The event we’ve all been waiting for. The third annual 24 Hour Kirtan in New Vrindaban. This year promises to be even bigger and better than before.

What is the 24 Hour Kirtan Festival?

The New Vrindaban 24 Hour Kirtan Festival started in 2007. The idea is to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra continuously for 24 hours, as is done in Vrindavan India 365 days a year. Featuring some of the world’s most respected Bhakti chanters, the festival is open to all.

Kirtans start at 8 AM Saturday the 20th and end 8 AM Sunday the 21st.

Who’s Singing?

Click here for the Who’s Who and info on registering plus recordings of previous years’ kirtans.

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

It is our pleasure to invite all of you to join us for small satsang program for the birth of our second child Krsnanand. His Holiness Varsana Swami will speak on this occasion and the program will be followed with Dinner Prasadam. Following are details of the program.

Date and time : 6:30pm – 9:00pm on October 8th, 2008.
Venue : Apartment # 2-3.

Please join us for satsang and bless the child Krsnanand.

Thank you very much.

Your servants,

Govinda Priya Devi Dasi,
Shankaranand Das &
Premanand.

Thank you very much.

Your servant,

–
Shankaranand Das.
Congregation Developement.
ISKCON New Vrindavan
304 221 1000 (Mon-Fri)
Phone : 304 843 1600 ext.102 (Sat-Sun)
Email : shankarananddas@gmail.com
Website : www.Vediclifestylepro.com

Courtesy of Ekendra Prabhu, you can download the audio file (19MB but not the best quality) of this lecture from: here

Right click on “Radhanatha_08-06-22.mp3″ and “Save Link/Target As.”

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(Please click here for the verse, Nectar of Instruction Text 8. I didn’t paste it in to save space for this posting.)

(Mangalacarana prayers)

Radhanath Swami: Because there is very little time, on behalf of New Vrindaban I chose this verse and the purport says everything. So I’ll just speak a few words. “The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time–twenty-four hours a day (as we did here at New Vrindaban) in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrndavana dhama] and serve Krsna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.”

In the little time we have, we’d like to share a few words on the chanting of the holy names. In this verse of Sri Upadesamrta, Sri Rupa Goswami instructs us in the very beginning of the ultimate goal, in just a few words, so comprehensively. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur warns us not to take Krsna consciousness cheaply. To follow in the footsteps of the residents of Vrindavan is the highest purest state of divine consciousness. We must approach such a state of consciousness by absorbing our consciousness in chanting Krsna’s holy names, especially.

When Sarvabhauma Bhatttacarya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu of the nine processes of devotional service, which is the most important, the Lord instantly responded: the chanting of the holy name. As Srila Jayapataka Maharaja, His Holiness, taught us yesterday, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed to the sannyasis in Varanasi this was the order he was given by his Guru Maharaja:

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

In this age of Kali, there is no other way except the chanting of the Holy Names.

Many of us, as we are chanting these names for a few years, some of us for a few decades, why is it that we are not experiencing what Rupa Goswami tells us that he experiences when he chants the Holy Name?

“I do not know how much nectar the name of Krsna produces. When the name of Krsna appears on my tongue, I wish to have many, many, many tongues. When it enters my ears, I desire millions of ears and when it enters my heart, it conquers my consciousness.”

How many of us desire millions of ears when we are chanting? Some of us are struggling to stay awake, wondering when we are going to get through the tedious act of pulling down all sixteen counting beads. It is the way we chant that is so important. Krsna tells in Bhagavad-Gita:

ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

That as we approach him, Krsna reciprocates and manifests himself accordingly. Kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara, in this age of Kali, Krsna incarnates within his name. As we chant the Holy Name, how Krsna will respond.

There are so many stories that teach us. From our heart, with deep feeling, we must take shelter of the holy name. It is like a little baby bird that is hungry waiting for his mother. The mother bird has to feed him, he is absolutely helpless. Where can a baby bird go, up high, high in the tree? He doesn’t know how to fly, trapped in a little nest. He can’t do anything, go anywhere. If it takes a single step out of the nest, it falls and dies. He is absolutely dependent on the mother to come and nourish it. And when the mother is late, for two hours and three hours and four hours and five hours and the whole day, the way that bird is chirping for his mother is how we should chant the holy name:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

There is the example of Draupadi. If we just analyze this story carefully, it is quite profound. Draupadi was in a stronger position than any one of us. How many of you ladies are married to Arjuna? [laughter] Plus Bhima. [laughter] Plus Yudhisthira. And Nakula and Sahadeva. Would you feel safe with husbands like that? [laughter] The greatest warrior on earth, the most powerful person on earth, Bhima and Arjuna. Draupadi had the greatest of all protection, but the nature of the world, padam padam yad vipadam na tesam, there is danger at every step for everyone. No one is safe. Whether we are the wealthiest man in the world, the prime minister, the greatest athlete, the greatest warrior, at any moment, everything can be finished. It’s the nature of the world. No one is exempt.

Becoming a devotee doesn’t mean that our material life will be very smooth because the nature of this world is that it is not very smooth. And if it is, if it’s a smooth road, there is construction on it [laughter]. You see those diamond-shaped warning signs “Construction Ahead”, “Forgive the Inconvenience”. Maya has her signs everywere, at every step. It is not going to be smooth.

[Please click below to read the rest!]

Even Draupadi was going to be stripped naked, a fate worse than death to destroy her integrity and her dignity forever. There was no one to protect her. And the amazing thing about the story is that Bhima was sitting just a few feet away from her with his club, and Arjuna was his Gandiva bow was right there in the same way. And Bhisma, her grandfather-in-law, was also there. They all wanted to help but due to the circumstances, they couldn’t.

Duhsasana, the mighty brother of Duryodhana, was ordered to rip her naked. He grabbed her sari. She looked at Yudhisthira and he sighed, “I can’t help you.”

She looked at Arjuna, “You are my husband. You love me more than anyone.”

He looked down. Then she looked at Bhima, who was really attached to Draupadi, there are many stories in Mahabharata. He looked down. There was no one to turn to except Krsna. In that state of absolute desperation, with one hundred percent of her consciousness fixed on Krsna alone, then she raised her arms. She didn’t just go Hare Krsna Hare Krsna [feebly]. [laughter]

She raised her arms. First she tried to hold on to the sari with her own hands because nobody else would help her, but her own strength failed. Then she raised her arms in a spirit of complete surrender and she cried out helplessly the Holy Names:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

That is kirtan. And Krsna appeared. We shouldn’t forget the end. Krsna reciprocated. Krsna can do anything at any time in any way. He incarnated as a sari [laughter] and Duhsasana was very sorry. [laughter] He pulled and he pulled and he pulled, but Krsna is unlimited so the sari became unlimited. Draupadi was saved.

In Mahabharata there is a nice story when Durvasa Muni was sent by Duryodhana that, “Oh, you want prasada, go to Yudhisthira, he’s in Kamyavana. He has nice prasada, but go right at this time after Draupadi has eaten.” She had that pot, it was magical. It could feed as many people as could come until she ate. Then it became an ordinary pot.

So Duryodhana sent Durvasa Muni with 60,000 disciples. And sadhus eat a lot. [laughter] When I first went to India in 1970 I was living with sadhus for some time. I remember they invited me to a feast in the Himalayas. I was thinking, “Sadhu feast, yogi feast? We’ll probably get some water or something, [laughter] some herbs. They were serving out puris and halavah and kachoris. I was nineteen years old, they were sixty, seventy, eighty. They were eating so much prasad because they don’t get it very much. [laughter] Mostly they are eating herbs so when they get utsava, a feast, mahotsava, they were really eating, eating and eating. I turned to somebody afterwards, I said, to one lady, “Sadhus eat like that?”

She said, “They always eat like that.”

So Durvasa Muni and 60,000 sadhus come to the house, “We have come for prasada. Durvasa Muni was very famous for becoming angry and when he gets angry, he is very empowered. For Ambarisa, he became angry just because Ambarisa drank a spoonful of water before hecame back and he made a fiery monster that had the power to destroy the universe and he came to Ambarisa. There are many stories like that. He is an amsa of Lord Siva, the destroyer. So what to do, Draupadi already ate.

They said, “Well, why don’t you go take a bath?”

He said, “Yes, I will take a bath in Yamuna with all my followers.”

They were besides themselves, “What to do? When he comes back, we have nothing. What can we prepare in a half hour?”

In their heart of hearts they were crying to Krsna to save them. Draupadi was crying to Krsna to save them. And Krsna came. Krsna makes everything exciting. He comes, but not to save them, to eat prasada. [laughter] He says, “I am really hungry, give me some prasada.”

Draupadi was thinking, “First I’m offending Durvasa Muni and his followers, and now I have nothing to give Krsna.” She was crying, she was weeping, she was trembling.

Krsna said, “Just bring me the pot.”

But how she was crying? She was crying for Krsna to protect them. She wasn’t just “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Hare Rama.” She was taking shelter. Krsna said, “All right, give me the pot.” He found a little morsel of a dry piece of subji on the bottom. And he ate it. Then he told Bhima, “Now you go get Durvasa Muni and all of them. But bring your club with you.” [laughter]

Bhima said, “We have nothing to feed them, what are you. . . .”

“Just go, have faith and go.”

Bhima comes with his club and says, “Prasada is ready!” But there was nothing there, not even a shred of subji was left, Krsna took that away. Krsna said you trust me, just go and tell them prasad is ready. So Bhima comes and says prasad is ready and right when he said that, Durvasa Muni and all of his followers, they all became stuffed up with prasad because Krsna ate that morsel. They are all parts and parcels of Krsna.

They said to Bhima, “We’ll be just one minute, you go home and we’ll be there in a minute.” Because he had his club, they were thinking, “If we go there after Draupadi cooks this huge feast and we don’t take anything, Bhima is going to kill us.” [laughter] As soon as Bhima turned his back, they all ran away. [laughter] By their mystic powers they left.

Then we have the story of Gajendra. How powerful was he. He was the unrivalled king of the jungle. He was an elephant. When he would stride through the jungle path, even the lions and tigers and leopards would scamper like little pussy cats away from Gajendra. He was so powerful. He had a wonderful family. He was ruling over with no obstacles. But the nature of the material world is that it is not safe for anyone.

He, somehow or other to enjoy, went into a small lake of water and was bit by a crocodile who just held on to his leg with its jaws. You people from Alachua, I think you have alligators. Be careful please. So his teeth sunk right into his foot. Now if that crocodile came to attack Gajendra on the land, he would have just stomped on the poor creature, but in the water, he was in a compromised position. In the water, the crocodile was stronger. He somehow or other without knowing it, entered into a realm where he wasn’t strong.

It is a fact, however advanced we are in Krsna consciousness, it we’re not very, very careful, if we take lightly the warnings of the great acaryas and step into a compromised position, we will be defeated in our devotional service, we can be destroyed. We have seen it happen so many times in the scriptures and in people’s lives. Even if we are very strong and powerful spiritually, if we just play with maya, if we try to enjoy in a realm outside of bhakti, the crocodile will get us. It’s a matter of time.

Gajendra pulled at the crocodile and the crocodile would pull at him, and he would pull, and they would pull. . . all of his strength could not protect him. He turned to his family members. They were standing on the bank of the lake crying, unable to do anything for him. Prabhupada called the government, family members, everyone: fallible soldiers. When we need them the most, they can’t help us. What is the time of greatest need? It is the time of death. Who can help us then? Only one person.

Yes, Gajendra he fought and he fought and he fought for a long time. When he was actually on the verge of death, then, in that state, he remembered his previous life. Previously he had no recollection of the previous life, but at the last moment, when he was absolutely desperate, he remembered. His previous life’s devotional progress came back to remind him there is only one shelter, the Lord. With his trunk, he lifted a little lotus flower, and like Draupadi he held it (he doesn’t have two arms), with his trunk, he held up that lotus flower, and he helplessly, desperately, humbly cried out the holy name:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

But he chanted much louder. [laughter]

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Whether you know it or not, we are all in the jaws of the crocodile of old age, disease, and death, so let us all chant:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And then Krsna appeared, and with his cakra he cut off the mouth of the crocodile. Crocodiles are quite useless without their mouths. [laughter] And Gajendra was safe to go back with his family and enjoy as king of the jungle. But because he cried out Krsna’s name, he was no longer attached to any of that. He wanted to be with Krsna, so Krsna just took him right back home, back to Godhead at that moment. That is the power of crying out for Krsna.

I will give one more incident. In Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila, in Navadvipa, he was only performing kirtan privately with his most confidential associates in the house of Srivasa. Thousands and thousands of common people were dying to get into that kirtan.

Meanwhile the blasphemers were so envious they weren’t allowed that they were making all horrible rumours. They were saying, “You know what these people do? You know why they are locking the doors? We know. During the day they go and search for beautiful young women, then they seduce them into coming in, then they lock the doors and give them intoxication so that they will submit to them. And through very horrible tantric rites, they are drinking wine, enjoying sexual affairs with these women, illicit sex. This is what they do all night. That’s why they are all screaming.”

These were not just some people working in coal mines, these were top brahmanas who were spreading these rumours. These were influential, educated, powerful brahmanas who were leaders of society. There were hundreds of them spreading these rumours. The common people, they were just appalled, that “Our life’s desire, our goal, we are hankering to be able to see Lord Caitanya dance, Nimai dance, but because of these blasphemers, we are not allowed to do that.” When the blasphemers would hear them, they would say, “He is one of them!” And they would attack the innocent people.

So one morning, after the kirtan, a whole crowd of the townspeople came with gifts for Lord Caitanya: garlands and flowers and rice and bananas, so many things. He was pleased because he saw they really were sincere. Rupa Goswami explains, the price to receive Krsna’s mercy is lobha, greed, that deep desire. They were longing for the Lord’s mercy. . . . He reciprocated, “All brothers and sisters, constantly chant the holy names.” He gave them the mahamantra to chant:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

“No hard and fast rules in this chanting. If you have karatals and mrdanga, you play them, if not, you clap your hands, with your family, in your shop, while you walk down the road, just constantly chant the holy names of Krsna. Whether you are sitting or you are laying down trying to sleep or whether you are eating or whether you are working, just constantly fill your mouth with the holy name and you will be my life and soul.”

Tens of thousands of people started chanting. Previously they weren’t. In every shop practically people were chanting. People were walking down the street, chanting. In their homes they were clapping their hands and doing kirtana. Everyone was chanting and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates still did not do kirtana with them. They never saw.

When he would walk down the street and he would see anybody who was chanting, he would offer his obeisances to the chanters. He would put a garland around the neck of the chanters. He would embrace those who were chanting, he would anoint their limbs with sandalwood and he would say, “You are my life and soul.”

That is how much the Lord appreciated those who are chanting the holy name. But the Lord wanted them to chant really sincerely. As the supreme controller, he allowed the coming events to take place. Should we end here or should I keep going? [laughter]

Chand Kazi, he was the dictator of that area in Nadia district and he hated Hindus. He outlawed any public practice of the Hindu religion. No one dared defy him for years and years and years. One day he is walking down the street and everywhere he goes there are people chanting. He was outraged! He was screaming at them. They were defying his authority, crushing his ego. Intolerable. He had hundreds of soldiers every day, full time service, just searching for anyone chanting. They would beat them, torture them, plunder all of their wealth, sometimes imprison them. It was horrible what was going on.

One day Chand Kazi himself broke the mrdanga and crashed it to the ground. The townspeople came back to Nimai and they said, “We are getting beaten, we are getting tortured. We’re afraid to chant.”

And he said, “No, no, you go on chanting, Krsna will protect you.”

You know how they were chanting with all these soldiers looking for them and the Chand Kazi looking for them. They could be killed, they could be tortured, the women could be raped, all the property which they worked so hard for could be plundered. Under those conditions, how many of you would continue chanting Hare Krsna? That is the price of seeing Lord Caitanya dance. It’s a small price, actually.

It is not easy. But they did it. They kept chanting because it was the Lord’s will, risking everything. They weren’t just Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. . . they may have been, but because of Chand Kazi, they couldn’t just go Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. Like Durvasa Muni for Draupadi, or the crocodile for Gajendra, it is like the mother bird when they are calling out. Those people, from the core of their hearts they needed Krsna.

If you are not hungry, you can’t really digest food very well. That is an Ayurvedic principle. When you are hungry, you have the power of digestion. If your favourite preparation if gulabjamun, right now, because it is kind of late in the morning, but if your favourite preparation was gulabjamun, oh how you could eat gulabjamun. [laughter] But if you just overeat very substantially at the Govardhan Puja festival, and then fifteen minutes later somebody comes with a bucket of gulabjamuns, what will you do? Aaaah. [laughter]

In order to enjoy food, in order to digest food, you need hunger. And that is the principle. In order to really digest the holy name, in order for the holy name to really penetrate our heart and transform our soul, we need to have that lobha, that greed, that hunger. That means we have to feel a sense of need. Queen Kunti prayed:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai tvam akincana-gocaram

She was a hungry lady, spiritually. All . . . ? She prayed that, “The qualifications that people consider opulences in this world are the greatest disqualifications to call out the holy name.”

To have physical beauty, to have strength, to have wealth, to have fame, good family–everyone wants these things, but the tendency is if you have them, you’ve worked like a dog to get them, but the tendency is you become complacent spiritually. You don’t cry out the name with feeling.

“Tvam akincana-gocara, therefore the best things is to be totally impoverished.” But she is not talking about impoverished as not having anything, she is taking about in the heart feeling nothing is mine, I need Krsna. We see some of the wealthiest greatest kings crying out for Krsna’s name with total feeling because they understood nothing is mine, I need Krsna. But that is the tendency.

So yes, these people in Navadvipa, they were crying out for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy when they chanted the holy name and still, even after they were doing that, the persecution continued. Hare Krsna.

Now a person of weak faith would say, “Why isn’t Krsna saving me yet?” But a person who understands the truth knows that if we just remember Krsna with our heart, in life or death we will be saved. They were chanting, but still they were being persecuted and it was escalating.

Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu called, “Nityananda, go and tell all the devotees and all the townspeople to come here. Today I will personally lead the nama-sankirtana party. Today I will dance.” It was the first public kirtan in history of Mahaprabhu.

He said, “Today I will go to the Kazi’s house not only chanting the holy name–I will break that house down, I will burn that house, and let us see what he does to me. Today I am going to bring a great rainstorm of nama-sankirtana and inundate the entire Navadvipa with ecstatic love of God. Everyone come here this afternoon with a torch in your hand!”

This is faith. Now they are all going to chant right in the street in procession to the Kazi’s house, which is surrounded by soldiers. This is the price of seeing Lord Caitanya dance. You have to take these risks with that faith. Maybe they would get beat up sometime. . . ?

And he danced. He danced so beautifully through the streets of Navadvipa and ultimately even the Kazi surrendered. Because the people of Navadvipa, from their hearts, in a feeling of helplessness that only Krsna could save them, they cried out very feelingly and very loudly the holy name:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

We had a wonderful twenty-four hour kirtana. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told his followers to do twenty-four hour kirtana every day, for one year. They accepted. One day he just said, “We are chanting all day, but why are we wasting the nights sleeping? For the next year we should do kirtana twenty-four hours.”

How many of you were in the twenty-four hour kirtan and stayed up all night? Please raise your hands. Are you ready for another day? [laughter] What about ready for another 364 days?

But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed them at that time how they would be able to do it. It’s a matter of consciousness. And he gave them the verse:

trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari

Humble as the grass, tolerant like the tree, eager to offer all respect to others and expect none in return.

The grass, so much grass at New Vrindaban, at least in the summer. In the grass is under the snow for eight months, maybe seven, with global warming. [laughter] How would you like to be under snow? And when it is summer and you get to come out, then people are stepping on you with their feet. Dogs come out and you know what they do. In the old days in New Vrindaban, even people used to do that. [laughter] But the grass just keeps getting up and doing its service, humble. More humble than a blade of grass!

And the tree, in the sunshine, the tree will stand in the sun directly while giving shade to shade to us. In the winter time the tree will stand there freezing and give us wood to keep us warm. And the tree will give fruits even if it has absolutely nothing itself. In India. . . Prabhupada said the king of fruits is? Mango!

The king of fruits is mango. But you know what a tree has to go through to make a mango? What season does the mango come out? Summer. And summer in Maharashtra is different than summer in West Virginia. It is really hot, burning–April, May and half of June. Usually by the time there is burning 100 degree plus weather practically every day, and there hasn’t been a drop of rain since the monsoon in September. No rain. That mango tree has been standing there October-November-December-January-February-March-April-May. . . it’s been standing there eight months with no water. And it’s burning under the heat. And yet it is giving the most luscious, juicy, delicious mangoes for us to enjoy and quench our thirst.

Tolerance means forgiving others and accepting inconvenience to serve others, to please others, in the service of God. And to offer all respects and not demand respect ourselves. If you have this consciousness. . . humility is actually a type of hunger: “I’m, nothing, I need.” When you feel empty, they you’re really longing to be filled. And the more you are filled with Krsna, the more you are humble.

So this is the consciousness which we must really sincerely cultivate. We shouldn’t be complacent in our chanting. We should know for sure that old age, disease and death are inevitable and they could happen at any moment. Now is the time to cry out for Krsna loudly:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And to hear Krsna’s glories–our beloved Srila Prabhupada, and his gurudeva Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, are telling–when we can chant like that then we can actually follow the footsteps of the residents of Vrindavan. Thank you very much.

Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra ki jai!

It is ecstatic to see the enthusiasm of our young generation coming from so many distant places. It’s a tapasya. Amazing; how many people in America do like that? They traveled hundreds and thousands of miles to come, just to sit all day long and chant the holy names. Most of us old people went to sleep. [laughter] You are our gurus in taste for the chanting, enthusiasm for the chanting, hunger for the chanting–the greatest of all treasures.

For all those who organized the twenty-four hour kirtana, I thank you very much. And for all the patrons that may be here, our patron guests are here now? On behalf of New Vrindaban and Radha Vrindaban Chandra, from our heart of hearts, we thank you sincerely for coming and participating in this weekend and showing your support.

And we pray that New Vrindaban can become a place of pilgrimage like it is mentioned in Prabhupada’s vision. On behalf of the whole of ISKCON North America, your efforts in coming to help is actually to strengthen krsna-bhakti throughout this entire continent. We thank you very much.

(Malati DD: The pujaris and cooks!)

Radhanath Swami: We also thank the pujaris and cooks, but most of all we thank Malati Devi. [cheering and applause]

(Malati DD: Thank you to the second generation for everything you are doing for Prabhupada’s mission.) [cheering and applause]

Radhanath Swami: I don’t know all their names, but I know Ananta Govinda Prabhu and Janaki Priya Devi and Acyuta Gopi Devi and Visvambhar Prabhu and Nitai Prabhu and Rasikananda Prabhu and who else? Gopal and Madhava Prabhu. It’s amazing. They put so much energy and so much devotion to make this weekend such a glorious success.

In fact, my dear Godbrother Hari Sauri Prabhu, who was Prabhupada’s personal servant for several years, he told me this morning he never saw a kirtana like that yesterday. Such high quality, such devotion, such enthusiasm and it went on the entire day and night. He had never seen it in his life. Has anybody ever seen it in their life? No. All of you are really empowered. Please cherish and be grateful for this amazing gift you’ve been given and continue sharing it with each other and helping Srila Prabhupada give it to the world. Thank you very much.

Anyone else? Radha Sundari and Ananda Tirtha Prabhu, yes. They worked really hard also. I’m not good at announcements, [laughter] but somehow. . .? And everyone we forgot, we thank you too and everyone of you who have come, we thank you very much.

[extended applause]

END.

PS: We couldn’t locate this painting of Pancha Tattva after everything wound up. . . please leave a comment if you know anything. . . .

Dear Devotees: Hare Krishna!

Lord Jagannath’s Rathyatra Festival will be celebrated on Saturday July 12th in New Vrindaban beginning promptly at 11 am by the usual venue near Rupanuga and Vani’s home, across the road from Nityo Dita’s.

We hope to offer a colorful lively event for the pleasure of the Lord and His devotees this year. By the grace of Akilananda prabhu and Dyal Nitai of the Cleveland Yatra, a wonderful cart is available (see photo).

His Holiness Danavir Goswami has agreed to attend so you can be sure that colorful kirtans will follow along with his lively Mantra Rock style electric band.

We are aiming for a old fashion super yummy Love Feast to celebrate the occasion and please Lord Jagganath and Srila Prabhupada. The evening will be topped off with a Hari nam to the Lake for a special Rathyatra mood Swan Boat and excellent fireworks.
We invite transcendental sponsors in the following areas/ items:

1. Flowers for Lord Jagannath’s garlands and decorating the Rath Cart: $1001
2. Lord Jagannath’s Feast (using only best ingredients and pure ghee): $1001
3. Flowers for decorating the altar and the Vyasasine: $701
4. Transporting the Rathyatra Cart to NV & back: $501
5. Air fare for His Holiness Danavir Goswami: $301
6. Balloons: $201
7. Fireworks: $201
8. Any unspecified area: $101
9. Ropes to pull the cart: $51

Whoever wishes to sponsor, either in full or in part, contact the following number: 304-845-9591 or write servingkrishna@aol.com for further details. Sponsors will receive the special unlimited mercy of Lord Jagannath along with a Maha Garland, Maha-prasad plate and photo of Lord Jagannath Himself. The two top level donors will receive another special gift in recognition of their generosity.

There will be a Transcendental Swap featuring gently used devotional items. Devotees wishing to display or sell crafts, prasad or other items, or present information, etc can call 304-845-9591 or e-mail servingkrishna@aol.com for further details or to reserve a space.

Jaya Jagannath Swami Kijaya!

(From Brijabasi Spirit (1976) Vol III #9)

Sometimes the thought occurs that actually it is the cows who are protecting us instead of vice versa. From a material standpoint, I don’t think any of us would want to go through the trouble of rais­ing cows. It’s not a big money-mak­ing enterprise and it involves so much work. But from the standpoint of the sastras, or Vedic scripture, we can understand that cow protect­ion is beyond material business-ma­king. Factually, it is one of the main items of devotional service. When Krsna appeared on this planet, it was in Vrndavana, where everyone is engaged in tending the cows. He is known as Govinda, as Gopala, and as ‘go brahmana hitaya ca,’ names which indicate that He is always eager to give pleasure and protect­ion to the cows. So by engaging in cow protection we can draw the at­tention of the Supreme Lord. Just like a person may please a rich man

indirectly by giving some little present to his son, so we can please the supremely independent Personality of Godhead by serving His beloved cows. Thus we can see that the cows are so merciful in allowing us so much opportunity to serve them and thus please Krsna. Kirtanananda Maharaja has often­times mentioned while visiting the barn that, “These cows will make you Krsna Conscious.”

So a couple more devotees have joined us in the cow department. Ramai dasa is helping feed and brush the cows and clean the barn. Mother Rupa Ramesvari, probably the best barn cleaner in history, is also back helping to brush the cows and keep their pens clean. And last but not least, another old hand, Parambrahma dasa, has returned aft­er a two and a half year tour of duty elsewhere, to take over man­agement of the barn. He is filling the gap left by Amburish dasa, who is now out in the fields all day helping put up the feed for the cows. We are still quite a way from independently meeting all the needs of our mothers, the cows, but our service is increasing gradually. What this means is that we still have to rely on help from outside–buying grain for instance—instead of growing it all ourselves. Hope­fully someday in the future we will be able to accomplish all such nec­essities by devotee labor alone. In the meantime we trudge on trying the patience of Kirtanananda Swami as we rather ineptly attempt to im­personate farmers.

As for the cows themselves, the last eight calves which were born were all heiffers, which is a New Vrindaban record. Two years ago Kaliya, the original cow of Vrinda­ban, gave birth to a pair of heif­fers, Kadamba and Krsungi. Last week Kadamba gave birth to a little heifer calf and Krsungi is due to freshen in another couple of weeks. Sarasvati is due to calf at about the same time. We are all looking forward to this event with the hope that Sarasvati will become the first New Vrindaban cow to milk out

(fall 1984)

by Premarnava

“The present Krsna consciousness movement follows the same principle, and therefore simply by chanting and danc­ing we have received good responses all over the world. It is to be understood, however, that his chanting and dancing do not belong to this material world. They are transcendental activities, for the more one engages in chanting and dancing, the more he can taste the nectar of transcendental love of Godhead.” (Adi-lila chap. 17, verse 22)

Once in Detroit, Srila Prabhupada was staying at the apartment of Navina Krsna dasa. During a darsana, Srila Prabhupada was discussing with some senior devotees the use of various musical instruments for arotik kirtanas and kirtanas performed in public places. During the discussion, Srila Prabhupada said, “Just try this Bengali style, the Amer­icans will like it.” He also said that Lord Caitanya’s style was “Kohl and karatalas.” As we know, Sri Caitanya was the originator of the Bengali kirtana tradition.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in his Anubhasya, “A person who has attracted the attention of the spiritual master by his sincere service likes to dance and chant with similarly developed Krsna conscious devotees.”

Dancing together during the arotik ceremony is not a mundane thing. Even though we may not feel enthusiastic, or we may even feel self-conscious, we simply have to do it and Krsna will give us enthusiasm. This activity is pleasing to the spiritual master as confirmed in the Sri Sri Gurvastaka: “Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana. The spiritual master is alwavs engaged along with his disciples in the temple worship of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Congregational chanting and dancing before the Deity are an integral part of the temple worship.

In the Adi-lila, Lord Caitanya says, “I never chanted and danced to make an artificial show; I dance and chant because I firmly believe in the words of my spiritual master. Although the Mayavadi philosophers do not like this chanting and dancing, I nevertheless perform it on the strength of his words. Therefore, it is to be concluded that I deserve only very little credit for these activities of chanting and dancing, for they are being done automatically by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Of course, we are not on the level of Sri Caitanya Mahap­rabhu, but we can take instruction from His statement. Lord Caitanya performed chanting and dancing on the strength of his guru’s order, so we can follow in His footsteps and chant and dance enthusiastically at mangala arotik for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and [then current guru].

Krsnadasa Kaviraja further states in the Adi-lila, “When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.”

We are still on the level of sadhana bhakli. Therefore, we cannot expect to experience or display various ecstatic symptoms, but sadhana bhakti means to practice regulated devotional activities. If we regularly practice dancing nicely before the Deity and please the spiritual master in this way, eventually we will get the higher taste.

Fellow Brijabasis, Godbrothers, and countrymen, don’t forget that the real party is at the kirtana (sankirtana party). So, don’t be late, and don’t be a wall flower. Hare Bol!!

While the second page of the letter wherein SP named NV was missing from the archives, its existence was well known in NV. It has been cited in at least 3 Brijabasi Spirit articles from the early days, including this one by an unknown author, although the editor of the BS at that time was Taru so it is relatively safe to assume he wrote it:

(Brijabasi Spirit Vol. 6 No. 6 September 1979)

It Is Very Surprizing

Srila Prabhupada’s conception of New Vrin­daban is first expressed in his 1966 printed pro­spectus. therein, one of ISKCON’s five main purposes is to “erect for the members, and for the society at large, a holy place of transcenden­tal pastimes, dedicated to the Personality of Krishna.”

But Srila Prabhupada first specifically speaks of New Vrindaban as a community of devotees in a letter dated March 17, 1968: “I am glad to learn that one gentleman is going to open an ashram in the West Virginia, and he was se­cured a big tract of land, 320 acres, and I wish that this tract of land may be turned into New Vrindaban. You have New York, New England, and so many “New” duplicates of European countries in the USA; why not import New Vrin­daban in your country?”

And, he adds: “If Kirtanananda endeavors to utilize the 320 acres for turning it into New Vrin­daban, I may permanently stay there and try to serve you in constructing a New Vrindaban city in West Virginia.”

Now Srila Prabhupada is permanently residing with us in his Palace. From atop this hill, His Divine Grace may survey the imminent const­ruction of seven temples on seven hills.

Srila Prabhupada has already named the tem­ples: “I shall place seven different temples in different situations, as prototype of Vrinda­ban. There will be seven principal temples, namely, Govinda, Gopinath, Madan Mohan, Shyamsundar, Radha Raman, Radha Damodar, and Gokulananda. Of course in Vrindaban, there are about 5,000 temples; that is a far distant scheme.” (Letter, August 23,1968).

Srila Prabhupada has many plans for New Vrindaban, ranging from a post office to a suspension bridge linking ridge to ridge. He en­visions five thousand temples in an area “One mile long and one mile broad.”

And for whom is New Vrindaban meant? Who are to be the inmates”?

“I hope that New Vrindaban will give shelter to so many unhappy men of this country and they will be happy by working there, and living there in good association of devotees…” (Lett­er, Sept. 22, 1968)

Now that Srila Prabhupada is personally sur­veying his New Vrindaban Scheme from his Palace, we can reflect on his first arrival here. May 22, 1969.

As recorded in a journal of an original inmate: “Srila Prabhupada arrives in an old Lincoln Continental we’ve just bought for $100 because no-one around here can pay to keep it afloat. His Divine Grace is arriving freshly triumphant from a large joyous kirtan with the Ohio State Univer­sity student body and poet Allen Ginsberg. As he gets out of the Lincoln at the old schoolhouse, he is escorted into a roaring, smoking and shut­tering 1952 Ford Power Wagon. Upon surveying this vehicle. His Divine Grace says, “Why not walk?” The devotees protest that it’s two miles up the muddy road to the Vrindaban farm. “No matter,” he says. “We can walk.” The devotees, however, insist that he ride in comfort in the Power Wagon over the bridge across the Benson farm.

“Srila Prabhupada relents and takes off with jolts and bounces up the gravel road lead­ing to the Benson house and a back pasture. The Bensons aren’t home—the devotees seek to ask permission to traverse their land—and it is decided to go on anyway as in the past Mr. Ben­son has graciously permitted passage. As the Power Wagon stops for the second gate, it sudd­enly explodes with pops and bangs, then sizz­les and dies. “What is that?” Srila Prabhupada asks, hardly surprised. The devotees look at the engine with quiet despair. Mr. Benson, furious, rides up on a tractor. “You might have asked permission,” he growls. Many apologies and explanations that this is our spiritual master and that we knocked at the house but no-one was about, etc. etc. until Mr. Benson surmises that he is going to have to pull the antique Power Wagon off his property, and grumbles, “Well, all right. But the next time ask permission.”

“The devotees look up to see Srila Prabhupada walking down the hill to the muddy road. “Bet­ter walk,” he says, walking so fast that the de­votees have a hard time keeping up. He glides up the two-mile road as if on transcendental roller skates, the devotees suggesting from time to time that he sit down on a log to rest, and he refusing, less out of breath than they. His Div­ine Grace walks up the two miles without stop, smiling and sometimes commenting on the vio­lets and new May flowers.

“And in the afternoon, Srila Prabhupada sits beside the old farm shack, selecting a grassy spot beneath a persimmon tree. There he sits and chants, gazing out over the hills, gazing East, for it is bad to look toward the declining sun. “We have a very nice place here now” he tells the devotees gathered about him. “Now in this New Vrindaban we will have a community of enlightened fathers and mothers, and of sannyasis and brahmacaris. Actually we make no such distinctions. Whoever is in Krishna con­sciousness, whoever can understand this science of Krishna, can become a spiritual master, a teacher. In New Vrindaban we should live in such an ideal way that people will learn what human life and civilization actually are. We must teach the world the real purpose of civil­ization. So now I am requesting that you develop New Vrindaban in such a way that it will be exemplary.”

“As Srila Prabhupada sits beneath the persim­mon tree talking softly, his disciples quickly gather about and sit beside him on the grass. A beautiful sight. Immediately the land is trans­formed, transcendentalized, Vrindabanized.

“This human form of life is meant for ending all the miserable conditions of material exist­ence,” Srila Prabhupada says, “but people are being misguided and are being sent to the slaughterhouse. This is not a very happy civil­ization. So one of the major advantages of New Vrindaban is that we are out of contact with it. It is Krishna’s desire that no man of ordinary interest will come here.” Srila Prabhupada looks around, toward the two-mile muddy road, and laughs. “No. It is beyond the reach of the ord­inary class of men.”

Now that you are in your Palace, Srila Prabhu­pada, please grant us the grace to assist you in building a transcendental community united in praise to Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra, to actualize your vision of seven temples on seven hills. Guide us patiently to perfection in your service. Assure us that the day of unalloyed love for Krishna will come. Yet we need no signs. Your presence here is assurance of victory.

“Krishna has given you New Vrindaban,” you once wrote us, “As well as He has, out of His good will. He has come to you. It is very surpris­ing.”

(this last quote wasn’t given a citation in the original article it is from a letter in the VedaBase dated 9/22/1968)

What’s brainwashing? How does it differ from ordinary educa­tion? It might be rather difficult to come up with a precise defini­tion since this word is thrown around with great abandon. General­ly it implies forcing a man to change his beliefs against his will by means of mental and physical torture. Today we find ancient sys­tems of religious training, such as the bhakti-yoga path followed by members of the Hare Krsna movement, being attacked as dehumanizing pro­cesses, or brainwashing. Is there any validity to such attacks, or are they merely criminal attempts to discredit a time-honored, bona-fide science of improving one’s consciousness and realizing the actual meaning of existence?

Without placing much stock in emotion-laden scare words, let’s take a look at the nature of educa­tion from a rational point of view. Four key questions can help us an­alyze any given system of education and judge whether it’s actually be­neficial, simply harmless, or down­right detrimental: 1) Is the proc­ess voluntary? 2) Is the subject matter truth or slanted propaganda? 3) What is the teacher’s qualifica­tion and motivation? 4) What is the ultimate effect on the student?

Let us investigate these points one at a time.

1) Is it voluntary? In any sys­tem of education the teacher is re­quired to set up a learning labora­tory, an environment which facili­tates the learning process. Outside distractions have to be cut down so the pupil can concentrate on what his teacher is communicating. It is pointless to call such a situation ‘artificial,’ it is simply neces­sary. Just like a certain atmos­phere is created for surgery, simi­larly a certain atmosphere has to be generated for learning.

Is the student giving up his free will by entering such an ‘art­ificial1 atmosphere? If he under­stands the nature of the process, if he’s free to leave if he choos­es, then the answer is no. We are constantly placing ourselves into controlled situations because we desire a certain result. Just as we mentioned surgery before, a patient .becomes voluntarily unconscious, is even cut by the surgeon’s knife, because he has confidence in his doctor, because he understands the need for and the nature of the op­eration. In like manner a pupil can enter a university, a seminary or a yoga asrama, understanding that he has to undergo some discipline in order to attain a given goal. And as long as he remains free to leave there is no question of forcible coercion.

Even a casual observer will eas­ily see that the students of the Hare Krsna Movement are free to leave at will. Of all the young men and women who stay for a while at one of our centers, approximately 80% leave, though they often return from time to time. As for the ones who stay, they have a healthy, clear-headed view of the discipline they are pursuing, and they submit to it willingly. They are by no means brainless zombies, but to the contrary they are well-spoken and philosophically-oriented individu­als who are eager to discuss their views with outsiders.

Contrast this with the situation faced by one who is forcibly kid­napped by a group of mercenary so-called ‘deprogrammers’. He has not accepted this situation, he is af­raid because he doesn’t understand what is going on. He is taken to some unfamiliar place and incarcer­ated for one to four weeks. Teams of hostile, alien people deprive him of sleep, food, privacy and, most of all, the right to leave. Would you enter into such an arran­gement yourself? Obviously no sane man would. Each and every victim of such a ‘deprogramming’ course has to be violently abducted. Yet it is this very group of abductor-terror­ists who charge Hare Krsna disciples with brainwashing. A sober man f becomes a little disgusted as he sees through this shallow attempt to camouflage gestapo-like activi­ties with a deluge of euphemisms.

2) Is it the truth? Real educa­tion means to teach the truth. If one implants untrue conceptions in the minds of his students, no mat­ter how nice his system appears, it has to be condemned.

The basic truth of Krsna Cons­ciousness is both simple and sub­lime. Krsna, or God, is the Supreme Being and all living entities are His parts and parcels. The part must render service to the whole, as the hand serves the rest of the body. Therefore it is the natural duty of a person to serve God. Without such service his life is simply sinful and he is punished in so many ways. The goal of life then is to become situated in the Lord’s service and thus become eternally free from the sufferings and inebrieties of this material world.

Without considering one’s rela­tionship with God, life is viewed simply as an attempt to satisfy this temporary material body. As the body is doomed to die, such hopeless attempts are doomed to failure. One is forced to undergo birth, then disease, then old age, and ultimately death. Our only hope for happiness is to enter the Sup­reme Lord’s eternal abode. That is the purpose of yoga.

Modern day so-called education tragically misses the whale point of education. Students are conditioned to accept this short span of life as the all-in-all. This condi­tioning continues outside the school, on the billboards, TV pro­grams, in movies, newspapers and novels which take up every moment of a man’s consciousness. Knowledge of God is being pushed out of the picture by floods of materialistic propaganda. Where is the hope of happiness in such a civilization? The true mission of human life is not being taught. Instead our youth is being trained up for animal existence–simply to eat, sleep, mate and defend. Such modern schools are simply slaughterhouses which teach children to accept death meekly.

In the face of such dire circum­stances who but the hardened athe­ist will stand against the Hare Krsna Movement’s sincere attempt to instill the hope of God Conscious­ness into our otherwise hopeless lives? Scores of Vedic literatures translated by the society’s found­er, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bring new hope for a troubled world. This pure and simple message of love of God is being spread in book form by Srila Prabhupada’s unselfish disci­ples all over the world. Nowhere else is there such an organized sy­stem for the distribution of real knowledge.

3) Why be a teacher? Recently several articles have appeared wherein Christian teachers complain that they are forced to teach God­less materialism in the public schools. If the teacher is not free to instruct according to his own convictions, what is the use of his occupying the post? Sad to say, evidence seems to indicate that most so-called teachers are simply out to earn their livelihood. They are purchased outright by an insti­tution and simply carry on as they are ordered. Students are shuffled through with little or no personal attention. Cases are now coming to national attention wherein high school graduates have not attained even a fifth grader’s reading lev­el. Above all, teacher strikes over pay raises give sound basis to the conclusion that it is the salary, not the service, that they are at­tracted to.

The ancient Vedic conception is that no one should accept the post of teacher or guru unless he can actually impart knowledge. Such a guru is called tattva-darsinah, one who has seen the truth. This truth we have already discussed, that man is meant to serve God.

Besides being learned, the guru must be a living example of his own instructions. It is not that one can preach religious life and be engaged in material frivolities. It is stated that only one who has control over his mind, speech, an­ger, tongue, stomach and sex drive may accept the post of guru.

The goal of such a teacher is to deliver his students from the mis­ery of material existence. Such a teacher would also instruct the student in the material sciences, such as linguistics, geology, math­ematics, etc., so that he can also function nicely in the material spectrum. The guru accepts a will­ing disciple without remuneration. He is responsible only to his dis­ciple, not to the school board or government or anyone else, for he is meant to speak only the truth. The student in turn agrees to hear attentively and serve his guru very faithfully in exchange for such transcendental knowledge. This is the perfect bond between instructor and student. It is the only cure for erasing the credibility gap which must naturally arise when the very teachers themselves admit they are teaching others that which they do not believe in.

4) Effect on the student, as we stated in the beginning, education is meant for producing a desired type of behavior. A learned person is one who’s able to act in his own best interest. Brainwashing victims are people who have been tricked into serving another’s interest.

If one seriously analyzes pres­ent day processes of education–the public schools, mass media, ad­vertising agencies–soon he faces the stark conclusion that such sys­tems do not seek to enlighten the public but to deceive them. Some examples will help demonstrate this point.

Children in this country are brought up from year one to believe this is the greatest nation in the history of the world. This is to insure complacency, to keep them from questioning, to just sit still and swallow the Great American Dream. But what sane person can ac­cept this headlong rush towards to­tally atheistic materialism, with its ever-increasing crime, divorce, and suicide rates, as the perfect­ion of existence?

Consumers are constantly being agitated to use more and more use­less things. Advertising is used to increase desires, not satisfy them. These commercial firms are pumping out so much information meant to capture the consumers1 dollar, nev­er mind whether he suffers or not. Allurements for alcohol, cigarettes and sex are constantly bombarding the innocent public: Eat this, drink this, smoke this, enjoy! But what is the enjoyment? Such sinful habits are creating a hell­ish situation on this earth, what to speak of the life of the soul after death.

Fortunately, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has brought us an alternative life­style. In the midst of so much mat­erialism all of his disciples take strict vows to avoid gambling, in­toxication, animal slaughter and illicit sex. They do not attend ci­nemas or night clubs or rock concerts. They are not listening to blaring radios, spending hours staring vacuously at the television or reading stale, useless literat­ures. Instead they are always ac­tive, trying to spread love of God. They are attempting to counteract the overwhelming forces of materi­alism which are threatening to en­gulf the world. This is not a group of dazed zombies, but of dedicated, talented people who are engaged in the highest welfare work for human­ity at large. That such efforts can be labeled as brainwashing, that such individuals are being openly persecuted, that such a saintly person as Srila Prabhupada is not being received as he deserves–this indicates the organized work of ma­terialistic atheists to have us forget God completely and lose our­selves forever in the complexities, anxieties and emptiness of the mat­erial way of life.

On July 12th, another phase of Vrindaban history opened. Big Lord Jagannath, feeling grievously homesick, decided to stay in Vrin­daban after the culmination of the usual cold He usually gets at this time of the year. Not having room to sit next to Radha-Vrindaban Candra and Their ecstatic friends on the Bahulaban altar, He has decided to retreat to the ori­ginal Vrindaban forest.

Brijabasis know how to have a festival. Sim­ply come to Vrindaban, and automatically, it is a festival. Kirtananda Swami briefly interrupted the sweaty, ecstatic installation kirtan to explain what glamour this shanty-like farm was for us. Many of the devo­tees there were initiated in the Vrindaban farm scene. Bodies were packed in the temple room like canned peas, and the heat was intense. Kirtananda Maharaja, pointing his finger toward the upper level, declared to Sridhar Maharaj that Prabhupada had spent a month right there, making Vrindaban an extra special place. “When Srila Prabhupada saw that we had cow dung on the kitchen floor, he was very pleased.” Maharaja stated. “He used to take His bath right out there in the meadow. Prabhupada once told us, “A man could go out all day, work hard and come back with ten dol­lars. But if a man simply stays in one place, using his intelligence, he can make one hundred dollars a day.” Similarly, by staying here in one place, living simply and thinking purely, we can make people come to us. There is no need for us to travel far and wide. Now Krishna is giving us so much facility for spreading Krishna con­sciousness with an opulent palace and so much land. If we simply stay in this one place and chant and remember Krishna everything will come.

Most likely, I was not the only person in the room experiencing a dire thirst amid the heat and scarce air. This thirst was satisfied, however by the sweet, cool katha coming from Kirtananda Swami. Also during the heat of the kirtan, considerations of comfort were tran­scended by the “ocean of bliss” we were tapped into.

In Vrindaban, the gopis had Rasa-lila with Krishna. Out of pure affection, without hesi­tation, they sacrificed all mundane consideration to please Krishna. To experience the love they had for Him, Krishna incarnated five hundred years ago with the first amongst the gopis, Radharani, and took the form of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In the mood of Radharani, He has shown His most sublime causeless mercy by appearing in this dark age of Kali and inaugurating the Sankirtan movement.

We spread Krishna-lila by dancing, and by the chanting of His holy name: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Although we’ve committed the most abominable activities, in this age we can also enter into the Rasa-lila with Krishna by engaging in the kirtan and giving up sinful dealings. To estab­lish a foundation for His movement, Lord Caitanya excavated the old Vrindaban in India where Krishna originally performed His past-times on this planet. His principle associates de­veloped it as the center for Krishna-bhakti by building wonderful temples and writing liter­ature on Vaisnava behavior.

Now, in the last few decades, Srila Prabhupada with the help of his disciples has expanded this movement around the globe so that not just in India, but everywhere, practically everyone has heard the name of Krishna. He has deputed his disciple, Kirtanananda Swami to establish this New Vrindaban in America so that Westerners will also have a holy place to make pilgrimage and come closer to
Krishna. It is offensive to consider the bound­aries of Vrindaban to be limited. Wherever a sadhu stays and glorifies Krishna, there is where
Krishna is performing His pastimes. Therefore Prabhupada stated that this New Vrindaban is non-different from the old Vrin­daban. In a letter to Kirtananda Maharaja, written during the first years of it’s founding, Prabhu­pada told him that due to his pure devotional service, Krishna had followed him to this place.

It was here, on this remote ridge that New Vrindaban was established. Mountain living was new to the original devotees, who settled here. Being conditioned by years of city con­veniences, all of them left during the winter months, except for Kirtananda Maharaja. Liv­ing for months on only oats and roots he dug from the ground, Kirtananda Maharaja made gar­lands for his deities with colored leaves and berries or whatever he could find. He grad­ually attracted others by his determination. In that same letter, Prabhupada declared, “Just be steady in your deity worship, chant your six­teen rounds early, before you do anything else. Then Krishna will be pleased and He will send others.”

Only a handful of the approximately three hundred and fifty devotees who now reside in New Vrindaban crowded into the small, hot temple room where it all began, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the dancing devotees upon the occasion of Lord Jagannath’s reinstallation. Kirtananda Maharaja said, “This farm too will be part of the whole scheme for Krishna-land. Besides Srila Prabhupada’s Palace and Radha-Vrindaban Candra’s new temple, there will be the seven principal temples of Vrindaban built on the farm. Within a one or two mile radius, visitors will be able to do Parikram and see all the principle sites of Vrindaban.”

The original farm has gone through phases since the beginning. To realize the goal of building Krishna Land, it became necessary to central­ize the community’s activities in the less remote location of Bahulaban farm. Vrindaban farm became known as the place of pilgrimage within the place of pilgrimage, because Srila Prabhu­pada had lived there a month, and Kirtananda Maharaja, by his austerities and devotion attracted Krishna to that place.

Krishna’s personal pres­ence can especially be felt by the devotees who lived there or visited the “city.” (Bahu­laban) For five years, until the first grand open­ing festival for the Palace in ’79, it had been the resting place for Radha-Vrindaban Natha and most of the brahmacaris on the farm. Atmabhu Maharaj, who had been the temple president and construction manager extraordinaire for most of this period, said that “without the se­clusion this farm had afforded to us, the Palace would never have been built.” Kirtananda Maharaja says, “Staying in this one place, we shall change the whole world.” Indeed, although one’s re­spective social position may change, the simple brahmacari life which has been exhibited here seems most natural for the soul. If we can duplicate this mode of simple life and high thought as far as possible, then we shall be admitting others into this land of Vrindaban, whose bound­aries are not limited.

Since Krishna never leaves Vrindaban, it is no surprise that Lord Jagannath chooses to appear and reside there. The devotees, in the mood of separation may appear to have lost their sight of Krishna in Vrindaban, but actually, how can we ever take Vrindaban out of our minds.