Devotees in the UK held their first ever Vani Retreat. The retreat was hosted by the Hare Krishna Centre in Leicester. Visnu Murti Prabhu, who runs the Bhaktivedanta Library Services (BLS), conducted the two day introductory workshop into Vanipedia.

Vanipedia is a momentuous work much like the famous Wikipedia. It is meant to bring Srila Prabhupada’s teachings not only to the devotee community but to all people around the world. The project was started in 2008 and is hosting now 6,685 categories, 18,018 pages and 284,638 quotes. Once completed it is estimate that Vaniquotes will have around 7,000 categories, 250,000 pages, and somewhere between 2 to 3 million quotes. The project, which is open source, is managed by a vast pool of volunteers from all around the world.

Vanipedia is a dynamic, interactive encyclopedia of all of Srila Prabhupada's words (vani). It aims to explore, discover and comprehensively compile Srila Prabhupada's teachings from every angle of vision, and present them in accessible and easily understandable ways.

There are seven petals in the whole Vanipedia project. At the moment only Vanisource, where one can read all of Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters, and Vaniquotes, where all of Srila Prabhupada's teachings are comprehensively mapped, are populated with content.

Follow these links for a short introduction to the other petals; Vanimedia, Vanictionary, Vanibooks, and Vaniversity. Vanipedia will offer a continual worldwide platform for Srila Prabhupada to preach and teach the science of Krishna consciousness. Devotees felt the retreat was a full success and many joined the ever increasing team of compilers. Get in touch if you want to become a compiler. We can train you in every aspect of the programme.

What participants had to say

The Vanipedia workshop on Sunday went really well. Visnu Murti’s enthusiasm is positively infectious. This project is sort of a contradiction. On the one hand it is a huge undertaking, which will eventually result in a fantastic resource of all things Srila Prabhupada ever said and wrote. However, it requires individuals and groups of individuals to make it a success. The whole point is to get as many people involved as possible, the more the merrier. I am personally glad to have received the initial training to start doing quotes and pages. Overall it is all very straight forward. Anyone with a little bit of experience on a computer would be able to grasp the whole procedure relatively easy. (Nitai Charan dasa)

I feel I am beginning to create my own connection with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. I feel honoured to be part of Vanipedia and hope that more people see it as a way of devotional sevice, spreading the joys of Krishna consciousness around the world for all to enjoy and learn.

Gauranga Sundara Das had told me about Vanipedia a while ago at our Gita class, but I had no idea what to expect. I was introduced by Visnu Murti, who drove non stop from Belgium, having only 2 hours of sleep. He was a totally inspiring speaker. After agreeing to be trained on Vanipedia a whole new world has opened up for me. Not only do I train and have privileges to set up others, but I am also adding to Vanipedia every day. For me this is the best way to learn about Srila Prabhupada, his teachings, his philosophy, his lectures and so many amazing stories about Krishna. I feel like I am getting to know him as my friend who is very much alive today.

The Vanipedia is allowing Prabhupada to be part of my life as much as I am brought into his world. With the training I received from Visnu Murti I am now a confident contributor, having chosen to contribute Srila Prabhupada's connection with Krishna quotes. (Dharma Rathod)

The Vani retreat was interesting and fun. Visnu Murti really knows his subject. Even though I personally am a complete novice at computing I feel more empowered and it's a great way to learn more about Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness. (Julie Isaaks)

The Hare Krishna Centre in Leicester holds its weekly programme every Saturday at 7 PM at 28 Evington Road in Leicester, LE2 1HG. The programme starts with tulasi arati followed by the Gaura arati ceremony, after which devotees listen to and discuss a talk given by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON).

At times various speakers frequent the Centre to inspire devotees and guests alike. The evening ends around 9 PM with a sumptuous vegetarian prasadam feast. All are welcome and admission is free!

Every Thursday is a Bhagavad-gita workshop in which devotees discuss verses from the Gita. This gives valuable insight into the Bhagavad-gita and the philosophy of pure devotional service.

There was one doubt that was plaguing me. I had always been taught when I was first joining that the parampara is like a link, a chain. If you don't have the perfect link, if you are not initiated - you really can not go back to the spiritual world. I presented this question to Prabhupada.

I followed Srila Prabhupada from Rupa Gosvami's Samadhi back into the courtyard, and just before Srila Prabhupada took the steps, in the courtyard, I said 'We are distributing so many books but if people who read them are not initiated then they can not go back to home, to the spiritual world.' And Prabhupada turned and looked at me right in the eyes and he said "Just by reading my books they are initiated". (Nararatna das)

Already in 1930 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had written in his famous "Putana" article: "The churches have always proven to be representatives of the most gross forms of worldliness. The former intention of these established churches (religious institutions) may not have been always doubtful, but we see that no religious institution was successful in spiritually uplifting the masses. Indeed, the idea of an organised church marks the end of a living spiritual movement."