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| Temple In The Streets |
The Hare Krishna movement in its present form was established by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in India five hundred years ago. He revived the movement by taking Krishna consciousness on to the streets with his Sankirtana. Sankirtana means many people gathering together and chanting the holy name of God. In this age one mantra has been designated as the “maha-mantra” or great chant for deliverance. That maha-mantra is:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Although Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra be spread all over the world He personally distributed it throughout the Indian sub-continent. It was not until His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in the USA at Boston Harbor in 1965 that the Hare Krishna mantra was transported to Western shores.
Srila Prabhupada moved to New York where he sat underneath a tree in Tompkins Square Park and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra and encouraged whoever took any interest in the chanting. In this way Srila Prabhupada attracted sincere followers and from these humble beginnings he created the worldwide International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
It is with the desire to reestablish this public street-based movement of Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada that Kuvalesaya das Viswakarma has spearheaded the formation of Temple in the Streets.
Srila Prabhupada so kindly interrupted his pleasant and simple life of seclusion in the holy land of Vrindavana, India, to go west to the USA. He was fulfilling the desire of his spiritual master who had a very strong desire to see this transcendental knowledge penetrate beyond the borders of India and saturate the Western world with the science of love of God.
After much contemplation on how to take up this mission and push it forward Temple in the Streets was born.
In an attempt to be consistent with the example of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we have taken to the streets.
We roam the country with a collection of tents, Srila Prabhupada’s books and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. We set the Festival in the Streets up in parks and on street corners and everywhere we make a difference. In this way we offer the ancient, yet fresh and completely relevant message of Krishna consciousness to all.
We have seen many movements and charities loose their direction and purpose when they find their energy has shifted to paying the necessary bills to maintain the institution. Therefore, to remain on the cutting-edge, intentionally we do not have a fixed residence or building to operate the temple from.
As odd as it may sound we are not trying to get followers to join us. We encourage you to take what you learn from the Temple in the Streets to your home, work, institutions, schools, communities and ultimately the world. Of course we like to keep in contact with people who have received value from our work.
We are looking to those people who are already passionate about the issues we face in this world: ecology, spirituality and sustainable living, to name a few, and who want to work cooperatively to create something which works on all levels for all beings. We want to give up our inherently harsh enforcement of false designations which result only in pain, suffering, bloodshed and illusion.
In the present age religion has failed to serve the need of the current civilization which is no longer controlled by a fear of eternal damnation. As such God has been give a bad name by the misdeeds of those who claim to represent him, promising liberation only at the time of death if your are a believer.
We make no such promises, our promise is that liberation is available now–not some day in the distant future. We can become liberated now by living life in relationship with God. We do not need to change our activities. Simply we have to change the purpose of our activities. We simply transfer our energy to serving and loving God, Krishna.
This knowledge is equally relevant to all, in whatever stage of existence one may be: young, middle aged or old; man, woman; black, white, yellow or brown skinned; Jewish, Christian, Muslim or Hindu. All these designations are irrelevant because this education pertains to the spiritual platform, the universal community we are already a part of. Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and his pure devotees and no other will provide the mature peace, harmony and prosperity the world is crying for.
It is my humble request and earnest invitation to you that you enquire with an open mind, “What is this Krishna consciousness movement?” Please look into your own life and the lives of those dear to you and take advantage of the timeless knowledge the Temple in the Streets is distributing. In this way we would like to serve you.
your servant
Kuvalesaya das Viswakarma
The foundation of our activates is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have provided the preface to this great literature.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
Preface
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Ages, and the world tendency is toward one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings. The need is felt by great thinkers to make this a successful ideology. Srimad-Bagavatam will fill this need in human society. It begins, therefore, with an aphorism of Vedanta philosophy, janmady asya yatah, to establish the ideal of a common cause.
Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness of oblivion. It has made rapid progress in the fields of material comforts, education and economic development throughout the entire world. But there is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at large, and therefore there are large-scale quarrels, even over less important issues. There is need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Srimad-Bagavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society.
Srimad-Bhagavatam should be introduced also in the schools and colleges, for it is recommended by great student-devotee Prahlada Maharaja in order to change the demoniac face of society.
kaumara acaret prajnodharman bhagavatan ihadurlabham manusam janmatad apy adhruvam artha-dam(Bhag. 7.6.1)
Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhagavatam, or Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Srimad-Bhagavatam is the transcendental science not only for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also for knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward perfection of the human society on the basis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful reading matter in the Sanskrit language, and it is now rendered into English elaborately so that simply by a careful reading one will know God perfectly well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently educated to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. Over and above this, the reader will be able to convert others to accepting God as a concrete principle.
Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedanta-sutra by the same author, Srila Vyasadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly as with an ordinary book. it should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with the original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.
The Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it deals directly with the transcendental activities of the personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. One will be unable to capture the effects of the Tenth Canto without going through the first nine cantos. The book is complete in twelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to read them in small installments one after another.
I must admit my frailties in presenting Srimad-Bhagavatam, but still I am hopeful of its good reception by the thinkers and leaders of society on the strength of the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.11):
tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavoyasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty apinamany anantasya yaso ‘nkitani yacchrnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah
“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant for bringing about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literature, even though irregularly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”
Om tat sat
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami
if you are interested in reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam or any of the other literature on the science of Krishna Counsiousness the books are available at: www.krishnastore.com
Posted By: kuvalesaya-das-viswakarma
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