Newsletter Number #125 -  ( Gaura Purnima issue 2004 A.D. Gaurabda 518)
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http://welcome.to/hknetworks

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ki jaya

Please Accept My Respectful Obeisances & Best Wishes To All

_0____,

All Glories To Srila Prabhupad.

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

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

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The Nectar in this Issue 

See the events on Interactive Calendar site for details:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2002-2003.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html
Have you got your Vaishnava Calendar for 2004-2005 ???
....ours is now on-line.
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

Download the Vaishnava Calendar software VCAL 4.01

Local temples

Words of Wisdom - Shastra & Shastrakaras speak:
... (Srila Prabhupad & the previous Acharyas)
... Introduction to book "Sri Krishna Chaitanya" by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad
... Verses - Evidence for claim Sri Krishna Chaitanya Radha Krishna nahianya
... Articles - Topical links
... Vedik revival - Vedik World Heritage
... Songs about Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Advertisements - what's on where: check them out...
... Ayurvedic health - and seminars
... Fire Safety - Water Safety - Internet Safety
... FREE CD Rom
... Sri Shalagram Tirtha Pradarshini web-site and new newsletter
... Vegetarianism and Beyond site gets re-vamped
... Gaura's Place - Hamilton
... Gaura Yoga - Wellington
... Gauranga's in Tauranga
... The new Auckland Temple now open
... and much more

At Grass Roots: Topical stuff
... Happy New Year - Gaurabda 518

Prasadam Recipes: To slake the thirst of body, mind & soul
... some really useful Vege links and support
... inspiring Vegetarian articles
... Vegetarian Cheeses - new page (try the Kapiti Stilton or Parmesan...)(updated)
... check out the new Ekadasi recipes link
... 101 reasons to be a vegetarian
... FREE Meet your Meat CDRoms
... visit our Vegetarianism and Beyond Award winning web-site
... Kurma's new web-site
... The Meatrix

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

Thanx 2 our sponsors and supporters:
... sponsorship and support
... HELP !!!
... donations welcome

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

View previous years festival dates on the Calendar:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2001-2002.htm
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2002-2003.html
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html
Now available 2004 - 2005 Vaishnava Calendar starts March 2004
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

Fasting 4 Amalaki Ekadasi (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 3rd March 2004 in NZ)
http://www.hknet.org.nz/ekadasi-8.htm

Sri Madhavendra Puri - Tirubhav
http://www.hknet.org.nz/parishad28.htm

Holi - Holika
http://www.hknet.org.nz/parishad92.htm

Sri Gaura Purnima (Fasting 'til Moonrise - 7th March 2004) ( Ekadasi style breakfasting - non-grain )
Gaura Purnima 7th March in New Zealand (6th in some places East of us) Moonrise is at 7:13pm (19:13 hrs) including Daylight Savings Time
Appearance Day of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 518 Gaurabda

Next Day - Festival of Jagannath Misra - Jata Karman Samskara for baby Lord Chaitanya and feasting

Sri Srivas Pandit - Appearance - Avirbhav

Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces)

Fasting 4 Papamochani Ekadasi (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 17th March 2004 in NZ)

Sri Govinda Ghosha  - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Day Light Savings Time finishes on March 21st 2004 in NZ

Mothering Sunday - like Mother's Day 4 some in the UK - you're dead if you miss it........

Sripad Ramanujacharya - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Rama Navami: Appearance of  Lord Ramacandra ( Fasting till sunset ) - 30th March 2004 in NZ

Fasting 4 Kamada Ekadasi (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 1st April 2004 in NZ)

Damanaka-ropana dvadasi

Sri Balarama Rasayatra

Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa

Sri Vamsivadana Thakur - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Syamananda Prabhu - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Abhiram Thakur - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Srila Vrindavana Das Thakur - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Mesha Sankranti (Sun enters Aries)

Beginning of Shalagram and Tulsi Jala Dan

Fasting for Varuthini Ekadasi (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 15 April 2004 in NZ)

Sri Gadadhara Pandit - Appearance - Avirbhav

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

Aksaya Tritiya, Candana Yatra starts, continues for 21 days

Jahnu Saptami

Srimati Sita Devi (consort of Lord Rama) - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Madhu Pandit - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Srimati Jahnava Devi - Appearance - Avirbhav

Fasting for Mohini Ekadasi (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 1st May 2004 in NZ)

Srimati Rukmini Dvadasi

Sriman Jayananda Prabhu - Disappearance - Tirubhav - 3rd May

Sri Nrsimha Caturdasi -  Appearance of Lord Nrsimhadeva - 4th May (Fasting till dusk)

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

Krsna Phula Dola, Salila Vihara

Sri Paramesvari Das Thakur - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Sri Sri Radha Ramana Devji - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri Madhavendra Puri - Appearance - Avirbhav

Sri  Srinivasa Acarya - Appearance - Avirbhav

Buddhadev Purnima - Buddha Jayanti - Lord Buddha's Appearance day

Sri Ramananda Raya - Disappearance - Tirubhav

Mother's Day (NZ, Aus, USA, UK)  9th May 2004 - not on the Vaishnava calendar ordinarily, but you'd better remember it, or you will next year !!!!

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

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

http://panjika.pagehere.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download your Vaishnava Calendar and make a hard copy for this
last year's ( 2003-2004 AD - 517 Gaurabda ) from our site:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2003-2004.html
This coming year ( 2004-2005 AD - 518 Gaurabda ) from our site:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/Calendar2004-2005.html

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

or if you can't do that and you'd like a 2002-2003 Calendar for your longitude, latitude and time zone ANYWHERE in the world I can do that for you and e-mail it to you - FREE    Vaishnava Calendar Software 4.01

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

Astrologically/Astronomically Accurate and FREE

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

mailto:jtcd@xtra.co.nz

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita chapter:16 The Divine and Demoniac Natures,TEXTS 11-12

                          cintam aparimeyam ca
                          pralayantam upasritah
                           kamopabhoga-parama
                           etavad iti niscitah

                         asa-pasa-satair baddhah
                          kama-krodha-parayanah
                         ihante kama-bhogartham
                          anyayenartha-sancayan

 WORD FOR WORD
   cintam--fears and anxieties; aparimeyam--immeasurable; ca--and; pralaya-antam--unto the point of death; upasritah--having taken shelter of; kama-upabhoga--sense gratification; paramah--the highest goal of life; etavat--thus; iti--in this way; niscitah--having ascertained; asa-pasa--entanglements in a network of hope; sataih--by hundreds; baddhah--being bound; kama--of lust; krodha--and anger; parayanah--always situated in the mentality; ihante--they desire; kama--lust; bhoga--sense enjoyment; artham--for the purpose of; anyayena--illegally; artha--of wealth; sancayan--accumulation.

TRANSLATION
   They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.

PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
   The demoniac accept that the enjoyment of the senses is the ultimate goal of life, and this concept they maintain until death. They do not believe in life after death, and they do not believe that one takes on different types of bodies according to one's karma, or activities in this world. Their plans for life are never finished, and they go on preparing plan after plan, all of which are never finished. We have personal experience of a person of such demoniac mentality who, even at the point of death, was requesting the physician to prolong his life for four years more because his plans were not yet complete. Such foolish people do not know that a physician cannot prolong life even for a moment. When the notice is there, there is no consideration of the man's desire. The laws of nature do not allow a second beyond what one is destined to enjoy.

   The demoniac person, who has no faith in God or the Supersoul within himself, performs all kinds of sinful activities simply for sense gratification. He does not know that there is a witness sitting within his heart. The Supersoul is observing the activities of the individual soul. As it is stated in the Upanisads, there are two birds sitting in one tree; one is acting and enjoying or suffering the fruits of the branches, and the other is witnessing. But one who is demoniac has no knowledge of Vedic scripture, nor has he any faith; therefore he feels free to do anything for sense enjoyment, regardless of the consequences.

 - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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

View our Bhagavad Gita Overview:
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Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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

They criticized Lord Chaitanya

Srila Prabhupada managed to encourage every one of his disciples. He made them feel they had worth, that he loved them, and he showed that he knew their particular problems.
Some were problem cases who could not work well with others and some were always unsteady. One devotee with problems once came before Srila Prabhupada and pleaded for some relief.
"Srila Prabhupada, I would like to apologise for being so fallen and wretched. I never seem to be able to do anything right. I try to give some advice to people, but it's no use. Because even if I think I'm right, they tell me I'm wrong, so I just want your forgiveness because I'm so confused."
Srila Prabhupada replied, "They criticised Lord Caitanya and Krsna."
The dejected devotee was astounded to hear this. But he thought maybe Prabhupada did not understand what he had meant.
"Srila Prabhupada, I am not trying to criticise Lord Caitanya and Krsna. I'm just trying to apologise. I'm sorry that I'm so fallen, that I'm not better than I am."
But Srila Prabhupada repeated, "They criticised Lord Caitanya and Krsna. Even when Lord Krsna was here, they did not accept. Only a few hundred people accepted that He was God. Everyone else was criticising. And when Lord Caitanya was here they even threw a pot at Lord Nityananda. They did not like to accept Him. So what to speak of you and I?"
The dejected disciple then became overwhelmed to understand that Srila Prabhupada had indeed understood him, understood him better than he knew himself.
"Then what is to be done?" asked the disciple. "Just go on trying?"
"Yes", said Srila Prabhupada.
There was a similar incident with a devotee photographer. He had trouble rising early and in controlling his tongue from overeating. He was not very regulated or prone to philosophy. But he liked taking pictures for Srila Prabhupada's books, at which he was very good. One day after following Srila Prabhupada to different places in his travels, the photographer asked Prabhupada's permission so that he could return to his home temple. Aware of his precarious weak situation in spiritual life, he submitted himself before Srila Prabhupada saying, "Prabhupada, I'm such a rascal."
"That is good," said Prabhupada. "You remain a rascal your whole life." This statement confused the disciple. What to make of it? Was Prabhupada delivering a curse to "remain a rascal?" Then Srila Prabhupada explained. "Lord Caitanya was also called a rascal. Do you know the story of Lord Caitanya and His spiritual master?" Prabhupada's photographer suddenly felt that his mind and his tongue were being controlled, for without event thinking he began to tell the story of how Lord Caitanya was instructed by His spiritual master that He was too foolish to understand Vedanta and that He should just chant Hare Krsna. Prabhupada smiled and said no more. In this way, another dejected disciple became pacified, realising his lack of intelligence and the fact that his only hope was the holy name of Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada's ability in these and many other cases prove him to be a great psychologist. Even when no one else could Srila Prabhupada knew the ways and means to give a fallen servant some renewed hope and strength. Neither did he do it by resorting to the mundane techniques of personnel managers, who are often cynical and manipulative. Yet, on behalf of Krsna, Srila Prabhupada was expert with people.

- From the Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

Transcendental United Nations
January 17, 1976.

After taking darshan of Radha-Madhava, Srila Prabhupada sat on his vyasasana. In his arrival address, he expressed exactly what I was feeling that day:
It was Bhaktivinoda Thakur's aspiration that the Europeans, Americans and Indians all together dance jubilantly and chant " Gaura Hari." So this temple, Mayapur Candrodaya temple, is meant for a transcendental United Nations. What the United Nations has failed to achieve, that will be achieved here by the process recommended by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: prithvita ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. So you have come from all parts of the world and are living together in this temple.
    So train these small boys. I am very glad, especially, to see that the small children from all other countries, and Indian, Bengalis, all together, forgetting their bodily consciousness. That is the greatest achievement in this movement, that everyone forgets his bodily conception of life. Nobody thinks themselves here as European, American, Indian, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. They forget all these designations, and simply they are ecstatic in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. So kindly what you have begun, do not break it. Continue it very jubilantly. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the master of Mayapur, He will be very much pleased upon you, and ultimately you will go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.

- From the "Srila Prabhupada is coming!" by HG Mahamaya Devi Dasi

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

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

 "All Wrapped Up in Matter"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.51
Detroit, August 4, 1975

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadavani.org/Bhagavatam/RAMfiles2/SB524.ram

tad etat sodasa-kalam
lingam sakti-trayam mahat
dhatte 'nusamsrtim pumsi
harsa-soka-bhayartidam

"The subtle body endowed with the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind, altogether sixteen parts, which is the effect of the three modes of material nature and is composed of very strong, insurmountable desires, causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another within the kingdom of human life, animal life, or higher demigod life. When he gets the body of a demigod he is certainly very jubilant. When he gets the body of a human being he is always in lamentation. When he gets the body of an animal he is always afraid. In this way, in all conditions he is miserable. This miserable condition is called samsrti, or transmigration in material life." [Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.51]

MEN of culture are often found to devote themselves in acquiring knowledge of various subjects which could prove efficacious to them in their needs; so we may not confuse to accept all readers in the same line of thought. The best scrutinisers of knowledge in their cultural extension should possess all skill and dexterity to get their most covetable end having had a care for Eternity and uninterrupted Blissful unalloyed Knowledge. This incarnate of the acme of knowledge-seekers will be the best reader of this book when they can have the privilege of comparing the merits of different views of pure theists. Mental speculationists have diverse objects of investigation and their diversity of seeking Knowledge would simply disturb the peaceful mentality having been tempted by the duping features of external manifestations, quite suitable and dove-tailing the present purposes of enjoyment by their imperfect senses.

The writer has got the prime object of furnishing a comparative study in which the position of a reader has the highest place. This is his only ambition, of healing the depraved mentality of the so-called culturists of True Knowledge. But the readers have different motives of utilising the product of their enterprise of perusing the book. One class of readers are found to criticise the merits and demerits of the writer in order to establish their superiority, with a view to puff up their vanity. Another class is observed to muse over the subject by spending their time for the gratification of their senses. The third section of readers mean to profit by reading the book in order to regulate their Fife for a better purpose. The under-estimation of a desirable element for some utilisation through temporal gratification of senses, would not equipoise the third position of the reader who will surely mark the distinctive situation by comparing other things and agree with the author in spending his valuable time for true amelioration.

The body of the book will appear before readers as a historical account of the Journey of life of a Hero. But the Hero is not an ordinary mundane hero for a hallucinative ambition with a spiritual tinge. The account will no doubt show that the targeted Object of the manifestive spiritual world is Eternal and identical with the Hero of the speaker. Hasty conclusions will be pouring forth to oppose this by welcoming anthropomorphic and apotheotic thoughts. The delineations will prove that the Object pointed to is beyond the comprehension of crippled senses. And the Absolute Eternity made up of Pure Knowledge and Incessant bliss is never to be had within the compass of our senses. All objects of the phenomena which are comprehended by senses have temporal situation and deformed entity void of different 'qualities' that are always submissive to senses.

Sree Krishna-Chaitanya's inculcations of the Personality of Godhead cannot be restricted to or accused as Idolatry. Idols are constructed of mundane materials and are subject to the inspection of senses. The Eternal Absolute does not exactly submit to these senses, as He does not put Himself as a shareholder of phenomenal things. Whichever comes under senses has equal value with one of Nature's products and forms to be a subject of the jurisdiction of senses. The Eternal Absolute is inconceivable by limited senses. The partially eclipsed views of the Absolute are shaky, non-absolute, liable to transformation and under the clutch of the span of Time. The physical limitations are all accommodated in Space, Time and particular entities. The naming of the Transcendental Absolute through the lips of a mundane agent will surely seek after a size, a colour, etc., and must undergo the ocular examination. The Transcendental Absolute should in no case submit to our dermal perceptions, neither to our nasal or lingual activities as well.

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Chaitanya, who is the most merciful incarnation. He has appeared in a golden color for the purpose of freely distributing pure love of Krishna."

In the Atharva Veda (Purusha-bodini Upanishad) it is said:

saptame gaura-varna-vishnor ity anena sva-shaktya caikyam etya prante pratar avatirya saha svaih sva-manum shikshayati

"In the seventh manvantara, the Supreme Lord will, accompanied by His own associates, descend in a golden form. He will teach the chanting of His own holy names."

It is further stated in the Atharva Veda:

ito 'ham krita-sannyaso 'vatarishyami sa-guno nirvedo nishkamo bhu-girbanas tira-stho 'lakanandayah kalau catuh-sahasrabdhopari panca-sahasrabhyantare gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-lakshana-yukta ishvara-prarthito nija-rasasvado bhakta-rupo mishrakhyo vidita-yogah syam

"The Supreme Lord Himself says: When between four thousand and five thousand years of Kali-yuga have passed, I will descend to the earth in a place by the Ganges' shore. I will be a tall, saintly brahmana devotee of the Lord, and have a golden complexion. I will be renounced and free from all desire. I will accept the order of renunciation (sannyasa). I will be a devotee advanced in bhakti-yoga. I will chant the holy names of the Lord. I will taste the sweet mellows of My own devotional service. Only the great devotees will understand Me."

In the Sama Veda the Lord states:

tathaham krita-sannyaso bhu-girbano 'vatarisye tire 'lakanandayah punah punar ishvara-prarthitah sa-parivaro niralambo nirdhuteh kali-kalmasha-kavalita-janavalambanaya

"To deliver the people devoured by the sins of Kali-yuga, I will, accompanied by My associates, descend to the earth in a place by the Ganges shore. I will be a brahmana avadhuta sannyasi. Again and again I will chant the holy names of the Lord."

In the Krishna Upanishad it is stated:

sa eva bhagavan yuge turiye 'pi brahma-kule jayamanah sarva upanishadah uddidirshuh sarvani dharma-shastrani vistarayishnuh sarvan api janan santarayishnuh sarvan api vaishnavan dharman vijrimbhayan sarvan api pashandan nicakhana

"In the Kali-yuga, Lord Krishna will appear in a brahmana's family. He will teach the message of the Upanishads and the dharma-shastras. He will defeat the atheists and offenders and He will establish the truth of Vaishnava dharma."

In the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam the following verse is found:

"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead, who constantly sings the name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions."

In the seventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam is the following verse describing the Lord's incarnations:

channah kalau yad abhava tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam

"Because in Kali-yuga You appear in a covered incarnation, you are therefore known as Tri-yuga (one who appears in only three yugas)."

The incarnation of Sri Chaitanya is a hidden incarnation because He appears in the guise of His devotee. This covered incarnation is confirmed in both the Adi Purana and the Narada Purana in the following verse:

"My true identity always concealed, I will assume the form of a brahmana devotee of the Lord. In this form I will deliver the worlds."

In the Kurma Purana the following statement is found:

"To deliver the conditioned souls burning in the troubles of Kali-yuga, in the first sandhya of that age the Lord will take birth in a brahmana's home."

In the Garuda Purana the Lord Himself states:

"To deliver the conditioned souls burning in the troubles of Kali-yuga, in the first sandhya of that age I will take birth among the brahmanas."

"In My original spiritual form, perfect and complete, I will become the son of Shachi-devi in Navadvipa Mayapura at the begining of Kali-yuga.

Sri Chaitanya was born in Mayapura, a subsection of the holy town of Navadvipa, to Shachi-devi in 1486 AD, aproximately 4,500 years after the beginning of the Kali-yuga.

Elsewhere in the Garuda Purana it is said:

"In the first sandhya of Kali-yuga, the Lord will assume a golden form. First He will be the husband of Lakshmi, and then He will be a sannyasi who stays near Lord Jagannatha at Puri."

Sri Chaitanya first married His eternal consort Sri Lakshmi-priya Devi before taking sannyasa at the age of twenty-four. After taking sannyasa He left Navadvipa in Bengal, and resided in the holy city of Puri in Orissa. Lord Jagannatha, the presiding deity of Puri is known in the Puranas by the name daru-brahma or "the Lord who is wood". This is because the Jagannatha deities in Puri are made from Neem wood.

Also in the Garuda Purana:

"The Supreme Lord who enjoyed pastimes with the gopis, who day and night filled the people of Vrindavana with happiness, who killed kamsa, and who in the war between the Kauravas made friendship with the Pandavas, will come again to the earth. Of this there is no doubt. His arm will be decorated with a bamboo danda (stick), He will be a sannyasi and His name will be Chaitanya."

The custom is that one begins carrying a bamboo rod (danda) after one takes sannyasa. Sri Chaitanya was an eka-danda sannyasi, thus He carried a single bamboo rod.

In the Devi Purana we find the following statement:

"The Lord will again appear in this world. His name will be Sri Krishna Chaitanya and He will spread the chanting of the Lord's holy names.

Sri Chaitanya perfectly illuminated the glories of the nama-siddhanta as predicted in this verse.

In the Nrisimha Purana it is mentioned:

"The Supreme Lord, who in the Satya-yuga appeared as a half-man half-lion to cure a terrible disease that had ravaged the daityas, and who in Treta-yuga appeared as Rama, a person who defeated the ten-headed Ravana , and who in Dvapara-yuga removed the earth's burden and protected the gopa people of Vraja-pura, will appear again in the Kali-yuga. His form will be golden, He will delight in chanting the Lord's holy names, and His name will be Chaitanya."

In the Padma Purana we find the following statement from the Lord:

"In the first sandhya of Kali-yuga I will appear on the earth in a beautiful place by the Gange's shore. I will be the son of Shachi-devi and My complexion will be golden."

In the Narada Purana the Lord says:

"O brahmana, in the age of Kali I will appear disguised as a devotee of the Lord and I will deliver all the worlds."

"O demigods, in the Kali-yuga take birth as devotees on the earth. I will appear as the son of Shachi in Kali-yuga to start the sankirtana movement."

Nama-sankirtana, or the chanting of the Lord's names is the yuga dharma for the age of Kali. Establishing this was Sri Chaitanya's primary purpose for incarnating.

In the Bhavishya Purana we find:

"O sage whose wealth is austerity, in the Kali-yuga everyone will see My form as a sannyasi, a form filled with tears of bliss and bodily hairs standing erect in ecstacy."

Sri Chaitanya would always display such symptoms of pure love of Krishna. When chanting the names of the Lord tears would flow from His eyes, and the hair on His body would stand erect. In his life Sri Chaitanya personally only composed eight verses known as Shikshashtakam. In the sixth verse He states:

"O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?"

Then in the seventh verse He says:

"O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like many years. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in your absence."

These emotional symptoms of devotion were constantly being displayed by Sri Chaitanya.

In the Matsya Purana the following statement is made by the Lord:

"In the Kali-yuga I will take birth in a place where three rivers meet. I will be golden color and tall. I will have a shaven head. I will be very merciful, and I will eagerly chant the holy names."

The place where three rivers meet is Navadvipa. It is the custom that eka-danda sannyasis completely shave their head when they take sannyasa, and Sri Chaitanya followed this principle.

This same verse is also found in the Vayu Purana with just two words appearing differently. The Vayu Purana verse mentions the Ganges river instead of 'three rivers'.

In the Vamana Purana the Lord says:

"O Narada, taking birth in Shachi-devi's womb, I will deliver the sinful people from the terrible darkness of Kali-yuga."

In the Vayu Purana the Lord states:

"In the month of Phalguna, when the star phalguni is conjoined with the full moon, I will appear in a golden form begotten by Purandara in Shachi-devi's womb."

Sri Chaitanya's father was known by the names Purandara Mishra and Jagannatha Mishra. Sri Chaitanya was born on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna.

"I will take birth in a brahmana family in the city of Navadvipa, by the Ganges shore."

"In order to show mercy to the people and engage them in devotional service, I will accept sannyasa. Then My name will be Sri Krishna Chaitanya."

In the Ananta Samhita we find:

"To show mercy to the people and give them devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear in a brahmana's home in Navadvipa by the Gange's shore."

Then the Lord states:

"In Kali-yuga I will descend to the earth with My associates. In Navadvipa, which is surrounded by the Ganges, I will take birth in Shachi-devi's womb."

In the Urdhvamnaya Tantra it is mentioned:

"In kali-yuga I will appear in a golden form as the son of Purandara and Shachi-devi."

In the Krishna-yamala it is stated:

"During the first sandhya of Kali-yuga I will descend, with all My powers and glories, to Mayapura in Navadvipa and become the son of Shachi-devi."

In the Brahma-yamala:

"I will appear on the earth in the garb of My devotee. In the Kali-yuga I will appear in Mayapura to start the sankirtana movement."

"In the first sandhya of kali-yuga, Lord Krishna will appear in Navadvipa, in Shachi-devi's womb. In that incarnation He will teach the chanting of Lord Hari's holy names."

In the Ananta Samhita we find:

"The golden Goddess Radha is known by the name Gauri and the dark Lord Krishna is known by the name Hari. Aware that both of them have combined, the wise call Him as Gaurahari."

"O beloved, assuming the forms of devotees the gopis will also take birth in Navadvipa. With great happiness they will again and again serve Lord Gaurahari, who is Radha and krishna combined in a single form."

In the Krishna-yamala we further find:

"Thinking in this way, Lord Krishna, who is an ocean of mercy, mercifully decided to appear as a devotee in Kali-yuga."

"His limbs will be golden and His voice deep. He will be very merciful. He will yearn to taste the nectar of His own holy name. He will be attached to chanting His own holy name. He will be the son of Shachi-devi."

In the Jaimini-bharata it is said:

"Lord Krishna descends to the world in many different forms. However in Kali-yuga, His incarnation is hidden. At that time He appears disguised as a sannyasi."

In the Yoga-vashishtha we find:

"In the first sandhya of Kali-yuga, on the earth, by the beautiful shore of the Ganges, the Lord will appear in His eternal golden form."

In the Skanda Purana:

"Outwardly of golden complexion, but inwardly Krishna, I will take My birth in the womb of Shachi-devi. Accompanied by My associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions, I will assume the role of a human being."

In the Kapila Tantra we find the following statements:

"Then Sri Radha said to Lord Krishna: O beloved, please hear My words. I yearn to become one with you. Please show a form where You and I embrace and Our two bodies become one, a form filled with the love I bear for You, a form filled with auspicious and blissful pastimes, a form that brings bliss to the heart, a form that unites Our two natures.'

"Hearing His beloved's words, which were filled with joy and love, Lord krishna passionately embraced Her. Then by the touch of His inconceivable potency Their two forms joined and became one, a single form endowed with Sri Radha's divine love and glorious splendour. In a dream Lord Krishna showed all this to Sri Radha."

Other direct references are found in the Vishvasara Tantra, Kularnava Tantra, Brahma-rahasya, and Vishnu-yamala. Besides these there are complete chapters about Sri Chaitanya's incarnation in the Vayu Purana and Bhavishya Purana, which are too long to quote here. Also there is a text by the name Chaitanya Upanishad within the Atharva Veda, which explains the Lord's incarnation in Kali-yuga. I have not cited it here, as it was rediscovered in recent times, so most people will reject it's authenticity, or at least its value as evidence.

Sri Chaitanya's incarnation was a hidden incarnation, thus He burried references to His appearance deep within the ocean of vedic texts. His desire was that His disguise would not be betrayed, so He made sure these references would remain hidden until after His incarnation was complete. These text's were always present, but by the inconceivable yoga-maya of the Lord, He covered His true identity even from the Vedic scholars and panditas. Only the pure devotees understood His actual identity.

In the Ananta Samhita we find this very relevant statement regarding Sri Chaitanya's incarnation:

"Those who are bewildered by My illusory potency will not understand the great secret of My appearance in this world in My personal form, in My form as the incarnation of a devotee, in My form bearing the name of a devotee, in My form as a devotee, and in My form as the giver of devotional service. This secret is not to be revealed to them. Only the saintly, pure, renounced devotees, diligently engaged in My devotional service, will be able to understand Me in these forms."

Ekadasi Style Prasadam for Janmasthami and Gaura Purnima:

So we can understand from this there there are two separate instructions (i) for ekadasi (ii) for Gaura Purnima and Janmastami.

"you can offer ekadasi to Lord Caitanya who acts as a devotee, but not to Krsna."(Bhanu Swami. 5th March 1999. [Text 2136851 from COM] )

"So far the Advent Day of Lord Caitanya is concerned, I have written a full suggestion to Montreal, in which the main points are that we should all observe strict fasting up till moonrise, and at that time, an offering is made to Lord Caitanya of Ekadasi foods, fruits, peanuts, milk, and so forth. Then, on the next day, Friday the 15th, a full-scale feast is held to celebrate His Advent Day. On the 14th, chanting, reading of Srila Bhaktivinode's book, Life and Precepts and Caitanya Caritamrta, Introduction to Bhagavatam, may be held all the day in the Temple." (San Francisco, written 12th March 1968 letter to Balai)

"The injunction to fast on Ekädasi is especially meant for devotees; on Ekädasi there are no restrictions regarding food that may be offered to the Lord. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu took the food of Lord Vishnu in His ecstasy as vishnu-tattva".(CC Adi-lila 10:71 purport.)

"Lord Caitanya's Appearance day falls on March 22 (1970), that is on a Sunday. The devotees should fast until evening, when there is a ceremony and offering of a small amount of Ekadasi preparations. The next day, the devotees should celebrate amongst themselves with a small scale feast. You may hold the celebration open to the public on the following Sunday. The preparation to be offered specially on this occasion is bhuni kichri: Fry equal parts dal and rice in ghee and massala. Add two times water as dal and rice, and add vegetables (if you use more ghee, use less water). Cook it until it is dried and the rice is soft."(Letter to Krishna dasa. 18th February 1970. Los Angeles.)

"P.S. No feasting in the evening of Caitanya's birthday. Fasting all day till evening moon rise. Then take Prasadam like Ekadasi. Next day you can have full swing feasting. On the birthday if can take a procession of Kirtana on the street it is very nice." (Post Script to Letter to Rayarama dasa. September. Unknown place unknown date Ref:91-05-14.)

There is an amusing discription of the first ISKCON janmastami "feast" as described by Hayagriva Prabhu in his biography "Hare Krishna Explosion pg 62"  He writes:"as midnight approaches, we hungrily envision the great birthday feast of Lord Krishna, mountains of succulent prasadam: cake and kachoris, halava and puris, sabji, sweet rice, samosas and gulabjamuns. Just a few minutes before midnight, Swamiji finally descends from his kitchen with the Prasadam. But our faces drop. There is only a platter of cut fruit."

There is a discription of Gaura Purnima in Mayapur India 1976 from the biography "A Transcendental Diary" Vol1 Mar.16. by Hari Sauri Prabhu: pg.461. "GAURA PURNIMA. The Appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone fasted until moon rise and then took an Ekadasi feast, although Prabhupada said this was not compulsory.

Pg.466: "Many Devotees sold copies of the Gitar-gana, and mass distribution of Halava prasadam went on throughout the day."

Pg.469 "At one point Prabhupada sent me out to see how many visitors had come , and he was very happy to hear of the large crowds. Typically, he wanted assurance that prasadam was being distributed to all."

"The Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-lilä, Chapter Six, fully describes the Lord’s accepting vishnu-prasäda on the Ekädasi day at the house of Jagadisha and Hiranya. Regular prasäda is offered to Lord Vishnu on Ekädasi because, while fasting is recommended for devotees on Ekädasi, it is not recommended for Lord Vishnu. Once on Ekädasi in the house of Jagadisha and Hiranya Pandita there were arrangements for preparing special prasäda for Lord Vishnu, and Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu asked His father to go there to ask for the vishnu-prasäda because He was feeling sick. The house of Jagadisha and Hiranya Pandita was situated about two miles from the house of Jagannätha Mishra. Therefore when Jagannätha Mishra, on the request of Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, came to ask Jagadisha and Hiranya for the prasäda, they were a little astonished. How could the boy understand that special prasäda was being prepared for Lord Vishnu? They immediately concluded that the boy Nimäi must have supernatural mystic power. Otherwise how could He understand that they were preparing special prasäda? Therefore they immediately sent the food to Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu through His father, Jagannätha Mishra. Nimäi was feeling sick, but immediately after eating the vishnu-prasäda He was cured, and He also distributed the prasäda among His playmates." (CC Adi-lila 14:39. purport)

The special Lila-vichitra pastimes of the Lord which are EXTRAORDINARY and not to be imitated.

If I may pose a question "If the Supreme Personality of Godhead came to you on ekadasi and gave you grains to eat what would you do???"

I for one would eat them right there on the spot, directly from the Lord's hand. Despite everything else, knowing who we are to take shelter of, just like His playmates did. (unfortunately it appears I will have to wait some time to test this case)

Adjusting the program for preaching (feasting):
"You can take quotations from the above mentioned books, and have discussions.
Fasting should be continued up to evening, then you may have food like on Ekadasi, fruits, milk, etc. On the next day you may observe festival. Janardana consulted me and said he thinks Sunday feasting would be best, so you may do that if you like. Or you may do both days, as you feel best."(Letter to Mahapurush. 7th March 1968. Regarding Gaura Purnima)

"We performed Lord Caitanya's Birthday ceremony, not very gorgeously, but amongst ourselves, and Govinda dasi cooked very nice Ekadasi foodstuffs. The next day I expected some big ceremony but it couldn't be performed. (Letter to Purusottam. 6th March 1969. Hawaii)

Fasting FOR EKADASI:
"From the very beginning of His childhood life Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu introduced the system of observing a fast on the Ekädasi day. In the Bhakti-sandarbha, by Shrila Jiva Gosvämi, there is a quotation from the Skanda Puräna admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekädasi becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master, and even if he is elevated to a Vaikuntha planet, he falls down. On Ekädasi, everything is cooked for Vishnu, including regular grains and dahi, but it is enjoined that a Vaishnava should not even take vishnu-prasäda on Ekädasi. It is said that a Vaishnava does not accept anything eatable that is not offered to Lord Vishnu, but on Ekädasi a Vaishnava should not touch even mahä-prasäda offered to Vishnu, although such prasäda may be kept for being eaten the next day. It is strictly forbidden for one to accept any kind of grain on Ekädasi, even if it is offered to Lord Vishnu." ( CC Adi-lia 15:19. purport.)

"Mother Saci said, “You have spoken very nicely. I shall not eat grains on Ekädasi.” From that day, she began to observe fasting on Ekädasi."(CC Adi-lila 15:10 text.)
PURPORT
"It is a prejudice amongst smärta-brähmanas that a widow must observe fasting on Ekädasi but a woman who has her husband should not. It appears that before the request of Lord Caitanya Sacimätä was not observing Ekädasi because of her being sa-dhava, which means that her husband was living. Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, however, introduced the system that a woman, even if not a widow, must observe the Ekädasi day and must not touch any kind of grains, even those offered to the Deity of Vishnu".(CC Adi-lia 15:10 purport.)

"Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s pastime of fainting after eating betel nuts is a solid instruction to all of us that one should not touch betel nuts, even those offered to Vishnu, just as one should not touch grains on the Ekädasi day. Of course, Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s fainting had a particular purpose. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He can do whatever He likes and eat whatever He wants, but we should not imitate His pastimes." (CC Adi-lia 15:16 purport.)

"Devotee: On ekädasi, we can offer the Deity grains?
Prabhupäda: Oh yes. But not guru. Ekädasi observed by jiva-tattva, not by Vishnu-tattva. We are fasting for clearing our material disease, but Rädhä-Krishna, Caitanya Mahäprabhu... Caitanya Mahäprabhu also may not be offered grains because He is playing the part of a devotee. Only Rädhä-Krishna, Jagannätha can be offered grains. Otherwise, Guru-Gauränga, no. And the prasädam should not be taken by anyone. It should be kept for next day." (Room Conversation. 22nd April 1972. Japan)

Prabhupäda: They are strictly following Vaishnava principles. They... Whenever one comes to become my disciple, the first condition is that no illicit sex; no meat-eating, eggs, fish, nothing of the sort; no intoxication up to smoking cigarette, drinking tea and coffee; and no gambling. So they strictly follow these things. In our society, there is no tea-drinking even. We don’t drink tea. So... Intoxication, päna, chäi päna, päna... Päna is intoxication.
Guest: Tämbüla...
Prabhupäda: Tämbüla. Yatra päpas catur-vidhä.
Guest: (Sanskrit or Hindi: Krshna is offered tämbüla in the temple.)
Prabhupäda: No, Krishna can take.
Guest: Yes. And that prasäda of Bhagavän Shri Krishna...
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Guest: ...the devotees can take also...
Prabhupäda: No, prasädam, according to our principle... Just like on Ekädasi day, we do not accept even prasädam. Anna. We keep it. So prasädam... Just like on Ekädasi anna is prohibited, but not the Deity. Deity’s offered anna, but we cannot take the prasädam even. So following strictly the principle, even tämbüla is offered to Krishna, it is not for us. Yes. Strictly following the principle. The same example... Just like on Ekädasi day, anna is offered to Krishna, but we don’t take.
Guest: The devotees are not allowed.
Prabhupäda: Not allowed, yes.
Guest: Äcchä.
Prabhupäda: Äcchä.
Guest: I’m very grateful to have your darshana. Om namo näräyanäya.
Prabhupäda: Jaya. Hare Krishna. (end) (Room Conversation. 11th July 1973. London).

HIS DIVINE, EVER REVEALING, EVER LOVING GRACE SRILA PRABHUPAD KI JAYA!!!

"Lord Caitanya has instructed us that in the holy name of the Lord, as sound representation of the Lord, all the potencies of the Lord are invested. Thus one can immediately enjoy the association of the Lord by the pure vibration of the sound representation of His holy name, and the concept of the Lord is immediately manifested before the pure devotee. A pure devotee, therefore, is not aloof from the Lord even for a moment."

(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.5.25, Purport)

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His disciples to write books on the science of Krsna, a task which His followers have continued to carry out down to the present day. The elaborations and expositions on the philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya are, in fact, the most voluminous, exacting, and consistent, due to the system of disciplic succession. Although Lord Caitanya was widely renowned as a scholar in His youth, He left only eight verses, called Siksastaka. These eight verses clearly reveal His mission and precepts. These supremely valuable prayers are translated herein.

1.
Glory to the Sri Krsna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

2.
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.

3.
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

4.
O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.

5.
O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.

6.
O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?

7.
O Govinda! Feeling Your separations I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.

8.
I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.
.
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya)

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

(Every Town & Village, album cover)

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What's So Special About Chanting Hare Krishna?
By Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandan dasa ACBSP):
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38 Years of Krishna Consciousness through Iskcon.........
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Very nice articles and numerous links on the About Hinduism web-site.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Hare Krishna is NOT "a Cult":
Is ISKCON a Cult or part of the "Hindu Culture" or Something Else?
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Hare Krishna is NOT a Cult letter by Kunti dd editor of Hare Krishna World:
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"Lord Krsna, who is the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of Saci (Lord Caitanya), and Balarama became Nitai. The holy name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. The two sinners Jagai and Madhai are evidence of this."

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updated 21st February 2004

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

Paradigms - where things are not all they seem

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

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

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

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

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

and

and

Savarana-sri-gaura-pada-padme Prarthana
From Prarthana,
by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu doya koro more
toma bina ke doyalu jagat-samsare

patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara
mo sama patita prabhu na paibe are

ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi
krpabalokana koro, ami baro duhkhi

doya koro sita-pati adwaita gosai
tava krpa-bale pai caitanya-nitai

ha ha swarup, sanatana, rupa, raghunatha
bhatta-jugau, sri jiva ha prabhu lokanatha

doya koro sri acarya prabhu srinivasa
ramacandra-sanga mage narottama-dasa

purport by
Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This is a song composed by Narottama dasa Thakura. He prays to Lord Caitanya, "My dear Lord, please be merciful to me, because who can be more merciful than Your Lordship within these three worlds?" Actually, this is a fact. Not only Narottama dasa Thakura, but Rupa Gosvami also prayed to Lord Caitanya in this way. At the time of the first meeting of Lord Caitanya and Rupa Gosvami at Prayaga (Allahabad), Srila Rupa Gosvami said, "My dear Lord, You are the most munificent of all incarnations, because You are distributing love of Krsna, Krsna consciousness." When Krsna was personally present He simply asked us to surrender, but He did not distribute Himself so easily. He made conditions -- "First of all you surrender."
 

But this incarnation, Lord Caitanya, although Krsna Himself, makes no such condition. He simply distributes: "Take love of Krsna." Therefore Lord Caitanya is approved as the most munificent incarnation. Narottama dasa Thakura says, "Please be merciful to me. You are so magnanimous, because You have seen the fallen souls of this age, and You are very much compassionate to them, but You should know also that I am the most fallen. No one is more greatly fallen than me." Patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara: "Your incarnation is just to reclaim the conditioned, fallen souls, but I assure You that You will not find a greater fallen soul than me. Therefore, my claim is first."
 

Then he prays to Lord Nityananda. He says, ha ha prabhu Nityananda premananda-sukhi: "My dear Lord Nityananda, You are always joyful in spiritual bliss. Since You always appear very happy, I have come to You because I am most unhappy. If You kindly put Your glance over me, I may also become happy." Then he prays to Advaita Prabhu. Doya koro sita-pati adwaita gosai, Advaita Prabhu's wife's name was Sita. Therefore He is sometimes addressed as sita-pati. Thus Narottama dasa Thakura prays, "My dear Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita, You are so kind. Please be kind to me. If You are kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Nityananda will also be kind to me."
 

Actually, Advaita Prabhu invited Lord Caitanya to come down. When Advaita Prabhu saw that the fallen souls were all engaged simply in sense gratificatory processes, not understanding Krsna consciousness, He felt very much compassionate toward the fallen souls, and He also felt Himself incapable of claiming them all. He therefore prayed to Lord Krsna, "Please come Yourself. Without Your personal presence it is not possible to deliver these fallen souls." Thus by His invitation Lord Caitanya appeared. Naturally, Narottama dasa Thakura prays to Advaita Prabhu, "If You will be kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Nityananda also will be kind to me."
 

Then he prays to the Gosvamis. Ha ha swarup, sanatana, rupa, raghunatha. Swarup refers to Svarupa Damodara, the personal secretary of Lord Caitanya. He was always with Caitanya Mahaprabhu and immediately arranged for whatever Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted. Two personal attendants, Svarupa Damodara and Govinda, were always constantly with Lord Caitanya. Therefore, Narottama dasa Thakura also prays to Svarupa Damodara and then to the six Gosvamis, the next disciples of Lord Caitanya -- Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Bhatta Raghunatha Gosvami, Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. These six Gosvamis were directly instructed by Lord Caitanya to spread this movement of Krsna consciousness. Narottama dasa Thakura also prays for their mercy.

After the six Gosvamis, the next acarya was Srinivasa Acarya. Actually, Narottama dasa Thakura was in the disciplic succession after Srinivasa Acarya and was almost his contemporary, and Narottama dasa's personal friend was Ramacandra Cakravarti. Therefore he prays, "I always desire the company of Ramacandra." He desires a devotee's company. The whole process is that we should always pray for the mercy of the superior acaryas and keep company with pure devotees. Then it will be easier for us to advance in Krsna consciousness and receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna. This is the sum and substance of this song sung by Narottama dasa Thakura.

Sacarana-sri-gaura-mahima
The Glories of Sri Gauranga (from Prathana)
by Narottama das thakur

gaurangera duti pada, jar dhana sampada,
se jane bhakati-rasa-sar
gaurangera madhura-lila, jar karne pravesila,
hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar

je gaurangera nama loy, tara hoy premodoy,
tare mui jai bolihari
gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure,
se jana bhakati-adhikari

gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori' mane,
se jay brajendra-suta-pas
sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, jeba jane cintamani,
tara hoy braja-bhume bas

gaura-prema-rasarnave, se tarange jeba dube,
se radha--madhava-antaranga
grhe ba vanete thake, 'ha gauranga' bo'le dake,
narottama mage tara sanga

PURPORT
by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This is a song by Narottama Dasa Thakura in praise of the glories of Lord Caitanya. Gauranga refers to Lord Caitanya, who has a fair complexion. One who has a fair complexion is called gaura and since Lord Caitanya was very fair, just like molten gold, He was also named Gaurasundara. Narottama Dasa Thakura says, gaurangera duti pada, jar dhana-sampada, se jane bhakati-rasa-sar. Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service.

Devotional service is very difficult. It cannot be understood by any ordinary man. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, out of many thousands of persons who are trying to achieve the perfection of human life, only some actually become perfect and realize the self. And out of many thousands of such self-realized persons, only one can understand Krsna. Without understanding Krsna, how can one engage himself in the service of Krsna? Therefore, the devotional service of Krsna is not an ordinary thing. But fortunately, if one follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya (gaurangera duti pada) by following the path shown by Lord Caitanya--the process of simply chanting Hare Krsna--he can very easily understand what devotional service is.

Therefore Narottama Das Thakura prays that one take shelter of Lord Caitanya and follow in His footsteps, for then one can understand the essence of devotional service.
Lord Caitanya's pastimes are very pleasing, because the basic principles of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement are chanting, dancing, and eating krsna-prasada. He made His headquarters in Jagannatha Puri and would dance, chant, and then immediately call for prasada to be distributed to the devotees. They were so pleased that every day hundreds of men would come to chant and dance with Lord Caitanya. The temple proprietor, the King of Orissa, Maharaja Prataparudra, had an open order to the workers in the temple to supply as much prasada to Lord Caitanya's devotees as they wanted.

Therefore, His pastimes are very pleasing: chant, dance, and take prasada. If one is captivated by the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, simply by chanting and dancing and eating prosada the dirt things in his heart will all become cleansed. The heart of anyone who takes to this movement of chanting, dancing, and eating krsna-prasada will surely be cleansed of all dirty material contamination. Narottama Dasa Thakura says, very rightly, gaurangera madhura-lila, jar karne pravesila, hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar: if one wants to cleanse his heart, he must take to the movement of Lord Caitanya--Krsna consciousness.

Lord Caitanya is so nice that one who simply takes the holy name of Gaurasundara, Sri Krsna Caitanya, will immediately develop love of God. Generally, devotees first chant sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda, for the preliminary process of cleansing the heart is to invoke the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda, and Their associates. Lila means "pastimes." Without associates there cannot be pastimes, so Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always ac- companied by associates--Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa, and many other devotees. Tar means "his," hoy means "it is effected,'' and premodoy refers to development of love of God. Simply by chanting sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda one immediately develops love of God. To such a person Narottama Das Thakura says, "Bravo!" to encourage him in chanting Lord Caitanya's name and chanting. Just as we clap and say, "Bravo!" similarly he says, jai bolihari: "Very nice. Excellent!"

Then he says, gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure: if one appreciates the merciful pastimes of Lord Caitanya and feels ecstasy and sometimes cries, this process will immediately help him to understand the pastimes of Radha-Krsna, which are called nitya-lila. The lying affairs between Radha-Krsna are not a temporary thing. Here in this material world we can see loving affairs between boys and girls, but that is temporary. That is simply for a few months, a few years, or maybe a little more. But then all that so-called love will go to hell. They are not permanent affairs. But if one really wants permanent love affairs, he must enter into the pastimes of Radha-Krsna. Simply by appreciating Lord Caitanya's movement one can immediately enter into or understand Radha-Krsna's eternal pastimes. One who can understand the transcendental, eternal pastimes of Radha-Krsna reaches the highest perfectional stage of devotional service.

The next line is, gaurangera sangi-gane. Sangi-gane means "associates." Lord Caitanya is always associated: He is not alone. We never see a picture of Lord Caitanya alone. At least there must be Lord Nityananda or Gadadhara Pandita. Actually, wherever Lord Caitanya was present, many thousands of devotees would assemble. Such devotees, especially those who were His nearest intimate associates, were nitya-siddha. In the devotional line there are three kinds of perfect devotees. One is called sadhana-siddha. This refers to a person who has very rigidly performed the regulative prescriptions and thereby reached the perfectional stage. Reaching the perfectional stage by executing the regulative principles is called sadhana-siddha.

There is another kind of devotee, who is called krpa-siddha. He may not have executed the regulative principles very rigidly, but by his service mood he is specifically blessed by the spiritual master or Krsna. He is immediately promoted to the perfectional stage. This is called krpa-siddha. Nitya-siddha is one who was never contaminated by the material nature. The sadhana-siddhas and the krpa-siddhas were supposed to have once been in the contamination of material nature, but nitya-siddhas never came into contact with the material nature.

All the associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu are nitya-siddhas, or eternally perfect. Nityananda Prabhu is Balarama, the immediate expansion of Krsna; Advaita Prabhu is Maha-Visnu (He is also visnu-tattva); Gadadhara Prabhu is an expansion of Radharani; and Srivasa is an incarnation of Narada. They are nitya-siddha, or eternally perfect. They were never imperfect. They were never in contact with material contamination. We should understand that as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna Himself, is transcendental, similarly His personal associates are also nitya-siddha, or eternally transcendental. Se jay brajendra-suta-pas. Brajendra-suta means Krsna. Simply by accepting that the associates of Lord Caitanya are eternally free, one can immediately be promoted to the transcendental abode of Lord Krsna.

Sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi. Gauda means West Bengal. Lord Caitanya appeared in West Bengal, Navadvipa, and He especially flooded that part of the country with the sankirtana movement. That part of the country has special significance, for it is non different from Vrndavana. It is as good as Vrndavana. Living in Vrndavana and living in Navadvipa are the same. Narottama Dasa Thakura says, sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, jeba jane cintamani. Cintamani means the transcendental abode. Tara hoy braja-bhume bas. If one simply understands that this land of Navadvipa is not different from Vrndavana, then he actually lives in Vrndavana. One should not think that he is living in Bengal or any material country; the places where Lord Caitanya had His pastimes are as good as Vrndavana.

Lord Caitanya's distribution of this love of God is compared with an ocean (rasa-arnava). What kind of ocean? tot !he salty ocean thad one cannot taste. The water of this ocean is so nice that if one drinks even one drop, he will like it more and more. It is not ordinary ocean water, of which one cannot taste even a drop. Therefore it is called rasarnava. In this ocean there are different waves; an ocean does not stand still, for it is not impersonal or void. And as the ocean is always dancing with waves, similarly the ocean of transcendental love of Krsna as introduced by Lord Caitanya has constant waves, constant sound. One has to dive deep into that ocean. If one knows the secret and says, "Let me dive deep into the ocean of the transcendental loving movement introduced by Lord Caitanya,'' he immediately becomes one of the confidential devotees of Radha and Krsna.

Therefore Narottama Dasa Thakura concludes this song by saying, grhe ba vanete thake, 'ha gauranga ' bo 'le dake. It is not necessary that one become a mendicant or give up his family life and society. One can remain wherever he finds it suitable, whether as a householder, as a brahmacari, as a vanaprastha, or as a sannyasi. Vanaprasthas and sannyasis are supposed to live outside of the city. Vanete means "forest." Formerly, those who were in spiritual consciousness used to live in the forest to become free of the turmoil of city life. But that is not possible now. In this age no one can go into the forest. That requires practice, and no one is practiced to that line. Therefore, generally one is recommended to live with his friends, wife, and children.That doesn't matter, but he must take to the process of Krsna consciousness as introduced by Lord Caitanya. It is not difficult. The real thing is that one has to accept the movement of Lord Caitanya--chanting, dancing, and eating krsna-prasada.

Even if one is in family life, there is no difficulty. He can just sit down, chant Hare Krsna, dance nicely, and then take krsna-prasada. Everyone can do this. Those who have renounced this world, sannyasis, also can do it; there is no difficulty. Therefore, Narottama Dasa Thakura says that it doesn't matter whether one is a brahmacari, grhastha, or sannyasi. He says, "If you have taken to these principles of life, I desire your company, because you are a devotee of Lord Caitanya." In this way, Narottama Dasa Thakura finishes the song.

Doyal Nitai Chaitanya
by Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Merciful Nityananda and Chaitanya

doyal nitai chaitanya bole nac re amar man
nac re amar man, nac re amara man

(emon, doyal to nitai he, mar kheye prema dey)
(ore) aparadha dure jabe, pabe prema-dhan
(o name aparadha - vicara to nai he)
(takhon) krsna - name ruci ha'be, ghucibe bandhan

(krsna - name anurag to ha'be he)
(takhon) anayase saphal ha'be jivera jivan
(krsna-rati vina jivan to miche he)
(ese) vrindavane radha-syamer pa'be darashan
(gaura-krpa ha'le he)

1) Chanting the holy names "Doyal Nitai Chaitanya!" Oh mind, please dance! Oh mind, please dance! Oh mind please dance!

2) Such a merciful personality as Nityananda Prabhu is not to be found anywhere! He sufferes a beating from Jagai and Madhai and still gives them love of God! When your offences are vanquished, you will obtain the treasure of love of God! But in these names of Chaitanya and Nitai there is no consideration of offenses! Once you have a taste for the holy name of Krishna, bondage to this world will come to an end.

3) When there is attachment to the holy name of Krishna, the life of a living being very easily becomes successful!  Without affection for Krishna, life is simply useless! At the end of life you will obtain the beautiful vision of Radha and Syama in Vrindavan - but only by first recieving the mercy of Gauranga!

HYDERABAD, INDIA, February 12, 2004: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the richest Hindu Temple, has been known to adopt modern technology to make things easier for workers and pilgrims and save money. The ghee used for cooking the laddoo (a large sweet) and other prasadam (blessed food offered to the Diety) will now be supplied through pipes, making it free from human touch. With the help of the National Dairy Development Board, the TTD will soon have a pipeline supplying melted ghee round the clock. On an average, the temple uses 4,500 kg ghee daily. The entire exercise of getting the 1,100-odd tin containers, piercing them and getting the ghee out was time consuming and involved a lot of wastage. The other problem was finding the space to store the used tin boxes for the six-monthly auctions. The ghee pipeline will have double-jacketed pipes -- the inner pipe will carry ghee, the outer will carry steam to keep the ghee flowing. A huge tank is being erected alongside the temple to store ghee. The pipeline will save the temple US$130,000 a year. Everyday 35,000 to 40,000 devotees visit the shrine; about 100,000 laddoos are distributed as prasad, using 4,500 kg ghee.

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

LONDON, ENGLAND, February 9, 2004: During pre-Christian times many European countries practised the religion known as Paganism. In recent times, there has been a resurgence of this religion around the globe. Associated Press explains, "Wiccans consider themselves witches, pagans or neo-pagans, and say their religion is based on respect for the Earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons." In Denmark, the government has allowed a group that worships the Norse gods Thor and Odin to conduct legally-valid marriages. Tissel Jacobsen, president of the 240-member Forn Sidr, indicates that about 1,000 people worship the ancient gods in Denmark. In the U.S. in the state of Virginia, a Wiccan named Cyndi Simpson was not allowed to say a prayer to open a Chesterfield County Board Meeting. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia in collaboration with the Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit on Simpson's behalf and they won. A U.S. federal judge ruled that Simpson has been discriminated against. Canada claims the greatest Pagan population of 21,080 and Statistics Canada says that Paganism is Canada's fastest growing religion. Heather Botting, vice-president of the University of Victoria's 150-member Thorn and Oak Student Pagan Club says, "Tens of thousands of residents on Canada's West Coast practise Paganism." In Australia, Pagans are struggling to gain respect after a Christian council member in Melbourne labelled Pagans as members of a satanic cult. Olivia Watts, a self-proclaimed witch, is getting help in the legal battle from the Sydney-based Pagan Awareness Network.

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

INDIA, February 15, 2004: It seems that with each outbreak of Asian Flu or Mad Cow disease, people are either adopting a vegetarian diet or reaffirming their lifestyle choice if they are already vegetarian. Interviewing vegetarians from various regions of India, Saikat Neogi has uncovered a wide array of vegetarian followers. Vidyanidhi Dalmia, chairman of Dalmia Continental Private Limited, who was brought up a vegetarian and has now resumed the diet says, "Eating nonveg was always uncomfortable for me, and the very thought of killing a living being for consumption was abhorrent. And late last year I decided to turn vegetarian." Raj Khosla, director of Shelters comments, "I was going for a meeting and got struck in a traffic jam. Ahead of our car was an uncovered lorry carrying slaughtered chickens and their blood was flowing on the street. Every time the lorry used to brake, a splash of blood would hit our windscreen. It was very detesting. It was then that I decided to quit non-vegetarian food." Chelan Seth, chairman and managing director of Chemon adds, "I was a carnivore and ate every kind of meat under the sun. But after going through a couple of spiritual lessons, I decided to give up nonvegetarian food. The quality of meat in India is not very good and can lead to diseases." All three men are happy with their vegetarian food choices and say that globally vegetarian food is now easier to find than it used to be. Dilip Modi, CEO of Spice Communications says, "There is a plethora of fruits and vegetables available all over. So, being a part of the herbivorous food group one can enjoy a variety of cuisine in every country. It is hardly a sacrifice to be vegetarian like many may think and one can enjoy the vast variety of vegetarian food, apart from the fact that it is more healthy." Dr. Umesh Kapil, professor in the department of Gastroenterology & Human nutrition at All India Institute explains, "The high content of fibre in the vegetarian diet can prevent constipation which is responsible for diseases like diverticulosis,  hiatus-hernia and varicose vein. Similarly, a vegetarian diet prevents one from being exposed to zoonotic diseases which spread because inadequate examination is done of animals before they are slaughtered." For more testimonials on the features and benefits of a vegetarian diet, check out "Source" above.

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

USA, February 18, 2004: A U.S. study indicating that smoking scenes in today's movies are now only slightly more numerous than the smoke-filled flicks of the 1950s has touched off an uproar in Britain, where restrictions on cigarette advertising are in many ways stricter than they are in the U.S. The study, conducted by the University of California at Berkeley and published by the Journal of American Public Health, showed that while the number of "tobacco incidents" in films dropped to 4.9 per hour in the 1980s, they had risen to 10.9 in 2001/2002. Amanda Sandford of the British anti-smoking group ASH told the London Independent, "If smoking in films is returning to levels in the 1950s then it is shocking. ... We now have a tobacco advertising ban in Britain, and Hollywood movies should not be seen as a loophole through which to promote smoking." In the course of investigations of the tobacco industry in the US, it was discovered that Sylvester Stallone was paid millions of dollars to smoke a particular brand of cigarettes in his movies.

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

BOMBAY, INDIA, February 17, 2004: Queen of rock and roll Tina Turner has been signed for a mystic Hollywood movie by US-based Indian director Ismail Merchant. The 63-year-old pop diva and grandmother, who is a convert to Buddhism, has spent two weeks touring India to familiarize herself with Indian culture before filming the movie, "The Goddess," which is about the power of women. "I think Ismail (Merchant) chose me because of my shakti (power) within. I'm special in that I've had a long run (as a star) and I'm still here," Turner told reporters in Bombay. Merchant said he had taken Turner to the southern state of Kerala and other parts of the country. "This will enrich her experience to understand this country more and give a better perspective about her role in our film," he told AFP. "She has universal appeal. Wherever I have been, she is known. That is the reason I chose her do do this film, and I am happy she agreed," he said. Turner is due to play the role of the Hindu Goddess, Shakti, who gives people power and energy to survive, said Merchant. Turner, who has retired from the stage, told reporters she did not miss live performing any more. "The epitome of my career was when I could fill a stadium with 190,000 people, but now I'm ready to move on to another kind of performance," she was quoted by the Times of India as saying. Shooting for the film will begin early next year.

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

ConversionWatch Main Page
conversionwatch <conversionwatch@yahoo.com> wrote:

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0305/hargreaves.php

Cross Purposes
by Steve Hargreaves
January 29 - February 4, 2003

BANGKOK, THAILANDIn the hills of northern Thailand, near the infamous Golden Triangle region, a new kind of battle is taking place. The nexus of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos has long been plagued by cross-border shelling and small-arms fire, but the latest fighting is different. On one side are those trying to save a people's culture. On the other are those trying to save their souls.

And now, squarely in the middle, stands the U.S. government. In early October the Department of Labor, as part of the Bush administration's new policy of helping fund "faith-based" organizations, announced it would give $700,000 to the International Justice Mission, a Washington, D.C.-based Christian group focused on human rights abuses.

Since taking office, President Bush has made channeling federal funds to religious organizations a key part of his agenda. Although the allotment for the International Justice Mission, or IJM, is one of the first faith-based grants to be awarded internationally, others may soon follow. Last month, Bush moved personnel from the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to the Agency for International Development.

IJM's money is to be spent countering child trafficking, no small problem considering an estimated 300,000 women and girls are bought and sold here every year; most end up as forced laborers in factories or brothels. However, the infusion of American support comes at a time when local citizens and the secular aid workers who come to help are becoming increasingly wary of missionary work. In particular, they say Christian preachers end up stripping traditional ways from some of the most impoverished people in the Chiang Rai province, the Akha "hilltribe."

One of the region's six major hilltribes, the Akha are relative newcomers. Some 500,000 members have migrated here from Myanmar, Laos, Tibet, and southern China over the last 200 years. Fleeing wars, persecution, and natural disasters, they settle in the remote mountains, erecting grass and bamboo villages, practicing slash-and-burn agriculture, and, in some cases, making and selling crafts to tourists. Akha religion is best described as ancestral and animistic, meaning they believe everything has a spirit. The tribe is shunned by Thai societyand heavily targeted for conversion by missionaries.

Twenty-year-old Buga Mayer, who sells hilltribe clothing and accessories in Chiang Rai's night bazaar, has nothing but sharp words for outside religious preachers. "They come to change the Akha people's ideas," she says. "It's no good. We used to have Akha festivals all the time. Now it's just once in a while."

It's unclear how much evangelizing IJM engages in, if any, as representatives declined to be interviewed. And while a spokesman for the Department of Labor says the federal money is only to be used to stop child traffickinga task that includes serving as a liaison between government officials and field missionaries who witness abuseshe also acknowledges the government has no control over how IJM spends other portions of its budget.

Who's to say whether any given dollar gets spent on humanitarianism or proselytizing? With the region's average monthly wage pegged at something less than $100, the sheer size of the $700,000 grant is raising eyebrows.

"That's not good news," says Alberto C. de la Paz, curator of a hilltribe museum run by Thailand's Population and Community Development Association, the country's largest nongovernmental organization. Himself a Filipino-born Christian, de la Paz is hardly a radical anti-missionary crusader. He acknowledges the benefits missionaries bring to the hilltribes, such as teaching basic literacy and thus empowering people to record their history. However, he says missionary outreach sometimes results in half a village converting to Christianity while the other half holds to the traditional faith. This split can create problems for groups trying to run development programs such as encouraging the planting of renewable crops. In many cases, he says, the two halves simply won't work together, so the whole village loses out.

More importantly, de la Paz thinks missionaries contribute to the erosion of indigenous culture. By spreading a belief in Jesus, he says, they relegate ancestral and spirit worship to the history books. Along with it go the clothing, rituals, and other expressions of identity. Also at stake is centuries-old knowledge of agriculture, medicine, and family ties, which is spread through religious stories. A horticulturist by training, he equates a loss of cultural diversity with a loss of biodiversity. The less diverse our human population becomes, the less its chance for survival. "The villagers are living in what I call a cultural island," he says, "and that is being eroded."

---------------------------------------------------

Yet de la Paz is not the evangelicals' fiercest critic in Chiang Rai. By almost all accounts that title goes to Matthew McDaniel, a 44-year-old former carpenter from Oregon. Driving from village to village in a beat-up Toyota four-by-four, its rear end pasted with "Missionaries Suck" bumper stickers, McDaniel isn't shy about his disdain for the religiously motivated. He climbs trees to take down signs posted by missionaries. And he says he has told missionaries trying to move into his village, where he lives with his Akha wife, that he'll do "whatever it takes" to keep them out.

Since moving to Thailand 15 years ago, McDaniel has started a small nongovernmental organization called the Akha Heritage Foundation. With an annual budget of $6000, the group provides services that range from the establishing of fish farms and publishing books in the Akha language to documenting human rights violations.

McDaniel says the missionaries don't do anything to help the people economically. Worse, he says, the missionaries, despite having vast financial resources, have a vested interest in keeping people poor, since desperation makes for easier converts. "You don't succeed as a missionary if you teach someone to be independent," he said. "They want to control them like a resource, like trees in a forest."

McDaniel says one of the main missionary activities, the opening of orphanages, is downright sneaky. "They work to take the children," he says. "Separate them from their parents and it's easier to convert them."

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For their part, missionaries in the region describe their goals as a mix of the charitable and the heavenly.

About 20 miles outside Chiang Rai, Gary Spengler is enjoying a harvest celebration in a small Akha village of some 30 houses. The village sits in a shallow valley, where thick vegetation on the steep surrounding hills is broken only by terraced farm plots. The houses are grass and bamboo huts resting on stilts, with one or two rooms on the inside and sometimes a porch out front. Chickens cluck about. Large banana leaves, which everyone seems to be using for plates, litter the ground, perhaps soon to be eaten by the chickens.

Perched atop a small rise is a concrete church where dozens of people are attending a service conducted by an Akha pastor. Spengler is there gathering photos and video to show people back in the States. A born-again American missionary, Spengler is up-front and open when it comes to talking about his mission. "If you see a bunch of people who don't know Christianity, you reach out to them," he says, citing Bible study sessions and organizing sporting events as ways to connect with the locals. "It's not trickery. You can't force people to believe in Christ. We just wake up every day and try to help people out."

Spengler admits missionaries have made mistakes in the past, preaching to people without understanding their real needs. "They used to come with a Bible pack and leave. Now they come with a Bible pack and a hammer," he says. "But obviously we would never come if it was just to feed people. That's what the Peace Corps does."

Four years ago Spengler, his wife, Cindy, and their four children moved to Thailand from Virginia, where Gary worked in construction. The couple, both on the early side of middle age, are not the expected picture of Christian missionaries. Cindy, a former sorority girl at Auburn University, suggested going out for a beer. Gary, with his fit physique and stylish sunglasses, spoke fondly of surfing on the Florida coast. After spending three years as missionaries near Bangkok, they came to Chiang Rai last year and founded the Akha Harvest Mission. Now, Gary says, they're planning a 32-bed orphanage here, with the goal of caring for parentless Akha children and "having these kids raised knowing who Jesus Christ is."

Cindy says missionaries are of course changing the Akha way of life, but she doesn't necessarily think this is a bad thing. "Those that want to preserve culture look at things as so myopic," she says. "Culture is not static. Life is fluid, culture is fluid." She cites an Akha custom that calls for killing one baby in the event twins are born, as twins are thought to bring bad spirits into the village. "Things are not all good in an animist society," she says. "They live in fear. They don't know where they are coming from or where they are going."

And that is the primary motivation for missionaries, redirecting "lost" souls toward the pearly gates. "That is a biblical mandate," says Cindy. "Are we going to go to heaven by ourselves or are we going to see if we can bring others with us as well?"

For people who consider nonbelievers doomed to hell, separating piety from politics may be impossible. The International Justice Mission's own literature states a need for "an explicitly Christian ministry" to deal with human rights abuses. The Department of Labor, however, says IJM's religious affiliation had nothing to do with getting funded. "We would not favor a Christian group over any other," says the spokesman, noting IJM competed with several other secular agencies. "It's based on abilities, not religious content."

As for the Akha people, opinions about missionaries are, not surprisingly, mixed. Mayer, the bazaar merchant, questions the true objectives of religious conversion. She's a university student and Buddhist convert, both rare for a hilltribe member. "The missionaries import the American lifestyle into Thailand," she says. "They entice people to believe in God. I am suspect. Why do they do this? To increase American power, I believe."

Just a few tables down, 20-year-old Fon Visaluk says she respects missionaries' efforts to turn Akha people away from drinking and smoking and their push for education. She praises the missionary who has been in her village for the last decade. "In my village boys and girls don't go to school," she says. "He teaches them. All day long he's working. He's a good man."

In many ways, the judgment hilltribe people and secular aid workers pass on IJM will depend on how well the group segregates its role as American-funded watchdog from its stated commitment to "advance [Christ's] Kingdom." But at a time when the U.S. faces increasing heat from allies and enemies alike for being, at best, an overly dominant culture and, at worst, a relentless crusader, perhaps there's a better way to promote understanding than sending missionaries to do the job of ambassadors.

Is the USA such a perfect society spiritually or materially that it can afford to impose their mundane values on the world in the name of Christianity, US moral saviours, ...of the world !!!!!

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html
Western Indologists been exposed page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm

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

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

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

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

HH Devamrita Swami
http://www.devaswami.net/home.htm

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

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

HH Jayapataka Swami
http://www.hearjps.com/
http://www.jpsoffice.com/
http://www.harekrishna.asn.au/speakers/jayapataka_swami/jayapataka_swami.htm
http://www.victoryflag.com/

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

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

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

HG Prithu Prabhu:
http://iskconworldwide.com/pda/

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

HH Satswarup Goswami
http://www.gnpress.net/gn-index.html

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

HH Sridhar Swami
http://www.jollyswami.net/home.php

HH Suhotra Swami
http://www.use.cz/ss-archives/index.htm
http://www.in2-mec.com/JournalA.htm

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

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

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

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

What's Going On Where & Adds

FESTIVAL EVENTS AND VENUES:

The New Iskcon Auckland temple is now open

as of 18th January 2004

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

photos updated 20th February 2004

Holy Cow Mania pages:
http://www.holycowmania.com/

Hare Krishna School & Playgroup

Krishna Conscious education for children

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

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

A school bus service provides transport from Auckland suburbs.

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

Ph: 09-412-6325
Mob: 021-265-7587
Fax: 09-412-6325
Find out what the NZ Government Education Review Office thinks of the Hare Krishna School. Click the link below.
http://www.ero.govt.nz/publish/reppub.ns4/Institution/98CA326F2C53BF0CCC256B7500174198/$File/4204.htm?OpenElement
 

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

 For details please contact-

Vishnupadi dasi Ph.836-1214

Mayapura Festival 2004

Pancha Tattwa recently installed in Mayapur 23rd February 2004
See the amazing abhishek pictures and write-ups
http://www.mayapurnews.com/

Detail schedule: Mayapur festival - 2004
http://64.28.101.188/2004_festival_info.html

19th FEB -
Devotees arrival

20th FEB    -
Festival Inauguration Day
4.15 am  - Mangal Arotic
6.15 am  - Sb. Class
7.00 am  - Deities greeting
8.00 am  - Dhwaja Arohanm ( Raising Garuda Flags)
9.00 am  - Prasad
10.00 am  - Deity report by GBCs
2.30 pm  - Prasad
6.00 pm - Evening arati
7.00 pm  - Festival Inauguration
Vedic mantra path and lighting the lamp
Welcome address
GBC Chairman coronation
GBC Chairman Address
Address by Festival co ordinator
Address by Mayapur Director
Vote of thanks
Drama by Vaikuntha Players
Nama Yajna Adhivas

21st FEB -
Panchatattva Deities installation Adhivas Day
4.15 am  - Mangal Arati
6.00 am  - Harinam Sankirtan (Akhanda Hari nam)  Starts in Pancha Tattav temple
7.00 am  - Deities greeting
8.00 am  - SB. Class at the pandal
9.00 am  - Breakfast Prasad
10.00 am -  Jal Yatra ( All devotees will go with procession to bring water from Ganga )
2.30 pm - Prasad
4.30 pm  - Fire sacrifice  in Pancha Tattav temple ( For donors to participate)
Astottara asta Kundiya yajna (108 Kunda fire sacrifice to celebrate Srila Prabhupada 108 birth anniversary)
 7.00 pm  - Deities installation  Adhivas
8.00 pm - Drama by Vaikuntha players
Whole day Hari nam in temple

22nd FEB : -
Srila Prabhupada Maha Abhishek Day
4.15 am  - Mangal Arati
7.00 am  - Deities greeting
8.00 am  - SB. Class
9.00 am - Prasad
10 am - Maha abhishek of Srila Prabhupada at Puspa Samadhi with 108 tirtha water.
2.30 pm - Prasad
4.30pm - Tattva Nyasa Homa for Pancha deities
Whole day Harinam in temple

23rd FEB :  - The Panchatattva deities instalation day.
6.15 am Srimad Bhagavatam Class
7.00 am - Deities greeting
8.00 am - Abhishek starts
10.45 am - Abhishek ends , Cleaning deities rooms
11.45 am  - Prana pratistha
12.30 noon  - Bhoga Offering
 1.00 pm  - Maha Arati
2.00  pm - Prasad
6.15 pm  - First Maha evening Arati
7.00 pm  - Cultural program

24th Feb : -
Parikrama leaves Mayapur
1st March :  -
Parikrama Returns to Mayapur
1.0       pm - Parikrama returns to Mayapur
2.30 pm - Prasad
4.30 pm  - Boat festival , Swing festival
6.00 pm  - Evening Arati
7.00pm - Cultural Program

2nd March : ( Ekadashi)
Book distribution awards day
4.15am  - Mangal Arati
7.00am  - Darshan Arati
8.00am  - Bhg. Class
9.00 am - Prasad
10.00am - Seminars
2.30 pm Prasad
4.00 pm - Seminars
5.00 pm  - Boat festival
6.00 pm  - Stage Program starts
6.30 pm - Book Distribution awards distribution
8.00 pm - Cultural programs

3rd March : -
Santipur festival Day
4.15 am  - Mangal Arati
6.00 am  - Devotees will leave for Santipur
9.00 am  - Breakfast prasad
3.00 pm  - Lunch Prasad
4.00 pm - Seminars
6.00 pm  - Congregational preaching awards distribution
7.30 pm  - Cultural programs

4thMarch :
4.15 am  - Mangal Arati
7.00 am - Greeting deities
8.00 am  - Bhagavatam Class
9.00 am  - Prasad
10.00 am - Seminars
2.30 pm  - Prasad
4.00 pm  - Seminars
6.00 pm  - World excellency  awards distribution
7.30 pm  - Cultural programs

5th March : -
Ratha Yatra Day
4.15 am - Mangal Arati
7.00 am  -Greeting the deities
8.00 am  - Bhagavatam Class
9.00 am Prasadm
10.00 am  -Ratha Yatra
2.30 pm Prasad
4.00 pm Seminar
6.30 pm  - Cultural program

6th March - (in India)
Gaura Purnima Day
4.15 am  - Mangal Arati
7.00 am - Greeting the deities
8.00 am - Bhagavatam Class
11.00 am  - Initiation Ceremony
4.00 pm  - Gauranga maha Abhishek
7.30 pm  - Anukulpa Prasad

7th March -
Jagannath Mishra's Utsav
4.15 am -  Mangal Arati
7.00 am - Greeting the deities
8.00 am - Bhagavatam Class
9.00 am Prasad
2.30 am  - Maha Feast

End of the Mayapur Festival  - 2004

*Some small changes to the schedule are possible

Gaura Yoga Centre
First floor
175, Vivian Street,
Wellington

Phone:  (04) 801-5500

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

http://www.gaurayoga.co.nz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...for more details contact Trivikrama dasa or Chaitanya Nitai dasa

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

mailto:nitai@e3.net.nz (for Chaitanya Nitai prabhu)

Vegetarian Clubs
Waikato University - Hamilton campus

2 days per week serving about 100 plates each day.

for more information mailto:deva4deva@hotmail.com

Auckland Veda club.
Auckland University - Wellesley St. campus

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Food For Life - Auckland
Monday to Friday  11:00am to 8:00pm
Saturday  11:00am to 3:00pm

Catering for students, shoppers, office workers, and the needy - all will find full satisfaction for the body, mind and soul.

Saturday Evenings at “Food for Life” from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.
Come along to join in an evening of Chanting,
Philosophy and a Vegetarian Dinner.

On alternate Monday nights H.H. Mukunda Goswami will be present to speak and answer your questions.

Phone Food for Life, 268 Karangahape Road (K-rd), Auckland, for more information, (09) 300 7585

Higher Taste
Amazing Vegetarian Cuisine At Down to Earth Prices!

Salads
Organic Fruit Juices
Delicious Curries
$ 5.95
$ 7.95
$ 9.95

98 VICTORIA STREET, WELLINGTON TEL: (04) 472 2233
City: ABC Shoreline, 98-104 Victoria Street, Wellington.
mailto:jagjeevandas.mvgm@paradise.net.nz

Gaura's Place
Gaura's Place is at 555 Victoria street, first floor, Hamilton Central.

Ph (07) 839 3558

We are open Weekdays 11:30am -2:00pm for lunch which is a set menu daily,
with varying preps available of a balanced; Soup, Rice, Curried Vegetables, Puris or Pakoras, Salad and Sweet Halava.

Lunches 11.30 - 2 pm Weekdays.  Prices, $7.50 waged, $6 unwaged, 3 course lunch.
Dinner Fridays 7 - 9 pm, $15 ea, 3 courses. $5 kids under 12 years.

Bhagavad Gita classes Friday nights 6.30 - 8pm, $7 includes dinner.

This meal is also "set" although there is more variety and more "gourmet" style.

There are yoga classes (Iyengar style) on Thursday nights 6:30-7:45pm and Saturday mornings 10:15am -11:30am.
Cost $15 waged, $12 unwaged price includes dinner or lunch.

Friday nights we explore the Bhagavad Gita from 6.30 pm, followed by dinner at 8pm, culminating with a mantra meditaion.
Cost is $7 includes dinner.

Weekends- CLOSED.

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

Run by Jhulan yatra dasa and Rasa yatra devi dasi
mailto:yatrafamily@paradise.net.nz

Gauranga's in Tauranga
174, Devonport Road Tauranga
phone  (07) 579 4720
updated with photos February 2004

Sunday evening program 5pm
Wednesday evening program 5:30pm

What is Bhakti Yoga?
Learn how to practice Krishna Consciousness at home
Bhagavad Gita class, and discussion
The science of self realization
How to practically make spiritual progress by chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra
Learn about the wonders of Krishna prasadam

.....and much more !!!

in a nice friendy family atmosphere.

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

Business + F.H. for Sale
VEG OUT CAFÉ
50-seater restaurant.
Established for four years
Run by devotees
Operating hours 10.30-3PM

Full financials available
Business and Free hold $170,000

Contact: Tracey and Julian
+61 07 4093 8483 (café),
+ 6107 4093 9569
mobile: 042 572 5901
Cairns-Australia

See their page for pictures

Successful Prasadam business for sale

We would like $15,000 for it. It has a current health licence.
We originally had it on the market for $17000.

Includes all chattles

 
 
 

Prasadam Recipes

Download your FREE  Cake Recipe Cookbook
 - with 100 EGGLESS recipes
http://www.hknet.org.nz/great100.zip

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

Ekadasi Book Cooking - new book coming:
http://www.webcom.com/~ara/iwr/14.1/books/ekadasi.shtml

Ekadasi Recipes - preps without grains or beans etc:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Courtyard/8761/f15.htm

Vrata ka khaana - Fast Foods cook book 4 sale (all ekadasi preps - some samples here):
http://www.niruskitchen.com/books/book_vrat.htm

Fast Food of a Different Kind:
http://www.lifepositive.com/body/holistic-recipes/recipes/food-fast.asp

EgglessDotCom - A site for vegetarian baking without eggs.
http://www.eggless.com/

Non-vegetarian aditives and non-ekadasi food aditives list:
http://home.iprimus.com.au/naractl/Non-Vegetarian_Food_Additives_for_Australia.htm

Meat Free Zone:
http://www.all-creatures.org/mfz/mfz-free.html

A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet:
http://www.mediarama.it/sanga/html/recipes.htm

FIRST~CLASS PRASADAM - A COLLECTION OF RECIPES & INSTRUCTIONS
http://www.harekrsna.com/science/taste/prasadam/recipes.htm

VEGETARIAN CHEESES - NO ANIMAL RENNET only VEGE RENNIN
(even Parmesan and other favorites)

All the Meatless Pasta preparations you'd like to prepare:
http://www.ilovepasta.org/recipes/meatless.html

(we bought some Stilton, Parmesan, Edam, Swiss and a few others - LOL - you have to check out these pages and then go to your Woolworths, Countdown, Pak'nSav, New World or local Deli.....believe me it's worth it - =>:-)))
http://www.hknet.org.nz/vege-cheese.html updated to help you

The Meatrix - this you have to see to believe - take the red pill see reality - The Meatrix it's all around you:
http://www.peta.org/feat/meatrix/

Allow the Meatrix to download fully before attempting to observe.............

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

Korela Bhaja (Fried Bitter Melon)
Ingredients:
5-6 bitter melon (korela)

1. Slice the bittermelon (like you would a cucumber) and coat the slices with turmeric powder and salt. Leave to sit for 5 minutes, and then dab the korela dry.
2. Meanwhile heat oil for deepfrying in a karai or wok. Deep fry the slices; some people prefer thicker slices fried til they are just cooked but still green and soft - while others prefer wafer thin slices fried 'til they are crunchy and become dark bitter melon chips. In my opinion crispy is best.
3. Again you may remove the seeds if you like before eating. Many of us don't.
    Serve as a starter. Invokes digestion - Very delicious - is served first to simulate the digestive juices

Spinach - Saak
Ingredients:
For a serving size of 4-5
2 packets frozen spinach, thawed
1" cube of ginger, finely diced
3 Shukhno lonka (dry red chilli)
Dash of Hing (Asafoetida)
Potatoes - about 4 medium-large ones
Kasoori Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
Mouri/Saunf (Fennel seeds)
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the potatoes into small pieces, and then either lightly boil them or microwave them for about 8 min. Heat oil, preferably in a wok or kAdAi. To the hot oil, add ginger, hing, and fennel seeds. Add the spinach, and fry on a high flame. After about 5 min of frying, add salt, the dried chillies, and the potatoes. Mix evenly, and add the kasoori methi - then fry for a few minutes. At this point, you might add a little water if you so desire. Serve hot.

SHUKTO: (bitter subji)
Ingredients:
Cut all the veggies in big chunks
2 potatoes
1 radish
1 raw green banana
1 bitter gourd
1 egg plant (medium)

grind to paste:
4tsp poppy seed
4tsp cumin seed
4tsp mustard seed
1 tsp flour
2 tsp mustard seed
salt
sugar
little oil

Method:
Heat oil, season with mustard seeds, after it starts spluttering, add the veggies,
cook till tender, after its soft add the ground paste, salt, sugar, water. Bring to
boil and this bitter dish is ready.

ALURDAM
Ingredients:
500 gms small sized potatoes
1/2 tbl spoon mustard seeds
2 twigs kurry leaves
50 gms tamarind
4-5 green chillies
salt according to taste
1 tbl spoon ginger paste
1 tbl spoon sugar
3-4 tbl spoon refined oil
Boil potatoes and peel them.

Method:
Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 10 mins.and strain the juice.
 - Heat oil in pan and fry ginger, mustard, kurry leaves till brown.
 - Then add the boiled potatoes & fry for a minute or two.
 - Then add chillies, sugar & salt & add tamarind juice.
 - Stir & serve hot with luchi.

ALU POSTO (POTATOES AND POPPY SEEDS)
A dry accompaniment to a meal of rice and curries/sabjis.
Ingredients:
Potatoes - 500 gm.
Nigella seeds - a pinch.
Green chilies - 6 gm.
Sugar - 4 gm.
Poppy seeds - 20 gm. (heaped)
Oil - 30 ml.
Ghee - 25 gm.
Red chili powder - 5 gm.
Salt to taste.

METHOD :
Heat oil and add nigela seeds. Add diced potatoes and fry lightly for 10 mins. Grind poppy seeds with a little water and add to the potatoes. Cover with lid, stirring occasionally and adding 2 tbspn. of water. When water dries and potatoes are done, add green chilies, sugar, salt and red chilly powder. Top with ghee and allow to cook for one minute. Serve hot with rice.

 Time taken -- 20 mins. Serves -- 4.

LUCHI - pooris (Bengali puris - pooris)
Ingredients:
500gms Flour
2 tbl spoon refined oil
salt according to taste
warm water to knead the flour oil to fry the pooris in.

Method:
- knead 500gms of flour, 4 tbl spoon of oil & salt according to taste with warm water.
 - make small balls (like a 10 cent coin NZ cents).
 - flatten them into round chappatis - pooris - about 3-4 inches in diametre.
 - deep fry them in ghee so they are cooked but still white to light brown
 serve hot

Bengal Royal Rice
Preparation and cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 persons (or two Bengalis)
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Basmati rice, white or brown
1/2 tsp Saffron threads
3 Cups Purified water
2 tsp Sea salt
3 tsp Nutmeg
1/3 Cup Ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 Cup Cashew bits, or halves
1/4 Cup Almonds, slivered
3 Tbsp Raisins
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tsp Cumin seeds
6 Pods, Cardamom, bruised
6 Whole Cloves
1 tsp. Black pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Asafetida, (a spice similar in flavour to onions and garlic), can be found in most natural food stores.
2 Tbsp Coconut, shredded
1/3 Cup Green peas, frozen
1/4 Cup Raw sugar

Method:
 1.Wash, drain, and dry the rice.
 2.Boil the water, salt, saffron and nutmeg in a 2-quart saucepan over a moderate heat. Keep it covered to avoid evaporation.
 3.Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat. Add the cashews and almonds and toast. Remove with a slotted spoon and add the raisins for a couple of seconds until they swell. Remove and place them in a bowl with the cashews and almonds.
 4.Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in same pan. Sauté the rice for 2 to 3 minutes over moderate heat; then add the boiling water. Stir, raise the heat, and bring the water to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and gently simmer, without stirring, for 15 to 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender and flaky.
  5.Remove the rice from the heat, leaving the lid on for another 5 minutes to allow the rice to become firm.
 6.Place the remaining ghee in a heavy pan over moderate heat. Stir-fry the fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cardamon pods and whole cloves for 1 minute. Add the black pepper, cayenne, asafetida, and dried or fresh coconut. Sauté for 1 minute and then add the peas, sugar, nuts and raisins. Remove from the heat.
 7.Carefully combine the cooked rice with all the other ingredients.
          Serve in a beautiful bowl befitting this beautiful rice.

Fake Fried Fish (peak pish)
Ingredients:
regular soft or firm tofu
soy sauce
nori sheets (seaweed)
Tempura batter mix
oil for deep frying

Directions: (disclaimer - this is how I was sent this recipe okay)
In Wisconsin Friday fish frys are big, and as a vegetarian I don't want to miss out. So I came up with this recipe. It is based on the memory of an appetizer served me once at a wonderful macrobiotic restaurant, called the Cauldron, that once existed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Cut up the tofu into rectangular chunks of any size desired. I like to use soft tofu because it's never as soft as they advertise and anyway it's slightly gelatinous quality makes a perfect, delicate fish substitute. But you can use firm if you prefer. Blot dry and dab one side with soy sauce.

With a scissors cut the toasted nori into appropriate sizes to match the chunks and have ready (but don't place on the tofu yet or the nori gets too soggy and will threaten to slip off while frying).

Heat the cooking oil to deep frying temp.

Mix tempura batter with cold water as directed on package (or to your liking - thinner is lighter). Adhere the nori pieces, like postage stamps, on to the lightly marinated sides of the tofu chunks (I usually do about 3 or 4 at a time, depending on their size) and dip in tempura batter.

Fry until you think they're done (they should puff a little and rise; if they're golden brown, they're overdone).

I like to make a simple dipping sauce to accompany the "fried fish". Just blend a little soy sauce with lemon juice and water (you can also add a bit of toasted sesame oil for some extra flavor).

This is a great snack or main dish and fairly easy. I love the combination of textures, soft and crispy. And the seaweed not only mimics the fish flavor, but the look of fried fish as well.

They are best piping hot fresh, of course, but they can be reheated in an oven.

.....a dish one could just as easy find down by the Ganges among the Bengali community - Ganga phal - fruit of the Ganges......lol

Vegetarian Fish (pish)
Ingredients:
2 pieces of bean curd pockets
3 oz of water chestnuts
3 oz of ground broad beans
1 sheet of purple seaweed
1 sheet of bean curd skin
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg substitute

Directions:
Mix flour and water into a smooth batter. Mince bean curd pockets and water chestnuts, add the minced ground broad beans.  Mix the minced ingredients with cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg substitute until well blended. This is the filling. (any sort of bean curd can be subst.)

Place the purple seaweed on top of bean curd skin, then place the filling on top of the purple seaweed. Roll into a 10X6 cm rectangular block. Seal tightly with batter.

Steam 10 minutes over high heat.

Delicious Tofu Cheesecake
Submitted by Allison
Ingredients:
1 pre-baked vegan pie crust For Cake: (or see our recipe below)
3/4 of a 15-ounce package of firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sucanat (Sucanat is sugar in its most natural form from sugar cane, the juice)
2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Topping:
1 bag of frozen berries of your choice (I've used blueberries, raspberries and cherries)
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
enough organic apple juice to just cover berries

Directions:
For Cake:
Preheat oven to 375º F.
In a blender, combine the tofu, cream cheese, milk substitute, and lemon juice. Blend until very thick and smooth.
Add sucanat, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla, and blend until incorporated.
Pour into pre-baked pie shell.
Bake 35-45 minutes until golden and firm, and cracks begin to form on top.
Remove from oven and cool until totally set, preferably overnight.

For Topping:
Mix arrowroot powder in apple juice.

Place frozen berries in saucepan and cover with the apple juice mixture.
Simmer until thickened like pie filling. It will reach maximum thickness before boiling.
Spread topping over pie, offer and enjoy!

Vegan Pie Crust
Submitted by VegFamily Staff
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine
5 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Directions:
In a medium bowl with fork, lightly stir together flour and salt.
With pastry blender or two knives used scissor fashion, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle in cold water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until pastry just holds together.
With hands, shape pastry into ball (if it's a hot day you may have to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or so).
For a two crust pie, divide pastry into 2 pieces, one slightly larger, and then gently shape each piece into a ball.
On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll larger ball into a 1/8 inch thick circle, 2 inches larger all around than pie plate.
Roll half of circle onto rolling pin; transfer pastry to pie plate and unroll, easing into bottom and side of plate. Fill as recipe directs.
For top crust, roll smaller ball as for bottom crust; with sharp knife, cut a few slashes or a design in center of circle; center over filling in the bottom crust.
With scissors or sharp knife, trim the pastry edges, leaving 1 inch overhang all around the pie plate rim.
Fold overhang under; pinch a high edge. Bake pie as recipe directs.

Creamy Decaf-Cappuccino Pie
Ingredients:
1 9-inch chocolate graham cracker pie crust
4 cups frozen vanilla yogurt, softened slightly
2 Tbsp. confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp. espresso granules
1 Tbsp. warm water

Method:
Combine frozen yogurt, sugar, water and Decaf-espresso granules in a food processor and process for several seconds until mixed well. Spread into piecrust and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. The espresso granules are what you use to make instant espresso, just like instant coffee granules.

Misti Doi (sweet yogurt)
Ingredients:
1 litre long life (UHT) full cream milk
1 litre long life (UHT) single cream
1 cup natural yogurt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sugar

Method:
That's it, mix them together ( no need to boil and cool the milk ) and put the mix in the oven at very low temperature for 6 hours. by trial and error you will find the correct temperature setting for your oven for the perfect DOI ! If it's not setting up the temperature a bit.

Let me break the myth about GAMCHA BANDHA DOI. Any DOI, if it does not set firm, put it on a gamcha like cloth and hang over a sink to drain for 6 hours. There you go, enjoy your Gamcha Bandha Doi - nice

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

 Krishna Conscious - Vedikly acceptable Jokes

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

This is a MUST READ =>;-Q
http://www.digitalsawdust.com

Four Wives parable:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/4wives.pps

Dear Bill Gates,

This letter is from Banta Singh from Punjab. We have got a computer in our home and we face some Problem, which I want to bring to your notice.

After connecting to Internet we planned to open an email account.But when ever we fill the Form of Hotmail, in password field only * comes.
But in rest of the fields whatever we typed comes but we faced the problem only in Password field. We checked with Hardware vendor and he said that there is no problem in keyboard. Because of this we have opened the email account with password *****. But I request u to check this as we our self don't know what is the password!!!

The next one is that we are unable to enter anything after we shut down the computer. There is a button for start but not for pause, stop as in stereo recorder. We request u to add the same in future.

There is a option as RUN in menu. This one of my neighbor after clicking started running and he has run up to Amritsar from Chandigarh. So we request u change that to SIT. So that we can click that by sitting.

One doubt is that can I click Re cycle bin. I own a scooter in my home.
Is there a separate option as Re scooter bin available in the system?

In Microsoft outlook we are able to see the outer view of the mail. Is there an in look through which we can have inner view of the mail?

The last one is my wife has lost the door key of our house. So I searched for the same in search option of start icon. But I did not find the same there also. Is it a bug?

Rest In next letter.

Yours Anonymously,

Banta Singh

The new guy was a wreck, pale, hands shaking, biting his nails and moaning in fear.
"Hey, pal, what's the matter?"  said the first guy.
"I've been transferred to Los Angeles, California,"  he answered nervously.

"They've got race riots, drugs,  the highest crime rate in the country..."
"Hold on," said the first. "I've been in L.A all my life, and it's not bad as the media says.  Find a nice home, go to work, mind your own business, enroll your kids  in a good school and it's as safe as anywhere in the world."
The second guy stopped shaking for a moment and said,  "Oh, thank God.

I was worried to death! But if you live there and say it's ok, I'll take your word for it.

By the way, what do you do for a living?"
"Me?" said the first, "I'm a tail gunner on a bread truck.

When the conductor returned, the professor still couldn't find the ticket. The conductor, recognizing the famous scientist, said, "I'm sure you bought a ticket. Forget about it."

"You're very kind," the professor said, "but I must find it, otherwise I won't know where I'm going and where to get off."

A southern zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage along with... "a recipe".

The other man replies, "No, wouldn't it be more like W-H-H-H-O-O-M-M-B-B?"

The waitress is walking by and says, "You guys are both idiots! It's spelled W-O-M-B, you jerks!"

The one man turns to her and says, "Madam, it's obvious that you've never heard an elephant pass air."

Andhra Pradesh - Come visit the Hi tech India .....(Tourists, Please note that on Thursdays and Mondays, visits may not be possible due to power cuts)
Arunachal Pradesh - Explore the charm of China
Assam - Why go to Bangladesh when you can come here
Bihar - Just come down here to understand why Buddha fled.
Chhattisgarh -Enjoy the hospitality of our tradition (Please get your own guns, lathis and choppers)
Delhi - Where culture breathes which is good because you certainly can't.
Goa - What me worry?
Gujarat - Worth every bit our weight in Reliance Sarees
Himachal Pradesh - Be one with nature .....and 5 million other tourists.
Jammu & Kashmir - Waiting for you at the Crossroads of Civilisation and Pakistan
Jharkhand - The next best thing to Bihar.
Karnataka - Come ...explore..look...find...Veerappan..please
Kerala - Gaudz Auwn Kundree
Madhya Pradesh - If you think we are a boring state, then think again.....but hey not for too long
Maharashtra - If you want novelty, If you want adventure, If you want relaxation then we got it all in Chattrapati Shivaji Nagar.
Manipur - The place which Time forgets and so does most of India actually.
Meghalaya - We belong to India....we think
Mizoram - Better than Meghalaya....we do not think
Nagaland - Even Politicians do not come here.
Orissa - 5000 years of history but still not a single test class cricketer
Punjab - Once Santa and Banta went in a restaurant..............
Rajasthan - Where you get your just desserts
Sikkim - Yes, we belong to India.
Tamil Nadu - Our heroines may be fat but you need to take a look at our heroes to get perspective.
Tripura - You mean we are a state!!!
Uttar Pradesh - Come feel happy about your state.
Uttaranchal - If ever there is a paradise on earth this is definitely not it.

From http://www.jokesnstuff.net/

Did you ever wonder?

What is the chemical formula 4 water?

Sardar: HIJKLMNO.

Teacher: what r u talking about?

Sardar: Yesterday u said H to O.

Why do gorillas have such big nostrils?
Because they have big fingers.!

Sardarni asks her lover, "Santa dear, if we get engaged, will u give me a ring?"

"Sure" replies santa. "What's ur phone no?"

Teacher addresses small Asian boy in class: What's your mother tongue?

Li'l Banta:    Pink

It was the first trans-Atlantic flight of the new Israeli airline, El Al.  The take off was a little rough but everyone seemed comfortable.  Everybody, but Morris Kluger.  Morris was always a nervous traveler but the roughness of the take off made him pale.  The stewardess took notice of this and went to comfort him.

"Is everything OK?" asked Morris.

"Everything is just fine,"replied the stewardess.  "Relax and enjoy the trip. "

You will know immediately if anything goes wrong.  The pilot will become hysterical.

The ways of this material world - strange but true

Companion Wanted: SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks companionship, ethnicity unimportant.
I am a very good looking girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pick-up truck, hunting, camping, fishing trips, and cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hands. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Kiss me and I'm yours. Call (404) 875-6429 and ask for Daisy.

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week-old Black Labrador Retriever.

100% TRUE !!!

Thanx Shyam' for that gem

The Oxford Dictionary's latest definition of the following words.

Divorce : Future tense of marriage.

Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end and a fool on the other.

Lecture : An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through the minds of either

Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Tears : The hydraulic force by which masculine will power is defeated by feminine water power

Dictionary : A place where success comes before work.

Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Classic : A book which people praise, but do not read.

Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Committee : Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.

Atomic Bomb : An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher : A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

Diplomat : A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.

Opportunist : A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.

Optimist : A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says in midway "See I am not injured yet."

Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

Father : A banker provided by nature.

Criminal : A guy no different from the rest.... except that he got caught.

Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and your confidence after.

Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.

Thanks to Hrisikeshananda prabhu in Thailand for these ones
 
 

Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read.

Revised judicial oath: "I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I think you need to know."

you may laugh now, it'll be there in a few years.......

I asked the electrician to change the circuit breaker, but he refused.

ewe that's shocking.......

The Russian cosmonauts were faced with a similar problem when their pens wouldn't write.  They used a pencil.

From a California bar association's newsletter:
Correction -- the following typo appeared in our last bulletin: "Lunch will be gin at 12:15 p.m." Please correct to read "12 noon." (Lee Daniel Quinn)

In a British laundromat: Automatic washing machines.
Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

NEW VACCINE MAY CONTAIN RABIES

5 1/2 FOOT BOA CAUGHT IN TOILET; WOMAN RELIEVED

An advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: TEETH EXTRACTED BY THE LATEST METHODISTS.

At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY

NEWSCASTER: "This is your eleven o'clock newscaster bringing you an on the pot report ... I mean on the spot retort. I mean on the tot resort ... oh well, let's just skip it!"

ANNOUNCER: "This is a public service announcement. Attention all student nurses. From Washington comes the announcement that the Navy Department is now giving instructions in special new curses for Navy nurses."

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!"

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve... we have forbidden fruit!!!!!"

"No Way!"

"Yes way!"

"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.

"Why"

"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God  saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!

"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.

“Uh huh," Adam replied.

Then why did you?" said the Father.

"I don't know," said Eve.

"She started it!" Adam said

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

"I want an apple.........."

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

 BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY!

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!

1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and  talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.

3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

 6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT  SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:

"TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"

thanx to Jvala Nrsimha prabhu CHCH for that one

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

 

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