Development and promotion of Tirupati Krishna Conscious Rich Vedic Culture

By Amitakrishna das

Here in our Tirupati Iskcon temple project, Saturday evening is the main day for our K.C.Rich Village Culture Programs. So,this Saturday we went with 2 vehicles to a flourishing village full of natural prosperity near Kodur, 50 km away from Tirupati, named Konnura raju kandrika (name of the opulent village).

Our new students of Vedic College Tirupati Iskcon were first wondering where we were going, circling through the mountain roads of thick green forest. Finally we arrived in our destined very green village, the home of many of our congregational devotees.

Together with the local families, many of them of ancient ksatriya traditional heritage.They organized today the opening function of a colourful newly constructed Sita Rama Lakshmana Hanuman temple.The scenery was eyepleasing and heartsconquering.The village contained around 100 beautiful strong natural houses surrounded with shining green ricefields,a lot of banana trees,mango trees,papaya trees everywhere and many cows.The most attractive part of the whole happening were the happily smiling faces of our hosts nicely and cleanly dressed up with new saris and doties.The children were excellently dressed as gopikas(cowherdgirls) and Gopa’s(cowherdboys).They looked very glorious which can not be expressed in words.We can say a real honor to the spiritual and cultural heritage of timeless Sanathana Dharma, most glorious surviving Culture on this earthly planet.

We were invited as “special” guests to grace the function with enthousiastic Harinamasankirtan.To our surprise as soon as we stepped out of our vehicles, they started to receive their guests in typical Vedic hospitality style by forming 2 rows besides us and singing –guru vandanam welcoming songs while offering Dipa-lamps and throwing flowerpetals creating an auspicious atmosphere of honor. We were all both very surprised and embarrassed at the same time. We never felt qualified to receive such reception, but they had touched the core of our hearts very much with their generous hospitality. We accepted their dedicated reception being representatives of the sankirtanmovement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

This Vedic deep selfless natural hospitality culture unique in the world is the real reason why worldwide people love India very much. Many Western tourists call India as ”The land which heals the soul.”-because of this unmotivated openhearted friendliness.

After the reception we took darshan of their Lordships Sita Rama Lakshmana Hanuman and we discussed about the importance of always keeping the Lord in the center of our lives and in our heart. The best way is naturally through the constant chanting of the Holy name-Param Vijate Sri Kriahna Sankirtanam. We discussed also the “Simple Living,High Thinking”most scientific Vedic formula. Agriculture and cowprotection. Cultivating land and completely taking care of mother cow and father bull are the noblest professions in human cociety and the only real solution to solve all economic problems especially of pollution and unemployment.

All the families due to the natural wealth were all well to do and understood this point and happily agreed on this.No need to hanker for artificial modern citylife because Krishna ,the SPG was living so happily in the countryside as a cowherdboy showing us the example. All had bright faces and made a determination to keep their lifes completely free from bad habits(meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex).)

We had some cultural program and ended the night with a very melodious Harinamasankirtanam trough the streets of the whole village not leaving one house aside. All educated families participated fully in the more then 2 hours procession which at the peak moments of kirtan resounded like a most auspicious Akasa –vani(glorious sound in the sky).They gave us a wonderfull prasadamfeast with more then 10 preparations prepared and served with so much love and devotion for “sadhu’s”.

Heartily we waved farewell and with fully satisfied pacified hearts we continued the ecstatic kirtan while driving back to our home base:Tirupati Iskcon Sri Sri Radha Govinda lotuscomplex.To finally take nice night rest in a very blissfull mood.The students of Vedic college were discussing the event very enthousiastically many days after, happily rediscovering a healthy spiritual pride in their own ancient culture roots.

NOTE: Letter of Lord MCLau ,British colonial in febr,2,1835.

“I have traveled across the length and breath of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber (of noble character), that I do not think we would ever conquer this country………..unless we break the very backbone of this nation which is her spiritual and cultural heritage.”

Reflections on Lord’s Mc Lau letter:

Srila Prabhupada told that the British colonials were expert political propagandists. They can make people to completely believe their propaganda. So,1835,intresting,the same time that this Darwin wrote one speculative book,usefull for them , on origins of life and evolution of species(opposite Vedic creation although Darwin toke ofcourse the evolution concept from the Veda’s and speculated a little bit on it as mundain intellectuals and jnani’s love to do). Then they mixed a little their own political concoction of Aryan (Europeans of course)-invasion theory with the smart help of a person called Max Muller(he studied the Veda’s for the person only to twist around the earlier proposed correct Vedic creation theory (Von Herder: Everything, absolutely everything is of Indian origin!?!(early 19th century).Then a little extra convincing powersauce with the pot and pan archeological department just newly created department all around the same time. Very intresting. With this motivation they set up the educational system in India and step by step really broke the VERY BACKBONE of India’s glorious heritage.

More intresting is that HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami uses the same word of backbone for his own glorious BACK TO GODHEAD-magazine-his “Life and Soul”

Srila Prabhupada calls his magazine a first class educational magazine.It seems that this magazine definitely will put back the strong backbone of Indian spiritual and cultural heritage i.o w. Sanathanadharma.We simply have to organize so it will be available in all levels of our society,in huge numbers(monthly 32 pages of excellent,truthfull information presented to digest nicely, not bad,isn’t it) .As Srila Prabhupada told ” in the millions” and “it should be bigger then any mundane magazine” and “it is one of the most important aspects of our society”(letter to GBC and all BBT’s!!!)

It certainly a good challenge but we are ready for it.

To end a last Srila Prabhupada quote: ”God is satisfied ONLY when His devotes take all sorts of risks to propagate his glories. Such devotees are unafraid of the difficult journey to cross the ocean of nescience.They are always anxious for the welfare of the fallen souls who are attached to the false enjoyment of materialistic life,in which they forget their eternal relationship with God. (from light of the Bhagavatam story 13)

A pitoresque scene of green paddy fields enlivens the heart of the simple agriculturalist,but it brings gloom to the face of the capitalist who lives by exploiting the innocent farmers.(Light Of the Bhagavatam text 9)

Purport by HDG A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:

With good rains, the farmer’s business in agriculture flourishes.Agriculture is the noblest profession.It makes society happy,wealthy,healthy,honest and spiritually advanced for a better life after death. The vaisya community, or the mercantile class of men, take to this profession. Bhagavad-gita the vaisyas(economics) are described as the natural agriculturalists, the protectors of the cows, and the general traders.When Lord Sri Krishna incarnated Himself at Vrndavana,He took pleasure in becoming a beloved son of such a vaisya family. Nanda Maharaja was a big protector of cows, and Lord Sri Krishna, as the most beloved son of Nanda Maharaja,used tot end His father’s animals in the neighbouring forest.By His personal example Lord Krishna wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. Nanda Maharaja is said to have possessed nine hunderd thousand cows, and Vrndavana was flooded with milk and butter.Therefore God’s gifted professions for mankind are agriculture and cowprotection.

Trade is meant only for transporting surplus produce to places where the produce is scanty.But when traders become too greedy and materialistic they take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor agriculturist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning more money. The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to remain at home,satisfied with his agricultureal produce. When the farmers are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on agricultural produce. No one can produce rice and wheat in big iron factories.The industrialist goes to the villagers to purchase the food grains he is unable to produce in his factory. The innocent agriculturist takes advances from the capitalist and sells his produce at a lower price. Hence when food grains are produced abundantly the farmers become financially stronger , and thus the capitalist becomes morose!? at being unable to exploit them.

Reflections on the text:Modern time

Turn this last so true concept around. If there are no sufficient rains because of many sinful activities or the greedy industrialist can one way or other psychologically discourage the agriculturist in his lifestyle (f.i.:by public opinion-media and education-oh,the poor farmers!?) he can nicely allure them to work in his unsanitary factories and overcongested cities attracting them to some glitter only. 0n the long run we see then a much to overcomplicated stressfull and impractical so-called economic system(squeezing 15 million people in a few square miles with overtechnology?-it’s becoming a big joke.Are we realizing? ).Only a few live lavishly on this endeavor ,but these few unfortunately dominate the whole vision in the modern time. Result however : degeneration of moral and spiritual values, alarming pollution of mother earth, mass diseases and unemployment. Suddenly many people start realizing, ”Wait a minute ,this is not economics(supply of basic neccesities of life)this is nothing else then greed.”

And we know from historical records that greedy systems always collapse or block up after some time. This “industrial revolution” is slowly but surely becoming a nightmare instead of a beautiful dream of going to live on the moon in the future.”Now you can already buy your moonticket-VERY SPECIAL OFFER!?”

So this alarming situation is a call to all readers and followers of Vedic sciptures and literatures and who have developed a deep understanding in this most scientific Vedic motto ”simple living,high thinking” very practical formula to jointly work with combined efforts for a very active and brave implementation of the POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE with complete faith that it will become a grand success: Krishna Villages of Peace-projects like we see initial stages on our joined photo’s.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in the service of Krishna and mankind Amitakrishna das.