New kitchen entrance, old bad habits!

We had the pleasure of hosting the ISKCON National Annual General Meeting last week after a long time. It was a busy week. The new kitchen construction began with the old outhouse demolition. Just as the old paddy has to be uprooted to plant the new so we've had relocate the pot sheds and knock down the old cool room and sheds to make way for the new construction.
One old habit that needs to be uprooted is that of throwing the used vegetable and other bhoga boxes out the back door into the area around the doorway. It makes a mess, is unsightly, is a sign of laziness and is dangerous. We can't let rubbish pile up willy nilly at the backdoor. Cooks beware, you are on notice. Please clean up as you go and don't be lazy, thinking that someone else will clean up after you. It is everyone's responsibility to keep the kitchen and surrounding areas clean for safety aesthetic and health reasons.

Web site upgrade on the making

Last week we signed up for an upgrade to our current website. We chose havealook.com.au for their design smarts, speed of service and their economical setup fee. The new site design is geared for new enquirers into Krishna consciousness. That doesn't mean we won't provide all the services to which you are already accustomed. The classes, calendar and upcoming events will still be available, but in an easier to use, more interactive and accessible format.
We will be moving our podcast to SoundCloud. All lectures will be stored on SoundCloud moving forward. Our Facebook, YouTube and Flickr feeds will also be available and accessible.

The knower of the truth is;

The knower of the Absolute Truth is;
convinced of his awkward position in material association
knows he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa
that he should not be in the material creation
his real identity is eternal bliss and knowledge
realises he is entrapped in the material conception of life
engages himself in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
is naturally unattached to the activities of the circumstantial and temporary material senses
knows his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord
is not disturbed by all kinds of material reactions, which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord
tattva-vit – knows the Absolute Truth in three different features – namely Brahman, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead
knows his own factual position as servant of the Supreme.

Bg 3.28 | Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Online - http://bit.ly/1TtWysU

Īśopaniṣad Mantra 17 explained by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains these verses in this way: "One should regard a devotee of Kṛṣṇa to be on the right path of the saints, even though such a devotee may seem to be su-durācāra, 'a person of loose character.' One should try to understand the real purport of the word su-durācāra. A conditioned soul has to act for double functions—namely for the maintenance of the body and again for self-realization. Social status, mental development, cleanliness, austerity, nourishment and the struggle for existence are all for the maintenance of the body. The self-realization part of one's activities is executed in one's occupation as a devotee of the Lord, and one performs actions in that connection also. One must perform these two different functions along parallel lines, because a conditioned soul cannot give up the maintenance of his body. The proportion of activities for maintenance of the body decreases, however, in proportion to the increase in devotional service. As long as the proportion of devotional service does not come to the right point, there is a chance for an occasional exhibition of worldliness. But it should be noted that such worldliness cannot continue for long because, by the grace of the Lord, such imperfections will come to an end very shortly. Therefore the path of devotional service is the only right path. If one is on the right path, even an occasional occurrence of worldliness does not hamper one in the advancement of self-realization."

Iso mantra 17 | Bhaktivedanta Vedabase Online - http://bit.ly/1WHLpbo

The Lord does not forget His devotee's service

Even if at the time of death a devotee does not remember his service to the Lord, the Lord does not forget him.

Śrī Īśopaniṣad 17

Give and take!

Instead of taking from God, we (should) give to God.

TLC Introduction http://bit.ly/1TtUb9m

Tickets on sale Monday! Transcendental Journey - Hare Krishna Celebrates 50 Years

It was promised on Friday but I couldn't find it. The event is now posted on the Sydney Opera web site. Ticket sales start Monday. There aren't a lot of seats available so first in, best dressed.

Transcendental Journey - Hare Krishna Celebrates 50 Years - Sydney Opera House - http://bit.ly/1TtQCjr

There is no darkness but ignorance.

Tamasi mā jyotir gama.

Lord Narasimha Dev: The Transcendental Protector

 



Lord Narasimhdev is an avatar of  Lord Vishnu. He is worshipped in a half man and half lion form. Lord Vishnu had taken this incarnation many millennia before, in order to kill the demon king Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakashipu was abusing and try to murder his own devotee son, Prahlad, simple because Prahlad worshipped Lord Vishnu as the Supreme. Lord Narsimha appeared to destroy the demon and protect His innocent devotee Prahlad. He is known primarily as the ‘great protector’ who specifically protects his devotees in times of need.
It may sound like a fairy tale when we hear how Lord Narasimha constantly protects the devotees from danger but the story becomes real when we actually realise it. There was a devotee named Giridhari Das who introduced his parents to chant Hare Krishna and to worship Lord Narasimha for protection. One day, his parents were travelling in the car and met with a severe accident; the car was completed smashed from the front. Amazingly, his parents and their driver all escaped without a single wound. They chanted the names of Lord Narsimha and were miraculously protected.
There was another incident where a devotee girl was hit by a speeding truck while crossing the road. She appeared to have been flung far away to the opposite side of the road but was miraculously unhurt. The girl later claimed that Lord Narsimhadev had carried her safely through the air and placed her gently on the side of the road. Only minor scratches were found on her stomach where she said that Lord Narsimha held her in His sharp lion paws.
There are so many similar realisations we can hear from the devotees on how they are completely protected by the Lord. His appearance day is on May 20th this year. Let us all celebrate it. Narasimha Dev ki Jai!

(Written By Bhaktin Iswariya)

Ram Navami – a joyous celebration

We celebrated the most awaited festival of Ram Navami at Hare Krishna Melbourne in April. Thousands of people enjoyed the glorious appearance day of Lord Rama Chandra by dancing, singing and feasting.

Lord Rama appeared on this earth around a million years ago. His birth was a much awaited and much celebrated event in Ayodhya. Even today, the Krishna devotees of Melbourne celebrate it with the same enthusiasm and fervor.

The whole temple was decorated with garlands and flowers, whose fragrance overpowered the fragrance of chemical perfumes. People were wearing colorful clothes and joyous smiles. Kids surrounded the fishpond in middle of the temple. The whole scene was very pleasing to the eyes.

The main function started in evening with the singing of the Holy names. Every single person was jumping and dancing in ecstasy while chanting the Holy names of the Lord. The crowd bought some discomfort but it was a special feeling to see different people from different backgrounds chanting and dancing in one room.

A big feast followed the music and dance. There were so many preparations to eat that if one took one bite of every single item, one would be full. Each item was delicious and satisfied the bellies and hearts of all.

Melbourne is a multicultural city; which witness different festivals from different cultures around the world. The Ram Navami festival, a jewel of Indian tradition, was definitely worth a visit by festival connoisseurs.

(Reported by Bhakta Gagandeep)

Infanticide – a Spiritual Perspective

The recent tragic event of a Victorian mother drowning her own infant has truly shocked the nation. We offer our deepest condolences to the aggrieved family and keep the girl in our prayers. What could possible have caused the mother to turn into such a monster?

Family and community structures provide stability in society. If all needs of every individual are met and each one feels valued then they are happy to take up new responsibilities. But if that support and respect from society is missing even becoming a parent can become extremely depressing and burdensome.

In this scenario, the mother herself was a victim of domestic violence and was separated from her partner. The whole situation created an extreme psychological disorder that made her hate her own offspring. No doubt the mother is solely responsible for the heinous crime but looking at the situation from a spiritual perspective can provide more clarity to the whole picture.

Our psychological process works naturally on what we consistently see, hear, act and practice. If the whole society is running towards material sense gratification, every individual will focus on his own sense satisfaction over the needs of others. Materialism can make one so self-centred that one attempts to destroy anything or anyone that comes in the way of our own personal enjoyment.

Instead, if we the society is God Conscious and focused on higher values, everyone can focus on duty over self-pleasure. Society values the execution of one’s material and spiritual duties in the best possible way. Community members value human relationships over individual success and are happy to devote time to each other. Naturally stable family structures are maintained and new mothers get the support needed from the community.

At Hare Krishna Melbourne, we are blessed with a great community whose focus is service to God and man.

Hare Krishna Valley News

There is always something new to see and do at our Hare Krishna farm in Bambra. Last month, the Hare Krishna Valley witnessed a retreat, a growing vegetable garden and a wood-chopping event.

It can be exhausting to live in a busy city like Melbourne. If you want to get close to nature and recharge, you must stop by at Bambra. Regular retreats and yoga sessions are conducted for this purpose. Recently, a retreat facilitated by a very senior Bhakti Yoga teacher was conducted on the topic - “How to find happiness?” Around 70 people attended to enjoy nature and participate in yoga lessons.

As our valley is around 30 acres, our farm manager has begun growing vegetables. Most of the area is still natural forest, but next to his house a green house project has been started which is producing a large amount of fresh vegetables for the farm's projects.

With the onset of winter, wood is required to make fire in the guest houses and other buildings of the farm. We had a great wood-chopping event, where members of the Hare Krishna Community from the city visited the farm to help with the wood chopping. The Hare Krishna Farm offers a complete rural experience for anyone who is interested!

Upcoming events at Hare Krishna Valley can be found here

(Reported by Bhakta Gagandeep)

Harinam Inspired Generosity

Today we would like to share with you an inspiring story of a new Hare Krishna devotee. Jason recently donated a van worth 50000 dollars to the Hare Krishna temple for our Food For Life services.

Jason became a devotee by participating in our Hare Krishna Music events.

He narrates, “I was walking past the Harinaam crew - a group of devotees who sing and chant the holy names of the lord in the streets. I didn’t realise the hearing of holy names would change my life eternally. I loved the music and began participating regularly in the street events. The crew members invited me for lunch to the temple restaurant and I was hooked to the delicious vegetarian food!”

“As I began accepting the process of Krishna Consciousness, I found myself becoming more peaceful and joyful. Life became more meaningful and I found answers to many of my spiritual questions. I recently fell sick, and was hospitalized for a while. Many friends from the Hare Krishna community visited me daily and I was touched by their love and affection. Krishna gave me the strength to chant His names even when I was sick.”

“I became convinced of the Hare Krishna way of life and wanted to contribute to all the community work they do. Hence I donated the van. It’s a small contribution to a very large cause.”

We are very grateful for Jason’s gift and will utilize it in expanding our food for life efforts even more!

(Reported by Bhaktin Iswariya)

Domestic Violence Workshop Conducted at Hare Krishna Melbourne

The volunteers of Natak Vihaar - a voluntary drama group, put up a fabulous performance to raise awareness about domestic violence on the 30^th of April at the Hare Krsna Temple in Albert Park. ‘Natak‘ means drama and ‘Vihaar’ means recreation. This group is known for their enthusiasm in raising awareness about domestic violence through their dramatical acts.

The organisers said, “The Hare Krsna temple in Albert Park is a place of spiritual welfare and worship for the general community. It was an obvious choice for us to spread our message of compassion. We are trying to curb the violence occurring within the secured walls of people’s homes, and we are really grateful to Hare Krishna Melbourne for supporting us.”

The performers of the Natak Vihaar team performance was both captivating and interactive, involving the audience and getting people to think on their feet. They acted out typical situations that violate the peace in our homes and in our lives. The team would then ask the audience for their opinion on a possible way to improve the situation. Then a thought out solution was put forward on how disturbing household scenarios can be returned to normalcy.

-Reported by Radha Sangi Devi Dasi