New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Alexander and Radhapriya

Lilasuka (L): So how are things going for you, so far, here in New Vrindaban, Alexander and Radhapriya prabhus? You’ve been here for a few months now.

Alexander (A) & Radhapriya (R):  Well, we like our apt.  There’s easy access to the temple.  Things are good.

L: I heard you went to India recently, Radhapriya. Would you like to tell us about that?

R:  Sure. It was October to December, 2013, and it was my first time to India. I went on Indradyumna Swami’s Kartik parikrama to the Vrindavan area. It was a rigorous, intense schedule, with not a lot of free time.

But I really liked Vrindavan because everyone there knows about Krsna. I have to admit that from everything I had read and heard, I had expected Vrindavan to be a peaceful, serene rural scene.  But I’m afraid it wasn’t like that at all.

It was quite noisy and crowded.  A person gets literally pushed around a lot!  All the temples are full of people, but that’s to be expected since it was Kartik time.  There are cars everywhere, it seems. And the people have this amazing habit of just throwing their trash in piles and setting them on fire.   Plus, it was very hard to find any time alone, with some peace and quiet.

There were other surprises, too. We were staying at the Srila Prabhupada Charity Trust building, where our roof accommodations were very scenic, but the electricity would go off regularly, as well as the water. And there was no hot water at all! Quite austere conditions. I didn’t expect it.

L: Welcome to India! Ha Ha! India has always been a challenge, on the physical level.

R: But it’s transcendental too.  All the men in Vrindavan have sikhas and everyone chants “Hare Krsna!”, “Radhe Radhe!”  The sweetest experience I had was attending the matajis’ kirtans.  Every day, in Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi, groups of very renounced, dedicated women would come and chant together in an intimate atmosphere.  It was the sweetest experience and very powerful.

L: Thank you, Radhapriya.  So, Alexander, what kind of work do you do?

A:  I work full-time, online as a tech support for WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting platform.

L: I see. And how did you two meet?

A: Well, I was a philosophy major at the University of Texas in Austin in 2007, when I used to see Radhapriya on “The Drag” (the main street at U.T.) distributing books.  I used to talk to all sorts of interesting people on The Drag. Radhapriya looked particularly captivating, and aroused my curiosity.  I was taking a photojournalism class, and eventually I ended up doing a photo story on Radhapriya.   When I asked her permission to do that, she replied, “I’ll have to talk to my spiritual master.”  That made me REALLY curious!

(They both laugh.)

A: I just kept following her around.

R: And he’s still following. (They laugh again.)

L:  What made you decide to move to New Vrindaban?

A: Well, I have to admit that ever since I first met devotees, I’ve never been able to fully appreciate kirtans. But when we came to N.V.’s 24 hour kirtan last summer, my heart felt very uplifted and moved.  I also really love the natural setting here. Those are the main things that convinced me to want to live here.

R:  Yes, the beautiful countryside, the variety of people, being part of an established devotee community, all the festivals – these were some of my reasons for wanting to move here. Plus, New Vrindaban is a true place of pilgrimage – a spiritual hub.  It’s one of those go-to places that HAS to be visited.  A person can meet all sorts of new devotees here, and establish relationships.

A: Last summer, when we came, Madri dasi showed us around and took us to see Varsana Swami’s project.  That’s when I realized: This is a holy dhama for real.   It’s a spiritual abode. It is Vrindavan!!  New Vrindaban has that spiritual potency.  There’s a very rich history here. And there are so many treasures to be discovered here – it’s an adventure. Almost like we’re living in Krsna’s lila!  I feel like we’re making spiritual progress here.

L: Radhapriya, I understand that you also work full time. What do you do?

R: I work full-time, online, doing graphics and web design.  I’m also helping Jaya Krsna prabhu by designing a new brochure.  I may also help with some festival posters.  I’d really like to help paint some of the deities and the Jagannatha altar.

L: Radhapriya, how did you become a devotee?

R: I was in a literature class, where I read parts of a version of the Bhagavad Gita and then did a report on “Karma and Dharma”.  But I wanted to read more.  So I went out and discovered Srila Prabhupada’s “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”, with its attractive, colorful cover. I thought to myself, “This must be a good, authoritative version.’

The Gita really resonated with me.  Everything you do will come back to you one way or the other, I learned.  Then I googled the Hare Krsnas and soon signed up for an e-course from the one who eventually became my spiritual master. It is   www.backtohome.com.  I remember when my spiritual master, His Grace Sankarshan das Adhikari, was coming to Delaware & I went to visit him at one Indians’ family’s place. So the first devotee I met was my Guru Maharaj, his wife, & Arya Siddhanta – their driver. They had an enthusiastic kirtan.  Mostly, I remember the gauranga potatoes!  In 2005, I took initiation.  Eventually I moved to Austin to do book distribution. That’s where I met Alexander – and you’ve heard that story.  Coming to New Vrindaban has really helped to revive my spirituality, which wasn’t thriving in Austin.  As a matter of fact, I’ve always been attracted to West Virginia Appalachia and the cows.

A: It really makes me happy to see my wife serving the cows.  Everything about the cow is pure.

R: Yes, even cow urine has antiseptic properties.  I hope to work more with the cows.  Physical labor makes me feel good. I love being outside, connected with nature.

A:  I also feel that a person misses out on the real beauty in the world if they just live in a city.  City life is so disconnected. That’s one main reason why we love New Vrindaban.

R:  Yes. It seems as though a person can either be “stressed out” here in New Vrindaban, or they can choose to take shelter of the land, the cows and the amazing abundant gifts of the land.

L: Thank you both. Hare Krsna.

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Don’t even glance at the external things of this world, whether they
belong to you or to others, whether they are as splendid as millions of suns and moons, or whether they possess a great flood of good qualities, Renounce them¡ Give up all conventional peaceful composure, and without caring for anything else, always remember Sri Sri Ra?dha?-Krishna and reside in Vrinda?vana.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-7, Translation.]

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New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 04/03/14.

Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

This week’s challenge: There are twelve devotees who faces can be seen in the photo. How many can you identify?

Extra Credit: What occasion was being observed and what festival was being celebrated?

Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook Page.

Technical stuff: We share a photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday. Let’s keep it light and have a bit of fun!

Special request: If you have a photo showing New Vrindaban devotees in action, share it with us and we’ll use it in a future posting.

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Vrinda?vana is illuminated by numberless moons of spiritual bliss. It is cooled by the sweet nectar of spiritual love and it is filled with desire trees and many hosts of madly cooing birds. Whose heart will not run to Sri Sri Ra?dha?-Krishna, who enjoy eternal transcendental pastimes in that Vrinda?vana?

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-6, Translation.]

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Video of Gaura Mani dasi leading New Vrindaban’s 24 Hour Kirtan – June 15th, 2013.

Vrinda?vana is filled with countless supremely beautiful golden trees as splendid as numberless millions of blazing suns. When these trees appear before the heart they shower a cooling rain of transcendental bliss that immediately extinguishes the burning sufferings of repeated birth and death and grants the rarest and most difficult to obtain spiritual treasure.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-5, Translation.]

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In Vrinda?vana the leaves on the trees are made of emeralds, the flowers of diamonds, the new flower buds of beautiful pearls, the newly sprouting leaves of red kuruvinda jewels, the many fruits, all filled with various kinds of nectarean tastes, of rubies, the rain of an incessant shower of nectar, and the bumblebees of sapphires.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-4, Translation.]

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Greetings…..

This past week brought us quite the selection of early spring weather sun, rain, and even snow.  There is always such great anticipation for planting this time of year. The rule of thumb for working the soil is, “if the soil is wet enough that it easily clumps into a ball it is just too wet for tilling”.

While we patiently wait for the soil to dry we have been planting bushes and preparing our garden beds. A crew as been working on the foundation project around the temple getting it prepared for 9 types of mint and Clethra alnifolia, Summersweet, which blooms during the tourist season.  In the Garden of Seven Gates we are planting fragrant flowering bushes around the gates. This week will we will be prepping the asparagus which should bring us the first bounty of spring vegetables. Also, this week I will be seeding vegetables in the greenhouse including melons, tomatoes, peppers, and greens.  For anyone planning their own garden this year now is the time to start your transplants indoors.

On Sunday we had a new worker  his name is Jonathan Davis. He attends Wheeling Park High School and was raised on a farm here in Marshall County.  He will be working in the garden until the end of July when he is leaving to join the US Marines.

We are looking forward to a warm productive week in the gardens.    Below is a really neat idea for a spring bean house that is low cost, ideal for climbing vegetables like beans or peas, and would make a beautiful addition to any yard.

Kacey Orr

In Vrinda?vana the effulgent ground is fashioned with many very wonderful colorful cinta?an jewels, the trees and vines are full of blissful spiritual fruits and flowers, the birds make a great tumult by reciting the hymns of the Sa?ma Veda, and the lakes and streams are filled with transcendental nectar. May my heart meditate on Vrinda?vana in this way.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-3, Translation.]

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Ramnavami

Tues. April 8, 2014

Schedule

4:00 PM Fire Yajna
5:00 PM Abhisheka
6:00 PM Class or Storytelling
7:00 PM Sandhya Aroti
7:30 PM Maha Kirtan
8:00 PM Prasadam
9:00 PM Swan Boat Festival (weather permitting)

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