Newsletter Number #146  ( February 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

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

Sri Srivas Pandit - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Fasting for Fasting for Papamocani Ekadasi - (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 5th April 2005  in NZ)

Sri Govinda Ghosa - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

9th April 2005 - Amavasya - Hybrid Solar Eclipse (do not cook, eat, etc. Only Chant Hare Krishna) see eclipses-page

Sripad Ramanujacarya - Appearance

Mesa Sankranti (Sun enters Aries)

Beginning of Shalagram and Tulsi Jala Dan

Sri Rama Navami: Appearance of  Lord Ramacandra (Fasting till sunset) (18th April 2005 in NZ)

Fasting for Fasting for Kamada Ekadasi- (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 20th April 2005  in NZ)

Damanaka-ropana dvadasi

Sri Balarama Rasayatra

Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa

Sri Vamsivadana Thakur - Appearance  - Avirbhav

Sri Syamananda Prabhu - Appearance  - Avirbhav

24th April 2005 - Purnima - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (do not cook, eat, etc. Only Chant Hare Krishna) see eclipses-page

Sri Abhiram Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

1st Sunday in May = 1st May 2005 - Mother's Day (NZ, Aus, USA, UK)

Srila Vrindavana Das Thakur - Disappearance  - Tirubhav

Fasting for Fasting for Varuthini Ekadasi- (Fasting from Beans and Grains - 4th May 2005  in NZ)

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:

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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

See Travelling Preacher's Diary of Indradyumna Swami below:

 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:  Chapter 2 - Contents of the Gita Summarized

                                 TEXT 59

                           visaya vinivartante
                           niraharasya dehinah
                        rasa-varjam raso 'py asya
                         param drstva nivartate

 WORD FOR WORD
 visayah--objects for sense enjoyment; vinivartante--are practiced to be refrained from; niraharasya--by negative restrictions; dehinah--for the embodied; rasa-varjam--giving up the taste; rasah--sense of enjoyment; api--although there is; asya--his; param--far superior things; drstva--by experiencing; nivartate--he ceases from.

TRANSLATION
The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:
 Unless one is transcendentally situated, it is not possible to cease from sense enjoyment. The process of restriction from sense enjoyment by rules and regulations is something like restricting a diseased person from certain types of eatables. The patient, however, neither likes such restrictions nor loses his taste for eatables. Similarly, sense restriction by some spiritual process like astanga-yoga, in the matter of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, etc., is recommended for less intelligent persons who have no better knowledge. But one who has tasted the beauty of the Supreme Lord Krsna, in the course of his advancement in Krsna consciousness, no longer has a taste for dead, material things. Therefore, restrictions are there for the less intelligent neophytes in the spiritual advancement of life, but such restrictions are only good until one actually has a taste for Krsna consciousness. When one is actually Krsna conscious, he automatically loses his taste for pale things.

 - 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...)

Prabhupada Tells Short Stories

"There is a very instructive story, and it is a historical fact. The Muslim emperor Akhbar once inquired from his minister, 'How long does one remain in lusty desires?'

"The minister replied, 'Up to the last point of death.'

"Akhbar did not believe it, and he said, 'No, no, how can you say that?'

"'All right,' said the minister. 'I shall reply in time.'

"So one day, all of a sudden, the minister approached the emperor and said, 'You be immediately ready to come with me with your young daughter.' Akhbar knew that his minister was very intelligent and that there must be some purpose. He went with him, and the minister took him to a person who was going to die. The minister then asked Akhbar, 'Kindly study the man who is about to die, on his face.'

"So Akhbar noticed that as he and his young daughter were entering, the dying man was looking to the face of the young girl. In this way, Akhbar understood, 'Yes, what he said is true. Up to the last point of death the desire is there to see the face of a young girl.'

"This is called duspurena -- it is never fulfilled. This attraction of man and woman and family life continues."

Once there was a monkey who was jumping around in the forest when he saw a big tree that was half cut through with a plug wedged in it. The system of the wood cutters was that they would sometimes half cut through a big tree, leave it for the day, and then come back and cut the rest of it the next day. In the meantime, to preserve their cut, they would put a plug there. This monkey became very curious about the half-cut tree and he managed to push out the plug. The big tree suddenly joined and cut off his tail. The moral: mind your own business.

Lecture in Vrndavana, December 10, 1975; story remembered by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. The story about the Akhbar and his minister has always been, for me, one of the heaviest stories I've heard from Srila Prabhupada. Each time I hear it attentively, I become stunned. Only if we serve Krsna and Srila Prabhupada with all our body, mind, and words can we escape a last-minute reversion to material attachment. As we quoted Srila Prabhupada earlier in this volume, unless we are madana-mohana, or attracted to Krsna (the attractor of Cupid), we will be madana-dahana, or in Cupid's fire, attracted to the young girl.

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

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

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

"Everyone Is Mentally Diseased"
Room Coversation with Psychiatrist and Indian Boy -- May 12, 1975, Perth

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
http://prabhupadavani.org/Conversations/RAMfiles_CNV/CNV056.ram

Paramahamsa: I understood that you approach psychiatry, psychology, from the point of eastern philosophy.
Prabhupada: So, what can I do for you?
Psychiatrist: I have no question.
Prabhupada: He has no question?
Paramahamsa: No.
Prabhupada: Then, what shall I say?
Paramahamsa: I don't know, Srila Prabhupada. He had told me that he has read your Bhagavad-gita. He has a copy. Do you have any questions about the Bhagavad-gita? Has he understood it?
Psychiatrist: I just wished to meet you.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Paramahamsa: He says he just wished to meet you. Perhaps I should read a verse. Should I read a verse?
Prabhupada: No. Our viewpoint is that in the material world, who has accepted this material body -- anyone, but we specially take the human society -- they require treatment, everyone. Everyone is mentally diseased, and therefore he is unhappy. Everyone. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who has no sense of God consciousness, he is diseased mentally. He requires treatment. The whole human society, especially at the present moment, they have given up God consciousness. They are not interested. That is their disease. And everyone requires treatment. So the whole Krsna consciousness movement is the mass treatment of the materialistic persons who are mentally diseased. That is our proposition. It is... In India there was a case. A man committed murder, and he pleaded in the court that... His pleader, his lawyer, pleaded that he was mad at that time. We also accept unless one becomes mad, one cannot commit murder or suicide. So the civil surgeon was brought to give evidence whether this man is actually mad. The civil surgeon said that "So far my experience is concerned -- I have treated so many persons -- in my opinion everyone is mad. So if on account of madness one should be excused from the law, then it is Your Honor's discretion, but so far I have studied, more or less, everyone is mad." Similarly, our study is that unless one is mad, he cannot remain in this material world. So everyone is mentally diseased, and they are concocting their ideas, different ideas. And they are overlapping, my idea, your idea overlapping. Therefore there is clash, unhappiness, violence, individually, socially, familywise, nationwise. This is going on. Therefore everyone requires a treatment, psychiatrist's treatment. And the best treatment is to induce a person to become Krsna conscious. Then everything will be all right. Otherwise, a person who is not Krsna conscious, or God conscious, he is basically a mad man and requires treatment. (pause) Ghostly haunted man... You have experienced ghostly haunted man?
Paramahamsa: In Woodsaw (?) there was a ghost. In St. Kilda the devotees used to think there was a ghost, but not a man who was called...
Prabhupada: There is ghost. And sometimes ghost attacks a man. Because he has no material body, he wants to act through other's body. So the man who is attacked, he forgets himself, and he speaks and walks according to the dictation of the ghost. That is called ghostly haunted man.
Srutakirti: What is the significance of... What is this?
Prabhupada: He talks nonsense. Suppose his father comes before him, he calls him by ill names, like that. He talks nonsense. So anyone who is too much materially affected, he also talks nonsense. Anartha upasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. The treatment is bhakti-yoga. That we are teaching. Without any exception, we accept everyone a patient for psychiatric treatment. He has this book?
Paramahamsa: Yes.
Prabhupada: Then all other books we can show him.
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, does the soul, the ghost, enter into the other man's body? The soul is occupying one body, and the ghost, as another soul, does he enter that body? There's two souls in the one body?
Prabhupada: Not exactly enters, but he catches the body. But because the ghost has no gross body -- he has got his subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego -- you cannot see him, how he has attacked that body. You cannot see the body of mind, intelligence. You know I have got my mind; I know you have got your mind. But you do not see my mind; I do not see your mind. So ghost is within the subtle body: mind, intelligence, and ego. So with that subtle body, he attacks the man, but you cannot see. He does not enter into him. The enter is the soul within the body. Therefore sometimes ghost is walking in the room. We cannot see. But he takes away something. We see that the thing is going away. (laughter) Because you cannot see his gross body. And because he hasn't got gross body, he can move very swiftly. Now he is here; he can go ten miles away immediately. But there is ghost. And they attack specially woman.
Paramahamsa: Is that because the women are weaker?
Prabhupada: No. Woman is attractive for any man, even in ghostly life. The other day, who was telling that a big poet of India, he said that "God's most wonderful creation is woman's body"?
Srutakirti: I think Brahmananda Maharaja mentioned? Acyutananda.
Prabhupada: So, everyone is attracted with the woman's body. In your country I have seen the advertisement: "bottomless," "topless..." That is the material attraction. Everyone is in this material world on account of attachment. And similarly, for woman, the man's body is beautiful. So in this way both of them are attached to one another. That is the basic principle of material life. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham [SB 7.9.45]. They become attached. On account of sex life, they become more attached, and therefore both of them remain almost perpetually in this material world, and to satisfy different desires they transmigrate from one body to another. And on account of accepting this material body, there is always miserable condition. Therefore everyone requires the psychiatric treatment so that the mind may be transferred from matter to spirit soul. Then he will be cured. The disease is of the mind. Harav abhaktasy kuto mahad-guna mano-rathena. Everyone is riding on the chariot of mind. And the mind is taking him here and there, here... And the yoga practice is also treatment. This is also yoga, bhakti-yoga, and this ordinary hatha-yoga, that is also treatment of the mind. Treatment of mind means controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. Mind is the leader of the senses. So if the treatment of the mind is done properly, then the senses work properly. The example is the madman. Because the madman's mind is not controlled, he is acting in a way -- people say, "Here is a madman." So everyone is more or less a madman in this material world, or, in other words, you can say anyone who is in the material world, he is a madman. He requires treatment. Just like anyone who is in the prison house, it is to be accepted that he is a criminal. Without any study, without any exception we can accept all the prisoners as criminals. [break] ...gradually appreciate. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This treatment is in the beginning just cleansing the mirror of the heart. That is the treatment. Just like a mirror, when it is overcast with dust, it requires cleansing. So the mental mirror is covered with material dust. So it has to be cleansed. That is the treatment. And when it is cleansed, you can see your real face in the mirror. Similarly, as soon as our heart disease, contaminated by the modes of material nature, is cleansed, you can understand what is your real position. That is the success of psychiatric treatment. One comes to know, "What I am." Aham brahmasmi: "I am spirit soul; I am not this body." That is called brahma-bhutah stage. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. He becomes immediately happy. And happiness means na socati na kanksati: "He does not lament, neither he desires." Our present disease is we hanker after things which we do not possess, and when that thing is lost, we lament. So hankering and lamenting. So when one is cleansed in the heart, he has no more hankering or desire. This is the symptom. And samah sarvesu bhutesu: "Then he becomes equal to everyone." Everyone means every living being, man and animal, trees, plants, lower or higher. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Then he enters into the sphere of devotional service. This is the symptom. Then he is perfectly in his original position. Then he is happy. Just like a diseased man. So long the disease is there, he is unhappy. And as soon as the disease is cured, he will be happy. So this material disease, as soon as it is cured, one becomes happy, because he is, by constitution, spiritual being. People have no knowledge even, his..., even about his spiritual identity. Therefore they are unhappy. So if you forget what you have written, then?
Paramahamsa: Do you remember what you wrote about, which part? About Krsna's birth?
Prabhupada: Krsna's birth? But in Bhagavad-gita there is no.
Paramahamsa: Maybe he means...

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

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

(Every Town & Village, album cover)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

or HERE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reporting from Colombo, Sri Lanka

I arrived in Colombo on Thursday, after an exhaustive plane trip and many days frantically trying to tie up loose ends in Washington DC. It is a big sacrifice for me and my family, but I feel impelled to oversee the relief efforts in Sri Lanka and to make certain that your kind donations are properly utilized.

Mr. Mahakarta Das (left), the director of Hare Krishna Food for Life in Sri Lanka, greeted me at the airport and immediately took me to observe the orphanage that his wife, Nandarani (right) manages. 

The children looked very happy and healthy, with beaming smiles as they crowded around the door to greet me. Mahakarta showed me the new construction taking place which will provide more facility to the 80 children presently residing at the orphanage and the many more that will come in the near future.

Caring for the Children of the Tsunami

Immediately after the disaster occurred in Sri Lanka, our local Food for Life representative, Mr. Mahakarta Das, started distributing hot meals to the victims. But since he was already being overwhelmed with an increase in needy children to his orphanage, he requested Food for Life Global in Washington D.C. to coordinate the distribution of food in the affected areas.

Food for Life Global flew its Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. I. Swami ("Maharaja"), from South Africa to assess the situation and set up an infrastructure for the expansion program. It was at this time that we began requesting volunteers to help us. We received well over
400 volunteer applications. It was truly overwhelming for us to see the outpouring of sentiment and absolute selflessness of you all. I cannot imagine how many volunteer requests larger organizations like the Red Cross must have received!

Upon arriving in Colombo, our representatives immediately got in touch with the Sri Lankan president's secretary, who was coordinating relief work around the country. He suggested that Food for Life could distribute food in the district of Matar in the south. The Matar district was one of the most severely affected by the Tsunami wave. Maharaja tells me that his heart broke as he drove south along the coast and saw first hand the terrible destruction of the Tsunami. "Entire villages had been wiped out," he explained. Apparently, there was only rubble for hundreds of kilometers. "I had never witnessed anything like it in my life. I was visibly shaken," he said.

On January 14, our Emergency Relief team reached Matar and met with a Major General in one of the many army camps. After showing us around several refugee camps he requested that we cook each day for the 10,000 people living there. Maharaja noticed immediately, however, that the refugees were eating quite well. Further inquiry revealed that the government was giving them food to cook for themselves. When he asked the Major General about this he said it was true, but nevertheless he wanted our team to cook for the refugees, using our own rice and beans!

We came to the conclusion that there was no need to expand our food relief projects to the extent we previously planned. It would best to focus on pockets of under served areas in the North and East since most people on the Island, especially in the South, are getting ample supplies of food and water from the government.

It had taken Maharaja 7 days to fully understand this and he immediately contacted our headquarters in Washington DC and told us not to send too many volunteers for relief work.

This then put us in a very tricky situation. Food for Life Global had already informed 30 volunteers to come to Sri Lanka to help us in our food relief expansion program, and many of them had already purchased tickets. On top of this, we had collected many thousands of dollars specifically to help expand our food relief projects in Sri Lanka. Well, despite the awkward situation, we believe we have a very good solution.

The majority of the money we collected for the Tsunami relief could be used for another type of relief work that is, in fact, desperately needed in Sri Lanka: taking care of newly orphaned children of the Tsunami, and counseling parents who lost their children. No amount of money could ever solve the loss of a child or parent, but Food for Life, through its cooperation with the Bhaktivedanta Orphanage in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is willing to do whatever it can to alleviate the pain even a little.

The ISKCON temple has been running this successful and well organized orphanage for many years. The 80+ children who reside there are getting a healthy education and the loving affection of the staff. Mr. Mahakarta Das is presently making plans to expand the orphanage to accommodate the huge increase in orphans in Sri Lanka. Food for Life is therefore planning to finance the expansion of this orphanage.

As more information comes to light and we have a clear idea of how Food for Life plans to assist the orphans of Sri Lanka, I will inform you.

In the North, South and East, Food for Life was there

A FFL team from Switzerland have set up camp in Point Pedro on the farthest Northern tip of Sri Lanka and are currently serving thousands of cooked meals. Our project in the South which has been serving up to 5000 meals daily will be winding down soon and two new teams will work for at least one more month in the Eastern towns of Batticaloa and Ampara, although the urgency in both areas has diminished somewhat. A full report of all these projects will appear in our next newsletter. (Picture: Batticaloa)

FFL Honesty

We received a nice compliment from one of our FFL volunteers planning to join us in Sri Lanka, I just wanted to thank you for your honesty about the whole situation. As I learned more about Food for Life and more about what the organization was doing in Sri Lanka, I became more and more impressed and won't hesitate to advise friends to support Food for Life in the future."

FFL Global Web Site Draws Attention

One very positive result of Food for Life Global's participation in the Tsunami Relief efforts, has been the marked increase in visitors to our web site. Many people, including many vegetarians, had never heard of Food for Life before. "To know that there is such an organization that is consistent in its compassion to humans and animals, is just wonderful!" said one lady. Many other people echoed the same sentiment. It was very heartwarming to know that there are so many friends of Food for Life.

Try for yourself! During the first 10 days after the Tsunami, Food for Life Global received over 2500 emails and our our phone kept ringing at all hours of the night. It got to the point where I had to turn the ringer off so that I could get some sleep. I asked people how they heard about Food for Life and everyone told me they found Food for Life through a search on Google. This fascinated me to think that a small grass roots NGO like Food for Life, with a very limited PR budget, could be ranked so high in Google that indexes over 8 billion web pages. I decided to try it myself. To my surprise, searching with the string, "Tsunami Food Relief," resulted in Food for Life Global being ranked as the 4th and 5th link, above USAID and Catholic Relief Services! Even more astonishing is the same search on Yahoo results in Food for Life Global being ranked 2nd and 3rd!!! 

My conclusion was that our sudden thrust into the "Google and Yahoo Spotlight" had to be the result of the vegetarian and vegan communities actively promoting www.ffl.org through their newsletters, banners, web sites and word of mouth. Many of you receive this newsletter and we just want to let you know how much we appreciate your support. Thank you.

Volunteers

Food for Life Global received well over 400 applications from people all across the US and abroad, including doctors, nurses, attorneys, pilots, boat captains, fire fighters, soldiers, business owners, engineers, housewives and students. All of them expressed a very sincere desire to assist Food for Life in its relief projects. Unfortunately, our limited funds and infrastructure would not permit us engaging all of you in volunteer work at this time. But you can be sure that we will keep you informed of future volunteer opportunities as they arise.

Donations

Donations continue to come in to the FFL Global office and through the web site. To date, over $50,000 USD was raised from online donations alone. Many ISKCON temples, businesses, social organizations, and individuals also came forward and gave generously. To all of you, we offer our deepest gratitude.

Hungarian Government

The Hungarian government granted Food for Life Sri Lanka the equivalent of 20,000 USD to support relief efforts in Sri Lanka. The Food for Life projects in Hungary have an excellent reputation and so the Hungarian government gladly offered this small grant knowing fully that the money would be very efficiently utilized.

Film Crew

A television film crew from Hungary will be flying in soon to record our projects on the East Coast. More on this in our next newsletter.

How to Contact Food for Life Global in Sri Lanka

The Food for Life base camp is situated at:
ISKCON
188, New Chetty Street,
Colombo 13
Sri Lanka

email: iskcon@slt.lk
Office phone: +94 11 2433325
fax:+94 11 2471099
Paul Turner Cell: 94 77 302 0495

We ask that all volunteers inform Food for Life Global of their intentions before coming, as there may not be any volunteer opportunities available.

Volunteering Offshore

Food for Life is encouraging people to give their time in their local area to help raise awareness of FFL's activities and thus raise much needed money. The relief efforts we are undertaking will continue for at least one year -- and that means money is crucial. Many students have emailed to ask if they can organize a fundraising drive at their campus. The answer is a resounding "Yes." Please help in whatever way you can, whether it is selling t-shirts, approaching your local businesses, or writing an article. We just ask that you keep Food for Life Global informed of all your activities.

Poster - Please Distribute

Please print and post this new poster around your city. You can also print this flyer and place it in vegetarian restaurants or hand them out at your church or shopping center.

For the webmasters among you, we humbly ask that you place one of these banners on your web site with a link to our home page (www.ffl.org).

Donations by Check

Send to:
Food for Life Global
PO Box 59037
Potomac, MD 20859, USA

All donations are tax deductible.

Our "Money Back" Guarantee

All the donations Food for Life Global receives for the Tsunami Relief effort will be wired in bulk to our FFL teams in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Our FFL teams then guarantee that 100% of these monies will be spent exclusively on relief services.

Where You Can Donate

JustGive and Network for Good, both of which are prominently displaying Food for Life on their hunger relief pages and of course at the FFL web site using PayPal. (Note: PayPal does extract a very small percentage of the donated money for transaction fees. Typically $3 for a $100 donation).

Thank you for your friendship.

On behalf of all the Food for Life volunteers, we hope this meets you all the in the best of health and happiness.

The Food for Life Global Friends Newsletter is distributed to more than 20,000 vegans and vegetarians worldwide.

Paul Rodney Turner (Priyavrata das)

Food for Life Global
PO Box 59037
Potomac, MD 20859, USA
phone: (571) 277-2329
http://www.ffl.org  Go to FFL web site
SUPPORT Food for Life

Diary of a Traveling Preacher

Volume 6, Chapter 2

December 25, 2004 - January 11, 2005

"Tsunami!"

Like most people, in the early hours of December 26, 2004, I had no idea what the word tsunami meant. Had I been a tourist on the beach at Phuket, Thailand, sunbathing on that ill-fated day the "harbor wave" (the Japanese translation for tsunami) hit, I probably would not have taken heed when a vacationing scientist, seeing the sea mysteriously recede several hundred meters, screamed out a warning to others, "Tsunami!" Tsunami!" and ran for his life. He survived, but most on the beach didn't.

The death toll the deadly wave caused in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean may never be known, but it is estimated that more than 200,000 people lost their lives, with many thousands missing. 500,000 were injured and millions left homeless.
 
I had just arrived in Australia to participate in the Sydney temple's Christmas marathon festival. The day after Christmas we were returning from a joyous harinam on Sydney's packed streets when I saw the word tsunami in the headlines in the evening newspapers. "Huge waves devastate populated areas in the Indian Ocean!" screamed one.

Within hours the world was educated in the deadly phenomenon of a tsunami. The event was caused by a powerful underwater earthquake near Indonesia. The energy released by the quake was equivalent to 40,000 "little boys" - the atom bomb detonated over Hiroshima. It was equal to a billion bolts of lightning. The explosion was so strong that studies show the earth might have wobbled on its axis by as much as an inch and the length of the day altered by microseconds. So forceful as the earthquake that islands southwest of Sumatra (closest to the epicenter) moved by more than 20m.

The quake created 10m waves that fanned out and moved at speeds of up to 750kph across the ocean, eventually slamming into populated areas.

The rest is history, as the media was soon saturated with news of the destruction the waves caused.
 
Like millions around the world, I sat in disbelief as I read the news reports. Within hours rescue work began in all the countries affected, including Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. An unprecedented out-pouring of sympathy from people around the world would eventually raise over 5 billion dollars for relief work.
 
A devotee of the Lord is not callous to such catastrophes. He doesn't simply pass them off as global karma. By his very nature a devotee is sensitive to the suffering of others. Although Arjuna's concern for his family members and their suffering is often analysed as a weakness, it has also been described as characteristic of a pure devotee:

"Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities ... as such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves ... he was a crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord."

[Bhagavad-gita 1.28, purport]

The more the media revealed the suffering caused by the disaster, the more I began thinking of helping in the relief work. Although I am usually busy with various responsibilities, ironically, at that moment I had the time. Just after the new year, I was planning to go to Durban, South Africa, for a month-long break.

But the past 12 months had been particularly intense, and I sorely needed time to recuperate my health. I also hankered for time to read and chant. I had planned to do so in Vrindavan during the month of Kartika, but had sacrificed the time to take my disciples on parikramas. After giving the matter much thought, I concluded that because of my physical exhaustion and need to spiritually replenish myself, I would go to Durban as planned.

On January 2, I arrived at Sydney airport to catch a flight to Mumbai, and on to Durban. While passing through the airport, I was bombarded with media coverage of the tragedy. Newspapers and magazines still carried front-page reports on the devastation. Televisions in lounges aired heart-breaking scenes of destruction and appeals for help.

I stopped briefly outside one cafe and joined a group of people watching a television newscaster describe how some remote areas and islands near Indonesia still had not been reached by relief workers two weeks after the tragedy. He said that entire indigenous tribes living in India's Andaman and Nicobar islands may have perished. Smiling slightly, he described how a hail of arrows, fired from the forest of