The final pronouncement in the case will come just two days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was here for a bilateral summit meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev from Dec 15 to 17.

The case, which has been going on in Tomsk court since June this year, seeks to get a Russian translation of ‘Bhagvad Gita As It Is’ written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), on the Hindu religious text banned in Russia and declaring it as a literature spreading “social discord”, apart from rendering its distribution on Russian soil illegal.

In view of the case, Indians settled in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of the ISKCON religious movement here have appealed to Manmohan Singh and his government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue in favour of the Hindu religious text, an important part of Indian epic ‘Mahabharat’ written by Sage Ved Vyasa.

The ISKCON followers of Russia have also written a letter to the Indian Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi seeking immediate intervention, lest the religious freedom of Hindus living here be compromised.

“The case is coming up for a final verdict on Monday in Tomsk court. We want all efforts from Indian government to protect the religious right of Hindus in Russia,” Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON and a devotee of a 40-year-old Krishna temple in central Moscow, told IANS.

The court, which took up the case filed by the state prosecutors, had referred the book to the Tomsk State University for “an expert” examination Oct 25 this year. But Hindu groups in Russia, particular followers of the ISKCON, say the university was not qualified, as it lacked Indologists.

The Hindus had pleaded with the court that the case was inspired by religious bias and intolerance`from a majority religious group in Russia, and have sought that their rights to practice their religious beliefs be upheld. The prosecutor’s case also seeks to ban the preaching of Prabhupada and ISKCON’s religious beliefs, claiming these were “extremist” in nature and preached “hatred” of other religious beliefs.

“They have not just tried to get the Bhagvad Gita banned, but also brand our religious beliefs and preachings as extremist,” Das said.

In fact, the ISKCON devotees have taken up the matter with the Indian embassy in Moscow too, apart from writing to the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi, for an early diplomatic intervention, before things get worse and the court passes an adverse verdict banning the ‘Bhagvad Gita’ and Krishna consciousness teachings.

In the Nov 1 letter, addressed to Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterji, ISKCON’s New Delhi branch Governing Body Commissioner Gopal Krishna Goswami, said the prosecutor’s affidavit claims Lord Krishna “is evil and not conforming to Christian religious view”.

Goswami also urged Singh to accord priority to the matter during his Moscow stay and to take it up with the Russian authorities.

Related articles

• India ire at Russia book-ban case (bbc.co.uk)
• Bhagavad Gita faces extremist branding in Russia (ibnlive.in.com)

News Report

MOSCOW: Bhagavad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, is facing a legal ban and the prospect of being branded as “an extremist” literature across Russia. A court in Siberia’s Tomsk city is set to deliver its final verdict Monday in a case filed by state prosecutors.

In the Nov 1 letter addressed to Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterji, ISKCON’s New Delhi branch Governing Body Commissioner Gopal Krishna Goswami, said the prosecutor’s affidavit claims Lord Krishna “is evil and not conforming to Christian religious view”. 

– It also wants the Hindu religious text banned in Russia and declared as a literature spreading “social discord”, its distribution on Russian soil rendered illegal.

-The court, which took up the case filed by the state prosecutors, had referred the book to the Tomsk State University for “an expert” examination Oct 25.

– But Hindu groups in Russia, particularly followers of ISKCON, say the university was not qualified as it lacked Indologists who study the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent.

– The Hindus pleaded with the court that the case was inspired by religious bias and intolerance from a “majority religious group in Russia”, and have sought that their rights to practice their religious beliefs be upheld.

– The prosecutor’s case also seeks to ban the preachings of Prabhupada and ISKCON’s religious beliefs, claiming these were “extremist” in nature and preached “hatred” of other religious beliefs.

END OF REPORT

On the 10^th and 11^th of December I taught another 12hr Gita course, this time in São José dos Campos – SP. SJ dos Campos is a good example of the major economic gains seen in Brazil in the last 10 years. This city of nearly one million people lies an hour and a bit from São Paulo and has technological, aerospace and car industries located there. Empty fields and landfills of ten years ago are now massively developed high income neighborhoods and fancy shopping malls.

In the midst of all this, a small group of qualified devotees are trying to establish a Krishna Consciousness preaching center. In sync with the successful recipe for urban preaching seen in other parts of the world, the leader there, Nanda Kumara Das (HDG) has a prasadam restaurant and yoga center (he’s both a cook and yoga teacher!). Nanda Kumara is an “old timer” by Brazilian standards, having started back in the early eighties as a full time brahmacari book distributor. His sankirtan consciousness persists to this day and he has nicely inspired the small group of devotees there, which includes two other yoga teachers, to regularly get books with him for distribution to friends, family, co-workers and any other people they may come in contact with.

In his spacious yoga studio, over his restaurant, 12 people gathered to spend 12 hours going over the entire content of the Bhagavad-gita. The mood was very peaceful and though we had complete newcomers and experienced devotees alike, they all greatly enjoyed the experience – as did I!

Here is some of the feedback I got:

“… The 12 hour Gita course was illuminating, and it brought to light several concepts which for me have always been somewhat obscure. I was also impressed with systematic and modern approach you applied, which facilitated the understanding of these ancient concepts… ” – Yogindra Das

“I have to thank you for this wonderful weekend that the Lord blessed us with. I hope to repeat it many times, for it meant a lot to me to spend 12 hours hearing about Krishna. Many of my doubts were cleared up and now I’ll be able to read the Gita more clearly. ” – Ranga Devi Dasi

“… it was a great pleasure … we have been privileged to learn this nectar.” – Bk. Alexandre

“This 12hr Gita helped me a lot to regain a state of  lucidity and serenenity that I had experienced during a period that was undoubtedly the best time of my life so far. I am very motivated to apply this method, in order to connect deeply with a higher consciousness and experience self-realization at a level beyond what I have already experienced in this incarnation. ” – Luiz Reis

“… we had hours of great wisdom. Thank you for introducing us to the Gita in such a simple and lighthearted way.” – Ana Paula

As I’ve shown before, his English translators aren’t very faithful to his actual words and writings, famously his online Gita translation of 9.32, the verse that so much ill will was created over between ISKCON and Narayana Maharaja. Narayana Maharaja had claimed Prabhupada’s Gita made a mistake in grammar which changed the meaning of the verse. In Prabhupada’s Gita we find:

O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth–women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as sudras [workers]–can approach the supreme destination.

The grammar makes it seem that Krishna is lumping together women, vaisyas, and sudras as low-born or papa-yoni. Narayana Maharaja said that was a mistake, and he was right. Krishna is saying the low-born (papa-yoni), and women, and vaisyas, and sudras. That is the grammatically correct translation, and how the verse has traditionally been translated by everyone but Prabhupada. Saying women, vaisyas, and sudras are papa-yoni makes no sense considering that papa-yoni explicitly referred to people who weren’t born following vedic birth samskaras (rituals). Papa-yoni means a sinful womb, it’s a dysphemism (opposite of euphemism), which is an intentionally harsh substitute word. It was commonly used to refer to people who weren’t born into Vedic culture. For example, all of us who weren’t born from practicing Hindu or Vaishnava backgrounds, would be considered papa-yoni.

After all the ill will created by that “offense” by Narayana Maharaja towards Prabhupada, you would expect to see that verse correctly translated in his Gita translation. And it is, in the Hindi edition, which he wrote. But in the English translation, which his followers translated from his Hindi, we get the same mistaken grammar found in Prabhupada’s Gita. See the link in the previous paragraph for an image of that verse in Narayana Maharaja’s English Gita. I’ve been told that has been corrected in the printed version, but the version online which is widely available to everyone, has the mistake.

My point is I can’t blame Narayana Maharaja for the mistake in the English edition of Jaiva Dharma without seeing the original Hindi version, I looked online, and all I could find was a short truncated version. So I don’t know. Anyways, here is the part of Jaiva Dharma, chapter 9, I had a problem with since it’s such a big problem due to it being a sensitive and important teaching:

There is no difference between the potency and the possessor of potency.” This means that sakti is not a separate object. The Supreme Person who is the master of all potencies is the one truly abiding substance. Sakti is the quality, or inherent function, that is subordinate to His will. You have said that sakti is the embodiment of consciousness, that it possesses will, and that it is beyond the influence of the three qualities of material nature. This is correct, but only insofar as sakti operates fully under the support of a pure conscious entity, and is thus considered identical with that powerful entity. Desire and consciousness depend on the Supreme Being. Desire cannot exist in sakti; rather, sakti acts in accordance with the desire of the Supreme Being. You have the power to move, and when you desire to move, that power will act. To say “the power is moving” is merely a figure of speech; it actually means that the person who possesses that power is moving.

The part in bold type is what I have a problem with, the idea that we have no inherent ability to desire seems wrong, as I’ve said many times before it’s desire which is the only thing, besides emotion, which we inherently possess as personal characteristics. To me it seemed the word desire should have been the word will instead, i.e we posses no independent will power, not that we don’t have independent desires.

So I searched online and I couldn’t find the original Bengali version, all I could find was one other translation into English. And in it we find this:

When it is said that the potency has pure consciousness, that means that because the potency and the master of potencies are not different, therefore, like the master of potencies, the potency also has a form of spiritual consciousness, has desires that are at once fulfilled, and is beyond the touch of the three modes. It is not a mistake to say these things. Will and consciousness are qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By itself, the potency does not possess will, but rather it carries out the will of the Supreme. For example, you have power, and by Your will, your potencies act. If you say, ‘the power acted’, then that means that the possessor of the power was actually behind the action.

Now that makes sense to me. It’s taught in ISKCON that the jiva possesses free will; as I have shown the shastra says that we do not possess free will. Since Narayana Maharaja’s English translators are likely ex-ISKCON, it makes sense that they wouldn’t accept Bhaktivinoda saying we have no free will. That second translation, paradoxically is from Kusakratha Das, a Prabhupada disciple. The thing about him is that while he was a member of ISKCON, he was a bit of an independent, which is why his books weren’t supported by ISKCON’S BBT. He did what he wanted, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t toe the party line when it came to his translations. The idea that we have free will but no free desire, is self-contradictory. You have to have free desire in order to have free will, but you don’t necessarily have free will if you have free desire. Will is the ability to carry out your desire, the shastra teaches how to change your desires, but they make it clear you have no free will.

It can seem that if you don’t have free will then you can’t have free desire. For example: if I desire to go to the market tomorrow, and then I go, wasn’t that my free will since it was based upon by freedom of desire?

Because desire and will are closely related, so much of what we do is because of a desire to do it. When I say we have freedom of desire, I mean when it comes to desires that aren’t specific to the moment. For example: if you desire to go out to dinner tonite, that is paramatma giving you that desire. Your liking going out to dinner in general, is the bigger picture, that’s your own inherent desire. General “big picture” desires are usually your own inherent desires, more detailed common everyday desires are paramatma directing you. Generally, desires which are not moving you to do something, are your own. You desire to eat and enjoy food, that is your own inherent desire. But if you desire to eat right now, and have some tacos, that is paramatma.

I don’t know which word Bhaktivinoda used, but there are Sanskrit words that can mean either will or desire. For example from the Sanskrit dictionary we find the common word iccha:

इच्छा icchA f. want
इच्छा icchA f. will
इच्छा icchA f. wish
इच्छा icchA f. willingness
इच्छा icchA f. desire

Also in Hindi it means the same thing, from the Hindi dictionary:

इच्छा icchā noun

bent (f)
will (f)
wish (f)
yearning (f)
accord (f)
appetite (f)
care (f)
notion (f)
readiness (f)
willing (f)
wishfulness (f)
wishing (f)
volition (f)
stomach (f)
desire (f)

It’s likely the word used in the Jaiva Dharma is iccha, if not another common word meaning both will or desire is abhilasa in Hindi and abhilasita in Sanskrit. In Bengali iccha also means will or desire. There are more words that mean desire or will, irādā in Bengali, for instance.

I know this may all seem very pedantic, but it’s such an important point to understand for the development of self-realization. The fact that ISKCON has very aggressively promoted the idea of free will, and possibly Narayana Maharaja’s sangha as well, needs to be exposed for the apasiddhanta it is. As I’ve shown in my previous posts, there is nothing in shastra which backs up the idea of free will, and much to refute it. You cannot become self-realized as long as you think we have free will, we need to understand our ontological relationship with Radha Krishna in order to enter into complete and full direct realization:

Bhagavad Gita:

9.10

mayadhyakshena prakritih / suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya / jagad viparivarttate

Prakriti (comprises everything in the universe/sub-atomic energy) works under my supervision, mayadhyakshena prakritih, completely controlling all of creation, suyate sa-caracaram. This is how the universe works son of Kunti, hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivarttate.

13.30

prakrityaiva ca karmani / kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam / akarttaram sa pasyati

All activities taking place, in all respects, are performed by prakriti, prakrtyaiva ca karmani kriyamanani sarvasah. Who sees, yah pasyati, that the atma (human soul) is not the doer, atmanam akarttaram, he sees, sah pasyati.

18.59-61:

yad ahankaram asritya / na yotsya iti manyase
mithyaiva vyavasayas te / prakritis tvam niyokshyati

You were thinking that you will not fight, na yotsya iti manyase. But that is due to your misconception of your self and reality, yad ahankaram asritya . That resolution was in vain, mithyaiva vyavasayas te, prakriti will engage you (make you fight), prakritis tvam niyokshyati.

svabhava-jena kaunteya / nibaddhah svena karmana
kartum necchasi yan mohat / karishyasy avaso ‘pi tat

Your will not to act is illusory, kartum necchasi yan mohat. Bound by actions, nibaddhah svena karmana, born of your nature son of Kunti, svabhava-jena kaunteya, helpless, you will act karishyasy avaso ‘pi tat.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam / hrid-dese ‘rjuna tishthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani / yantrarudhani mayaya

The supreme controller is at the heart of all beings Arjuna, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-dese ‘rjuna tishthati, driving the movements of all living beings, bhramayan sarva-bhutani, who are mounted on the machine of his universal potency, yantrarudhani mayaya.

Sri Panca Tattva Wellington New Zealand

…What the Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself proclaims to be the prime benediction for mankind, and the activity that He Himself appeared in this world to inaugurate, has been very badly neglected by ISKCON’s leaders. To attract devotees, to engage devotees and to elevate the awareness of the public, there is no better method than to perform nama-sankirtana. This same instruction was given to Lord Caitanya by His spiritual master:

“My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing sankirtana in association with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting Krishna-nama, for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls.”

Nama Sankirtana
Editorial (VNN) – by Locanananda Das
Originally Published on Vaishnava News

By reading the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, one should become convinced that the Krishna consciousness movement is the vehicle through which the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu will deliver the entire world. But events taking place within the movement over the last twenty years have shaken everyone’s faith, and it has become very difficult to take pride in being a member of ISKCON, the organization that Srila Prabhupad risked his life to create. The year of the Centennial having come and gone, ISKCON continues to be plagued by a malaise that is rooted in its leaders’ lack of vision and apparent lack of concern for the spiritual well-being of the devotees. Compounded by the offensive banning of vaisnavas and the enactment of deviant policies, the movement has been thrown into a tailspin from which some think it may not recover.

Personally, I have tremendous faith in the system established by Srila Prabhupad. I am thoroughly convinced that there can be a reconciliation of the parties on the different sides of all current issues, but it will require that we rise above false ego and agree to do what is best for the Krishna consciousness movement.

To guarantee the success of his movement, Srila Prabhupad personally trained the members of the GBC to be both preachers and managers, and he tried his utmost to instill in them a spirit of complete dedication to ISKCON. These men were expected to verify that spiritual standards were being followed in all of the temples and to personally set the best example as representatives of the acarya. Devotees had so much love for their spiritual master that no one even entertained the thought of going outside of ISKCON to get further inspiration. We had it all. The movement also had economic viability based solely on its preaching activities, and temples were able to engage an unlimited number of devotees in the ever-expanding sankirtana movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

After the disappearance of Srila Prabhupad from mundane vision, the movement, its assets and its men were practically kidnapped by self-appointed “so-called” acaryas. Over time, they introduced many deviant concepts and the whole world was made to suffer. Many independently thoughtful men are insisting today that there be further reform and that all deviant elements be expelled from the modified acarya system which still operates in ISKCON.

Perhaps the most significant deviation from the order of the guru has been the de-emphasis of the public chanting of the Holy Name. What the Supreme Lord Himself proclaims to be the prime benediction for mankind, and the activity that He Himself appeared in this world to inaugurate, has been very badly neglected by ISKCON’s leaders. To attract devotees, to engage devotees and to elevate the awareness of the public, there is no better method than to perform nama-sankirtana. This same instruction was given to Lord Caitanya by His spiritual master:

“My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing sankirtana in associa- tion with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting Krishna-nama, for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls.”

Unfortunately, this service of publicly chanting the Holy Name has for years been considered as just part of the new bhakta program, and is no longer required for older devotees. Srila Prabhupad, however, stressed that the chanting should be heard, as much as possible, from the lips of pure devotees. Therefore, out of compassion for the conditioned souls, all senior devotees should participate in the sankirtana movement, chant, dance, preach and become purified. The GBC resolutions of 1996, the Centennial year, demand this, but who is following? And if ISKCON wants its backbone back, then print a Back to Godhead magazine for mass distribution.

Who can forget the telegram sent to His Divine Grace on November 18th, 1975 that announced:

“One million copies of BTG just printed! Devotees gone wild! Promise to distribute all within one month! All possible by your mercy only!”

Now that was some real preaching! Is it possible to return to that level? We must – if ISKCON is to be the conduit of the inundating flow of love of Godhead during this golden age of the Caitanya era.

The current GBC has inherited a complex situation that is beyond the scope of most of its members to resolve. I must commend them for not throwing in the towel in the face of what appear to be insurmountable odds. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to turn to Krishna in utter helplessness and pray for enlightenment. Even the great universal manager Lord Brahma occasionally becomes confused about situations to which there is no apparent solution as when Hiranyaksa had caused the earth to sink into the nether world. Only by appealing to the Lord was a remedy found – He appeared as Lord Boar to save the planet by lifting it on His tusks. As Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita, “Dwelling in the hearts of those who worship Me with love, I destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” After getting inspiration and guidance from within, by prayer and introspection, the GBC should get confirmation from without by consulting Srila Prabhupad’s books and by hearing opinions from within the community of devotees. By keeping open the lines of communication, getting feedback, and by being proactive, the leaders will earn our respect and confidence.

The most urgent issue they must tackle concerns initiations. With initiating gurus falling like flies, it has become apparent that the system needs an adjustment, or perhaps a major overhaul. It is the responsibility of the GBC to make adjustments, depending upon changing conditions and circumstances. Srila Prabhupad himself was always fine tuning his organization and sometimes made significant managerial changes. Forming the GBC in 1970 was quite revolutionary. Later on, allowing sannyasis to serve as GBC men was another radical modification. Introducing ritvik initiations was another. The point is that the movement is dynamic, not static, and it is the responsibility of the GBC to implement such changes whenever necessary.

It is well documented that on July 9th, 1977, His Divine Grace put in writing his directive concerning how initiations would be performed in the future. Officiating acaryas would now take charge of all aspects of the initiation procedure. Srila Prabhupad would finally be able to retire to finish his translation of the sixty volume Srimad Bhagavatam while his most trusted servants would be acting on his behalf to increase the number of devotees in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupad’s health was not good, but devotees prayed that he would remain in this world for many more years. The ritvik system would continue for at least as long as he was with us.

The eleven GBC men who were thus named by His Divine Grace accepted this role as an additional responsibility entrusted to them as representatives of the spiritual master. They would execute this service, in addition to their other preaching and administrative duties, for the sole purpose of assisting Srila Prabhupad in his mission to spread Krishna consciousness throughout the world. It was a practical arrangement. Initiations would be performed by whoever was nearest. That’s all. And ISKCON would remain strong and continue to grow. There would be no fac- tions, and it would be like one family with Srila Prabhupad and Krishna at the center.

It is true that Srila Prabhupad encouraged all of his followers to become qua- lified so that they could act as spiritual masters and expand the branches of Lord Caitanya’s tree of devotional service. But what he wanted most was for his ISKCON movement to become strong and prosperous, for his books to be distributed more and more widely, and for the devotees to be happy. He wanted us to experience love of God, and he assured us that if we simply followed the regulative principles, chanted the prescribed number of rounds, studied the scriptures and took every opportunity to preach, we would attain the highest goal.

It would be the GBC’s responsibility to protect the movement from whatever might interfere with His Divine Grace’s wishes. He did not appear to be overly concerned with how initiations would be performed after he would no longer be here. He trusted his disciples to carry on in his absence. His main concern was that the GBC be vigilant to protect the movement.The officiating acaryas could simply go on initiating on behalf of ISKCON to connect new members with the guru parampara.

The concept of officiating acarya can be found in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, especially in the Adi Lila, Volume 3 where Sri Yadunandana Acarya, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, is described as the official initiator spiritual master of Raghunath Das Goswami. When Raghunath Das Goswami was a householder, Yadunandana Acarya initiated him at home. It is described how, later, Raghunath Das Goswami took shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannath Puri. Yadunandana Acarya himself was officially initiated by Advaita Acarya, but he took shelter of Vasudeva Datta whom he considered to be his spiritual master. In the same way, quite naturally, new ISKCON devotees could officially receive initiation from a disciple of Srila Prabhupad and then take shelter in the movement through which Lord Caitanya’s mercy is manifesting.

Based on the above discussion, taking shelter of a spiritual master after having already been initiated officially by another guru does not mean that one has been re-initiated. There is no such term in Sanskrit, Hindi or Bengali to indicate that this custom is authorized. In fact, it is strictly prohibited in the sastra. If the GBC wants to ban something to protect Srila Prabhupad’s movement, they should ban re-initiation, not advanced vaisnavas from other branches of the Caitanya tree.

After November 14th, 1977, the officiating acaryas should simply have remained humble, continuing to initiate on behalf of their spiritual master and his institution. Srila Prabhupad was no longer physically present to accept disciples. He was with Krishna, engaged in his eternal lila in the spiritual world. Of course, he was still present in the form of his instructions, in sound, and in the hearts of his disciples. Those who had been fortunate enough to be initiated directly as disciples of His Divine Grace, and who followed strictly, had inherited the legacy of becoming leaders of the Krishna consciousness movement. If everyone had been called upon to preach and become qualified to act as a spiritual master, unlimited numbers of souls could have been attracted to the worship of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

Those who initiate in ISKCON today should be doing so on behalf of the insti-tution, not on their own behalf. Although Srila Prabhupad may not be present in terms of his “vapu” or physical manifestation, his presence in this world can be experienced through the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. One’s initiation into ISKCON is, in one sense, a formality since the prospective disciple is already linked with the guru parampara by seriously following the instructions found in Srila Prabhupad’s books.The fire sacrifice is performed to relieve the initiate of sinful reactions from the past, to formalize the taking of vows, and to proclaim one’s eagerness to assist in the spreading of Krishna consciousness.

The new initiate in no one’s property or chattel. The relationship the disciple has with the initiator is a personal matter and cannot be regulated by legislation.The new initiate is therefore, principally, a follower of Srila Prabhupad, who has officially received initiation from Srila Prabhupad’s disciple. Srila Prabhupad is the object of worship, and the grand disciple takes permission from the initiating guru to worship Srila Prabhupad directly. That means that no pictures of gurus other than His Divine Grace would ever appear in the altar area. This system is generally referred to else-where as “acharya purusha” which signifies that the head, or founder, of the institution is the principal acarya for all future generations of disciples in that line.

Because within ISKCON the chain of command is already clearly delineated, the officiating acaryas do not have any extraordinary power over these disciples. Disciples are especially encouraged to take advantage of the association of other senior devotees by cultivating relationships based on siksa. These relationships of siksa and diksa are meant to be internalized and should in no way interfere with the disciple’s execution of devotional service within the authority structure of ISKCON, nor should they create a conflict of interest or divided allegiance.

All devotees should bear in mind that the position of Srila Prabhupad is not just that of everyone’s siksa guru. He is greater than one million siksa gurus. He is the master at whose feet all other masters are seated. Coming to the West at the advanced age of seventy, he single-handedly began a world-wide movement on the order of his Guru Maharaja to fulfill the prediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that the Holy Name of Krishna would be chanted in every town and village in the world. He astonished the academic world by his prolific literary output that is unmatched in the history of written language. He established the worship of the Deity form of the Lord throughout six continents and introduced the Ratha- yatra festival of Lord Jagannath to deliver the most fallen. He was greater than any king and more merciful than any saint. With our limited minds we cannot begin to comprehend the extent of the influence he will ultimately have on the world, but, as his followers, we should be careful to never do or say anything that might diminish his position.

I am looking forward to the day when the guru issue will be no longer divide us and distract us from our real work. For the sake of all of those potential devotees who are being held back from joining the Krishna consciousness movement, we should work together cooperatively to find the solution which best enables us to realize Srila Prabhupad’s mission of building a house in which the whole world can live. When that day comes, we will be celebrating every day as if it were Srila Prabhupad’s Vyasa Puja day, which, for many of us, is our favorite day of the year.

Your humble servant,

Locanananda Das

Pasted from; http://www.vnn.org/editorials/9808/31-2097.htm

He quit his job, sold a part of his ancestral property and set up a kitchen to cook food for the school kids. More problems were in store for him; he had to find funding for groceries and also conveyance for transporting the incoming/ outgoing material. This was Feb 98 when the State was not even supplying rice free of cost. He started an Initiative in the name of Akhila Karnataka Kannada Kasturi Sangha and went about scouting for Donors. With a lot of effort and at great personal sacrifice, he started feeding 5000 kids. The program slowly grew to 300 schools and 35,000 students by the time I came across him in Feb ’02.

I wanted badly meals to be supplied to the three schools I had taken up and I had no funds to back up the request. Gowda was really magnanimous; he said that if he can handle 35k, he could do it to 40k too! He told me that I need not worry about funding him; his only concern was transportation. He had no spare capacity to deliver the food at the school premises; I could collect it at his place at no cost. That was not good enough for me naturally; and I had very little funds to spare either. He took me to a mini-van dealer on Lalbagh Road, did all the haggling for me and got me a good deal on a hire-purchase basis with a nominal down payment. The supplies started soon enough; 500 plus kids got a hot meal thanks to Appaji Gowda.

I wish the story ended there but that was not to be. The State commenced the much delayed mid-day meal scheme in 05 and the scene changed totally. With   millions of kids in the State to be fed, various models of meal supply emerged to meet the needs. The schools in remote and rural areas had to manage with local resources and set up their own kitchens, for which the State provided the needed assistance. The scene was very different in urban areas; while there were honorable exceptions, quite a few Organizations with  commercial interest sprung up to meet the emerging demand. In any case, all the ventures have now to go back to the Government and its agencies for the subsidized supplies and payment against services provided. As every one knows, this is not an easy thing to handle, especially for those with ‘idealistic aspirations’ like Appaji Gowda.

With difficulty, he adjusted himself to the new environment and continued to supply meals to the schools that opted for his service. He still has a loyal cluster of 300 schools that have chosen to stay with him. However with no Organizational or Corporate support, he has no means of sustaining  his capacity, let alone compete with the rest of the pack. Unwilling to deviate from his principles, he would not cut corners and that gave him the barest of margins enough to eke out a living. The investments from his life savings have now gone uncompensated; worse still, the equipments are now approaching the end of their lives needing maintenance/ replacement badly. The State has no provision for covering any of these and that leaves Gowda really high and dry.

Where does he go from here? Is there any role for people like him with idealism in the new dispensation? Will he be even able to maintain himself and his family without compromising on the principles that he holds dear? I have no answers for any of the above. Do you?

A sequel: I have nominated him for the Namma Bengluru award for this year in the category of Outstanding Individuals.

E S Ramamurthy

To some it’s known as clarified butter, to others it’s the golden elixir of healing – ghee is a staple ingredient in Indian cooking and Ayurvedic healing known for its versatility, great taste, and many health benefits. It’s derived from butter through a process of cooking off its milk solids until it becomes an easily digestible, healthier alternative to butter and oil, and it can be used for cooking or as an ingredient to add flavor and richness to foods such as kitchari.
Cooking benefits
Excellent cooking oil – Since ghee doesn’t start smoking until it’s heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, it will neither burn nor splatter easily. Its chemical structure also remains more stable than other oils when heated.
Stores well – Thanks to its low moisture content, ghee can go weeks without refrigeration. It can last up to six months in the fridge or one year in the freezer, according to the Ayurvedic Institute. The key to ghee longevity: store it somewhere cool, keep it covered, and make sure it doesn’t get contaminated by other liquids – don’t double dip!
Flavorful - Thanks to its strong flavor, not much ghee needs to be added to a dish to make it sing.
Health benefits
Easily digestible – The process of cooking off milk solids from butter burns off its lactose and cholesterol (says Holistic Chef Shani Cranston of hOMe Grown Living Foods). This makes it much easier to digest than butter or vegetable oils.
Anti-inflammatory – According to the Sushruta Samhita, a text of the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda, ghee is the ultimate anti-inflammatory food.
Whole body healing – Ayurvedic practitioners use the golden elixir for everything from rejuvenating skin to aiding digestion to balancing hormones.
Flexibility – Dr. Vasant Lad, founder and director of the Ayurvedic Institute, explains ghee’s popularity among yogis by stating that it lubricates connective tissues and makes the body more flexible.
Enhances your essence – As reported by Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, ghee boosts ojas, the underlying essence of body issues; this leads to an increased immune system and greater longevity.
Increases agni – In Ayurveda, proper digestion revolves around agni, the body’s digestive fire. Consuming ghee boosts one’s agni, leading to better digestion and faster metabolism.
Butter’s yummy richness adds to many a dish, yet its unhealthiness prevents people from using it. Though it still has a high fat content, ghee’s many health benefits make it a fine alternative to butter or oil that you can make yourself. See below for detailed directions from Holistic Chef Shani Cranston:
Ghee
Makes 2 cups
1. Melt 1 pound of unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 or 4 cloves if you wish. This will aid in the clarification and lend a delicate flavor.
2. As soon as the butter begins to boil and foam, reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep the melted butter at a steady simmer until it is golden in color and no foam remains on top.
3. When the crackling sound stops, the ghee is ready.
4. Cool the mixture and strain it into a sterile quart jar. Discard the curds from the bottom, as they are almost pure cholesterol.
References:
The Ayurvedic Institute (http://www.ayurveda.com)
hOMe Grown Living Foods (http://www.hOMegrownlivingfoods.ca)
Yoga Journal: To Ghee or Not to Ghee (http://www.yogajournal.com/health/9…)
Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2003)
About the author: Kiva Bottero works with a collective to publish The Mindful Word journal of engaged living (www.themindfulword.org). He also writes and edits for Dew Media, a company that specializes in providing custom publishing services for non-profits and social enterprises (www.dewmedia.org), as well as various magazines and blogs, such as Cleantech Authority (www.cleantechauthority.com).

By Kiva Bottero for Natural News
Originally at http://news.iskcon.com/node/4034/2011-11-24/ghee_this_is_butter_that_is_good_for_you