Newsletter Number #145  ( mid-January issue 2005 A.D. Gaurabda 518)
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm
http://welcome.to/hknetworks

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ki jaya

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Please Accept My Respectful Obeisances & Best Wishes To All

_0____,

All Glories To Srila Prabhupad.

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

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

Hare Krishna. =>B-) JTCd

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The Nectar in this Issue 

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

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

The present year's calendar:
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)
... Coming Festivals
... Local temples
... Verses from Shastra
... Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
... Hare Krishna as ancient religion - NOT a cult
... Vaishnava Songs
... Samskaras and Agama Tantra
... Articles
... Topical links - etc
... Vedik revival - Vedik World Heritage

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

... Hare Krishna School in Auckland
... Ayurvedic health - and seminars - Radiance Ayurved has new site
... Fire Safety - Water Safety - Internet Safety
... Singles - Hare Krishna Singles - Vegetarian Singles - Marriage Compatibility checking
... FREE CD Rom
... Sri Shalagram Tirtha Pradarshini web-site and new newsletter
... Vegetarianism and Beyond site gets re-vamped
... Gaura Yoga - Wellington
... The Loft Auckland
... The new Auckland Temple now open

... Boxing Day Asian Tsunami Disaster Food (prasadam) Relief Appeal

... and much more

At Grass Roots: Topical stuff
... Seasonal Greetings...Happy 2005
... Have a Happy Year - Gaurabda 518

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Jagadisa Pandit - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Krsna Pusya abhisheka

Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Jayadeva Goswami - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Locana Das Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

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

Sri Ganga Sagara Mela

Sri Vasanta Pancami

Srimati Visnupriya Devi - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Srimati Sarasvati Puja

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Raghunandana Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Raghunatha Das Goswami - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Kumbha Sankranti (Sun enters Aquarius)

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

Sri Bhismastami

Sripad Madhvacarya - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sripad Ramanujacarya - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

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

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

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

Sri Krsna Madhura utsava

Srila Narottama Das Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Srila Gour Govinda Swami -- Disappearance  - Tirubhav

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

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

Sripad Isvara Puri - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Shiva Ratri - Appearance Day of Lord Shiva

Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Rasikananda - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Sri Purusottama Das Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces)

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

Sripad Madhavendra Puri - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Holi

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

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

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

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

http://panjika.pagehere.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Astrologically/Astronomically Accurate and FREE

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

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

mailto:jtcd@xtra.co.nz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See Auckland's latest newsletter HERE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aniruddha's blog:
http://www.iskcon.net.au/aniruddha/

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

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

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

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

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

Mahakarta Dasa (Prabhupada's disciple) is the temple president of ISKCON Sri Lanka, and he is the coordinator of this Food for life relief program for the tsunami victims.
    The program started from 31st December 2004. The Temple President has gone to Trincomalee (worst affected area) this morning to directly supervise the program with some congregational devotees where prasadam will be cooked and distributed to the victims, beginning from 5000 plates per day and increasing rapidly to 20,000. We are starting from Trincomalee and it is the worst affected area in Sri Lanka.

The rate of prasadam distribution is now more than 30,000 per day, providing cooked meals and fresh drinking water as well as some medical aide http://www.ffl.org  See other articles in this issue.

This food for life program will continue for a long period and the program will expand to the other affected areas in the country and for this your help is very much needed.

Sri Lanka was among the worst affected by the recent earthquake in Sumatra (Indonesia) and the subsequent tidal wave which has affected many countries in this region. The tide was 40ft high. In the recent news this morning, the death rate has increased to more than 25000 and many thousands are still missing. Over a million are refugees. The refugees have taken shelter in hospitals, schools and temples. Hospitals have been washed out along with the patients and doctors. To continue this, we need assistance and we have to also go to different affected areas. Another rising problem is the thousands of orphans.

His Holiness Indradyumna swami and over 45 other Iskcon devotees are now in the area feeding over 30,000 prasadam meals a day and helping to heal the disrupted lives of the orphans.

So the food for life project by ISKCON (Sri Lanka) should provide a minimum of at least ten thousand plate per day or it will be insufficient for the victims.

How to donate

100% of the donations will be given to the tsunami victims. We will also supply medical items, sleeping mats, bed sheets etc as we receive.

We need assistance from you also for this humanitarian service. Please donate generously for this cause and inform your friends to donate for this purpose. Contact us for further information.

Mahakarta Dasa (Prabhupada's disciple) is the temple president of ISKCON Sri Lanka, and he is the coordinator of this relief program for the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.

We are the only authorized ISKCON center in Sri Lanka :

Address:  Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple (ISKCON Sri Lanka)
               188, new chetty street,
               Colombo 13
               Sri Lanka

e-mail: iskcon@slt.lk
phone: (00941) 2433325
fax: (00941) 2471099

GBC: H.H.Jayapataka Swami
Co GBC: H.H.Bhanu Swami

Your donations could be sent by draft/cheque/ money order on behalf of the ISKCON account mentioned below to the ISKCON Sri Lanka address:

ISKCON Sri Lanka, 188, New chetty street, Colombo 13, Sri Lanka

Bank account name: ISKCON
Account no: 1050669901
Bank name and address: Commercial bank company Ltd
Kotahena branch
Colombo 13
Sri Lanka

Or,

If you deposit the cheques or drafts in any bank of your country (eg. western union) it will be transferred to the bank here.

Or,

If you wish to send the money through your credit card, you could also do that the same precedure via the bank in your country directing it to the ISKCON account here in sri lanka.

But you should mention the bank and the branch name and address where the money is to be transferred.

Please contact us via email for further information.

Thanking you
Your humble servant
Nandarani dd
Secretary
ISKCON Sri Lanka

Festivals Coming Soon

Vasant Panchami - 13th February in NZ

Appearance Day of Srila Advaita Acharya  - 15th February in NZ

Varaha Dwadasi - Monday 21st February in NZ
Appearance Day of Lord Varahadeva

Sri Nityananda Trayodasi - 22nd February in NZ
Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada's Appearance Day
1st March in NZ

Srila Gour Govinda maharaj's Disappearance Day (1996)

Shivaratri - Appearance Day of Lord Shiva

Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami's Disappearance Day (1946 - 2002)

Sri Gaura Purnima - Advent of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
26th March in NZ

Sri Ramanavami - Appearance Day of Sri Ramachandra Bhagavan
30th March in NZ

Disappearance Day of Jayananda dasa Adhikari

Sri Nrsimha Chaturdasi - Appearance Day of Lord Narasimhadev

See you local temple to find out what's going on in your area and how to be part of it......


Visit Your Local Hare Krishna Temple
See a full NZ list of contacts HERE under Communities:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

See the Kiwi yatra HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/NZKiwi-yatra.html

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

International here:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-int.htm

Iskcon World-wide @ a centre near you:
http://www.iskcon.com/worldwide/centres/index.html

Words of Wisdom - Shastra & Shastrakaras speak

For Books and shastra downloads see Main Index, under Books:
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

The Complete Works of Srila Prabhupada
All the books, the letters and conversations at your fingertips

Requirements: DOS or Windows, 173 MB free disk space, 286 PC or better.
http://wald.heim.at/sherwood/530002/

Srila Prabhupada's Audio lectures to listen to on-line:
http://www.hare-krishna.org/srila-prabhupada-lectures.htm

Listen to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on-line - all 900 of his lectures are available HERE:
http://www.prabhupadavani.org/

Srimad Bhagavatam - the entire lecture series listen and read along on-line - Narrated by Amala Bhakta dasa:
http://www.prabhupadavani.org/SB_index.html

All Srila Prabhupada's books and more on one disk
http://www.vedabase.com

Visit "Prabhupada Connect" for all manner of Prabhupad Nectar:
http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Index.html

Download all the Hare Krsna teachings which includes all Vaisnava and
Vedic concepts by visiting one of the sites listed at the following address.
http://www.geocities.com/suci123/bookdownloadsites1.html


33 Books Online Including Srimad Bhagavatam!
http://www.geocities.com/freeprabhupadabooks

Download or Listen to Prabhupad Bhajans HERE:
http://www.prabhupadavani.org/web/text/Bhajans.html

On-line 1972 McMillan edition - Bhagavad Gita As It Is:
http://www.asitis.com/

Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS on-line through the Tirupathi Balaji site:
http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/

Bhagavad Gita Study guide on-line book:
http://chantandbehappy.com/gita/studyguide/StudyGuide-main.htm

Bhagavad Gita Study guides by numerous Iskcon devotees - FREE downloads:
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/library/#3

All the Scriptures you'd ever need 4 FREE
http://www.hknet.org.nz/index-books.htm
http://www.hknet.org.nz/DDB.htm
http://www.hknet.org.nz/DDB2.html

last updated 4th August 2003

 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:  Chapter 2 - Contents of the Gita Summarized

                                 TEXT 55

                           sri-bhagavan uvaca
                          prajahati yada kaman
                        sarvan partha mano-gatan
                         atmany evatmana tustah.
                        sthita-prajnas tadocyate

   WORD FOR WORD
   sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prajahati--gives up; yada--when; kaman--desires for sense gratification; sarvan--of all varieties; partha--O son of Prtha; manah-gatan--of mental concoction; atmani--in the pure state of the soul; eva--certainly; atmana--by the purified mind; tustah--satisfied; sthita-prajnah--transcendentally situated; tada--at that time; ucyate--is said.

TRANSLATION
   The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Partha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

 PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:
   The Bhagavatam affirms that any person who is fully in Krsna consciousness, or devotional service of the Lord, has all the good qualities of the great sages, whereas a person who is not so transcendentally situated has no good qualifications, because he is sure to be taking refuge in his own mental concoctions. Consequently, it is rightly said herein that one has to give up all kinds of sense desire manufactured by mental concoction. Artificially, such sense desires cannot be stopped. But if one is engaged in Krsna consciousness, then, automatically, sense desires subside without extraneous efforts. Therefore, one has to engage himself in Krsna consciousness without hesitation, for this devotional service will instantly help one onto the platform of transcendental consciousness. The highly developed soul always remains satisfied in himself by realizing himself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. Such a transcendentally situated person has no sense desires resulting from petty materialism; rather, he remains always happy in his natural position of eternally serving the Supreme Lord.

 - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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

 - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gardener

In 1969 when Prabhupada stayed at John Lennon's estate, he liked to walk in the misty morning through the gardens and groves. It was there that Prabhupada met the head gardener, an old English gentleman who used to wear a tweed suit jacket even when digging in the earth. The gardener had shown no interest in the philosophy or the devotees, but when Prabhupada came he was interested to meet him. On Prabhupada's first morning walk the head gardener presented himself. Prabhupada was also dressed in a gentlemanly way, wearing a long black coat, black hat, and wellington boots.
"I am the head gardener here." said the man. Prabhupada said he was glad to meet him and asked him, "What are you growing?" The gardener eagerly showed Prabhupada some of the plants and fruits he was raising in the greenhouse, including watermelons and varieties of flowers. He also pulled out trays from underneath a greenhouse table and showed Prabhupada his mushrooms.
"O, we do not eat this," said Prabhupada. "This is fungus." The man admitted that it was a fungus. Prabhupada explained that mushrooms do not have a good taste, and because they grow in a dark, damp place, they are considered food in the mode of ignorance. Srila Prabhupada then suggested that the gardener should try to grow ladyfingers, but the man didn't know what Prabhupada meant. Prabhupada pointed to his own fingers. "You should grow these ladyfingers." He gave the Hindi word, bhindi, which the man also couldn't understand. Finally the gardener understood that Prabhupada was talking about okra. Prabhupada asked if the man could grow mangoes, but he said he couldn't, not even in the greenhouse.
"What is your age?" asked Prabhupada.
The gardener replied that he was sixty-six.
Prabhupada said, "Do you still have all your teeth?"
The gardener seemed to be a little embarrassed, but replied, "No, I don't. I have all false teeth."
"My age is seventy-two," said Prabhupada, "but I have all my teeth." Prabhupada opened his mouth and showed.
The gardener replied, I've lost all my teeth because I like sweet things too much."
"I also like sweets", said Prabhupada. "I eat many sweets myself - rasagulla, gulabjamuns. But I am eating the right kind of sweets. You should also eat these sweets."
After that, when taking his morning walk, Prabhupada regularly greeted the gardener with a few words, or at least, whenever the gardener was working at a distance, they exchanged a wave of hands.

- From the Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

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

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

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

"Fact, Faith, Foolishness"
Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadavani.org/Conversations/RAMfiles_CNV/CNV060.ram

Prabhupada: Na taj janesu abhijnesu. Abhijnah janesu, no attachment. Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami, Narada Muni, all the acaryas, Ramanujacarya, they have no respect for these. They're creating their howling habits, that's all. How there can be peace?
Doctor: Now when the Krsna mantras...
Prabhupada: Why do you say Krsna pantha?
Doctor: No, mantras. I have come to mantra. Klim krsnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya namah. Is that not a very powerful Krsna mantra?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Doctor: That is better than Hare Krsna.
Prabhupada: No. Hare Krsna is therefore called maha-mantra.
Doctor: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare.
Prabhupada: Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Doctor: This you regard as the, higher than any other...
Prabhupada: Oh yes. Therefore it is called maha-mantra.
Doctor: But I was told that the Sudarsana-cakra words, mahamala parakramaya maha patanivaya bhakta jane kalpanaya,(?) that is a very powerful mantra.
Prabhupada: Yes. Everything in relationship with God is powerful. But the name in this age is the most powerful. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51].
Doctor: And the word om has been praised in the Upanisads, but...
Prabhupada: Om, veda, pranavah sarva-vedesu. Krsna says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh pranavah sarva-vedesu [Bg. 7.8]. Pranava is omkara. Sarva-vedesu, "That pranava I am." That is sound representation of Krsna.
Doctor: Then that one word as a mantra, is it not...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Doctor: ...the highest sort of word?
Prabhupada: No. If you keep Krsna, that "This pranava is the sound representation of Krsna," then it is all right. If you think it is separately powerful than Krsna, that is nama-aparadha.
Doctor: I understand.
Prabhupada: Yes. If you accept it as Krsna says, that "I am pranava," if you do remember Krsna by chanting omkara, then it is all right.
Doctor: Otherwise, om is only given to sannyasis?
Prabhupada: Not necessarily. It is not mentioned there. Anyone chanting Vedic mantra, he has to begin with omkara.
Doctor: All mantras begin with om.
Prabhupada: Yes, omkara. So sarva-vedesu. Pranavah sarva-vedesu. This is beginning. Just like we take Bhagavata, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.
Doctor:
etad aksaram brahma
etad aksaram param
etad aksaram jnatva
yati ceti...(?)
Prabhupada: The difficulty is that we consider Krsna is different from omkara.
Doctor: That is a mistake.
Prabhupada: That is a mistake.
Doctor: But then Krsna is not different from Brahman.
Prabhupada: If you take this omkara as Krsna's sound representation, then it is all right.
Doctor: Then it is as good as chanting Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Doctor: But it does not give...
Prabhupada: But because Krsna is remembered, if you take omkara as Krsna's sound representation then Krsna is remembered.
Doctor: But Krsna is three letters. Om is one.
Prabhupada: That doesn't matter.
Doctor: In the last minute when you are dying you can feel it, easily feel it.
Prabhupada: Krsna has many names. Krsna has name Govinda. It is not three letters. It is more than that. Krsna has so many thousands names. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta. So therefore Krsna advises for the beginners, "Just try to remember Me in this way-raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8] -- I am the taste of the water." The water you must be drinking twice, thrice, four times. So when you drink water, the taste satisfies your thirst. So if you simply remember, "This taste is Krsna," that is Krsna conscious.

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

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

(Every Town & Village, album cover)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krishna conscious affirmations:

 Always remember Krishna and never forget Him

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HELP IS HERE AT LAST.

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

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

Vedik World Heritage pages

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

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

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

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

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

Paradigms - where things are not all they seem

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

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

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

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

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

and

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

and

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

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

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

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

Food For Life Global helps Tsunami victims

http://www.ffl.org/html/ffl_tsunami_relief.html

FFL is the world's largest vegetarian food relief
http://www.ffl.org/

Priyavrata das, director of Food for Life Global, requires devotees for relief work in areas affected by the recent Tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka. On January 14, Indradyumna Swami will arrive in the capitol, Colombo, to assist local devotees in setting up an infrastructure to distribute prasadam at refugee camps throughout the disaster areas.  Presently, Mahakarta das, temple president for Colombo and local devotees are distributing 30,000 plates of prasadam daily in just one area affected by the disaster.  But the scope for distribution is unlimited as hundreds of thousands of people remain without home or shelter along the coastal areas hit by the Tsunami.

Food for Life has made an appeal for volunteers on it's website: WWW.FFL.ORG and over 60 non-devotees have replied.  Many are professionals in various fields of medicine, education and social services. Priyavrata and Indradyumna Swami are presently choosing 48 of them to assist in prasadam distribution in different refugee camps, beginning January 16.

FFL Global is appealing for expert devotee cooks and kitchen helpers to volunteer for service in this relief effort. Those with first hand emergency relief experience are especially desired.

Devotees should be aware that they will be working in a disaster area and that conditions may be very austere. All accommodation, food and water will be provided and FFL Global will cover all expenses related to volunteering, except travel. Devotees will have to pay their own way to Sri Lanka. American citizens do not require visas, if they intend to stay less than one month.

Interested volunteers are also advised to take the necessary inoculations such as Typhoid and Cholera.

For more information, and to volunteer for this "experience of a lifetime" service, please visit WWW.FFL.ORG - or call Priyavrata das on (1) 301 987 5883 or 1 571 277 2329

Food for Life Global was established in 1994 by Mukunda Goswami and myself to support Food for Life projects all over the world. To date we have helped numerous temples around the world either start a new FFL program or improve on what they already had established. FFL Global does this quietly in the background through correspondence, grants and the creation and distribution of FFL training and promotional materials.

Our office was originally based at the Potomac Temple in Washington DC, however, we are now based from my home in Gaithersburg, MD, about 20 minutes from the Potomac temple. My wife Radha Seva and I run the office. Both of us are volunteers. I have my own graphic design and web development business that maintains our family. My work with FFL is voluntary.

Over the last 10 years, FFL Global has networked extensively with the vegetarian and vegan movements, raising awareness that FFL is the world's largest vegetarian food relief. As a result of this networking, which included making presentations about FFL at International Vegetarian Conferences, many vegetarians around the world now actively support FFL programs. We receive most of our donations from the vegetarian community who visit our web site www.ffl.org .

Over the last 5 days, thousands of people have visited the FFL Global web site to donate money to help the Tsunami Relief. As of January 1, 2005 we have raised more than $15,000 from the web site alone, with much more expected from checks we will be receiving in the Post Office box. 100% of these donations are being sent to support the FFL teams in Sri Lanka, Chennai and any other relief efforts going on to help Tsunami survivors. Not one penny is being kept for our administration. We routinely collect all the many small donations we receive throughout the year, and then wire a bulk donation to needy FFL projects, thus minimizing bank charges and government beaurocracy.

Food for Life Global actually has a membership program that supports any administration costs we may have throughout the year. Membership is $35/year. Members receive a t-shirt and sticker and of course all donations are tax deductible.

The response to this disaster has been overwhelming. Many people are calling our office asking how they can help. Whether its going over their personally or organizing a food, clothing or water drive at their school, campus or business. It is very touching to read people's emails. One man said, "Rock on, this is my last 10 dollars for some time. Put it to good use." Food for Life Global has set up a Volunteer page that provides some guidance to those that are not able to donate money at http://www.ffl.org/html/volunteer.html

One other positive thing that has come out of this calamity, is the raised awareness of Hare Krishna Food for Life. Many prominent web sites are posting banners and announcements to their site visitors and members to help Food for Life. It is this kind of appreciation and awareness of the positive social contributions that ISKCON devotees are making that is an important part of FFL Global's purpose.

We pray that one day FFL Global can fully fund all FFL projects as needed and that prasadam distribution expands unlimitedly as Srila Prabhupada desired. We hope you will support us in this mission.

The servant of prasadam distributors,

Priyavrata das
Food for Life Global
http://www.ffl.org

Ancestral early warning systems saved Andaman janajaati
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=54372

Ancestral early warning systems saved Andaman janajaati: ASI

The five aboriginal tribes inhabiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, our last missing link with early civilisation, have emerged unscathed from the tsunamis because of their age old "warning systems".

"The tribals get wind of impending danger from biological warning signals like the cry of birds and change in the behavioural patterns of marine animals. They must have run to the forests for safety. No casualties have been reported among these five tribes," ASI Director Dr V R Rao told .

This has promted the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) to propose its immediate documentation to save coastal populations from similar disasters in future.

His team in the badly-hit islands reported the well being of all five aborigines tribes -- Jarwas, Onges, Shompens, Sentenelese and Great Andamanese.

Early warning systems developed by their forefathers and adapted successfully by the tribals must have sent the first alarm signals and given them time to run for safety, he said.

These tribes could be traced down to the mesolithic and upper paleolithic era (from 20000 to 60000 years ago), he said. They had inherited a wealth of indigenous knowledge that had not yet been recorded.

"Anthropologists have been recording these aspects for long. But the question is to properly document them and find means to create a national resource base upon which a coastal signalling system can be operated.

"We have proposed to the Centre to take up immediate documentation of these systems and geomorphological changes triggered by the tsunami since these would be fresh in the memory of the tribals now," Rao said.

Nataraja Darshan saves lives of 4000 fishermen
http://www.rss.org/New_RSS/index.jsp

While thousads lost their lives in the Cuddalore coast to Tsunami, close to 4000 fishermen belonging to some 20 villages like Killai, Pichavaram, Kavarapattu neighboring the Chidambaram region escaped. They had left their villages to attend the annual ritual of "Arudra Darshan" at the world famous Nataraja Mandir in Chidambaram. As has been their practice for generations, they were involved in the pulling of the Mandir Car. When they returned to their villages post Tsunami, they found their entire villages ravaged beyond recognition. Sri Srinivasakumar a member of the fishermen community told us that they were saved because of the grace of Nataraja. He stated that inside the Chidambaram Mandir, they did not find any impact at all. He concluded " all of us owe our lives to Him".

VSK CHENNAI
Trust in god saves you from any danger (full fill your needs).

http://www.rss.org/New_RSS/index.jsp

Read more on Karma here:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/karma.html

'Smell of death keeps them away from meat'
http://www.newindpress.com/coastalcalamity/News.asp?Topic=-367&Title=&ID=IE920050114030622&nDate=&Sub=&Cat=&
Friday January 14 2005 13:27 IST

REUTERS

BANGKOK: The gruesome task of retrieving the bodies of tsunami victims has turned many Thai rescue workers vegetarian, the “Matichon” newspaper said on Friday.

''Our operations in the first days weren't going smoothly,'' Chatchawan Suthiarun, who led a team of 70 in Khao Lak where about 4,000 people, more than half of them foreign tourists, were killed on December 26, told the Thai-language newspaper.

''After we turned to vegetarian food and lighting jossticks to the spirits asking for help, the job has become much easier, he said.

Matichon said vegetarian food was all the rage in one nearby village, where a makeshift relief kitchen produced about 1,000 boxes of meatless food a day.

The newspaper quoted a survivor as saying that the smell of death had put her off meat.

Opening hearts, wallets for disaster relief funds
http://www.sitapati.info/index.php?p=135

Filed under: Syndicate Media Watch @ 7:37 am

On another front the Hare Krishna Movement’s Food for Life organisation has embarked on a food relief project for Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami, an international leader of the society, will accompany 45 other Hare Krishna devotees to the devastated country where they will set up food distribution camps.

Instead of sending money to the victims, Food for Life will provide them with hot meals. According to a spokesman, the meals will consist of rice, dhall and vegetables.

Daily News - Opening hearts, wallets for disaster relief funds http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=500&fArticleId=2370840

The Hare Krishna temple in Hertfordshire has sponsored a team of doctors and volunteers to treat the victims of the Asian tsunami.

Since December 26, a team of 60 doctors and 100 volunteers has treated more than 4,000 victims and provided 1,500 stoves in southern India.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu has also distributed more than 450,000 hot meals.

Newindpress.com - Coastal Calamity
http://www.newindpress.com/coastalcalamity/News.asp?Topic=-367&Title=&ID=IEH20050112091541&nDate=&Sub=&Cat=

Hare Krishna sponsors doctors for tsunami-hit areas
Thursday January 13 2005 08:02 IST

IANS

LONDON: The Hare Krishna temple in Hertfordshire has sponsored a team of doctors and volunteers to treat the victims of the Asian tsunami.

Since December 26, a team of 60 doctors and 100 volunteers has treated more than 4,000 victims and provided 1,500 stoves in southern India.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu has also distributed more than 450,000 hot meals.

Said Gauri Dasa, president of Bhaktivedanta Manor: "Doctors and volunteers from ISKCON...Mumbai were some of the first to reach the disaster area to provide hot meals and medical treatment.

"In addition to immediate relief we are now focusing on adopting entire villages where we will provide housing reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Bhaktivedanta Manor has launched an appeal in Britain to collect funds for tsunami victims in India.

Indradyumna Swami from food distribution in Sri Lankha
http://blog.world-sankirtan.net/IDS/

Silver lining in a dark cloud:

January 2005 - Sri Lanka

I have been quite moved by what I have seen and experianced during my two weeks of disaster relief work here in Sri Lanka. I have travelled the world as a monk ( sannyasi ) for 35 years and have seen many disturbing situations; war in Grozny, the aftermath of war in Sarajevo, hunger in Sudan. But to echo the recent words of Colin Powell, I have never seen anything as devastating as the tsunami disaster here in Sri Lanka.

I traveled along the coast from Colombo to Galle yesterday and saw devastation worse than war. Whole villages had disappeared. Hardly a home was left standing. Bridges were destroyed, train tracks uprooted. Everything was rubble - for hundred of kilometers. I was stunned by the force of the Tsunami wave.

Myself and party were going to do food relief in the refugee camps. When we arrived the army assisted us. However, I soon saw that the refugees, for the most part, were not hungry. Soon after the disaster the government, aided by generous donations from around the world, had began providing food for the victims of the tragedy. I inquired further and learned that there is no scarcity of food in any of the refugee camps throughout the country.

Neither have there been any epidemics. There are medical personel available in all refugee camps.

I must say that it is a credit to the people of the world, who reacted so swiftly and with such generosity, that hunger and disease have been avoided here in Sri Lanka. I have heard that the situation is the same in the other 10 countries affected by the Tsunami. It is wonderful that so many barriers have been broken down ( at least temporarily ) as a result of the disaster. I believe it is unprecedented. If only such sentiments of cooperation could continue in the world. History has shown they often don’t.

I believe the real issue now at hand - as regards relief work - is the many orphaned children in this country. Personally, I am redirecting ISKCON’s efforts here from food relief, to taking care of orphaned children. It simply breaks my heart to see them crying in the refugee camps.

Here in Colombo, our local Hare Krsna temple runs a successful orphanage with 100 children. My efforts will now be to raise funds to expand that orphange so that it can accept another 100 children whose parents died in the disaster. I will even request the orphanage to take several children I have personally met in my travels; kids whose big eyes, sad faces and desire for love have captured my heart.

I am not sure what the media is reporting these days, as I have no access to television. But I have been to the ravaged coast and cried my tears of sympathy for the dead, the dying and the injured. I have walked through the refugee camps, spoken to the people, heard their stories and given them my shoulder to lean on. And significantly, I seen first hand the result of unprecedented world sympathy for the victims. People are being taken care of - as best one can under such circumstances. Food is here, medicine is here and homes are slowly being built for the people to return to. Of course, no one can replace their loved ones. And only time may help them to recover from the trauma they experienced.

I am leaving here soon. I will take with me an enduring impression of the cruel face that material nature sometimes shows, but the assurance that sometimes, if ever so rarely, the human race can work together in a spirit of love to help each other. This can only be God’s grace.

Yours,
Indradyumna Swami

PS If you would like to assist in some way you are welcome to donate directly to our ISKCON Colombo Temple. For more information write to mailto:iskconsrilanka@pamho.net

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

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad.

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

Vedic Heritage Still Survives
http://www.swamishyam.org/everyguide-vedicherit.html

The home of this eternal wisdom and universal lifestyle was India. India's ancient name was Bharata, which means,

bhàyàm ratah bhàratah
Being totally dedicated to a way of life
based on divine knowledge.

Even today, the official name of India is Bharata. This name has a great significance. Bharata is the name of a renowned Vedic King born in the Solar Dynasty. He observed the Vedic lifestyle precisely, achieved great wisdom, and eventually attained enlightenment.

In the Vedic Age, whoever adopted the universal way of life to become established in this Supreme wisdom, was called "Arya". Nowadays this term has become misunderstood and manipulated by various groups. The Nazis used it to promote their super-human race, knowing that the Aryans were once the world's most advanced, invincible civilization. Today scholars use this term to denote a race of people coming from the bank of the Danube or the Volga Rivers, or somewhere in Central Asia, who later invaded India. But all of these misconceptions are due to intellectual circumspection devoid of intuitive satoric capacities and Vedic knowledge. Rather than adding anything to the world, they have caused a great havoc.

Aryans were the original residents of India living at the foot of the Himalayas, and the first inhabitants of Earth(1). Over time, people left the country voluntarily to live elsewhere or were banished, populating other areas of the world. Later, masters of this civilization were sent to different parts of the world to help these individuals maintain the Vedic way of life. The renowned Emperor Manu stated,

etaddesaprasùtasya sakàsàdagra janmanah
sve sve charitram sikseran prthivyàh sarva mànavàh

All the inhabitants of the world should receive an education in the Aryan lifestyle from the knowers of Absolute Truth, born in the land of Bharata.

Confusion concerning this expansion of civilization is due to misrepresentations of world history, misconstrued around vested interests and improper interpretation of mystical Sanskrit expressions.

Yet, even with this misrepresentation, the educated West has become aware that the Vedas are the world's most ancient and esoteric literatures. The Vedas form the nucleus around which the Vedic civilization revolved.

The Vedicans or Aryans enjoyed life's richest possibilities in one Intergalactic civilization. Much of the Vedic civilization was either destroyed or converted from approximately the First Century on, by Christian and Moslem zealots, who were out to gain wealth and power in the name of religion. Rulers all over the world have repeatedly obliterated world history with a view to subjugating the masses, since knowledge is power. In this context, thousands of manuscripts have been burned, millions of people tortured, thousands of buildings and cities converted into modern religious sites, with their artifacts buried in the dusts of time. Some famous expungings include:
240 BC: The Chinese Emperor Dic Huyang destroyed all of the books on history and science he had access to;

146 BC: The Romans burnt the Library in Carthage which contained 500,000 manuscripts. It burned for 17 days;

? BC: Library at the Temple of Ptah, the Divine Lord in Memphis was burned destroying many palm-leaf manuscripts;

? : In Asia Minor the library at Peragmus was burnt containing 200,000 texts;

48 BC: Julius Ceaser burned the famous library in Alexandria, Egypt which contained 700,000 manuscripts;

6 BC: Pisistratus in Athens was burnt; only Homer's epics were salvaged;

? : The Bibractis Druid College's Library in Autun, France was destroyed by Roman troops;

? : Emperor Tsin-She Hwangeti of China had thousands of ancient manuscripts burned;

? : Leo Isarus burned down a library of 300,000 volumes in Istanbul;

296 AD: Dioclisian burned a large number of Aegyptian and Greek manuscripts;

312 AD (approximately): The first neo-convert Roman Christian Emperor Constantine swooped down on the Vatican (then Vedican) destroying a number of Vedic manuscripts. It is believed that he also slew the Vedic pontiff and installed a Christian in his place.

1555 AD: A European Christian ruler, Franciso Telod, in Peru destroyed all the records and manuscripts throwing light on the ancient civilization of the Americas in his access.

1600 AD: Bishop Diago de Landa destroyed most of the ancient literature and sacred books of Mexico(2)

1860-1940 AD: British rule in India effectively destroyed the public educational system and robbed thousands of valuable manuscripts, destroying the rest. Even with all of this, there are numerous facts which still point to the glory of the Vedic Age.

Some of these include:

The existence of Vedic calendars extending back thousands of years and more, such as the Yudhistira Calendar(3) wide-spread use of accurate time-measurement and astrological calculations(4); Sanskrit names used all over the world for countries, cities, towns, rivers, and people(5); the existence of ancient Vedic sciences such as Ayurveda(6); Mayasur the oldest architectural text in the world(7); war policies(8); ethics, history, and philosophy(9); mathematics(10); grammar(11); physics(12); and astronomy(13). These ancient Vedic systems parallel and surpass what our modern 21st Century advancements have given us.

In the two Vedic epics of India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata(14), similar to the Iliad and the Oddysey, capitals are mentioned which were in existence until just recently, or which are still centers of attraction(16). Their traditions, methods of time-measurement, architecture, dressing style, ornamentation, cooking style, and religious observances deeply resemble those of ancient India. This is also true of various parts of ancient Russia, Egypt, Greece, and Japan.

Researchers in the journal of the Polynesian Society, Volumes 13, dated 1904, and 26, dated 1917, state that the Maories (aborigines of Australia) seem to be a branch of ancient Vedic society, as their language is akin to Sanskrit and their deities seem to be from the Vedic pantheon. Another researcher named Treager published a book in 1885 entitled, The Aryan Maori.

(JTCd's note: there's a typo in the above section, it may be intended to be (and aborigines of Australia), or the writer doesn't know his Iwi from his Abo'.)

In the well spread Vedic civilization of the Golden Age Iran, Asia Minor, and Iraq followed the Vedic way of life. In the second century of the Christian era, Japan, China, and central Asia adopted Buddhism without any violent threats to convert. Buddhism arose from the Vedic civilization. Eastern and Northern Africa were also very close to Vedic living.

Brihadaranyaka Upanisada was written before 3100 BC. It describes an esoteric science called Madhuvidya, expounded by Rishi Dadhichi. He was born forty seven generations before Poutibhasya. If we take even fifty years for one generation, Dadhichi's time goes back to 2350 BC, before Poutibhasya's time, which was 3500 BCE(17). This would indicate that at least five thousand eight hundred fifty years ago, the Vedic civilization existed in its full glory and grace.

In 1000 BCE the Vedic civilization was still predominant in India. At that time India was as large as Europe, excluding Russia. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Khotan, Burma, Malaya, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina, Bali, the Philippines, and Simhal were all living the Vedic lifestyle.

Greek ambassador Megasthenes to Emperor Selukas, who lived in Bihar, India at the end of 400 BCE, wrote:
"India, being of enormous size, is populated by races both numerous and diverse of which not even one was originally of foreign descent, but all were indigenous, and more over, that India neither received a colony from abroad nor sent out a colony to any other nation(18)."

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

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

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

THE MAN WHO TRIED TO CHEAT YAMARAJA

There is a popular story from India of one man who tried to cheat Yamaraja.  He consulted one astrologer, and he found out the exact day that he was going to die.  So he was a sculptor, and he knew how to work with clay very nicely.  He made nine clay images of himself.  He painted them and dressed them expertly.  If you weren't an artist you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.  They all looked exactly like him.  The moment came when he was supposed to die, so he lined them up and stood very still amongst them.  Yamaraja came, and he was very confused.  "Hey, wait a minute.  This person is supposed to be leaving now, but which one is he?"  He was puzzled, and for a long time he was thinking, "This man is going to be the first person to cheat death."  But Yamaraja is one of the twelve mahajanas, so he's very intelligent.  So he said, "Actually, whoever has done this has made a really lousy job.  It's bad work.  I've seen much better sculptures than this.  It doesn't look like the original artist at all."  Suddenly the sculptor became very upset, and he came out of the row of images, saying, "What do you mean?  It looks just like me!"  "All right," Yamaraja said, "Come with me."

MORAL: You cannot cheat death.

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

Dear Prabhus,

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

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

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

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

http://www.nectarbooks.com

Your aspiring servants at NectarBooks.Com

Dasaratha-suta Dasa and Dina Sharana Dasa

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

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

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