PSS Progress Report - Summer 2005

 
 

Prabhupada’s Original ISKCON
Prabhupada Sankirtan Society
 
His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness

 
 
Dear devotees and followers of Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my respects. All glories to our most beloved spiritual master Srila Prabhupada, our ever well-wisher.  Here is a progress report of our activities in Oregon
 
We are following the same basic program as we have been doing since 1986 when we began when we started serving under the original ISKCON precepts under the name of the Prabhupada Sankirtan Society.  Rising early 4:00AM, mangala Aratik, japa, greeting the Deities, guru puja for Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam class which includes hearing Srila Prabhupada, honoring prasadam, Sankirtan activities, then the evening program with Bhagavad-gita class, hot milk while hearing Srila Prabhupada recite Krishna Book.  Take rest at 10:00PM. [Adjustments are made accordingly]
 
Our purpose for being in Oregon is to try to execute Srila Prabhupada’s desire and instruction to establish the varnasrama society. Srila Prabhupada wanted to uplift the entire human society and engage them in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.  The varnasrama society will facilitate this very nicely.  The varnasrama society also gives all the devotees a greater opportunity to remain steady in Krishna’s service.  The varnasrama society or vanrasrama dharma eliminates the need of economical development, just dependency on the Lord, His land for growing grains, fruits and vegetables and His cows for milk, the miracle food as Srila Prabhupada calls it. There will be no need to depend on gold or the paper money.  Completely self-sufficient farm project.  Simple living and high thinking.  Always thinking of Krishna, keeping Krishna in the center, hearing about Him from His parampara representative Srila Prabhupada and glorifying Him by Sankirtan activities, just to go home, back to Godhead.  
 
 "There is no need and I don't find in Bhagavata big factory and slaughterhouse, no. Nothing. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with sinful life. How people will be happy? Now they are coming to crimes and hippies and so many things, problems, diplomacy, CIA and what other? So many unnecessary waste of energy, time, and money. Vicious condition. Better give up city. Make Vrndavana, like this. City life is abominable. If you don't live in the city, you don't require petrol, motor car."
Srila Prabhupada Conversation
New Orleans  August 1st, 1975
 
 
We receive assistance from our friends we’ve made in Oregon and from our members and friends from days gone by.  At our 7 acre rented farm in Sweet Home location the devotees are performing Sankirtan and are gardening.  Caitanya prabhu and his wife Jayasri Gaurangi love both.  I appreciate how nicely they understand the philosophy and accept Srila Prabhupada as their spiritual master. Simultaneously we are looking to purchase a nice farm in Oregon for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to establish the varnasrama dharma.  We are completely dependent on Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, being bereft of any qualification for the task.
 
Some of the results of sankirtan and gardening are here presented:
 
Book Scores:                            Caitanya dasa                      Jayasri Gaurangi devi dasi
 
Prabhupada Lecture CD’s                  279                                         847
Perfection of Yoga                             315                                         839
Science of Self Realization                  119                                         111
Beyond Birth and Death                       71                                           68
Life comes from life                              53                                           29
Bhagavad-gita As It Is abr.                   25                                           32
Bhagavad-gita As It Is                          17                                           14
Nectar of Instruction                             12                                           13
Spanish Big                                            3                                             5
Spanish small                                        15                                           47
On Chanting                                         13                                           18
Srimad Bhagavatam Sets (30 vols. )                                                       2                                              
 
From March to July 2005
Prabhupada Sankirtan Society
 
 
Planted:                            harvest schedule:
Basil                                  July 20
Carrots                              September 15
Cucumber                         August 30
Collards                            September 15
Kale                                  July 30
Mint                                  August 30
Potatoes                            August 27
Peas                                  August 17
Pumpkin                           August 23
Strawberries                      July 20
Squash                              October 6
 
Gardening at Sweet Home, Oregon 2005
Prabhupada Sankirtan Society
 
 
 
 
 
I hope this meets you well.
Your eternal servant,
 
Kapindra Swami
 

 

 

27392 Fern Ridge Road,
Sweet Home, Oregon
97386
541 367 2827
pss108@juno.com

 
 
   
Prabhupada’s Original ISKCON
Prabhupada Sankirtan Society
His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada   

        
Dear devotees and friends,
 
I have been asked to inform you of my activities by His Holiness Kapindra Swami (Maharaja) who is a very dear servant of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Krishna’s most confidential servant.  Maharaja is always spreading Srila Prabhupada’s glories and telling everyone to take him as their spiritual master.
 
I have been trying to assist Maharaja (Kapindra Swami) now for three years.  He is in his 60’s and is an original disciple of Srila Prabhupada.  The way I came to Prabhupada Sankirtan Society is that a few summers ago I was distributing Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita  As It Is on Broadway in New York City. There I met some effulgent young devotees of Krishna who were doing harinama (public chanting).  Madhavananda prabhu from the group, asked me if I knew about how the Bhagavad-gita I had been distributing was adulterated after 1977 and showed me an example (verse 4.34).  He also asked if I was hearing Srila Prabhupada and invited me to the temple to learn more. , and how Srila Prabhupada is still initiating Guru of all those who follow his instructions- a practice that some of his deviant students also changed, contrary to his instructions. 
 
So I went to the legendary Prabhupada Sankirtan Society Avenue B temple and there I met His Holiness Kapindra Swami Maharaja- the temple president and an exemplary disciple serving Krishna (God) under Srila Prabhupada’s direction since at least 1970.  He spoke only about Krishna and Prabhupada and the mission of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and nothing else.  He was going over the point that the spiritual master must be liberated- how can a bound person help the unbound? 
Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself--he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature. (Bhagavad-gita as it is, 7.14 purport)
 
Maharaja explained also how Srila Prabhupada is the initiating spiritual master and that even when he was on the planet only a fraction of his disciples ever had his physical association and many were initiated by his representatives and that this system is what he wanted to continue and the system these devotees were following.
 
I asked to be allowed to join this wonderful little association of devotees after being convinced that Srila Prabhupada and no one else fit the description of a liberated soul and is still the initiating spititual master of all who follow his instructions and seeing how these devotees all looked so effulgent and happy, especially Maharaja even though he was obviously serving with health related impediments (particularly scoliosis- severe curvature of the back).  I have been working with Maharaja trying to carry out Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and distributing his unadulterated books ever since.
 
A lot has happened since then.  By the will of the Lord we moved to a run down little apartment in a poor section of Brooklyn.  Then after about 2 years we were back in Manhattan again serving from a second floor loft on 6th avenue.  Externally there were problems there too, but all the time it has been very blissful because maharaja is keeping the atmosphere very spiritual by strictly following the science of bhakti yoga always engaging me in the service of Srila Prabhupada, without any fruitive activities or mental speculation.  Our activities were worshipping for about 6 hours daily, hearing and discussing Srila Prabhupada’s recorded audio classes and conversations, doing harinama, and sankirtana (book distribution), and Hare Krishna Food relief (distribution of prasadam-blessed food, to the public).  Maharaja also engaged us (there were usually other devotees doing some service) in research on specific topics in Krishna Consciousness and the production of newsletters and other Krishna Conscious publications.   
 
In Manhattan Jaya Sri Gaurangee Devi Dasi joined us to serve Srila Prabhupada, and today we are married.   And we have done many Sankirtan tours since about 9 months ago, when we went to a concert to distribute Prabhupada’s original books to the incoming crowd and where we collected a substantial amount of income for the temple. 

Recently, we all moved to Oregon when we were directed to leave the city by inspiration of Prabhupada’s instructions “and the current world events.  That is where I am writing from.  It is breathtakingly beautiful here.
 

Prabhupada: Yes. Whatever it may be... We should be satisfied locally by our food, by our cloth, by our milk. That's all. Let the whole world go to hell. We don't care. If you want to save yourself also, you do this. Here is an example. If you want artificial life, city life, and hellish life, you do. But we shall live like this. This is the ideal life. (Room Conversation January, 1977 India)

 
Before our last tour about six weeks ago we planted some seeds in our garden here.  When we got back there were many nice plants growing.  Squash, pumpkin, cucumber, kale, beets, snap peas, potatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe are all growing nicely now.  We just cut all of the grass that grew up around them and mulched them.  They have really been taking off since I have been watering them.  We also planted a second garden of marigold’s, spearmint, lettuce, and carrots.   I am learning to deal with pests such as deer, rabbits, gophers, field mice, slugs, beetles, and many others.  These things are all new to me and I pray that the Lord gives me guidance so that we can have some fruits and vegetables etc., to offer to Him. By this gardening, with practice, we hope to raise all of the food we require and be prepared also for when this modern so-called civilization is no longer able to supply any. People who exercise in gyms should be working in the garden.  I tell people on Sankirtan these facts and how Krishna says we should grow our own food.  It’s so practical and common sense how can anyone deny these truths?   Krishna Consciousness is perfect spiritually and materially, and I try to convey this aspect to the people I meet.
 

Prabhupada: We keep the ideal style of life. You learn and do it. I am not encroaching upon your independence, but if you want to be happy, you follow. This is our process. Apani acari prabhu jiveri siksaya. You be happy, very ideally, and people will learn. But this can be possible only on the basis of Krsna consciousness. If you make minus Krsna consciousness this thing, it will never be possible. Then it will not be possible. All these scheme will be successful if there is Krsna consciousness. Hari-sauri: Only if the chanting and prasadam is there.
Prabhupada: Prasadam, Deity worship, devotional life... Then it will be all right. (Room Conversation January, 1977 India)

 
I find the combination of book distribution and gardening along with temple worship and chanting both japa and harinama completely satisfying.   As Jaya Sri Gaurangee devi dasi says, book distribution is also cow protection, because people become devotees and protect cows after reading or hearing a CD lecture from Srila Prabhupada.  These books of Srila Prabhupada are planting the seeds of devotion to God in the people’s hearts.  Srila Prabhupada is the greatest cow protector
 
 We are here in Oregon to implement the varnasrama society, engaging everyone according to their quality and work.  The challenge is to stay 24 hours engaged in Krishna conscious activities and meet our needs that way while trying to expand and prepare for the future.   It is a very invigorating life depending on Krishna by strictly following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions.  If you like to come and live with us you can, or gradually implement the same program wherever you are and I assure you that you will feel great bliss.
 
We are progressing towards being a Krishna conscious village with cows and sheep, and growing our own food and protecting the animals and people, making our own cloth and lots of hearing and chanting and preaching the glories of the Lord and his pure devotees, (especially Srila Prabhupada who is responsible for spreading this knowledge around the world)  We are planning to have festivals and going out and telling people the stories we have heard from Srila Prabhupada or some slokas or verses abut the Lord in the heart, about the soul, etc., and going into the towns and villages chanting and dancing and distributing books and prasadam.   Next we bring all of the sincere souls back with us to be part of the Prabhupada’s divine Krishna Conscious society.
 
Please come and be a part of it too!
Hope this meets you well,
 
Your eternal servant,
 
Caitanya dasa
 
 
 
 
“Regarding your question, actually it is a fact that ultimately everyone should preach and distribute books if they want to please me in the best way. Book distribution must be given stress always. He has spoken the right thing. If you do this sincerely, it is a fact that Krishna will supply everything else required.”  [74-12-06   Letter: Sri Govinda]
My husband Caitanya prabhu and my self just came back after five weeks from our third tour to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s original books- together we distributed about 673 books and 661 lecture CD’s.
We traveled across the country to meet young people at different festivals and gatherings, to hand them one of Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books or lecture CD’s is the most wonderful thing – they are benefited, we are benefited and the whole world is benefited!
Srila Prabhupada says that book distribution is the greater kirtan:
“Regarding Sankirtana and book distribution, book distribution is also chanting. Anyone who reads the books that is also chanting and hearing. Why distinguish between chanting and book distribution? These books I have recorded and chanted and they are transcribed. It is spoken kirtanas. So book distribution is also chanting. These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads, he is hearing…”
[Letter: Rupanuga 74-10-19]
Book distribution means engaging persons in the transcendental service of the Supreme Personality Lord Krishna, through the media of His Divine representative Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada brought about a transcendental revolution; his books will change the face of the world.
“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”
[SB 1.5.11  Narada’ s Instructions on Srimad-Bhagavatam for Vyasadeva]
Through hearing Srila Prabhupada speak- daily, without fail -I strive to pick up his vibration- and give honest and open words to the public, based on Krishna conscious philosophy and the transcendental personality of Srila Prabhupada.
In PSS, H.H. Kapindra Swami teaches this art. Also I get great inspiration on the battlefield from my husband- to fearlessly preach the absolute truth to the misdirected civilization.
We can see the immense effect his books have on the consciousness of people. Srila Prabhupada came to save people from gliding down to hell. We can be his instruments, his confidential helpers in his mission to deliver the world- just by going out there and meeting people and telling them about his activities and Krishna conscious philosophy. Krishna consciousness is the constitutional position of the soul, so everyone carries this knowledge in the heart.  Lord Krishna sent Srila Prabhupada- the one who can remove the dirt of the heart- so we can see the Lord once again.
 
Hope this meets you well,
Your eternal servant
Jaya Sri Gaurangi devi dasi