These photos are from the vrindavan's RadhaVrindavanChandra temple Janmashtami Celebbrations. click on that link to see the amazing beauty of Lord RadhaVrindavanChandra.....
Janmashtami Celebrations
Lord Krsna- The Supreme Personality Of GodHead...
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Sri Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations at Vrindavan
These photos are from the vrindavan's RadhaVrindavanChandra temple Janmashtami Celebbrations. click on that link to see the amazing beauty of Lord RadhaVrindavanChandra.....
Janmashtami Celebrations
Causeless Mercy of PrabhuPada
In The Nectar of Devotion (Chapter 34), Srila Prabhupada writes:
"The pure devotee is the pleasure-possessing cloud, and when he is filled with transcendental loving service, then he can bestow his mercy as a downpour of rain --
and the pleasure potency returns to the ocean of Krishna."
People from all over the world have experienced the pure joy of receiving and distributing Srila Prabhupada's mercy in so many ways. Here is a place to share that joy with others through the written word. Prabhupada-related stories, poems and reports are welcome.
Causeless Mercy of a Pure Devotee
Causeless Mercy of a Pure Devotee
Causeless Mercy
Tribute to George Harrison
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by Prtha devi dasi
____________
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When the “wild, rebellious” Beatles hit our shore -- and others -- who would have thought one of the famous musicians of that group would become spiritual? Who would have dreamed that one of them would have turned to yoga, meditation, vegetarianism and Krishna Consciousness? What a wonder it was that amongst all that fame, George Harrison not only was able to do that, but went after it! Though it is also part of the sadness. Why? Someone with so much power to share Krishna with others is now gone. Of course, Krishna will take care of him, but if we feel sad it could be because, in addition to the loss of a devotee, we also lost a great preacher. The world will no longer have access to his many new creations of spiritual music and while some may not know it, he got some flack that his songs were “too preachy,” yet he kept making them because he felt they answered the most important questions of life, everything else is secondary. This is a preacher.
We fight so much amongst ourselves. Politics, politics. George Harrison knew what he was talking about when he wrote songs stating we should learn to love one another. “Isn’t It A Pity,” for example. George often spoke of love and peace, but we may have only connected it to a previous era of our youth. Whereas he, after reading Prabhupada’s books, spoke of it in the higher sense of meaning these words held.
For those who, for whatever reason may be unfamiliar with even his devotional rock; and for those who know of it and would enjoy reading his spiritual and Krishna Conscious lyrics, a web search turned up a site with all of his lyrics -- I am putting a bit throughout this article. Here are some words from “Isn’t It a Pity.”
“Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it a pity
Isn't is a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity”
Another song George Harrison wrote, one which became very famous was “My Sweet Lord.” Even a nondevotee, an acquaintance of his, commented (paraphrased here), "because this song was so famous many people forget this was a devotional song." Yes, a nondevotee noticed that. So although George was writing “rock and roll,” the average person was walking down the street singing, “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.” !!!
Who dare to criticize?!
Some words from My Sweet Lord:
“My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet Lord (Krishna, Krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (Hare Hare)
Now, I really want to see you (Hare Rama)
Really want to be with you (Hare Rama)
Really want to see you Lord (aaah)
But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (Hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
My Lord (Hare Hare)
Hm, hm (Guru Brahma)
Hm, hm (Guru Vishnu)
Hm, hm (Guru Devo)
Hm, hm (Maheshwara)
My sweet Lord (Guru Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord (Parabrahma)
My, my, my Lord (Tasmayi Shree)
My, my, my, my Lord (Guruve Namah)
My sweet Lord (Hare Rama)”
A few years ago, George created a remix of his tape/CD “All Things Must Pass.” He viewed his career / music in a spiritual manner. Here is an excerpt from a discussion about the, "at that time" soon to be released, remix:
“The point of 'My Sweet Lord' is just to try and remind myself basically that there's more to life than the material world," Harrison said. "Basically I think the planet is doomed," he said with a laugh. "And it's my attempt to try to put a bit of a spin on the spiritual side, a reminder for myself and for anybody who's interested." Harrison added that while pessimistic about the environment, he is positive about "my place in creation, and I don't have any worries whatsoever about that."
Another song from that album, “Beware of Darkness”, is worth a look-see, as a friend was initially surprised the word '"maya" in it upon a first hearing:
“Watch out now, take care
Beware of soft shoe shufflers
Dancing down the sidewalks
As each unconscious sufferer
Wanders aimlessly
Beware of Maya
Watch out now, take care
Beware of greedy leaders
They take you where you should not go
While Weeping Atlas Cedars
They just want to grow, grow and grow
Beware of darkness (beware of darkness)”
So much attention and credit is given to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for George's interest and especially dedication to India’s spiritual path. Though that is who George first met, he spent much less time with the Maharishi, later accepting Srila Prabhupada as hisguru for life. That gets so little coverage. At the moment I don’t recall the exact date when George Harrison accepted Prabhupada, but it was somewhere around 1969. George loved Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada asked young George Harrison if he would write the forward to his “Krishna Book” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10th Canto, told in story form). Of course George said yes, and here is an excerpt:
"Everybody is looking for KRISHNA. Some don't realize that they are, but they are. KRISHNA is GOD, the Source of all that exists, the Cause of all that is, was, or ever will be. As GOD is unlimited HE has many Names. Allah-Buddha-Jehova-Rama: All are KRISHNA, all are ONE.
"God is not abstract; He has both the impersonal and the personal aspects to His personality which is SUPREME, ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, and full of KNOWLEDGE. As a single drop of water has the same qualities as an ocean of water, so has pure consciousness the qualities of GOD'S consciousness... but through our identification and attachment with material energy (physical body, sense pleasures, material possessions, ego, etc.) our true TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS has been polluted, and like a dirty mirror it is unable to reflect a pure image."
And let us not forget that in 1969 George produced the record/tape/CD, “Radha-Krishna Temple” in Apple Studios. If you live near a temple, etc., you may recall that song some of you hear every single morning during "Greeting of the Deities" called the Govindam Prayers. Yamuna devi dasi is singing them, George is playing guitar, and it is from the Radha-Krishna Temple recording.
George also donated financially for the entire first printing of Krishna Book, as well as donated a temple to ISKCON in England: Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was very charitable. Some may say that George did not live in the temple, did not rise early or attend the morning program regularly and so on. While I never read this, I was told that Prabhupada chastised the devotee who made such a comment and told him that George is doing more preaching and devotional service than we can do in many lifetimes. I know (from everything I have read) that George held a firm belief he was going back to Krishna upon his death and though he was quiet, he still was a preacher! Prabhupada’s instructions to George were that he should write songs about Krishna and publish them, which he did! Today all over, people are playing, “My Sweet Lord,” and so many are chanting Hare Krishna! Let us all find an approach to enliven people in such a way that they WANT to chant Hare Krishna.
Fortunately, there is a way out of the fear of death. Once, according to the Bhagavad-gita, in previous ages this knowledge was considered confidential and only certain “classes” were blessed to know of it. But as of the advent of Lord Chaitanya, an incarnation of Krishna, He has insisted that knowledge -- how to get out of the material world in one birth and not fear death -- now be given to everyone. I write this because we all may take it for granted sometimes. The solution is easy! Simply to chant Hare Krishna! Chanting, that’s it! Sounds too easy, too good to be true, but as we chant, since God is nondifferent than His Name, so we chant His Name, we are associating with Krishna!
And Prabhupada as well as Lord Chaitanya have asked us to share the chanting, to spread the Holy Name, and this too will free us. When we share the Holy Names of the Lord with others, we too get purified and that much closer to Home. Then, when we die we will be ready, we will feel secure about where we are going. Incidentally, George was very secure about his destination: returning to Krishna. Even when he was stabbed a few years ago, he was chanting Hare Krishna. I have not heard what George's last words were, but if he chanted the Maha Mantra at the time of death, according to the Srimad-Bhagavatam it states:
“By the grace of the Lord, if a devotee, at the time of death, can simply chant His Holy Names -- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare -- simply by chanting this maha mantra, he immediately surpasses the great ocean of the material sky and enters the spiritual sky. He never has to come back for repetition of birth and death. Simply by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord one can surpass the ocean of death “ (S.B. 4.10.30, Purport)
Elsewhere in the Bhagavatam it is explained that even if one has trouble chanting the Holy Names at the time of death but tries, they are still given full benefit! I can’t and won’t speculate on where George Harrison is and I hope no one else does (with that said, the outcome does looks good). For the soft-hearted, (not the over-philosophical toughies), one way to and deal with sad feelings about his death could go like this: George was experiencing his pain yesterday, therefore that would have been the time to feel bad for him, and since most didn’t know, they couldn’t, nor could anyone have helped or changed the outcome anyhow. The worst is over for George now. However, it's OK to feel sad for yourself or his family, even for the world without him and his spiritual music in it. Grieving for the loss of a devotee is natural, but please know that at this very moment George is fine! The pain of the brain tumor -- gone, the pain of death -- over. While we are all sitting here feeling sad, George has been freed of a broken body that wouldn’t heal, moved on, and to a much higher spiritual level.
We all will miss you Sriman George (or is that "Hari's son"?) -- Prabhupada once jokingly called him this, meaning “son of Hari"). You have left the world a little better than you found it, you have put the sound vibration of “Hare Krishna” all over the entire globe too, as Prabhupada instructed you to do. And you will continue to get credit for that. People will continue to come to the temple because of your music/lyrics. May we all learn the lesson of kindness and getting along (“Isn’t It A Pity”) which in turn can help us increase our Krishna Consciousness. And may we use your passing, George, to inspire us to move forward in spreading the Holy Name of Lord Krishna, to share it with whomever we can, and therefore go back to home, back to Godhead. Hari Nama Sankirtana ki jai! (It comes in many forms.)
We are like a football!!!!!
You have seen football playing. The football has no place. As soon as comes, somebody's feet, he kicks. He goes to another body. He kicks. He's another body—kicking. His only situation is being kicked, football. So we are just like football. We are being kicked up. Now I am American. Next time I shall be kicked up to China. Maybe. And from China, I will be kicked up to India. And from India, I shall be kicked up to Burma or kicked up to another place. This is going on. We do not know how we are being kicked up like a football from one place to another, one place to another. This is all false notion. How long I shall remain here?
Therefore this is the only way, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become perfect. Perfection means to attain spiritual life, eternity, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is waiting us. That is waiting us.
Cooking For Krishna by Srila Prabhupada
"That which is meant to be offered in yajna cannot be tasted by anyone before being offered to the Deity. In our temples, this regulation is in effect. One cannot eat food from the kitchen unless it is offered to the Deity. If something is taken before being offered to the Deity, the entire preparation is polluted and can no longer be offered. Those engaged in Deity worship must know this very well so that they may be saved from committing offenses in Deity worship."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 9:6:8
Srila Prabhupada also instructed that prasadam should never be taken in the kitchen where cooking is going on. If space is limited, part of the kitchen may be partitioned off as a prasadam taking area, but this activity must be done separately from the cooking area.
"One should never eat within the kitchen, there is ample place to eat so why should one eat in the kitchen? Kitchen should be considered as good as the Lord's room, and nobody should wear shoes in the kitchen, smelling and tasting of foods being prepared for the Lord should never be done, talking within the kitchen should be only what is necessary for preparing the prasadam, or about the Lord, and dirty dishes (those taken from kitchen and eaten from) should not be brought back into the kitchen (but if there is no other place to wash them, then they should be put into sink and washed immediately.), hands should always be washed when preparing prasadam, and in this way, everything shall be prepared very cleanly and pure.)"
Srila Prabhupada Letter to Aniruddha, 06-16-68
"It is advisable that food being offered to the Deity be covered when taken from the kitchen to the Deity room. In that way, others may not see it. Those who are not accustomed to following the advanced regulative devotional principles may desire to eat the food, and that is an offense. Therefore no one should be given a chance to even see it. However, when it is brought before the Deity, it must be uncovered."
Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya lila 4:124
At all times, animals must be kept out of the kitchen area, and away from foodstuffs being prepared. Animals may not be permitted to see foodstuffs as they're being prepared or carried to the altar.
Whenever possible, it is best to have completely separate cooking facilities: a Deity kitchen, and a devotee kitchen. Of course, it is especially difficult for many householders to arrange separate kitchen spaces. At the least, one should maintain cooking pots, utensils, etc. that are only use when cooking for the Lord. Serving spoons must be kept only for Krsna's use, so that foodstuffs are not contaminated while being placed onto the serving dishes.
"Formerly it was the custom of brahmanas to worship Lord Visnu daily at home and cook food in new pots. This system is still going on in Jagannatha Puri. The food would be cooked in earthen pots, all fresh and new, and after cooking, the pots would be thrown away. By the side of the house there was generally a big pit where such pots were thrown."
Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 14:7
Pusta Krsna: "I remember when I first went to Vrndavana and I saw in the villages how they were using dirt and charcoal to clean their pots and pans...
Prabhupada: Yes, they use it.
Pusta Krsna: I thought the.... It was my condition.... I have never seen before. I thought, "What is this? They are making their pots and pans dirty?" Because, you know, we're so accustomed to detergents and soaps, and you have to have so many things to clean.
Prabhupada: That is not also properly clean.
Pusta Krsna: No.
Prabhupada: The down side of the pan remains black. But if you take some dirt and rub it nicely, it become glisten.
Hari-sauri: Dirt is very first-class for cleaning.
Prabhupada: Utensils for cooking purpose must be very, very clean. The.... If the black portion remains, in India they will not touch.
Pusta Krsna: Even on the bottom?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: On the outside?
Prabhupada: They'll not touch: "Oh, it is still dirty." But our going on. What can be done? Where there is no cleanliness, little rubbed with soap, that is sufficient. What can be done? But that is not cleanliness. If there is a black spot on the..., it has to.... It will immediately be cleaned. My mother used to see every utensil, whether there is any spot. The maidservant had to surrender. Examine. Then it is no spot. Then it is finished. Otherwise she has to do again. Everything should be neat and clean. The kitchen should be very neat and clean, washed twice daily, opened nicely and smeared with water and gobar. And if you see the kitchen, immediately you'll feel comfortable. It is very cleanly prepared, then offered to the Deity. Then you take. Automatically your mind becomes cleansed."
Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, 04-22-76, Melbourne
Mahamsa: "Yes, these people are the head of the Marwari community. They don't know how to live. They live in these slums which we saw today. They live all around that area. They are karor-patis.(?)They have crores of rupees.
Prabhupada: To live very gorgeously is not good.
Mahamsa: But even their houses are not so clean, shabby.
Prabhupada: Even though they're not... You cannot say not... They are clean. I have seen in Bombay even the poorest man, his house, and a Parsee gentleman, his house. Kitchen habits. A Parsee's kitchen is so nasty. And here you see this poor man's house, they are neat. Their utensils how much cleansed. I had been in Parsee kitchen. All the pots black. Nothing is cleansed. For eating they use this China. So clean or unclean cannot be understood. Simply washed. But so far the kitchen pots, all are... In our also, when it is handled by this European, American devotees, the black. Down, it is black. That should not be black. It must be cleansed.
Mahamsa: By the heat with these wood, it brings up a lot of soot.
Prabhupada: But it must be cleansed daily.
Mahamsa: It should not come on your finger if you touch it. That black thing.
Prabhupada: Not even you cannot see black, any black spots. Then it is clean. Otherwise not clean. If there's a single black spot, it is not clean. You can see from this poor class of men, how their utensils are cleansed. Before taking water the jug, the waterpot... You'll like to drink water. In our school days there were sweeper, they were a different quarter. So you like to sit down. So clean. The sweeper, cleansing the toilet, bangi. But when you come to his house, living quarter, oh, it is so clean. The bed, the room, the utensils. And they also will take twice, thrice bath, then they will eat. That is a Hindu culture. Even the sweeper class, lowest class. And I have seen one sweeper class who were in Allahabad, regularly worshiping Deity. Very nice worship.
Mahamsa: So a Vaisnava then...
Prabhupada: They took initiation from the Vrndavana Goswami and they follow strictly rules and regulations. Cleanliness is very essential. In English also it is said cleanliness is next to Godliness. Everything should be, especially temple. It will attract them. And we are singing daily, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau. Tat-mandira-marjana. Marjana means cleanliness. And want of cleanliness means laziness. If you are lazy you cannot keep clean. "Ah, let me sleep for the time being." That is mode of ignorance. Tamo-guna. So we have to conquer over rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah."
Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, 08-24-76, Hyderbad
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Chapter 4 - Kitchen Standards
1) Always wear clean Vaisnava clothing and tilak when cooking
2) Wash hands and mouth after eating and before entering the kitchen.
3) Take a full shower after passing stool, before entering the kitchen.
4) Remember that the kitchen is considered an extension of the altar.
5) Do not lust over bhoga (unoffered food stuff)
6) Do not taste or smell bhoga and do not eat prasadam in kitchen.
7) If bhoga falls on the floor and touches someone's feet it cannot be offered.
8) Avoid prajalpa (nonsense talk) by all means while cooking. Better to listen
to a Prabhupada lecture or bhajan.
9) Cleaning the kitchen is extremely important and should be done constantly and thoroughly.
10) One should wash one's own eating plates outside of the kitchen. One should not eat out of any cookware used for cooking. All food should be transfered to containers.
11) The Deities should have Their own plates and no one should eat from them.
Their plates should be washed and dried before serving prasadam to anyone.
From the Bhakta Handbook
http://www.harekrishnatemple.com/bhakta/index.html
Chapter 5 - Cleanliness
Cleanliness is one of the four pillars of spiritual life (the other three are mercy, austerity and truthfulness)
The best way of purifying oneself is the pure chanting of Hare Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada commented on this topic as follows:
1) (Lecture 1976). "If we don't lead a brahminical life, we are not allowed to call ourselves brahmanas. You may be the son of a respected high court judge, but if you don't have the required qualification, you cannot call yourself a judge...there has to be an institution for training and educating brahmanas. Everyone should be classified according to his education and his qualities."
2) "Sri vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-sringara-tan mandira marjanadau. Marjanadau means cleansing. The spiritual master along with his disciples is always engaged in cleansing the temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. If the cleanliness is neglected, it is a sure sign of laziness. If one is lazy, one doesn't keep his environment clean. "First let me sleep." This is the mode of ignorance, tama-guna. We have to overcome raja-guna and tama-guna. Satvam visuddham vasudeva sabditam.
The heart has to be pure if we want to receive Krishna and allow Him to reside there pleasantly."
3) (Letter 1971). "In India it is custom that the kitchen is not even in the same building where the living rooms are because living rooms are contaminated. After cooking all the pots are thrown away. This is not possible in your country. Therefore you have to keep the utmost cleanliness. Krsna does not require opulent offerings. He appreciates the sincere endeavor. A clean kitchen is more important than an opulent offering. If the kitchen is neat and clean, then the offering will be good. If the offering is a so called "opulent offering" but the kitchen is not clean, Krsna will not like it."
4) (1971 to Rishi Kumar): "Krsna consciousness means to have a clean bead bag."
5) In the early days of the movement, Srila Prabhupada instructed the devotees to clean their plates and the cooking pots right after honoring prasadam. When one of the leaders saw that the devotees were not following his order, he asked Srila Prabhupada which method he should use to get the devotees to the point of following. "The order of the spiritual master should be sufficient,"replied Srila Prabhupada.
6) In Dallas and Edinburgh the devotees complained that there were rats in the temple. So they asked Srila Prabhupada, whether they were allowed to kill them. Srila Prabhupada's answer was: "No, you should be killed because you took the vow of cleanliness but did not keep it!"
7) Srila Prabhupada once wrote to one devotee in London: "Each room should be clean as a mirror, otherwise you invite the rats..."
8) Once, when Srila Prabhupada was on a morning walk in Hawaii, he passed by the prasadam room. Seeing him, the devotees were in so much ecstasy, that they dropped everything and ran after Prabhupada. His Divine Grace led everyone on the compound and then returned to the temple room. Soon later, Guru Kripa complained to Prabhupada about the left over prasadam and the unclean prasadam room and also mentioned how he had difficulties to bring the devotees to the point of cleaning. Srila Prabhupada: "If a devotee doesn't clean, he can go home again and live with his mother."
9) "When you are clean, you are in the spiritual world, Vaikuntha. When you are dirty, you are in the material world."
10) SB 4.2.14-15: "Those who do not regularly bathe are supposed to be in association with ghosts and crazy creatures."
From the Bhakta Handbook
http://www.harekrishnatemple.com/bhakta/index.html
Menu Planning & Bhoga Organization:
http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/prasadam/feasts/planning/menu.htm
Tamala Krsna: He may be taking prasada now. He was... I had a talk with him today. He was a little... I was surprised that he was complaining that the prasadam is the same every day. In other words, his complaint is that although we are giving... Of course, he may be critical, overcritical. I think that is a fact. But still, we should listen a little bit. Now every day there's at least seven sabjis. I mean, that's a big variety. But his point is that every day it's the same seven sabjis.
Prabhupada: That is not good.
Tamala Krsna: No.
Prabhupada: So you have to manage that.
Tamala Krsna: I'll make... They should listen to that point because it's a valid point. He's right.
Prabhupada: They are very expert.
Hari-sauri: They fed us very nicely when we were there in Fiji.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. They are very expert.
Tamala Krsna: He said. He said, "In my house one day it is rice and dal. Next day, it is khicuri."
Prabhupada: That is the way. If you supply the same thing, it becomes hackneyed.
Hari-sauri: Yes. Even if it's first class, it still becomes boring.
Tamala Krsna: And I think these woman can cook many varieties.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: They know.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hari-sauri: Maybe if they only do three or four sabjis a day, they can...
Prabhupada: Yes. Why so many?
Hari-sauri: Why seven?
Tamala Krsna: Oh, that's it. They have to be told also. On their own, they won't do it. I'll try and tell the proper person.
Prabhupada: That they can be advised, the change, menu change.
Hari-sauri: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Do you happen to know who's charge of it? Tapomaya?
Hari-sauri: Tapomaya's always down there.
Prabhupada: This kitchen management is a great art. That attracts men. Ta'ra madhye jihwa ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, ta'ke jeta kathina samsare, krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay, swa-prasad. Give varieties of prasada. That is required. That is the art.
Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, 02-19-77, Mayapur
When planning a feast, I always begin by considering who the person or persons are to whom the feast will be offered. As our personalist philosophy teaches, each manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a unique personality and mood. The foodstuffs we might offer to Lord Krsna in Vrindaban, Sri Krsna Caitanya in Navadvipa, or Lord Nrsimha in Ahobilam represent three strikingly different moods and feast menus. Similarly, each of the Lord’s pure devotees expressed their own mood and rasa in their devotional service to the Lord. Whatever realizations one has about a transcendental personality can be beautifully reflected in the menu and arrangements for a feast.
Go to Srila Prabhupada’s books for information that will help plan the feast menu, and using the wonderful cookbooks published by the Vaisnavas, look for recipes that played a part in some lila pastime. You might choose preparations that were served at some historical prasadam feast, or that were regional or seasonal favorites somehow related to the festival or event. I love to include dishes that Srila Prabhupada taught the recipes for, or that he particularly mentioned or enjoyed at a festival in the past. When everyone sits down to take prasadam after the arotika and program, we have the opportunity to describe the various preparations and stories behind them, which the guests very much enjoy hearing as they eat. This adds a wonderful dimension to the Krsna Conscious feast experience.
In the “Feast Menus” section, I’ve included some complete feast menus and a number of individual recipes related to particular events like the ones described above. We often include many of these preps in the feast offerings made here in our asrama.
My earliest attempts at feast planning were rather out-of balance, but my husband kindly taught me that five sabjis and four savories…. with no rice…. do not make for a sensible feast. Today, I consider a well-rounded feast to be one that includes a dal, rice, bread, a wet sabji, a dry sabji, a bitter or sour, two savories, a chutney, a raita or salad, a sweet, and a beverage. I seldom leave out any one of these twelve ‘basics’, and find that almost any combination of preps in these categories makes for a grand feast.
I usually serve a fairly plain rice pulau, because a low-key rice seems to help anchor the richer, heavier preps. When I want to expand the menu beyond the ‘basic 12’, I might add a second, opulent rice like Pushpanna. Personally, I haven’t yet mastered the bread category, and find it easier to include a simple bread that can be made a bit ahead, rather than try to produce fried puris during the last moments before the offering. I can only look forward to the day I’m up to that task!
If I’m adding to the sabjis, I try to include contrasting bases, e.g. one with a sour cream base, one with a tomato base, and perhaps one that’s just ghee and spices. While the savouries are always favorites, they’re also very filling, so rather than increase the number of savouries being offered, I usually include a small but opulent stuffed vegetable. If time permits, I like having two or three different sweets, and they often end up being packed for carry-home and prasadam distribution.
We've seen on some occasions that the desire to put 108 different preparations (or more!) before the Lord results in a feast that includes a handful of every single kind of nut one can buy at the bulk grocery, or a cup of every different flavor of fruit juice on the shelf. We don't subscribe to this school of feast preparation, but instead prefer to create a smaller number of preparations that are more complex, refined and carefully crafted. While this is surely a matter of personal style, I get greater satisfaction throughout the cooking process when I focus on quality over quantity.
The Lord should be offered as many nectarian foodstuffs as possible, but the feast menu should be well balanced in terms of flavors, textures, appearance, richness, and temperature. Because I’m the type of person who’s very visual, I often end up drawing a quick sketch of how the menu might look on the offering plates. It’s amazing how an ill-conceived or out of balance menu becomes suddenly obvious to me when I see the different preparations drawn out, side by side, and imagine them being offered.
Planning out the quantities of each prep can be a challenge, so I try to err on the side of ‘too much’ rather than ‘not enough’. Not only should the guests be offered all they wish to eat of each foodstuff, everyone at the feast should be encouraged to take home prasadam, so they can liberally distribute the Lord’s mercy to others. It’s a good idea to plan for larger quantities of those preps that travel well and retain their flavor and attractive texture for an extra day or two.
When it’s possible that many ‘unconfirmed’ guests might arrive for a feast, we always make sure there’s lots of rice, dal and sabji to go around. That way, even if the savouries or sweets go a little shy, everyone will be filled to satisfaction.
The “Spreadsheets” section linked below offers a step-by-step example of how easy menu planning and feast organization is made by use of Excel worksheets. If you use this method, be sure to save the spreadsheet files for future reference, because they’re perfect for re-use and easy adaptation. HERE
Cooking with Kurma - Essays
http://kurma.net/essays/e11.html
A Meat Eater's Delight
by Kurma Dasa
In 1996 Kurma published a seven-hundred page book on the history of the Hare Krishna Movement in Australia entitled “The Great Transcendental Adventure”. The book also serves as a biography of the movement’s founder and Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, affectionately known as Srila Prabhupada.
The following essay is an excerpt from that book.
Dawson Avenue, Brighton
Tuesday 25 June, 1974.
Dipak had volunteered for the service of cooking lunch for Prabhupada during his visit to Melbourne. Yet Dipak, usually a proficient cook, was today not his usual confident self. He was nervously dropping butter on the floor, sliding chapatis off the stove and boiling over the milk when he noticed Srila Prabhupada at the kitchen door.
Prabhupada, standing bare-chested after his bath, was smiling as he watched Dipak’s attempts to cook lunch. Returning to his room, Srila Prabhupada applied the sacred marks of Vaisnava tilaka with great attention and sat, head slightly back, to chant his noon-time Gayatri mantra prayers.
Meanwhile, Dipak was coming to the end of a very chaotic morning in the kitchen. He quickly poured freshly-squeezed lemon juice into the pot of steaming hot basmati rice, spooned out a generous serving, adjusted the bowls of dal and vegetables, popped on a couple of hot chapatis and raced the plate into Prabhupada’s room.
Prabhupada sat on a low cushion behind his glass-topped table, on the white-linen-covered floor. He nodded appreciatively as Dipak placed the plate on the table, offered respects and quickly exited.
Feeling relieved that lunch was on time, Dipak returned to the kitchen to clean up the scene of devastation. He especially hoped that Srila Prabhupada would enjoy the rice today. He had recently heard, although he couldn’t remember where from, that Prabhupada liked lemon juice on it.
Satsvarupa Goswami, Prabhupada’s secretary for this visit, broke Dipak’s daydream. “Dipak! Srila Prabhupada would like to see you.” Dipak wiped his hands and rushed into the room.
Prabhupada was looking up inquisitively. “What is the matter with this?” he asked, pointing to the untouched mound of rice on his plate. “It is sour!” Dipak stumbled out an answer. “Oh... er... I put lemon juice on it, Srila Prabhupada.” Prabhupada looked disappointed. Dipak volunteered to cook more.
“No,” Srila Prabhupada answered. “Bring some milk and sugar.”
Srila Prabhupada sprinkled sugar all over the rice, poured on the milk, and took it as dessert. After lunch, Prabhupada again called Dipak into his room. “Tomorrow,” he reassured, “I will teach you how to cook.”
Next day Srila Prabhupada entered the kitchen around mid-morning. Despite Melbourne’s cold winter, the sun shone brightly through the windows of the little kitchen. Prabhupada stood without his shirt, his soft, golden skin glowing. He looking serious; his mood was that of an instructor. Forewarned, the devotees were peering in through the back screen door and peeping through the windows to witness the exciting event.
Prabhupada expertly directed the whole scene. Step-by-step, he taught the timeless cooking art by demonstration: “Cut like this... add this much... fry like this...” All the while, Prabhupada cooked with silent concentration, cleaning the stove and sink after each step, and periodically checking his wrist watch.
The crisp, white cauliflowerets and cream-colored potato chunks were cut to size. Next they were placed in one compartment of Prabhupada’s shiny three-tiered brass cooker, the same one that he had brought to America in 1965, which sat on the small square stove. The rice and water were placed in another compartment; mung beans, water and turmeric in the third.
“Turmeric,” Prabhupada pointed out, “is a blood purifier.”
Today he would show Dipak a special rich vegetable dish. He directed Dipak to cut eggplants into very large cubes, almost five centimetres square. Panir cheese, which Dipak had made earlier,was cut into similarly sized chunks. (click here for a recipe for panir cheese) The potatoes were cut only slightly smaller. All were deep-fried in small batches in the pan of fresh, hot clarified butter, ghee. Prabhupada stressed that the panir cheese had to be cooked until very dark brown. There was no joking and no talking other than these serious instructions.
Dipak’s chapati dough had been too dry and hard, so Srila Prabhupada made another batch which he had subsequently submerged in a bowl of water. Draining off the water and kneading in a little more atta flour, Prabhupada indicated the correct consistency: “As soft as your ear-lobe,” he said, squeezing his own left ear to demonstrate.
When the vegetables and panir cubes were all fried, Srila Prabhupada heated some ghee in a saucepan and deftly sprinkled-in cumin seeds and crushed red chillies. As the spices darkened, he added a sprinkle of asafoetida and turmeric, and a little crushed fresh tomato. The pan hissed and sizzled, especially when Prabhupada poured in a few cups of fresh whey, the liquid residue from the panir cheese. He slid the potatoes and panir cubes into the pan, followed by the eggplant and salt, and simmered them slowly.
Next he heated another small pan, added some ghee and spices and the cooked potatoes and cauliflower from the steamer, and briefly sautéed them, pouring in a little water to form a gravy which thickened and stuck to form a sizzling crust. Ghee was heated in a third little pan, and cumin, chilli and whole coriander seeds were heated, browned, and thrown crackling into the smooth, yellow dal soup. Srila Prabhupada finally spooned off the whole spice seeds from the simmering dal, then left for his massage and bath.
After bathing, he re-entered the kitchen and cooked the first few chapatis which all obediently ballooned, emitting little puffs of steam as they reached their bursting point.
Everything was done in exactly one and a half hours, including the massage and bathing. Srila Prabhupada finally sat down, the cooking class completed, and prepared to take his lunch.
Pointing to the large, rich, dark chunks of fried panir cheese, now puffed and juicy from slow simmering in seasoned gravy, he smiled and looked up at Dipak. “You should cook this for the meat-eaters. They will very much appreciate. It is a ‘meat-eater’s delight’.”
For the cooks at the Melbourne branch of Srila Prabhupada’s International Society for Krsna Consciousness, this was an historic culinary moment.
Cooking with Kurma - Essays
http://kurma.net/essays/e11.html Additives that are Non Vegetarian in origin
Additives
120 Red Colour Cochineal
Is derived from the egg yolks and fatty parts of the dried female insect commonly know as the cochineal beetle. When purchasing food colourings, red colour (124) is the non animal equivalent and is quite commonly available. It has also been linked to hypersensitivity in children.
161g Natural Orange Colour Xanthophylls
Is derived from mushrooms and flamingo feathers. Orange colour (160a) – carotene – is a natural equivalent derived from vegetables.
322 Emulsifier and Stabilizer Lecithin
Is mainly commercially derived from soya beans. Another commercial source however, is egg yolks. Lecithin is to be found in a wide range of foods such as chocolate, some brands of powdered milk, confectionary, margarine, and malted milk powder. Manufacturers are not obliged to say where it was derived, so beware.
422 Solvent, Humectant, Sweeter Glycerin
Is misunderstood because it naturally occurs in plant cells, but after serious enquiry we have ascertained that all commercial glycerin is obtained as a by–product in the manufacture of soaps and fatty acids (Most soaps are derived from slaughtered animals.) Expect to find glycerin (422) in all sorts of confectionary, low joule foods, some dried fruits, prepared mustard, carbohydrate modified foods and crystallized pineapple.
441 Gelatine
Derived from boiling down animal products that contain collagen such as bones, hoofs and skin etc. Usually described as a food and listed in the ingredients.
471 Emulsifier Mono And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids
Is derived for commercial use from glycerin and fatty acids. Watch out for this one – it’s very commonly used in confectionary (especially chocolate bars), flavoured whole and skim milk, frozen yoghurt, ice–cream, margarine, salad dressing, peanut butter, UHT cream, etc.
472 Emulsifier
473 Emulsifier and Stabilizer – (Sucrose esters of (471)
Is made from Emulsifier (471) and is typically found In the same types of food products containing (471).
491 Emulsifier and Stabilizer Sorbitan Monostearate
Is prepared synthetically from stearic acid and is used in all dried yeasts, soyaroni, and in other types of food products containing (471).
542 Anti–Caking agent
Is directly extracted form animal bones. It is to be found, (although probably not mentioned) in all hot drink vending machines as an anti–caking agent in powdered milk. Beware of hot milk from these machines.
570 Anti–Caking agent Stearic–acid
Naturally occurs in all animal fats and vegetable oils. Prepared from animal origin commercially. It is to be found in artificial sweeteners and confectionary (hard tablets and rolls like “life savers”, etc).
572 Anti–Caking agent and Emulsifier
Prepared from stearic acid (570) and is to be found in the same kind of food–stuffs as (570).
631 Flavour Enhancer Di–Sodium Inosinate
This flavour enhancer is derived from meat extract and sardines, and can be found in many foods where flavourings are permitted. Prohibited in foods for children and young infants.
Non Ekadasi Additives
Thickeners (410) Locust Bean Gum and (412) Guar Gum
Are used in many food products marked as containing “vegetable gums” and are indeed vegetarian. But they should be avoided on Ekadasi because they are derived from seeds of members of the pea family.
#Ref: Vegan Society of Australia, Melbourne and "Food Additives (Pocket Reference Series by Sue Treffers.
Note* :Generally it is best to avoid all food additives of unknown origin and stick to only naturally derived additives. The food industry uses a lot of additives of questionable value that may cause health problems. Ideally one should only take foodstuffs prepared by devotees and grown by devotees, all others may have questionable value systems and profit motives.
This list may not be complete if you have verified information on any that should be added to the list advise me please.
Prabhupada Vani
The Krishna consciousness movement is a self-purification movement
Prabhupada: This Krishna consciousness movement is a self-purification movement. The method is vibration of transcendental sound. This Hare Krishna, this sound, is not material sound. It is descended from the spiritual world. Krishna and Krishna's name -- not different. Abhinnatvam nama-naminoh. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance...
26 Qualities of a Pure Devotee
Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrated at ISKCON Bangalore
Sri Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated with much pomp and grandeur as several thousands of people thronged the Sri Radha Krishna Chandra Mandir at ISKCON Bangalore. Check out
Sri Krishna Janmashtami 2011 Celebrations photos
Sri Krishna-Janmashtami-2011
Remembering Srila Prabhupada
A collection of transcendental memories of our beloved spiritual master Srila Prabhupada.
Keep visiting this page for regular updates.
Memories Of Srila Prabhupada
PrabhuPada Letters
if u want to read the letters of his divine grace a.c. bhaktivedant swami prabhupada, than check out this link. that link contains 90 individual letter and journal entries in chronological order from July - November 1965.
check out letters of Prabhupada
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