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| April 2000 | Hare Krishna! |
In this issue:
- Bhajan Band
- Reconnecting with the Eternal self
- Bhakti Vrksa
- Louisville Preaching Center - Time Is Up...Or Is It?
A Note From The President...........
Greetings & Hare Krishna!.... On behalf of the members of ISKCON Columbus Krishna House, including the Editor in Chief of our newsletter, we wish to greet our friends, well-wishers, and supporters with great affection and apologize for our lengthy leave of absence! During the past two years, the Krishna House has continued in its usual enthusiastic manner, with various additions to our daily and weekly programs.
Formerly, we were recognized as ISKCON’s only "Mataji Mandir", or an exclusive ashram for ladies. Now, one notable change in the dynamics of our situation is the permanent addition of "dhotis" to the ashram. Aside from congregational members, we are now joined by Mathura das, Narottama das, Gour Nitai das (all former residents of New Vrndavana). Mathura is pursuing a vocational change and Narottama and Gour Nitai are resuming their education at OSU. Their addition to the ashrama has enhanced the preaching capacities and enthused our congregational supporters. Furthermore, the fall semester will bring the addition of Vrndavana Nathadas and Radha Raman das from NV who will be transferring to OSU to complete their educational courses. Both are skilled cooks, so our Sunday feast affectionados will truly have a treat in store!
Yamuna, our much appreciated Editor and Chief, is now in charge of Serving America First’s food pantry operation. She is making wonderful plans to expand our presence in Columbus, has already completed a new brochure and ID cards, and is hoping to generate finances as well.
One of the biggest changes is in transferring the Temple Presidency from H.G. Malati Prabhu to Rasa Manjari devi dasi. As GBC services require much time in traveling and preaching, as well as daily communications, the temple managerial services become quite difficult. Rasa Manjari, a disciple of Tamal Krsna Goswami from Amsterdam, has been in leadership training for the past 21/2 years at the Louisville, KY preaching center. That project is being turned over to the local devotees, who joined under her guidance. Currently, Malati and Rasa are working side by side as Rasa gets a feel for the Ins and Outs of the Columbus Krishna House. By the grace of Srila Prabhupada, all indications are for a successful transition and a great future in Lord Caitanya’s Mission!
Please come and join us for kirtan, Krishna Katha, and prasadam at our Thursday and Sunday Feast programs!
Hare Krishna! Best Wishes,
Malati d.d.Bhajan Band
Inspired by the Los Angeles temple, the dear servants of Sri Sri Radha Natabara have inaugurated the first Columbus Bhajan Band. A team of 3 to 5 devotees will regularly perform bhajans accompanied by traditional instruments (mrdunga, karatalas, harmonium, and tamboura).
Rasa Manjari devi dasi: "It’s a big success in L.A. . Devotees play every weekend in yoga studios, new age galleries and health Expo’s. In this way many people get a chance to participate in the sankirtana-yajna, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krsna. We’d like to emphasize the cultural aspect. We’re putting together as a slide show to revive a little bit of the early days of Krishna Consciousness".
Srila Prabhupada: "Krishna is more interested in leading us down the path of liberation than we are in going. He has given us a very simple method: harer nama, harer nama harer namaiva kevelam (Adi 17.21).
We need only chant Hare Krishna. To perfect this chanting of Hare Krishna there is no hard and fast rule. Simply by chanting we will attain perfection". (Teaching of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti).
The Bhajan Band will start practicing outdoors at the Oval, a grass area at Ohio State University. For more information or to invite the bhajan Band to play at your home, call (614) 421-1661 and ask for Rasa Manjari devi dasi.
You are also invited to join us for Hari Nama Sankirtana throughout the streets of Columbus. Every Wednesday we go Downtown near City Center and every weekend we’ll be chanting and dancing on Uptown High Street.
Photo right: Columbus temple devotees chanting on the OSU campus.
Reconnecting with the Eternal self
by Rasa Manjari devi dasi
On Saturday, April 8th Bhaktin Jill had an opportunity to display her Bhakti Photos at a program in Gahanna, OH, sponsored by the Global Gallery (located at downtown Colsumbus). Many facets of preaching were displayed on 8x10 double exposure photos on poster board adorning the walls of a local church hall..... Rainbow Gathering preaching, prasada distribution, devotees gathered together. Many admired Jill’s artwork, appreciated a display of Srila Prabhupada’s books, enjoyed prasadam cookies, and inquired about the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. An introductory piece was read by all who attended:
Bhakti Yoga (serving GOD with loving devotion) is the ancient universal process of reconnecting with the self.
Realizing our true identity as spirit soul, part and parcel of GOD, the supreme spirit soul.
This linking process is done through transcendental sound (mantra) and the honoring of blessed food (Prasadam).
The spirit soul ( as it is completely pure itself ) is yearning for Purity (pure love)
By associating itself with pure sound and purified foodstuffs the self becomes (again) completely satisfied.
The photo exhibition that you’re about to see tells of this spiritual healing and reconnection process as is being experienced by many thousands of Rainbow children during the annual national Rainbow gatherings.
On the first exhibit you’ll find the founder/ acarya of this process of bhakti-yoga, his divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The artist, Jill Waldman, is member of the bhakti-yoga ashrama in the Krishna-house in Columbus, Ohio.(379 West 8th Ave - (614) 421-1661). She gets her inspiration from studying the Vedas (ancient scriptures from India) and living with other practitioners of bhakti-yoga.
We look forward to more of this style of preaching in May, as Jill has been invited to show another series of photos at the Buddhist Import House here in Columbus.
Bhakti Vrksa
by Narottama dasH.G. Malati Prabhu, before she left for India, encouraged me to get involved in the congregational preaching for Columbus yatra. Thus since February I have been facilitating weekly Bhakti Vriksha meetings for Srila Prabhupada’s pleasure. They were, until a couple weeks ago, being held at Dinesh Prabhu’s home. Then he went to visit India, and so we have been meeting at Naveen Prabhu’s home. The Bhakti Vriksha format has been developed by the ISKCON Congregational Preaching Ministry. Its aim is to systematically train and educate congregational devotees to become first-class devotees of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya. The Bhakti Vriksha members meet once a week to hear and chant Krishna katha/nama and plan preaching activities. The theme of the Krishna katha and preaching activities is group participation. Instead of a traditional lecture there is facilitated group discussion of a selection from Srila Prabhupada’s books or lectures. Preaching activities are planned so that group members can get involved. Thus far the preaching has focused on cultivating regular visitors of the temple by visiting them at home. To be a member of the Bhakti Vriksha one must submit a completed Bhakti Vriksha member application form to the BV facilitator, and commit to: chanting at least one round of the Maha Mantra per day, trying to understand Lord Krishna’s teachings, and regularly attending the weekly BV meeting. There are currently six members of the group. Anybody who is considering to get involved with the BV is welcome to be a guest at a BV meeting; please contact Naveen Prabhu or Narottama das(614) 299-5934.
Louisville Preaching Center - Time Is Up...Or Is It?
In the Summer of 1997 Malati Prabhu got the keys to a house in Louisville, Kentucky. It would be hers to use as a basis for promoting Krishna Consciousness for a period of three years.....Actually the owners of the place, Evelyn and Helen Hardin, had a hard time trying to convince any of the leading members of ISKCON to take up their generous offer. After thoroughly cleaning the house and making the necessary adjustments, the Krishna House in Louisville opened her doors to the public in September 1997 with a crew of very enthusiastic preachers/sankirtana devotees from the Columbus temple, headed by Rasa Manjari.
Preaching is very fun, and very quickly the people of Louisville became used to seeing a bunch of girls distributing books door to door, store to store, on campus, downtown. Or a bunch of girls in colorful saris singing and dancing in the streets, giving out sweets and invitations to an evening of....free yoga and a free vegetarian feast!
The Louisville devotees used the house as a base for traveling sankirtana and started weekly programs in several places in Indiana. (Bloomington, IN, Greenwood, IN, and Columbus IN) and joined forces with devotees in Lexington, KY.
With regular programs in Louisville and other places we had an attractive itinerary for many stalwart preachers who came as guest speakers: H.H.Romapada Maharaja, H.H. Hrydayananda Maharaja, H.H. Devamrita Swami, H.H. Candramauli Swami, H.H. NityoDita Swami, H.H. Danavair Goswami, and of course, our local leader H.G. Malati Prabhu.
In a short span of time the Louisville crew expanded from a few temple devotees to an additional 6 to 8 very enthusiastic and sincerely practicing bhaktas and bhaktins (the youngest member is barely one year old and his name is Krishna Mohan Das). Although the house is up for sale, the programs will continue in a new location by the enthusiasm of these locals. For information, please call Steve Schellner (502) 568-4661.
For more information on any of these stories, please email yamunadasi@juno.com
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare | Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare