://www.hknet.org.nz/NDE.htm
Ghosts - http://www.hknet.org.nz/ghosts.htm
Reincarnation again here - http://www.hknet.org.nz/Reincarnation-page.htm
Gain some insights in the TV culture  - http://www.hknet.org.nz/television.html
The aweful Truth about softdrinks - http://www.hknet.org.nz/theREALthing.html
Changing the face of the Earth - http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1390/index.html
UFOs - http://www.hknet.org.nz/UFOs.html
Vegetarianism & Beyond - http://turn.to/Vegetarianism
Articles for newcomers to Krishna consciousness - http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=87
Self Help and Motivational pages - Deals and Affiliate programs: - http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-selfhelp.html
Myth of the Aryan invasion by Dr. David Frawley: - http://www.hknet.org.nz/Aryan-invasion-mythDF.html

.........many other articles - http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-articles.htm

and from there go to the Main Index http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

“I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Kåñëa], who is always situated in various incarnations such as Räma, Nåsiàha and many subincarnations as well, but who is the original Personality of Godhead known as Kåñëa, and who incarnates personally also.” (Brahma samhita 5:39.)

The Devotee List - Iskcon and Gaudiya math(s):
(It's still being developed, and a lot of devotees are not here......)
http://devotee.s5.com/index.html

Mail box full - over quota - newsletters bouncing.......

Still waiting for an internet company to come forward
and give you a massive mailbox for FREE like it's been rumoured for months.

HELP IS HERE AT LAST.

Tired of that wimpy 2mb mailboxs?  rejecting important emails cause
its always overflowing but still too cheap to spring for a "real" ISP..
No computer but need an email address? Need a stealth email address? Got
a friend who fits that description?... Well here are some other free
options for you. Note that a couple of these offer HUGE 100-200mb mail boxes...

http://www.hotmail.com   ..................2 mb
http://www.yahoo.com ....................4 mb
http://www.freeserve.com ..............5 mb
http://www.myownemail.com ........5 mb
http://www.lycos.com ......................5 mb
 http://www.softhome.net ................6 mb
http://www.bigmailbox.com ...........7 mb
http://mail.uk2.net ...........................10 mb
 http://www.gmx.net
http://www.graffiti.net
http://www.hotpop.com
http://www.mail2world
http://www.mail.com
http://www.mailandnews.com
http://www.mail15.com .................15 mb
http://macnews.de .........................20 mb
http://xms.ms ..................................20 mb
http://balls.com ............................100 mb
http://ukonline.net .......................200 mb

Vedik World Heritage pages

Read enlivening articles
See pictures of exhumed relics
Understand conspirital deceptions...
Join the renaissance to rebuild the Golden Age in the Kali-yuga
Find out about Vedik heritage items all around the world.....

Send in your articles and news:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html

See more similar pages and links http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html and http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-Vedik.htm

Vedik Culture list
 mailto:vediculture-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

A selection of interesting Krishna conscious articles from New Panihati - Atlanta temple USA:
http://newpanihati.tripod.com/NewsGroup/KCNectar/KCNectarMain.htm

Paradigms - where things are not all they seem

Krishna conscious Dramas and plays:
A collection of 88 transcendental dramas assembled and presented for the pleasure of
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
http://www.cedarpost.com/krsnaconsciousplays/default.htm

Wonderful modern Krishna conscious plays:
http://www.cedarpost.com/krsnaconsciousplays/TableOfContents.htm

These are great for Sunday feasts, or school programs or street presentations, or just for our own understanding.

Read here what Prabhupad says about such plays and dramas:
http://www.cedarpost.com/krsnaconsciousplays/PlaysP2SPquotes.htm

The Formidable Audio page - Bhajans, Kirtans, Lectures many Iskcon devotees:
http://www.iskcon.com.au/Audio.html

and

Bhajans and Kirtans
http://chantandbehappy.com/bhajans/index.html

and

Download latest Real Player for Free:
http://software-dl.real.com/22e4968a89f121132020/windows/mrkt/AUN03D/RealOnePlayerV2GOLD.exe

Listen to audio and view videos on-line here:
http://www.prabhupada.org/prabhupadadesh/a_deposito_oggetti/Archivio_Audio-Video/index.php?q=t&t=EN
http://www.prabhupada.org/prabhupadadesh/a_deposito_oggetti/Archivio_Audio-Video/index.php?q=f&f=%2FAudio
There's literally hundreds of bhajans, kirtans and videos segments to check out.............try all the folders too.......

Nectar for kids and adults alike:
http://www.rasa-music.com/Bodies/body-shop.html

...........more Audio sites linked HERE




.....with Xmas season approaching -
be prepaired when visiting non-devotee/non-vegetarian rellies

All about Christmas; it's origins, all the little traditions that have crept in over the years.

Click here to look at the nature of mundane festivals and traditions according to shastra
Read the facts of the nature of modern day Xmas:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/festivals2mundane.htm

Welcome to the Xmas Madness pages and links - check them out and be armed with knowldege.........
Get detailed insights of the origins of "Xmas"
http://www.hknet.org.nz/festivals2mundane.htm#xmas

More precious links to practical, revealing and inspiring Xmas related pages.
http://www.hknet.org.nz/XmasMadness.html

Find Out More About Xmas - Have a Good One

Is December 25th Jesus Christ's birthday?

Perhaps we should deck the halls with boughs of spring flowers, because an English astronomer suggested that Jesus might have been born on September 15th, 7 BC.
Dr David Hughes, of Sheffield University, argued that September 15th is the real Christmas for he following reasons:
In the Gospel of St Luke we read that Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem because "... there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed ... and all went to be taxed, every one in his own city." Such a decree occurred about 8 BC.
King Herod was so infuriated that a rival had been born (the "King of the Jews") that he ordered the massacre of all baby boys in Israel, but Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt. They stayed there for two years until Herod's death, said to have closely followed a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses occurs in 4 BC and 1 BC.
The distinctive astronomical phenomenon that happened between 8 BC and 1 BC, that could be equated with the Star of Bethlehem, is the conjunction of the giant Jupiter with Saturn in the constellation of Pisces (considered the Zodiac sign of the Jews). This began on May 27th, 7 BC and continued for some months - long enough for the three wise men (astrologer/priests) to follow the phenomenon across country. On September 15th, the Magi (three wise men) would have seen a striking phenomenon, the conjoined rising of this celestial light on the eastern horizon, at sunset.
If Dr Hughes is right, the Magi would have arrived at the inn at Bethlehem with their presents for the Christ child, on the day the star stopped over that town - December 1st, 7 BC.

"25th December has become Christmas Day although almost certainly not the day on which Christ was born, as is popularly supposed. The date was eventually fixed by the Church in AD 440, the day of the winter solstice, which had anciently been a time of festival among heathen peoples. In Anglo-Saxon England, the year began on 25th December, but from the late 12th century until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752 the year began on Lady Day, 25th March." (Evans 1988)

Christmas cards
Englishman WCT Dobson is usually regarded as having sent the first Christmas card in 1844. Sir Henry Cole and JC Horsley produced the first commercial Christmas card in 1846, although it was condemned by temperance people because members of the family group in the centrepiece were drinking wine. After Tucks, the art printers, took to printing them in the 1870s, they really came into vogue.

            When we consider the story of how baby Jesus appeared in the heart of his mother Mary by immaculate conception, as well as the bright star appearing in the night sky, we can discern a direct parallel to Lord Krishna’s birth three thousand years earlier in Vrindavana, India, as recorded in the Vedic literature. It is described in the ancient Vedic texts how Krishna appeared in the mind of Vasudeva, Krishna’s father, and was then transferred into the heart of His mother, Devaki. During Krishna’s birth, the bright star Rohini was high in the sky, and the king at the time, Kamsa, actually ordered the killing of all the infants in an attempt to kill Krishna, similar to the way Herod was supposed to have done as described in the gospel of Matthew. And just as a multitude appeared among the shepherds in the hills praising God at the time of Jesus’ birth, there were also many demigods who came and danced and sang about the glories of Krishna when He was ready to appear in this world. Krishna was born in a cave-like dungeon, while Jesus was also born in a cave, although some say a manger in a barn. Rays of light illuminated the area after they had taken birth. While newly born, they both spoke of why they had come to this world. And as wise men were supposed to have presented Jesus with frankincense and myrrh, baby Krishna was also presented with gifts that included sandalwood and perfumes.

            At the time when Krishna left this planet, His foot was pierced with an arrow, while Jesus’ side was pierced with a spear. There was a darkness that descended when Jesus is said to have been crucified, just as there was a darkness and many calamities taking place when Krishna left this world. And as there is a description of many ominous signs that are to signify the second coming of Christ, there are even more symptoms of the terrible age of Kali that we are going through that indicates the time before the coming of Krishna’s next incarnation as Kalki. Many of these I have included in my book, The Vedic Prophecies. There are many other parallels that we could refer to that are disclosed in the Vedas, which were written many hundreds of years before the Bible.

            Jesus preached in a way that can also be compared to the sayings of Krishna. For example, in Bhagavad-gita (7.6-7) Krishna said, “I am the cause of the whole universe, through Me it is created and dissolved, all things are dependant on Me as pearls are strung on a thread.” Jesus said, “Of Him and through Him, and unto Him, are all things. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1.3) Krishna had said (Bg.4.7), “For the establishment of righteousness I am born from time to time.” This compares to Jesus in John 18:37, wherein he says, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” These and many other comparisons can be made. Nonetheless, the fact is that the history of Krishna is thousands of years older than that of Jesus.

            In this way, practically speaking, what we find in the Bible regarding Jesus’ birth is a description of the appearance of Lord Krishna, but only the names have been changed. Of course, there are different theories about how this happened. One theory is that when the Christians went to India, they found out that this story was there in the Bhagavat-Purana; so, they immediately had to change the date of when the Bhagavat-Purana was supposed to have been written. So now the historians generally say that it was written about 1400 years ago. Otherwise, how could they explain the story of Krishna’s birth being so similar to the story of Christ’s birth? They thought that the Vedic pundits must have heard about the story of Jesus and adapted the story to their own incarnation, as if the Vedic scholars would demean themselves by putting a story into their scripture that was heard from people who were considered low-born foreigners. Actually, what happened was just the opposite.

            Since both the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam contain many similar sentiments and descriptions to Christianity, numerous Christian scholars have tried to prove that the stories therein had been borrowed from the Bible. However, this has been proved to be quite the reverse. This is has been accepted by Reverend J. B. S. Carwithen, known as one of the “Brampton Lecturers,” who says, as quoted in Reverend J. P. Lundy’s Monumental Christianity (pp. 151-2), “Both the name Crishna and the general outline of his story are long anterior to the birth of our Savior [Jesus Christ]; and this we know, not on the presumed antiquity of the Hindoo records alone. Both Arrian and Strabo assert that the God Crishna was anciently worshiped at Mathura, on the river Jumna, where he is worshiped at this day. But the emblems and attributes essential to this deity are also transplanted into the mythology of the West.”

            Monier Williams, one of the accepted early Western authorities on Hinduism, Professor at Oxford in London and a devout Christian, also focused on this issue when writing for the “Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge” in his book, Indian Wisdom. Therein he states: “To any one who has followed me in tracing the outline of this remarkable philosophical dialogue, and has noted the numerous parallels it offers to passages in our Sacred Scriptures, it may seem strange that I hesitate to concur to any theory which explains these coincidences by supposing the author [of such Vedic books as the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam] had access to the New Testament, or that he derived some of his ideas from the first propagators of Christianity. Surely it will be conceded that the probability of contact and interaction between Gentile systems and the Christian religion of the first two centuries of our era must have been greater in Italy than in India. Yet, if we take the writings and sayings of those great Roman philosophers, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, we shall find them full of resemblances to passages in our Scriptures, while there appears to be no ground whatever for supposing that these eminent Pagan writers and thinkers derived any of their ideas from either Jewish or Christian sources. In fact, the Reverend F. W. Farrar, in his interesting and valuable work, Seekers After God, has clearly shown that ‘to say that Pagan morality kindled its faded taper at the Gospel light, whether furtively or unconsciously, that it dissembled the obligation and made a boast of the splendor, as if it were originally her own, is to make an assertion wholly untenable.’ He points out that the attempts of the Christian Fathers to make out Pythagoras a debtor to Hebraic wisdom, Plato an ‘Atticizing Moses,’ Aristotle a picker-up of ethics from a Jew, Seneca a correspondent of St. Paul, were due in some cases to ignorance, in some to a want of perfect honesty in controversial dealing. . . It must indeed be admitted that the flames of true light which emerge from the mists of pantheism in the writings of the Indian philosophers, must spring from the same source of light as the Gospel itself; but it may reasonably be questioned whether there could have been any actual contact of the Hindoo systems with Christianity without a more satisfying result in the modification of pantheistic and anti-Christian ideas.”

            Again, Monier points out the antiquity of the Vedic culture, practically over and beyond all others, when he explains on page iv of his book: “It should not be forgotten that although the nations of Europe have changed their religions during the past eighteen centuries, the Hindu has not done so, except very partially. Islam converted a certain number by force of arms in the eighth and following centuries, and Christian truth is at last slowly creeping onwards and winning its way by its own inherent energy in the nineteenth; but the religious creeds, rites, customs, and habits of thought of the Hindus generally have altered little since the days of Manu. . .”
            In light of all this research, by myself and others, we can conclude with the words of T. W. Doane in his book, Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions. Therein he goes so far as to say at the beginning of Chapter Twenty-Eight, “. . . the mythological portion of the history of Jesus of Nazareth, contained in the books forming the Canon of the New Testament, is nothing more or less than a copy of the mythological histories of the Hindoo Savior Crishna, and the Buddhist Savior Buddha, with a mixture of mythology borrowed from the Persians and other nations. . .”

            One archeological find that proved that knowledge of Krishna antedated Christianity by at least 200 years was the Heliodorus column, built in 113 B.C. in central India by the Greek ambassador to India, Heliodorus. On it is an inscription commenting on the ambassador’s devotion to Lord Vishnu (Krishna) and mentioning when the column had been erected. The column still stands near the town of Vidisha.

            We must remember that when the Christians first came to India to preach, they were not very well received by the local people. There was very little penetration because the Christian priests and missionaries were seen for what they were: mlecchas and yavanas, more or less unclean cow-killers or untouchables in local terminology. So it is doubtful that the Vedic pandits spent much time even listening to them, what to speak of writing scripture or changing the story of Krishna’s birth on account of hearing these missionaries. Of course, now as Indian society has deteriorated and become more attracted to Western values (partly due to being indoctrinated by the British rule years ago), Christianity is more easily accepted.

            So, the conclusion we must arrive at is that the story of Lord Krishna’s birth, along with numerous other parts of the Vedic philosophy, must have come to the mid-eastern part of the world because of the many trade caravans going back and forth at that time from India to the region of Palestine. Since there were no real witnesses of Christ’s birth and hardly any history in the gospels of the life of Christ up to the age of thirty, it is likely they applied the story of Krishna to Jesus’ life. Otherwise, there is little historical evidence that any of it is factual.

            There is evidence, however, as more facts are being uncovered, that contends that Jesus may have been nailed to the cross but did not die on it. After having been taken from the cross, he later recovered from the ordeal rather than rose from the dead. The Shroud of Turin, if it is authentic (which has been a great debate by itself), seems to provide some evidence that Christ was not dead when taken from the cross since his body was still bleeding while wrapped in the cloth. Even if Christ did appear to die on the cross, being a yogic master, he could have put himself into trance to be revived later. This goes on even today with yogis in India or fakirs in Egypt who can appear to die, be buried for hours, days, months, or sometimes years, and then be uncovered and resurrected from their apparent death. Even the Koran (4.157) claims that Jesus did not die on the cross.

            There is also evidence that after the crucifixion Jesus traveled through Turkey, Persia, and then India. The Russian scholar Nicolas Notovitch discovered in 1887 Buddhist documents at the Hemis monastery in Ladakh that describe the life of Issa. Issa is the Tibetan spelling while Isa is the Arabic spelling of the name Jesus, and the name commonly used in Islam. The manuscript was originally from Lhasa, translated into Tibetan from the Pali language. Jesus’ ascension into heaven may have referred to his entrance into Kashmir, an area considered by many to have been like heaven or the promised land.

            Furthermore, the Bhavishya Purana, dating back to 3000 B.C. and compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, also described the future coming of Jesus and his activities. Dr. Vedavyas, a research scholar who holds a doctorate in Sanskrit, said that the Purana tells of how Jesus would visit the Himalayas and do penance to acquire spiritual maturity under the guidance of the sages and siddha-yogis of India. Dr. Vedavyas says that besides describing the future events of Kali-yuga, the Purana predicted that Jesus would be born of an unmarried woman, Kumari (Mari or Mary) Garbha Sambhava, and would first go to India when he was 13 years old and visit many Hindu and Buddhist holy places. This was his spiritual training in a time of his life of which the gospels are totally ignorant. Furthermore, the actual burial place of Jesus is believed to be in Anzimar or Khanyar, Srinagar’s old town in Kashmir, where thousands of pious pay homage to the tomb of Issa each year. There is where he settled and died sometime after the crucifixion.

            In any case, the Christian Church began with what Paul said about the resurrection of Jesus. Whether the resurrection actually happened or not cannot be proved. Nonetheless, a new faith was born. But through the years there has been much controversy about the nature of Jesus and whether he was actually God as some Christians seem to believe. None of his direct disciples believed that he was, and, indeed, there are many Bible verses which state directly that he was the son of God, such as Luke 1.35, Matthew 17.5, John 4.15, 8.28, 14.28, and others. Only Paul put forward the idea that Jesus was God. But historically it is said that Paul never met Jesus personally, and was converted to Christianity several years after Jesus’ disappearance. Other than that, most of Jesus’ followers thought that perhaps he was the Jewish Messiah. But the Jewish Messiah, according to their prophecies, was not God but rather a Jew who was empowered by God. This actually fits into the Vedic view because there are many empowered living beings who appear from time to time who are sent by God to represent and disseminate His law. Furthermore, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, one of the great Vaishnava spiritual masters in the Madhava-Gaudiya line of disciplic succession, has stated that Jesus was a shaktyavesha avatar, or an empowered living entity meant to preach the glories of God.

            People may say that Jesus walked on water, healed the sick, raised the dead, so he must have been God. But even today in India there have been yogis who have walked on water or who can do other amazing things, like walking over hot coals. This is not like the Hollywood fad of fire walking, but the yogis let the coals burn for days and get so hot that you cannot even get near them without burning your clothes. Then, after spending one month in penance, praying to Durga, they walk across the fire and do not even burn their feet. But some people will say this is the work of the devil. However, is this not peculiar logic to say that walking across fire is of the devil, but if one walks across water he is God? This kind of thinking that is usually found amongst fundamentalists simply shows a great ignorance of yogic powers, which is all walking across fire or water is. Therefore, the miracles of Jesus are a sign of his knowledge of the mystical powers that come from practicing yoga. But it is not a proof that someone is God.

            One important part of Eastern knowledge that was present in early Christianity was the understanding of karma and reincarnation. I have already discussed this and pointed out some of the verses that showed the acceptance of reincarnation in the Bible in The Secret Teachings of the Vedas; so, I will not go into it so deeply here. But it is known that the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. threw out all references to reincarnation and stated that the idea of it was a myth, and anyone who believed in it would be excommunicated. Of course, this action would not be unexpected in light of the other things the Church has done throughout history in order to place itself as the only way to reach heaven and attain the mercy of God. By eliminating the possibility of reincarnation and the soul’s existence prior to this life, there could be no chance for the soul to reach the state of spiritual perfection over a period of several lifetimes. There would only be this one lifetime in which the soul came into existence, and one chance for a person to reach either heaven or eternal hell, which would be determined by the intervention of the Church. In other words, the Church felt threatened by the fact that the soul has an eternal and personal relationship with God that must be rekindled either in one, two, or however many lifetimes it takes, and this relationship does not necessarily depend on one’s good standing in any religious organization. Thus, people could try to re-establish their relationship with God by other means than the dictates of the Church, which is what the Church could not tolerate.

            Unfortunately, by taking out the knowledge of reincarnation and karma, the Church has created huge gaps in its philosophy which leave questions it cannot answer. For example, the Christians cannot explain why one person may be born blind, poor, deformed, or sickly, while another may be born healthy and rich. They do not understand why reversals in life may happen to some, and others seem to have a life of ease. They cannot explain why these differences take place and, in fact, they sometimes blame God for such things, which only shows their ignorance of spiritual knowledge. Furthermore, they do not understand the science of the soul and our spiritual identity, the nature of the spiritual realm, the characteristics of the personality of God, nor the pastimes and incarnations of God, and so on. Thus, the spiritual knowledge that the Christians utilize in their philosophy is very elementary and incomplete. And as we have already established in our previous writings, reaching complete spiritual perfection is not possible in such an incomplete spiritual process. At best, it promotes good moral values, detachment toward worldly life, attachment and devotion to God, and the possibility of reaching the heavenly planets. However, the heavenly planets are still within the material cosmic manifestation and not in the spiritual realm. A real religionist or transcendentalist is interested only in reaching the level of spiritual realization that enables him to directly perceive his spiritual identity and enter the spiritual strata far beyond this material creation.

            Actually, Christians still must accept the understanding of karma and reincarnation to some extent in order to explain logically how one can have a life after death in heaven or hell. According to the Christian doctrine, qualifying for heaven or hell depends on one’s actions in this life. That is called karma in Vedic literature. And as one enters heaven or hell in his next life, he takes on or incarnates in a different form. This is reincarnation. So Christians must, at least to this degree, accept karma and reincarnation whether they fully understand it or not. But to understand it more completely, as explained in the philosophy of the Vedic literature, allows us to realize that our good or unpleasant situations in this life depends on our activities from past lives. And by our activities in this life we can cause our future existence to be good or bad, or we can reach the heavenly or hellish planetary systems to work out our karma. This understanding is accepted by many cultures throughout the world. In fact, the scholar Max Muller remarked that the greatest minds humanity has produced have accepted reincarnation.

            More connections between Christianity and the Vedic culture can be recognized as follows:

            The ancient Vedic custom of applying ash or sandalwood paste to the body is still retained by Christianity in the observance of Ash Wednesday. The so-called “All Soul’s Day” is an exact translation of the Vedic observance of Sarva Pitri Amavasya, the day fixed by tradition for the worship of all deceased ancestors.

            Another Christian tradition derived from Vedic origins is that of having and ringing bells in the churches, especially before or during worship. In Vedic temples it is often seen where bells are rung during worship and when pilgrims enter the temple, announcing their entrance. Christian churches also ring bells to announce the beginning of worship. The word “bell” comes from the Sanskrit bal which means strength. This is in reference to the idea that ringing a bell adds force to the voice of prayer in invoking divinity.

            When the Christians say “Amen” at the end of their hymns or to emphasize something, what they are saying is a corrupted form of “Aum” or “Om,” which is a standard form of Vedic meditation and name of the Supreme Being.

            While we are on the topic of words used in Christianity that are derived from Sanskrit, the Catholic term “Madonna,” another name for Mother Mary, comes from the Sanskrit Mata Nah, meaning “Our Mother.” This is also derived from the great Vedic Mother Goddess. Thus, Mother Mary was a reference not only to the mother of Jesus alone, but a reference to the Goddess, mother of all humanity. Furthermore, the European term of “Madam” is a soft pronunciation of the Hindu term mata or mataji, which also means “Mother.”

            The term “vestry” in referring to the room in churches in which holy clothes are kept comes from the Sanskrit word vestra, meaning clothes. Even the word “psalm” with a silent “P” comes from the Sanskrit word sam or sama which means holy and serious sacred songs, hymns or chants, as found in the Sama-veda.

            Other Christian links with Sanskrit words can be found in the name Bethlehem, which is the English mispronunciation of the Sanskrit Vatsaldham, which means “the home (town) of the darling child.” The Sanskrit term Nandarath is linguistically connected with Nazareth. Nandarath means Nanda’s chariot, and King Nanda was the guardian at whose village he nurtured Lord Krishna (sometimes pronounced as Chrisn, and later Christ in some regions).

            The Christian term “Satan” and the Islamic term “Shaitan” both are derived from the Sanskrit term Sat-na, which means non-truth, falsehood, or fraudulence. The Christians who explain the term “Devil” as a fallen angel should realize that the word is derived from the Sanskrit terminology which signifies a fallen Deva.

            At the beginning of the book of John in the New Testament, it states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is actually a verbatim translation of the Vedic Sanskrit mantra: “Prajapatirvai idamagraasit, tasya vag dvitiyaa asit, vag vai paramam Brahma.”

            The Holy Spirit in Christianity is called Paramatma in Sanskrit, or Parakalate. In Greek the word is Paraclete. This is the God of that spiritual knowledge which is revealed or descended, or the Veda, which is spoken through the prophets (Sanskrit purohitas) . Veda is Yeda in Hebrew, the word God uses for His Self-revelation in Exodus of the Old Testament. Veda in Greek is Oida, and Aidos, from which the English word idea is derived. The term oida is used for God’s/Christ’s Sel-revelation in the New Testament. Thus, the Vedas, the Old and New Testament, and the related scriptures are but part of one continuous revelation of God.

            Dr. Venu Gopalacharya also points out in his book, World-Wide Hindu Culture (pp. 158-9), that in the book of Genesis, Chapter 22, God told Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah, would be blessed and God would, “make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. . . and through thy seed, shall all nations be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Dr. Venu Gopalacharya explains, “Abraham and Sarah [Sarai] refer to [or was derived from] the Indian version of Brahma and Sarasvati. This indicates that this is an abridgement of some of the versions in the Indian Puranas referring to ‘Brahma and his consort as the first aspects of the Supreme Lord or His agents of creation and offering sacrifices [or performing austerities].’ In the commencement of the book of Genesis, the sentence, ‘In the Beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters.’ This is similar to the Vedic Puranas stating that MahaVishnu or Narayana was lying on Adisesha in the ocean, [who is] the original source from which Brahma comes into being. The killing of Abel by his brother for the sacrifice of animals refers to the slaying of Asuras by the Devas, their own brothers, due to the difference of opinion about the mode of offering sacrifices or worshiping God.

            “Just as Indian Puranas were compiled to glorify a particular aspect of the Supreme Lord as Vishnu, or of Shiva, Durga, Ganesha, etc., the Old Testament deals with ‘Yahwe,’ an aspect of the angry god Rudra. As the word ‘Rudra’ means a weeping god, the Jews for worship use weeping before the wailing wall of the ‘Dome of the Rock’ within the temple of Harmahesh Sri (called by Judaic religionists as Haram Esh Sheriff) in the old city of Jerusalem, i.e., Yadusailam. The Jews spell the name of the city as ‘Yerushalayim,’ of which the Sanskrit synonym is Yadu Ishalayam, which means the temple of the Lord of the Yadus [the descendants of Lord Krishna’s clan].

            “Dr. S. Radhakrishnan has informed in his book, Pracya Mattu Paschatya Sanskriti, that the Greeks asserted that the Jews were Indians whom the Syrians called Judea, the Sanskrit synonym of which is Yadava or Yaudheya, and the Indians called them Kalanis, meaning orthodox followers of the scripture.”

            This information certainly provides serious insights into the relationship between the early Jews, Christians, the Bible, and the Vedic culture. I could go on pointing out more Eastern traditions that influenced or were adopted and preserved in various levels of Christianity, but this should be enough for now.

View the rest of the article HERE

Christmas atmosphere - snow, dazzling shop windows with Christmas decoration, Christmas markets, traditional customs, trees, gifts, food, carols, bells, churches with mangers and midnight Mass. Kids love it and almost all people try to behave better to each other. Despite all the commercialization and secularization of Christmas which manages to destroy this atmosphere as well as a fact that Christmas feasting costs lives of innumerable fish and other animals, spiritual atmosphere of Christmas still survives.

Origin of Christmas

December 25, shortly after winter solstice, was in Mediterranean region celebrated as "Dies Natalis Invict" (Day of Unconquerable One), an appearance day of Vedic-Persian-Roman sun god and savior of mankind Mitra. "Mitra" means in Sanskrit "friend" or "friendship" and his life resembles that of Jesus'.

When the Christianity moved to new regions it pushed out aboriginal religions (mainly forms of lower Vedic systems like nature and ancestor worship whose features survived in many still extant folk customs). It was done also by covering their holidays by Christian ones of similar nature. This also happened in case of Christmas, now mainly celebrated as an appearance day of Jesus.

There are two prominent Vedic aspects of Christmas whose origin and meaning was in the course of time more or less forgotten. By learning about them we can enrich our Christmas celebrations and the whole life.

Carols (bhajan/kirtan)

In course of centuries appeared in Europe many carols, inherent part of Christmas. They are songs celebrating Jesus' birth and mercy. Eulogizing God and His pure devotees is called kirtan, one form of devotional service to God. The same goes for hearing (sravanam). In Vaisnava tradition there are many such songs (bhajans) sung at various occasions. Majority of people in the West has this chance to hear and sing carols once a year even though they don't know its spiritual potency. This form of unknowing devotional service is called ajnata-sukrti and it makes one ready for conscious service. If God and His devotee are satisfied, all living beings are also satisfied - this is the secret of popularity of carols which contribute significantly to merry Christmas atmosphere.

On a personal note - before becoming a practicing Vaishnava I used to listen often to carols during the year and others condescendingly reminded me that carols are listened to at Christmas... But why only at Christmas? Celebration of God and His servants is not limited by time, place or in any other way. It is of eternal nature (nitya-bhagavata-seva).

Gift-giving (dana)

Second inherent aspect of Christmas are gifts. Shops are making offers already long time before Christmas so to most people the idea of Christmas blends with gifts. How the tradition of gift-giving started?

Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12 describes how from the East came sages to pay respect to Son of God and they brought Him gifts. Although their background is not known, to bring gifts to newborn baby is part of Vedic tradition as we can see e.g. from the description of Shri Krishna's and Shri Chaitanya's appearance. To present God or His servants with gifts is devotional service and a symptom of love among devotees (priti-lakshana).

It is a nature of this material world that originally spiritual activities turn into material ones under the influence of time. Thus later people, not knowing God or enough of His servants, began to present gifts to each other (especially to children) and spiritual essence was lost (not everyone is a Son or a conscious servant of God). Someone may object that identity of God is not known but Vedic tradition is clear: God, or the Supreme Person, Purushottama, is Vishnu, or Krishna.

If we would follow the original way of gift-giving (shown by the sages) and offered gifts to God and His servants, we would return to Christmas its transcendent content for the benefit of all and we would experience until now unknown joy.

His white horse was still there, but now with four legs, and his son had disappeared. Now he was supposed to simply have come from Spain for chastising the naughty children and rewarding the brave ones with gifts from his never ending sack of presents, stuffing them through the chimneys while riding his sledge on the rooftops. Of course he also had a huge book in which everything was noted down about the kids and a bunch of black, dwarfy helpers (supposed to be Moors from Spain). Still later Sinterklaas and his entourage were banished to the North Pole, to become the fatty Santa Claus and his dwarfs of modern times.

Grandfather Frost is a Vedic God

Dadan Upadhyay
Copyright 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

MOSCOW, DECEMBER 30: A Russian scholar says red Russia's fairy tale Grandfather Frost, or Ded Moroz, is none other than Varuna, the god of seas in Hindu mythology.

Grandfather Frost, who is currently taking rest at his Moscow residence, gives children presents just as Santa Claus does but is associated with New Year's, the most universally observed Russian holiday. He flew to the capital from the northern Vologda region town of Veliky Ustyug, his official hometown, 800 kms east of Moscow, along with his assistant Snegurochka, or the Snow Maiden, as the festivities kicked off on the Christmas.

In the year 2003, which marks the beginning of the astrological age of Aquarius, Grandfather Frost is expected to shed his dear-old-man mask and allow the people of the world to see him as he truly is Varuna, the supreme Vedic god of water.

According to Vologda State University ethnologist, Svetlana Zharnikova, the Frost legend originated in the Russian north, the cradle of Indo-European civilization.

"All the original paradigms of Indo-European culture grew out of Polar Europe, and one of them is the image of Grandfather Frost," claims Zharnikova. "Because the Indo-European peoples originated within the Arctic circle, which was 30 degrees further south at the end of the Stone Age," she said. Characters related to cold and winter became an integral part of Vedic mythologies.

Varuna was both the source of life and death, and was described in Vedic writings as holding the tree of life, an image reminiscent of Grandfather Frost standing next to a Christmas tree, says the ethnologist.

The mythical hero of Russian children's New Year celebrations is said to emerge from the forest, deliver presents, then disappear to some uncertain destination.

http://www.hvk.org/articles/1200/202.html

Other Varuna links:

Cheti Chand -- Sindhi New Year

Jhulelal story - part 1/2

Jhulelal story - part 2/2

Jhulelal, The Sindhi God (.pdf)

Al-Khidr, The Green Man

So we have got so many literatures in French language. We are also asking some men from Europe. That will create some impression. Yes. White elephant. (laughter) Dancing. Everyone will purchase ticket. Yes. (Hindi) Bring some white elephant. So literature is there. But one thing is that you must be placed in sadacara, well behaved. So you have to sacrifice, especially your long hair. And if you sacrifice your hair, we can export it and get some money. (laughter) Because in Western countries they want these hairs to make wigs. Yes. So just... (Hindi) As they have been trained up to rise early in the morning, this will give you spiritual strength. If you simply becomes a gramophone speaker, then it will not be effective. Gramophone or tape record speaker, that will not be. You must be live speaker. Your living condition should be spiritually, what is called, surcharged. So that means you must be trained up how to rise early in the morning, take your bath, cleanse yourself, chant Hare Krsna mantra. Then you will be spiritually strong. When you are spiritually strong, if you speak something on spiritual subject matter, then it will be effective. Otherwise it will be just like tape record playing. So this is required. And you should... You are asking something?
Guest (1): No.
Prabhupada: And gradually, when you are well behaving, then you shall be initiated to chant Hare Krsna mantra. That will give you strength, spiritual power. Strictly observe the regulative principles -- no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. It is very simple. Read these literatures, chant Hare Krsna mantra, and observe these regulations. Then you will become gradually powerful. Your speeches will be effective. People will like you.
Guest (2) (Indian man): Now the program in the village, Swamiji, how to...
Prabhupada: Village... Just like you acquire some land. That you will get. It is not very... Is it difficult?
Guest (2): No, sir.
Prabhupada: Just we are doing so many places. So you produce your own food grains, not for making money but just for feeding yourself and the animals, cows. Keep cows, as many cows as possible, and produce, till the ground, field, and make water supply arrangement. If the investment is required, we shall do that. You have no worry about investment. We shall bring money from anywhere. But the work must be done very nicely. There must be good arrangement for water supply and for plowing and keeping the cows in order. Then you get sufficient milk, sufficient food grains and produce your own cloth. The girls and ladies, they can spine (spin) thread, and from the thread you make cloth, handlooms. So your first necessities of life, eating, and make little cottage, sleeping... And if you want sex, get yourself married, live peacefully. And when you are there you can defend yourself. So the first necessity is how to eat and how to cover. That you have to provide. That is not difficult. You can do it. And then you become peaceful, no anxiety for your maintenance. And then cultivate this spiritual knowledge the same way. Have a temple there. Have... Go on chanting, offering prasadam. You have got your food grains. Don't be dependent on anyone else. Become self-independent. And don't be after money. Simply produce your bare necessities of life. Keep yourself fit, strong. And chant Hare Krsna, read book. Then you'll grow strong. Is there any difficulty?
Guest (1): No, Swamiji.
Guest (2): To bring more people in our movement...
Prabhupada: They should be trained up, more people. Just like I went alone in Europe and America. So I have trained them. So it will depend on your training power, the more people will be attracted. If you advertise, "Come here," and if you have no power to attract them, then it will not be... You must be attractive to bring them. And that is spiritual attraction. You must behave yourself nicely. Then people will come. If you become purified, then naturally they will come. Just like if you prepare nice preparation with pure ghee, customers will be naturally attracted and they will pay and purchase. And if you prepare rubbish thing, one man may be cheated, but that will not be attraction for the general. Purity is required. That will attract. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. One must be pure. Then he will be able to attract. So if they see practically that "These people are very happy; they have no anxiety," then they will be attracted. Is it not? What is the difficulty? But if you want brothel and night dancing and wine and meat-eating, then it is spoiled. It becomes impure. To become pure is not at all difficult. Rather, to become impure, it is difficult. But people, with all difficulties, they are becoming impure. Otherwise the idea which I am giving, you can start anywhere, anywhere, any part of the world. It doesn't matter. Locally you produce your own food. You get your own cloth. Have sufficient milk, vegetables. Then what you want more? And chant Hare Krsna. This is Vedic civilization: plain living, high thinking. And poor thinking, poor in thought, poor in behavior, and living with motorcar and this, that, nonsense. It is all nonsense civilization. A first-class Rolls Royce car, and who is sitting there? A third-class negro. This is going on. You'll find these things in Europe and America. This is going on. A first-class car and a third-class negro. That's all. Is it not?
Guest (3) (Indian man): Car is a necessity, Swamiji, don't you think so? Car is a necessity.
Prabhupada: Not necessary. What is the use of car? If you locate yourself to get everything, your necessity, then where is the use of car? If you require car, you have a bullock cart. That's all. Why should you hanker after petrol, mobile (Mobil?) oil, machine, this, that, so many things. Why?
Guest (3): Yes, but don't you think that it would be impossible for you to come mostly?
Prabhupada: No, no. So long it is not available, we must take the best advantage. That is another thing. But gradually we shall develop a society that all these unnecessary rubbish things should be rejected. That is the idea. Or those who are interested, let them manufacture car; we take advantage. We don't bother ourself how to manufacture car. Ajagara-vrtti. Ajagara-vrtti, the idea is... Ajagara means the snake. So a mouse makes a hole in the field to live very peacefully. So, and he enters the hole, and a snake gets the information and he comes, enters the hole. He eats the snake... The snake eats the mouse and lives peacefully. So let this rascal manufacture motorcar. When we require, we take from them and ride away. We are not going to manufacture. There will be some rascals. Let them do that, mouse. We enter as snake. (laughter) That's all. We are doing that. We are doing that. I did not manufacture this house, but somebody, some mouse, has done. (laughter) And we have entered it, that's all. That's all. This is going on all over the world. You know George Harrison? He has earned money with so great hard labor, and he has given us a house in London, fifty-five lakhs' worth. Another boy, Alfred Ford, he's the great grandson of Mr. Henry Ford. He has given. He is giving still money. He is prepared with all his money. So those who are after money, material things, we have to induce them that "Spend for me," that's all, and let him earn. So far we are concerned, we shall live very simple life, simply in Krsna consciousness. That is brahmana. Brahmana does not go to construct big, big house. He simply constructs his character, and the other ksatriyas and vaisyas, they offer him, "Please come here and sit down." Therefore the division is... One who is unable to become a brahmana, let him become ksatriya. If he cannot become ksatriya, let him become a vaisya. Otherwise let him remain a sudra. But there should be ideal class. So we are trying to create an ideal society of brahmanas. Then people will be benefited. And if everyone is sudra, rascal, then what people will be benefited? They do not know how to live. The brahmanas will give idea, "Live like this. You will be happy."
Guest (1): Swamiji, I propose one thing: To influence people more and more in the villages.
Prabhupada: Yes. This is the attraction, villagers.
Guest (1): Yes. We should go there and live with them for...
Prabhupada: Yes. I have already suggested that you take land and be an ideal community.
Guest (1): No, if we don't get land, Swamiji. I would suggest if, for example, one week, four or three, Swamiji... (Hindi) What he wants to say...
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Very good idea, very good idea.
Guest (1): That would be mercy to make the people conscious. And then again and again have here a same thing and then they would be influenced.
Prabhupada: Good idea. It is very good idea.
Pusta Krsna: The idea was in Hindi. It was in Hindi. We don't understand.
Prabhupada: In the village... I shall speak in Hindi?
Pusta Krsna: In English so we can understand.
Prabhupada: I am speaking in... So in the village, if these people go, they cannot do anything because they cannot speak in Hindi.
Guest (1): No, we should be there to organize. We will be there to organize.
Prabhupada: Yes. If you organize, then that will be nice.
Guest (1): For example, I propose that Swamiji, sitting there, please tell me and I will tell the people they are the leader, to organize a Bhagavad-gita in English, because Swamiji speaks English.
Prabhupada: They can understand English?
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupada: Then do it.
Guest (1): Yes, there are many people.
Prabhupada: They can understand?
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupada: Then, English edition we have got. French edition... You can speak in French and explain. He can speak in English.
Guest (1): Yes. We can stay in a village for about seven days or eight days, so that every night, for example, as we do it here, we can do it in a village.
Prabhupada: So if you can organize like that, then I will come personally. I will go and encourage you.
Guest (1): I can organize it, Swamiji. There are many people who would like to see you, to talk to you, and to... Not especially to you but to all the swamijis.
Prabhupada: Yes. So if you think so, then I can come back again. I'll come back.
Guest (1): Yes, Swamiji. Do you want me to... I know there is one... Not only one, but if you want me to organize when you come and you would be...
Prabhupada: Yes. My point is: if necessary, I can also come. I can go into the village. There is no...
Guest (1): If you spent at least one month in these countries, Swamiji, I could...
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Whenever you will say. If you say, I can stay just now one month.
Guest (1): Yes?
Prabhupada: Yes. I can stay.
Guest (1): Yes, I may organize something there. Then I bring you there.
Prabhupada: I am going to Johannesburg today. If you think that my presence will be beneficial, then after a week I can come back.
Guest (1): Yes, Swamiji. Therefore I...
Prabhupada: This is a very good program. Very good.
Guest (1): I shall tell them. There are many youngsters.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. So if you think my presence will be very beneficial, then after one week I shall come back. Our life is dedicated for this purpose. Whenever the... Anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Wherever there is opportunity, take advantage of it. That is our mission. Little light-fan it to make it fire. That is our mission. I welcome all these suggestions from you. Now you be serious and do it. If you like, I shall come back after a week.
Guest (1): Yes. I have contacted two president of village. For example, Iskadye(?) There is a village known as Iskadye. Now there is Marshali.(?)
Prabhupada: And we have no distinction that "He is Hindu. He is Muslim. He is Christian." No. Everyone is welcome to take this culture, education. We have no such sectarian view. No.
Devotee: Excuse me. Your idea is a program similar to what we've done or been doing previously?
Guest (1): No, Swamiji. Previously you have been only going one day in a village. Only one day means two hours or like this. People are influenced...
Prabhupada: Once or continual. Yes. That is required.
Guest (1): Yes. A continual program.
Prabhupada: "Knock, knock, knock, and the door will open." That philosophy.
Guest (1): They have been a little in the villages with books and doing sankirtana in the street. That is very good. But it...
Prabhupada: Yes. Do sankirtana. The villagers will join.
Guest (1): But at the same time, if we collect all the people together and put it in place and talk to them every day, continually for seven days or eight days...
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. It is possible. These are all practical proposals. There is nothing impossibility.
Guest (1): Yes. Don't you think so, Swamiji? I have proposed...
Pusta Krsna: Pandals?
Guest (1): Yes. We may build pandals also. That will be... Because...
Prabhupada: Pandal or no pandal. You can sit on open place. There is no harm.
Cyavana: We can build a pandal in one day and put up.
Prabhupada: In villages we can sit down underneath a tree. That is pandal. Why should you unnecessarily spend money? Just cleanse the ground and sit down. That's all. Makes everything simplified.
Guest (1): If it's raining there, Swamiji. Rainy days.
Prabhupada: Accha. Rainy day.
Guest (1): For that we need pandals.
Prabhupada: So think. Krsna is giving you intelligence. Think over, and Krsna will give you intelligence.
Guest (1): I don't know whether it is practical, Swamiji. That is another suggestion. Like you are here for about seven days. Don't you think it would be good if you come here and you call people, youngsters, for example, those who are interested in the Vedic culture, would come here, in any place, for about seven days or eight days to stay with you and to learn what you want to say.
Pusta Krsna: Like a camp.
Guest (1): Like a camp, yes.
Prabhupada: Yes. They are welcome.
Guest (1): You would prepare... At least every individual get one young man who will come.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Yes. Very good suggestion. Immediately accepted. Oh, yes. I speak only selected young men, and they will speak. Yes. That is wanted.
Guest (1): And it will be easier for us to go to their village.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest (1): They would guide us.
Prabhupada: That is very good suggestion.
Guest (1): When do you think that you could do it?
Prabhupada: Yes. I can immediately begin. Yes.
Pusta Krsna: I can give you our address in Johannesburg, and you can write letter trying to organize it.
Prabhupada: How long it takes to go from here?
Pusta Krsna: It's just a few hours. Johannesburg letter would only take two, three days.
Prabhupada: So you keep the address and be in correspondence.
Pusta Krsna: Best if everything is set up beforehand, so when Prabhupada comes it is already organized.
Guest (1): Yes. We can put it in newspaper.
Prabhupada: But one thing you must be assured, that if you can introduce this Krsna consciousness movement, everyone will be happy. Be rest assured. That's a fact.
Guest (1): Because if you go to the villages...
Prabhupada: Everyone will be happy. Men and animal, everyone will be happy. Even the trees and plants, they will be happy.
Pusta Krsna: We could have big sankirtana parties in the villages here too.
Brahmananda: How is it that the trees and plants will be happy?
Prabhupada: Because they will hear Hare Krsna. Not only trees and plants. The insects and everyone, they will have the opportunity of hearing Hare Krsna. That will benefit.
Guest (1): If we have got this act, Swamiji, here itself we can organize it. For example, we are getting holidays in November, school holidays, twenty-first November. So we can put it in the newspaper that "Those who are interested, young people from fifteen or twenty to thirty or forty, these people can send their letters and they would come. So we can answer them through newspaper, also radio, through TV, so that they would come...
Prabhupada: Yes. If you do organize, then I shall stay. It is very good program. Let us give it some shape with your good cooperation. So Krsna is giving you intelligence. He is giving so nice program. So do it practically.
Guest (1): And we can conquer out there.
Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. Sri-krsna-sankirtana is so powerful that it will conquer. It will be victorious. So I am very glad to meet you. And do this program. And if you like, I shall come back after a week and do. Utilize me in this way, I shall be very glad. That's all right.
Devotee: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius

"Here in this world there are thousands of newspapers and magazines reporting the stale, repetitious happenings of this limited space. So for reporting the news of the unlimited spiritual realm, concerning the eternal, ever-fresh Supreme Personality of Godhead, we could publish a newspaper at every second, what to speak of daily."

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad.

Courtesy of Ekendra's Mridanga:
http://www.gopinatha.net/journalKC/

MACCHA-YANTRA - THE ANCIENT INDIAN MARINER'S COMPASS

There were Sanskrit terms for many parts of a ship. The ship's anchor was known as Nava-Bandhan-Kilaha which literally means 'A Nail to tie up a ship' . The sail was called Vata Vastra a which means 'wind-cloth'. The hull was termed StulaBhaga i.e. an'expanded area'. The rudder was called Keni-Pata, Pata means blade; the rudder was also known as Karna which literally means a 'ear' and was so called because it used to be a hollow curved blade, as is found today in exhaust fans. The ship's keel was called Nava-Tala which means 'bottom of a ship'. The mast was known as Kupadanda, in which danda means a pole.

Even a sextant was used for navigation and was called Vruttashanga-Bhaga. But what is more surprising is that even a contrived mariner's compass was used by Indian navigators nearly 1500 to 2000 years ago. This claim is not being made in an overzealous nationalistic spirit. This has in fact been the suggestion of an European expert, Mr. J.L. Reid, who was a member of the Institute of Naval Architects and Shipbuilders in England at around the beginning of the present century. This is what Mr. Reid has said in the Bombay Gazetteer, vol. xiii., Part ii., Appendix A.

"The early Hindu astrologers are said to have used the magnet, in fixing the North and East, in laying foundations, and other religious ceremonies. The Hindu compass was an iron fish that floated in a vessel of oil and pointed to the North. The fact of this older Hindu compass seems placed beyond doubt by the Sanskrit word Maccha Yantra, or fish machine, which Molesworth gives as a name for the mariner's compass".

It is significant to note that these are the words of a foreign Naval Architect and Shipbuilding Expert. It is thus quite possible that the Maccha Yantra (fish machine) was transmitted to the west by the Arabs to give us the mariner's compass of today.

- Sudheer

Ancient India - Ship Building & Navigation

http://www.crystalinks.com/indiaship.gif
In Ancient India there existed a strange belief that if any Hindu crossed the seas, he would lose his religion. When and why this belief came into being is not known. But taking a close look at out nation's maritime history we find evidence of a very large number of Indians who should have had lost their religion as they had crossed the seas to trade and build empires in distant lands.

Not only did these enterprising Indians, not lose their religion but they made India into one of the foremost maritime nations of those days and spread Indian culture overseas.
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiaship2.gif
In those days India had colonies, in Cambodia (Kambuja in Sanskrit) in Java, (Chavakam or Yava dwipa) in Sumatra, in Borneo, Socotra (Sukhadhara) and even in Japan. Indian traders had established settlements in Southern China, in the Malayan Peninsula, in Arabia, in Egypt, in Persia, etc., Through the Persians and Arabs, India had cultivated trade relations with the Roman Empire.

Sanskrit and Pali literature has innumerable references to the maritime activity of Indians in ancient times. There is also one treatise in Sanskrit, named Yukti Kalpa Taru which has been compiled by a person called Bhoja Narapati. (The Yukti Kalpa Taru (YKT) had been translated and published by Prof. Aufrecht in his 'Catalogue of Sanskrit Manu scripts. An excellent study of the YKT had been undertaken by Dr. Radha Kumud Mookerji entitled 'Indian Shipping'. Published by Orient Longman, Bombay in 1912.)

A panel found at Mohenjodaro, depicting a sailing craft. Vessels were of many types Their construction is vividly described in the Yukti Kalpa Taru an ancient Indian text on Ship-building.

This treatise gives a technocratic exposition on the technique of shipbuilding. It sets forth minute details about the various types of ships, their sizes, the materials from which they were built. The Yukti Kalpa Taru sums up in a condensed form all the available information

The Yukti Kalpa Taru gives sufficient information and date to prove that in ancient times, Indian shipbuilders had a good knowledge of the materials which were used in building ships. Apart from describing the qualities of the different types of wood and their suitability in shipbuilding, the Yukti Kalpa Taru also gives an elaborate classification of ships based on their size.

The primary division is into 2 classes viz. Samanya (ordinary) and Vishesha (Special). The ordinary type for sea voyages. Ships that undertook sea voyages were classified into, Dirgha type of ships which had a long and narrow hull and the Unnata type of ships which had a higher hull.

The treatise also gives elaborate directions for decorating and furnishing the ships with a view to making them comfortable for passengers. Also mentioned are details about the internal seating and accommodation to be provided on the ships. Three classes of ships are distinguished according to their length and the position of cabins. The ships having cabins extending from one end of the deck to the other are called Sarvamandira vessels.

These ships are recommended for the transport of royal treasure and horses. The next are the Madhyamarnandira vessels which have cabins only in the middle part of their deck. these vessels are recommended for pleasure trips. And finally there is a category of Agramandira vessels, these ships were used mainly in warfare.
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiaships.html

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html (Vedik World Heritage)
Western Indologists been exposed page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm
How British Misguided World on Vedic History
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MotiveBritishRajMissionaries.html

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

I KNOW KRSNA

There are so many Indians who are quick to say, "I know Krsna, I know Krsna."  There is a story in this regard.  There was once a man who every day brought water to the temple of Lord Jagannatha.  The man used to think, "I don't need to see Lord Jagannatha.  I come here every day and so I can see Him any time I want.  Let the others see Him."  Day after day went by and the man never went to see Lord Jagannatha.  Finally the man died without once seeing the Lord.  MORAL: We have to take advantage of our fortunate situation, and take to Krsna consciousness thus perfecting our lives.

THE JUDGE'S TIFFIN BREAK

We have become first-class imitators.  There is a story in this regard.  It was 1914.  World War one was in progress, and the high court judges were on their tiffin hour.  "Mr Mukerjee," a high court judge said to Ashutosh Mukerjee, "now the Germans are coming.  What are you going to do?"  "We shall offer our respects to them and invite them to do as they will," replied Mr Mukerjee.  This answer startled the Englishman.  "Why do I say that?  You have simply taught us to be servants.  Our business is to receive.  You have trained us as servants."

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

See more on Darwin and Evolution HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Darwin-out-page.htm

Articles from Back to Godhead Magazine:
http://krishna.org/?related=Back%20to%20Godhead%20Magazine

Listen to Krishna Radio on various subjects on-line:
http://www.krishna.com/newsite/main.php?id=260

Hundreds of devotional songs by various artists - singers - performers - and many more coming soon:
http://www.radiokrishna.com/rkc_archive_new/

Amala Bhakta dasa reciting Srimad Bhagavatam on-line:
http://www.prabhupadavani.org/SB_index.html

---

Seeing is believing...

Cheapest and best web-hosting - click on the banner above

Starting at 1Gb or 2 Gb space for one or two years @ just US$7.50 per month

Transcendental Visions Videos
Two new items being offered by Prananath prabhu in CHCH

Auckland Temple Opening Video & DVD
Puspa Samadhi Festival of HH Tamal Krsna Goswami - Double DVD only

see covers below

WWW.NECTARBOOKS.COM

Dear Prabhus,

  Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 With thankfulness to our Founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada, Sri Gaura-Nitai, and the inspiration of all of you, we announce the Grand Opening of "NECTARBOOKS.COM". This website contains rare, wonderful Krishna Literature by our Vaisnava Acharyas, beautifully and carefully translated by Dasaratha Suta Prabhu, a scholarly disciple of Srila Prabhupada, long known for his translation work.

It was a desire of Srila Prabhupada to give all of us, his children and grandchildren, the entire Vaisnava Library of devotional writings, and we are  blessed by His Divine Grace to recieve some of this literature with which to further water our creepers of devotion.

Please consider forwarding this email to your address list in the mood of going for the mercy of Lord Chaitanya by assisting His missionary desires.

http://www.nectarbooks.com

Your aspiring servants at NectarBooks.Com

Dasaratha-suta Dasa and Dina Sharana Dasa

********
Letter to: Hayagriva
Tokyo April 27, 1972

.. It is my serious desire to devote the fag end of my life to translating Srimad Bhagavatam and so many other Vaisnava literatures so by assisting me in this regards you will be performing the highest service to Krsna....

UNITED STATES, October 20, 2004: Are you fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained? Do you seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows you to know what is going to happen? Do you sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism? To find out how spiritual you are, click on "source" above. The short test is adapted from a personality inventory devised by Washington University psychiatrist Robert Cloninger, author of "Feeling Good: The Science of Well-Being."

Indymedia is a collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage. Indymedia is a democratic media outlet for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of truth.

 PRABHUPAD FESTIVAL, MUMBAI

"GLOBAL KRISHNA:  PRABHUPAD'S LEGACY LIVES!"

VENUE - CROSS MAIDAN
FEBRUARY 12 - 20, 2005

A GRAND-SCALE PRABHUPAD FESTIVAL WILL BE CELEBRATED THIS WINTER, IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE 1971 CROSS MAIDAN PANDAL, IN THE VERY HEART OF DOWNTOWN MUMBAI.

The goals of this Festival are:

(1) In the 108th year of his birth, to re-affirm Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad's pre-eminence as the single greatest Indian-born spiritual messenger of modern times.

Over the past 33 years the consciousness and worship of Radha and Krishna have increased greatly all over India. Yet the names Bhaktivedanta Swami and Prabhupad remain unfamiliar to many citizens. The name ISKCON is well recognized, but has been lumped with other Hindu societies as just another religious institution. Other personalities dominate the public image as great torchbearers of Hinduism, while the real Hero responsible for single-handedly reviving the spiritual life of India in its purest form and spreading it all over the world, has been largely forgotten.

(2) To inspire a cultural renaissance among Indian youth; to become the preferred spiritual guides for India's new generations;

Thousands of Indian youth--including a great many hi-IQ students and young professionals--are being attracted to Krishna Consciousness, especially in Mumbai.

(3) To bring together ISKCON devotees from all parts of the globe in a joyous celebration of Srila Prabhupad; from Mumbai devotees can travel onwards to the Mayapur Festival in early March.

2004's deity installation gathering in Mayapur was a major eye-opener: to
have so many thousands of global ISKCON devotees assembled in one place was
a blissful experience beyond compare.

THEMES:   BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPAD'S 108th YEAR!
          PRABHUPAD'S CHILDREN: 33 YEARS LATER!

    The format of the 1971 event will be followed in all respects. Each day different ones of Prabhupad's most advanced disciples from around the world will give morning and evening lectures, just as Prabhupad did back in '71. International devotees will perform kirtans under the leadership of famous kirtan leaders.
Gorgeous Radha-Krishna deities will be housed and worshipped around-the-clock.
A "Vedic Global Village" tent will be constructed where the public can view big-screen videos and check out displays and presentations by individual temples from different parts of the world.
Drama groups will stage performances.
A "Life of Prabhupad" photo display, dioramas, book stalls and information booths will surround the main pandal tent.
Krishna prasadam will be distributed throughout the day.

Public Impact:     Being in the heart of India's most populous city, there is a ready-made audience of many thousands of people per day. A widespread advertising campaign will be launched to insure large public participation. Media coverage will be extensive.

 "By the Grace of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krishna our recent festival in Cross Maidan Exhibition Ground has been counted a grand success, and quite noticeably the spirit of bhakti has been actively revived in  Bombay. My blessings go especially to all of you who have joined with us in service." ---A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, April 1971.

 "On behalf of those who were blessed to witness Srila Prabhupad's wondrous pastimes  conceiving, organizing, managing-and starring in-the 1971 Cross Maidan event, I am appealing to all Devotees, especially the old Bombay hands, to help us make this 2005 show a similar resounding success!" ---Shyamasundar das, 33 years later.

Contributions, inquiries or ideas can be addressed to:

Shyamasundara1967.ACBSP@pamho.net
Telephone:  +91-22-2369-7228
ISKCON Radha-Gopinath Mandir
7, K.M.Munshi Marg,
Chowpatty, Mumbai
India 400 007

Co-Chairmen, Prabhupad Festival:    H.H. Radhanath Swami,  H.H. Giriraj Swami, Shyamasundar dasa

Finest Incense and Oils
Pure Incense, the worlds finest incense now on-line!
http://www.pure-incense.com/

Incense from the comfort of home, choose from 14 pure incense flavours. This incense is
like no other, made according to ancient principles rather than commercial constraints.
Incense made in one family for hundreds of years. Incense developed for worship of local
temple Deities and discovered by western travellers and incense hunters during the late
sixties. Pure-incense.com now offers exclusive availability real incense.

Wrapped in 50 gram bundles, it will be posted to your home and soon be taking place of
all your aromatherapy needs. On this site you will find all the ingredients that make up
these ancient recipes, plus a fascinating insight into the making and consciousness behind
a product that is made in a devotional spirit - where purity is the most important element
but.....it has to smell GREAT!

Pure-incense.com's natural sticks are steeped in over 200 years of family history using
timeless recipes passed down from father to son.

Made with focused consciousness within a family atmosphere, free from exploitation, we
are happy to be able to offer you the finest range on the planet.

The end result? A clean, natural burning, temple grade stick that is completely different
from the harsh, synthetic-perfume that has become a hallmark of cheap imports.

Again mention that you came through this site for preferential treatment.

comment by JTCd: Adi-guru prabhu in the UK sent me some samples for my Deities.
This incense is 108% Divine...and no, I'm not on a commission

To see the Online 2004 Vyasa Puja Book visit:
http://www.krishna.com/vyasapuja

http://www.dipika.org/2004/05/20/13_online_vyasa_puja_book/

Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa pujan in Mayapur 2003 pictures:
http://64.28.101.188/2003/08-26-03/

Go to Links to Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Pujan

HH Bir-Krishna Goswami's site
http://www.bkgoswami.com/

HH Devamrita Swami
http://www.devaswami.com/main.php
http://www.devaswami.com/main.php?&displayPage=home

HH Gopal Krishna Goswami:
http://www.geocities.com/gopalkrsna/

HH Indradyumna Swami
http://www.traveling-preacher.com/
http://www.harekrishna.asn.au/speakers/indradyumna_swami/indradyumna_swami.htm

HH Jayapataka Swami
http://www.hearjps.com/
http://www.jpsoffice.com/
http://www.harekrishna.asn.au/speakers/jayapataka_swami/jayapataka_swami.htm
http://www.victoryflag.com/
Many lectures by HH Jayapataka Swami and HH Radhanath Swami
http://www.radiokrishna.com/rkc_archive_new/

HH Kadamba Kanana Swami
http://www.geocities.com/kksaudioministry/

HH Prabhavishnu Swami
http://home.iprimus.com.au/naractl/Biographys/ISKCON_Gurus/Srila_Prabhavisnu_Swami_Biography.html#Prabhu

HH Prahladananda Swami
http://home.iprimus.com.au/naractl/Biographys/ISKCON_Gurus/Prahladananda_Swami_Maharaja.html#mod

HH Romapada Swami
http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl?ndx=2

HH Sacinandan Swami
http://www.saranagati.net/

HH Sivaram Swami:
http://www.sivaramaswami.com/

HH Sridhar Swami (the late Sridhar swami)
http://www.jollyswami.net/home.php

HH Suhotra Swami
http://www.use.cz/ss-archives/index.htm
http://www.in2-mec.com/
This takes the surfer to the startpage where they can see the cool animation.

HH Trivikram Swami
http://www.tvswami.sotiko.pl/

HG Vaiyasaki dasa Adhikari
http://www.kirtan.org/index.html

If you know of any other senior Iskcon devotee web-sites please send their URL to us to share with others through this media mailto:jtcd@xtra.co.nz

Here's a short list with some links - sadhu sanga ki jaya
http://krisna-volgy.hu/sadhu/

What's Going On Where &Adds

FESTIVAL EVENTS AND VENUES:


The New Iskcon Auckland temple

.....is now open

for more information and some wonderfrul pictures of the event see our page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/HKAuckland-page.htm

photos updated 12th March 2004

Hare KrishnaSchool & Playgroup

Krishna Conscious education for children
http://www.harekrishna.school.nz
http://hkschool.orcon.net.nz/

Hare Krishna School in Riverhead, Auckland is a government funded school that runs from 9am – 3pm five days a week. We cover all core subjects in the New Zealand Curriculum and in addition teach Sanskrit, Sastra and Vedic arts. Children who come to this school get everything that children at state schools get plus Vedic culture and values in a serene rural environment.

We also run a preschool program for children 3 and up.

A school bus service provides transport from Auckland suburbs.

For enrolment information please contact:- HKSchool@xtra.co.nz

admin@harekrishna.school.nz

Ph: 09-412-6325
Mob: 021-265-7587
Fax: 09-412-6325

Find out what the NZ Government Education Review Office thinks of the Hare Krishna School. Click the link below.
http://www.ero.govt.nz/publish/reppub.ns4/Institution/98CA326F2C53BF0CCC256B7500174198/$File/4204.htm?OpenElement
 
 

Balgopal Krishna Conscious Preschool in Henderson Auckland prepares children for school with a nurturing academic and character development program founded on Krishna consciousness.

 For details please contact-

Vishnupadi dasi Ph.836-1214

Gaura Yoga Centre
First floor
175, Vivian Street,
Wellington

Phone:  (04) 801-5500

Learn about the Krishna conscious life-style
Learn Yoga
Learn about Vegetarianism
...all in a non-threatening friendly atmosphere.

http://www.gaurayoga.co.nz

Contact us: mailto:info@gaurayoga.co.nz

Subscribe to newsletter: mailto:gaurayoga-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Sunday Love Feasts - contact your local temple, or community for details
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-int.htm

http://www.hknet.org.nz/NZKiwi-yatra.htm

http://www.hknet.org.nz/aussie-yatra.htm

Harinaam Kirtan and Bhajans in Tauranga BOP.
Every Saturday in the Red Square by the Strand (or Mt. Maunganui)

Come and join the throng 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

...for more details contact Trivikrama dasa

mailto:touchstone@clear.net.nz (for Trivikram prabhu)

Vegetarian Clubs
Waikato University - Hamilton campus

2 days per week serving about 100 plates each day.

for more information contact Mangala Vaishnava dasa
mailto:bhaktamark@hotmail.com

Auckland Veda club.
Auckland University - Wellesley St. campus

Its a simple weekly program thats been running for a few years, at Clubspace,
where we have a vegetarian prasadam lunch and sometimes show a video.
Srila Prabhupada's books are available to browse or buy.

For more information contact Auckland temple:
mailto:radhik@e3.net.nz

Otago University - Dunedin - Vege Club
Room 2., Clubs & Societies Building
Albany St.,

contact Jambavati dasi (03) 477 8277
mailto:jambavati85@hotmail.com

http://www.hknet.org.nz/HKDunedin-page.htm


Auckland
http://www.hknet.org.nz/AuckFFL-page.htm

Christchurch
http://www.hknet.org.nz/CHCH-FFL-page.htm

See more about Food For Life and how you can help HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/HKFood4Life-page.htm

 268., Karangahape Road., Auckland

Delicious hot inexpensive Vegetarian Meals !

Pure Vegetarian Restaurant

$5 Combo Meal

Open Mon-Fri 11am-7.30pm

Sat 11am-2.30pm

Phone (09) 300 7585

SPIRITUAL MASTER INSPIRES FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Seven hundred plates of free prasadam (food offered to the Lord) were distributed to an appreciative public and to 50 devotees who took part in a central city Harinam (chanting in the streets).

By the mercy of Guru, Gauranga and Radha Krishna, (after our first bhajan album Bhajanamrtam) we have managed to produce a new CD entitled "Bhaktivinoda", a collection of bhajans of Saccidananda Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and other Vaisnava acaryas in Orissi classical ragas.

The CD includes 8 bhajans and a 12-page booklet with all lyrics and a translation of the songs:
Gurudeva! Kabe Mora Sei Din Habe
Hari Hari, Kabe More Hoibe Sudina
Kabe Sri Caitanya More
Radha-Kunda-Tata
Narada Muni
Janama Saphala Ta'ra
Brajendranadana, Bhaje Jei Jana
Kabe Ha'be Bolo

Price, inclusive of shipping, is 15 Euros per CD. If you want to order this CD, please transfer the amount to the following account (and send us your shipping address by mail or email):

Account number 3125628, Ashok Jagram, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Bank details: Postbank, Foreign operations, P.O. Box 1800, 1000 BV Amsterdam [Swiftcode: PSTB NL2]

"The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari very quickly cures the diseases of the ever diseased living entities simply by His fame personified and only because of Him do the demigods achieve long lives. Thus the Personality of Godhead becomes ever glorified. He also exacted a share from the sacrifices, and it is He only who inaugurated the medical science or the knowledge of medicine in the universe." (Srimad Bhagavata Purana 2.7.22 )

 
 
 

Sacred Vegetarian Recipes - Prasadam

XmasSurvivaledition

Ho ho ho

Christmas Dinners with Dignity
(heaps of recipes)

Some guidelines to get through Xmas season when visiting non-devotees

World Vegetarian Day 1st October each year

World Vegetarian Awareness Month - October

http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD.html

see what's already happening this year http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD2004.html

See our World Vegetarian Day issue of the newsletter for a wide range of Vegetarian issues

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar-glossary.htm#Chaturmasya
 

Greek Christmas Bread
Yield:15 servings
Ingredients
1 pk (or 1 tablespoon) Active Dry Yeast
1/4 c Warm Water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/3 c Sugar
1 ts Ground Cardamom
1/4 ts Salt
1 tablespoon yogurt
1/4 c Milk
1/4 c Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 c Whole Wheat Flour
1 c All-Purpose Flour
1/4 c Golden Raisins
1/4 c Walnuts, chopped

Instructions
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine the sugar, cardamom, salt, yogurt, milk and oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture, flours, raisins and nuts. Mix well. Add enough extra flour to make soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine the sugar, cardamom, salt, yogurt, milk and oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture, flours, raisins and nuts. Mix well. Add enough extra flour to make soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf.

2. Put the dough into a lightly-oiled 8-inch-round cake pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in a 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown.
Put the dough into a lightly-oiled 8-inch-round cake pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in a 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown.

Serves 15 (or three hungry brahmacharis)

Tofurkey
Recipe is from my (Paramseva dasa in Atlanta GA USA) Mother-in-law, Amrita Jivani dd who is a knockout chef! She used to be JPS' personal cook in Mayapur - although he never ate Tofurkey there!!!
Ingredients:
Tofu
Black pepper
Olive oil
Bread crumbs
celery
arrots
sage
paprika
soy sauce \
sugar - molasses
salt

Gravy:
potatoe starch or mashed potatoe, molasses, soy sauce, and white pepper.

Method:
Take tofu and crumble it up to make it like a dough by hand with some olive oil (and black pepper and salt) to smooth it out. Place a layer - say 2 CMs thick on a baking pan (or you fancy it up and make a ball or log or something) than add stuffing (large pieces of bread crumbs, celery, cerrots, or whatever with spices such a fresh sage, which seems to be the main spice ingredient and maybe paprika) then add more tofu mixture on top. You might want to also add tofu to the sides to keep the stuffing inside. You can baste it with various basting items depending on what you like - soy sauce, molasses, etc. It works well to bake it first and then baste it a little later and let it brown. It should bake in a bout 45 minutes at a moderate heat. You can also make a gravy to go along with it by using potatoe starch or mashed potatoe, molasses, soy sauce, and white pepper.

Tofu "Turkey" with Stuffing
Ingredients:
Tofurkey:
5 pounds of firm tofu
1 pound of tofu for the "drumsticks" - optional

Stuffing:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 firm small head of cabbage, chopped fine
1 and 1/3 cup celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
2 - 3 teaspoons hing
1/4 cup sage (may use 1/8)
2 teaspoons marjoram
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon winter or summer savory
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
3 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing

Basting mixture:
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons miso (vegetarian miso)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vegan mustard of choice

Directions:

Mash tofu or mix well with hands. Be sure that all of the lumps are out. Line a 12" colander with wet cheesecloth over lapping the sides. Add the mashed tofu to the cloth covered colander, press down and cover with the overlapping sides. Place the whole thing in a large bowl. Cover the cheesecloth with a plate that fits inside the colander and place a 5 pound weight on the plate. Refrigerate and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.

When time is up, start the stuffing. Saute' the finely chopped cabbage, and celery in the 2 tablesoons sesame oil. When soft, add the hing and all the rest of the stuffing ingredients, except stuffing, mixing well. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add herb stuffing and mix well.

Remove tofu from fridge and take off weight, plate and top of cheesecloth. Hollow out tofu to within 1 inch of the sides and bottom, placing the tofu in a bowl. Place the stuffing inside the shell and pack in firmly. Cover with the remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Turn stuffed tofu onto a greased baking sheet, flat side down. Gently press on sides of "turkey" to achieve a more oval shape. If desired at this point, you may mold "drumsticks" out of one pound of tofu, and place on each side of the "turkey".

Mix up the basting mixture and baste tofu "turkey" with half of it. Cover the "turkey" with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Remove foil, baste with all the remaining mixture except a few tablespoons and return to oven for 1 hour more, or until the "turkey" is golden. Remove from oven and use rest of basting mix. Using at least 2 large spatulars, move to a large plate. Serve with the gravy of your choice, if you wish, and cranberry sauce.

Vegetarian stuffing and gravy
by Hare Krsna dasi

Vegetarian Stuffing:

Make your favorite whole wheat bread as usual -- except add savory herbs -- especially ground sage, rosemary leaves, and oregano. Additional possibilities: basil, dill, savory.

Slice bread, break into cubes. I then toast this on a clean broiler pan in my oven. If you don't have acces to a broiler pan which has never been used for meat, you may prefer instead to toast slices of bread and break them into pieces after they are toasted.

Peel and saute in large heavy pot (cast iron is good) in 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 t cumin seeds: 1 large eggplant

Dice and add to saute: 3 sticks celery

Add your toasted bread crumbs. Add water if necessary. Mix.

At this point you may remove from stove and put in a large baking dish or oven-proof mixing bowl covered with foil. Bake for 45 min. at 350 degrees (F).

Vegetarian gravy

Heat 2 tablespoons of corn oil in a frying pan (cast iron is best).

Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne.

(Have ready 1 1/2 cup water (water strained from boiling potatoes is best)

Add 1/3 cup whole wheat flour -- do not scorch! Stir quickly with spatula.

Add some of the water. Reduce heat to simmer.

Add soy sauce (unfermented type).

Sprinkle on additional flour (about 1 tablespoon).

Add 3 tablespoons of sesame tahini or peanut butter.

Add more water.

Keep alternating water and whole wheat flour, stirring constantly with a spatula, until gravy reaches a nice consistency. Remove from heat.

Prepare a plate with vegetarian stuffing topped with vegetarian gravy, and potatoes, squash, cranberries, cream-cheese and olive stuffed celery -- and pumpkin or apple pie -- and offer to your Deities.

Take the Deities' prasadam to Grandma's house!

your servant,

Hare Krsna dasi

Xmas Dumplings in Lentil Curry
Ingredients:
1 cup tuwar dal
2 tbsp peanuts, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
l/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp sugar
1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafoetida
Required ghee or butter
Salt to taste

For the dumplings:
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
l/2 tsp asafoetida
Sufficient oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the dahl and the peanuts in a pressure cooker till soft and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, garlic, asafoetida and finally, the boiled dahl.
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, sugar and curry leaves. Boil and add salt to taste.
To make the dumplings, mix the flour with salt, turmeric, chili powder, asafoetida, little oil and make a stiff dough with water.
Knead well and roll out into 10 cms discs.
Cut the discs into diamonds or squares with a knife and drop them into the boiling dahl mixture.
After all the dumplings are immersed, boil the dahl for a further 15 minutes on a low heat.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

GREEK-FLAVORED POTATO SALAD
6 servings

This salad makes a delicious contribution to a buffet of room-temperature dishes for company.
Ingredients:
5 to 6 medium-large red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
10 to 12 ounces fresh green beans (or substitute
             one 10-ounce package frozen cut green beans, thawed)
1/2 cup chopped pitted black olives, preferably cured
4 ounces feta or crumbled goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
1/2 cup natural low-fat vinaigrette, preferably balsamic vinaigrette
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Bake or microwave the potatoes until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle, but warm, cut into large dice.

2. If using fresh green beans, trim them and cut them in half crosswise. Steam the fresh or frozen green beans with a little water in a covered saucepan, or in a covered container in the microwave, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Refresh under cool water until just warm, then drain thoroughly.

3. Combine the potatoes and green beans in a serving container with the remaining ingredients and toss well. This is best served just warm or at room temperature.
 

Xmas Parmesan Popovers
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 tble spoons yogurt
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Oregano or Italian Seasoning (Sweet Basil, Mint, Oregano, Paprika)

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. In a buttered muffin tin, fill each cup half full.
Place in a cold oven and put temperature on 450 'F degrees for 15 minutes.
Turn oven down to 350 'F for another 15 minutes.
Serve hot with butter. They are better than biscuits!

Recipe makes 10 popovers.
from Emily

SUFGANIYOT - Hanukkah Donuts
The young State of Israel has created many of its own customs. One is serving jelly doughnuts at Hanukkah, which are fried in oil to symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days instead of one.

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon (1 package) dry yeast
4 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm milk or warm water*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons yogourt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, softened*
Apricot or strawberry preserves
Sugar
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
little corn flour and water to make paste
*Use butter and milk if serving at a milk meal.

Method:
Child: Mix together the yeast, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the milk. Let sit to make sure it bubbles.
Child: Sift the flour and mix it with the remaining sugar, salt, cinnamon, yogourt, and the yeast mixture.
Adult with Child: Knead the dough until it forms a ball. Add the butter or margarine. Knead some more, until the butter is well absorbed. Cover with a towel and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.
Adult: Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Child: Cut out the dough into 24 rounds with a juice glass, or any object about 2 inches in diameter. Take 1/2 teaspoon of preserves and place in center of 12 rounds. Top with the other 12. Press down at edges, sealing with corn flour and water paste. Crimping with the thumb and second finger is best. Let rise for about 30 minutes.
Adult: Heat 2 inches of oil to about 375°. Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil, about 5 at a time. Turn to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Child: Roll the doughnuts in sugar.
Makes about 12.

Adapted from: The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen, by Joan Nathan - Random House, Inc.

Christmas Tree Loaf
Ingredients:
Base:
180g(6oz)self raising flour
60g(2oz)dairy free margarine
30g(1oz)sugar
80ml(2.5 fl.oz)soy milk

Filling:
half apple, grated
3 Tbsp water
60g(2oz)mixed dried fruit (as used in fruit cakes)
1 Tbsp dried mixed spice
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
For base, rub margarine into flour, add sugar and then mix in soy milk. Knead very lightly, divide mixture in two. Roll each half into a triangle approx 23cm (9") sides.Trim small amount of dough to form trunk of tree
For filling combine apple and water in a small saucepan. Cook until tender. Remove from heat, add fruit, spice and lemon juice. Allow to cool.
Place one triangle on a lightly oiled and floured baking tray, place filling on this triangle leaving 1cm (1/4") clear around all edges. Place trunk at base and moisten edges. Fit second triangle on top, sealing edges. Cut three slits (on an outward,downward angle) on the two sides. Turn the points up slightly to form christmas tree branches. Brush lightly all over with a little soy milk. Bake at 180-200c(350-400F) for 10-15 min until golden brown. When cool ice with 60g(2oz) icing sugar and water (as snow). Decorate with glace cherries or coloured candy balls,walnuts etc.
We made this at high school MANY years ago and it is so easy and really nice. Sorry but don't have any nutritional info. But at Christmas who cares.

EGGLESS CHRISTMAS CAKE (1)
Ingredients:
225g - 2 cups  white self-raising flour
225g - 1 cup  butter
225g -  1 cup  soft brown sugar
1 tsp. -  1 tsp.  ground mixed spice
½ tsp. -  ½ tsp.   grated nutmeg
1 tbs. -  1 tbs.  golden syrup
300ml -  1 ¼ cups  sour cream
75g -  ¾ cup  ground almonds
350g -  2 cups  currants
250g -  1 ½ cups  sultanas
175g  -  1 cup  raisins
100g -  ½ cup  glacé cherries, quartered
75g -  ½ cup  chopped mixed peel
50g -  ½ cup  split almonds
 grated rind of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2
Use a 23cm/9 inch square cake tin.

Line the base and sides of the cake tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper. Tie a thick band of brown paper around the outside of the tin and stand it on a pad of brown paper on a baking sheet. Sift flour and spice together. Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup together until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and mix well. Fold in flour, fruit and nuts until thoroughly mixed. Place in prepared tin, smooth the top. Bake for 3 to 4 hours, test with a warm knife after 3 hrs. Leave in tin for 20 minutes, then turn onto wire rack to cool.

EGGLESS CHRISTMAS CAKE (2)
Ingredients:
200g  -  1 ¾ cups  white self-raising flour
250g 9 - 1 ½ cups  currants
175g - 1 cup  raisins
75g -  ½ cup  sultanas
75g -  ½ cup  dried apricots, finely chopped
75g -  ¾ cup  flaked almonds
300ml -  1 ¼ cups  orange juice
175g -  ¾ cup  soft unsalted butter
100g -  ½ cup  caster sugar
 2 tbs. -  2 tbs.  molasses
8 tbs. -  8 tbs.  sour cream
50g  -  ½ cup  ground almonds
1 tsp. -  1 tsp.  ground mixed spice
½ tsp. -  ½ tsp.   ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. -  ¼ tsp.   ground nutmeg
3 tbs. -  3 tbs.  milk
 grated rind 1 lemon

DECORATION.

METRIC. US.
2 tbs. -  2 tbs.  apricot jam
2 tbs. -  2 tbs.  clear honey
2 tbs. -  2 tbs.  boiling water
a selection of halved shelled nuts
Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1
Use a 20cm/8 inch round cake tin.

Place the dried fruit in a bowl with the flaked almonds, lemon rind and orange juice, cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand for 8 hours or overnight.

Grease and line the base and sides of the cake tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper. Tie a thick band of brown paper around the outside of the tin and stand it on a pad of brown paper on a baking sheet to protect the cake during cooking.

Cream the butter, sugar and molasses together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the sour cream, a little at a time, adding the ground almonds alternately and mixing well after each addition.

Sieve the flour and spices into the bowl, adding any bran remaining in the sieve. Add the fruit, with the liquid, then the milk and mix to a dropping consistency. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Cover the top loosely with several layers of greaseproof paper and a layer of brown paper.

Bake in the preheated cool oven. Check the cake after 2 ½ hours, and then at half hourly intervals. Test by inserting a warm knife into the centre of the cake; if it emerges clean then the cake is ready.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin until completely cold. Remove from tin, and take out of the lining paper. Wrap in kitchen foil and store in an airtight container until needed.

Decoration: Arrange the nut halves on the top of the cake. Make a glaze by combining the apricot jam with the honey and boiling water in a small bowl. This makes a smooth, shiny paste. Brush this over the top of the cake.

Vegan Christmas Cake

Ingredients:
1 lb Candied pineapple
1/2 lb Citron
1/4 lb Candied citron
1/4 lb Candied orange and lemon peel
1/4 lb Candied cherries
1 1/2 lb Raisins
1/2 lb Currants
1/2 c  Grapefruit juice
1/4 lb Whole mixed nuts without peanuts
2 c  Flour
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Baking soda
1 ts Cinnamon
3/4 c  Shortening
1 c  White sugar
1 c  Brown sugar
5 tb Cornstarch
1 ts Almond extract
6 tb Grapefruit juice

Method:
Combine pineapple, citrons, peels, cherries, raisins and currants in a large bowl. Add 1/2 c grapefruit juice, mix very well.

Cover and let stand overnight. The next day, add the nuts and 1/2 c of the flour to the fruit mixture and mix well. Combine the rest of the flour with the baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl, and mix well.

In a third bowl, beat the shortening for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugars, creaming well as you add them. Stir in the cornstarch. Add the beaten shortening and sugars to the fruit. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Add the almond extract and the rest of the grapefruit juice, stirring well until the mixture is well combined. Preheat oven to 275F.

Grease a 10 inch square cake tin. Line with brown paper and grease the paper. Transfer the cake mixture to the cake tin. Press down gently. Bake for 3 hours. Check after two hours. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with some waxed paper. After it is cooked, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Gently remove cake from the tin and peel away the paper. Let cool on wire racks till completely cooled. Wrap in waxed paper and keep in a cool place. If icing the cake, layer with marzipan and then decorate as desired.

Swaha mataji's (Carterton NZ) Incredible Ice Cream
Ingredients:
Mix together 1 tin condensed milk with 1c water
CHILL IN FREEZER FOR APPROX 1 1/2 HRS
whip 300mls cream until soft add flavour
2t essence
1/2c carob
fruit
or what ever
1/3 tin caramel (I add this at the last beating)
add cream and flavour to chilled condensed milk and beat.

Freeze beating every 3/4 hr until too hard.

Swaha mataji triples the recipe and get 15 pieces 4 inches by 4 inches square and 1.1/2 deep.

Dream up all sorts of flavours.
There may have been caramel or vanilla essence in the ice cream.

.......also try this one

Whip 300mls creme/cream with 1t vanilla essence until soft peaks form add to 1 tin caramel and fold together gently but thoroughly. Cover and put in freezer for 4hrs or until firm.

Xmas Holiday Mint Cookies (Vegan)
This recipe serves 12 and takes about 30 minutes (excluding chill and bake time) to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
2 1/4 tablespoons crushed dried mint leaves
2 cups flour
extra sugar for coating

Instructions:
Mix margarine and sugar thoroughly.
Add salt, mint extract, mint leaves, and flour.
Mix thoroughly.
Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.
Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in sugar.
Press ball with your thumb.
Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool on racks.
Makes about 3 dozen lovely, green-specked cookies.

XMAS in JAMAICAN FRUIT 7 ICE CREAM SUNDAE:
Ingredients:
4 large bananas
1 whole pineapple
250 grms brown sugar
100 grms butter
500 grms/ half litre cream
500 grms vanila ice cream

Method:
either on a BBQ grill or under the toaster grill of your oven, grill the 4 bananas with their skins on. While these are cooking (until bursting and bubbling) take the whole pineapple, take off the top, and while keeping the outter skin on cut it length ways in four and remove the central core.

Then still keeping the outer skin on, cut the pineapple into wedge like shapes by cutting across the length. Dip those wedges into the brown sugar and put the wedges also onto the grill to cook until looking golden brown.

While this is happening melt the 100 grms of butter into a saucepan add the remining sugar to that when the butter has melted and stir this together until it has the unmistakeable aroma of caramel toffee - about five minutes on medium heat. When it is ready add the cream to it and stir in or whisk together.

On the offering plate place the bananas, if they are not already split, just cut them open with a knife. Place the golden brown sticky pineapple wedges either side of the bananas place a serving of the ice-cream on top of the banana and then drizzle over the entire preparation a thick coating of the caramel toffee cream sauce.

Christmas Crunchy Almond-Caramel Brittle from Switzerland
This recipe takes about 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar-molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups almond chips

Instructions:
Add 1 cup of sugar to pan, heat, stir constantly
Add 1 cup of molasses and cook until sugar is dissolved, mixture bubbles
Add 1 tsp. of vanilla, sugar starts to smell like caramel (about 5 minutes)
Add  2 cups of almond chips added to the hot mixture and stir for another minute (don't overcook, take instantly off the heat when almonds smell finely roasted, or else it might start to smell burnt).
Spread mixture quickly on a well greased baking sheet and roll with greased (!!) rolling pin about 5 mm thick.  Let cool, break into pieces.
If you want squares, cut while mixture is still warm and soft.
Careful:  Melted sugar is exceedingly hot!  Don't lick or stick fingers in it while cooking or removing from pan - you'll end up having blisters!
And do use regular Brown Sugar-Molasses, not the ones that taste like licorice.
Wrapped in a nice box, these candies also make a brilliant present!

White Christmas from Australia
A type of rice crispie square
Ingredients:
3 cups rice bubbles
1 cup mixed fruit
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup dry powdered milk
3/4 cup of sifted icing
sugar
225 grams copha
vanilla essence

Method
1. Put 3 cups of rice bubbles, 1 cup of mixed fruit, dessicated coconut, dry powdered milk and 3/4 sifted icing sugar in a bowl.
2. Melt 225 grams copha in saucepan. Add copha to dry ingredients in bowl - mix well.
3. Press mixture firmly into a biscuit tray. Set in a refrigerator. Cut into squares.

Green mango drink (used in summertime in UP and Andra pradesh)
Ingredients:
4 medium large unripe mangos
4-6 more litres of water
2 cups of sugar
ice to cool the drink

If you've got mango trees and wonder what to do with them here's a nice drink to beat the heat and helps your sunday feast programs.

Take 4 medium large unripe mangos. scrub them with soapy water to remove any dirt, fly stool etc.
Boil them for 1/2 hour in a small pot with enough water to cover, until the skins rupture, then add 4-6 more litres of water depending on how thick the drink you want.

Peel the skins with your fingers making sure all the pulp is removed from the skins, throw the skins away, rub the seeds in the water until all the pulp is off the seeds. add 2 cups of sugar for 4 mangos.

That's it! add ice, if desired, offer it to Krsna!
you can add other things locally grown too, blended papayas, orange juice whatever else local you want to add to the drink.

sent in by Vaishnava daasaanudaasaha,

TridaNDi BhikSu, Bhakti Visrambha MAdhava Swami

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

The book "Living a Good Life" normally selling at $21.95 is now going at the $14.95 price which lasts until Xmas, although we could consider extending it if anyone were to approach us after them with this reference.http://vegsoc.wellington.net.nz/livingGd.htm

 Krishna Conscious - Vedikly acceptable Jokes

Healing with humour: Taking better care of ourselves  =>;-))
http://www.hknet.org.nz/healthNhumour.html
Visit our Hasya Rasa pages

Laughter Therapy - its no joke:
http://www.healthlibrary.com/reading/yod/march98/news.htm

  Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice , but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all; plus... A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2000, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great, without regard to the race, creed color, religious, or sexual preferences of the wishes.

  Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.

sent in by dvija Krishna Akilesh prabhu Boston MA (Harvard)

....they don't know just how true the words of the ad' are !!! they end up as mollusc themselves.

It was Xmas day and all the family, as well as the local priest came to see the young man dying in the hospital bed, as the family gathered around him suddenly the dying man began to flail about and make motions as if he would like to speak.

The priest, who was keeping watch at the side of his bed, leaned quietly over  and asked, "Do you have something you would like to say?" The man nodded to the affirmatively.  The priest handed him a pad and pen. "I know you can't speak, but use this to write a note and I will give it to your wife. She's waiting just outside."

Gathering his last bit of strength, the man took them and scrawled his message upon the pad.  He stuffed into the priests hands and, moments later, the man died. After administering the last rites, the priest left to break the sad news to the wife.

After consoling the widow, the priest handed her the note.

"Here were his last words. Just before passing on, he wrote this message to you."
The wife tearfully opened the note, which read, "YOU'RE STANDING ON MY OXYGEN HOSE!!"

Just before Christmas, an honest politician, a generous lawyer and Santa Claus were riding in the elevator of a very posh hotel.
Just before the doors opened they all noticed a $20 bill lying on the floor.  Which one picked it up?

Santa of course, because the other two don't exist!

A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands.
He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.
The Pastor said, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"
My friend said, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."
The Pastor questioned, "How come then, I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"
He whispered back, "I'm in the Secret Service."

Did you ever wonder?

SantaExpose....maybe this should go on VNN

Santa is an alien can you really believe in a jolly fat man and dozens of industrial little elves who slave...
........read more
http://www.envasion.net/2000/santa.html

Mum, Can I have a dog for Christmas ?

No - you can have Xmas cake like everyone else !

Whats the best thing to put into a Christmas cake  ?
Your teeth !

How do you make an apple puff  ?
Chase it down the road !

How do you start a jelly race   ?
Get set !

Whats brown and sneaks around the kitchen  ?
Mince spies !

What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective ?
Santa Clues  !

What's Father Christmas called when he takes a rest while delivering presents  ?
Santa pause  !

What do you call  someone who claps at Father Christmas ?
Santapplause !

Why does Father Christmas like to work in the garden   ?
Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe !

What do reindeer say before telling you a joke  ?
This one will sleigh you  !

Why do reindeer wear fur coats  ?
Because they would look silly in plastic macs     !

How do you make a slow reindeer fast  ?
Don't feed it   !

Why did the reindeer wear black boots  ?
Because his brown ones were all muddy  !

How long should a reindeer's legs be    ?
Just long enough to reach the ground !

What do you call a man with jelly in one ear and custard and cake in the other ?
A trifle deaf  !

Which reindeer have the shortest legs   ?
The smallest ones   !

What do reindeer have that no other animals have ?
Baby reindeer    !

What does Father Christmas write on his Christmas cards?
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (No-L)!

Doctor, Doctor, I keep thinking I'm a Christmas bell!
Just take these pills - and, if they don't work, give me a ring!

2 - Go to the mall with your roommate and sit on Santa's lap. Refuse to get off.

3 - Wear a Santa suit all the time. Deny you're wearing it.

4 - Sit in a corner in the fetal position rocking back and forth chanting, "Santa Claus is coming to town, Santa Claus is coming to town..."

5 - Hang mistle-toe in the doorway. When your roommate enters or leaves the room, plant a wet one on his/her lips.

6 - Hang a stocking with your roommates name on it. Collect coal and sharp objects in it. If s/he asks, say, "You've been very naughty this year."

7 - Paint your nose red and wear antlers. Constantly complain about how you never get to join in any reindeer games.

8 - Make conversation out of Christmas Carols. I.E. "You know, I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistle-toe last night."

9 - Wrap yourself in Christmas lights and roll around in the snow.

10 - Sing: "All I want for Christmas is my roommate's two front teeth..."

11 - Give your roommate the gifts from the twelve days of Christmas song.

12 - Build a snowperson with your roommate and place a hat on its head. When it doesn't come to life, cry hysterically shouting "It didn't work!"

13 - Whip your roommate, screaming, "Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Donner, and Blitzen..."

14 - Tear down all your roommate's Christmas decorations yelling, "Bah Humbug!"

15 - Wake up every morning screaming "Ghost of Christmas Future, please have mercy on my soul!"

16 - Tell your roommate you're moving out. Santa's buying you a house on 34th Street.

17 - Pin a pointsetta to your lapel.

18 - Make anatomically correct gingerbread people and eat the best parts first.

19 - Put on a fake white beard and insist that all your roommate's friends "give it a yank."

20 - Ring jingle bells maniacally saying, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

21 - Stand in front of the mirror reciting "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" over and over in your underwear.

22 - Smoke mistle-toe. Do what comes naturally.

23 - Watch your roommate when s/he is sleeping. When s/he wakes up, sing, "He sees you when you're sleeping..."

24 - Steal a life-size nativity scene and display it in your room. When your roommate asks, tell him/her "I had to let them stay here, there's no room at the inn."

25 - When your roommate goes to the bathroom, rearrange his/her possessions. Tell him/her that Santa's elves must have done it.

As everyone knows for decades now Christmas has developed into one of the biggest money spinning ventures of all time. It has been so institutionalised like this that even our devotees would "get into the Xmas spirit" to distribute more books.

Putting on Santa Klaus outfits they would take to the airports and try to stop passers by. On one such occasion, during this partying period of the year a drunk came to harass a devotee dressed as Santa. The irate drunk shouted, whilst brandishing a hand gun at the devotee, "You're not Santa, your one of those Hare Krishna's ...........you're not Santa you're a fraud."

The devotee keeping a cool head opened his Bhagavad Gita As It Is, to the verse 3:13 and showed the irate drunk. See Srila Prabhupada says here in this purport, "That all the devotees are santa !"

.....needless to say shastra saved the day again, and the devotee went on to distribute many of Srila Prabhupada's books

Told to me by Brighupati dasa ACBSP in 1993, who was there at the time.

SCHIZOPHRENIA:
Do You Hear What I Hear?

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER:
We Three Queens Disoriented Are

GRANDIOSE:
Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

MANIC:
Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets
and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and
Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and...

PARANOID:
Santa Claus is Coming to Get Me.

PERSONALITY DISORDER:
You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout,
Maybe I'll Tell You Why

SOCIOPATH:
Thoughts of Roasting You on an Open Fire...

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER:
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell,
Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell
Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle
Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock...

One particular Christmas season a long time ago, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip... but there were problems everywhere.

Four of his elves got sick and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones, so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out Heaven knows where. More stress.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys.

So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered that the elves had hid the liquor and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from. Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door. He opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said, very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas Santa. Isn't it just a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Isn't it just a lovely tree? Where would you like me to stick it?"

Thus began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Ten Signs You're Sick of the Holidays
1 - You've got red and green bags under your eyes.
2 - You're serving reindeer pot pie.
3 - When you hear, "Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'?" you scream, "No! I'm not listening! So SHUT UP!!"
4 - You climb on your roof and start shooting carolers with your air gun.
5 - You think you hear your Christmas tree taunting you.
6 - Instead of spending time with family, you're watching some guy make photo copies.
7 - You're busted for running through town wearing nothing but mistletoe - maharaj.
8 - You've got eggnog coming out of your ears.
9 - Your standard response, "And happy holidays to you too, you moron!"
10- Two words: tinsel rash.

and always remember (don't forget...)

You might like to check out Krishna-conscious jokes - http://vedaveda.com/anglais/joke/deux.html
Also check out the Humour section of the Main Index: http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

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