February 2001 Stories

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I read with consternation the article entitled "Important Breaking News... Narayan M. Read This..." Could someone please explain why it was posted in this manner? Wouldn't it have been sufficient to mention that obscenities were present in the graffiti, rather than showing a picture and spelling them out?

Greetings from Hong Kong-the land of Kuvera, the "Money God," where the residents burn offerings to the "hungry ghosts,� worship the ancestors and Yakshas like the door god and the god of the kitchen.

This morning the doorway of a devotees house was found with graffiti. The house is that of Venu Gopal, temple co-president at New Govardhan - AU. Venu is away at the moment.

Recently while staying at the Kumbha Mela festival in Allahabad I went over to visit the Ritvik camp as I had heard about their 15 metre high deities of Gaura Nitai. They were very impressive.

Indian grhastha couple from Chandigarh (Radha Govinda dasa, age 40; Laksmipriya dasi, age 32) are seeking service in any temple in the US or in Canada. Coming from Brahmin caste families, their parents have been initiated into the Gaudiya Vaishnava line of Srila Prabhupada, and they have also accepted initiation as well.

February 26, 2001 - my last full day in Puri. By this time tomorrow, if all goes as planned, I should be in a taxi on my way to Bhubanesvara. This will be my last day of sending daily Pilgrim's Diary stories to CHAKRA.

The minutes from this year's GBC meeting have been compiled and, as usual, are being reviewed by an attorney before public release. They should be out within a week. However, several inaccurate reports have already been circulating, so here for your information is a short, unofficial summary of some key points from the meeting secretary.

The annual Durban, South Africa Ratha-yatra (Festival of Chariots) will be held over the Easter weekend (Friday, 13th to Monday, 16th April 2001). Over 200 000 people are expected to attend and as many plates of free Krishna prasadam shall be distributed.

Over 1,50,000 plates of puri, sabji and khichadi served, 1600 kits consisting rice, oil flour + vegetables distributed + stoves, lamps, blankets, candles, kerosene etc.

The life of Ramanujacaraya has been recreated in a dramatic film produced in South India by the same team that made Madhavacarya, Sankaracarya, and other beautifully produced religious movies.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 25, 2001: It's been 3 days since I've been able to send e-mail. Last night I went to an Internet Cafe that I found on Grand Road, about halfway between the Jagannath temple and Gundica.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 24, 2001: I like to sit on the beach in the early morning, chanting japa, looking at the ocean, and reflect. This morning I am sitting at the actual place where Lord Chaitanya bathed the body of Haridasa Thakura after his passing away - and it makes me meditative.

Hari Bol to all. I would like to inform all the devotees all over the world that I am starting a new radio show dedicated to His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as part of my Sublime Sounds of South Asia program.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 23, 2001: I suppose I should tell you about another gadget I have besides the collapsible keyboard hooked up to my Palm Vx handheld which was used to type this article.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 22, 2001: I'm sitting in Haridasa Thakura's Samadhi with the devotees in Bir Krishna Maharaja's group. As I type on this little keyboard, believe it or not, I am looking at Haridasa Thakura's Samadhi. Good thing I can touch type without looking at the keyboard so I can describe what I'm seeing.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 22, 2001: Here's a quick snapshot of my upcoming travels, which we'll update here on CHAKRA.

I'll miss Ramabhadra and Svavasa Prabhus. Who will I go to the ocean with? Ramai Swami is coming today, but I hear he doesn't go to the sea. The word is that Gunagrahi Maharaja preached to him that it was "Maya" for sannyasis to go swimming in the ocean.

� CHAKRA 22 February 2001

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 21, 2001: This morning we looked out the window as it was getting light and saw Lokanath Swami walking by on the road in front of the sea. We waved and he waved back.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 20, 2001: The beach is alive. As it gradually moves from the dark of night to dawn, I shine my flashlight at the sand and see a small crab, not more than an inch across, looking at me. To my side there is a bigger crab, perhaps 4 inches across. They don't seem to bother anyone. They are shy creatures of the Holy Dham. They dig a hole and remove the sand by taking it out sideways. Then they retreat into their hole again.

CHAKRA (Jagannatha Puri, India) - February 19, 2001: Technology - I have these strange little gadgets, which right here may seem a little odd. I'm sitting on a beach. A dog has come by and briefly looks at me, then goes away, his tale in the air. The ocean is not more than 30 feet from where I'm sitting. I am just out of reach of the waves. The sound of the surf beating relentlessly, though the waves are mild, is in my ears.

On the 16^th February the Honorable Prime Minister of India Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee visited our temple and stayed on for 35 minutes.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 20, 2001: In a surprise move after extensive discussions on GBC restructuring extending for almost 2 weeks, the GBC Body voted on Sunday to table the restructuring proposal until next year.

I read your Puri diary. I don't know probably because I know you I am following your adventures with delight and find it inspiring.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are selling our home near Badger, CA, and would like to see it go to devotees, if possible, since this is a community where lots of devotees already live.

Haribol.
This letter is in response to Anandakrsna Dasi's letter requesting Krishna conscious computer games for children. A devotee in our community, Titiksava Karunika Prabhu is making many Krishna conscious games for children.

CHAKRA (Jagannath Puri, India) - February 18, 2001: The GBC Meetings went into the second of three final plenary sessions in Mayapur, India, today as GBC members considered and gave their final votes on a multitude of proposals before the Body. The meetings will conclude tomorrow.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 14, 2001: While the ISKCON Managers Meeting was underway this morning GBC members were busy cooking prasadam. At lunch time the temple presidents, GBC Deputies and Gurukulis sat down, while the GBC members served prasadam to them.

On 29-Jun-2000, Basanti Devi, a 37-year old widow of Divya Goloknath Dasa who served Calcutta temple of ISKCON for over 15 years as full time devotee, had filed a case against Sureshwar Dasa, a Brahmachari, who had also served ISKCON Calcutta for over 15 years, for raping her. I will produce excerpts from her statements here which detail the background of this incident:

� CHAKRA 14 February 2001

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 14, 2001: The last three days of the GBC meetings won't be covered on CHAKRA because I've made a decision to go to Jagannath Puri with Svavasa and Ramabhadra Prabhus. The GBC meetings will conclude on February 19, 2001.

I can see two potential problems with the idea of making Krishna PC Games for kids. One is that modern computer games require massive amounts of resources, including time and expertise, to create. PC Game designers are usually one step away from PC-samadhi.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 13, 2001: The straw voting is done. Today the GBC will hear a presentation on the Mayapur Project by Abhirama Prabhu.

Abhirama made the frank comment that he needs an intact organization before they can build the temple. "We have made a buildable design that is pleasing to look at." He said they could begin the construction today if they had the money.

H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami was invited to the Vatican on the occasion of the Jubilee meeting for the University Rectors and Presidents from around the world, held in the Vatican City (Rome) in collaboration with the Ministry for University and Scientific and Technological Research of the Italian Republic.

I read with interest and sympathy the article by Vytenis on the effect of the allegations concerning Sai Baba on the faith of beginners to Krishna Consciousness. I was so impressed by the courage and sincerity of this appeal that I want to offer whatever insight I may possess on this topic, in the hope that some will find it useful.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 11, 2001: The GBC Body met in a plenary session today to hear the presentation of the subcommittees, ask questions and give straw ballot votes. These votes will go back to the subcommittees for further consideration.

The following are the details for Telegraphic transfer of funds to ISKCON Baroda for Earthquake relief.

With so many Devotees using computers and many are programmers, why can't they design some Krnsa Conscious PC Games for our needy children, as well as the brainwashed Karmi children. The whole Game market is flooded with Violent and useless games that spoil the brains of the children.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 11, 2001: The subcommittees continued to meet yesterday to finalize their analysis of the proposals before the GBC Body. Today the subcommittee facilitators will present their findings at the GBC plenary session.

It was a very long week. Most of the devotees were gone and the camp and the crowds as well. Most of the camps were packing up and it was beginning to look like a disaster area. We all felt sad, although I think we'll all be glad to get out of the sand.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 11, 2001: His Holiness Prahladananda Swami gave the Bhagavatam class here in Mayapur this morning. The verse reads: "Sannyasis who first consider that the body is subject to death, when it will be transformed into stool, worms or ashes, but who again give importance to the body and glorify it as the self, are to be considered the greatest rascals."

We are going to be conducting a "spoken samskritam" "world tour" in a few months time.
If anyone else would like to have a 10 day spoken samskrita camp/seminar at their place, please contact me at Basu.Ghosh.acbsp@pamho.net

This is to announce that there is a site, www.vaishnavake.com that presents an opportunity to vote on the various GBC Restructure proposals. This could serve as a medium to get to know the choice, feelings or mood of devotees.

Maharaja began by thanking the devotees for giving him an opportunity to render service by speaking something he has heard from Srila Prabhupada.

We have decided to run the camp for at least two to three weeks more and at the end make sure that these people do not go hungry. So we shall distribute rice, wheat flour, oil, vegetables etc. to at least

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 9, 2001: The GBC Body met today to hear a presentation by Dhira Govinda Prabhu, AKA Dr. David Wolf, about child abuse. Speaking before an audience of approximately 100, it was part of an ongoing GBC program to increase awareness of child abuse issues and prevention. He also presented several educational videos on abuse in churches/temples, and among congregational members.

Maharaja spoke about a man who contacted Srila Prabhupada's books in the Far East, and then presented himself as an incarnation of Krishna and a pure devotee. He developed thousands of followers. People turned all of their assets over to him, believing him to be a genuine sadhu, but when he disappeared with those assets, people realized he was a cheater.

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 7, 2001: The GBC plenary session started at noon with an auspicious Vedic inauguration ceremony led by three brahmanas from the Mayapur community. A reading followed guru-puja to Srila Prabhupada and chanting of auspicious mantras from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5th Canto, Chapter 18, Text 9. GBC Chairman, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, conducted the reading.

I just happened to read your Chakra articles, with updates of your pilgrimage journey to the Mayapur festival and daily events. Congratulations, this is so inspiring to read.

Kumbha Mela is like a gathering of the tribes. There are Shivites, Vaisnavas, Shaktas, Yogis, Jnanis, Karmakandis, Tantriks, followers of Kabir, you name it they are here. So it was not unlikely that eventually the Rainbow People would show up here too. And they did. The Mela Administration perhaps refused to give them any land, but one Tyagi Baba had a mango orchard on the far northern end of the Mela area and he gave it to them to use.

Does anyone exhaust in one, or many, lifetime(s) the whole gamut of possible experiences humans are destined to? And even regardless or beyond material limitations, is anyone able to tell what Krishna may come up with at any given moment? There is a place for faith and there is a place for belief and presupposition in a person's life experience. Let's venture into human topography.

Our party arrived this morning at the Calcutta International Airport. After breezing trough immigration and customs where everyone kept saying "Hare Krishna" to us, we met our pre-arranged taxi driver and began our journey north to Mayapur about a half hour ago.

His Grace Braja Bihari Prabhu gave class this morning at ISKCON Mayapur. He lectured from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.31.

Less than a month now till the deadline for submitting homages for Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja book. Below is the official BBT call for offerings.

All day long pilgrims are streaming through our camp, seeing the beautiful dioramas and all around Nitai Gaursundara's Rath there are 36 exquisite laminations from the Krishna Art book with Hindi explanations.

I had our sign painter, Niskalanka, make a sign in big bright letters saying "Prabhupada Marg.� That was the entrance to our camp and following Prabhupada's marg is our entrance into the spiritual sky.

Someone is spreading rumors that Jayapataka Swami won't be present for the Gaura Purnima Festival. This is furthest from the truth and a false rumor. Jayapataka Swami will be present at the MIHE courses, GBC meetings and for the Gaura Purnima Festival and Mayapur-Navadvipa Mandala Parikramas.

I started my movement with my books. And we shall be able to maintain everything with the sales of the books. The temples will be maintained by the book sales, and if there are no more temples, then the books shall remain." ....Letter from Srila Prabhupada to Hansadutta 8 Nov, 1973.

Thank you for publishing my recent article on Chakra. I saw it this morning. I was dismayed, however, to see that the opening paragraph had been edited to add heinous mistakes to the sentence structure.

The oldchakra.com website will post daily news outlining the progress of the GBC meetings this year for the 4^th year running. Follow the controversies, dilemmas and solutions chalked out by ISKCON�s highest authority, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) at their annual general meeting.

� CHAKRA 01 February 2001

People who have got through to me in roundabout ways have said the email doesn't send to me from your web page where my article is displayed.

February 17 - February 26	Jagannath Puri (Sea level)
February 27	Calcutta airport hotel
February 28 - March 1	Kathmandu, Nepal
March 2	Pokhara, Nepal
March 3	Jomsom, Nepal (Gandaki river, 9,800 feet above sea level)
March 4	Muktinath (12,250 feet above sea level)
March 5	Jomsom, Nepal
March 6	Kathmandu, Nepal
March 7	Calcutta - Mayapur, India
March 14	Return to UK

February 2001 Stories Read Still Earlier Stories

February 2001 Stories
Read Still Earlier Stories