New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

An Interview with Krsna dasi from England

Dec. 20, 2013

Lilasuka dasi:  Krsna dasi, what made you think of coming to New Vrindaban?

Krsna dasi: Many reasons, really. But the main reason was that New Vrindaban was a very dear project to Srila Prabhupada. If I was going to go anywhere outside of my home country, it’s New Vrindaban because it was so dear to Srila Prabhupada.  Actually, I saw an advertisement online in January this year from Jaya Krsna inviting people to come to New Vrindaban. I was working at the time, so I couldn’t go right away. But I did come here as soon as I got a chance.  New Vrindaban is a major historic project for ISKCON – the perfect place to spend some time.

LD: There are parts of New Vrindaban’s past history that aren’t so pleasant. Did you know about this and did you decide to come anyways?

KD: Yes, I knew some of the history and had heard bits of things, but I deliberately didn’t catch up on it.  I wanted to experience New Vrindaban as it is today, first-hand.  I didn’t care to know about the history.

LD: What was the actual impetus that made you finally decide to come?

KD: I replied to Jaya Krsna that I’d like to come and volunteer for a few weeks for whatever was needed.  I told him that I could do things like office work, or cooking.  He replied, “Yes! Sure! Please come!”

LD: So you’re had some experience cooking for Krsna?

KD:  Yes.  I cooked back home in 1987.  Then, from 1987 to 2000, I used to cook at the Sunday feast at whatever temple I was visiting. I had visited many temples in Europe.  After I came to New Vrindaban, I got to cook for a Sunday feast once. I think it’s great when a Sunday feast has lots of sweets, so I cooked sweets for the feast.  I like to bake.

LD: What do you like about New Vrindaban?

KD: Wow! That’s a big question. The first thing is that New Vrindaban is an old ISKCON project that Srila Prabhupada really wanted. This is important to me.  Also, there are lots of older devotees from the early days that stuck with New Vrindaban. That’s inspirational.  Finally, everywhere you go in America, you pretty much know that you’re in America. But here, it is a world apart.   And everything you need to live is here!   At least, that’s my experience.  You don’t even have to leave once you’re here.

Also, we can have the association of all different kinds of devotees, with different backgrounds and experiences.  In the summer time, especially, lots of young, enthusiastic devotees come and stay for a while and serve.  New Vrindaban is really vibrant.  There’s a great morning program with a lot of devotees attending.  I mean, compared to some temples where I’ve been, sometimes there are only one or two devotees attending, and if you are not a singer, it’s very difficult.

LD: Tell me more.  I’m getting enlivened just listening to you!

KD: Well, there’s a real sense of community here. One thing is that so many devotees take breakfast and lunch together, which reminds me of the old days.  It’s really nice.

It’s a busy place where everyone is always busy with so much service to do.  When you see that everyone is engaged either in pujari work, cooking, gardening, wood chopping, the restaurant, the lodge, whatever – it’s encouraging.

I also like the way the kitchen is set up, with all stainless steel.  Obviously it needs a bit of work, but it’s easy to cook in and I love the big double ovens. It works!  I love the scenery in New Vrindaban.  I’ve always loved walking.  At home, I walk six and a half miles to work every day, which takes about one hour and 10 minutes.  So I love going for long walks here too.

LD:  I understand you’re leaving in a few days. Are you planning to come back?

KD: If I’m allowed!  I would like to. I love it here.  I’ve always felt welcome.  The devotees look after me and the ashram is quite comfortable.

LD: You make New Vrindaban sound like Utopia!

KD:  Well, I especially like the service I do when I come here.  A person can get engaged in their own propensity. It’s such a big place so no matter what you like to do, there’s something here for you.  As a matter of fact, I have thought of services for some of my friends if they would ever come here.  I know exactly where they’d fit in.  I’ve also asked my son and daughter to come here. They’d love it.

LD: Thank you very much, Krishna dasi.

Beautiful autumn scenery at New Vrindaban

I meditate on wonderful Vrindavana, where there are millions of lakes, ponds, and wells, all filled with water as sweet as transcendental nectar, where there are many gardens filled with blossoming transcendental flowers and fruits and unlimited wonderful trees and vines, where there are numberless transcendental deers and other animals who move here and there, and where there are many beautiful transcendental groves.

Verse 18 from the Sri Vrindavana-mahimamrita Shataka (Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrndavana-dhama) by Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura.

Please click here for more Deity photos …..

INVITATION TO ALL DEVOTEES OF NEW VRINDABAN

First Meeting of Advocacy Sanga

Agenda: Caring for Each Other, Caring for Devotees 

Soul Searching: How can we attract devotees to live in New Vrindaban? What can we do to inspire long term commitment?

Dear New Vrindaban Devotees,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra.

There is now a very nice opportunity to get involved in making a positive difference in our community. The idea is to develop a sanga of caring devotees for discussing how to make the community better and more harmonious in all respects. Since serving Krsna is a dynamic activity there are a variety of ways to please Him.

As Prabhupada explains,

“So everyone can serve Krsna. Either with your life, your money, your intelligence or with your words.  If you can dedicate your life for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement, that is first class. If you cannot dedicate your life immediately, then spend some of your income for Krsna. If you think you have no money, you can serve Krsna by your intelligence or by your words.” [from a S.P. lecture on S.B. 1.2.9]

The formation of the New Vrindaban Community Advocacy Sanga (NVCAS) is an opportunity for devotees to get involved with the community by engaging their individual and collective intelligence in giving input to the current management regarding a wide spectrum of issues that concern the community members at large. The input will take the form of well researched and thought out written proposals in line with guru, sadhu and sastra for management to consider.

The NVCAS is not, of course, a revolution. But it is revolutionary in that it creates an opportunity to revolt against our own apathy and our tendency to complain in a corner to individuals who can’t necessarily do anything about it.  Such complaining tends to quickly sink to the level of fault finding and good solutions never come from destructive criticism.

Although the formation of the sanga is appreciated by management, it is not being created by management, nor will it be overseen by management. Rather it is being formed and will be run by concerned New Vrindaban devotees because of a desire to assist in the pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban.

Participation is open to all residents, but there will be a Core Membership established. Core members will be entrusted with the responsibility to come to consensus on advisory proposals. Core members should be:

1) residents of New Vrindaban for a minimum of one full year

2) willing to consistently commit to a minimum of two 2 hr meetings a month to meet with fellow sanga members in serious discussions on community issues with the goal of formulating articulate proposals for management and/or community members to consider

3) willing to educate themselves on topics under consideration on their own time so that discussions can be more productive.

4) willing to make themselves available to community members who have concerns

The 5 broad categories of Srila Prabhupada’s vision for N.V. and their corollaries will be some of the topics under consideration in the coming year.

1) Cow protection/Earth protection

2) Spiritual education/Devotee School/ New Devotee Training/ Western Outreach

3) Self-sufficiency/Livelihood/ Devotee Care/Self Governance

4) Holy place of pilgrimage/Deity Worship/Festivals

All the above to be focused on

5) Loving Krsna

If you are interested to be involved especially as a core member or even as a participating member or just want to find out more, you are invited to the first meeting of the NVCAS on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2014. The meeting will be held at 6pm at the school building. Prasadam will be available from 5:30 onwards.  The agenda will be “Caring for Each Other, Caring for Devotees”

You can also contact Lilasuka or Nityodita to find out more.

lilasooka@msn.com      or   nityodita@gmail.com

Please see more photos …

Vrindavana is like the incomparable essence of the ocean of pure love of Krishna, or it is like the sweetest xisland-bracelet decorating that ocean of love. I pray this land of Vrindavana, which the great sages experience sweet as nectar, give me shelter until the moment I leave this body.

It’s time yet again for New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday!

Each week we highlight an earlier era in the history of ISKCON New Vrindaban and ask readers to identify devotees in the photo.

This week there are five devotees who can be named in the photo.

Extra credit if you can correctly determine the words painted on the oval sign at the far right side.

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

Technical stuff: We post the photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday.

Good luck!

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Link for more photos …

To drink: the freely flowing streams are filled with clear sweet water as nectar. To eat: the dried leaves from the trees are foods as palatable as one could desire. The warm breezes are just as one would have them. To reside: there are clean mountain caves and other suitable residences. Alas! Alas! How unfortunate I would be if I wished to leave Vrindavana!

Narcissus for Krsna

By Lilasuka dasi

Perhaps you’ve seen them.  If you’ve been up on the second floor of the Radha Vrindaban Chandra temple building, you’ve probably seen the beautiful “paper white narcissus” flowers growing in the front window.  Their brilliant white color thrives on all the direct sunlight there.  ECOV is growing these durable, fragrant flowers inside, during the cold winter months, for offering to the Deities.

Narcissus Flowers Bloom in the temple.

Most of the mature narcissus have already been picked and offered, but see the new baby ones coming up!  By planting 125 a week, a steady supply is available for Their Lordships Radha Vrindaban Chandra.

Krsna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” [BG 9.26]   Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban included self-sufficiency, along with four other aspects, all for the purpose of loving Krsna.  So, the growing of these lovely little, aromatic narcissus flowers is a small part of fulfilling that vision.

Baby Narcissus Plants Patiently Wait their Turn

May the land of Srila Vrindavana where Subala and the other wonderful cowherd boys, who are all dear friends of Sri Krishna, play, where Lalita and the other splendidly beautiful young gopis, who are all filled with love for Srimati Radharani, enjoy transcendental bliss, and where Sri Sri Radha-Krishna thirst to enjoy wonderful transcendental amorous pastimes day and night, become manifest in my heart.

ISKCON New Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes – 12/11/13.

ISKCON New Vrindaban (INV) Vision Statement: Founded in 1968, Srila Prabhupada boldly envisions New Vrindaban as a sacred place known worldwide for Cow Protection, Self-Sufficiency, Holy Pilgrimage, Spiritual Education, and, above all, Loving Krishna.

Participating Board Members:  Jaya Krsna, Jamuna, Gopisa, Ranaka, Chaitanya Mangala & Dayavira.

Recording Secretary: Laxmi Honest

1. Financial report

Jaya Krsna explained that the accounting work is not yet ready for presentation.  He needs approximately two weeks to finish and will send out financials at that time. A special meeting was suggested when the report is ready. This was approved by consensus.

2. INV appointee for ECOV board

The INV board is tasked with appointing a member to the ECOV board as per the IRS Integrated Auxiliary requirement. After some discussion, Ranaka was designated as the INV representative on the ECOV board.

3. New board candidates

This discussion focused on Keval Patel and Bhima Walker who had been invited to attend the Semi Annual Joint Board Meeting in consideration of membership on either board.  Chaitanya Mangala reported that both remain interested and enthusiastic to participate.  There is one open seat on the ECOV board and 2 on the INV board.  It was suggested that Keval Patel could be inducted into the INV board and Bhima Walker could be considered by ECOV for membership on their board. Voting will take place in January 2014, at the annual meeting that specifically addresses board membership.

4. Healthcare

A representative from the Marshall County Health Department visited New Vrindaban recently to inform the devotees of requirements under the Affordable Care Act.  Jaya Krsna pointed out that this is now the law, and while most devotees will qualify for Medicaid, others will need to purchase health insurance.

5. Advisory group

The proposed New Vrindaban Advisory Group has had two meetings.  They are working on getting set up and establishing their goals and structures.

6. Clean up at Bahulaban

Clean-up at Bahulaban, especially around the heavy equipment area, is needed.  The board agreed that this is a management issue, and Jaya Krsna suggested that spring would be the best time to approach this project.

7. Bulk food storage

Gopisa gave a report on the progress of the bulk food storage. Rice has been ordered through Dina Graves at Otis McAllister Inc. in California.

May my eyes become overwhelmed with ecstasy by seeing the nectar waves of Vrindavana’s beauty. May my intelligence drown in the nectar ocean of Vrindavana’s glories. May my body become agitated by the swiftly moving currents of ecstatic bliss and thus roll about on the ground of Vrindavana. Falling down like a stick, may I offer my respectful obeisances to all the residents of Vrindavana.