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September 25 2008
I just got a call from Hrmati dasi. She’s a German disciple of Srila Prabhupada who has lived in Mayapur now for the last decade or so. She’s quite a character. Apart from raising a multitude of kids by herself, living in a grass hut with her own bullocks and cows, she is also the person who was responsible for bringing our new elephant, Laxmipriya from Assam in March.
Laxmipriya is doing well. She’s growing nicely and is being trained for her future service of carrying the Deities of Chota Radha Madhava on Their Saturday night processions during the winter months.
[see article:
  http://news.iskcon.com/node/1060/2008-06 14/new_elephant_packs_her_trunk_iskcon_mayapur ]
Now Hrmati is back up in Assam arranging to give a home here in Mayapur to another one. Why two? Because nowadays Indian laws are quite strict about elephant ownership. One of the rules is that you cannot have just one elephant, you have to have at least two. Otherwise they get very lonely and it reduces their life span considerably.
Every elephant in India is also supposed to be implanted with a microchip so that proper records can be kept. Failure to comply is supposed to result in confiscation.
In practice there are many elephants in the jungles of Assam that have not been implanted and due to various factors remain with their owners. According to the local officials its almost impossible to enforce this law.
The elephants are not wild, they are either forcibly retired animals thrown into inactivity due to the forcible shut down of the logging industry, or decendents thereof.
According to a report in 2006 by the Wildlife Health Unit (WHU) EcoSystems India:
The states of Northeast India, especially Assam, have a long history and tradition of domesticating elephants for timber logging operations. Of the total captive elephants (about 3,500) in the country, the Northeast accounts for over half the population (about 55%). Following a central government ban on uncontrolled tree-felling activities in the region in 1996, about 1,800 working elephants became burden upon their owners, as there were no alternative means of using the animals. Since then the condition of many of these creatures has deteriorated. Apart from the medical attention given to the animals by the owners in emergency situations, no attempt has been made by either government or non-government agencies to provide services for the elephant healthcare in Assam.
Their owners, poor tribals for the most part, are having a tough time. Whereas a working animal would earn them around Rs. 50,000 per month, an unemployed one is a Rs. 10,000 per month liability. Many owners allow the mahouts to take their charges out on the streets and its a common sight in Assam to see them blocking the traffic in order to solicit donations. These magnificent beasts have now been reduced to begging.
Its also not possible to sell them to new owners because elephants are a schedule 1 protected species. They cannot be bought, sold or even given away. On top of this well-meaning but misguided NGOs sometimes object to their being taken to homes outside the state even if the conditions are better. Thus the laws that stopped the logging in order to protect the forests have created a situation of gross neglect for the inhabitants, and the once proud pachyderms have become skinny, runted beasts that noone has any use for.
By good fortune our intended calf Visnupriya, who is about 3 years old, may well end up spending her days happily here in Mayapur. The process of transferring her to Mayapur to serve the Deities is going on and Hrmati had to go up there this week to make sure she is properly microchipped and the papers submitted.
Good job she did. The owner died since the last time she was there and his brother was attempting to file the papers under his own name. A friendly officer who has been assisting Hrmati to get through all the red–tape realized the irregularity and they were able to catch it in time. Had they not, it would have caused big complications later on and lengthy delays. They sent for the deceased man’s son, the true owner, and the papers are now being correctly drawn up.
Another delay came when everyone started running for cover. Not due to a mad elephant but due to a report that some operatives of the notorious United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorist group were in the near vicinity. Hrmati had to jump in a car and be taken out of the area for a couple of hours until things settled down again. Nothing is straight forward in India.
The microchip is implanted in the ear through a syringe. Its about the size of a grain of rice.
 
    
That was done this afternoon and now the rest of the procedure can go ahead. Hrmati says Visnupriya is quite friendly. The officers remarked that out of all the elephants in the vicinity (there’s a batch headed out to Bihar soon) Visnupriya is notably calm and even tempered. At her age they can be a bit boisterous and difficult to handle. Even though she has grown up in the jungle Hrmati was able to approach her and feed her a few biscuits.
It will take some weeks to settle all the paperwork and Hrmati is hoping that by mid-December we should be able to bring Visnupriya to Mayapur for her new life in service to Sri Sri Radha Madhava.
September 24 2008
08:25 AM
I was just informed by my wife Sitala that Sriman Bhaktirasa prabhu from Christchurch New Zealand, left his body a short while ago. He was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney about two years ago. Bhaktirasa was a well liked devotee who joined (I think) in the late 1970s or early 80s. He was a disciple of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami.
Â
He was being cared for by Srikari dasi, his first wife. She said that for the last couple of months he was in a good deal of pain and was having a difficult time. However, just shortly before he left, his countenance changed and his face became clear and bright. He looked just like a small innocent child. His eyes opened and he was looking at something others could not see. He was smiling beautifully. He said, “Krsna. Krsna. Krsna!” and then he left.
I had heard yesterday he was about to leave and I sent him the following letter. I don’t think that he will have received this in time, so I want to post it here as a short tribute.
September 23, 2008 – 23.37 Dear Bhaktirasa prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Last year I wrote to you because I heard you were coming to the end of your earthly stay and you were about to move on. Somehow that was not the time and you have remained for more than a year and half.
Now today I have learnt that you are on the verge of leaving us. I am sorry I have not written earlier to keep up with your condition. I am sorry I cannot be there to wish you well and assist you in your journey.
There is nothing much to be said. I am sure you have heard it all before over the last couple of years. I am sure you have prepared for this moment and that therefore you will have fixed your mind at the lotus feet of our transcendent Lord. Still I want to offer you my heartfelt best wishes one final time. Just this week we have heard about the departure of Sriman Sadaputa prabhu and Sriman Sundararupa prabhu. Now your time has also come. One day it will be my turn. All of us have made this transition many times before. This time, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada we have a chance to make this one the last. By chanting and hearing about the glories of Lord Krsna He tells us that we no longer have to take birth again in this material world.I sincerely pray to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai that you will meet with no impediment on your journey home back to Godhead. I am sure you have detached yourself from all material identifications and as such you have qualified yourself to become an eternal associate of the Lord.Chant Hare Krsna, glorify Krsna, serve Him with your heart and soul. He is waiting to welcome you into his eternal pastimes. Please accept his invitation and go to Him.
Please accept my humble well wishes and be successful in all respects. And please, when you meet the Lord, request Him to not forget this lowly soul but to bring me back also to his Holy dhama.
All glories to your lotus feet, all glories to your glorious departure, all glories, all glories, all glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!
I remain your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa
So today, September 24 2008, Bhaktirasa prabhu has reached his denouement. A very successful one, and one that Srila Prabhupada often told us is our rightful inheritance if we remain faithfully serving:
 [TD 3] Bury Place London, July 25 1976:Â
 “Describing the material world as a very dangerous place, he advised the devotees to remain sober. They should stick to the spiritual principles, read his books and avoid being discouraged. If the karmis were successful in having them evicted, he said that Lord Krsna would certainly provide another suitable place.
“But go on executing your routine work,” he said. “I am very glad to see that you are taking care of the Deities very nicely. Whenever I come I see. This is very encouraging…. So God consciousness means you have to face difficulty, but you should not be discouraged. You must go on with your business, then success is sure. When there is difficulty, a devotee thinks, ‘It is my good fortune that Krsna has given some difficulty to counteract my previous bad action.’ So in this way, if we live, then mukti-pade sa daya-bhak. If one is not opposed by all these difficulties and with determination he goes forward, then for him going back to home, back to Godhead is guaranteed. Daya-bhak means it is inherited. Just like the son gets the father’s property, there is no law to check it. Similarly, those who are humbly, tolerantly, going on with Krsna consciousness with full determination, for them going back to home, back to Godhead, is fully guaranteed.”
Early last year when I first learned of Bhaktirasa’s condition, I had a very affectionate exchange with him. Its a little long but I think it is worth the read because it shows how devotees prepare for death.
September 22 2008
I gave a class here in Mayapur on Saturday September 20 in praise of Sadaputa prabhu. This has now been placed on the Mayapur website. If anyone would like to hear it please click on the following link:
Keshava Bharati Goswami, Sundararupa Prabhu, Tamal Krishna Goswami
It is with great regret that we have to acknowledge the passing of another senior member of ISKCON, Sriman Sundararupa prabhu. Husband of Sudharma dasi he had lived in Alachua FL for many years. He had a history of heart problems and about ten years ago had a heart valve replacement. Then again this year he had to undergo a repeat of the same operation. Unfortunately his health problems continued and he was hospitalized a few days ago and put on life support. At around 8.00 PM on Saturday September 20 he departed.
I am glad I had one last opportunity to see him. On June 7 2008 IÂ was visiting Alachua and I sent the following email to my wife Sitala:
 “Yaduabara and I drove up from Alachua yesterday to Atlanta. It was pretty smooth going and took five hours. Before we left we went to see Sundararupa, who had just gotten out of hospital after an open-heart surgery to replace a major heart valve. He was happy to see us even though we couldn’t spend more than 15 mins. because we were running late. He showed us his scar which ran from his throat down to his gut. The doctors literally take a power saw and cut right through the rib cage, pull it apart and pin it back and then do the replacement. Its pretty traumatic for the body but as Sundararupa told us, its like going to sleep and waking up with a new body. You go in with intense chest pains, breathlessness and thinking you could die at any moment, and you wake up with normal functions, albeit with some operational trauma to get over, but the heart works normally and you feel like you have been given a new body. ”
Sundararupa told us at that meeting that his previous heart valve was artificial and only had a limited life span. This new one was real and would “last the rest of this life.” An ironic observation to say the least.
Sitala had replied my email:
“Glad to hear you took the time to visit Sundararupa. What a heavy operation to go through. IÂ remember years ago, he was told by an astrologer that he would die fairly young (can’t remember the
prediction) due to heart failure. Maybe his karma was minimized by Krsna.”
Through a competent astrologer it is possible to know how long we can expect our lifespan will be, but our actual life span is in the hands of Krsna:
Bg 18.61
 “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”
In the general scheme of things according to the Lord’s sweet will and in response to our own desires and activities, we move from one situation to the next. But for a devotee, there is nothing inauspicious nor is the movement of a devotee dictated by karma. It is directly arranged by Krsna Himself.
There is no doubt therefore that Sundararupa prabhu has moved to a most auspicious destination. When he left his body he was surrounded by devotees chanting the holy names. Krsna was therefore personally present and there is no doubt that He has rewarded his servant for his many years of dedicated service.Â
As proof that devotees are always in the direct care of the Lord, I recall an interesting story Sundararupa told me many years ago. In the early 80s, Sundararupa was in charge of our operations in Italy. He would also go to Israel to preach. On December 27 1985 he and several other devotees (maybe as many as seven) were standing in line at the Israeli airline EL AL ticket counter at Rome airport waiting to check in. The line was moving slowly and somehow or other, for different reasons, every single one of the devotees wandered off, leaving their luggage in the line. While they were away, disaster struck:
(from BBCÂ ‘On this day’ news service)Â
December 27 1985: Gunmen kill 16 at two European airports
At least 16 people have been killed and more than 100 injured during simultaneous twin terrorist attacks at Rome and Vienna airports. Gunmen opened fire on passengers queuing to check-in luggage at departure desks for Israel’s national airline, El Al. The attacks were indiscriminate and started within minutes of each other at about 0815 GMT today. No group has yet admitted carrying out the attacks.At least 13 people were killed, three of them gunmen, after six men, described by witnesses as being of Arab origin, fired bullets at travellers waiting in the main departure hall at Rome’s international airport.Chaos broke out during what is reported to have been a five minute attack as passengers fell to the floor for cover.Italian police returned fire as bullets rang out across the concourse leaving a trail of blood and broken glass.
Some unconfirmed witness reports describe having heard two “bombs” explode before the gun fire.
Warnings
Two gunmen, in their twenties and of Arab origin, were captured alive.One of them was taken to a military hospital for surgery and a third attacker is said to have escaped.
In similar scenes in neighbouring Austria, three gun men threw four hand grenades into crowds of passengers queuing to check-in for a flight to Tel Aviv.
It is understood they then pulled out Kalashnikov submachine guns as Austrian police returned fire.
They escaped by car but were pursued by police who opened fire.
One of the men is reported dead, the other two were severely wounded and eventually surrendered to police.
It comes amid reports airport authorities received warnings Arab militant groups were planning a pre-Christmas terrorist campaign at terminals across the world.
El Al counter after the attack
 In all, the attacks, which were carried out by notorious terrorist group Abu Nidal, killed 18, including a child, and wounded around 140. Yet none of our devotees were harmed. I remember Sundararupa telling me that he had to dive for cover as bullets flew around and explosions rocked the air.
The moral: Rakhe krsna mare ke mare krsna rakhe ke. If Krsna desires to kill somebody, nobody can save him. If Krsna wants to save somebody, nobody can kill him.
Sundararupa prabhu has now been taken by Krsna to a new destination. We sincerly wish this dedicated servant of Srila Prabhupada an all-auspicious life in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord and His pure devotees and offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife and children.
A recent photo:
(lft. to rt.)Â Matsya Avatara prabhu, Narada Muni prabhu and Sundararupa prabhu
September 20 2008
                          Sriman Sadaputa prabhu – A Personal Tribute
                   
July 9 1976 : members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute seated with Srila Prabhupada in Washington DCÂ (lt. to rt): Svarupa Damodar das, Sadaputa das, Rupanuga das, Madhava das
Vedic culture dictates from the very beginning of our lives that we understand one central point: that life in this material world is temporary and precarious and our real business lies elsewhere. We should understand from the moment we can walk and talk that our tenure in these bodies is like ‘a drop of water on a shaking lotus leaf’ that there is ‘danger at every step’ and that as soon as we are born we are already ‘one day towards death’.
It should come then as neither surprise nor shock when we hear of the departure of yet another soul from one body to the next. It is expected and can come during any movement of time.
Yet despite this knowledge we do expect that all of us average human beings will live the normal course–a full life of ‘three score and ten’. And beyond that there are some whom, because of their personal qualification and abilities, because of their contribution to our own lives and because of their importance to human society at large, we earnestly hope and pray will live to a ripe old age. Sadaputa prabhu falls very squarely into this latter category.
It is with great dismay, shock and lamentation then that we have face the loss of his association at the relatively young age of 61.
The work of a great man will touch the life of more people than he himself can know. It will edify, uplift and improve; it will set a foundation on which future generations can live a better quality of life; it will provide sustenance and positive direction to a multitude of souls. In Sanskrit such a person is called ‘mahatma’.
September 18 2008
I just heard the terrible news that Sriman Sadaputa prabhu, one of the foremost thinkers in our society, has just departed this world. I have no detailed information at this moment other than that his body was found in the bottom of his swimming pool at his home in Alachua FL, USA. He was a personal friend and like many other devotees around the world who knew him, this news has come as body blow.
I am including here a brief biography from the Bhaktivedanta Institute website:
Sadaputa Dasa (Richard L. Thompson) was born in Binghamton, New York, in 1947. In 1974, he received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University, where he specialized in probability theory and statistical mechanics. He went on to do research in quantum physics and mathematical biology at the State University of New York at Binghamton, Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, and the La Jolla Institute in San Diego. He is the author of seven books and the producer of six videos on science and philosophy, and he has written many articles for scientific journals and for Back To Godhead, the magazine of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. His most recent book, Mysteries of the Sacred Universe, discusses evidence of advanced astronomical knowledge in India’s ancient texts known as the Puranas. He has designed exhibits using computer animation and multimedia techniques to present the Vedic cosmology and the Vedic world view to the general populace, and he is presently writing a book discussing the laws of physics and the nature and origin of life.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to his wife and children.
I will be writing a memoriam soon to this brilliant devotee, who Srila Prabhupada once praised as a ‘real mahatma.’
September 18 2008
People in general often have the impression that a spiritual person should never become angry. Anger of course, is seen as a sign of contaminated consciousness
Whoops! How did he get back in here….
When we become purified, there is no more anger. Indeed, Srila Rupa Goswami states in the opening verse of the Upadeshamrta that one of the six forces that have to be subdued in order to qualify oneself as a spiritual master is anger. Yet we see that devotees–great devotees–sometimes become angry. Is it a fault or not?
In Krsna consciousness, we see that all the emotions are employed in the Lord’s service. He is sentient, and as His eternal parts and parcels, we are also sentient. The interplay of emotion (rasa)Â is the highest form of spirituality and in transcendental consciousness, anger has its part to play.
Here’s a couple of examples cited in Nectar of Devotion:
“When Krsna was trying to capture the demon Sankha, Radharani began trembling out of fearfulness. Similar trembling of the body was exhibited in Sahadeva, the younger brother of Nakula. When Sisupala was vehemently blaspheming the Lord, Sahadeva began to tremble out of anger.”
“Perspiration due to anger was exhibited by Garuda, the eagle who is the carrier of Visnu. Once the heavenly king, Indra, was sending torrents of rain over Vrndavana. Garuda was observing the incident from above the clouds, and because of his anger, he began perspiring.”
“An example of shedding tears because of anger was exhibited by Bhima when he saw that Sisupala was insulting Krsna in the Rajasuya arena of sacrifice. Bhima wanted to kill Sisupala immediately, but because Krsna did not order him to do so, he became morose with anger. It is described that there were hot tears covering his eyes, as a thin cloud sometimes covers the evening moon. In the evening, when the moon is slightly covered by a thin cloud, it looks very nice, and when Bhima was shedding tears on account of his anger, he also looked very nice.”
In the Mahabharata it is described that Bhima was so angry with the Kurus at their treatment of the Pandavas that he couldn’t sleep for 12 years. Finally when the Kurushetra war was declared, Bhima exulted at the thought of finishing the Kurus. His anger culminated with his fulfilling his vows to kill Dushasana and drinking his blood.
In service to the Lord of their hearts, great devotees exhibit their attachment to Krsna whenever a protagonist appears. This intensifies their love and increases their ecstasy.
These examples are of extraordinary devotees who are eternal associates of the Lord. What about within our own Kali–yuga context, here and now on this planet? When, if at all, is it alright for a devotee to become angry. Dravida das from Russia asked this question last April:
Question:
I thank you for the interesting instructing stories from Transcendental Diary. I have another request: Can you please give examples of correct usage of anger by Shrila Prabhupada, a use of anger to defend devotees? I thank you in advance.
Answer:
There is the story about the early days in India (before I went there) when Srila Prabhupada and the devotees attended a program hosted by some mayavadis at Chowpatty, Bombay.
 Read the rest of this entry »
September 16 2008Â
Every country likes to brag about their economy and how many millionaires and, nowadays, how many billionaires they have.
Well, now there’s a country where every single person is a billionaire. Â Â Â
This is not a spoof. The note is real, or rather it is legal currency. If you are wondering what the three eggs are for, that’s how many you can buy with this one hundred billion dollar bill. Â
Yes folks, if you want to be paper rich beyond your  dreams, just move to Zimbabwe where inflation is running at several billion percent.   Â
Srila Prabhupada writes about the prostitution of  gold in SB 1.17.39:Â
Although Maharaja Pariksit gave Kali permission to live in four places, it was very difficult for him to find the places because during the reign of Maharaja Pariksit there were no such places. Therefore Kali asked the King to give him something practical which could be utilized for his nefarious purposes. Maharaja Pariksit thus gave him permission to live in a place where there is gold, because wherever there is gold there are all the above-mentioned four things, and over and above them there is enmity also. So the personality of Kali became gold-standardized. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, gold encourages falsity, intoxication, prostitution, envy and enmity. Even a gold-standard exchange and currency is bad. Gold-standard currency is based on falsehood because the currency is not on a par with the reserved gold. The basic principle is falsity because currency notes are issued in value beyond that of the actual reserved gold. This artificial inflation of currency by the authorities encourages prostitution of the state economy. The price of commodities becomes artificially inflated because of bad money, or artificial currency notes. Bad money drives away good money. Instead of paper currency, actual gold coins should be used for exchange, and this will stop prostitution of gold. Gold ornaments for women may be allowed by control, not by quality, but by quantity. This will discourage lust, envy and enmity. When there is actual gold currency in the form of coins, the influence of gold in producing falsity, prostitution, etc., will automatically cease. There will be no need of an anticorruption ministry for another term of prostitution and falsity of purpose.Â
Maybe its time to go back to the land and the real wealth of grains, milk, fruits, minerals and other natural resources. Â
September 14 2008
I remember that advert from the mid-80’s in England–‘Allo Tosh, gotta Toshiba?‘–the line was repeated again and again while you were visually entertained with a technical drawing of a man showing off a flat screen TV manufactured by Toshiba. Clever, sticks in the mind. Hope I forget it before I die.
Well, yes, I gotta Toshiba. And its not working properly. The so-called HD-DVD (High Definition DVD) doesn’t work and hasn’t worked properly since I bought the computer in February. So finally I have decided to take it in while its still on warranty and get it fixed.  Fortunately they have a Toshiba repair place in Kolkata.
By rights they should give me a Blu-ray drive as a replacement because only two weeks after I bought it, Toshiba announced that they were dropping the HD-DVD standard, having been beaten out of the market by their competitor’s high definition Blu-ray DVD burner. So here I am left high and dry with a DVD drive that is not only faulty but defunct as well.
Why am I telling you this? I might not be on-line for a few days while they (hopefully) sort out the problem. So
Watch This Space…
September 14 2008 —Â On Snuffing it
I just got this question from Yadunandan prabhu of the Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium:
“While visiting some devotees in the UK, one of them asked me a question about Srila Prabhupada’s snuff box. This devotee was somewhat puzzled thinking that Srila Prabhupada’s snuff was made of tobacco. I did a little research on the folio and looked into the dictionary to answer accurately.
 “There are two options I see from my little research:
1. Srila Prabhupada was using some type of medicine as snuff.
2. Srila Prabhupada was using tobacco snuff as medicine for his blood pressure and to keep him able to perform his translation work at night.
As you were and are so close to Srila Prabhupada, can you please give some light on this matter so that my answer can be more accurate?”
Answer : Snuff is a tobacco derivative in fine powder form. This is the type that Srila Prabhupada was using.
 Here’s a general definition and history that I got from the internet:
September 13, 2008
 
Saturday is my usual day for giving the Bhagavatam class here in Mayapur. So it was my fortunate lot to get to speak about Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It is also the first day of our ISKCON World Hari-nama week and the devotees here have planned a whole week of activities centered around the chanting of the holy names in the local area.
The two events are natural companions. The Krsna consciousness movement as we know really stems from the efforts of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. His highly organized Nama-hatta groups had over 500 branches and he traveled extensively to chant and speak about the glories of the Nama. He also wrote an amazing amount of stuff about the Nama and Krsna consciousness-over 100 books. He provided the proto-type for the Gaudiya Matha, and later, ISKCON.
For my class I consulted with ‘The Seventh Goswami’ by my godbrother Rupa Vilasa prabhu.
Â
A wonderful book describing the life of Srila Bhaktivinoda.
After giving a brief overview of the birth and early days of the Thakura’s life. I picked out two chapters which I read to the devotees: “Preaching the Holy Name” and “A Mighty Pen” because both of these focus on the description of the glories of the holy name and the Thakura’s attempts to spread it.
These describe his activities from 1889-1893, a period immediately following his discovery of the true birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in 1888. It was one of intensive spiritual endeavor when he would travel from village to village and chant and speak to crowds of thousands. He went to Vrindavana and he also wrote ten books, including the Jaiva Dharma. I won’t repeat it all here but here’s Bhaktivinoda’s own description of his preaching programs [from Seventh Goswami]:
Here’s a few pictures from today’s celebration of Lord Vamanadeva’s appearance.
The curtains were opened to reveal ‘Vamanadeva’ (sorry I don’t know the boy’s name):
The ‘Lord’ is invited to take his seat:
Then offered arati by Umapati Swami:
then offered a drink
and fed sumptuously
September 12 2008
Here in Mayapur Lord Vamanadeva’s appearance is celebrated in a fashion unique in ISKCON. Every year a young boy is selected from the community to play the part of Lord Vamana. He is brought before the devotees and feted as if he is the Lord Himself. Arati is offered and the boy is fed sumptuous prasadam.
Here’s a couple of photos from last year’s celebration with Radha Raman dasa brahmacari from Australia playing the part:
September 11 2008
|
Higgs boson |
|
The Higgs is named after British physicist Peter Higgs He postulated its existence more than 30 years ago to explain how matter has mass Theory suggests the Higgs gives rise to a field through which all other subatomic particles, such as quarks, gluons, photons and electrons, must pass As they interact with the field, the particles experience a drag; the more drag, the more massive the particle |
September 10 2008 — On a day that the media dubbed ‘Big Bang day’ scientists kicked off their experiments with the LHC, Large Hadron Collider, in Switzerland.
They are in pursuit of Higgs Boson, the so-called “God particle“, an assumed fundamental aspect of material nature present at the very beginning of the universe.
According to  an article written in December 2001 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1695390.stm] the most sought after object in particle physics, the Higgs boson, may not even exist:
“This is the astonishing conclusion of researchers at the Cern nuclear physics lab near Geneva who have just reviewed five years’ worth of data from experiments they thought would confirm the legendary particle’s role in the construction of the Universe. The Higgs, according to the Standard Model of particle physics, is the particle that explains why all others have mass. Its importance is so central to current thinking that some have even dubbed it the “God particle”. But the Cern researchers have told New Scientist magazine that studies in its giant accelerator which should have shown up the presence of the Higgs found absolutely nothing – and this could mean particle physics having to revisit some of its most cherished ideas.
Higgs ‘shadows’
If there is no Higgs, science will be left totally unable to explain mass.
Physicists at Cern used what was then the largest atom smasher in the world, the Large Electron Positron (Lep) collider, to search for the Higgs boson. The theory was that if atoms were hurtled into each other at high enough energies, the Higgs would eventually reveal itself in the sub-atomic rubble.Just before the Lep was due to be closed down and scrapped, one team declared last year that it was within a hair’s-breadth of identifying the Higgs – it had seen tantalizing “shadows” of something which could be the sought after particle.”Â
It seems that despite this admittance the clever scientists managed to convince the governments of Europe to fork over the cash to build an even bigger collider than the LEP so that they could chase these shadows.
Thus, yesterday news reports featured leader of the project Dr. Lyn Evans launching the project with a click of his mouse button. Evan called the LHC “a discovery machine, the most sophisticated scientific instrument of our time,” that will “smash two beams of particles head-on at super-fast speeds, recreating the conditions in the Universe moments after the Big Bang.”Â
According to the BBC:
“Scientists hope to see new particles in the debris of these collisions, revealing fundamental new insights into the nature of the cosmos.
Dr. Evans said while it was hoped it would give clues to the origins of the universe, they did not know exactly what results the £4.4bn experiment would provide.”
Note that: $10 billion and they don’t know what they will get. Its not a bad job, chasing shadows…
Srila Prabhupada of course, was expert in exposing these masters of illusion.
In New Vrindaban in 1976 he told us a humorous story to illustrate the cheating of the scientists:
September 11 2008 – Ekadasi and half day fast for Lord Vamanadeva’s Appearance
                                               
                       
My godbrother Vaisesika prabhu, stalwart book distributor from California, sent me this inquiry about ekadasi fasting a few days ago:
“Seems there is some confusion amongst our newer devotees here caused by a visiting devotee preaching that one must avoid cabbage on Ekadasi, otherwise one has not followed correctly.
“As I want to respond correctly to the body of devotees here, I’m checking with you first about Srila Prabhupada’s mood and instructions for following Ekadasi.
“I have always taken it that he wanted us to avoid grains, beans, dhal. I never heard him get into the long list of veggies that some gaudiyas avoid: tomatoes, cabbage, etc.
“My impression is that he considered fasting all day from even water to be a first class fast. However, he preferred that we take something simple (non grain, bean) and continue our preaching service.
“Can you help me with the mood, nuance of this topic according to SP so that I can respond with full authority and potency?”
Answer:
I will do what I can prabhu.
Here’s a few ekadasi tales:
September 9 2008Â
Here’s a question from Asrama dasa, Russia, about that perennial topic, men and women:
“How is it possible to avoid being befuddled in relationships with the fair sex, even based on KC. I noticed that if a man is in relationships with a woman, the man is dependant on a woman even if he thinks that he controls the situation.”
Answer: In an age when there is a great deal of reluctance to admit the differences between men and women, there is a reverse trend in medicine and especially psychological studies which is increasingly showing the obvious: men and women are different. Their bodies work differently, their minds work differently. Srila Prabhupada has always stuck with this despite heavy criticism from the politically correct crowd.
Befuddled is a good word when it comes to describing the effects a women has on the mind of an admiring male. Here’s a study that was done some years back providing scientific backing for what everyone has always known:
Pretty Women Make Men Stupid!
Women have known this since the beginning of time. Now psychologists at
McMaster University in Canada have figured it out, too. A beautiful woman
can make a guy stupid.
September 8 2008
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We don’t do much at home on festivals. We have our own Deities, Radha Madhava, Gaura Nitai, Srila Prabhupada, Bal Krsna and Balarama but we observe the festivities in the temple.
On days like Radhastami though, Rasarani-priya bathes her Deities and today she was able to offer Them beautiful new dresses which Sitala brought back from her trip to Vrndavan.
Sitala has worked with Ashok the jariwala for over 30 years, he’s like family. Ashok makes deity clothes for many temples in ISKCON as well as the Birlas etc. His men are expert and one of the side-benefits is that Sitala can occasionally get outfits made for our Deities.
Here’s the Radhastami outfit for Radha Madhava:
 
September 8 2008 – Radharani is the better half…
[TD 4] October 5, 1976 – Vrndavana
 Prabhupada pointed out that the wife is also considered to be not different from the husband. “Again the wife is considered ardhangini. I think in English also it is said, ‘better half.’ Wife is considered half the body, the left-hand side half. Perhaps you have seen the picture that Krsna and Radharani, one body. The left-hand side is Radharani, right-hand side is Krsna. Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained this, radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api. Radha and Krsna, They are one, but for pastimes they have become two.”
September 8 2008 – Mayapur
 May Srimati Radharani bless all the readers of this blog on this auspicious day
 
I was with Srila Prabhupada on two Radhastami celebrations. The first time was 1975 in the newly-opened Krishna-Balaram Mandir in Vrndavan. I was the new temple commander and the only thing I can remember about the festival was that Srila Prabhupada unveiled a marble memorial plaque and corner stone for the Vrndavana Gurukula. There was no fanfare or large crowds, just a few of us that happened to be around:
 Gopal Krishna dasa (GBC), Srila Prabhupada, architect Saurabha dasa, Kishori dasi
The next year, I was fortunate enough to be on Srila Prabhupada’s party when he celebrated Radhastami in New Delhi. I have a lot more recollections from that year because I was keeping a daily diary;
Here are a few of the important incidences from that festival:
One final comment on Srila Prabhupada’s statement that he was writing under superior direction.
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This is from TD Vol. 4Â [exactly 32 years ago]:
September 4, 1976 – VrndavanaÂ
Later in the morning Harikesa Swami and I sat with Srila Prabhupada in his darsana room. He was discussing Srimad-Bhagavatam verse 3.25.21.
Harikesa read it out:
titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
“The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.”
Prabhupada smiled in satisfaction. “This is sadhu. Not the dress.” Then he had Harikesa read out his lengthy purport. …
“So description of the sadhu is there. It is very nice. Where they will find this description all over the world? Hm?”
Complimenting Prabhupada, Harikesa said, “I think there’s only one person who’s following that description.”
But Prabhupada had different mood; he humbly appreciated the words of the sastra. “No, I say about Bhagavata’s description. How perfect it is in every subject matter.”
And he provided a revealing insight into the source of his own words in the purport. “I have tried to explain what is there in the Bhagavatam, expand it. That is not my explanation, that is Krsna’s explanation. I cannot explain now; [at] that moment I could explain. That means Krsna’s … I can understand that. That the description is very nicely given. Although it is my writing, but I know it is not my writing. It is Krsna’s writing. So we should read Bhagavatam always. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. We should not waste our time.”
This was not the first time that Prabhupada has said that when he writes he is simply acting as a mouthpiece for Krsna. His words and humility today merely emphasized his role as the transparent via media between us and Krsna, and gave us another glimpse into the intimacy of his relationship with the Lord.
