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Here are the latest updates for   "Planet ISKCON" - 25 new articles H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Sunday 8 May 2011--If You Don't Feel the Urgency--Challenge: You Are Misinterpreting the Verse ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Early Disciples Celebrate Forty Years of ISKCON in Australia | ISKCON News The Loft, Auckland, NZ: Muni’s Mixed Berry And Apple Crumble Coming This Tuesday! ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darshan Kurma dasa, AU: 40 Years Ago... H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 303–Poem for May 7th H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS ISKCON News.com: Radhanath Swami and Dr. Cornel West Bond in Conversation on Faith Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group ISKCON News.com: Moscow Mayor Mass Produces Orthodox Churches David Haslam, UK: Insecurities and failings ISKCON News.com: Early Disciples Celebrate Forty Years of ISKCON in Australia ISKCON News.com: New Book Teaches Harmonious Living Through the Bhagavad-gita Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Srila Prabhupada's Mother - Srimati Rajani Devi Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Srimati Rajani Devi, madre de Srila Prabhupada ISKCON News.com: The Material World Will Never Be Fair H.H. Sivarama Swami: Bh. Sandor, Balarama dasa, Gopa Liladhara and Kokila Bihari ask ISKCON News.com: Does Eating Lots of Salt Really Affect Blood pressure? ISKCON News.com: The Difficulty of Dharma Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Gluten Free Red Quinoa / Moong Burger + Satsuma Orange / Avocado Guac Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: 2011 tour – Malaise-ia — Not! Mayapur Online: Travel Assistance Japa Group: The Source Of Love Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A risky life Gouranga TV: Aindra – Hare Krishna Kirtan – ISKCON Vrindavan – November 9, 2009 Kurma dasa, AU: Leave It to Beaver More Recent Articles Search Planet ISKCON Prior Mailing Archive H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Sunday 8 May 2011--If You Don't Feel the Urgency--Challenge: You Are Misinterpreting the Verse A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course(tm) Sunday 8 May 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. Today's Thought: If You Don't Feel the Urgency Uploaded from Bhaktivedanta Ashram--Austin, Texas USA If you don't feel the urgency of completely taking shelter of Krishna right now as your only duty, you are in a very dangerous and precarious spiritually compromised position. In fact, whether you realize it or not, you are experiencing the most dire of all possible emergencies. Why? Because death can come at any minute, and if you are not prepared, you will be forced by the laws of nature to remain within the cycle of birth and death. Therefore if you don't feel the urgency, you must immediately, with as much sincerity as you can possibly muster, beg the Supreme Lord to save you from your fallen condition and restore you to sanity as His eternal servant. Otherwise, you are completely lost, whereabouts unknown, like a vanished astronaut accidently separated from his space capsule drifting aimlessly in outer space with no hope of ever being recovered. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Emphasizing the Importance of Human Life Noida, India--8 April 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Spring/Lecture_Noida.JPG Answers According to the Vedic Version: Challenge: You Are Misinterpreting the Verse You wrote: But can't God be approached directly without going through a spiritual master? We can surely approach Him directly through prayer and scriptural study. But as soon as we do that we discover that He is ordering us to become the devotee of His devotee in order to become His devotee. This is stated by Lord Krishna in the Adi Purana as follows: ye me bhakta-janh prtha na me bhakt ca te janh mad-bhaktnm ca ye bhakts te me bhakta-tam math My dear Arjuna, those who are My direct devotees are actually not My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My devotee are factually My devotees. I have some questions. In the childhood of Krishna, He stopped people from worshiping Indra, who was a devotee of Krishna. Also on the other hand you say that one should chant Krishna directly as it gives maximum benefit and on the other hand you say one should be the devotee of the devotee. I personally never feel for devotee too much, but I am always in love with Krishna and am always benefited. I remain always happy even I when undergo the worst conditions. I am sorry, but I think you are misinterpreting the meaning of this verse. You contradict yourself when you say one should worship directly Krishna so that you will be able to see the absolute truth yourself. You contradict Srila Prabhupada, who said in an interview that a real guru always says I am the servant of Krishna and I will make you the servant of Krishna. Please explain. Regards, V.J. Answer: We Present As It Is, Without Interpretation. We do not give interpretations on the words of scripture. We simply present the scripture as it is. Krishna clearly states in Sanskrit in the Adi Purana that the one who is only His devotee is not His devotee. The word na, which means not is clearly stated there. So, there is no question of interpretation. If a devotee becomes proud as Indra became proud, he is not worthy of being worshipped. We approach Krishna by becoming the devotee of His pure devotee, not those devotees who are infected by pride. The Hare Krishna mahamantra has been given to us by the mercy of Lord Krishna's pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada. This is why it has so much potency. The Padma Purana states that if we receive the mantra from another source besides the pure devotee who is coming in disciplic succession, it will have no effect: sampradya-vihn ye mantrs te nisphal math I have studied Srila Prabhupada's teachings full time for the last forty years, and I can assure you that I am purely presenting his teachings. I can give many, many verses and quotes to prove it. Here's a verse by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, one of the greatest Vaisnava acharyas in our line of disciplic succession. Srila Prabhupada quotes this verse in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Adi Lila 9.11 as follows: yasya prasdd bhagavat-prasdo yasyprasdn na gatih kuto 'pi "By the mercy of the spiritual master one is blessed by the mercy of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master one cannot make any advancement." I appreciate very much your loving sentiments for Krishna. But I beg you to kindly note that if you want to elevate your sentiments to the perfectional stage of pure devotion, you will have to obey Lord Krishna's order to become the devotee of His devotee. This is how we show Krishna our dedication to Him, by obeying his order to approach the spiritual master to inquire about the science of bhakti and render service unto Him: tad viddhi praniptena paripranena sevay upadeksyanti te jñnam jñninas tattva-darinah Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.--Bhagavad-gita 4.34 We never say that one cannot directly approach Krishna. One can easily do so, for example, just by reading the above verse. But when one does so with full humility, he will hear Krishna's order to approach the spiritual master and will dutifully do so on the order of Krishna. If he refuses to obey Krishna's order, then he has not properly connected himself with Krishna. It's a fact that Srila Prabhupada says that he is the servant of Krishna and that he will make his students also the servants of Krishna. He does this by teaching them how to be the servants of Krishna's servants. This why Lord Caitanya has prayed as follows: nham vipro na ca nara-patir npi vaiyo na dro nham varn na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir v kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramnanda-prnmrtbdher gop-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dsa-dsnudsah "I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance." So don't try to be a bigger devotee than the great Vaisnava acharyas by thinking that you can ignore Krishna's devotees and only give your love to Him. There is no one more dear to Krishna than His devotees, so if we ignores His devotees, He will ignore us. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. 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Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address:   • Email to a friend • • ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Early Disciples Celebrate Forty Years of ISKCON in Australia | ISKCON News I'm looking forward to the 40th Anniversary celebrations to be held in Sydney a fortnight from today. Hundreds of devotees from all over Australia and the world will be converging on Sydney's Hare Krishna temple from Friday May 20th to Sunday May 22nd, to celebrate forty years of ISKCON in Australia. It was exactly forty years ago, in May 1971, that Srila Prabhupada and two of his disciples first set foot in Australia and inaugurated the country's first Hare Krishna temple in a shopfront centre at 118 Oxford Street, Paddington. It's also forty years since the Sydney ISKCON temple's Sri-Sri Radha-Gopinatha Deities were installed.   • Email to a friend • •   The Loft, Auckland, NZ: Muni’s Mixed Berry And Apple Crumble Coming This Tuesday! This is a great opportunity to experience my wonderful Mixed Berry And Apple Crumble – don’t miss out! Served after yoga at 7.15pm!   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON Melbourne, AU: Today's Darshan Today's darsana for your viewing pleasure. When will Lord Nityananda be merciful to me and release me from the illusion of worldliness? Giving me the shade of His lotus feet, when will He allow me to enter the marketplace of the hole name? (Kabe Ha'be Bolo - Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)   • Email to a friend • •   Kurma dasa, AU: 40 Years Ago... Tomorrow marks a very special anniversary for me. April 9th 1971 was the day my life changed forever. That date, 40 years ago, was when I met my Spiritual Master Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for the very first time. I was a mere wisp of a boy, barely 18 years old. I'm there in the picture above taken at the Sydney Airport arrival greeting, peering out behind Caru dasa, who is standing wearing a brown sweater with his palms together. The day after this photo was taken, as we sat around an ancient sacrificial fire pit in a room surcharged with mantra, smoke and incence, I became Kurma dasa. In fact, 1971 was a special day for many others, and it is in this connection that I have spent the last six months arranging a very special festival to be held here in Sydney in two weeks time. Read all about it...   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 303–Poem for May 7th www.sdgonline.org. 5:07 A.M. A Writer of Pieces New format–I will begin with a poem written on the day of its printing. Then I will print random excerpts of books I have printed over the last 35 years. I hope this variety will be pleasing. Poem for May 7th Nursing a slight twinge in my right eye, I persist in rapid japa and transcend the merely mechanical, thinking, ‘This mantra is to celebrate the union of Radha and Krishna as represented by my Radha-Govinda standing peacefully before me in Their holy dress. Sanatana bowed at the lotus feet of the Lord and began his inquiry, ‘They tell me I am learned and I think it so. But who am I and why do the threefold miseries give me trouble?’ This is ideal inquiry and the answers shall be supplied directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Today we plan to attend Laksmana’s Little League baseball game and watch Saci coach. It will be an outing, Kaulini is going too. I hope to be back by 4:00 P.M. to watch the Kentucky Derby on TV. This presumes I’ll get my writing done. Dhanurdhara Swami says that writing of devotees’ service is mentioned as an item of bhakti in Nectar of Devotion. I hope to keep telling of the good they did and realistically telling of their whereabouts. Krishna leads the dance and I follow in my mind. I am too old and crippled to actually dance, but I keep up in spirits to His jazz beat and improvised melodies by expert players. It’s my secret worship of the lifter of Govardhana Hill, the Enchanter of the gopis. He is my Lord and I live in the wonder of His love for me and being with Him even in this world.   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS www.sdgonline.org. From The Twenty-Six Qualities of a Devotee A devotee is not defiant, akrta-droha “Before meeting my spiritual master Srila Prabhupada, I used to think of humility as extremely elusive and mental. If one became humble, then wouldn’t he be proud of his humility? It seemed more an abstract game than a substantial reality. But now I have seen humility in Srila Prabhupada and in the great Vaisnava acaryas of the past. In his Saraganati, Bhaktivinoda Thakura evokes the attitude of humility that is very helpful to devotees. Although bhaktivinode thakura is an empowered, liberated acarya, he describes himself as one of the fallen conditioned souls, and thus he laments having wasted his life without Krishna consciousness. He says he is coming to Krishna consciousness at the end of his life, not because of his own virtuous decision but because material life has ruined him, and now he has no alternative. He is truly humiliated, forced by the vicissitudes of time and fate to be himble. Seeing ‘gloomy death approaching,’ finding himself unable to enjoy sense pleasures, he humbly hearkens to the message of Lord Caitanya. “Bhaktivinode Thakura also expresses sadness that he did not surrender to Krishna long before, and this sadness is also a devotional sentiment. It is far superior to the blind enjoyer who goes along merrily in ignorance. The humble devotee as expressed by Bhaktivinode Thakura captures the dictionary meaning of humble: ‘aware of one’s shortcomings.’ But beyond the dictionary meaning, Bhaktivinode Thakura is seeing everything in its relation to Krishna. Having reached the point of hopelessness, he thinks he cannot be saved; and yet, going beyond hopelessness, he receives the message Krishna’s pure devotee compassionately delivers to him. There is hope. Krishna has saved so many fallen souls, and He can save another. Saranagati, therefore, teaches us that humility is not such a superficial thing. It is deep, honest and natural, and it comes when a conditioned soul sees his failure and unpretentiously begs Krishna for forgiveness and engagement in devotional service. “In his Bhagavad-gita as it Is, Srila prabhupada writes: ‘Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others.’ “And Lord Caitanya, in Siksastaka, gives the ultimate expression of humility: ‘One should chant the holy name in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; he should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.’ “Humility is glorious and is one of the prime qualities of a transcendentally-situated person. Srila Prabhupada says, ‘The qualities of humbleness and meekness lead very quickly to spiritual realization.’ “Out of humility the sannyasi goes from door to door, not exactly to beg but to awaken the householders to Krishna consciousness, meeting many difficulties in his traveling and preaching, the sannyasi remains tolerant and humble and therefore gains the strength to go on preaching. “No one is fit to approach Krishna’s lotus feet unless he is humble. Humility before Krishna is natural, of course, because He is the Supreme. Similarly, humility before the Vaisnava is also natural, because he is the servant of the greatest. “When Krishnadasa Kaviraja said, ‘I am so sinful that if you even remember my name you will lose all the credit for your pious activities,’ he actually meant it. Such humility, however, is not so cheap that one can attain it simply by writing ‘humbly yours’ before signing his name. It cannot be imitated; it must develop gradually. If one sincerely desires to be a devotee and faces facts honestly, then he must drop all arrogance and pride. Following the path of the previous acaryas, he will note how Lord Caitanya showed humility by accepting Himself as a fool before His spiritual master, Isvara Puri. An honest devotee will conclude, ‘What am I compared to Lord Caitanya? My place is humble. I have very stupidly entered the cycle of birth and death. So what have I to be proud of?’ “When Lord Caitanya came into the company of Mayavadi sannyasis at Benares, He humbly sat by the place where everyone washed their feet. The Mayavadi sannyasis had taken elevated seats, and when they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu so humble and meek, they thought He must be lamenting. They couldn’t understand His meekness. His humility was inconceivable. “Rupa Gosvami and Haridasa Thakura also exemplified humility by living in a hut at a distance from the temple in Jagannatha Puri. And in recognition of their humility, Lord Caitanya daily visited them, giving them His intimate blessings. “Sanatana Goswami showed his humility in all his acts. Thinking himself impure and fearing that the temple pujaris might brush his body while walking on the road, Sanatana chose to walk on the beach instead. The price of such humility was that the hot sand burnt the soles of his feet. The glory of his humility was that he didn’t feel the burning, and that Lord Caitanya embraced him as His dear devotee. “Sanatana Goswami, in surrendering to Lord Caitanya, expresses the perfect humility of the disciple: “‘I was born in a low family, and my associates are all low class men. I myself am fallen and the lowest of men. Indeed I have passed my whole life fallen in the well of sinful materialism. I do not know what is beneficial for me and what is detrimental. Nonetheless in ordinary dealings people consider me a scholar, and I am also thinking of myself as such. Out of Your causeless mercy, You have delivered me from the materialistic path. Now, by the same causeless mercy, please tell me what my duty is. (C.c. Madhya 50.99-101) “His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada displayed the epitome of humility in coming to America. He had no prestige; he described himself as an ‘insignificant beggar.’ Undergoing constant difficulties and old age, living in a foreign land, in a dangerous Kali-yuga city—the heart of a degradation no Vaisnava acarya had ever seen—Srila Prabhupada was constantly humble. He’d preach to whomever would listen. And he tolerated insults, robbery, the madness of LSD-intoxicated hippies, the ignorance of the people, the constant proximity of meat- eaters and sex-mongers, and his own poverty and obscurity without becoming angry or discouraged. Gradually Prabhupada succeeded in gaining disciples and instilled in them faith in Krishna consciousness. Years later, when the Krishna consciousness movement was thriving all over the world, Srila Prabhupada never took credit for what he had done. He said he had done nothing at all but to faithfully carry out the orders of his spiritual master. He was, therefore, humble in taking the order of the spiritual master on his head, humble in coming to America, humble in enduring difficulties, and humble in his fabulous success. “Let us pray to be humble devotees, and, taking the order of guru and Krishna on our heads, carry out their instructions: ‘Whomever you meet, tell them about Krishna.’” From Living with the Scriptures “The Boston Brahmanas “‘As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master immediately becomes a brahmana.’ (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, quoted in C.c. Madhya, 15.108) “It was a great, historical event: the first brahminical initiation to be held in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The date: May, 1968. The place: a humble one-room storefront which was the temple and headquarters of ISKCON Boston. Srila Prabhupada’s sudden announcement that he would hold second initiations for his first-initiated disciples came as  a complete surprise to all of us. Almost fifteen years later it still seems startling, and many people continue to question about it. How can Westerners become brahmanas? What is a brahmana anyway? Can Westerners be considered bona-fide brahmanas by the brahmanas of India? These and similar questions are all answered by this verse, composed 500 years ago by Sanatana Goswami in Hari-bhakti-vilasa. That first brahmana initiation in Boston was for men only. Pradyumna dasa, Gaurasundara dasa and I sat wearing our dhotis but bare-chested around a crudely arranged fire-yajna in the small storefront. There were no more than twenty onlookers, including the women devotees, guests of the temple’s, and Mr. Matthews, a specially invited guest from Harvard University who was a graduate student in Hindu and Sanskrit studies, but because everything had happened so suddenly, none of the devotees from even the New York or Montreal temples, the two nearest ISKCON centers, were in attendance.  I personally felt very proud that such an important first-time event was occurring as a ‘Boston-only’ exclusive, and I imagined how Brahmananda and the other New York devotees must have been envying our fledgling center. “Srila Prabhupada required that a devotee be initiated by harinama initiation for one year in order to receive second initiation. That meant we each had to be strictly observing the four prohibitions and chanting sixteen rounds, and Prabhupada had to accept us as a reliable devotee. We knew, of course, that there was a difference between those who claimed to be brahmanas by birth, as in the caste system of India, and the bona-fide brahmanas like Narada Muni and others, who were great Vaisnavas.  In the varnashrama system, the brahmana is the highest social order, and he is responsible for practicing and disseminating Krishna consciousness. One who is fixed in Krishna consciousness and serving under the order of a bona-fide spiritual master is already better than a brahmana. These things we had already heard from Srila Prabhupada. We were also aware that basically we knew nothing and had no qualifications, and yet if Srila Prabhupada wanted to initiate us as brahmacaris, as grhasthas, as first initiates or as second initiates—or whatever—his decision was absolute and in tune with the will of Krishna. “When Prabhupada had first arrived in Boston, we had jokingly told him of the phrase, ‘Boston brahmanas,’ a nineteenth-century phrase describing the intellectual aristocracy which dominated Boston at that time. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who first used the term, apparently had at least a faint idea that a brahmana was a highly qualified person. But we never dreamed that Prabhupada would make us real brahmanas. When Prabhupada had first mentioned it in a casual way while in his room a few blocks away from our storefront, the devotees immediately asked Prabhupada what it all meant. Prabhupada had deferred an explanation and had said he would explain it sufficiently when he actually held the brahmana initiation. So even at the time of sitting down before the fire yajna, we had little specific idea of what it meant. We had heard we would receive a mantra, and that  Prabhupada was preparing some threads to put on our bodies. We were also appreciating the thrill of ever-new experiences which characterized the life with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness. “In his lecture Prabhupada explained that his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, had introduced brahminical initiation for disciples not born of brahmana families. He said that the Vedic scriptures offered much evidence that by associating with pure devotees, anyone could become a brahmana. In fact the scripture says that if one born in a brahmana family did not behave as a brahmana, then he should not be accepted as a brahmana. So it was in following Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Vedic scriptures that Srila Prabhupada was now going to give brahminical initiation to his disciples. “After Srila Prabhupada finished his discourse, he invited his new academic acquaintance from Harvard, Mr. Matthews, if he had any relevant questions. Mr. Matthews asked about the importance of the gayatri mantra and whether the devotees would take on any new fasting vows. Srila Prabhupada replied that the Hare Krishna mantra was itself sufficient for delivering the disciple back to Godhead, but the gayatri mantra would increase one’s Krishna consciousness. As for new vows of fasting, Srila Prabhupada said that that was not necessary, since the eating of Krishna prasadam was already sanctified. “Srila Prabhupada asked us to come forward one at a time and sit beside him. When my turn came, I sat beside Srila Prabhupada and he handed me a piece of paper on which was typed the words of the gayatri mantra. He then recited each word into my right ear, and he showed me how to count on my fingers. He then placed the brahmana thread over my shoulder and body. At this time the other devotees in attendance were chanting Hare Krishna in kirtana. The accumulated noise made it somewhat difficult to hear Prabhupada, and I had to bend close to him. He then gave me another piece of paper on which was written the yatha kancanatatam yati verse of Sanatana Goswami. Prabhupada said this could be chanted occasionally. “The next morning Prabhupada held a second brahmana initiation ceremony. This was for the women after they had made a feminist protest about being excluded. Soon after that, groups of devotees came from both New York and Montreal to also receive second initiation. Thus on several occasions we got to hear Srila Prabhupada lecture about the meaning of brahmana and the authenticity of his awarding this status to those born in the West.”   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: Radhanath Swami and Dr. Cornel West Bond in Conversation on Faith By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 7 May 2011 Radhanath Swami and Dr. Cornel West Bond in Conversation on Faith By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 7 May 2011 Radhanatha Swami and Dr. Cornel West On one seat sits Dr. Cornel West, a distinguished African-American gentleman in an elegant black suit and tie, sporting a dramatic Afro and a black goatee shot through with gray. One of the most well-loved and respected professors at Princeton University, he’s a Baptist and is outspoken about his faith, especially his love of Jesus as the force that defines him and guides him in everything he does. A scholar and somewhat of a celebrity academic, Dr. West is very active in the public sphere—he weighs in on politics, is a champion of social injustice causes, and is a prominent figure in the field of African American studies. His 1993 bestselling book, Race Matters, changed the way Americans look at race. During the last election a popular magazine called him “Obama’s conscience.” He even made an appearance in the Matrix sequels as a councilor of Zion. He’s a deep thinker and highly learned, yet in many ways very “Of the world.” In the other seat sits Radhanath Swami, looking rather otherworldly with his shaved head and shining orange robes. Years ago, he was Richard Slavin, a Jewish kid from suburban Illinois, until in 1970 at the age of nineteen he left his normal life and hitch-hiked to India, where he soon found himself meditating in the Himalayas. After many years searching as a wandering monk, he found his guru in ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada. And today he remains a Swami, serving the Lord in the renounced order of life, and leading the spiritual community of Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai. Yet like Dr. West, he has also made his contribution to the world, launching acclaimed social action programs such as missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms and schools, and the Midday Meal program, which feeds more than 260,000 plates of nutritious vegetarian food to underprivileged children daily. Two men who have much in common, yet have taken very different spiritual journeys. East meets, quite literally, West. Just two men having a conversation. Read more:http://news.iskcon.com/node/3620/2011-05-07/radhanath_swami_and_dr_cornel_west_bond_in_conversation_on_faith#ixzz1adjPn46V   • Email to a friend • •   Japa Group: Please Join The Japa Group Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member: rasa108@gmail.com ys Rasa Rasika dasa   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: Moscow Mayor Mass Produces Orthodox Churches By Correspondent for Interfax on 7 May 2011 Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has assured there will be no delays in the implementation of a program for building 200 new Orthodox churches in Moscow.   • Email to a friend • •   David Haslam, UK: Insecurities and failings I’ve been grappling over the past few months whether or not to reveal my mind, my innermost thoughts and fears (for in the material world, there is fear and it takes many forms); my desire’s and hope and insecurities. Then there is the grapple of do I keep it public, or keep it pass word [...]   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: Early Disciples Celebrate Forty Years of ISKCON in Australia By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 7 May 2011 Hundreds of devotees from all over Australia and the world will be converging on Sydney’s Hare Krishna temple from Friday May 20th to Sunday May 22nd, to celebrate forty years of ISKCON in Australia.   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: New Book Teaches Harmonious Living Through the Bhagavad-gita By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 7 May 2011 In her latest book Harmony and the Bhagavad-gita: Lessons from a Life-Changing Move to the Wilderness, Visakha Dasi gives readers insight into just how this incredible piece of spiritual literature affects her own personal day-to-day life.   • Email to a friend • •   Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Srila Prabhupada's Mother - Srimati Rajani Devi Artist's rendering of Srila Prabhupada's mother Since tomorrow is Mother's day we thought it would be neat to post about Srila Prabhupada's mother. So here is an excerpt from the Prabhupada Lilamrta about Srila Prabhupada's mother, Srimati Rajani Devi. Abhay’s mother, Rajani, was thirty years old when he was born. Like her husband, she came from a long-established Gaudiya Vaisnava family. She was darker-skinned than her husband, and whereas his disposition was cool, hers tended to be fiery. Abhay saw his mother and father living together peacefully; no deep marital conflict or complicated dissatisfaction ever threatened home. Rajani was chaste and religious-minded, a model housewife in the traditional Vedic sense, dedicated to caring for her husband and children. Abhay observed his mother’s simple and touching attempts to insure, by prayers, by vows, and even by rituals, that he continue to live. Whenever he was to go out even to play, his mother, after dressing him, would put a drop of saliva on her finger and touch it to his forehead. Abhay never knew the significance of this act, but because she was his mother he stood submissively “like a dog with its master” while she did it. Like Gour Mohan, Rajani treated Abhay as the pet child; but whereas her husband expressed his love through leniency and plans for his son’s spiritual success, she expressed hers through attempts to safeguard Abhay from all danger, disease, and death. She once offered blood from her breast to one of the demigods with the supplication that Abhay be protected on all sides from danger. At Abhay’s birth, she had made a vow to eat with her left hand until the day her son would notice and ask her why she was eating with the wrong hand. One day, when little Abhay actually asked, she immediately stopped. It had been just another prescription for his survival, for she thought that by the strength of her vow he would continue to grow, at least until he asked her about the vow. Had he not asked, she would never again have eaten with her right hand, and according to her superstition he would have gone on living, protected by her vow. For his protection she also put an iron bangle around his leg. His playmates asked him what it was, and Abhay self-consciously went to his mother anddemanded, “Open this bangle!” When she said, “I will do it later,” he began to cry, “No, now!” Once Abhay swallowed a watermelon seed, and his friends told him it would grow in his stomach into a watermelon. He ran to his mother, who assured him he didn’t have to worry; she would say a mantra to protect him. Srila Prabhupada: Mother Yasoda would chant mantras in the morning to protect Krsna from all dangers throughout the day. When Krsna killed some demon she thought it was due to her chanting. My mother would do a similar thing with me. His mother would often take him to the Ganges and personally bathe him. She also gave him a food supplement known as Horlicks. When he got dysentery, she cured it with hot puris and fried eggplant with salt, though sometimes when he was ill Abhay would show his obstinacy by refusing to take any medicine. But just as he was stubborn, his mother was determined, and she would forcibly administer medicine into his mouth, though sometimes it took three assistants to hold him down. Srila Prabhupada: I was very naughty when I was a boy. I would break anything. When I was angry, I would break the glass hookah pipes, which my father kept to offer to guests. Once my mother was trying to bathe me, and I refused and knocked my head on the ground, and blood came out. They came running and said, “What are you doing? You shall kill the child.” Abhay was present when his mother observed the ceremony of Sadha-hotra during the seventh and ninth months of her pregnancies. Freshly bathed, she would appear in new clothing along with her children and enjoy a feast of whatever foods she desired, while her husband gave goods in charity to the local brahmanas, who chanted mantras for the purification of the mother and the coming child. Abhay was completely dependent on his mother. Sometimes she would put his shirt on backwards, and he would simply accept it without mentioning it. Although he was sometimes stubborn, he felt dependent on the guidance and reassurance of his mother. When he had to go to the privy, he would jump up and down beside her, holding her säré and saying, “Urine, mother, urine.” “Who is stopping you?” she would ask. “Yes, you can go.” Only then, with her permission, would he go. Sometimes, in the intimacy of dependence, his mother became his foil. When he lost a baby tooth and on her advice placed it under a pillow that night, the tooth vanished, and some money appeared. Abhay gave the money to his mother for safekeeping, but later, when in their constant association she opposed him, he demanded, “I want my money back! I will go away from home. Now you give me my money back!” When Rajani wanted her hair braided, she would regularly ask her daughters. But if Abhay were present he would insist on braiding it himself and would create such a disturbance that they would give in to him. Once he painted the bottoms of his feet red, imitating the custom of women who painted their feet on festive occasions. His mother tried to dissuade him, saying it was not for children, but he insisted, “No, I must do it, also!” All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Our respectful obeisances to Srimati Rajani Devi who so tenderly raised "Abhay" who went on to became the Founder Acarya of ISKCON, the greatest Acarya of modern times and our beloved spirtual master. Artist's rendition of Srila Prabhupada as a child Subhavilasa das ACBSP, Toronto, CA: Srimati Rajani Devi, madre de Srila Prabhupada Representación Artistica de la madre de Srila Prabhupada Mañana es el día de la Madre de Srila Prabhupada, y pensamos que sería bueno celebrar este día. Aquí expongo un extracto del Prabhupada Lilamrta sobre la madre de Srila Prabhupada, llamada Srimati Rajani Devi. La madre de Abhay, Rajani, tenía treinta años cuando él nació. Como su esposo, ella vino de una familia establecida desde hace mucho tiempo en la Gaudiya Vaisnava. Ella era mas morena que su marido, y mientras que su disposición era fresca, la suya tendió a ser ardiente. Abhay vio que su madre y que su padre vivían juntos de forma pacífica; ningún conflicto marital profundo o descontento complicado amenazó nunca su hogar. Rajani era casta y profundamente religiosa, un ama de casa modelo en el sentido védico tradicional, dedicada a cuidar a su marido y a sus niños. Abhay observó a los intentos de su madre de asegurar, tanto por rezos, por votos, e incluso por rituales, que él continuara viviendo. Siempre que él tenía que salir e incluso jugar, su madre, después de vestirlo, ponía una gota de la saliva en su dedo y le tocaba su frente. Abhay nunca supo el significado de este acto, pero como ella era su madre él se colocaba sumiso “como un perro con su amo” mientras que ella lo hacia. Como Gour Mohan, Rajani trató a Abhay como un niño de animal doméstico; pero mientras que su marido expresó su amor con clemencia y planeó el éxito espiritual de su hijo, ella expresó el suyo con tentativas de salvaguardar a Abhay de todo peligro, enfermedad, y muerte. Ella ofreció una vez sangre de su pecho a uno de los semidioses suplicándole que Abhay fuera protegido por todos los lados contra todo peligro. Durante el nacimiento de Abhay, ella hizo un voto para comer con la mano izquierda hasta el día que su hijo lo notaría y le pregunta porqué ella comía con la mano incorrecta. Un día, cuando Abhay se lo dijo realmente, ella paró inmediatamente. Había sido apenas otra prescripción para su supervivencia, por eso ella pensó que era la fuerza de su voto que él continuaba creciendo, por lo menos hasta que él le preguntó acerca del voto. Hasta que su hijo no se lo había preguntado ella nunca había comido con su mano derecha, según su superstición él continuó viviendo, gracias a la protección de su voto. Para su protección ella también puso un brazalete del hierro alrededor de su pierna. Sus amigos le preguntaron que sentido tenía tener ese brazalete, y Abhay fue tímidamente a su madre a pedirle que por favor, “abra este brazalete!” Cuando ella dijo, “lo haré más adelante,” él comencé a gritar, “no, ahora!” Una vez que Abhay tragara una semilla de sandía, y sus amigos le dijeron que crecería en su estómago una sandía. Él corrió junto a su madre, que lo aseguró que él no tenía que preocuparse; ella rezaría un mantra para protegerlo. Srila Prabhupada: Madre Yasoda cantaba mantras por la mañana para proteger a Krsna contra todos los peligros de todo ese día. Cuando Krsna mataba algún demonio ella pensaba que era debido a su canto o rezo. Mi madre hacía una cosa similar conmigo. Su madre lo llevaba a menudo al Ganges y lo bañaba personalmente. Ella también le dio un suplemento del alimento conocido como Horlicks. Cuando él coguió la disentería, ella lo curó con puris calientes y freia berenjena con sal, aunque cuando él estaba enfermo Abhay demostraba a veces su obstinación rechazando tomar cualquier medicina. Pero aunque él era muy obstinado, su madre era resuelta, y ella administraría fuertemente la medicina en su boca, aunque tomó a veces a tres ayudantes para sujetarlo y mantenerlo quieto. Srila Prabhupada: Era muy travieso cuando era un muchacho. Rompía cualquier cosa. Cuando estaba enojado, rompía las pipas de cristal de la cachimba, que mi padre guardaba para ofrecer a las huéspedes. Una vez que mi madre intentaba bañar me, y me empujó y golpeó mi cabeza en la tierra, y me salió sangre. ¿Él vino corriendo y le dijo, “qué haces? Vas a matar al niño.” Abhay estuvo presente cuando su madre observó la ceremonia de Sadha-hotra durante el séptimo y el noveno mes de sus embarazos. Bañada recientemente, ella aparecería con ropas nuevas junto con sus niños y disfrutaba de un banquete de cualesquiera alimentos ella quería, mientras que su marido daba regalos en caridad a los brahmanas locales, que cantaron los mantras para la purificación de la madre y del niño que venía. Abhay era totalmente dependiente en su madre. Ella le ponía a veces su camisa al revés, y él la aceptaba simplemente sin mencionarla. Aunque él era a veces obstinado, él se sentía dependiente en la dirección y la seguridad de su madre. Cuando él tenía que ir al privado, él saltaba hacia arriba y hacia abajo al lado de ella, llevando a cabo su säré y le decía, “orina, madre, orina.” “Quién la está parando?” ella le decía. “Sí, puede ir.” Solamente entonces, con su permiso, él iba. A veces, en la intimidad de la dependencia, con su madre o sea que se llevaban muy bien. Cuando él perdió un diente de bebé y por su consejo lo puso debajo de la almohada durante la noche, el diente desaparecido, y un poco de dinero apareció en su lugar. ¡Abhay dio el dinero a su madre para que se lo guardara, pero más adelante, cuando en su asociación constante ella se opuso a él, él le exigió, “quiero mi parte del dinero! Iré afuera. Ahora usted deme mi dinero ya!” Cuando Rajani quería su pelo trenzado, ella regularmente se lo pedía a sus hijas. Pero si Abhay estaba presente él insistiría que el lo trenzaría y creaba tal disturbio para que se lo dejaran hacer a él. Cierta vez que él se pintó las partes inferiores de su rojo de los pies, imitando a las mujeres que se pintaban sus pies en ocasiones festivas. Su madre intentó disuadirlo, y le dijo que eso no se lo hacian los niños, pero él insistió, “no, yo debe hacerlo, también!” ¡Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada! Nuestras Respetuosas Reverencias a Srimati Rajani Devi que Cuidó tan bien al Bondadoso "Abhay" quién tuvo exito y fue el fundador Acarya de ISKCON, el Acarya más grande de los tiempos modernos y de nuestro Querido Maestro Espiritual. Srila Prabhupada como niño   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: The Material World Will Never Be Fair By Mukunda Goswami for Hindustan Times on 7 May 2011 Maybe life`s just not fair. After all, none of use remembers asking to be born. The age-old question is why many live short painful lives and others are born with silver spoons in their mouths. Why the massive inequalities? Why are there always more poor than rich?   • Email to a friend • •   H.H. Sivarama Swami: Bh. Sandor, Balarama dasa, Gopa Liladhara and Kokila Bihari ask About kirtana standards, the authenticity of Nityananda Caritamrta, Bhagavad-gita’s paribhasa-sutra and the liberation of the Kuruksetra soldiers.   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: Does Eating Lots of Salt Really Affect Blood pressure? By Ethan A. Huff for Natural News on 7 May 2011 A new European study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association defies conventional wisdom concerning salt intake and heart health, suggesting that high salt consumption does not always lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.   • Email to a friend • •   ISKCON News.com: The Difficulty of Dharma By Sheetal Shah for Beliefnet.com on 7 May 2011 In the midst of many celebrating the demise of Osama bin Laden, there has been an ongoing debate at the Hindu American Foundation around whether it is right to rejoice over the death of another, even one as “evil” as bin Laden. A core Hindu belief is that of a non-violence, which is closely linked with another key concept that the Divine resides in all living beings.   • Email to a friend • •   Devadeva Mirel, Alachua, USA: Recipe : Gluten Free Red Quinoa / Moong Burger + Satsuma Orange / Avocado Guac I’m not a real veggie booger burger kind of girl but I know many of you are. And as summertime rolls in, you guys are looking for that backyard burger experience. Here’s a recipe from my archives that won’t leave you feeling heavy, like you’re eating a whole wheat burger on a bun. Superfood (I know you hate that word!) red quinoa and moong dal (you can switch out the bean if you like…black beans or aduki would be yum) make this burger the perfect choice for power eaters addicted to protein.   Red Quinoa / Moong Bean Burger * Arugula * Guac * Homemade Bread * Pan Seared Fennel Bulbs   Moong beans are high in protein and vitamin C and are a good source of iron. They cook quickly, are the easiest of all beans to digest and are naturally cholesterol free. People really like them! If you are looking for a gluten free burger recipe,this recipe’s your man. Red Quinoa / Moong Bean Burger Recipe ingredients 2.5 cups green whole moong beans 1/2 cup red quinoa 2 tsp yellow hing 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp celery seed 2 tsp yellow mustard powder 1.2 tsp course ground pepper 1 tbsp salt 1/2 c nutritional yeast 1/3 cup chickpea flour 1/3 cup arrowroot powder 1 cup diced or shredded cabbage 1 cup diced celery 2 tbsp olive oil 1/3 cup rolled oats *not everyone enjoys the texture of celery seed. you can run it through a spice grinder if this is the case or simply omit. *some people are anti-grain/gluten. if you are not anti-grain, add 2 tbsp gluten flour as added binder if you feel you need it.   directions Wash and soak moong beans overnite. This will make them cook quicker and make them more digestible. Rinse quinoa in a sieve. Discard moong bean soaking water, rinse beans and put moong beans a in pot with 7 cups of water.  Add quinoa. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. When beans and quinoa are very soft (after about 20-30 minutes), remove from heat and pour contents of pot into a sieve to drain off any remaining liquid. While moong and quinoa are draining, heat olive oil in a pan on high heat and then toast the yellow hing, mustard powder, garam masala, celery seed and black pepper a few seconds before adding celery and cabbage. Toss with spoon, reduce heat and cover. Cook approximately 8 minutes. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop the well combined mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving space in between each scoop. Using your hands, press and shape each burger into a 4.5 inch circle. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Finish off on stovetop in frying pan with a bit of oil or continue cooking in oven for 10 more minutes. Satsuma Orange / Avocado Guacamole Satsuma Orange / Avocado Chutney Creamy, yet totally vegan, this is a great spread on sandwiches or as an accompaniment to savory finger foods. One Step Only! : Just assemble all the ingredients and give them a whir in the food processor. ingredients 1 tbsp dijon mustard 1 satsuma orange, peeled and seeded 1 large avocado 1/2″ piece of ginger root 1/2 tsp salt   print   • Email to a friend • •   Hari Sauri das, Mayapura, IN: 2011 tour – Malaise-ia — Not! I just completed a one week visit to Malaysia from April 29 – May 5. It was my first visit since 1987. Although its so near to India, a 3 hrs. flight from Kolkata to Kuala Lumpar (KL), for some reason I have never dropped in. I have made relatively frequent trips to Australia but always transited through Singapore. This time I am glad I didn’t. Its one of the most dynamic yatras in ISKCON. My old friend Ajamila prabhu invited me over. He was my first temple commander in Sydney when I joined in 1972, that’s him standing in front of the bus and the leader of the Malaysian yatra for many years, Simheswara prabhu obliged with a ticket and a tour program. I flew in by AirAsia, a cheap but well run airline, although we were 1.5 hrs. late and with a 2.5 hrs. time difference it was 2.00AM by the time we reached Ajamila’s flat across the road from the temple. Ajamila prabhu keeps himself busy with a thriving business designing vaastu compliant houses KL still has the same 2 story house I stayed at in 1987, but it has been impressively transformed and almost doubled in size. Now called Sri Jagannatha Temple they have beautiful Deities of Gaura Nitai and Lord Jagannatha and His brother and sister. I was amazed to hear that Malayasia has 35 ISKCON centers and 35 rathayatras every year! The preaching here has vastly expanded since the early days. It is one of the hidden gems of ISKCON. My first classes on Friday 29 morning and evening were well attended  with over 100 devotees in the night session. Many devotees work in the day so 8.00PM-10.00PM was the best time in all the temples I visited. The morning sessions were less well attended but well received nevertheless I delivered my usual introduction on my seminar series,  Srila Prabhupada The Living Bhagavatam, and the devotees chose the topic of Chanting as the theme, which I kept as I traveled in subsequent days. I spoke again in KL on May 30 morning before heading south on a 4.5 hrs. drive to Johor Bahru for a Saturday evening program. Apparently we have less devotees in the south but still the program was well attended by about 50+ devotees The devotees rent a small hall and have beautiful Deities of chota Gaura Nitai and  Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra At the end there was a happy birthday celebration for a one year old member of the community, attended by this sadhu, whom I spoke with later and learned his name is Swami Devananda. He hails from Badrinatha. He was friendly, deeply appreciative of ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada and amazingly, he told me he was 92 years old! He said his guru is still alive and over 140 years old.   • Email to a friend • •   Mayapur Online: Travel Assistance This is to inform all the devotees that Prabhupada Travels, run by HG Uday Gauranga Das is now closed down. ISKCON Mayapur has taken over the services and handed the management over to the Mayapur Tourism Department. It will now be called Gauranga Travels, we encourage devotees and visitors to book with Gauranga Travels henceforth. read more   • Email to a friend • •   Japa Group: The Source Of Love Hare Krsna dear devotees. I hope your chanting has been concentrated and with love. I was going to work today and by observing the people on the streets and how they seem so sad and it made me think. Some of them try to get love and identify themselves with something that makes them happy, but they forget that death, sickness and distress come all the time and some moments of happiness won't change and doesn't give us what we need that is Krsna. We are so lucky to have met our spiritual master and also be introduced to the chanting of the holy names, when we think of that we feel fearless and we know nothing will take us away from Krsna, anytime of the day and anywhere we are we can be connected to Him. So remember any free time you have even after your daily rounds, chant and you will see how this process will bring you more of what our soul is seeking. your servant, Aruna devi   • Email to a friend • •   Toronto Sankirtan Team, CA: A risky life Foolish persons do not know how risky life is here if one does not follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, has been started so that by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can avoid the risky life of this material existence. There is no question of accepting or not accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not optional; it is compulsory. If we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our life is very risky. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, to learn how to become free from the miserable condition of material existence, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is the preliminary study. Then, if one understands Bhagavad-gītā, one can proceed to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and if one advances further, one may study Caitanya-caritāmṛta. We are therefore presenting these invaluable books to the whole world so that people may study them and be happy, being delivered from miserable conditional life. SB 10.8.49   • Email to a friend • •   Gouranga TV: Aindra – Hare Krishna Kirtan – ISKCON Vrindavan – November 9, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan on the First Day of Kartik - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 4, 2009 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan on the First Day of Kartik - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 4, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 5, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 5, 2009 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 5, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - November 9, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - November 9, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 6, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 6, 2009 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 6, 2009 Aindra Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 3, 2009 gaura79 Aindra Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 3, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Mayapur - February 18, 2007 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 3, 2009 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 3, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Mayapur - February 16, 2007 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Mayapur - February 16, 2007 Madhava - Hare Krishna Kirtan in Memory of Aindra - Kirtan Fiesta 2010 gaura79 Madhava - Hare Krishna Kirtan in Memory of Aindra - Kirtan Fiesta 2010 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 2, 2009 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Vrindavan - October 2, 2009 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Mayapur - February 15, 2007 gaura79 Aindra - Hare Krishna Kirtan - ISKCON Mayapur - February 15, 2007   • Email to a friend • •   Kurma dasa, AU: Leave It to Beaver "TV Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver recently arrived in Los Angeles to revolutionize America's eating habits. And here's something I bet you didn't know. 'Vanilla ice-cream contains beaver anal gland.' By Eric Munn Apr 6, 2011, Jamie Oliver shocked America by telling David Letterman, 'Vanilla ice-cream contains beaver anal gland.' The 35-year-old chef appeared on The Late Show to promote the second series of his US Food Revolution, where he travels to Los Angeles to try and improve children's eating habits and knowledge. But Letterman was much more concerned about something Jamie had told him prior to coming out on stage. Letterman said, 'You said that vanilla ice-cream contains beaver?' Oliver replied, 'Beaver anal gland, yes.' Letterman looked stunned by the suggestion and put his hand to his head in disbelief. Oliver continued, 'It is a product called castoreum it comes from rendered beaver anal gland – it is in cheap strawberry syrups and vanilla ice cream. If you like that stuff, next time you put it in your mouth think of anal gland.' Asked Letterman, 'When did that become ok?' Said Oliver, 'In the food industry when the cat is away the mice will play. That is the point of the show. The point of the show it to tell people where food comes from.' Asked Letterman, 'But why Beaver?' Oliver replied, 'More to the point who found out that a beaver anal gland tastes good?' The new series of the show is set to premiere next week in the US."   • Email to a friend • • More Recent Articles H.G. Sankarshan das Adhikari, USA: Saturday 7 May 2011--Don't Neglect Your Duty--and--Do Humans Have Any Rules to Follow? Dandavats.com: Jaladuta Adventure H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): 302—Poem for May 6 H.H. Satsvarupa das Goswami (Ret.): OLD FRIENDS Krishna Lounge, LA, USA: Karma = Sensitivity Training