Stats

Comments Posted By PriyavrataFFL

Displaying 1 To 10 Of 17 Comments

The issue is not about being a “vegan” it is about acting with integrity. I am a Krishna-dairian and proud of it.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 05.01.2013 @ 00:29

Dairy farmers sell their cows to slaughter because to them a cow is just a “unit” in their business. When that “unit” does not produce milk anymore, it becomes a “liability” and so they get rid of the liability to stay in business. If however consumers were willing to pay more to the farmers to respect the cows by allowing them to feed on grass, etc, and never killing them once they stop producing milk, then the farmer would change their business model accordingly. When people buy commercial milk from farmers that do not respect cows, they pay to keep the status quo. It is the same logic that would make McDonalds change to selling soy burgers. If the consumers demanded it, they would comply. Their agenda is profit, not selling meat burgers.

What is needed is a change in the model of milk production. ISKCON devotees should not support an industry that is hell bent on exploitation of cows for profit. It should only support ahimsa dairy farms and work towards the ideal that Srila Prabhupada wanted. As long as devotees continue supporting an exploitive system, the motivation to develop ahimsa dairy projects (inside and outside of ISKCON) will not be there, and neither will the current business model change.

“So unless one becomes responsible householder, how he’ll execute his responsibility? If he thinks, “Oh, what is the use of keeping a cow when the milk is available in the market? Oh, sex life is so cheap. Why shall I take the responsibility of marrying?” This is going on.” - CC Adi 7 - 107-109 15/2/67 San Francisco

I think the solution is to form a cooperative of ahimsa milk buyers and approach the organic dairies with a proposal to adopt cows so they they are never sent to slaughter. Remember, this is all about business. We have to think in terms of what makes sense for business. The farmers, especially the organic dairy farms must have some respect for the cows, so it is a matter of forming a powerful alliance of consumers and proposing to them a new model for business. This initiative should be headed by organizations like ISKCON. It is a step in the right direction. ISKCON needs to see the solution from a broader perspective. SP didn’t expect that ISKCON would have all the solutions, and therefore he was always very keen to cooperate with others, as long as principles were not compromised. For me at least, for ISKCON to continue purchasing poor quality commercial dairy is a huge compromise of their principles.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 05.01.2013 @ 00:28

Executive Event in London with Radhanath Swami and Ambarish prabhu

Wow, this is beautiful news. I am so honoured to know these wonderful devotees. May the Lord continue to bless your efforts.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 12.12.2012 @ 08:33

World Food Day - How about a new perspective?

Sitalatama prabhu, why do you feel the need to nitpick. Just be happy that prasadam is going out in more and more quantities. Let’s celebrate with kirtan!!!!

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 20.11.2012 @ 04:15

Thanks Tim for your contribution. Yes, in many way, the cheating that has gone in the name of FFL has hampered our ability to be more bold in promoting the excellent work that the volunteers are doing.

As for the other commentators on this article, my question is: Why do you feel the need to preach to me or any of us FFL volunteers about what Prabhupada meant when it comes to welfare. We have also read the book. We know what real welfare means, and giving someone prasadam is the greatest charity.

My article was really just a commentary on World Food Day and how if the world was more spiritually aware there would be no need for a special World Food Day. Every Day would be World food day, because we all see each other as brother or sister.

What Food for Life is doing is just putting that ideal into practice — setting an example. Whether we feed a so-called poor person or rich person is a moot point. Everyone needs prasadam and that has been our mission from the very beginning.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 20.11.2012 @ 04:11

Feeding the 5,000 Paris 13 October 2012

Parasuram is a legend. The event was not about promoting a religion. It was simply about raising awareness of the tremendous waste of good food that is happening all over the world. It is a credit to Parasuram prabhu and his dedicated team that they were chosen to participate and therefore turn this “waste” food into prasadam. Hopefully the french yatra can build on this success. Prasadam is always the answer to ALL problems.

Goon onya, mate.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 26.10.2012 @ 06:25

OPEN LETTER TO Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Dear Gaurakeshava prabhu. Excellent comments.

Bashu Gosh, also good point, however, I think it is unfair to label any kind of prasadam distribution as “social welfare activities.” Doing so, in my opinion, lessons to service of those involved. If the food is prepared and offered with love, then it is prasadam, and prasadam distribution is transcendental.

Krishna Kirti prabhu, I am a very optimistic person and I know that Prabhupada will not fail. Since ISKCON is Prabhupada’s body, it won’t fail. I pray that you will one day have such faith.

Ys

Priyavrata das

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 15.10.2011 @ 12:50

Glad to see there is some discussion on this.

My initial concern with the lecture is that in my opinion Bhakti Vikasha Swami was indirectly criticising his senior Godbrother, Mukunda Goswami by totally misrepresenting the story regarding the Salvation Army. Mukunda Goswami was not suggesting that ISKCON become like the Salvation Army, he was just making a point that through positive social contributions they were able to change public opinion. Unfortunately for them, is that they forgot their missionary activities for the sake of mundane charity.

Fortunately for us is that prasadam distribution is ALWAYS transcendental, no matter who it is directed at. And, ISKCON has never stopped chanting Hare Krishna.

The first reference I gave from the Bhagavatam explains it all, Chanting as much as possible and distributing prasadam as far as possible. We should encourage any program that is realising these ideals.

Just because a prasadam distribution program is focused on an underpriviledged sector of society, does not mean that the program is mundane or somehow less pure. Prasadam is for everyone, including the poor. Furthermore, you can be sure that all these children are developing great faith in Krishna and the devotees. Seeds of bhakti are being planted.

Moreover, consistent with Srila Prabhupada’s desire that we engage the state administrators in this mission, the Midday meal program has done a tremendous job in inspiring and gaining the support of so many leaders of society, all of whom in their own way can influence the masses to accept ISKCON and have faith in Krishna.

Maharaja may have encouraged the mass distribution of prasadam, however, to suggest that these projects are impure or leading ISKCON down a path of mundanity is absurd and quite frankly very offensive to a lot of very pure devotees.

Please understand that I write these words, not in defence of myself, but the thousands of great souls who work hard every day to share Krishna’s mercy. I am pray to remain their servant.

As to Krishna Kirti’s comments, I stand my ground that ISKCON is too large an organization that it will ever lose sight of the goal of spreading Krishna consciousness. I know of no prasadam distribution program in the world that does not have this as their ULTIMATE agenda. The only difference is that prasadam distributors have a different way of doing that to the book distributors. Unity in diversity. In this regard, I second the words of Puskaraksa prabhu.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 14.10.2011 @ 16:19

"Simplicity Diet"

Thank you prabhu for sharing your thoughts on this. It is indeed very important for devotees to eat a simple diet.

Here is another nice quote from Prabhupada where he instructs his disciple to eat raw foods to maintain health:

My Dear Dayananda,
Please accept my blessings. Regarding your letter asking me permission for taking prasadam comprising fruits, nuts, milk product and green leaf vegetables,—if the __ to your health for rendering service to Krishna with more energy, then you must take such Prasdam instead of cooked food. If required you can take raw cereals soaked in water overnight that is also good. The thing is you must accept such food as will keep you fit. Not more nor less that is the injunction of Lord Krishna in the B.G. Hope you are well. (Letter to Dayananda — Hawaii 23 March, 1969)

Food is the most basic necessity of life. Its only purpose is to nourish the body, mind and soul. Food, therefore, should give us life, cleanse our body and uplift our spirit. Eating food should never be just about fueling the physical body. As Michael Pollan suggests in his book, In Defense of Food, “That eating should be foremost about bodily health is a relatively new, and I think, destructive idea – destructive not just of the pleasure of eating, which would be bad enough, but paradoxically of our health as well.”

In ceding control of our dinner dinner table to scientists, food marketers and governments, a terrible thing happened — tradition and common sense have gone out the window, and as Pollen notes, “Thirty years of nutritional advice have left us fatter, sicker, and more poorly nourished. Which is why we find ourselves in the predicament we do: in need of a whole new way to think about eating.”

Take Vitamin B12 for example. It is a bacteria that comes from the soil. When animals eat grass they consume this bacteria and it is cultivated in their stomachs. That is why eating flesh or drinking milk are sources for this essential vitamin. However, for those that are vegetarian and also lactose intolerant, getting this vitamin becomes a challenge. The pharmaceutical companies will encourage us to buy their vitamin pills, however, if we lived simply and grew our own food, working our hands through that same soil and breathing the fresh air that carries that bacteria (B12) we would naturally get all the B12 we needed.

Simple living is the answer to all our problems.

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 27.04.2011 @ 01:28

On things Quantum

One of my favorite books on this topic is Mysticism and the new physics, by Michael Talbot,

http://www.amazon.com/Mysticism-Physics-Compass-Michael-Talbot/dp/0140193286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301547323&sr=8-1

Comment Posted By PriyavrataFFL On 31.03.2011 @ 04:41