This beautiful video shows that Srila Prabhupada is the Commander in Chief of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtan army.

The Russian government has proposed a law restricting the activities of new religious movements, which according to definition is anything that is not Russian Orthodox or Muslim. The devotees arranged for me to meet Professor Alexander Vasilyevich Medvedev of the State University of the Urals, who is also the Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee of the Ural Region, which investigates new religious movements. The devotees hoped that by meeting Professor Medvedev, we might persuade the government that the law would not be in accordance with basic rights of liberty or freedom of choice of religion. I agreed to meet the professor, not so much because I thought we could make much progress with the government, but to please the devotees. I have seen that Russian bureaucracy is like a thick wall. If those in higher positions don’t like what you’re doing, that’s it. Besides, how much would a professor in the Urals know about ancient Vedic culture?

The devotees accompanying me wanted to wear non-devotional dress to the 12:00 p.m. meeting, but once again I insisted that we let our tradition speak for itself and dress as proper Vaisnavas. We arrived early, which is always my policy with meetings of any kind, especially with public officials. We were shown to the professor’s office. Within a few minutes Professor Medvedev arrived, looking exactly as I imagined a Russian professor might: bespectacled, with a white goatee, and dressed in a wrinkled suit. He looked at us curiously as he took his seat. I began by expressing our concern about the proposed law, I emphasized that freedom of religion is part of the new Russian constitution, and that the Krsna consciousness movement is following a religious tradition which is more than 5,000 years old.

This video has been produced by Care for Cows, Vrindavan. The video speaks for itself. It will transport you back 5,000 years when Krishna and His cowherd friends were walking on the white sands of the Vrindavan forests and tending their cows.

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis." (Brahma-samhita 5.29)

Anadir adir govindah [Bs. 5.1]. Govinda means... Go means three things. What is that? Go means the senses, and go means cow, and go means land. There are three meanings of go. So He gives pleasure to these three things. Wherever He is present, it becomes blissful, ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). The Vedanta-sutra says, anandamaya, always full of... Krsna, the reservoir of pleasure. So whenever He is present, in whichever land, in whichever country, in whichever planet He is present, it becomes full of bliss, ananda. Govinda. And He is playing just like cowherd boy, sixteen-year-boy and playing with cows. His father has got many cows, and He goes to the cows, pleasure trip with friends. That is Krsna's business. He is not going to any office or any factory. You see? So gostha. He goes, and His mother gives Him sufficient to eat. And after eating breakfast, with His friends and His flute and cows He goes outside for pleasure trip. That is Krsna's business. Therefore He is Govinda.

The cows, oh, as soon as they see Krsna, they become... They lick up His face and body, and every cow has got a different name. As soon as He will call, the cow will come immediately and dropping milk. And those cows are also spiritual. Surabhi. It is described in the Brahma-samhita. Surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhi. Surabhi cow means nonexhaustive. You can milk as much milk you want and as many times. In the material world the cow is limited. There is time that you can milk, morning and evening, and so much quantity, not more than that. But surabhir means you can milk those cows anytime you like and you can draw milk as many as you like, as much as you like. This is called surabhi. Surabhir... In the description of Brahma-samhita: cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhir abhipalayantam. So therefore He is Govinda. He gives... He is pleasure for everyone. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lecture, Madhya-lila 20.152-154 -- New York, December 5, 1966)

GURU-PARAMPARA: THE LIST OF 32

nama om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine
namaste sarasvate deve gauravani pracarine
nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desa tarine

PREFACE

During the ISKCON lila pastime of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, most devotees simply accepted the list of 32 names found in the Introduction of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. There was little discussion about the significance or meaning of this list. A few devotees who had direct access to Srila Prabhupada did question him about it, and we have his recorded responses, such as the letter to Upendra das. We can see by these responses that Srila Prabhupada did not go into an elaborate or extensive explanation of the list.

 

One could say that we were all such neophyte disciples that Srila Prabhupada concluded we were not capable of truly comprehending the intricacies or the deep philosophical significance of this list. But on the other hand, if today we had the same surrendered attitude towards Srila Prabhupada that we did back then -- if we appreciated his position as a truly qualified member of the List of 32 Sampradaya Acaryas -- then we would not have to go through the exercise of discussing the significance of the list.

 

Because Srila Prabhupada is not accepted, even by many of his so-called followers, as a rarified Sampradaya Acarya, there have been many disagreements which have resulted in many problems, both within and without the preaching mission that he established. In presenting this paper, we hope the reader will ultimately come to the same conclusion we have -- that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is unquestionably qualified to be included in the rarified strata of Sampradaya Acaryas, of which there are only 32 going back to Lord Brahma.

 

By reading this presentation, you will begin to see how what appeared in the beginning to be such a simple thing, has become quite a complicated matter and the source of much conflict. In fact, this phenomenon has likely repeated itself since the beginning of the Sampradaya, particularly manifesting after the disappearance of great devotees like those mentioned on the List of 32. Upon their departure the question arises: who is qualified to be on the guru-parampara list, and who is not? Arriving at an answer to this question is something each devotee must do for himself. We are simply hoping to help the reader make this unavoidable decision, which is essential for spiritual advancement.

 

We encourage the devotees to reflect upon the expansive period this list encompasses, going right back to the time of Lord Brahma, for whom the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya is named. We believe the Sampradaya Acaryas who compose these lists invite us to do just that -- reflect upon just how far back the list goes, so that we can see how qualified one would have to be in order to have their name included on the list. The guru-parampara list of 32 cannot be taken lightly or insignificantly.

 

Rocana dasa
April 4, 2012

After having visited my devotee friend's Cow Protection farm near where I live in Wales, the great simplicity of this project is apparent. The farm scenario is grouped with a Vaisnava ashrama in idyllic rural Wales that is simply breathtakingly beautiful. The reminder from the Jaya Radha Madhava mantra springs to mind conjuring up that all-attractive transcendental mood of the village of Vrndavana, and so that mood is captured here in the grove like meadows and rivulets of this Cow Protection project. Here we find ramshackle buildings echoing back to times gone by, integrity in the buildings: built without concrete and metal, just carpentry joins and pinned together with wooden "nails", all locally sourced materials, and that all attractive friendly nature of devotees engaged in devotional service to Lord Krsna.

That all embracing sweetness of the rural picture that is painted in Srimad Bhagavatam of Vrindavana, where Lord Krsna kept hundreds of thousands of Cows, indeed in Goloka Vrindavana is it possible to count Lord Krsna's Cows. Here in the heart of Wales that feeling and mood are sought after. The Cows and Bulls are housed simply, they are kept in a relevant place beside the devotees, the Goshalla is full of character and their environment is like the groves in Vrndavana with sweet water rivers freshly running by in the valleys between the meadows, accessible for the Cows. The picture is painted and the appreciation is beheld, and we just add Krsna Consciousness to this adorable haven of tranquility and we are on our way back to Godhead by chanting Hare Krishna. Saved by the Cows who just stroll along without a care in the world.

The Cows' protection plan is master-minded in the most simplistic of ways. Cow Protection is sublime. Their needs are simple, a Goshalla that is clean and tidy with fresh bedding on top of a wood chipping foundation. Wood chippings and saw dust are both hygienic because they both absorb fluids and naturally have antiseptic properties. Many commercial farms use wood shavings and sawdust for bedding. It can be replaced up to three times a day for good animal husbandry techniques and a preventative technique against mastitis. Many sawmills will give you the waste product but even paying for it is economical, especially the harder wood shavings, which are really good for absorbency and hygienic qualities. As my devotee friend is looking after these Cows independently, he is able to maintain the Cows based on a symbiotic relationship with his neighbours, where bartering is the way they trade.

Prabhupada's ISKCON is Beautiful and Perfect!

I often write to simply sort out my own thoughts and get them off my chest, so to speak. Recently I came across the following letter I wrote a long time ago. Although it is just my own thoughts, maybe others will be inspired by it, so I am presenting it here:

"As it is said by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih: a spiritual master, or the parampara-acarya, should be respected exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead." (SB 4.22.4)

Here we see the difference between a conditioned soul (or even an advanced devotee) and Srila Prabhupada. We must respect all devotees even though they are conditioned souls, to one degree or another, but it says here that "the spiritual master, or the parampara-acarya should be respected exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead". It is not proper to put a conditioned soul in this position and thus artificially give him (or her) the respect or worship equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This will simply cause a disturbance.

Artificial or blind following can and will create havoc in the world.

We must be honest with ourselves and others regarding the actual level of advancement we and others are at. This is simply part of being honest and one of the main qualities of a Vaisnava, sadhu, or brahmana is honesty. As King Prithu has said in the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.15.22, "O gentle suta, magadha and other devotee offering prayers, the qualities of which you have spoken are not distinct in me. Why then should you praise me for all these qualities when I do not shelter these features? I do not wish for these words meant for me to go in vain, but it is better that they be offered to someone else." In the next purport after this verse Srila Prabhupada clearly warns, "If a man who does not factually possess the attributes of a great personality engages his followers in praising him with the expectation that such attributes will develop in the future, that sort of praise is actually an insult."(SB 4.15.23)

Definitions

1. I meditate upon Lord Sri Krsna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes… (Srila Vyasadeva; Srimad-Bhagavatam [SB] 1.1.1).

2. Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others (Srila Prabhupada; Bhagavad-gita [Bg] 10.4 purport [pp]).

3. If one does not know what is honesty, how can he be honest? But if you know what is honesty, then you can be honest (Srila Prabhupada; Perfect Questions Perfect Answers [PQPA] p. 55).

4. You must know the order of God. And if you follow that, then that is honesty (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 56).

5. Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself that are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong (Sri Isopanisad, mantra 1).

6. If I know that everything belongs to Krsna, I will not use anything without His permission. That is honesty. And that is knowledge (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 58).

7. Even if you drink a glass of water without knowing to whom it belongs, you are a thief. So you may think, "I am honest," but actually you are a thief. You must remember Krsna, "Oh Krsna, it is Your creation, so kindly allow me to drink." Therefore a devotee always thinks of Krsna. In all activities he thinks, "Oh, it is Krsna's." This is honesty. So without Krsna consciousness everyone is a rascal, a thief, a rogue and a robber (Srila Prabhupada; PQPA, p. 61).