New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

By Mahamaya dasi as presented by Patita Pavana das Adhikary

NEW VRINDAVANA, June 1973. The growth of the Hare Krishna Movement into an accepted worldwide religion has been decorated with the sacrifices of many wonderful, brave devotees. This is the story of one such incident, described by a Vaishnavi author who was there. An armed motorcycle gang shoots up the temple during the morning Bhagavatam class, and two devotees are wounded. In her fascinating caper through ISKCON’s early history entitled Shrila Prabhupada Is Coming, our ever-devoted Godsister Mahamaya dasi ( on the photo ) shares this first hand account of the events…

…Once married, I survived six weeks on the road with Tribhanga selling Spiritual Sky incense and eating only his homemade version of trail mix. His recipe called for a couple of tins of mixed nuts and salted peanuts, a package of dates, and a bag of shredded, sweetened coconut, all mixed together in a paperbag.

During our travels, Tribhanga got a huge order for incense in Louisville, Kentucky, so we returned to New Vrindaban to fill the order. There we saw Dharmatma dasa, a sankirtan leader from Vancouver, who was looking for a place to repair an old Road Show bus he’d just bought. Tribhanga invited Dharmatma prabhu and his group to come with us to Louisville, because there he knew a favorable couple, whose house we’d stayed in.

Dharmatma drove his bus to Louisville and parked on the street in the couple’s neighborhood. We filled our order and left town, but he and the other devotees with him stayed three weeks longer. One brahmacari befriended a neighborhood girl, who showed up at the bus with packed bags just as the bus was leaving for a festival at New Vrindaban. Dharmatma refused to bring her along because she was underage and her father was the leader of a motorcycle gang. When the devotees left, she ran away from home.

Her father thought she was also going to New Vrindaban, and he drove there to look for her during the weekend festival. The festival attracted more than two hundred devotees, and Vishnujana Swami led the most beautiful kirtans during the festivities. Not only was an Ananta Sesa Deity buried under the cornerstone of a future temple, but also two sets of small, brass Radha-Krishna Deities were installed, one set for the Vrindaban farm and the other for Madhuban. It was an open-house festival, and the girl’s father showed up in his old convertible—one of those really huge ones. He came with another man and the local sheriff. Devotees escorted them around, to convince them his daughter wasn’t here. The father returned a second time, with his friend and two ladies, to see more and ask more questions. However, the matter wasn’t settled that weekend.

After my six weeks on the road with him, Tribhanga traveled and sold incense alone, returning occasionally, while I lived at the Bahulaban farm, following a tight schedule. I went on the altar mornings and evenings, helped to roll hundreds of chapatis for lunch and baked the four p.m. offering. I came to Bahulaban too late to get Mother Silavati’s training—she had moved to New York—but Kutila dasi, Kuladri’s wife, was an excellent head pujari and a stickler for kitchen cleanliness. I loved the pujari service. Following a rotating schedule in the mornings, I dressed Radharani once a week, Vrindaban-candra once a week and either tiny Radha-Krishna or Lord Jagannatha the other days.

However, every evening for nine months, I dressed the same Deity: Srimati Radharani. I took off Her day clothes and jewelry and put on Her nightclothes. I became quick and adept, because we had little time. One night, in the usual rush to finish on time, I looked at Radharani’s face and froze, thinking, “This is Radharani!” But I had to set aside that thought to continue my service. I knew a passage from The Nectar of Devotion about Daruka feeling ecstasy while fanning Krishna, but setting aside his feeling to continue his service. I wasn’t on Daruka’s platform of devotional love, but I felt something similar that day by recognizing Radharani and then continuing to serve Her under time pressure.

Later, I heard a class that helped me better understand the Deities and Their feelings and interactions with pujaris. When Srila Prabhupada himself installed Deities for the first time in ISKCON—small brass Radha-Krishna Deities, in Los Angeles, on July 16, 1969—at the end of his class he said:

“If you think it is a brass-made doll, I mean to say, idol—ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham—if you think this is a brass-made idol, then it will remain a brass-made idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to a higher platform of Krishna consciousness, then Krishna, this Krishna, will talk with you. This Krishna will talk with you.

‘There is a Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja, he was talking with his Deity. And the Madana-mohana Deity—He was talking with Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami at that time had no temple; he was hanging his Deity on the tree. So Madana-mohana was talking with him: “Sanatana, you are bringing all these dry chapatis. And it is stale, and you don’t give Me even little salt. How can I eat?”

“Sanatana Gosvami said, ‘Sir, where shall I go? Whatever I get I offer You. You kindly accept. I cannot move; I am an old man.’

“You see. So Krishna had to eat that [chuckles]. Because the bhakta is offering, He cannot refuse. Ye mam bhaktya prayacchati: real thing is bhakti. What you can offer to Krishna? Everything belongs to Krishna. What you have got? What is your value? And what is the value of your things? It is nothing. Therefore real thing is bhaktya, real thing is your feeling. ‘Krishna, kindly take it. I have no qualification. I am most rotten, fallen, but [begins to cry] I have brought this thing for you. Please take it.’ This will be accepted. Don’t be puffed up. Always be careful. You are dealing with Krishna. That is my request. Thank you very much.”

In June, 1973, during the week following the open-house festival, an armed motorcycle gang attacked the temple. It was a local gang hired by the distraught Louisville father, who was with them, still looking for his runaway daughter. Surrounding the temple in the early morning, as the Srimad-Bhagavatam class was being held, they fired shotguns through open windows and doors, hitting two men, to gain control.

I was on the altar bathing the Deities. Kutila prabhu and I managed to place the small Deities—Jagannatha and Radha-Krishna—out of sight behind the altar before we were ordered into the temple room. There I saw Bidhan Candra and Krishna Katha prabhus lying bleeding on the floor.

We chanted the Nrsimha-deva prayers for the Lord’s protection, but a gang member demanded, “Stop your chanting!” and shot another bullet through the ceiling.

“If you don’t give us the girl, we’re going to kill all of you!” one of the villains threatened.

Terrified, I truly thought we were all going to die because the girl wasn’t there and had never visited New Vrindaban. The previous weekend, when her father had looked for her at our festival, he’d seen a cornerstone-laying ceremony, at which a Deity of Ananta Sesa was buried in a deep pit. He thought we had sacrificed the girl, and was convinced the pit was the girl’s grave.

The father demanded: “Who is your leader?”

Kirtanananda Swami identified himself.

“Who was the leader down in Louisville?”

“I was,” Dharmatma prabhu admitted.

“We’re taking you both to dig your own graves where you cut up and buried my daughter. I’ve heard about cults like yours!”

We helplessly watched Kirtanananda and Dharmatma being taken away. Miraculously, the girl’s father did not recognize the brahmachari who’d befriended his daughter, though he was right there, in the corner of the temple room, fearing for his life.

We softly chanted japa, praying fervently to Lord Krishna.

“What’s behind the curtain?” one of the thugs asked. Tearing down the Deity curtain, he saw the marble forms of Radha–Vrindaban Chandra, still not dressed because Their bath was interrupted. This monster forced one of our men to push over Shrimati Radharani. Then he himself pushed over Lord Vrindaban Chandra! The Deity broke slightly as He hit the lower shelf of the marble altar, which cracked and broke beneath Him. Standing on the altar, this envious demon declared—just like Hiranyakasipu—”Now I am God. Worship me!”

The loud sounds of the two Deities hitting the marble floor frightened the gang members walking up the hill. While the first crash was startling, the second sounded like a gunshot, and they thought the devotees had gained control of the situation. They began to run away, yelling at those inside to join them. Thus the ordeal suddenly and unexpectedly ended.

The wounded men were taken to the hospital and Radha–Vrindaban Chandra were carried to Kirtanananda’s house. Kutila and I retrieved the small Deities. She hid Radha-Krishna somewhere safe, while I and others carried the Jagannatha Deities to Talavan, a more secluded farm.

We prepared for the gang’s return because one thug had threatened, “We’ll be back tonight to burn the place down.” The police refused to protect us, so by nightfall the devotees had armed themselves. Several devotees stayed up all night to guard the farm, hidden from sight with all the lights out. But by Krishna’s mercy neither the father nor the gang ever returned.

Hearing about these unfortunate events, Srila Prabhupada wrote to Kirtanananda on June 14, 1973:

“I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1973 and have noted the contents with great care and concern. The Deities may be immediately repaired and worshiped. Now we must take precaution as you have suggested. You may get some guns and some of the boys may be trained as ksatriyas [warriors]. Such gun shots could have taken place long ago since we are challenging everybody. So we must be prepared to fight. We cannot stop this movement. It is actually a fight against Maya. So Maya may also sometimes cause casualties in our camp. So, we must only thank Krishna and seriously dedicate everything for Him. So, you are Kirtanananda Maharaja, take pleasure in performing kirtana. That is our real weapon against Maya”.

On June 22nd, Srila Prabhupada wrote again:

“After the shooting affair what precaution have you taken? Bharadraja is here and he gave report that the devotees were very frightened. I further understand that the attack was for the second time. Here in Mayapur there are reports of dacoits at least once or twice in a month surrounding our place. So we have now taken two guns under regular license from the government. So when New Vrindaban has been attacked twice, thrice, why are you not keeping guns? We are not advocates of non-violence; when there is aggression we must kill them. So I think you shall immediately arrange for guns and at least 10, 12 men should be trained up so when there is again attack you can properly reply the aggressor.

“. . . In the meantime I shall be glad to hear from you what defense measures you have taken to protect the life and property of New Vrindaban. This is very important and you must take all steps. Actually the government should have arrested all the gang and punished them properly for their atrocious behavior on unarmed people. Is there an attempt to have the government punish the gang who are well known to your country? We just take measure against occasional attacks by criminals.”

To add insult to injury, these gang members were tried in the local court but not convicted, despite the testimony of many devotees. Justice, it seems, would be attained only on a higher plane, not in the material world.

I left New Vrindaban on January 3, 1974, three years to the day since I had joined ISKCON.

end story

I purchased my copy of Shrila Prabhupada Is Coming some years ago from the author herself at a San Francisco Rathayatra. But it was a recent reading of Suhotra Maharaja’s In2Me-C Diaries that reminded me what a great book this is. Suhotraji loved Mahamaya Mataji’s spirited romp through the seventies for the same reasons I do. Her writing overflows with all sorts of rare Prabhupada-centered lessons. Her recounting of events is an honest history of the movement with scrupulous attention to detail. She squarely faces the devotees’ struggles in service and in preaching, and—as the title implies—the book radiates with our ever-present excitement of the pure devotee’s soothing appearance in our lives. Therefore, this is not a “ladies only” book; it is written for all devotees who yearn for the blessings of Krishna’s representative, those who share in the same goal we all crave that Shrila Prabhupada called Krishna consciousness.

-Contact Patita Pavana das c/o dhimanakrishna@yahoo.com

On Saturday, January 30, New Vrindaban Community will join with over 180 communities world-wide in a day of prayer and chanting. This is an international effort aimed at protecting the sacred Yamuna River in Vrindaban, India. There is currently a 30-day stay order on the construction of a bridge that would destroy the sanctity of the river.

The Yamuna River is the most sacred river in India. The Yamuna runs through Vrindaban, the birthplace of Lord Krishna in northern India. Lord Krishna swam and played in the Yamuna River and on her banks as a child. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the spot of the stayed bridge construction.

New Vrindaban will hold a traditional fire sacrifice for the protection of the Yamuna River, and will dedicate its evening worship service to her.

All events are free and open to the public. New Vrindaban Community is located south of Moundsville – Wheeling, off Route 250. For more information about this event or about New Vrindaban Community, contact (304) 843-1600 x105 or nvcommunications@aol.com.

This is the 10th Year Anniversary of the Festival.

Each year, Festival coordinators seek talented devotees to make presentations, conduct work shops or give seminars. We welcome a wide variety of topics. If any of the gentle readers know qualified persons or are interested themselves in participating , please contact me at the Festival e-mail:

_servingkrishna@aol.com_ (mailto:servingkrishna@aol.com)

or my direct address:

_malatidevi@aol.com_ (mailto:malatidevi@aol.com) .

For more details.

At the feet of Srila Prabhupada,
your servant, malati dasi

Dear Devotees,

PAMHO! AGTHDSP! Next Thursday, Jan. 28th is the auspicious
appearance day of Lord Nityananda. This is always one of NV’s most wonderful and intimate festivals. Especially in view of all the current issues in the world, and in our local world, it will be a wonderful opportunity for the devotees to come together and glorify the Lord as a Vaishnava community.

A flower outfit is planned for Lord Nityananda, and we would like to also decorate the altars very nicely. So anyone who would like to make a donation for flowers should see M. Nitya Mukta or Sikhi Mahiti.

The flowers will be purchased early Wednesday morning, so she will need the laksmi either by Tuesday or Wednesday morning at Gurupuja at the latest.

We would also like to offer the Lord a wonderful feast. Everyone is encouraged to make their finest preparations and bring them to the pujari room by about 6:15 to offer at the evening arotik. And of course, everyone is welcome to cook something in the kitchen at the temple. If you can’t cook but would like to donate financially to the feast, please see Sikhi Mahiti with your donation as soon as possible. They will probably shop on Tues. or Wed., his extension is 105 if you would like to confirm. Physical help is also appreciated if anyone would like to come on Thursday afternoon, to help with the preparations,

I will be calling some of the ladies to encourage them to make
their specialties. We all hope to make Lord Nityananda’s appearance day, a memorable occasion.

Hare Krishna,
Sachimata dd

Saturday, January 23 is Yoga Day USA. The word “yoga” is an ancient Sanskrit word that means “linking with the Supreme.” New Vrindaban Community is dedicated to the science of bhakti yoga, or the science of devotional service to God. Here is the schedule of events for Yoga Day USA:

12:30 Kirtan and worship ceremony

1:00 Participatory yoga demonstration by Damodara dasa, a certified yoga instructor. Mats and blankets will be provided.

1:30 Free vegetarian feast

If you have any questions, please contact Sikhi Mahiti at (304) 843-1600 x105. Hare Krishna!

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(Pusta Krishna was reading from the 13th chapter of Bhagavad Gita and Prabhupada was commenting. See the full conversation here.)

Pusta Krishna: It’s just like, say here’s a field, and it’s full of wood, so a farmer comes and he cuts down the trees and then he plants grain, and then it comes up as wheat. So he’ll say, “Well, God did not do it; I did it.” So his proposal is that under such circumstances how is the idea of God practical?

Prabhupada: So then practical is if God would not have given you this land, then where is scheme of tilling it? Can you till in the sky, in the air? Who has given you the land, hmm? You are very practical, but where you get the…? Can you manufacture this land? Can you? Then God comes, immediately. Where you get this water? Can you manufacture water? Where you get this air? Can you manufacture? Where you get this fire? Everything, there is God…

You grow bitter melon also here?

Devotee: We tried to this spring to grow it, but we can’t get the seed to sprout.

Prabhupada: You can get it from Mayapura?

Devotee: We got seed, but it won’t sprout.

Prabhupada: Oh, due to the climate.

Devotee: We don’t know. It is a very hard seed.

Devotee (4): Srila Prabhupada, perhaps the material scientists could help us make the seed sprout.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee (4): I was thinking earlier how a farmer can put the seed in the ground, but he cannot actually make the seed grow if it is not the will of Krishna.

Prabhupada: Yes. The situation is not favorable. That is the proof that everything is a living entity. If you put the seed… The seed is not the tree, but when you put the seed on the ground, if the situation is favorable, the particular living entity who has to take the form of that tree, he comes, and then it grows. That is the proof. Just like sex. It is not the secretion of the man and the woman. It creates a situation so that the soul may come and live there, and then there is pregnancy. It is not the matter. This is the proof…

Pusta Krishna: “Under the influence of material desire the entity is born sometimes as a demigod, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic, as a saintly man, as a bug. This is going on. And in all circumstances the living entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances, yet he is under the…”

Prabhupada: Even in the stool, the worms in the stool, he’s also thinking “I have got so much stool to eat.” This same mastership. “I am the monarch of all I survey. I have got so much stool.” And you just take the worm from the stool, put it here: “No, no, no, here is my enjoyment.” This mastership mentality is there in Brahma, and the mastership mentality is there in the worm of the stool. This mentality you have to give up. Then you become liberated. That is liberation. The bondage is that mastership mentality. He’s servant, but he’s thinking falsely that he’s master. Just like your President Nixon. He thought that “Now I have become master of America, I’m president.” He forgot that he’s servant. As soon as the people wanted, dragged him down. That he forgot, that “I’m servant of the people.” So everyone is servant, but falsely thinking “I’m master.”

At the end of October, two filmmakers from Charleston, West Viriginia, visited Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold. While they were here, they interviewed a few devotees who encouraged them to visit the temple. Here is a short video they produced and posted on YouTube.

watch?v=3c3Nmsv_VHM

I am hoping that we can get a lot of fruit and nut trees planted in New Vrindaban, with a goal of 1,000 in 10 years or quicker. Last year 30 or so were planted on temple grounds and individual devotees planted more so that for the year we did get over a hundred in and I hope we can keep up the pace this year or better it.

Srila Prabhupada did predict someday many people will take shelter of our farm communities. If that indeed occurs, we can always ramp up vegetable and grain production as the crop cycles are annual, but bringing fruit and nuts into production can take from 3 or more years for fruit, and for some nut trees up to 20 years, so that we need to get started ASAP.

So I am encouraging each of you to look at your own ground and consider tree and berry planting. If you can’t personally plant anything, consider giving a donation to pay for planting trees on the temple or other devotee’s land.

Lacking land or money, the temple can always use some volunteer labor to stretch the planting fund dollars so consider helping out. Anyone can participate regardless of circumstance.

While there are a lot of catalogues out there, if you want to keep it simple check out Miller’s.

http://millernurseries.com/

Or talk to me (Madhava Gosh) or Soma for other recommendations.

Of course, if you live somewhere else other than geographical NV and have some ground or a yard, I would also encourage you to plant there.

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(Pitambar dd is a New Vrindaban devotee from back in the day. She is Ambarisa’s widow. Ambarisa cared for the cows for many many years at Bahulaban and was famous for his kirtans and sweet rice. She has some health issues and is disabled.)

Updating everyone on the upcoming “Loving Exchange” program which is happening this Saturday Jan. 11th at Mother Pitambara’s house.

Place:   Pitambara’s House
828 Dads Lane
Buena Vista, Pa

Time:    9 am to 6 pm, or anytime you are able to attend during those hours

A van will be leaving from the Temple at 7:30 am.  Meet in the prasadam hall before that time to insure getting a ride.  There are 4 available spots.  Others may also follow the van in their own vehicles.

Many thanks go to Damodar and Gopa for the donation of the van.

Directions are provided below.

In addition to doing home improvements for Mother Pitambara, Please join us for kirtan and feasting.

Tulasi Manjari will be leading kirtan.  (She is coming from Canada)
Yogini is cooking canoli and kale and Ahimsa is sending homemade cookies. Other preps are being sent by devotees unable to attend.

Thanks to the many devotees who have been very generous with donations for bhoga and other supplies.

Any questions please call Das at 412-287-6368 or questions regarding prasadham call Yasoda at 304-639-8914.

From Washington Pa:

I-70 E toward NEW STANTON/MORGANTOWN. 28.0 mi Map |  Avoid

5. Merge onto PA-51 N via EXIT 46B toward PITTSBURGH. 5.9 mi Map |  Avoid

6. Take the PA-136 ramp toward WEST NEWTON/MONONGAHELA. 0.1 mi Map |  Avoid

7. Turn RIGHT onto PA-136/RAINBOW RUN RD. Continue to follow PA-136. 0.9 mi Map |  Avoid

8. Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto LONG HOLLOW RD. 1.1 mi Map |  Avoid

9. Turn RIGHT onto DOUGLAS RUN RD. 1.6 mi Map |  Avoid

10. Turn LEFT onto BLYTHEDALE RD. 1.9 mi Map |  Avoid

11. Turn SHARP RIGHT onto INDUSTRY RD. 0.1 mi Map |  Avoid

12. INDUSTRY RD becomes DADS LN. 0.1 mi Map |  Avoid

13. 828 DADS LN.

Krsna reveals himself to those who love Him.  Sometimes it is the unspoilt love of a child which contains the highest wisdom unseen to the gross materialists.

We all experience economic pressures.  Maintaining life in the twenty-first century includes many necessities which centuries before were completely unimaginable.  Even in our attempts to live simply and render service to our holy Dhama, there are necessities which one would rather not struggle without.

There is a little confession and a story that I have been asked to share with all of You.  Having racked my brain with plans and schemes to become economically independent, Krsna has smashed my attempts one after another.  Upon complete desperation, I did that thing which every good Krsna devotee knows not to do. We know that Krsna is the controller of the demigods and we should go to him directly…but with patience running thin, I began to worship the demigods.  We were driving our car through the snowy New Vrindaban roads and in the despair of poverty I said to my daughters, who are accustomed to my crazed schemes, “We are going to pray to Goddess Laxmi.”   All the way to Moundsville, they very cooperatively, chanted with Me, “Laxmi, Laxmi, Laxmi, Laxmi, Laxmi, Laxmi…”  In town I bravely pulled out a plastic credit card to buy those giant snow tires that would help ensure the twice daily meeting of our beloved cowherd with his awaiting milk herd.

Upon returning home from town my father called and volunteered to take care of our immediate economic crisis.  Feeling a genuine appreciation for my father’s love and trust, I was also overcome with immense amazement.  Later that night, as our family went down the road to meet the awaiting milk herd, my amazement increased.

Having fallen a little behind in the cleaning, the milk parlor which is home to six full grown cows, one continually growing ox, Rama, and Manjari (the baby), was overflowing with dung.  A full grown cow usually produces about fifty pounds of manure per day.  Compare the difficulty of keeping clean diapers on your little one, to keeping up with eight giant dependents with four stomachs each.

As the children, wrapped in snow gear from head to toe, enjoyed playing in the barn, Caitanya and I began the milking and cleaning.  Shovel after shovel full of dung is really quite good exercise.  Being deeply immersed, literally, in the bliss of shoveling, my six year old daughter walked over and looked at me with a proud smile on her face.  “Mom”, she said, “We don’t have to worship Goddess Laxmi anymore.  The cows are our wealth.  When the demigods took shelter in the body of the cow, there was no room for Laxmi.  But she is here in the dung.  We have everything we need.”

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