New Vrindaban Bloggers

Devotees came from nine countries to attend the first annual ISKCON farm Conference at New Vraja-dhama in Hungary. America, England, Belgium, Germany, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, and Hungary were represented. Many of these devotee cowherds and farmers serve their farms in a rural setting distant from a bustling city temple. They perform their service with little recognition and applause, but their reward is in the service itself to the cows and land. Not only is there spiritual reward but there is also the joy that comes from a peaceful and healthy life close to the land and cows.

In the last approximately ten years, there has been a decline in the development of ISKCON farms and in the ISKCON consciousness of the importance of such farms to the spiritual development of ISKCON as a whole. This conference, organized by the ISKCON European Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture, Syamasundara das, was the beginning step to reverse this trend within Europe. In that attempt, it was a success, with the devotees leaving inspired and hopeful for the future.

The guided tours, given by Gaura Sakti das, were an inspiration because they showed the possibilities for every ISKCON farm. Other farms also gave presentations. Varnasrama das talked about the successful flourmill business that helps support the Czech farm. At the Czech farm, they produce all their own flour from the grains they grow. They also sell the flour and produce cookie prasadam, which they sell and distribute on sankirtan. Haladhara das, from the Cornwell farm project in England, gave a presentation of the Govardhan Whole Food business that helps support their project. Salad boxes, which cost little to produce, are getting a maximum return.

Issues, such as providing for the cowherd and farmer so he can stay on the farm and support his family, were discussed with solutions suggested. Smita Krishna Swami from the Sweden farm described how they provide housing for such devotees. Gaura Sakti das joined in with a description of their housing development and arrangements.

Aside from the practical discussions and information on how to support and operate a self-sufficient Krishna Conscious farm, Sivarama Swami, ISKCON Guru, GBC, and spiritual leader of New Vrajadhama, and Balabhadra das, spoke about the spiritual importance and need for such farm projects. Sivarama Swami stated that to have cow protection one must have cow protectors and the cow protectors must be protected so they can protect the cows. To provide this protection and for cow protection to thrive there is need for the social system of Varnasrama in which cow protection is an integral part. He also stated that to be a cowherd is as important as standing on a corner distributing books.

As explained by Balabhadra das, the entire cycle of preparing the land with the oxen, planting the seed, nuturing the plant that comes, harvesting the fruits of the plant, and then offering it to Radhe Shyam, the residing deities at new Vraja-dhama, is the perfection of devotional life.

Some of the presentations have been recorded at Sivarama Swami’s blog, check the archives for May 20 and 21:

Appeared on Dandavats May 30.

Balabhadra found Nanda down on top of the hill this morning. Who knows how long he was down since last evening when I checked the cows and saw him walking about. He was on his side with his face looking downhill, not in a good position. While the sky was thundering and dark clouds let out torrents of rain, we tried to flip him with the truck and ropes. We wrapped ropes around his front legs and back legs, tied those ropes together, and then tied that to the hook on the back of the truck. Then Chaitanya drove the truck very slowly. But it did not work. Nanda kicked Balabhadra in the legs and Balabhadra fell twice trying to help Nanda flip. At this point Nanda got into a worse position. Then Balabhadra got the idea of pulling his back legs so he would lay sideways to the hill with his feet downhill and his head higher that the rest of him. We tied the ropes to his back legs and pulled with the truck. Nanda ended up in the position we wanted. Balabhadra was thinking that in this position Nanda would have more leverage to get himself up.

We could do no more with what we had on hand. Balabhadra then went to the temple barn to get the hip huggers and the tractor. The idea was to get Nanda standing up and then we maybe could walk him to the geriatric barn. We also had the fear that this was going to be a nightmare in trying to move him at all if he couldn’t move his back legs. We tried massaging his back legs and they were so stiff we could not get him to bend his knees.

I went home to take a hot shower and Balabhadra and Chaitanya went to get the tractor. When they came back they also brought some additional hands. Bhakta Mathew came and Krsna das, Soma, and another boy were coming in case we needed the help. Moses also showed up. As Balabhadra drove the tractor up the hill and we all followed, there was dread in our hearts as to what we would find. Balabhadra led the way and as he arrived at the crest of the hill, Nanda was gone! He feared that Nanda rolled down the hill, but Nanda was not at the bottom of the hill either.

We came to realize that Nanda walked away from the hill.

Then we realized that he could again be in a difficult position somewhere. We started looking for him and found him in the overgrown area between the cow burial grounds and the lower pasture. He was eating grass standing up. Of course, we were very happy but then we knew that we should get him in the geriatric barn where the ground is flat and thickly bedded. We walked him to the barn easily and there he is right now.

Vraja and Gita were twins and they each had completely different personalities. Vraja was the boss and head of the herd and Gita was the gentle soul and gentleman. From the age of 4 months, they traveled across the USA to many festivals and fairs to show the American public the beauty of full-grown oxen and to spread the glories of “OX POWER.”

I was their teamster, hauling wood together and plowing the fields besides traveling with them to many Rathayatras and festivals. They were both honest workers. Sometimes someone else would try to be Vraja and Gita’s teamster. Vraja would often test them by acting up but Gita would just watch the charade and wait for the teamster to get Vraja under control, which often involved my help. Those were Gita’s main characteristics, patience and tolerance.

When we saw a pair of horns above the corn, we knew it was you Gita. Even though we had chased you out of the corn field you would find your way back, eating and trampling all the corn under your feet. Your one fault was loving sweet corn too much!

What remains most memorable about you Gita was your uncanny ability to sense the suffering of both cows and people. You gave comfort by staying close often until the end of a life, listening patiently to any outpouring of anguish, and showing your understanding by licking and nudging the sufferer. Who were you in that bovine body that you possessed such empathy?

You have touched the hearts of many people worldwide over the years. Great souls VRAJA and GITA………………thank you for sharing your lives with us. You will always be in our hearts.

I turned to stroke his face and he began licking my hand with his sandpaper tongue. I took a few steps away from him to continue the tour with Balabhadra and Gita followed me closely wherever I walked. We became fast friends.

By Krishna’s mercy, I was able to spend many a day serving and caring for him over the past couple of years. The experiences and lessons from his association are so meaningful to me I could write a book and probably should.

The last few days of his life, I spent with him morning and evening. I would go to the barn and rock his head in my arms. He would just collapse into me as we both sat in the hay listening to Srila Prabhupada chant “Manasa Deha Geha.”

When I found his body that morning as I walked into the barn, Srila Prabhupada was speaking the purport to that song. His exact words as I approached Gita were; “My life, my body, my home, I surrender everything unto you.”

By this time, it was late in the evening and the middle of the night in the USA so I would not hear anything from parents until the next day. All day I was thinking about Gita and praying for him. On one hand, I was praying that he would pass fast and on the other hand, I did not want him to pass at all. You never want a family member to pass on who is dear to your heart, soul, and mind. Here in India it was Lord Nityananda’s appearance day, a very holy day and a good day to pray.

I was finally able to check my e-mail in the late afternoon and there was an e-mail waiting from Mom. I did not want to open it. I knew it was about Gita. I was right, he had passed, but he had a very good passing. He was blessed that he went quickly and his passing was not prolonged. I started crying again. Just writing this right now, I want to cry and I am starting to tear up just remembering reading the e-mail.

It was a blessing to have known Gita because he was such a sweet, kindhearted, and gentle soul. I know he has moved on to another good place in his journey. I just wished he had not moved on so soon. Whenever I would go into the barn, he was always so thrilled to see me. He loved to be petted, rubbed, and sometimes just hugged. He had the most beautiful soulful eyes. I felt I could fall into them and be comforted and healed. Gita always knew when you were sad and would try to comfort you in his own sweet way by trying to lick the sorrow out of you with his big sandy tongue.

Gita and Vraja did so much outstanding preaching. They touched so many hearts and minds and changed them for the better. I remember traveling all over the country with them and the affect they had on the public. Gita was always the sweet and gentle one of the twins. We always had to watch out for Vraja, he really liked to use his horns. We never had to worry about Gita misbehaving or scaring people with his size or horns. He was the perfect gentleman.

Gita’s full name was Bhagavad-Gita. Everyone who knew him will sorely miss him.

“On February 16, we moved him again and he again surprised everyone and walked around. This time we made certain he was in the larger part of the geriatric barn and he eventually sat down in a good place. However, the next day, after Chaitanya fed him his grains, Gita collapsed. From that point, he struggled to get upright. When he couldn’t, Chaitanya came to get me and we both went to the barn to access what could be done. We realized that we needed to flip him to get him into a better position but the two of us would not be enough to do it. Then, Chaitanya went to the temple to see what help he could get. About forty-five minutes later, Chaitanya came back with six devotees to help flip Gita. We had four devotees on Gita’s legs and three at his head to make sure his head moved with his body. We expertly flipped Gita and he landed sitting up. We braced him with square bales and then he tried to eat the bales. Enthusiastically, all the devotees ran to him with hay to eat. The cows ran to the gate to see. Everyone was very happy at what appeared to be a miraculous recovery. Joy permeated the atmosphere. I was inspired and moved to see the selfless service of the devotees and their joy at Gita’s recovery.”