{"id":32463,"date":"2016-10-19T11:21:22","date_gmt":"2016-10-19T09:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=32463"},"modified":"2016-10-19T11:21:22","modified_gmt":"2016-10-19T09:21:22","slug":"tuscons-iskcon-50-gala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=32463","title":{"rendered":"Tuscon\u2019s Iskcon 50 Gala"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-IFrBiRmVNlU\/WAc2v2YFc4I\/AAAAAAAAf0g\/lZ9dkFidzJE\/s0\/2016-10-19_11-02-35.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Speech by the Mayor at ISKCON 50 Dinner Event: <\/p>\n<div class=\"video-container\">\n   <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uFn5uWPKovw?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>By Sandamini devi dasi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tuscon, Arizona, USA&#8212;On Saturday, October 15<sup>th<\/sup>, under a brilliant Karttika moon, sixty-plus devotees and VIP guests celebrated ISKCON\u2019s 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary in the courtyard of Govinda\u2019s Natural Foods Buffet. <\/p>\n<p>The setting couldn\u2019t have been more fitting. For thirty years Govinda\u2019s has served as the temple\u2019s portal to Lord Krsna\u2019s sublime food, music, wisdom, and dear devotees\u2014a spiritual oasis in the Arizona desert\u2014what everyone had come to celebrate.<\/p>\n<p>As a harpist stroked heavenly notes, devotees and guests feasted on Govinda\u2019s prasadam, forging new friendships and renewing old ones, for one thing was clear: practically everyone had been here before, setting the stage for the tributes.<\/p>\n<p>Beaming as she stood at the podium, Temple President Sandamini Devi Dasi thanked everyone for coming, glorified ISKCON\u2019s saintly founder, Srila Prabhupada, for launching scores of spiritual oases around the world, and recounted the evolution of Govinda\u2019s in Tuscon. Then one-by-one, the distinguished guests, grateful for the evening\u2019s banquet, stepped up to speak.<\/p>\n<p>From the Southside Presbyterian Church\u2019s Hunger Relief Outreach, Doug Larsen and Mary Kierzek thanked the temple for bringing Food for life to the city\u2019s homeless, praising the devotees\u2019 punctuality, hospitality, and care in preparing and serving the sanctified food.<\/p>\n<p>From St. Michael\u2019s Episcopal Church, Father Jorge Sotelo said it was his vegetarian diet that brought him to Govinda\u2019s, where the devotees introduced him to Lord Krsna\u2019s teachings. Inspired by the answers to his questions, the pastor accepted Vaisnava initiation and received the name Hamsa Balarama Dasa, all while continuing his Christian ministry.<\/p>\n<p>From the Kadampa Meditation Center, Buddhist nun and teacher Gen Kelsang Lingpur praised the devotees for sharing their love through spiritual food. She <\/p>\n<p>concluded with a Buddhist poem about compassion, her way of commending the devotees\u2019 service to the community.<\/p>\n<p>From the University of Arizona, Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies Alison Jameson similarly praised the devotees for their loving and nonsectarian presentation of Krsna consciousness on campus. Professor Jameson currently serves as the devotees\u2019 Bhakti Yoga Club advisor at the university.<\/p>\n<p>From ISKCON, Initiating Guru Jivananda Prabhu reminded everyone how true love of God is the satisfying remedy for everyone\u2019s ills, and Governing Body Commissioner Nityananda Prabhu challenged the audience to find that love by serving all of God\u2019s children, regardless of caste, color, or creed.<\/p>\n<p>From Tuscon City Hall, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild surprised the devotees by praising the seven purposes for which Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON, reading each one and exulting in their spirit of loving service. Before becoming mayor, he and his wife had also dined at Govinda\u2019s, whose purifying prasadam inspired his tribute.<\/p>\n<p>As the cooling Karttika moon continued to climb the night sky, Ayush Prabhu, a young devotee musician and university student, led the celebrants in singing Hare Krsna, the best blessing from Govinda\u2019s oasis for Tuscon\u2019s desert dwellers.<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"_GoBack\"><\/a><i>*A special thanks to Atula Govinda Prabhu, who worked long and hard to inspire Tuscon\u2019s VIPs to attend ISKCON\u2019s 50<\/i><sup><i>th<\/i><\/sup><i> anniversary.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Statement by Governor of Arizona, Douglas Ducey:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-dxYWWCcLXtY\/WAc4dugUAdI\/AAAAAAAAf0s\/TwWLpreb-jw\/s0\/2016-10-19_11-10-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-container\">\n     <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hL5IFWhFa1Q?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-TiA5BMei0go\/WAc6HEAdYwI\/AAAAAAAAf0w\/5QeNrdfHJgw\/s0\/2016-10-19_11-17-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><center><strong>Tucson&#8217;s Hare Krishna community opts for spiritual living in material world<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Hare Krishna devotees remove their shoes as they step into the meditation room each morning.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, birds chirp and a waterfall cascades into a koi pond. It is quiet \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n<p>The compound is like another world.<\/p>\n<p>The wail of a conch shell signifies the start of a ceremony and the room fills with music as devotees bow and chant, acknowledging both Krishna, a name for God in Hinduism, and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).<br \/>\nLooking back on 50 years<\/p>\n<p>Around the country, Hare Krishna devotees are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the movement, founded in 1966 by Prabhupada in the United States. Earlier this month, Gov. Doug Ducey congratulated the movement on the anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>To celebrate, Tucson\u2019s temple shared a meal Saturday with religious leaders from other faith traditions, a nod to the movement\u2019s desire for people to connect with the spiritual, even through other religions. The mayor also spoke at the gathering.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur mission is to re-spiritualize society in a nonsectarian way,\u201d said Atula Govinda Das, a 29-year-old who has lived on site for about four years. His legal name is Aaron Lieberman.<\/p>\n<p>But in 21st-century America, devotees have their work cut out for them.<\/p>\n<p>In a material society prone to over-schedule, many Americans put soul-searching on the back burner \u2014 not to mention the rising number of individuals who choose not to identify with any particular religious tradition.<\/p>\n<p>The Hare Krishna movement \u201ccomes from within Hindu tradition, and it expresses itself in a unique way with modern society,\u201d said Konden Smith, a visiting professor of religious studies at the University of Arizona. \u201cIt\u2019s responding to a global world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lieberman brought up challenges Krishna devotees face, especially in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Society) wants to acquire fame and wealth and be in control,\u201d Lieberman said. \u201cKrishna Consciousness wants to put spiritual development back in the center of society.\u201d<br \/>\nTiny Tucson<\/p>\n<p>In the last 50 years, the movement has grown globally and within the United States.<\/p>\n<p>There are about 60 temples nationwide and about 600 around the world, in addition to farms, restaurants and schools, said Anuttama Dasa, the international director of communications for ISKCON and a member of its Governing Body Commission.<\/p>\n<p>The Tucson temple opened in 1987 at 711 E. Blacklidge Drive, followed by the vegetarian restaurant Govinda\u2019s Natural Foods Buffet in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>With about 20 members living on site and a congregation of about 100 showing up for Sunday evening services, Tucson\u2019s community is on the smaller side, said Sandamini Dasi, legally Sharon Cooksey.<\/p>\n<p>In its lifetime, the movement has changed its emphasis to support congregations of devotees that don\u2019t all live on site.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe lifestyle is different from mainstream America,\u201d said Cooksey, the president of the Tucson temple. \u201cIt\u2019s for everybody, but not for everybody deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To read the entire article click here: <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/GhvRXI\">https:\/\/goo.gl\/GhvRXI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-d2DDzgk8cEY\/WAc3K7P9MTI\/AAAAAAAAf0k\/2Wny0ItwPm8\/s0\/2016-10-19_11-04-42.jpg\" alt=\"Hare Krishna\"\/><strong>By Sandamini devi dasi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> On Saturday, October 15th, under a brilliant Karttika moon, sixty-plus devotees and VIP guests celebrated ISKCON\u2019s 50th anniversary in the courtyard of Govinda\u2019s Natural Foods Buffet.  The setting couldn\u2019t have been more fitting. For thirty years Govinda\u2019s has served as the temple\u2019s portal to Lord Krsna\u2019s sublime food, music, wisdom, and dear devotees\u2014a spiritual oasis in the Arizona desert\u2014what everyone had come to celebrate. As a harpist stroked heavenly notes, devotees and guests feasted on Govinda\u2019s prasadam, forging new friendships and renewing old ones, for one thing was clear: practically everyone had been here before, setting the stage for the tributes.<!--more--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[115,90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-iskcon-50","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32463"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32465,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32463\/revisions\/32465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}