Newsletter Number #169  ( New Year issue 2006 A.D. Gaurabda 519 )
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm
http://welcome.to/hknetworks

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ki jaya

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Please Accept My Respectful Obeisances (cyber pranams) & Best Wishes To All

_0____,

All Glories To Srila Prabhupad.

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

Welcome to the latest edition of the on-line HKSRNewsletter, and our humble attempt to render some service to the devotee community. The format of this newsletter is that of a continuous scroll, please see the table of contents where everything is hyper-linked on-line, we hope it's now easier for you all. This newsletter now goes out to way over 2508 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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"May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other?s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krishna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him."(Srimad Bhagavatam 5:18:9.)

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The Nectar in this Issue 

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From time to time articles and shlokas (verses) included in this newsletter may require the Balaram font in order to view them nicely. If you don't have the Balaram font installed on your system you can download it for free from our fonts page.

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

The present year's 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
...Ekadasi Information - fasting - breakfast times

Local temples
...Newsletters & Blogs

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
... Other Topical links - etc
... Vedik revival - Vedik World Heritage

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
... Seasonal Greetings.....Happy 2006
... Have a Happy Year - Gaurabda 519

Prasadam Recipes: To slake the thirst of body, mind & soul
...World Vegetarian Day & World Vegetarian Awareness Month of October links
... Religious Stands on Vegetarianism (Vaishnava - Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism)
... 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
... Holiday Season & 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

Now you can view the FULL years 1999-2000 & 2000-2001 & 2001-2002 & 2002-2003 & 2003-2004 & 2004-2005, and 2005-2006.
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
The present year's Vaishnava Calendar for 2005-2006
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2005-2006.html
(some selected locations are available already below)

Sri Locana Das Thakur - Appearance - Avirbhav

Srila Jiva Goswami - Disappearance - Tirubhav
Sri Jagadisa Pandit - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Fasting on Suddha Ekadasi for Putrada Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 10th January 2005  in NZ)

Sri Jagadisa Pandit - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Krsna Pusya abhisheka
14th January 2006 - Makara Sankranti (Sun enters Capricorn) all about Makara sankranti

Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja - Disappearance - Tirubhav
Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Jayadeva Goswami - Disappearance - Tirubhav
Sri Locana Das Thakur - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Fasting on Suddha Ekadasi for Sat-tila Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 26th February 2006  in NZ)

Sri Ganga Sagara Mela

3rd Feb 2006 Friday the following occur on:
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

5th February 2006 Sunday
Sri Advaita Acarya - Appearance - Avirbhav (Fasting till noon)

6th February 2006 Monday - public holiday for Waitangi day

Sri Bhismastami

Sripad Madhvacarya - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Sripad Ramanujacarya - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Fasting on Suddha Ekadasi for Bhaimi Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 9th February 2006  in NZ)

10th February 2006 Friday  Dvadasi

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

11th February 2006 Saturday
Sri Nityananda Trayodasi - Appearance of Nityananda Prabhu  (Fasting till noon)

Sri Krsna Madhura utsava
Srila Narottama Das Thakur - Appearance - Avirbhav
Kumbha Sankranti (Sun enters Aquarius)

18th February 2006 for the following:
Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Disappearance - Tirubhav
HH Gour Govinda Swami -- Disappearance - Tirubhav
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupad - Appearance - Avirbhav - (Fasting till noon)

Fasting on Suddha Ekadasi for Vijaya Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 25th February 2006  in NZ)

Sripad Isvara Puri - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Sri Shiva Ratri - Appearance Day of Lord Shiva (27th February 2006 in NZ)

 1st March 2006 for the following:
Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji - Disappearance - Tirubhav
Sri Rasikananda - Disappearance - Tirubhav
HH Tamal Krishna Goswami  - Disappearance - Tirubhav
HG Vrindavaneswari devi dasi - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Appearance - Avirbhav

Fasting on Suddha Ekadasi for Amalaki vrata Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 10th March 2006  in NZ)

Sripad Madhavendra Puri - Disappearance - Tirubhav

15th March 2006 (Wednesday)  Holika Purnima        (Holi)
Sri Krishna Chaitanya (Gauranga) Mahaprabhu - Appearance - Avirbhav
*** Gaura Purnima *** (Fasting Ekadasi style untill moonrise)

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (do not cook, eat, etc. Only Chant Hare Krishna) see eclipses-page

Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces)

This year's full panjikam also now available for viewing:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2005-2006.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
All Vaishnava Calendar Information HERE (Downloads, Glossary, Calendars, Eclipses etc)

A New Face Lift for the old VCAL program - info page

Vaishnava Calendar Reminder Services
http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/programs.htm

GBC Vaishnava Calendar Comittee - Vaisnava Calendar Calculation
http://vcal.iskcongbc.org/

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

or if you can't do that and you'd like a 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

Vaishnava Calendar Program Vcal 4.01 FREE Download, and make your own Calendar:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/vcal401.zip

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.hknet.org.nz/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

Free Vaisnava Calendar Email Reminder Service
Website URL:  http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info

New service just launched - a Free Vaisnava Calendar Email Reminder Service (BETA) where devotees can sign up and receive automated location sensitive reminders of ekadasi's, festivals, appearance and disappearance days via email.

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/
Free Downloadable Vaishnava Reminder for your Desktop
This Vaishnava Calendar Reminder is so simple, so nice and so practical
It has a huge data base of Towns to choose from, and facility to add towns too.
This can be used in conjunction with all other software and URLs mentioned above.

"This software aimed to be a personal information manager of anyone in Krishna's devotee community. Did you ever miss Ekadasi? With Vaishnava Reminder it will not be so easy - it alerts you about fasting days. Also it has built-in vaishnava calendar generator, to-do tasks, custom events, diary and panchang. And it is 100% free - just visit http://www.vreminder.tk and download it. It quietly sits in the system tray and alerts you when needed."

Vaisnava Reminder v.0.501a setup - 520 kb
http://vreminder.gauranga.in/setup-vr0501a.zip

Once you've downloaded it and installed it, you'll never want to be without it.

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/

Melbourne - Hare Krishna movement:
http://www.iskcon.net.au/

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

Other Journals, Newsletters, & KC Blogs:
Aisvarya prabhu's blog:
http://www.livejournal.com/~icemonger/

Aniruddha's blog: There's more comes out of the beadbag than just the finger...
http://www.iskcon.net.au/aniruddha/

Bala Gopala's Mrdanga (formerly Ekendra's Mrdanga)
http://www.gopala.org/
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.

CafeKrishna.com run by devotees from Pandava sena
http://cafekrishna.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

Candidasa dasa' Deltaflow Blog
http://www.deltaflow.com/index.php

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.

Gauranga Sundara prabhu in Leicester (UK) Newsletter can be found at:
Current issue http://www.gauranga.org/files/newsletter_06.PDF
Back issues and all future issues can be found at: http://www.gauranga.org/newsletter_backissues.htm

Gopala Guru prabhu's blog on MSN - Religious Worship; Ever wonder what's it like to live the life of a Hare Krishna monk?
Visit this Space to find out.:
http://whatsyourstory.msn.com/
http://spaces.msn.com/members/gopalaguru/PersonalSpace.aspx

Indradyumna Swami's "Diary of a Travelling Preacher" blog:
http://blog.worldsankirtan.net/IDS/

Kavichandra Swami's Blog
http://www.kavicandraswami.info/

Kurma prabhu's Travel Diary Blog:
Hello there ! I have a new Blog (weblog) Travel Diary. Follow my very latest culinary travels: http://www.kurma.net and click on the blog link right side of page.
Hope all is well with you. Happy cooking, Kurma

Prahladananda Swami's Health blog: On the road, Journal, Audio, Health, Photos etc
http://prahladanandaswami.net/blogs/index.php

Rati Manjari mataji - Every Town & Village - newsletter, which consists of a collective contribution from preachers throughout the UK. To view or download it click the link below:
http://www.gauranga.org/files/etav_02.PDF

You may need to install the latest version of Adobe's Acrobat Reader:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Sit Properly dot com - go to extras 4 the blog - lots of useful info especially for new devotees throughout site
http://www.sitproperly.com/index2.html

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

Hare Krishna Cultural Journal - Krishna-Kirti dasa in USA - A commentary on the culture, views and progress of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
http://siddhanta.com/weblogs/culture/

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.

News stories, articles, comment, insights, features, and Vaisnava perspectives available on-line from http://www.iskcon.com/new/

Vraj journal
http://www.vrajajournal.com/

Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:  Chapter 5 -  Karma-yoga : Action in Krsna Consciousness

TEXT 16

                         jnanena tu tad ajnanam
                          yesam nasitam atmanah
                         tesam aditya-vajjnanam
                          prakasayati tat param

   WORD FOR WORD

   jnanena--by knowledge; tu--but; tat--that; ajnanam--nescience;
   yesam--whose; nasitam--is destroyed; atmanah--of the living entity;
   tesam--their; aditya-vat--like the rising sun; jnanam--knowledge;
   prakasayati--discloses; tat param--Krsna consciousness.

                               TRANSLATION

   When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which
   nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as
   the sun lights up everything in the daytime.

  PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:

   Those who have forgotten Krsna must certainly be bewildered, but
   those who are in Krsna consciousness are not bewildered at all. It
   is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, sarvam jnana-plavena, jnanagnih
   sarva-karmani and na hi jnanena sadrsam. Knowledge is always highly
   esteemed. And what is that knowledge? Perfect knowledge is achieved
   when one surrenders unto Krsna, as is said in the Seventh Chapter,
   19th verse: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. After
   passing through many, many births, when one perfect in knowledge
   surrenders unto Krsna, or when one attains Krsna consciousness,
   then everything is revealed to him, as everything is revealed by
   the sun in the daytime. The living entity is bewildered in so many
   ways. For instance, when he unceremoniously thinks himself God, he
   actually falls into the last snare of nescience. If a living entity
   is God, then how can he become bewildered by nescience? Does God
   become bewildered by nescience? If so, then nescience, or Satan, is
   greater than God. Real knowledge can be obtained from a person who
   is in perfect Krsna consciousness. Therefore, one has to seek out
   such a bona fide spiritual master and, under him, learn what Krsna
   consciousness is, for Krsna consciousness will certainly drive away
   all nescience, as the sun drives away darkness. Even though a
   person may be in full knowledge that he is not this body but is
   transcendental to the body, he still may not be able to
   discriminate between the soul and the Supersoul. However, he can
   know everything well if he cares to take shelter of the perfect,
   bona fide Krsna conscious spiritual master. One can know God and
   one's relationship with God only when one actually meets a
   representative of God. A representative of God never claims that he
   is God, although he is paid all the respect ordinarily paid to God
   because he has knowledge of God. One has to learn the distinction
   between God and the living entity. Lord Sri Krsna therefore stated
   in the Second Chapter (2.12) that every living being is individual
   and that the Lord also is individual. They were all individuals in
   the past, they are individuals at present, and they will continue
   to be individuals in the future, even after liberation. At night we
   see everything as one in the darkness, but in day, when the sun is
   up, we see everything in its real identity. Identity with
   individuality in spiritual life is real knowledge.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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

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

Bhaktivedanta Vedabase - Bhagavad Gita on-line http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is  http://vedabase.net/bg/en

Bhagavad Gita Multi Media Web-version http://chantandbehappy.com/gita/

Listen to Bhagavad Gita on line - http://www.Gitamrta.org

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

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, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Prabhupada Said: All Services Accepted

"Please continue your very good service, and do not feel any feeling of uselessness. It is true that Krsna has given some the opportunity to serve Him by nice writing, some by good business ability, some by nice cooking, and so on, but these various services are all accepted equally by Krsna. On the transcendental plane, one service is as good as another. There is no question of higher or lower. We are very tiny, and so we cannot really do very much. Simply we can engage our time and energy, and that is all Krsna sees. He sees this boy or girl is spending his time in My service and He is pleased. I hope you are both well."

-- Letter to Hamsaduta dasa and Himavati-devi dasi, March 3, 1968
 
 

"So there is no question that one activity is more important than another or that Deity worship is more important than sankirtana. But one individual may be able to perform one activity more satisfactorily than another, so to him that activity will be more important. But in general we cannot say that any of the nine processes is more important than the others, except that if hearing, chanting, and remembering are there, that is the most vital consideration for the general class of men in this age. Service to the Deities, as you are asking me, begins whenever you remember Them and offer all your services by remembering Them at the same time. All activities, words, everything should be offered as service to the Deities, and this offering with remembering will gradually increase as you practice it."

-- Letter of June 16, 1976
 
 

"Don't think that if one is engaged in the Deity worship, and if one is engaged in the gardening work there is a distinction. No. The one who is working as a gardener, he is as good as the one who is dressing the Deity. Because it is the absolute plane, there is no difference between them, just like in the material world if one is working as a manager and another is working as a menial servant, there is a difference of pay, or a difference of service. No, in the spiritual world there is no such thing. In the spiritual world even a small ant is serving Krsna. If by chance there is an ant and a flower is thrown onto the lotus feet of Krsna, and if the ant kisses the lotus feet of Krsna, he is as good as the pujari. This is the spiritual world."

-- Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.1

Letter to Hamsaduta dasa and Himavati-devi dasi, March 3, 1968; letter to Prajapati dasa, June 16, 1976; lecture in Hawaii, June 8, 1975.
 

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

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.

"Everyone Is Serving"

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadavani.org/Morning_Walks/m3u/MW058.m3u

Prabhupada:The first business is to fix up the mind at the lotus feet of Krsna. Then engage the tongue in describing the activities of Krsna. Therefore Krsna has acted in so many ways so that we can remember the history of the activities of Krsna and discuss it. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Then the legs should be used for going to the temple. Hands should be used for cleansing the temple. Nose should be used for smelling the flowers offered to Krsna. Ears should be used for hearing about Krsna. In this way if we engage our senses in different activities relating to Krsna, that is success of life. This is Krsna consciousness, Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. (Hindi) So now you can talk. (laughter) Hare Krsna. (Hindi) [break] Practical purposes. This land and that water is matter, but we are walking on the land. Can you walk on the water?

Dr. Patel: Who is walking?

Prabhupada: Huh? You are walking, I am walking.

Dr. Patel: God is walking.

Prabhupada: So so long you are...

Dr. Patel: Body is matter.

Prabhupada: ...in the body, so we have to behave duality. (laughter) You cannot say oneness. When you are liberated from the body, that is another thing. For practical purposes... This philosophy was discussed by the mother of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was a child, this philosophy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was given very nice sweetmeats to eat. So instead of eating the sweetmeat, He was eating the dirt. So mother said, "My dear child, why You are eating dirt? I have given You sandesa." "Mother, what is the difference between this dirt and sandesa? It is all Brahman." You see? So His mother said, "My dear child, You are all right. Just like this is earth, and there is earthen pot. So if you want to keep water, you cannot throw the water on the ground. You have to take the earthen pot." So this philosophy of oneness and difference was already discussed when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a child. Simultaneously one and different. Yes. Earthen pot and earth, actually, from the material point of view, they're the same thing. But if you want to keep water you cannot keep it on the ground. You have to take to the jug. (Hindi) [break]

Dr. Patel: I promise you I won't. Because you are trying to choke me.

Prabhupada: No, I am not... We should have discussion. That is nice.

Dr. Patel: Shall we?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Under your command?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Dr. Patel: All right. Mayadhyaksena...

Prabhupada:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

 [Bg. 9.10]

Dr. Patel: That means...?

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

40+ 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

New to Krishna Consciousness - these topics 4 you
http://harekrishnaworldnews.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-to-krishna-consciousness.html

For those who are new to the Krishna Conscious philosophy,
here are a series of FLASH presentations introducing the philosophy to beginners.

What is Krishna Consciousness? (172k)
How can we become Krishna Conscious? (144k)
What is the Soul? (412k)
What is Yoga? (396k)
What is the Maha mantra? (216k)
What is Sanskrit? (64k)
What is the syllable Om? (312k)
Who is the girl with Krishna? (200k)
What are the Incarnations of the Lord (1.2mb)

http://www.iskcon.com.au/New_to_Krishna.html

Are You Tired Of Suffering?

Unlimited Bliss Is Your
Constitutional Birthright.

Now You Can Regain It With
The Ultimate
Self-Realization Course

Enroll Today
For Your Free E-Course!

http://www.backtohome.com/

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

Vrindavan Art
http://www.vrindavanart.com/index.php?gallery=gal14

Mayapur Darshans

http://www.mayapur.com
http://www.photo.net/photos/Vrindavan Lila
http://www.maphoto.tk
http://www.mayapur-katha.tk
http://www.dipika.org/mainpages/contributors/vrindavan.lila.dd.htm
http://www.geocities.com/mayapurkatha1

Radhastami photo-gallery:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=528023

Nrisimha Deva's photo-gallery:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=500789

Also we are sending out mailing lists with regular postings of video clips,
photos and PDF jornals.

to SUBSCRIBE to our FREE MAILING LISTs:

- MAYAPUR KATHA for web-magazines (PDF) send request to
  "Mayapur Katha Magazine" <Mayapur.Katha.Magazine@pamho.net>

- MAYAPUR DARSAN, video clips of Mayapur, send reqest to
  "Mayapur Darshan" <Mayapur.Darshan@pamho.net>

- Second SUNDAY MAILING LIST - photos of Mayapur, send request to
  Padmalochan.ACBSP@pamho.net / vrindavanlila@photo.net

Iskcon Mayapur are looking at starting a new WWW web-site, and are looking for a sponsor
if you are interested is assisting this great project please contact
Padmalochan.ACBSP@pamho.net or his wife vrindavanlila@photo.net

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

Hare Krishna Media Library
http://www.harekrishna.org.au/

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

By popular demand - Looking for a devotee husband or wife?
&
Marriage Synastry

Devotee Meeting-Place Web site - FREE Service:
http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/devoteesmeet/home.html 

or HERE

BHAKTI YOGA SINGLES:
This list is for Bhakti Yoga singles. Those who practice Bhakti Yoga are known as Vaisnavas.
This list is therefore called Vaisnava Singles.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vaisnavasingles

Post a Message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vaisnavasingles/post

Vegetarian Singles:
This list is for vegetarian singles. I know it can be difficult to get to know someone. There may not be anyone who can help us to get to know that special someone. We've got the computer now. So signup and start letting people know you're lonely.
Don't keep it a secret any longer.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vegetariansingles

Post a Message:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vegetariansingles/post

Post your singles ads here.
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/devoteesingles

.....think you've found someone special......
Marriage Compatibility Checking - Synastry

For marriage compatibility analysis bookings
http://www.hknet.org.nz/3-synastry.html

For more information about the system of analysis - the Vedik Kuta system
http://www.hknet.org.nz/synastry9page.htm

For more information about Vedik Marriage Compatibility
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MarriageSynastry4U.html

......and the process of Vaishnava Vivaha - sacred marriage

Gurukuli.com
A positive, safe environment to meet and chat
http://youth.rupa.com

BRITish CREW - Gurukuli forum
http://britcrew.com

Young F.O.L.K.
Young Friends Of Lord Krishna
 http://www.hknet.org.nz/YoungFOLK.htm

ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù
kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam
indräri-vyäkulaà lokaà
måòayanti yuge yuge

?All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.? (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

rämädi-mürtiñu kalä-niyamena tiñöhan
nänävatäram akarod bhuvaneñu kintu
kåñëaù svayaà samabhavat paramaù pumän yo
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi

?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.)

Hindu Gods, Goddesses & Devas Wallpaper - 22 different ones, and screensavers too.
http://coolbuddy.com/wallpapers/Religious/hindu_god_home.htm

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.mail15.com .................15 mb
http://macnews.de .........................20 mb
http://xms.ms ..................................20 mb
http://balls.com ............................100 mb
http://ukonline.net .......................200 mb

Get a FREE Gmail account today
HERE  or HERE
Gmail give you 2000+ Mb of free space

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

Click on this link to see how really short life is.

http://www.sastradana.com/video/lifeisshort.wmv

thanx again Shyam'

Hare Krsna!

In the download section of my website  http://tinyurl.com/9er95 you will find a copy of Ganguly's complete English translation of the Mahabharata (originally in 13 hardback volumes) in HTML format. It is in a 7.5 MB zipped file.

The Mahabharata explains by example how Lord Krsna's Vedic culture and Varnashrama Dharma are meant to work. Where the Manu Smriti is a concise book of laws for Mankind the Mahabharata shows how those laws are applied. The Mahabharata along with the Ramayana have been the main foundation for the continuation of Vedic culture because they are easily accessible to the masses. The Mahabharata was actually written for the unfortunate people of the Kali Yuga to help uplift them. A close study of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in conjunction with the Manu Samhita would serve as a good guide on how to implement Varnashrama Dharma. And, in conjunction with the Srimad Bhagavatam, insight into Daivi Varnashrama Dharma. The Mahabharata is thus an essential text for anyone interested in implementing VAD.

The Mahabharata is a vast treasure house of Brahminical knowledge and as the Mahabharat itself says: "What is found in the Mahabharata may be found in other texts; whatever is not found in the Mahabharata is not found anywhere."

You will also find a PDF copy  of a canto of Agnivesa's Caraka Samhita (an Ayurvedic text) entitled Sarirasthana, a fascinating account of how the body is formed starting with philosophical details, conception, karmic details, embryology etc. I once gave this text to an obstetrician to read while she was waiting to see me and she was astounded at how much knowledge was contained in such an ancient text. Size 14 MB

Yours faithfully,

Shyamasundara Dasa

http://www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com
"krsnas tu bhagavan svayam"

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.......

Devotional bhajanas, kirtans and mantras:
http://www.sudarshana.org/

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

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

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

The Peace Formula - (By HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) http://www.hknet.org.nz/PeaceFormula.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

Iskcon News Articles now available - many topical insights
http://www.iskcon.com/new/index.html

Prince Charles Praises Hindu Culture & India

This is an audio file from a speech given by Prince Charles of the Royal Family in England after watching the Film Mystic India. It is a remarkable speech.

HRH emphasised the importance of the tradition and timeless wisdom and knowledge of India, "Please don't let the world lose that, because it is the balance between modernity and tradition, and the ancient wisdom which actually is going to ensure the survival of all of us, and our grandchildren, and those who come later."

http://www.mysticindia.com/news/2005/premiere/audio/prince.mp3

MYSTIC INDIA FILM WEBSITE
http://www.mysticindia.com/uniquefeatures/index.htm

Dear friends,

Hare Krishna

Happy New 2006!

Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo / yato bhaktir adhoksaje

The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendant Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.6).

I'm pleased to pass on this story from the Times of India about a UK Parliamentary campaign against continued devotee rights abuses in Russia. As I mentioned in my last message, the mayor of Moscow has halted construction of a massive new temple in Moscow to accomodate the thousands of Krsna devotees there, and cut off utilities to an existing makeshift temple camp. We are of course not taking this lying down. Krsna Devotees, Hindus and human rights campaigners across the world are making huge efforts to pursuade the Russian government to tolerate and facilitate Krsna consciousness.

Maya always attacks where preaching of Lord Krsna's glories is strong and successful, and the stronger the Krsna consciousness, the stronger material nature hits back.

Please make a new years resolution that you will help the campaign with all your available energy. Remember, it was not so many years ago that Bhaktivedanta Manor, our main temple in the UK, was also threatened with closure. The successful Bhaktivedanta Manor campaign ended with substantial access and planning improvements, and helped promote Krsna consciousness to the popular and respected position it now holds throughout British society.

"The British campaign is to be kickstarted when Yuri Luzhkov, mayor of Moscow and allegedly Slavic Hinduism's most implacable foe, arrives in London early next month."

Please become informed of the situation, and let Mr Luzhkov, and the rest of the world know exactly what you think of his policies towards devotees in the coming weeks and months. Our actions can include writing letters and articles to MPs and on-and off-line media including newspapers, mass-harinams, discussion with friends and colleagues, online campaigns, and, very importantly, liason with our local temples, organisations like Pandavana Sena, and the Hindu Forum of Britain.

http://tinyurl.com/aso7u

"LONDON: Thirty-five years after a fateful clandestine meeting in Moscow between ISKCON founder Swami Prabhupada and a young white Russian who was to receive the dangerously secret gift of a banned Bhagvad Gita, take the name Ananda Shanti Das, and build from scratch a 100,000-strong community of native Krishna bhakts, the Slavonic Hindu may be emerging as the 21st century's most potent symbol of too-successfully spreading the word beyond Indian shores."

"The British campaign, which is bolstered by European and Australian Hindu organisations, comes exactly 25 years after the then deputy KGB chief Semen Tsvigun first exhorted the Soviet Union to recognise and stamp on the three greatest threats to the state ­ "Western culture, rock and roll and Krishna"."

See also:
http://www.hinduforum.org/
http://www.psena.com/

On a personal note, I've just got a new job in Watford, and have moved from Bristol to Bushey, near Bhaktivedanta Manor. Don't expect much in the way of updates to www.iskcon.org.uk in the coming months while I explore a number of boxes...

Your servant,
Arjunanatha dasa

"Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion." BG 18.78

Namaskar Mitra,

Learning: a Lifelong Process By Dr. N V C Swamy - the article covers various aspects of education for eg learning vs schooling, literacy vs education, the real learners, learning in the spiritual realm, genius as a learner.

http://esamskriti.com/html/essay_index.asp?cat=754&subcat=753&cname=learning_lifelong_process

Excerpts from article-

Education as Learning

It is usual convention to classify the subject of education under two categories-secular and spiritual. This is a Western concept. So far as the East is concerned, there is no distinction between the two. They are inextricably linked with each other and any division is only artificial. Nevertheless, this division has taken deep roots in our psyche. Hence we will approach the subject matter of this article from this point of view.

The quotation cited above is from a saint, who considered spiritual experiences far superior to mere knowledge of the world. However, we will examine how it applies to both types of education, secular and spiritual. We commence with secular education, by which we mean the kind of education imparted in school and colleges, leading to degrees and diplomas.

The following incident occurred several decades ago, in the late 150s, when I was a student at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The details were narrated to me by a fellow student who was at that time doing her doctorate in pharmacology at the Institute. One day when she was sitting in her office doing some work, there was a knock on the door. When she asked the caller to enter, in came an elderly gentleman in his sixties, wearing white pants, shirts and coat, a tie askew, a pair of chappals and a white turban. He took a seat and said, 'I say, I am told you have studied something of microbiology. Would you mind teaching the subject to me?' My friend told me that she was taken aback when the gentleman introduced himself. Every day, for a month, the gentleman would come to the Institute to sit with my friend for a couple of hours to learn microbiology. He later went on to apply his learning to the study of the physiology of vision and wrote a book about it. The name of the gentleman? C V Raman.

What is it that motivates a person like Raman to decide to learn an entirely new subject at such an advanced age? He had already done his best research work by that time and had already won the much-coveted Nobel Prize. But there was that urge in him to learn, an urge that was not too particular about where or from whom he could learn something new. He was an example for what Sri Ramakrishna meant when he said: 'As long as I live, so long do I learn.'

Learning v Schooling

We usually associate learning with educational establishments. We consider a person educated, if he or she gone through the schooling system, entered college and graduated from a university. That is supposed to mark the end of the learning process. This is the common understanding of what education means. It reminds me of a story I heard long ago. A noted professor of astronomy from a highly reputed university was once invited to a formal dinner. He was seated next to a young lady in her late twenties. During the course of the dinner, the young lady asked the professor about himself. The professor replied, 'I am a student of astronomy.' The young lady looked at him up and down, at his grey hair and elderly face and exclaimed, 'You mean you are still studying astronomy? I finished it long ago in my college!' It is obvious that the word learning meant different things to them. For the young lady, learning was over with graduation from the college. For the professor, who had a broader perspective of knowledge, learning was lifelong process.

It is an unfortunate fact that the system of education we follow in India is not geared to the learning process. It is oriented more towards providing information in the form of facts and figures, which should be reproduced faithfully in tests and examinations. The more the facts that can be reproduced, the brighter and more intelligent the student is rated to be. But ask any student a few days after his examinations how much he remembers of what he had learnt during the previous year; very few of them would confidently reply that they remember everything. This is because they have been trained like racehorses, which run a fast pace and are totally, spent by end of the race. I often wonder how many students would be able to answer their examination papers once again if they are given the same one month after the examinations are over!

I remember a nice story I had been told when I was young, which is a reflection on the kind of formal education we receive. A father and son went for a walk one evening. It started drizzling and they look shelter bellows a tree. The father thought that he would use this state of enforced inactivity to educate his son about the cardinal directions. He explained to the boy where east, west, north, and south were. The boy learnt it fast and rain also stopped. The father took his son home and proudly told the boy's mother about what their child had learnt. The mother was immensely pleased and asked the boy, ' Tell me, my pet, which is east?' The boy replied promptly, 'Let's go back to the tree.'

What is the moral of the story? It is a commentary on our system of secular education. Having gone through this system of education and having been involved in using this system in teaching for almost half a century, I can confidently say that our education system divorces us completely from the world around us. All the subjects taught in school and colleges-be they science, history, geography, sociology or psychology-impinge on our daily life. But we are hardly aware of it, because the system of education is such that knowledge gets confined within the covers of textbooks.

I was made aware of this facet of our educational system by a great man, Prof. Satish Dhawan. I was teaching aerodynamic at that time to students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. I had invited Prof. Dhawan to our Institute. He was at that time the director of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore and was shortly to take over as chairman of the Space Commission. We were going by electric train to Chromepet, since he had a lecture at the Madras Institute of Technology, of which our current President, Dr Abdul Kalam, is an old student. On the way, he suddenly asked me, 'Would you like to see Benard cell?' I was taken aback, since this is a laboratory experiment to demonstrate convection ring in water or air. I was wondering what he was talking about, when he pointed to the sky and said, 'There are your Benard cell.' I saw the beautiful pattern in the sky, which I had never observed before. It was then that Prof. Dhawan told me, 'See, your aerodynamics is all around you, not necessarily only in the textbooks.' Did not Sri Ramakrishna also display the same capability of keen observation, which is so well borne out by his wonderful parables? Maybe he had this capacity because he was not spoilt by book learning!

Literacy v Education - a must read

There are two words in the English language which are in common use and sometime used synonymously. They are literacy and Education. They appear to have almost the same meaning, but there is a subtle and important difference between them. Literacy implies a general acquaintance about a subject. A literate person is one who knows how to read and write, and use this knowledge in daily life. Education, on the other hand, stands for more than a nodding acquaintance of any subject. It involves a deeper study leading to knowledge in depth. An educated person is one who has a broad knowledge of any subject and is capable of discussing it intelligently.

As an example, let us consider one of the hottest topics today, namely environment. One can gain a lot of information about this subject by reading a few general books or newspaper articles, or even seeing television programmes. This is environmental literacy, which tells us what is meant by environment, what its importance for the planet is, how it is being mishandled, what are the grave dangers facing humanity, what needs to be done at the short-term or long-term level, and so on. There are lots of literate people who can read and write having this kind of literacy. But that does not make them educated.

There is another group of literate people, who have made a deep study of the technical aspects of environment. They are people who have specialized in certain areas of environment, who teach the subject at advanced levels, who are invited to contribute research papers or articles to magazines or journals, and whose voice is heard with respect. They are the educated experts in that field.

A statement of Sri Ramakrishna comes to mind at the stage. He used to say; 'There are some who have heard of milk, some who have seen it and some who have drunk it.' Only the last know what milk really is. The literate are those who have heard of milk or may be even seen it. But the educated are those who have actually drunk milk and are in a position to say what milk tastes like."

Also Read -

1. Vedic Concept of Education By Swami Sunishthananda - the article talks about educational philosophy of the Vedas, Vedic Code of Ethics, Educational Sociology of the Vedas and Educational Psychology of the Vedas. The essence of education is purification of the mind and learning to concentrate.

http://esamskriti.com/html/essay_index.asp?cat_name=prabuddha&cid=1159&sid=192

2. Education words of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

http://esamskriti.com/html/essay_index.asp?cat_name=prabuddha&cid=1159&sid=192

Share the Wealth, With Prem, Cheers

sanjeev

Why Therapy and Other Self-Empowerment Initiatives are Bad for Devotees
http://www.siddhanta.com/

[This was written at the behest of a devotee who asked for an executive summary as to why the Life Skills / Personal Transformation Seminars, conducted by Dhira Govinda Prabhu and associates, are not good for devotees. This response has been edited and updated.]

Let me begin by saying that this critique in no way is an attack on the character and motives of Dhira Govinda Prabhu. My knowledge of his writing and knowledge of his service in ISKCON, especially with the CPO, distinguishes him as a devotee who is ethical, sincere, professional, and committed to the future success of ISKCON and the welfare of all of ISKCON?s devotees.

Good character, sincerity, and commitment are all characteristics a person needs to truly do good for others and for Krishna?s service as well, but these characteristics alone are insufficient to insure the service is both favorable and appropriate. One also has to sufficiently know right from wrong, truth from untruth, from the perspective of the parampara. Otherwise, without this Krishna conscious perspective, our efforts to help others will at best be ineffectual if not harmful. In this regard, Srila Rupa Goswami says, sruti-smriti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina, aikantiki harer bhaktir upataiyaiva kalpate, ?Devotional service performed without reference to the Vedas, Puranas, Pancaratras, etc., must be considered sentimentalism, and it causes nothing but disturbance to society.? (BRS 1.2.101)

Trying to help others without having a clear view from this perspective would be something like a man without medical training at the scene of a car accident carrying on his shoulders victims who have broken backs. The man?s intentions were noble, but his ?assistance,? which induced spinal injuries, ended up paralyzing the victims. The Life Skills / Personal Transformation Seminars, like the untrained man who ended up further hurting rather than helping victims, are premised on ideas based modern psychological principles but from a Krishna conscious perspective are, nevertheless, misunderstandings. A short list of these misunderstandings is presented here.

This list, with its explanations, is by no means comprehensive, but these are some of the most important reasons why the Vaishnava Life Skills / Personal Transformation Seminars (VLSPTS - and other programs like it) are categorically harmful for spiritual life:

The courses are billed as being able to help us identify weeds in our heart that we somehow missed while doing all the right things in our sadhana.

The courses reinforce a conception of our own selves that is opposed to the Krishna conscious conception of the self.

The solutions proposed through the courses lead us away from Krishna conscious solutions, not toward them.

The first point involves a fundamental misunderstanding of how we acquire knowledge in Krishna consciousness, and the VLSPT courses rely heavily on this misunderstanding. In an essay explaining how therapy can help us in our Krishna consciousness, Dhira Govinda Prabhu writes: (bolding added)
?A common dynamic is that, when the process of Krsna consciousness reveals weeds, we will deny they are there, because such adulterations do not conform with an image of ourselves as advanced and humble devotees, respectable members of the Vaisnava community, etc.? (Dhira Govinda)

This statement violates the rules of logic. If the weeds were actually revealed, then how is that we don't recognize them for what they are? Revelation is a complete package, which necessarily includes acceptance. By properly performing our sadhana, not only do we discover our weeds but we also accept that they are there once they are discovered. Even Plato, in his epistemology, insisted that acceptance is a necessary condition for true knowledge. The process of sadhana bhakti is self-sufficient and does not require or benefit from the use of psychotherapy, however benign and well-intentioned its application might be.

The second point is about understanding conditioned, human nature: Krishna consciousness and psychology differ on many important points as to what is conditioned, human nature and what is the self. As I demonstrated in my essay "The Essentials of Reform in ISKCON: An Examination of Psychotherapy and its Compatibility with Krishna Consciousness," the kind of therapy employed by the VLSPTS is of the humanistic (existentialist) approach, and it is this approach that most strongly asserted that any psychology must proceed from an assumed understanding of human nature--an understanding that has no proof but has to be accepted "as is." (Please see the essay for exact references.) In a nutshell the differences are that KC has a significantly darker view of conditioned human nature than that of humanistic psychology?s view of human nature.

The implications of this difference are that some relationships and behaviors are considered unethical from a Krishna conscious point of view before they become unethical from a psychological point of view. This in turn leads to interpersonal situations that get out of control before psychology would recognize that they are out of control.

This is something like motorist who regularly breaks speed limits. One can go over the speed limit on any given street and not be involved in an accident, yet the chances of an accident happening are nevertheless increased. On account of its fundamental assumptions about human nature, psychology, in its ethics, places the "speed limit" for some interpersonal relationships (like opposite sex relationships) quite a bit higher than where a Krishna conscious world view would place it. The fall down of Satsvarupa Maharaja with a god-sister acting in the role of his therapist is a classic example. It is conceivable that they could have gotten through therapy without having had a fall down, just as most speeders don?t have accidents. Yet from a Krishna conscious point of view, from the start the relationship itself was too risky. Obviously, they evaluated the relationship from the ethical point of view offered by psychology instead of the ethical point of view offered by Krishna consciousness, and in due course of time their misjudgment became apparent.

An example of this difference in views of human nature between psychology and Krishna consciousness can be found in the Vaishnava Life Skills/Personal Transformation seminars. Dhira Govinda Prabhu has this to say about interpersonal relationships as regulated in his seminars: (bolding added)
?Having both genders represented has been very valuable for students, enabling men to learn from women and vice versa. Life involves interaction of genders, and thus the courses characterize a realistic environment. That said, there may be advantages to conduct a course with only one gender, because for some persons such an environment may support them in feeling safer to do the transformational work they want to do.? (Dhira Govinda)

Important here is the subjective assessment of when the interaction of genders is problematic: when separation of the sexes makes some people feel safer. The Krishna conscious assessment is that people are safer in same sex environments, and that assessment does not depend on how people feel. In other words, the psychological view, as represented above, is a subjective assessment?reality as perceived?whereas the Krishna conscious view is an objective assessment?this is reality, no matter how we perceive it. That?s a big difference, with big consequences.

In the matter of overcoming personal difficulty, psychology ascribes to the individual more ability to solve his or her personal problems than the individual actually has. For example, feelings of loneliness and isolation from others are considered psychological problems treatable by a therapist. Yet feelings of isolation and loneliness are fostered by the kind of society many of us live in. In a highly mobile society, people have to drive long distances to their workplace, and their friends and family are scattered around the area, the country, or the world. Communications technology does little to mitigate this isolation. Having close relationships with coworkers, friends, and family are stymied by physical distances. These are things that psychology says it can help the individual cope with, but what will really help is actually solving the problem at the societal level, not the individual level. No amount of positive thinking on the part of an individual can correct this.

Another example of problems beyond the reach of individuals to correct arises from the kind of economy one has to earn a living in. In an industrial economy or a service economy (post-industrial), children are heavy expenses. That they are heavy expenses suppresses the natural urge to have children but does suppress the urge to have sex. People put off having children because of the financial burden that comes with having children, and the felt need to avoid that burden creates a demand for efficient birth control, contraception, abortion, etc. In an agrarian economy, however, not only are children economic assets (because they help in generating family income), but housework also has economic value. Mother Yashoda wasn't just cooking and washing the dishes; she was churning butter and providing valuable help that contributed to the family welfare. Young Krishna Himself took care of the calves?also something of economic value (what to speak of transcendentally blissful). In the modern economic context, however, the devaluation of housework has caused deep tensions between husband and wife?tensions, arguments, and breakups that legions of marriage counselors have more or less been unsuccessfully in containing.

Self-help and self-empowerment movements are based in large part on humanistic psychology, and thus they inherit this fault of overestimating the power an individual has to correct its own problems and circumstances.

To explain the third point, as to how psychology leads us away from Krishna instead of towards Him, psychology does not have any theistic presuppositions, and so when we come to rely on the non-theistic premises of psychology, there is no need to come to Krishna. There are four kinds of people who approach Krishna, and one kind is those who approach Krishna to relieve their distress. But psychology also holds out the hope of relieving distress, so if people can get that without going through Krishna, then why bother with Krishna at all? According to the Nectar of Devotion, even in approaching Krishna, those who approach Him to mitigate their distress are among the first to fall away from Krishna consciousness. After all, once they have what they want, then their relationship with Krishna becomes unnecessary. But an important difference between psychology and Krishna consciousness is that in Krishna consciousness there is a chance that the person who approaches Krishna will come to a higher understanding, but through psychotherapy getting that higher understanding is not possible.

Psychology leads us away from Krishna conscious solutions in two ways: a) psychology and Krishna consciousness propose solutions to the same problems, and those solutions in many cases differ; and b) the chance for transcending material miseries once and for all is offered by the Krishna conscious process whereas transcendence is not possible through psychology.

Works Cited

Dhira Govinda Das (David B. Wolf, Ph. D.). ?Vaisnava Life Skills/Personal Transformation Seminars and the Process of Krsna Consciousness.? 23 Sep 2003. Jagannatha?s Chakra. 20 Dec 2005. <http://www.chakra.org/announcements/eventsSep23_03.html>
 
 

International Herald Tribune

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2005

COPENHAGEN On the surface, women have never been stronger and more powerful. In the United States, the idea of a female commander in chief no longer seems so far-fetched. In some Nordic countries, almost half the members of Parliament are female. And shows like "Sex and the City" have conquered viewers worldwide with their take on equality and sex. And yet the legacy of the feminist revolution, which enabled the rise of strong women and sensitive men, is under scrutiny these days.

Studies from the United States and Scandinavia, where gender equality has progressed the furthest, show that many women find it hard to fuse their high-flying careers with raising a family, and, consequently, they back down from having a professional life - some even before they've started one. In Sweden, for years the poster country for equality between the sexes, a new feminist party gained enormous momentum last year by objecting to the increase in violence against women and the gap between women's and men's salaries. This autumn, however, the feminist initiative fell into disarray after the movement embarked on a radical direction, rendering negative feelings that some have dubbed an antifeminist backlash.

A similar backlash has now hit neighboring Denmark, too. Denmark is one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, where paternal leave is becoming increasingly popular and 75 percent of women have jobs. Yet in a new book, 12 prominent and influential women - artists, intellectuals and politicians - from the golden age of feminism in the '60s and '70s wonder whether gender-equality has gone too far. The women interviewed in "What Life Has Taught Me," by Ninka-Bernadette Mauritson warn against "totalitarian feminism," which they think might wreck harmony between the sexes: Men need to be men and women, women, they now say. Some of the women regret their earlier militant insistence that men should be soft and sensitive and want back the prefeminist "real man."

A good life is a life with a man who is unabashedly a man, according to this group of feminists born around 1945.

Their generation spent their 20s burning bras, dumping high heels and crashing buses while paying only 80 percent of the fare - since women were paid less then. Now they say they want men with broad-shouldered attitudes, men who can admire them and whom they can look up to - even from the high heels that are back in vogue. Take the singer Trille Nielsen, for example. She achieved superstar status in the '70s by singing "Hey Sister" with a hoarse voice. Today she says: "I've reached the point where I'm no longer afraid of or irritated with men who are proud of their masculinity."

A Danish former first lady and member of Parliament, Lone Dybkjaer, dispatches her husband, the former socialist Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, to their empty, chilly summer cottage with a toolbox. There he can be a handy he-man with only birds and rustic floors to distract him. "He has a whole world of construction projects and tools," the former first lady says with an amused smile. Earlier feminists defined freedom as dividing up all housework, which served to engage men in child care and housework and pushed women toward becoming tough professionals. But Dybkjaer concludes that "there is a freedom in having these spaces on our own. I have read men saying that they feel driven into a corner; they feel they don't have any room at home. It's not like that at our house. Poul takes up quite some space." She thinks the wise woman lets her man play macho - and that only then can she be a real woman.

Anne Braad, a well-known cleric in Copenhagen, thinks that she feminized her husband into obscurity and may have made him a caricature of himself. "He was womanly, approaching the motherly. There he was, shaking up the pillows in the living room, looking after the children and calling me when he wasn't at home to make sure I had put Band-Aids on the kids." Roles were completely switched in Braad's marriage. "And that was a huge mistake," she says today.

Braad blames her divorce on this exchange of roles. She now suspects that she threw her husband right into the arms of a much younger woman, where his battered manhood could be restored.

Other earlier feminists interviewed in the book also assert that gender equality can be stifling. "It is good to have a man you can look up too," the actress and writer Anne Marie Helger says. And Etta Cameron, a singer, claims: "All men that we meet teach us something. If you're wise, you accept that knowledge."

A famous feminist slogan from the '70s said, "The private is political." It still is, some of the feminists declare. Braad sees the equality debate today as about women wanting even more power: "Men are hardly allowed to present their points of view or raise their voices without feminists crying out."

Having listened to one woman after the other deplore differences lost in the name of freedom - it's freeing to reach Lillian Knudsen, former head of the women's union in Denmark. She has herself greatly improved women's working conditions and pays more attention to what is gained than what is lost. Equal pay and equal power in public and private spheres are still distant dreams, even up here in the north. Yet in the World Economic Forum's new gender gap index launched in May, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland ranked one through five among several nations in female economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment and access to health care. Knudsen says she adopted "manly behavior" to reach the top and suspects that she had no choice.

Her generation of women had to establish networks from those old schools, like men - to lobby, push and conduct cloakroom politics over drinks late at night - like the opposite sex, Knudsen says.

And Maria Marcus, a writer and television-journalist notorious in the '70s for a tell-all book about her masochism, says that the not-yet-subtle notions of the equality movement ravaged old ways while it infused women with new life chances: "We started raising question marks because the starting point was discontent with the roles and structure."

Another strong voice that epitomizes the feminist movement here is the writer Suzanne Brogger. In 1974 the feminist madonna, famous for her huge hats, untamability and candid statements, published the book "Free Us from Love," which bulldozed the notions of marriage and family and was translated into 20 languages. And then she ended up in - marriage. Does Brogger want to declare the death of the soft man these days?

Nope.

"The thrill is gone when it comes to mating, that's true; the electricity level is on low. But the dream of the 'strong man's' comeback is mere fantasy," she asserts.

Feminists knew from the start that the women's revolt would threaten male supremacy and upset the erotic scene, even ruin it, Brogger says. "That was the price. You don't change 2,500 years of female oppression in a summer holiday or a generation or two. We are still longing for the fully developed human potential in both men and women in all spheres of life, private and public." And in the meantime? "Women might want - not a sentimental macho," Brogger says, "but a bright man with a sense of humor who can make us laugh."

 See similar articles at seX-files

A Christmas Story: Devotees Arrested for Chanting Hare Krishna
http://harekrsna.com/sun/news/12-05/news270.htm

Dec 29, LONDON (SUN) ? (year unknown) -  It was the Thursday before Christmas, and London's Oxford Street (the longest shopping street in the world) was brimming over with Christmas shoppers. Twice already that week plainclothes police had arrested devotees chanting Hare Krishna there, but today we were intending to avoid any trouble.

The five of us took a new route, profusely distributing the holy name to everyone within earshot. As we made our way through Piccadilly Circus (London's "Times Square") and then along crowded Regent Street, we brought smiles to many faces and raised eyebrows on many others. Finally we reached Oxford Circus, where we reluctantly stopped chanting and started back along Oxford Street toward the temple.

But all the shops were staying open late, so the street was still filled with pedestrians, though traffic had died down. The rustle of hundreds of footsteps filled the air. With so many materially conditioned souls surrounding us, there we were, chanting quietly to ourselves on our beads, and just holding our karatalas (hand cymbals) and mrdanga drums! It was hard to restrain ourselves from the loud glorification oi the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. In fact, it was impossible! Casting aside any thoughts of our inevitable arrest, we launched into the most ecstatic chant ever! The tall buildings echoed to the sounds of Lord Caitanya's sarikirtana party while dumbfounded shoppers stood open-mouthed and bus lines of bewildered souls turned their heads to see the source of the transcendental sound vibrations. Single file, we chanted and danced along the clear space at the edge of the pavement, which widened as the crowds thinned out. Tottenham Court Road Tube Station, the end of the gauntlet, loomed up ahead. We were almost there, with no police trouble, when three highly suspicious figures suddenly appeared, blocking our path a few yards ahead.

"All right, lads, yer nicked!" said the young "student," flashing his police I.D. card with immense relish.

"What! How can you arrest us? We're not doing anything illegal."

His two hard-faced confederates, similarly disguised, moved in closer.

"Come on! You know as well as I do you're causing an obstruction. Down to the station; you're all under arrest!"

"Obstruction? The pavement's fifteen feet wide, we're walking in the gutter, and there's hardly anybody to 'obstruct'!" we protested. "All around you there's drug addiction, prostitution, crime, and violence, and you can't find anything better to do than arrest us for chanting the names of God! What kind of policemen are you?"

The retort seemed to catch him by surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and barked, "Look lad, you're under arrest. Anything you say may be used as evidence. Now move!" Then, adding a liberal quantity of unsavory words (quite unbefitting a constable of Her Majesty's Police Force), he joined his two colleagues in forming a rear guard, and the three of them escorted us toward the police station.

We were thinking of how unfortunate they were. Not only were they obstructing Lord Caitanya's sankirtana party and harassing devotees, but these were the same policemen who had arrested the chanting party twice earlier that week! What demons! For protection we started chanting the glories of Lord Nrsimhadeva--Krishna's half-man-half-lion incarnation--very softly at first, and then a little louder. The mrdanga crept in, marking the rhythm, and the karatalas soon followed. With no complaints from our police escort as yet, we chanted louder and louder until the street once more resounded with the holy names. Amazed that they made no objection, we turned and saw that the three policemen were grinning from ear to ear! We were incredulous. Here was the mercy of Lord Caitanya! By repeatedly arresting the chanting party, these previously offensive policemen had become purified by associating with devotees, and now they were taking great pleasure in the chanting of the holy names!

"Now stop or you'll cause an obstruction," directed our police guide as we approached a large bus line, which engulfed the pavement. We obediently stopped, considering it our good fortune that we had been allowed to chant at all.

Then something totally unexpected happened. After we had passed the bus line, our captor definitely proved himself to be no ordinary police constable when he ordered, "Okay, start chanting again."!!

So we did, all the way to the police station, accompaned by the three blissful police constables, who, grinning from ear to ear, made no objection as the ecstatic sankirtana party passed right into the police station, past the main doors, through the hallway, and into the charging room itself!!!

Everyone was thunderstruck. Arrestors and arrested alike couldn't believe it. Shaven-headed Hare Krishnas chanting their way into the cop shop? With drums and cymbals? It was unthinkable! The sergeant on duty turned a vivid scarlet and exploded in a fit of anger, threatening to "throw the book" at us and charge us with all manner of subversive criminal activities. We apologized profusely, pleading that we didn't quite realize where we were, and he became somewhat pacified. As we answered philosophical questions from some of the interested constables, the sergeant charged us with obstruction, one by one, and we had to wait as he filled in numerous forms.

"All right, boys, tomorrow morning at ten o'clock you'll be appearing in the Magistrates Court," said the sergeant, now quite amiable. And with that he allowed us to go. Feeling very blissful at the way things had turned out, we filed into the hallway and prepared to return to the temple for the evening arati (temple worship) of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-London-isvara. (London-isvara means "Krishna, the Lord of London.") On our way out of the station, we passed a high-ranking plainclothes detective inspector. He paused and turned in our direction. Not knowing what to expect, we were surprised when he glanced over us in an almost fatherly way and said in a concerned voice, "Don't be discouraged, lads; keep up the good work!"

Next morning in court we pleaded "not guilty" to the charges against us, and the judge deferred our case to February 2. At the time, we were unaware of the significance of the appointed date. Our trial was to be on the appearance day of Lord Nityananda--the incarnation of God who helped spread Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement, and who personifies His mercy.

The Trial

As is customary on such holy days, the five of us fasted through the morning of Lord Nityananda's appearance day and chanted His glories. At noon we attended a blissful arati and then broke our fast with a splendid feast. Afterward, we set off for Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court, confident that Lord Nityananda would protect us. We were accompanied by a new and enthusiastic visitor to the temple, the Reverend Norman Morehouse (second only to the Bishop of Norwich), who came along to observe the court proceedings.

We arrived at the courthouse a few minutes before our appointed time of 2:00 P.M. and waited in the big hallway while the Reverend went through to the public gallery. The plainclothesmen who arrested us soon turned up, now in uniform, and waited with us. (It took a little persuasion before they cautiously took some of the hazelnut cookies we had earlier offered to Lord Nityananda.) At last we were beckoned into the courtroom itself and ushered into the dock. A stir went through the assembly. Shaven heads and saffron robes were the last thing anyone expected to see in Magistrates Court on a Tuesday afternoon. The Magistrate (a balding, portly man in his late middle age, sporting a red rose in the lapel of his dark grey suit) surveyed us over the top of his goldrimmed spectacles. After we reaffirmed our plea of "not guilty" to the court clerk, one of the constables, who had been sworn in at the witness box, proceeded to report the alleged conditions of our arrest.

In the constable's version of the story, the chanting party miraculously grew from the original five members to seven--and later to eight when he described how three devotees "ran off and escaped arrest." According to his description, it seemed that there were many more people on Oxford Street than we had been aware of. Indeed, we had supposedly forced unlimited numbers of pedestrians into the road and had exposed them to the grave risk of being run over by the almost nonexistent traffic! The judge listened impartially and then, since we had no lawyer to speak on our behalf, he asked us if we would like to comment on the policeman's evidence. We humbly pointed out that the constable, like everyone else, had imperfect senses, and that he had contradicted himself in assessing the number of devotees on the chanting party. The judge politely suggested the constable had made "a mathematical error." At this a titter of laughter rippled through the courtroom, while the constable shuffled his feet and looked embarrassed.

The magistrate then asked if we would like to speak in our own defense. Having been previously chosen as spokesman, I stepped forward to be sworn in at the witness box--and was taken aback when the usher asked me to hold a copy of the Bhagavad-gita in my right hand. He handed me a card, and I read out the words: "I swear by almighty Sri Krishna that the evidence I give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

Heartened by smiles from the devotees in the dock, I began to describe the circumstances of our arrest--this time as they actually had happened. The magistrate listened as I went on to say, "We understand that the police have a duty to perform, sir; but we also have a duty. We have been instructed by our spiritual master--indeed, we are instructed by all the principle scriptures of the world--the Koran, the Torah, the Bible, and the Vedas--that we should glorify God by chanting His holy names. Whether you know the Lord by the name of Allah, Jehovah, Rama, Govinda, or Krishna, God is one."

"Oh, quite so, quite so," affirmed the magistrate.

Encouraged, I went on: "In the Vedic scriptures, in the Brhan-Naradiya Purana, it is said, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam--

"In English--but what does it mean in English, please?" he interjected.

"--Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. This was written in the Sanskrit language five thousand years ago. It means, 'In this age of Kali [the present age of materialism and quarrel] there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for making positive spiritual advancement but the chanting of the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.'"

The judge--in fact the whole courtroom--sat there fascinated. I remembered Srila Prabhupada's introduction to the Srimad-Bhagavatam and began to speak further.

"Although mankind has made great material advancement in so many spheres, we can see that factually there is a fault in the social body at large. People are not happy with their day-to-day activities, and there is an increasing disturbance of drug addiction, prostitution, violence, and crime. The root of the problem is lack of God consciousness. People are unaware of the actual purpose of life."

Intrigued by this sound philosophy coming from the witness box, the judge relaxed his judicial appearance, sat back, and took a sip of water from his glass.

Even more encouraged, I asked, "Sir, with your permission, I would like to read a short passage that appeared in the London Observer in October 1972. It is an excerpt from an article written by that eminent English historian, Arnold Toynbee."

Upon hearing the name of such a distinguished personality, the judge smiled slightly, and nodding his head in approval, he asked that I continue.

"'The cause of it [the world's malady] is spiritual. We are suffering from having sold our souls to the pursuit of an objective which is both spiritually wrong and practically unobtainable. We have to reconsider our objective and change it. And until we do this, we shall not have peace, either amongst ourselves or within each of us.'"

I continued, "As devotees of the Lord we strictly follow four principles: mercifulness, truthfulness, cleanliness, and austerity. These are the higher qualities of human life, and the absence of these qualities means the degradation of society. So the spreading of spiritual understanding among humanity at large is the highest welfare work. And an essential part of this program is the distribution of literature, and the congregational chanting--in the street--of the holy names of God."

"Is that all?" inquired the judge.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Then you may step down." Adjusting his spectacles and regarding the devotees, who were once more assembled in the dock, the judge then said in a very firm yet amicable manner, "In legal terms you are guilty of obstruction, although it is of a very minor degree. Taking this into consideration, and seeing your obvious sincerity, I have decided to dismiss the case."

We smiled jubilantly, thanked the magistrate, and were about to step down, when Kr na prompted me to add, "Sir, we were wondering if you had a court library here, in which case we would like to present a book for addition to the collection."

"Thank you," he replied. "I am quite sure we can accommodate it."

I gave a copy of Srila Prabhupada's Sri Isopanisad to one of the clerks, who promised to pass it on to the judge. Then we left the courtroom, thanking Lord Nityananda for His mercy.

Outside, our friend Reverend Morehouse greeted us with an ecstatic "Hare Krishna!" Beaming from ear to ear, he took each of us warmly by the hand. "Congratulations!" he exclaimed. "It was wonderful! I am so proud of you all. I must say, though, I was somewhat surprised at the decision of the judge. In the cases before yours he had been quite severe. I'm sure that the Lord must have had a hand in the matter."

And so were we. Sankirtana is always successful, but it is especially so on Lord Nityananda's appearance day: even a judge will take a book!

On the way back to the temple, I read one verse in Srila Prabhupada's Caitanya-caritamrta that summed up our whole wonderful experience:

aparadha ksamaila dubila prema-jale
keba edaibe prabhura prema-mahajale

"Lord Caitanya excused all the offenders, and they merged into the ocean of love of God, for no one can escape the unique loving network of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu" (Cc. Adi-lila, 7.37).

Blair Government To Spend $17 Million On UK's First Hindu School
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=191673&n_date=20051212&cat=world

LONDON, UK, December 15, 2005: The Tony Blair Government has recently announced that it will provide close to US$17 Million for the construction of the first-ever Hindu faith school in the country. The primary school will be ready for pupils within the next five years. The news about the school has been received with great enthusiasm by the Hindu Forum of Britain. Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general at the Forum, said: "We have supported this proposal from the beginning and are delighted. It is going ahead. There are Catholic, Christian, Muslim and Jewish state schools in Britain, but no Hindu state schools. Parents from that community deserve that choice. " However, whether there should be separate schools for any faith at all is an issue that is causing something of a divide in Britain, with many people convinced that such places can, and do, lead to racism, discrimination and even segregation. MP Dr. Ashok Kumar says: "On the surface, it is commendable that the Hindu community now feels confident enough to exercise its rights and assert itself on a national scale. However, all my life I have endeavored to be part of the mainstream of British society and I personally feel that it is important for the Hindu community to show restraint when it comes to such measures, which could lead to greater segregation. I remain unconvinced that faith schools have any intrinsic value." Ramesh Kallidai maintains that: "Faith teaching promotes harmony, peace and integrating into the society in which you live."

Courtesy of Hinduism Today http://www.HinduismToday.com/

(The FULL Article) Blair Government to spend 10 million pounds on UK's first Hindu school
London | December 15, 2005 12:07:35 PM IST
 http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=191673&n_date=20051212&cat=world

The Tony Blair Government has recently announced that it will provide close to 10 million pounds for the construction of the first-ever Hindu faith school in the country.

The primary school will be ready for pupils within the next five years. The news about the school has, not surprisingly, been received with great enthusiasm by the Hindu Forum of Britain, which claims that the school will offer long overdue choice to parents.

As Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general at the Forum, has said: "We have supported this proposal from the beginning and are delighted it is going ahead. There are Catholic, Christian, Muslim and Jewish state schools in Britain, but no Hindu state schools. Parents from that community deserve that choice".

However, whether there should be separate schools for any faith at all is an issue that is causing something of a divide in Britain, with many people convinced that such places can, and do, lead to racism, discrimination and even segregation.

One man who is of this view is MP Dr. Ashok Kumar, who has a Sikh father and a Hindu mother.

As he says: "On the surface, it is commendable that the Hindu community now feels confident enough to exercise its rights and assert itself on a national scale.

However, all my life I have endeavoured to be part of the mainstream of British society and I personally feel that it is important for the Hindu community to show restraint when it comes to such measures, which could lead to greater segregation. I remain unconvinced that faith schools have any intrinsic value".

Something called the I-Foundation is setting up the Hindu school and its representative, Nitesh Gor, is sure it is a good thing: Our intention is to ensure the school is fully integrated and working in synergy with the local community. We are developing strong relationships with education experts from other faith communities to ensure pupils have a strong sense of appreciation for other world faiths".

And Ramesh Kallidai maintains that: "Faith teaching promotes harmony, peace and integrating into the society in which you live".

Meanwhile, others, like Ranu Mehta-Radra, who runs a weekly school set up to promote the understanding and appreciation of all faiths says: "After 30 years of promoting multi-culturalism, we are being dragged back into a segregated community".

Only time will tell which side in this particular argument is right, but one thing is certain; the British government will not be calling a halt to faith schools any time soon. After all, Blair sent his own offspring to a catholic faith school. (ANI)

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL
LONDON: Thirty-five years after a fateful clandestine meeting in Moscow between ISKCON founder Swami Prabhupada and a young white Russian who was to receive the dangerously secret gift of a banned Bhagvad Gita, take the name Ananda Shanti Das, and build from scratch a 100,000-strong community of native Krishna bhakts, the Slavonic Hindu may be emerging as the 21st century's most potent symbol of too-successfully spreading the word beyond Indian shores.

A gathering campaign by British parliamentarians is set to tell an astonished world that Russia's Hindus ? white, Slav and ssteadfast in their faith ? are living symbols of state oppression in a country coounted as one of the world's eight most advanced and industrialised economies.

The campaign in the British parliament, led by UK Indian Labour Party MP Ashok Kumar and spearheaded by the umbrella Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB), will claim that Russian Hindus continue to be denied the right to build a temple and have been left without electricity, heating and water in their freezing makeshift Moscow temple.
The campaign is set to unveil a devastating saga spanning nearly four decades in which Russian Hindus are alleged to have been variously vilified by the Soviet state, the Russian Orthodox church, Russian Islamist and Jewish leaders and far-right nationalist politicians such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

The British campaign is to be kickstarted when Yuri Luzhkov, mayor of Moscow and allegedly Slavic Hinduism's most implacable foe, arrives in London early next month.

So far, there has been no official response to the allegations from Luzhkov's office or President Vladimir Putin's government.

But the new campaign, which aims to harness the collective might of British and European political, press and public opinion to recall Moscow to a sense of its human rights obligations, is thought to be dangerously poised to undo Russia's attempts to gain global legitimacy even as it controversially takes over presidency of the G8.

The British campaign, which is bolstered by European and Australian Hindu organisations, comes exactly 25 years after the then deputy KGB chief Semen Tsvigun first exhorted the Soviet Union to recognise and stamp on the three greatest threats to the state ? "Western culture, rock andd roll and Krishna".

Commentators and academics, including Edwin Bacon of Birmingham University's Centre for Russian and East European Studies, say the Russian campaign against the indigenous spread of Hinduism is part of a " broad line taken by the state certainly since the mid-1990s ... of encouraging 'traditional' religions, especially Russian Orthodoxy, whilst putting in place restrictions on other groups deemed non-traditional".

So great was the Russian sense of threat that a 1994 council of Russian Orthodox bishops warned that "the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita are a false religion" and that "neo-pagan, pseudo-Christian, occultist faiths (such as Hinduism) are a threat to the unity of national consciousness and cultural identity of Russia".
Accordingly, Slavic Hindus were remorselessly persecuted, the HFB's Ramesh Kallidai told TOI on Friday, and the victimisation included incarceration in prison, forced labour in Siberia, mafia violence, prevention of temple construction, abuse of Lord Krishna as "wicked and malicious" and the Hindu faith as "a satanic obscenity...idolatorous".

The Russian Hindus' only offence, claimed Kallidai, was that they worshipped in the Hindu way, did not eat meat, observed Hindu religious festivals and went to the temple. "The persecution continues today", claimed Kallidai, "and it is time Britain, India and the world does something to stop it".

But still, Russian Hinduism continues stubbornly to grow and flourish, claim community leaders, with 97 registered charities, 22 registered monasteries, 250 so-called 'home groups' that conduct satsang and an astonishing 20,000 free meals served every day in Russia's estimated 100 embattled temples.

If anything, says Kallidai, Slavonic Hinduism may be the new template for a turbo-charged globalised Hinduism with an hitherto-unremarked reach.

OLD

lalayet panca-varsani, dasa-varsani tadayet
prapte tu sodase varse, putram mitravad acaret

Fondle a son until he is five years of age and then use the stick of correction to train him for another ten years. When he has attained the sixteenth year, however, treat him as a friend.

Chanakhya Pandit - Niti Shastra

NEW
Parenting - Indian Parenting site
http://www.indiaparenting.com/rhymes/gujarati/gr008.shtml

Red meat consumption doubles risk of colon cancer, says study; is it time to go vegetarian yet?
http://www.newstarget.com/007237.html

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows a doubling of the risk of colon cancer for people who are heavy consumers of red meat. More specifically, it shows that the risk doubles compared to those who consume smaller quantities of red meat. But how does this compare to people who consume no red meat at all?

This is conjecture, but I'm willing to bet that heavy consumers of red meat probably have quadruple the risk (or more) of colon cancer compared to vegetarians or people who consume no red meat. By the way, you don't have to be a vegetarian to boycott red meat. You can still be a consumer of other sources of animal protein (fish, seafood, etc.) while avoiding red meat.

There are plenty of health reasons to avoid eating red meat, and a higher risk of colon cancer is just one of them. The saturated animal fat found in red meat products contributes to heart disease and atherosclerosis. In addition, red meat can contain contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides and undesirable environmental pollutants that tend to collect in the fat tissues of cows, which are absorbed into your body when you eat cow fat. And you can't eat red meat without getting some animal fat.

Then, of course, there's what I call the vibration of red meat, which concerns the homeopathy of the meat, or the environment in which the cow was raised. Was it a natural environment? Did the cow have access to open fields, sunlight and clean water? Or was this a cow raised as part of a slaughterhouse operation, produced for the sole purpose of generating profits? If you eat cows' meat that has undergone that kind of experience, you are consuming a product that is tainted with the negative experience of the animal from which it came.

There are a lot of negative effects associated with the consumption of red meat, and this is why more and more people are now giving up red meat and moving to healthier foods like fish, free-range chicken, or better yet, plant-based proteins like spirulina or soy products like soy milk and tofu. This is where you'll get your best protective effect and disease prevention, and you will be helping protect the environment at the same time. After all, it's far less stressful on the environment to produce food as plants than as animals.

It takes 10 acres to produce the same amount of red meat protein as it does to produce one acre of soy beans. And producing spirulina yields a tenfold increase over the production of soybeans. So think about it: one acre of farmland used to produce spirulina can produce 100 times as much protein as beef and red meat. That will be very important to realize as our world population grows and it becomes increasingly difficult to produce the protein required by the population.

How to make the transition away from red meat
These are all reasons to avoid an animal-based diet and pursue a plant-based diet. Many people reading this are already following a plant-based diet, but some of you who might be considering making the change probably aren't sure exactly how to do it.

Perhaps you want to merely reduce your consumption of red meat but not give it up completely yet, which is fine, since that's the way all of us ex-meat-eaters got into plant-based diets to begin with. Few people ate more meat than I did because I grew up in an environment where we had all the red meat we wanted at no charge (my grandfather was a cattle rancher). We had a freezer full of red meat at all times, and we could have as much hamburger, steak or other cuts of meat as we wanted. I consumed large quantities of red meat for nearly 30 years.

I found the transition away from red meat to be difficult at first. I started consuming less of it and eating other meat alternatives, and pretty soon I began to view red meat in a different way, because if you eat less of it, you eventually start to lose your appetite for it. And within less than a year, any time I would see red meat at the grocery store, it would gross me out. I look at it and I realize what it is: a chunk of flesh sliced off the carcass of a living creature that has been ground up and stuffed into a box. Usually there's some blood running around in the container as well. Every time I would look at that I would get grossed out and think to myself, "Gee, is this really what I want to eat for the rest of my life? This sliced up chunk of a dead cow?" And the answer was, "No." So it didn't take very long before I didn't want any red meat, and now I can't imagine eating it.

That's one way to get rid of red meat in your diet, but there are many other ways and I encourage you to experiment and see how you'd like to approach it. But the bottom line on red meat is that there is an increasing body of evidence supporting the notion that you can prevent cancer by pursuing a plant-based diet. If you want to be healthy, it's time to join the vegetarians. Maybe even join the vegans, if you have the courage.

Endometriosis caused by eating red meat and avoiding fresh vegetables, says research; infertility may result

Think about limiting or eliminating your consumption of red meat and instead nourish your body with the phytonutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and even the living energy of plants. That's how you'll be the healthiest you can be.

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

See similar articles at Vegetarianism & beyond:
http://turn.to/Vegetarianism

Finding Sri Krishna`s Dwarka
http://www.touruniversal.com/touruniversal_news.htm

Posted October 04, 2005

Oct 4, Ahmedabad (THE HINDU) ? Giving a totally new twist to the location of Lord Krishna's birthplace Dwarka, satellite pictures taken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have indicated that Dwarka did not exist in Jamnagar as the historians believe but in Junagadh district of Gujarat.

A senior scientist with Space Application Centre of ISRO Dr P S Thakker, who has worked on this project, said "what is interesting is that the findings of ISRO corroborates what is mentioned in the Vedas and ancient Hindu scriptures about the geographical location of Dwaraka but contradicts what the archaeologists and modern historians say about the present Dwarka which they claim is in Jamnagar district of Gujarat."

Though the study was done by ISRO four years back it was confined to abstract papers in the dusty shelf of ISRO.

Satellite images can pinpoint things that are not visible to the naked eye. For example, it can indicate the presence of ruins of a city which has been long buried under the soil.

Thakker said there are nine sites in Gujarat which claim to be original Krishna's Dwarka.

Those sites are the holy town of modern Dwarka in Jamnagar district, Mul Dwarka near Kodinar in Junagadh district, Muli in Surendranagar district, Panch Dwaraka near Vankaner in Rajkot district, Bet Dwarka in Jamnagar district near Okha and a city believed to be submerged in the Great Rann of Kutch.

Another site which is claimant of Dwarka is Jima Durga in Junagadh district.

Descriptions of Krishna's Dwarka mentions presence of rivers, forests, mountains, gardens having colourful flowers in its environs. But the present day Dwarka, which exists in Jamnagar, doesn't match with the descriptions found in literature but matches perfectly with the images of satellite which was taken of Junagadh district, Thakker added.

He said the available literature indicates existence of two different Dwarkas at two different periods. One Dwarka was that of Vasudeva and the other was that of Krishna's.

Vasudev's Dwarka, which was submerged in the Arabian Sea about 3500 years ago, and Krishna's Dwarka were both located in Junagadh district near Prabhash Kshetra, according to Thakker.

In 1988, the sixth Marine Archaeological expedition of the National Oceanography, Goa led by Dr S R Rao, Emeritus Scientist, had discovered hitherto unknown features of a city in Jamnagar which Rao claimed to be Krishna's Dwarka.

The expedition carried out by Dr Rao had come across inner and outer gateways of the proto-historic port city flanked by circular bastions built of massive blocks of sandstone.

From the inner gateway, a flight of steps led to the Gomati river the submerged channel of which has been traced over a length of 1.5 km in the seabed.

However, Thakker claims this unknown feature of a city discovered by Rao could be any other city settled after 1 AD other than Krishna's Dwarka.

Vedic World Heritage links:

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 the World on Vedic History
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MotiveBritishRajMissionaries.html

World Smoke Free Day
31st May Every Year 

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

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

The story of a poor man

In Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya 20.127-136), Caitanya Mahaprabhu relates an allegorical story to explain the different stages of our relationship to God.

The story of a poor man
***********************
There was once a man who suffered a lot because of his poverty. In reality he was the son of a famous and rich father. Unfortunately, since the father had died in a distant place, the son did not know that he had left him a huge treasure. Consequently he was spending his life in abject poverty and misery.

One day a learned astrologer visited the poor man and seeing his distressed condition questioned him. 'Why are you unhappy? Your father was very wealthy, but he did not disclose his wealth to you because he died elsewhere.' The astrologer then informed him of the means to acquire the wealth. He said, 'the treasure is in this place, but you have to approach it very carefully. If you dig from the southern side the wasps and drones will rise and sting you. On the western there is a ghost that will create much disturbance for you. On the northern side there is big black snake that will devour you. However if you approach from the eastern side, then by removing only a little amount of dirt, the treasure will be revealed to you.'

Following the instructions of the astrologer, the poor man was then able to locate and retrieve the treasure. After having access to the fabulous treasure of his father, he then lived a life full of happiness.

The poor man and us
*******************
The poor man in this allegorical story is us, the living entities in the material world, who have forgotten our real relationship to God, our eternal father. Just as the words of the astrologer gave the son knowledge about his father, the Vedic scriptures reveal to us the fact that we all have a loving father Krishna. By the words of the astrologer the poor man? s connection with the treasure was established. This stage is called ?sambandha?.

However that in itself was not enough. Therefore the astrologer had to inform him of the means to locate and retrieve the treasure. Similarly, a sincere person hears from a qualified spiritual master the process of re-establishing his relationship with God and then faithfully acts on it, by executing devotional service. This stage is called ?abhidheya?. Finally, carefully avoiding the three chief distractions (furtive activity, speculative knowledge and yogic mysticism) and concentrating on the path of pure devotional service, one eventually gets the treasure of pure love of Godhead. This is called ?prayojana?.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed any one sincere about making spiritual advancements to understand these three basic truths of life. First, that each and every one of us has an eternal relationship with God (sambandha).

Second, that we must all endeavor to re-establish this relationship (abhidheya). Finally that the goal of our life is to live in our constitutional relationship with the Lord (prayojana).

Ten supporting principles
*************************
These three truths are supported on ten basic principles that guide an aspiring devotee from the initial stage of forgetfulness to the final stage of pure love of Godhead. Of these ten principles, the first forms the basis or the foundation of the remaining nine principles.

The first principle states that in order to ascertain the truth one must accept the authority of the Vedic scriptures. Everything in existence falls into the category of being conceivable (by our material senses) or inconceivable (beyond our senses). Information regarding the spiritual realm is inconceivable and therefore must be accepted on the basis of ?sabda? or the words of the Vedic scriptures. These scriptures revealed by a bona-fide spiritual master is called ?amnaya? and forms the basis of any and all spiritual advancement.

Of the remaining nine principles, the first seven deal with sambandha (our relationship with Krishna). The next deals with abhidheya (how to re-establish) and the final one deals with prayojana (the ultimate goal of life). All these principles can only be realized by the media of ?amnaya? or the first principle.

Principles of sambandha
***********************
The seven principles that explain sambandha are divided into three categories. The first category which contains the first three principles explain the position of Sri Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second category which contains the next two principles talk about the conditioned living entity. The third category which contains the remaining two principles talk about the relationship of Krishna with the living entity. Let us now briefly examine them.

1.The Supreme Brahman, Sri Hari, is the only worshippable Lord, Who is also known as Krishna.
2.Krishna is full of innumerable, inconceivable potencies. By these potencies He maintains the spiritual world, the material world and all the living entities.
3.Krishna is full of mellows or rasas. These mellows are the force driving everyone to seek pleasure, either in the Lord or in one?s own self.
4.The jiva-atma (living entity) is qualitatively the same as the Lord, but quantitatively infinitesimal, while the Lord is infinite. Thus they have the same independence as the Lord has, but in a negligible amount. Those jivas that use their independence to serve the Lord are called nitya-siddhas (eternally liberated) and those that use it to serve their own sense are called nitya-baddhas (eternally conditioned).
5.The nitya-baddha accept the shelter of Maya (the illusory energy of the Lord) and are bound to the material time by the blind wheel of fruitive activity (karma). Thus they constantly migrate through one of the millions species of life based on their desires and activities.
6.The Lord is related to all the jivas by an inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference. This acintya-bheda-abheda tattva manifests in the scriptures, which is why the scriptures speak about many apparently contradictory things.
7.When the living entities spiritual intelligence is awakened by keeping firm faith in the above principles and by the mercy of Krishna, then he can clearly see the truth of the inconceivable oneness and difference. When one achieves knowledge of these seven truths, viewed by the firm faith in the scriptures as per the first principle, then he is said to have knowledge of the position of Krishna, sambandha.

Principle of abhidheya
**********************
The relationship with Krishna is re-established by performing devotional service. This is first performed as per the instructions in the scriptures and the guru. At this stage it is called sadhna-vaidhi bhakti. As one gets purified by this process, the bhakti also becomes spontaneous. It is now performed by following the footsteps of the liberated devotees of the Lord. This is called sadhna-ragunaga bhakti. Vaidhi bhakti starts from sraddha (some faith) and goes to ruci (taste) when it becomes ragunaga. Ragunaga bhakti is always forceful, this is the ninth principle.

Principle of prayojana
**********************
As per this tenth principle, the supreme goal of life is prema, or pure love of Krishna.

So, in conclusion, it is very important for each one of us to inquire into the cause of our suffering and thus begun to understand these three absolute truths which will take us all the way from a little faith in the Lord to the goal where we associate and enjoy our eternal relationships with Him.

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

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....

HG Amal Bhakta dasa ACBSP
http://www.amalbhakta.com/

(the late) HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami
http://www.btswami.com/ (UK)
http://www.ifast.net/  (Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology)
http://home.iprimus.com.au/naractl/Biographys/ISKCON_Gurus/Bhakti_Tirtha_Swami.html#mod (Perth Aus)

HH Bhakti Vikas Swami
http://www.bvks.com/

HH Bir-Krishna Goswami
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 formerly in Bombay)
http://www.jollyswami.net/home.php

HH Suhotra dasa Tapa Vanacharin
http://www.suhotraprabhu.com/

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

See the Blogs above also for some interesting reads:

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

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

page updated September 2005

Iskcon Auckland's new official web-page

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@slingshot.co.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]

- HEALTHY ISSUES - Ayurveda:-
Visit Vaidya Yolande Manson's Ayurvedic practice - in Hamilton:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/YM-Ayurved.html

dhanvantaris cha bhagavan svayam eva kirtir
namna nrnam pururujam ruja asu hanti
yajne cha bhagam amrtayur avavarundha
ayusya vedam anusasty avatirya loke

"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

World Vegetarian Day 1st October each year

World Vegetarian Awareness Month - October

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

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

see what we hear is to be happening this year

See our previous World Vegetarian Day issue of the newsletter for a wide range of Vegetarian issues
2005 World Vegetarian Day newsletter
Shaligram Tirtha Pradarshini newsletter October 2005 - Theme Prasadam

Vege update:
Social scientists and law enforcement officials have identified animal abuse as a symptom of emotional illness and a precursor to violent crimes against human beings. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them to go on to possibly commit violent crimes against humans.

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

This list is about vegetarian kitchen crafts. This list is created for postings regarding back to basics vegetarian kitchen crafts. When we say vegetarian we mean no meat, fish or eggs. When we say back to basics, we mean tips on making yeast, bread, gluten, tofu, sprouts and so forth. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts   Post a Message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts/post
 

Baked Zucchini with Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3 as a side

INGREDIENTS
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese or Tasty Tararua; shredded
1/8 tsp ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place the sliced zucchini into a large bowl.
Combine the remaining ingredients and toss well.

Pour into a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350F (175 C). for 35-40 minutes.

Black Bean, Corn, And Cheddar Fritters
Yield: 5 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup  yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup  unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
           -- Dash of cayenne
1/2 cup  milk
1 cup  black beans; cooked
1 cup  sharp Cheddar cheese; (4 -ounces), grated
1/2 cup  fresh corn; or frozen corn kernels
2 tble spn cilantro; minced fresh
3/4 cup  red bell pepper; (1 medium
           -pepper),
           chopped
2 tble spn green chili peppers; roasted
           - and chopped
1/2 cup Olive oil
           -- Sour cream for serving
           -- Salsa for serving
1 cup yogurt

Instructions
Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne in a medium-size bowl.

Beat the milk with the yogurt, and add it to the dry ingredients, mixing well.

Stir in the beans, cheese, corn, cilantro, red pepper, and green chilies.

Gently fold them into the batter,

Heat the 1/2 cup oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. (Test the heat by dropping a bit of batter into the oil; it should immediately sizzle and rise to the top.)

Spoon in about 1/4 cup of batter for each fritter, making three or four at a time. Fry until golden brown on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the other side, and drain on paper towels.
Fry the rest of the batter in batches.

Serve immediately with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Fritters are best served hot and crispy, right out of the pan.

4 or 5 servings (about 15 fritters)

Primavera with Zucchini, Tomato and Corn
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 pound (1/2 kg - 500grms) Mostaccioli, Medium Shells or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1 tbsp. Oilive oil
1 tsp hing
1 medium red cabbage, finely chopped
2 cups chopped zucchini
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1 cup fresh corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Heat the Olive oil in a large skillet. Add the hing, chopped red cabbage and zucchini and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage goes soft and gets a golden cooked look to it. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomato, corn, red pepper flakes, skim milk and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are hot. Add the pasta and parsley and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Noodle Eggplant Casserole
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. Medium Noodles, uncooked
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 16-oz. can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. hing powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, divided

Prepare noodles according to package directions. While noodles are cooking, dip each slice of eggplant into egg substitute, then into bread crumbs. Coat each side well. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Place eggplant slices on cookie sheet and place under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.

Preheat oven to 375-o F. In a medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, garlic powder, pepper and oregano.

When noodles are done, drain well. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place a layer of eggplant in bottom of baking dish. Layer half the noodles, followed by half the tomato mixture. Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese and half the mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned.

What is a good substitute for eggs?
Ener-G Egg Replacer - follow directions on box.
2 Tbsp corn starch = 1 egg
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour = 1 egg
2 Tbsp potato starch = 1 egg
1 heaping Tbsp soy powder + 2 Tbsp water = 1 egg
1 Tbsp soy milk powder + 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsps water = 1 egg.
1 Tbsp flax seeds + 1 cup water = 1 egg. Blend seeds and water for 1 to 2 minutes
until desired consistency.
1 banana = 1 egg in cakes.

Stuffed Shells Marinara
Serves 4
Ingredients:
24 Jumbo Shells, uncooked
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated white cabbage
1 14-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tspoon Hing

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain spinach thoroughly in colander by pressing out extra liquid with a large spoon; cool. In a medium bowl, combine spinach with cottage cheese, grated cabbage and hing.

When pasta is done, drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Preheat oven to 375-o F. Spoon cheese mixture into shells. Place shells in a lightly oiled 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until hot.

Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4  Cup Virgin Olive Oil
1   Cup white cabbage -- chopped or grated fine
2   Tablespoons Fresh Parsley -- finely chopped
2   Tablespoons Fresh Basil -- finely chopped
2   Teaspoons Hing
1   Teaspoon  Oregano
1/2  Teaspoon Thyme
1    Gallon (8 pints - 4 litres)(10-12 pounds = 5kgs) Plum Tomatoes, Diced *
Salt and Pepper -- to taste

Heat Olive oil in sauce pan on medium heat Add White cabbage and sauté 15 minutes

Add herbs and hing, continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add Tomatoes and *saved juice, Salt & Pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

NOTES : * Drain the tomatoes and chop finely, save about 1/3 of juice.

Baked Ditalini with Three Cheeses
Serves 6 as a side dish
Ingredients:
1 pound (500 grams) Ditalini, Elbow Macaroni or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated low-fat Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs, dry
2 tbsp. melted butter

Prepare pasta according to package directions, reducing cooking time by one-third; drain.

While pasta is cooking, combine the milk and ricotta in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the Cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley and salt and pepper.

Stir the pasta into the cheese mixture until well blended. Transfer to a 10-inch round casserole dish. Stir the bread crumbs, melted butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle mixture evenly over casserole.

Bake at 375-o F until heated through, bubbling around the edges and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

Linguine and Spinach Pesto
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 pound (500 grms) Spaghetti, Linguine or Thin Spaghetti, uncooked
1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, well drained
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried sweet basil
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup water
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.
In blender or food processor, combine spinach, oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, hing, salt and sweet basil. Blend at medium speed or process until finely chopped. Melt butter in pot in hot water. With blender or processor running, gradually pour in melted butter mixture until blended. Toss with pasta. Sprinkle feta on top and serve.

Apple and Blackberry Crumble:
This version of the famous English dessert has delighted customers at Gopal's Restaurant in Melbourne for many years. Succulent stewed apples, folded with fresh blackberries, are baked with a buttery, crunchy topping and served with cream or hot custard.

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
BAKING TIME: 20 minutes
YIELD: enough for 6 to 8 persons

Ingredients:
6 medium green apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
11/2 cups (375 ml) fresh blackberries (or try raspberries, loganberries, or boysenberries)
1 tablespoon (20 ml) sugar
1 tablespoon (20 ml) fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (185 ml) raw oats
1/2 cup (125 ml) unbleached plain flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) wholemeal flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) raw sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) melted butter

1. Place the sliced apples along with a sprinkle of water in a heavy 4-litre/quart saucepan. Cook covered over moderate heat until the apples soften. Fold in the fresh berries, one tablespoon (20 ml) sugar, and lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the raw oats, unbleached plain flour, wholemeal flour, raw sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter, rubbing in the butter until a coarse meal-like consistency is achieved.
3. Spread the cooked apples and berries in the bottom of a 20 cm (8-inch) ovenproof baking dish. Without pressing down, spoon on all the topping.
4. Place the dish in the top one-third of a preheated 180°C/355°F oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

Great Vegetarian Dishes - Kurma Cookbook 1

Soft Cakes in Strawberry Yogurt (Malpoora):
This luscious version of the well known Indian sweet Malpoora is not traditional but rather something that has been developed over 2 decades in the Sunday Feast kitchens of Hare Krishna Temples around the world. Spoonfuls of thick batter are deep-fried in ghee to produce doughnut-like soft cakes, which are suspended in sweetened, fruit flavoured yogurt. You can substitute any fresh ripe berry for the strawberries, or try banana, passion fruit, papaya, mango, or kiwifruit.

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
BATTER RESTING TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
YIELD: about 2 dozen
Ingredients:
21/4 cups (560 ml) self-raising flour
1 cup (250 ml) icing sugar
11/4 cups (310 ml) cold water
ghee for deep-frying
5 cups (11/4 litres) plain yogurt, chilled
3/4 cup (185 ml) caster sugar
11/2 cups (375 ml) strawberries, washed and quartered

1. Sift together the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Add the water gradually, while stirring with a wire whisk, until the mixture reaches a consistency somewhere between batter and dough. Spoon in one tablespoon (20 ml) of yogurt and whisk again. The finished batter should cling to a spoon. Allow to set for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the ghee to a depth of 6.5 - 7.5 cm (21/2 - 3 inches) in a wok or deep-frying pan over moderately low heat 160°C/320°F.
3. Spoon out a tablespoon of batter from the bowl. With the aid of a second spoon, deftly slide the batter into the hot ghee. Quickly repeat the procedure for about 8 spoonfuls of batter. Allow the cakes to inflate in the ghee. Then turn them over with a slotted spoon and fry them, turning occasionally, for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are light golden brown all over. Remove and drain. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
4. Combine the yogurt and caster sugar in a large bowl. Crush a few berries through your fingers into the yogurt. Add the rest of the berries and combine well.
5. Carefully fold the fried cakes into the fruit yogurt and refrigerate, allowing the cakes to soak for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve the malpoora in individual dessert bowls with strawberry yogurt spooned on top.

Great Vegetarian Dishes - Kurma Cookbook 1

Brahmin bagels by Devadeva dasi

Although we devotees like to restrict ourselves to homemade breads, every once in a while some of us get that certain yen for a little bagel nosh. Instead of submitting ourselves to the karma and disappointment of store- bought supermarket bagels, why not make our own? I have seen some pretty good bagel recipes by devotee chefs and feel it is my dharma to continue the bagel parampara.

By following a few easy steps, devotees can achieve the bagel-jyoti. While they probably will not replicate the bagels of one's youth (unless one grew up in Kansas) they are an acceptable replacement.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Use your favorite bread dough or use mine:

Ingredients:
Combine 12 cups flour (white, wheat, or any ratio of integration of the two)
1/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons sugar (white or brown, it's up to you)
3 tablespoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups of hot water or whey

Method:
Now knead!
On an oily work surface, grab some dough and form rings that look like, you guessed it, bagels! Craft stores such as Michael's (if you are in the USA) sell doughnut/bagel shaped cookie cutter rings that work perfectly for shaping the dough. Usually there are two sizes of these cutters. I recommend the smaller size for the stability of the bagel throughout the bagel-making process. Lay each bagel on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a cloth. Allow the bagels to rise in a warm area. Brush with a little milk or keep it pareve* by brushing with plain soymilk.

The next step in the bagel making process involves good old-fashioned steam. Bagel makers can choose between boiling your bagel in a big pot of water for five minutes or steaming bagels on wax paper in a covered colander or bamboo steamer. Make sure not to turn the bagels over, and leave room for them to expand upon boiling. After boiling or steaming, drain bagels in a sieve and then place on baking sheet prepared with farina or cornmeal. I have found my boiled bagels to remain mushy in areas when boiled, therefore I personally prefer the steaming method.

Bake until bagels are brown. Allow bagels to cool and shmear with butter or cream cheese. Many of you may have a strong urge to say a brachah** over the bagels, but I know Krishna would prefer us to simply recite the standard offering prayers. Now that Krishna has eaten, it's your turn. Mmmmm. Delish!

This recipe makes 22 large size bagels or 44 small size bagels.

* "Pareve": a term used in Jewish cooking, not necessary for prasad. The bagel is a traditional Jewish bread.

** "Brachah": a Hebrew prayer.Ed.

© CHAKRA 27 March 2002

KRISHNA FRUIT CAKE - (Mother Kamalaya's):

Ingredients:
1 tin condensed milk
1 1/4 cups of water
275 grms butter
1 1/2 cups sultanas
1 3/4 cups currents
1/4 cup chopped cherries
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tspn Bicarb soda
1/4 tspn salt

In a pot heat milk, water, butter and fruit.
Boil 3 minutes
Cool and sift in flour, salt and bicarb' soda
Mix together
Pour into 22 cms round tin lined with a couple of layers of
greaseproof paper.

Bake @  160 degrees centigrade for 2 hours.

For a larger cake, double the recipe.

Cover the top with foil for most of the time.

Bring out from oven. Cool it on cake wrack.

This cake is great as just a fruit cake but if you want
to ice it, or put layers of jam and cream so much the nicer.

Offer it to Krishna...

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, .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

To read more about Hasya visit our pages

FOR YOUR INTEREST: This one is not a joke but I thought you might like to know. These are the names of Lord Caitanya taken from the book "Sri Caitanya Sahasra Nama Stotra", i.e. "A Thousand Names of Lord Caitanya" by Srila Kavi Karnapura (as translated by HG Kusakratha Prabhu from the Krsna Institute)...

When Prabhupada returned to his rooms he sat for a few minutes before breakfast, talking about the unfortunate state of the world. Hansaduta and I sat before him. Prabhupada relaxed, leaning back against the soft bolsters on his seat. He delivered a sharp critique of the leaders of society, the politicians and educators, for misleading people and creating a thoroughly hellish situation for everyone.

He explained how the entire world is becoming increasingly chaotic and demonic, causing suffering to people. He searched for an appropriate word to summarize it. "They have made it a pan... What is that?"

We couldn't figure out the word he was looking for.

"Pandemonium! Just look it up."

Prabhupada's choice of words seemed a bit quaint to me, but when I read out the definition of pandemonium in the dictionary, I saw that Prabhupada had used precisely the correct word to convey his point. It said, "Pandemonium: pan-demonic; abode of all demons; any place of lawlessness, violence and uproar; utter confusion."

We all laughed and Hansaduta and I looked at each other appreciatively. Prabhupada has a surprising command of the English language. Day by day new aspects of his extraordinary character are revealed, and we are extremely grateful that Krsna has sent us such a wonderful spiritual master.

- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 1" by HG Hari Sauri dasa

Once there was a lion, a tiger, a jackal and a crow.  These are all carnivorous animals.  So the lion, the tiger, the jackal and the crow were having plentiful times, with a lot of food to eat.  There were little rabbits and mice and birds.  The lion was the king of the forest, and he was big and fat.  The crow was also very healthy, as were the tiger and jackal.  So they were thinking, "Look at this camel over here, eating the thorny bushes.  He's a vegetarian.  He's all alone, so let's bring him into our camp.  Come on over camel, and join us."  "Oh no," said the camel, "You're meat eaters.  I'm not going to associate with meat eaters."  "Oh come on, don't be a stick in the mud.  Come and stay with us.  We've got plenty of food, we won't eat you."  So this stupid camel came over to the lion and said, "But I don't want to live with you, because you'll kill me."  So the king of the forest said, the lion, said, "No, no. I promise you, in front of all my friends, that I will not kill you."  So with that assurance, the camel began to live with all the animals, the crow, the jackal, the tiger, and the lion all began to live together.  But then times changed, and there was a drought, and as the months went on, there was no food for the lion, the tiger, the crow or the jackal.  And they started to get very skinny.  But the camel was getting fatter and fatter, because he was eating the cactus, the thorns.  He had plenty of things.  So then the other animals were looking at him, "Yum yum!" but a promise had been made that they wouldn't kill him.  So the jackal, who was very cunning, he went to the lion and said, "We have to eat this camel, because we're going to die otherwise."  The lion said, "But I promised I would not kill him."  The jackal said, "Yes, you promised you wouldn't kill him, but you didn't promise you would not eat him."  "You clever little fellow," the lion said, "What do you mean by this?  How is it possible that I eat him if I don't kill him?"  The jackal said, "I have a plan."  So that evening when they were all sitting down together, the lion was saying, "Oh I'm so hungry.  I think I'm going to die."  So the jackal stood up and said, "My dear king of the forest, you cannot die.  If you die, everything is lost.  Please, you eat me.  Right now, pounce on me, eat me!"  So the lion said, "No, you're just a dirty little creature.  I couldn't eat you.  I'd get sick if I ate you.  So the tiger stood up and said, "Eat me.  We can't lose you, O king."  The lion replied, "No, you're part of the cat family.  I can't eat one of my relatives."  Then the crow said, "You should eat me then.  I am so little, if I am lost what is the difference?"  So the lion said, "You are but a mouthful.  What would be the use of eating you, I would still starve."  So the stupid camel stood up and said, "All right, then eat me."  Then they all pounced on him and had a big feast.

MORAL:  Although in the beginning he didn't want to associate with them because he knew they would eat him, nonetheless by the power of association he lost his good intelligence and he was devoured.  In the same way, by material association we can become convinced about material life and become devoured by it.  So also we can conclude that by good association one can become convinced about taking seriously the process of developing spiritual life.

A True story:

In a small Wisconsin community, farmers in the county had gotten together to discuss a few important local issues.

About midway through the meeting, the  wife of one of the new, younger generation farmers, who had graduated from the state's agriculture university, stood up and spoke her peace.

When she was finished, one of the old farmers stood up and said, "What the hell does she know about anything?

I would like to ask her if she knows how many toes a pig has?"

Quick as a cat crossing a hot tin roof, the woman replied,

"Take off your boots sir, and count them yourself !"

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan. This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter ...

(This is the State's Letter!)
 SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

 Dear Mr. DeVries:

 It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

 Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.

 A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

 The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2005.

 Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.
 Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

 Sincerely,

 David L. Price, District Representative
 Land and Water Management Division

** Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries: **
 Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.
 

Dear Mr. Price,

 Your certified letter dated 12/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.

 While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose.

 I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

 As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

 My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this state to conform to said dam request? If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

 I have several concerns. My first concern is; aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names.

 If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.

 In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources(Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

 So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2005? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.

 In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not careful where they dump!)
 Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.

 THANK YOU.

 RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS

sent in by Hrshikeshananada prabhu ACBSP - Thailand

In France a woman shot her husband dead because of his flatulence.  And now she gets the gas chamber.

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