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A major success in last Decembers

book distribution Marathon was the

participation of so many congregational

devotees. The Bhakti Vriksa groups

effort involved nearly 200 members,

going door-to-door, organising Gita

Jayanti programs and distributing Srila

Prabhupadas books in other ingenious

ways. Between them, they distributed

nearly 4000 books throughout the

month!

In addition, from the Manor community

80 devotees distributed books in high

streets and town centres. Nearly 40

devotees participated in the Saturday

Sacred Street Party events and 50

devotees went door-to-door in various

parts of London.

In total, over 400 devotees distributed

33,045 of Srila Prabhuapdas books!

A national festival was held at

Bhaktivedanta Manor on 4th

January, which included messages of

congratulations from guest speakers, the

sharing of inspirational stories, and even

a comedy drama! The highest scoring

individuals across the country were

Caitanya Vallabha das from Scotland,

followed closely by Ananda Caitanya

das from Bhaktivedanta Manor.

February

2014

Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Srila Prabhupada:

We lament when we feel

incomplete, when we have lost

something or when we fail to

achieve something desirable.

One who has satisfied Krishna

and thus attained the Lord'smercy will never be troubled in

these ways. Lord Krishna is the

reservoir of all pleasure, and He

enjoys sharing His spiritual bliss

with all living beings. We need

only cooperate with the Supreme

Lord.

Srimad Bhagavatam:

10.51.43 purport

Sailesh Vara, Justice Minister and

Member of Parliament in the British

Government has helped ISKCON in

a variety of campaigns with ISKCON

Hungary and Moscow and with many

projects for the Hindu community in the

UK. As the Justice Minister, he holds the

highest post of any Hindu in the British

Government.

He has recently been awarded thePravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the

government of India.

It was presented to him by the Indian

President Mr Pranab

Mukherjee and also

congratulated by the

Prime Minister Dr

Manmohan Singh

Upon his return to the

UK, Shailesh came to

Bhaktivedanta Manor

to be honoured and

receive blessings fromHis Holiness Sivaram

Swami and His Holiness

Bhakti Rasamrita

Swami.

Congregation embrace book Marathon

Shailesh Vara MP receives International Award

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter February 2014

Bon Appetite!The Feeding of the 5000 operation,

which feeds the general public with free

vegetarian meals using perfectly good

vegetables that are otherwise discarded

by supermarkets, reached the picturesque

French town of Marseille last month.

Parasuram das and the Food for All team

drove all the way there (the south coast of

France) in their van!

Yoga for the heartYoga for the heart is a new series

of monthly retreats offered by

Bhaktivedanta manors Congregational

development department. Designed to

cater for newcomers and the curious,

it is a series of twelve seminars, eacha day long, that combine practical

and theoretical experiences to give

participants a nice taster of Krishna

Consciousness in their lives.

In January's retreat called Re-enginner

your lifestyle lead by Ananga

Mohini Dasi and Bhadranga

das, newcomers came to

experience the benefits of

pranayama, yoga, kirtana and

some practical tips about how

we can put much more focus

into our lives and get the

most out both spiritually and

materially.

Ending with a healthy vegetarian

lunch and some light conversation all

participants felt that the course was

wonderful, some even saying Well I

didnt know what to expect, but it was a

wonderful day I liked the talk.

One participant was so enthused she

organized for several friends to attendother retreats through out the year.

If you know anyone who is interested

information can be found at

www.krishnawisdom.com, or on the

manor website.

Knock Knock

...Whos there?The door bell rings. It could be a window

salesman, it could be the milkman, it

could be kids playing a trick, or, it couldbe a devotee of Krishna! Over the last

few months nearly 150 congregation

members have taken to the suburban

streets with books, prasadam and

leaflets, sharing Krishna with whoever

they meet.

They often go door-to-door during the

evenings or weekends. Even the most

nervous and hesitant are finding great

inspiration in speaking to people about

Krishna, and everyone always has

amazing stories to share.

Why not get involved? Devotees from

the Manor are happy to come along and

assist you to be part of this wonderful

project. If you are interested please

contact Sutapa das for more information

([email protected])

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Spir itual New Years

Eve Party hits LondonOn New Years Eve 70 devotees hit the

streets of London to engage revellers in

joyfully dancing and chanting the Holy

Names of Krishna.

On New Year's Eve central Londonbecomes one big party, says organizer

Parasuram das, Millions of people take

to the streets, and no cars are allowed.

The ground is set for the biggest Harinam

chanting party ever.

The crowds were waiting for the

midnight fireworks, and everyone was at

a loose end, Parasuram says. So when

our Harinam arrived, bingo!

It was hard for revellers not to get caught

up in the chanting.

Devotees also played a host of other

amplified instruments including bass

guitar, accordion, and ukulele, as well as

of course traditional instruments such as

mridanga and kartals.

Meanwhile on New Years Eve, at

Bhaktivedanta Manor devotees took

part and witnessed a pushpa-abhikseka

(offering of flowers) to all the Temple

deities.

Manor School. ..

...visiting homesChildren of the Manor School charmed

the local villagers of Letchmore Heath

with seasonal cards and Prasad. The

children were very well received and we

will probably make this an annual thing

now, explained Headmistress Guru

Carana Padma dasi.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNAKRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA

RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Sabbatical 2014After a few years of hearing sabbatical

stories, we finally boarded the plane to

go and spend three months in ISKCON

Chowpatty. Not knowing what to expect,

we entered the temple in Mumbai eager

to begin Krishna Conscious training after

completing university degrees.

The experience was far out as we got

a glimpse into full time devotional life.

From being taught the philosophic side,

to going on parikramas in the Dhamas,

to book distribution whilst not knowing

the local language we decided to grab

as many opportunities as possible to

spiritually train ourselves in less ordinary

situations.

At Bhaktivedanta Manor we are engaged

in temple services, studying Bhakti

Shastri and taking part in multifarious

outreach programmes.

This opportunity to gain and apply

knowledge has truly exceeded all of ourexpectations. We have derived life skills

ensuring our progress in both spiritual

practice and the professional field.

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Holi

Rama Navami

Janmashtami

Dusshera

Over 5,000 40th Anni-versary cupcakes made

& distributed

Diwali

In 40 years over 40,000people have come to serve

Radha Gokulananda

During Janmashtami 2013

over 15,000visitors chanted a roundo the Maha Mantra or

the first time

How we Celebrated the 40 Years of Devotion at

Bhaktivedanta Manor

HarinamsIn 40 owns& villagesin a month

Te 40 Hour KirtanOrganised & Delivered by theYouth o Bhaktivedanta Manor

GloriyingRadha Gokulananda

40 years o Radha Gokulananda washighlighted and celebrated at

House o Lords. Diwali at No. 10Downing Street & Labour Party

Opening o GeorgeHarrison Garden

40th AnniversaryMagazine and Gifs

Special Gifs orRadha Gokulananda

Altar: Te Altar was re-urbished withbetter lighting & heating and a new kitchenand prep area. New Dress:Over 4 months200 volunteers took part giving 3000 hours

to create this gif

DistributingPrabhupadas Books

Over 33,045 books distributed inDecember by 450 devotees

1973-2013

Years of Devotion

BhaktivedantaManor:

Appreciation

Te 40th Anniversary was anopportunity to celebrate the pioneers

o the last 40 years.

A Momentous BeginningSunday 24th March 2013

Inauguration Yajna attended by over500 devotees spanning the last 40

years o Bhaktivedanta Manor

IV news broadcast the event onPrimetime V

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Bhagavad GitaA Short Summary in Acronyms

by Sutapa das

Based on Bhagavad Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

6 - Dhyana-yogaAt the end of Chapter Five, Krishna

briefly mentioned the system of

astanga-yoga the strict, regulated,

focused regime of an ascetic yogi. In

the present day, millions of people

worldwide practice elements of

this path, primarily as hatha-yoga

and pranayama, which offers

benefits for physical and emotional

wellbeing. In this chapter, the path

of astanga-yoga is explained in

its entirety. Essentially, Krishnas

purpose in discussing the eight

stage path is simply to establish

its impracticality for the purpose

of self-realisation and spiritual

perfection. In an age surcharged

with temptation and distraction, the

easiest (and topmost) path of self-realisation is bhakti-yoga.

E Enemy or Friend? (Verses1-9) During our sojourn in this

temporary world we are perpetually

accompanied by the voice within.

Yes, we have all experienced it, the

devil on one shoulder and the angel

on the other, each giving their own

advice to the confused person in-

between. The mind is that voice

within; essentially a storehouse

of memories and experiences that

offers options to the individual.

An uncontrolled mind will agitate,

misguide and entangle the soul

within this world, forcing us to

succumb to our lower nature of lust,

anger and greed. The controlled

mind, on the other hand, acts as

a friend on our spiritual journey,

helping us make progressive and

healthy choices which bring uscloser to God. When one controls

and befriends the mind, one

experiences tranquillity, peace

and freedom from the duality of

happiness and distress.

A Astanga-yoga (Verses 10-36)- One way to control the mind is

through the process of astanga-yoga

(which includes dhyana-yoga, thepractice of meditation). Krishna

explains the ancient path as it was

practised in bygone ages. Living

in seclusion, practising celibacy,

and under strict regulations of

eating and sleeping, the yogi would

sit in a perfectly erect position,

focusing his consciousness on the

Supreme Soul within. Despite

mental and bodily distractions,

the yogi would meditate in this

way for many years, maintainingstillness and complete silence.

Hearing about this strict discipline,

Arjuna admits his amazement

This practice seems impractical

and unendurable! he exclaims, to

discipline the mind is more difficult

than controlling the wind!Krishna

reasserts that disciplining the mind

is essential and that it is possible

through appropriate practice and

detachment.

S Success and failure (Verses37-45) - Hearing about the difficult

astanga-yoga process raises a new

concern for Arjuna. What happens

if one faithfully takes to this

yogic process, but later falls away

without perfecting his spiritual

consciousness? The unsuccessful

spiritualist is seemingly left in

no-mans land having failed to

attain spiritual satisfaction and

simultaneously squandered his

opportunities for worldly pleasure.

Krishna appeases all such fears by

explaining that whoever takes up a

genuine spiritual process is eternally

benefited even if they dont perfect

it. If we dont complete it in one

lifetime, we carry on in the next

life from the same point, and the

individual thus evolves towards

spiritual perfection.

Y Yogi (Verses 46-47) - Aftersummarising the arduous process

of dhyana (meditation) and astanga-

yoga, the chapter concludes with a

ray of hope. Krishna reaffirms that

the perfection and goal of all yoga

systems is to help the individual

become fully conscious of God at

all times. While all yoga systemsare certainly beneficial, the easiest,

most efficient and essential path is

known as bhakti-yoga (the yoga of

devotion). In this age, the primary

practice of bhakti-yoga is mantra

meditation - chanting the names of

God (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare

Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama

Hare Hare). Through this process,

any person from any background

can attain spiritual perfection and

experience all the benefits described

in this chapter and elsewhere.

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One major drawback of todays IT

systems is the depersonalisation of

communications. When you are face to

face with a person you try to display

some decorum even when there are

issues at hand. You tend not to vent your

spleen in excessively harsh terms, not

least because you may elicit a response

in kind. However, when you face only

a docile screen it becomes all too easy

to let loose a tirade of vitriol that you

may well regret in calmer moments of

reflection. Especially if your acerbic

comments have landed you in jail, as

was the case recently with a couple of

Twitter users found guilty of posting

racist and inflammatory tweets.

We have probably all been there. Hittingthe send button on an angry e-mail

and quickly wishing we hadnt. The

Mahabharata says that wordy arrows

once released cannot be retracted, and

that is particularly true when they are

recorded in black and white for all to

see, along with the magistrate you may

end up facing.

The real problem is anger of course, the

enemy with the face of a friend, as

the Mahabharata says. We think that by

giving someone a piece of our mind wewill feel that much better, but actually

we become as disturbed as the person we

aim to castigate; especially when we add

remorse to the equation. Then there is the

pain we mete out to the recipient when

we fail to own and express our anger

responsibly. The Mahabharata says that,

while ordinary arrows cut us once, the

arrow of our words burn the heart day

and night. This is poignantly true when

the heated exchange is between near

and dear ones, as is so often the case.

And sometimes it escalates to much

more than a mere exchange of opposing

views. The Mahabharata says that a

person under the influence of anger

can lose all sense and even kill his own

father or son.

Harbouring anger in the heart is another

problem, as it consumes us with

negative thoughts. Lord Buddha saidthat retaining anger is like holding

a live coal intending to throw it at

someone else.

How though do we control the powerful

emotion of anger? Perhaps it would

help if we understood its causes. The

Bhagavad-gita describes the dynamics

of anger. It is said to be a corollary of

lust, a secondary emotion coming after

we are frustrated in some desire. Krishna

explains how by contemplating sense

pleasure we become attached, then lustyto enjoy what we contemplate, and this

inevitably ends in frustration. Either we

dont get what we want, or we do and it

fails to satisfy us, as material pleasures

always will. This anger then leads to

delusion, bewilderment and continued

entanglement in Maya and her miseries.

The key then to reducing anger is to

reduce our material attachments. The

more we have the more often we will

be liable to get inflamed. The Gita

says that those of demonic mentality

are constantly prone to anger due to

insatiable lust and being bound by a

network of illusions.

On the other end of the scale is the

advanced devotee who does not

experience material anger as he has

no material attachments. He is also

humble and meek and does not take

personal offense even when affronted.

Like everything else, he uses anger only

in Krishnas service. Srila Prabhupada

writes, A devotee is generally very

humble and meek, and he is reluctant to

pick a quarrel with anyone. Nor does he

envy anyone. However, a pure devotee

immediately becomes fiery with anger

when he sees that Lord Vihu or his

devotee is insulted. Unlike material

wrath born of selfish desire, anger used

in the Lords service is beneficial to all,

being pleasing to Krishna.Most of us are probably somewhere

between the demon and the devotee, a

work in progress as they say. We therefore

need to manage our anger and indeed

our attachments. Krishna therefore

tells Arjuna how this is achieved. After

explaining how anger is transformed

lust, he says that lust must be kept in

check by regulating the senses. He goes

on to describe how above the sense is

the mind, above that is the intelligence,

and above them all is the true self,the spirit soul. Therefore one needs

only to engage in the regulated spiritual

activities of Krishna consciousness and

the senses are automatically controlled.

Commenting on this Srila Prabhupada

says, That solves the whole problem.

Of course, it takes time and practise, but

Prabhupada assures us that success is

certain for the rigid practitioner. So the

choice is ours. Become victims of lust

and anger, along with all the dangers that

this presents, or try our best to rise to the

spiritual platform.

And I hope that doesnt make you angry.

Spiritual

AngerManagement

Lord Buddha saidthat retaining angeris like holding a live

coal intending tothrow it at someoneelse.

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SUMMER TRIP 2014

Where are Pandava Sena off to

this year? Its New Vraja Mandala

in sunny Spain!

Madrid once again welcomes the

youth of the manor for a fun filledand exciting experience! This

years special guests so far are

HG Gauragopal Prabhu and HG

Jahnavi Harrison who also came

to the previous Senagetaway. For

the first, this years trip team have

organised the longest trip yet!

There will be eleven days of non

stop devotee association, Krsna

prashad, Kirtan, outdoor activity

such as skiing and tobogganing

and lots of laughs.

Rahul Popat, a member of the

Senagetaway trip team this year

says, there are lots of new and

exciting activities planned. Its

been 20 years since Pandava

Sena started and we hope this

years summer trip will be like

no other! If you are interested

I came across Krishna Consciousness when I

started university. The people seemed really cool

and caring so I went along to a few events. Then

I went on the summer trip to Spain and the rest

is history!

What really attracted me to PS was how there

was such a togetherness amongst all the people

- everyone comes from different walks of life at

different times but yet you always find like-mind-

ed people who you can really connect with.

I am currently working on a project called

PSubsidies, which is aimed at raising funding

for the vast projects that PS is involved in. I also

help out in the Corporate Dharma seminars by

Bhuta Bhavana Das, as well as the occasional

festivals.

PrayagThakrarAge:

25

Studying:

ActuarialTrainee

How did you find out about Psena?

What did you like about the events?

What do you do in Psena?

in getting to know more or sign

up for this years life changing

experience, get in touch with us.

You can check out

Senagetgetaway Facebook page

and the offi cial website at www.

psena.com

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New Van to distributefood in London

Bhaktivedanta Manor was very happy to

contribute 6,000 towards purchasing a

new van to keep up the distribution of of

Prasadam by Parasurama Prabhu and his

team at Food For All.

Food For All (FFA) is a registered

charity which distributes 900 free,

healthy meals to the homeless and

disadvantaged on a daily basis. Unlike

other food distribution services, FFA

is based on community self-help and

is geared towards enabling homeless

people to learn new skills

March

Sun 2nd Disapp of Srila Jagannath Das

Babaji (fast till noon)

Wed 12th Amalaki Vrata Ekadasi

Thur13th Disap od Sri Madhavendra Puri

Sun 16th Gaura Purnima: fast till moonrise

Festival of Holi

Thur 27th Papamocani Ekadasi

April

Fri 4th App of Sri Ramanujacarya

Sun 6th Ramanavami Festival at Manor

Tues 8th App of Lord Ramachandra

(fast till noon)

Thur 10th Kamada Ekadasi(not suitable for fasting)

Fri 11th Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi

(fasting today for Kamada

2014, All articles & photographs copyright of Bhaktivedanta Manor

Bhaktivedanta Manor

Dharam Marg Hilfield Lane Aldenham Herts

(for sat-nav only, please use postcode WD25 8DT)

01923 851000 www.krishnatemple.com

Please send your news, photos and comments to:

Radha Mohan das [email protected]

Teacher's Day Out

A selection of Avanti House staff visited

the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple on

the 20th of January. The visit was

an integral part of the school's staff

development programme and allowed

staff to gain a deeper understanding of

the way in which the Manor works with

the local and wider communities.

A further focus area for the visit was to

allow staff to explore how they might

incorporate the different elements of

meditation and yoga into their daily

practice and how they might be able to

utilise the Manor's facitilies in order to

enhance the learning experience for the

pupils at Avanti House School.

A very productive and enjoyable time

was had by all the staff and we would

like to thank members of the Manor who

were marvellous and welcoming hosts,

supporting the visit on the day andgiving up their valuable time.

A member of the staff commented, "It

was a very informative session. I would

like to take our children there regularly

to use their facilities.Some of our more

challenging pupils would benefit from

the serene grounds."

by Pauline Edwards Deputy Head, Avanti House

Mind Body & Spiritat the Manor

Owner director of Mind Body Spirit

Events company Mel Carlisle recently

came on a first visit to the Manor with

work colleagues. They put on 3 big

expos each year and lots of smaller

workshops to do with spirituality. Mel

could not believe how good the Manor

was and glorified George Harrison for

his amazing gift.

Mel also works with Kirtaneers like

Chakrini and Jahnavi and wants to put

on kirtan events in the future. He is

very fond of the Manor kichoris from

Radharani's bakery!

During the winter we seek to gather

light and warmth more than ever, not

just externally but internally. One of

the prime sources of spiritual strength

and illumination for devotees are

Lord Krishnas words to Arjuna in the

Bhagavad gita. Devotees gathered at

the Manor for a recitation of the whole

Bhagavad-gita.

This annual event gives many an

incentive to study the Bhavagad gita

in their own time, and distribute copies

to friends and colleagues. Over 2,000

copies were sponsored for distribution,

some reaching the Home Office! Bhakti

Rasamrta Swami and Gauri das led

the chanting of the Sanskrit verses,

delivering a chapter summary after each

chapter was completed.

Reciting the Song of God

February 2014 Web 1

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