|
|
| July 2008 ~ Issue 3 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |
|
If you are having trouble viewing this email, please click here Pictures and links in this message may be blocked by your email provider. To view blocked pictures, click 'Show Content' or 'Show Images' link |
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I am writing this article as the plane I am in flies 39000 feet above Hungary. I am en route from London to Bahrain.
You have already received the photos form Hungary by mistake (Krishna's arrangement) but here they are again.
H U N G A R Y
My first ever trip here.
Budapest
In Budapest there is a very interesting restaurant in the centre - close to the river Danube. It's in the basement and very attractive with a first class menu and service. In the back is a well equipped shop and one cellar for yoga - Agni Yoga. If you go in you will know why. The temperature is always kept in the upper 30's centigrade. We drive to the Temple which is in the suburbs. Previously the building was used by Samsung. The devotees have converted it into a fabulous temple with large reception area, shop audio visual seminar rooms, prasadam rooms, children rooms, kitchens, both male and female ashrams and first class guest rooms. Everything is first class. Within the pleasant gardens there is plentiful parking space. The neighbourhood seems very favourable - the church across the road even allowed the devotees to stay in their building till our temple was ready to occupy. Nearby the devotees occupy a small block of flats for the grhasthas and intend to build one in the future. A great mood prevails for preaching. All is very clean and regulated.
New Vraja Dhama
3 hours drive form Budapest we reach New Vraja Dham, - ISKCON'S farm community project.
Hungary - a peaceful country hidden from the bustle of Western Europe - still maintaining a remnant of a past culture - agrarian, communal, gypsies. Pleasing rolling hills with lots of trees everywhere.
We drive in, eagerly anticipating what is to come. Two huge elephant forms greet us. We wind our way past what looks like a kund (pond) from Vrndavana. On a small hill stands a newly constructed school house. Apparently there are not many children yet but they are looking to the future. The community of 130 devotees is mostly comprised of young householders. Next we see neat colourful little houses dotted around in an open village form. Each family has one although they don't own them. They belong to the community. On the top of the central hill stands the temple building made of rammed earth. Although I was only here a little more than one day, in that short time I could write a book about it. There are so many varied and interesting activities going on. But, beyond the activities is the mood.
This is truly the closest I've seen to a community project yet. Here devotees work cooperatively together with the Deities in the centre. Nobody owns land, house, car, or the results of their service. There are no wages. A small allowance is given for emergencies. There are a couple of doctors residing on the property to deal with medical needs. All the vehicles, buildings etc are the property of the community. There is no electricity except a little from solar panels and a few small generators for essentials around the temple. Water comes out of the taps but each house has a well as a back up and to water the gardens. The inside and outsides of the building are spotlessly clean, (in most cases). Virtually everyone comes together for the vibrant temple programmes. It's communal prasadam. Hardly anyone cooks at home for themselves. .And the prasadam is famed to be the best in Europe - all organic and bursting with life and succulent taste. No wonder the devotees are so fit and happy.
All the Deity offerings are prepared from produce from New Vraja Dham. Only rice, sugar and a few spices are purchased. Even the ghee is made from the butter donated by devotees (a tax for those attending Govardhan Puja) The cows provide the milk, the bulls plough the land. The devotee prasadam is also approaching self sufficiency. Almost everything is cooked on wood fires. All the grains, except rice are grown here. Lots of wheat. In fact whilst we were there they had their thanks-giving festival for cutting the first grains - wheat- Afterwards a fabulous feast was prepared for the devotees solely from fresh farm produce.
Yes everyone man woman and child. They have scheduled certain times when everyone cleans.
FARM
In fact every able bodied devotee must spend at least 3 hours a week minimum working in the fields, orchards or veggie patch no matter who they are. They are almost self sufficient in vegetables and fruits. How is that possible since for 7 months of the year the climate practically prohibits the growth of most produce. The devotees have become very expert in storing. Large underground rooms for the veggies. Some of them are bottled for the winter. The fruit also is cooked and bottled or dried. Nothing is wasted. The grains are harvested, threshed, ground and cooked fresh in the summer. There are hundreds, maybe a thousand fruit trees - apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, pears, grapes, berries of all kinds. The bees produce lots of honey.
In the summer flowers are abundant and they have fabulous aromas. The veggies grow big. Greenhouses pump out the massive tomatoes etc. Devotees come together to pick them and sort them to see that not one berry is wasted. Immediately everything is either cooked stored or preserved.
No-one has their own Deities since everyone is required to render service to the Deities of New Vraja Dham - Radha Shyamasundara, Gaura Nataraja and Govardhan Lal. The standard of worship is extraordinary. Everything pukka (first class) clean and regulated. Only the finest. The Temple room is adorned with remarkable artwork and décor. There are two areas within the Temple building where Radha Kund and Shyam kund appear on festival days. A separate Temple for Lord Nrsinghadva stands on the side of the main Temple. Outside are small temples of Mahadeva Bhutesvara and Yogamaya,- guarding and protecting the Dhama.
Here kirtans are unique. Many devotees are expert musicians, artists, sculptors etc. Often the kirtans go on for hours. In the evening after the programme we went on harinama around the grhasthas village- dozens of devotees enthusiastically dancing and chanting. Practically everyone attends the morning programme.
One building serves as an office and from here communication with the outside world goes on with internet.
Oh and what about the winter. Summer sounds great. Winter no problem - the temperature only goes down to minus 12-15% centigrade. OH! In all the buildings however are unique wood burners heating the rooms most efficiently including the spacious Temple room.
The devotees, many of whom are university graduates and professionals, have chosen this life of simplicity and sacrifice. A life of offering ones' initiative in the service of the Lord. Of showing to the people in general one can live happily like this. That ownership is not necessary to be responsible or motivate one to work hard. There is no room here for lazies or crazies. Every devotee is required to serve a good 7-8 hours a day. No-one works outside - everyone serves on the property. One unique point about this is that when the young brahmacaris and brahmacarinis get married they usually move away form the Temple and start working. Here they don't need to do that. They can carry on with their services. They are provided with accommodation, and all basic needs. They can live and work always in the association of devotees. The children grow up seeing this going on around them and not just told about it.
At the moment around 25,000 visitors come per year and the number is growing. Even the government has come forward to help financially and in other ways.
How is this going on? Well inspiration is necessary for every endeavour. Since the project was purchased in 1993 Sivarama Swami has worked tirelessly and selflessly establishing the purity and direction.
Without his inspiration such a community would be very difficult to envision. He takes no credit - everything is the will of the Lord and Srila Prabhupada.. This project is a credit to Srila Prabhupada and an example for the world. Simple living - high thinking.
So much more could be written but if you want to see for yourself drop in. They have nice guest houses also and you can get in the fire of selfless devotional service. Roll your sleeves up and get down to earth.
Parliament house in Budapest
Gaura Nitai in Budapest
Temple approach
Radha Shyam in Hungary
RadhaShyamasundara
Front of Temple
View of back of Temple
Temple Festivals, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Shrine of Yogamaya
Temple Building, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Village, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
School, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Temple Front
Kund on the farm
Lily, New Vraja Dhama,Hungary
The veggie patch
Tomatoes, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Entrance to the winter storage cellars
Underground Storage, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Ploughing, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Old timers show, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Harvest talk, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Loving Relationships, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Returning from Pasturing, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Winter, New Vraja Dhama, Hungary
Sunrise over the Temple
World Holy Name Week
Schedule 2008 |
|
| July 30th | Penang |
| August 5th | Melbourne |
| August 10th | Hobart, Tasmania |
| August 11th | Sydney |
| August 18th | New Govardhan farm near Brisbane |
| August 21st | Brisbane |
| August 26th | Fiji |
| August 31st | Auckland |
| September 1st - 21st | New Zealand |
| September 22nd | Malaysia |
| September 26th | Philippines |
| October 9th | Malaysia |
| October 11th | Mumbai, India |