This issue of Back to Godhead magazine features the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness at the Society’s temple in Los Angeles, California.
Sometimes when Krishna, the Supreme Lord, performed His pastimes in forest of Vrindavan, His friends would fan Him and play songs on their flutes for His transcendental pleasure.
Although they may think themselves independent, the living entities in the material world act as puppets of the three qualities of maya or illusion. One can cut oneself free from maya’s strings only by surrendering to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for He is maya’s ultimate controller.
Lord Visnu, an expansion of the Supreme Lord Krishna, lies in mystic slumber amidst fire and huge waves that partially destroy the universe at the end of every millennium. (This is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.)
In Vrindavan, the transcendental abode, even the cows, the deer, the birds–everyone–is enchanted by the sweet vibration of Krishna’s flute and the fascinating beauty of His person. This is one of the qualities which only the Supreme Personality of Godhead can possess. His superexcellent beauty can not be matched by anyone.
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became the charioteer of His friend and devotee, Arjuna, to whom He spoke the immortal spiritual instructions of Bhagavad-gita 5,000 years ago on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra . This is the cover illustration of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. All glories to Lord Sri Krishna!
Often, as shown here, child Krishna delighted the townspeople by stealing and eating their butter.) Most of our boys have been hearing about Krishna since they were three or four years old. So now that they’ve come to Vrindavan, they can see the very things they’ve heard about: the Yamuna River, the groves, the cows and peacocks.
In this issue of BTG we feature two of ISKCON’s farm communities: New Vrindavan near Wheeling, West Virginia and Gita-nagari near Port Royal, Pennsylvania.
“I never lived on a farm before, but I always wanted to,” says Krishna-bhamini-devi dasi. “It’s the perfect setting, especially for children. You can do everything here–planting, building, beekeeping, artwork, writing, publishing–so many things are going on. And when you’re so close, there’s a community feeling, a satisfying feeling. If you’re aware, each day’s a festival.”
After five thousand years, people all over India still cherish the memory of Lord Krishna stealing butter from the ladies of Vrindavan village. Here we see Mother Yasoda about to catch Krishna in the act. “Why would God steal?” we might wonder.
in Vrindavan, the land of Lord Krishna, the gopis [cowherd girls] are concerned that He might hurt His lotus feet on the forest trail, and they’re feeling such intense separation from Him that they’re almost fainting.
This is Krishna’s original birthday celebration, The cowherd men and women, the musicians–everyone is giving something to Krishna. Of course, Krishna … through His father Nanda Maharaja … is giving everyone gifts, too.
The Supreme Lord once appeared as Sri Ramacandra, the ideal God conscious king. And He accomplished His mission–to establish the principles of religion and destroy demonic, irreligious influences.
From the very first, his beloved disciple Jayananda dasa engineered the huge chariots of Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe. In this photo (New York, 1976) Jayananda steers one of the many chariots he built through the years.
This is the “We did not send men to the moon” edition of Back to Godhead. It also has a great photo article on a sankirtan (book distribution) party in France.
“I don’t care if I’m a ‘great artist’ or not,” says John Swindler (Jayarama dasa). “I just want my art to point toward the mysteries and the beauties of the truth, that’s all.”
My brother is a devotee too, and he told me about spiritual life and chanting Hare Krishna. I liked what he was saying, but what really attracted me was the chanting. I’d never felt so much bliss as when a lot of people were chanting Hare Krishna together.
Riding on an ox cart, deities of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are the inspirational nucleus of one of recent history’s most ambitious walking pilgrimages.
The Krsna consciousness movement is now being increasingly recognized throughout the world as a spiritual force of great potency, purity and importance to human society.
Recent Comments