VEDIC VILLAGE REVIEW # 34

May 15, 2014.  Adventures in New Jaipur, Prabhupadanuga Farm in Fiji

WATER OF NEW JAIPUR
by SriGovinda, 8.

At the water cress, the water is so clear – at the bottom are minerals and even the water has minerals. The bottom has stones, mostly red in color. Sometimes when picking the water cress, prawns, frogs, and eels come out from under the water cress. Hare Krishna!

NEWSBITS:

The stage one developmental phase of New Jaipur farm is pretty much complete now. The day the excavator leaves to town for repairs and selling, will be the start of stage two, wherein basic infrastructure is in place, we shift more into agricultural mode, and we become less dependent on machinery. The last chores for the excavator are to form up some more “rice blocks” with dirt dams where flooded rice can be cultivated, some more road gravelling and ditching, and gravel extraction from the river. The rice blocks are a permanent feature, and they are built where the soil is extra good and can be flooded, either by springs or waterlines from streams, although in the wet season the rains will suffice in a low lying area. By growing rice we will have half of our grains- the other half will be dahl beans. So far we have successfully grown mung, and are waiting for chick peas to sprout. Wheat cannot grow here, but surely some other similar grains that make breads could (so far it is beyond our knowledge).

The coastal portion of the farm that lies east of the river, now accessible by the new 40 foot concrete bridge we built, is called Naiviriviri, and is about 25 acres. A 3 acre garden area there has a year-round stream on its edge, so irrigating or watering is very convenient, although most of the time the rains are so frequent that this is not required. Starting seedlings requires watering if it doesn’t rain for a day or two. Unfortunately there were 3 huge and majestic raintrees that had to be cut down since there was not enough sunlight coming through for gardens. The logs await milling into timber and the branches are pushed into “swamp holes.” One towering raintree remains, as does the “mother” of all ivi trees, a young mango and a tall, thin, rainforest tree of an unknown variety. These remaining trees give welcome partial shade to the garden plots below. As the land slopes gently downwards towards the mangrove coast, it becomes wetter and boggier, which is ideal for rice blocks. This rice and garden part of the farm is also separated by the stream and river from pastures (many gardens are lost to loose cows…)

Kimm from Canada is back again on his sailboat “Silos,” anchoring offshore in the reef sheltered bay, and he has offered to establish a permaculture type veggie garden in Naiviriviri for feeding the devotees and deities. He stays on his boat at night and teaches whoever is interested about gardening and composting. He loves prasadam. A six year odyssey on his boat has led to Mexico, the Marquesas, Suvarrow Atoll, and eventually here.

Bhakta Benjamin from Germany is also visiting for 2 weeks, and learns gardening skills helping Kimm in the “plantation.” He flew Frankfurt-Los Angeles-Nadi, and upon landing in Fiji, a group of taxi drivers happily performed a kirtan of sorts for him (where else but Fiji?) At the Krishna Kaliya ISKCON temple in Lautoka, a senior devotee sternly warned him about coming to our “rtvik” farm, advising not to listen to us lest his heart be eternally poisoned… Just see how blind some ISKCON devotees have become! What perversion of the truth… The explanation was something about taking responsibility for the massive offense of destroying the disciplic succession… Actually, what those in ISKCON are fearing of rtviks, is exactly what they themselves are doing. Benjamin plans to plant some trees around his selected cottage so that, as hoped, when he returns with his family, the trees will be already well grown. Benjamin did not come to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness through ISKCON, although he has visited several centers in Europe and India in the last several years. He was introduced to Prabhupada’s movement by a neighbor couple (she lived in Costa Rica and Hawaii with Kapindra Swami’s group) who had left ISKCON after becoming disillusioned with their guru system. This is a wonderful example of how the Krishna consciousness movement is spreading outside of the deviated organization for which Prabhupada had high hopes.

The six Guernseys calves for which we have been struggling bureaucratically for three years to bring from New Zealand to Fiji is almost at a dead end, as a new disease in NZ (and AU) prevents their importation. The next option being considered is to rent a local mixed dairy cow that has just calved, and getting fresh milk for as long as possible, perhaps 1 or more years. Meanwhile we hope to coordinate with the Agriculture Department to use their Koronivia Research Station and Fresian cows for imported Guernsey embryo implants and thus have Fijian-born, full-blooded Guernsey calves. The genetics will depend solely on the overseas fertilized egg and not on the delivering mother. The cost may be less and there seems to be no other better alternative to start Fiji’s first pure breed, A2 milk herd. Obviously embryo implants, although a standard and widespread practice now, are an unnatural procedure and less than ideal, but our preferred options are limited. There are no quality A2 cows in Fiji (of the two kinds of cow milk, A1 and A2, A2 is healthy. A1 actually contributes to many diseases.) And so the story of New Jaipur’s cows continues…

On Lord Nrsinghadeva’s Appearance Day, we conducted the formalities and ceremony for Venina Maria’s first initiation by Srila Prabhupada via the officiating priest method that Prabhupada set up in his July 9th, 1977 letter. He described how he would accept disciples after his departure and in the future (“henceforward.”) It was the second rtvik initiation in New Jaipur, and it was a blissful, Prabhupada-conscious event. Venina is native Fijian, and her new name is Vinita dasi, a name for Radharani that means meek and humble (which she is.) In an Oct. 18, 1977 letter to Vasudeva Prabhu in Fiji from Tamal, it is written:

*“His Divine Grace said, “Initiate the local natives. Ask them to give up their bad habits and become Vaishnavas.” You may send the names of such worthy persons to any one of the eleven devotees whom Srila Prabhupada has designated to initiate **on His behalf**, and after receiving the sanctified beads and new names, you can then perform the initiation ceremony. In this way…try to make Fiji the first Krishna conscious country in the world.”*

Rasamanjari dasi came for a week from Taveuni (Fiji’s third largest island) to see her adopted daughter Venina’s initiation. She inherited 300 acres farmland from her parents and has been here for many years, having become a Fiji citizen. She joined in the early seventies, and is full of stories and bliss in Krishna consciousness.

 

RESTORE PRABHUPADA’S MISSION:

Is there any hope of reforming ISKCON? Here is a partial list of the problems that have developed in the institution which Srila Prabhupada worked so hard to establish:

1. Bogus gurus (burus) blocking sincere devotees from the shelter of Prabhupada’s lotus feet-

2. Prabhupada’s assets (temples, devotees, money) diverted to burus private accounts

3. Massive, continuous and unauthorized changes to Prabhupada’s sacred books

4. Refusal to deal with or even look at the very significant evidence that Prabhupada was maliciously poisoned, evading any discussion on the matter as though it were the greatest offense and insanity

5. The Hinduization and philanthropization of ISKCON leaves it completely unlike what Prabhupada gave us, making it a mundane social welfare organization

6. ISKCON burus have no accountability for their finances

7. Under penalty of ex-communication, any discussion of Prabhupada’s teachings re: officiating priests and initiations on Prabhupada’s behalf is strictly banned

8. Adopting unauthorized changes in the standard methods of temple deity worship

Therefore ISKCON’s original purity is corrupted, having become a deviant, increasingly impotent, despiritualized, and dying branch of the Chaitanya tree. Once a devotee begins to question anything in ISKCON which is perceived as a threat to their buru system, he/she is removed and ostracized. Discussion and debate of philosophy is severely restricted to the official party lines, resulting in a brain-dead membership of psychophants and guru wannabees.

The vast majority of Prabhupada’s original pre-77 disciples are outside of ISKCON. Some have become disheartened or simply fallen back into illusion and the materialistic ways of modern life. Some struggle to maintain their spiritual consciousness with little to no association, and have become too weak to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Some defected to other Vaishnava sangas such as Sridhar, Puri, Narayan, et al Maharajs. Very few have been able to stay true to Srila Prabhupada by following the four regulations, chanting 16 rounds, eating only bonafide prasadam, and doing something to further Prabhupada’s mission of spreading Krishna consciousness.

Nevertheless, since 1989 when the rtvik documents and tapes became widely known and available, and since the advent of the internet in 1995 or so, more and more devotees worldwide are understanding how Srila Prabhupada remains today the vital force in their spiritual lives. He is fully available, as much as when he was physically present until 1977, through his books and teachings, his deity and kirtans, his service and his bonafide followers. The false propaganda from ISKCON no longer holds up under honest scrutiny or even cursory review. ISKCON is unraveling quickly, rotting from within, and is a loose federation of forty-some new buru groups who nominally align themselves under the convenient ISKCON facility. Increasing numbers of the remaining ISKCON members are understanding things as they are, shedding the shackles of institutional lies, fears, and delusions. At some point they will either depart en masse or revolt.

So… the question that faces all of us former members of ISKCON is… should we work to reform ISKCON, waiting perhaps another century? Or should we reorganize and set up a new ISKCON under whose umbrella the disparate refugees and defectors of the corrupted ISKCON can take shelter and work cooperatively to please Srila Prabhupada. Reform or rebuild? Wait or act now?

It is our humble opinion, and I think that of many others as well, that ISKCON is unreformable. Even if it collapses in the face of truth revelations, the burus will walk away with their assets and leave little to nothing to reform. The dreaded acharya disease (DADS) cannot be cured except by the extreme reactions incurred by the ultra-offenses being committed by the bogus gurus and their followers- it probably cannot be rectified by our presentations of the truths in various issues. Already many of us have spent (wasted?) thirty or more years of our adult lives in attempts to reform ISKCON, both from the inside and outside, and still ISKCON stumbles on. The favored option therefore, should be to rebuild a new, replacement ISKCON wherein the teachings of Srila Prabhupada are strictly adhered to and followed.

Unfortunately, the devotees loosely known as Prabhupadanugas or rtviks have proven to be a rather uncooperative bunch. Mahatma Prabhu is organizing with some others in Alachua for early 2015 the first international gathering/reunion of Prabhupadanugas, and the hope is that will lead to further developments of increased cooperation. Our love for Prabhupada can be demonstrated best by how well we learn to work with each other to please Srila Prabhupada and further his transcendental mission of preaching Krishna consciousness. What is the use of our petty arguments and splitting hairs over endless details while the planet rolls rapidly down the road to hell? Let us, or at least some of us, agree on the basic principles that Prabhupada taught, and establish a new organization to carry on Srila Prabhupada’s work. Perhaps it could be called RISKCON, Reformed ISKCON, or Hare Krishna Movement, or…?

Of course, there are those whose character or personality will not permit cooperation, even if it be strictly according to Prabhupada’s teachings. We cannot expect everyone to be ready or suitable for a new spiritual organization. Many are not strictly following the regulations and minimum rounds, and they invariably will be subject to misunderstandings (that’s what maya does…) Still, many devotees pray, dream, and hanker for cooperation, and it should be attempted, again and again. There is no other practical option for sincere followers of Srila Prabhupada to serve Prabhupada. Apathy, discouragement, bitterness, mistrust, etc should be superceded in an effort to bring back Prabhupada’s mission, embodied in a new spiritual organization based on his teachings, with lessons learned from the last several decades.

Today there exist several efforts to cooperate with each other and Srila Prabhupada. Most notably there is the Bangalore Group, where about 400 Prabhupada disciples have expanded to almost 30 temples, including their own GBC managing body. Their steadfastness and achievements are almost legendary. To date Bangalore Group and its leaders have not compromised their principles, in spite of blistering and debilitating legal and propaganda attacks from ISKCON. However, the lawsuit against them remains unresolved, and there is the possibility of a major defeat since no one can know the plans for ultimate justice by the Supreme Lord. Thus it is difficult to encourage devotees to cooperate at this time with Bangalore aside from arm’s length support and assistance. Legalities could go on for many years, and therefore and in the meantime, a look at alternatives might be appropriate.

There is the ISKCON Reform Movement (IRM) led by Krishnakant Desai, who publishes the Back to Prabhupada magazine. IRM has certainly done well in print by dissipating the lies and deceptions promulgated by the corrupt ISKCON. Their website is full of logical analyses based on Prabhupada’s teachings as to exactly how and where ISKCON has deviated. Immeasurable progress in the fight for the truth in the guru issue, especially, is owed to the IRM’s relentless and enlightening publications. However, the IRM is not meant to be a substitute for ISKCON where devotees cooperatively work together in positive, practical preaching- it appears more oriented and suited to philosophical publications and corruption exposure.

There are a group of devotees and temples in Malaysia that are rtvik Prabhupadanugas, but we do not have much information about them. There is a farm near Nelson, New Zealand, and many families in places all over the world who want to serve Prabhupada according to his unadulterated teachings, following the system of rtvik initiations. Actually, “rtvik” has spread so far now that ISKCON leaders are known to take us as their principal threat. This is all the more reason to organize a new spiritual organization to replace ISKCON.

There is also the Hare Krishna Society, a group of projects and householder centers which have affiliated together for purposes of bonafide association and identity, strictly adhering to Prabhupada’s teachings. New Jaipur is an affiliated chapter of the Hare Krishna Society, which does not claim to have many important devotees, but we do try to follow Prabhupada’s final directives regarding how future initiations should be done on behalf of His Divine Grace. We also are opposed to the book changes and find that there are many discrepancies in ISKCON. Perhaps Hare Krishna Society is the association that other devotees might find attractive- please see the website-

http://www.krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com

Inquiries can be sent to ourselves at srigovinda@gmail.com or Yasodanandan Prabhu at yasoda1008@yahoo.com . Any individual, family, or group of devotees who would like to join us in properly representing Srila Prabhupada, you are welcome. The conditions are very simple. Please inquire.

Whatever the end result may be- that Prabhupada’s new ISKCON will start from the Bangalore Group, or elsewhere, or become a federation of groups, it is the PRINCIPLES that matter. The important basis for cooperation is to follow Srila Prabhupada’s teachings without deviations. Meanwhile, let us not wait and do nothing. Let us get involved somewhere, somehow, and work, discuss, struggle towards rebuilding Prabhupada’s mission. Attempts to reform ISKCON are probably futile, but if it is one’s preference, perhaps the advice can be given to start a center as well. The key in all this is to learn how to cooperate.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

QUOTES:

SB 8.19.21 P
The aim of the varnasrama divisions–brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa–is to train one to control the senses and be content with the bare necessities. Here Lord Vamanadeva, as an ideal brahmacari, refuses Bali Maharaja’s offer to give Him anything He might want. He says that without contentment one could not be happy even if he possessed the property of the entire world or the entire universe. In human society, therefore, the brahminical culture, ksatriya culture and vaisya culture must be maintained, and people must be taught how to be satisfied with only what they need. In modern civilization there is no such education; everyone tries to possess more and more, and everyone is dissatisfied and unhappy. The Krsna consciousness movement is therefore establishing various farms, especially in America, to show how to be happy and content with minimum necessities of life and to save time for self-realization, which one can very easily achieve by chanting the maha-mantra–Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

751211SB.VRN Lectures

Rupa Goswami, the chief minister of the government of Bengal, most opulent position: tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim. They became mendicant, voluntarily accepting, tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat.”What is this nonsense position, minister, opulent life? Kick it out.” They are not fools. They are politicians. But why they “Kick it out.” Then what they became? Bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. They become mendicant. So voluntarily accepting poverty, this is Indian civilization, this is Vedic civilization. Not to increase material opulence but to decrease. The more you decrease, you are civilized. And the Western countries, if you decrease, if you instruct them that “Decrease these nonsense activities. No more tire(?) civilization,” they’ll say “Oh, this is primitive, primitive.” This tendency is present. But actually, the primitive civilization… Not primitive; that is very sober civilization, anartha. Instead of increasing unwanted necessities, decrease it. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Lokasya ajanatah vidvams cakre satvata samhitam. This satvata samhitam bhagavata is there, simply to decrease this unwanted so-called material civilization. It is very difficult to understand, but our Krsna consciousness movement is for that purpose. We are interested to construct a nice temple, but we are not interested to construct a very big skyscraper building for people’s generally No. We should live very humbly. But for Krsna we can. In India you’ll find there are so many valuable temples which cannot be constructed at the present moment.

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Economic question? Annad bhavanti bhutani. Grow food. Practical. Just like when I was going to the pandals, millions of clerks were coming–“Education. Educated.” And who is growing food? And they have to be provided in these pigeon holes and depend on ration. Is that civilization? And throngs of people are coming, just like machine, ants. Ants are coming. I saw like that. And go to the village side–all vacant land. Nobody’s interested to produce food. Everyone is interested to live within the city, in these pigeonholes, and go to the cinema and go to the brothel, go to the club and learn how to drink, how to become gentleman. Is that civilization? Human life’s aim is lost. You do not know why you are going to the office, why you are eating, why you are… Keeping them all pet animal’s mentality, doggish mentality.

Yours in Prabhupada’s service,

Nityananda das New Jayapur, Vanua Levu, Fiji Islands

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Hare Krishna! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!