Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Prabhupada

Below is some photos of cauliflowers which over wintered in our greenhouse and now

are giving us some food in springtime-the hardest time of the year to have fresh food.

Srila Prabhupada has told us repeatedly to grow our own food and thereby we will

become independent or at least somewhat self sufficient of the Karmi rat race civilization.

Who doesn’t want to be free or have as much freedom in is life as possible and not be under

someone’s economic thumb all the time ?? I would guess almost everyone.

As devotees we know nobody can ever be totally independent, but as devotees, we should be as independent as possible of the materialistic civilization at least in the food for eating department. Our dependence should be directly upon Krsna and His material energy for our sustenance-and that one does

when one grows food for him self and family.

In the pictures below this particular variety of cauliflower has a ripening time of about 210 days which is a

very long time to wait for some food. Like 7 months ! And being somewhat impatient

I really dont like waiting that long. But in this case I had to wait.

So Krsna has kindly arranged other varieties of this same type plant that can yield its

fruit (or vegetable in this case) in differing times of a growing season.

For example just in the cauliflower species alone, one can plant 7 different kinds of

cauliflower and harvest them from sept thru may of the next spring. Thats 9 months you

can have fresh vegetable subjis to offer to Krsna ! And then we have the other 3 months in the actual

summer here where we grow all kinds of other things. So just with cauliflower alone, one can have it fresh all year. This assumes of course, that you like cauliflower , which I do.

The types available here are Amazing, Cassius Cheddar, Needles (the one below), Purple Cape, Galleon, and Maystar. Each variety has a different germination time or staggered so that if one plants them at the correct times, and is a little bit lucky as well, he or she can have fresh cauliflower all year long.

So what I have given here is a brief look at just one vegetable and how thru 4 seasons , you can have it.

And there are also many others which will give you fresh food all year long. For example- beets, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts, spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage, all kinds of lettuce, radishes, etc etc etc.

One adds these fresh vegetables to one’s already harvested and stored foodstuffs like potatoes squash and beans, and you can make what seems like unlimited varieties of delicious meals to offer to the Lord and then honor that meal, savoring every morsel of that fresh food that Krsna has nicely provided for you.

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Hare Krsna to all

Today is the disappearance day of Jayananda das brahmacari, whom Srila Prabhupada stated went back to Home back to Godhead. We should remember him and his service to Srila Prabhupada. He was an inspiration to all he met.

Jayananda in his final days in LA Calif.

77-02-26.Jay

Letter: Jayananda 317798/530501

My dear Jayananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 21st, 1977, and I thank you for the check as well as the nice sentiments you have expressed. In the beginning you also gave me $5,000 and now again you have sent. This body is today or tomorrow finished. We should not be very much bothered about the body. Trees also live for thousands of years but that does not mean a successful life. A successful life is one of Krishna consciousness. By the grace of Krishna from the very beginning you are a devotee and that is the real profit of your life. I thank you for your check, but I would prefer that you may require the money for your treatment. So if you like I can return it. But I hear that you have some income. I pray to Krishna for your more advanced Krishna conscious life. About a sadhu it is said, “jiva va mara va,” a sadhu may live or die, it doesn’t matter. While living he is engaged in Krishna Conscious business and when dying he goes back home back to Godhead. Hoping this finds you improving in your health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS.tkg —————–

77-05-05.Jay

Letter: Jayananda 318287/530501

My Dear Jayananda, Please accept my blessings. I am feeling very intensely your separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krsna. You were the first man to give me some contribution ($5000) for printing my Bhagavad-gita. After that, you have rendered very favorable service to Krsna in different ways. I so hope at the time of your death you were remembering Krsna and as such, you have been promoted to the eternal association of Krsna. If not, if you had any tinge of material desire, you have gone to the celestial kingdom to live with the demigods for many thousands of years and enjoy the most opulent life of material existence. From there you can promote yourself to the spiritual world. But even if one fails to promote himself to the spiritual world, at that time he comes down again on the surface of this globe and takes birth in a big family like a yogis’ or a brahmanas’ or an aristocratic family, where there is again chance of reviving Krsna Consciousness. But as you were hearing Krsna-kirtana, I am sure that you were directly promoted to Krsna-loka.

janma karma ca me divyam

evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti man eti so’ rjuna

Krsna has done a great favor to you, not to continue your diseased body, and has given you a suitable place for your service. Thank you very much.

Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS.tkg

—————-

77-05-11.Ram

Letter: Ramesvara 318337/530501

Jayananda’s death is glorious. It is very good that he had stated, what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it up. He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas.

Obesiances to all the Devotees of The Lord

Please accept my humble obesiances with all glories to Srila Prabhupada

I was meditating this morning on Srila Prabhupada’s Orders/Dream/Vision/Desires/aspirations….

And thinking that we, as His disciples, should fulfill them even at the cost of our lives…..

4 Principles:

– No meat eating

– No Intoxication

– No Illicit relationship

– No Gambling

Morning Program:

At least Chant 16 rounds everyday (with no offences)
Attend Mangala Aarti (early morning 4:30AM)
Tulsi Seva and Aarti
Narsimha Aarti
Read Smd Bhagwatam (at least one verse and purport)
More association with Lord Devotees (all day long via sound vibrations, if physically not possible) – and Less association with Karmis:

Srila Prabhupada on Association:https://www.iskcontimes.com/Srila_Prabhupada_is_eternally_living

“So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.”. Srila Prabhupada lecture, Srimad Bhagavatam, August 18, 1968

Real association means hearing the teachings of the spiritual master, not physically associating with him. Srila Prabhupada speaks about some of his god brothers, who had extensive physical association with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, but have become USELESS due to their NOT following the orders of their spiritual master:

“So far as personal association with Guru is concerned, I was only with Guru Maharaj 4 or 5 times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instruction, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my God brothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through serving.”

“I went to your country for spreading this information of Krishna Consciousness and you are helping me in my mission, although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you.” – Srila Prabhupada letter to Nandarani, Krishna Devi and Subala, October 3, 1967

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Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and

LORD NRSIMHADEV

His appearance is this friday.

Below is some information (taken from the Bindu magazine) about Jwala Nrsimhadev a deity that appeared some time ago in Southern India. Also included is a video of this Deity of

Lord Nrsimhadev

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyDJX1y_ci8&feature=related

The Deity of Jwala Nrsimhadev

Blazing Nrsimhadev

In district Sangli in southwestern Maharashtra lies a little known village by the name of Nrsimhapur, and an even lesser known form of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Known to the locals as “Jwala [flaming] Nrsimha”, this impressive sixteenhanded form of the Lord standing on one foot has been the protector and benefactor of his reverential devotees for thousands of years. The local tradition related to this deity has been compiled in a book known as Kṛṣṇa-māhātmya. A verse reads as follows: yadā punas-tadā bhaktyā tapaḥ kartuṁ parāśaraḥ nārasiṁhaṁ tadā dhyāyan kṛṣṇā-tīre muneśvaraḥ

The foremost amongst the sages, Parashar, performed austerities on the bank of the river Krishna with a heart full of devotion, meditating on Lord Nrsimhadev. According to the local tradition, Lord Nrsimhadev was pleased with the devotion of Parashar Muni and hence appeared in a wonderful sixteen-handed form. This was the same blazing form that the Lord had assumed while killing Hiranyakashipu. Seeing that it was not possible for anyone to establish this ferociously blazing form on earth, the Lord ordered Parashar Muni to immerse him in the river Krishna. With a heavy heart, the sage immersed the deity in the water. Centuries later, around the year 178 A.D., a brahmin couple staying at a village named Anjana had been cursed to become blind and dumb by a sage.

On begging forgiveness, they were advised by the sage to perform austerities for the pleasure of Lord Nrsimha to absolve themselves of the curse. After twelve years of rigorous austerities, the Lord appeared in their dreams and told them that he now wished to establish himself on earth as a deity and asked them to approach the local king named Bhimadev to get him out of the river. When asked how they would find the exact location where he was under the water, the Lord told them to place some dry kuśa grass in the stream and that they would find him exactly under the place where the grass caught fire. After that darśana of the Lord, the couple immediately regained their sight and speech and set off to inform the king. On hearing the request of the couple, the king sent his entourage to discover the deity. While searching in the river according to the procedure specified by the Lord, one of the blades of grass caught fire and the wonderful sixteen-handed form of the Lord was discovered from the depths of the river. On examining the deity, the devotees could see that the Lord was positioned with his left leg raised and bent in order to place the demon Hiranyakashipu upon it, and also to hold the left arm of the demon to prevent him from escaping. His other foot was placed firmly on the doorstep of Hiranyakashipu. On the left side of the Lord were small deities of Lakshmi-devi and Prahlad Maharaja. On the right side were deities of Bhudevi (the earth goddess) and Garuda. All around the form of Lord Nrsimha were wonderful carvings of the famous daśāvatāras, ten incarnations of Lord Krishna.

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Like death itself, no one likes to talk about nuclear war. We prefer to avoid such talk. But although we tend to ignore the possibility of nuclear holocaust, that doesn’t make the problem go away. As death is certain, war is also certain. It is a direct result of wholesale animal slaughter and other vicious karmic reactions. In a nuclear-armed world, nuclear war is certain.

“You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature [karmic reactions], there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb—finished… Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war. And America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished.” (Lecture, SB. 6.1.32, Honolulu, May 31, 1976)

“Well, anyway, they [nuclear weapons] must be used. There is no doubt about it. Therefore we can say there will be war. It is no astrology; it is natural conclusion.” (Morning Walk, July 18, 1975, San Francisco)

“The whole world is awaiting that disaster. America has got atom bomb and Russia has got atom bomb. As soon as there is another war [world war], the whole world will be finished.” (Lecture, BG. 13.14, Bombay, October 7, 1973)

In his last years on Earth, Srila Prabhupada repeatedly warned of the certain doom of blind, materialistic civilizations. He explained that according to the laws of nature, mass destruction is unavoidable due to the heavy weight of accumulated sins in human society, particularly wholesale cow slaughter. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly predicted the nuclear destruction of nations and social systems based on unbridled sinful activities. Speaking to two disciples whose main service was book publication and distribution, he asked, “What you will do when the cities are closed?”

“So, it is very difficult to preach Krishna consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.” (Lecture, SB.1.8.34, Los Angeles, April 26, 1973)

We find numerous graphic references to nuclear devastation in Srila Prabhupada’s conversations, morning walks, lectures, purports, and BTG articles. He repeatedly advised devotees to start farming communities and live self-sufficiently, without depending on outside resources for basic necessities, but very few devotees have seriously attempted to follow this advice.

One misleading argument we often hear against making any preparations for WW3 or living on Vedic farms is that devotees just need to depend on Krishna and chant Hare Krishna. Yet when it comes to other practical work, the same devotees offering this advice are seen to depend on a doomed way of life in cities or at country retreats that depend not on “Krishna’s mercy and the beauty of nature” but on modern technology and urban finances. Such devotees are often heavily invested in city real estate, artificial enterprises or high living and plain thinking. Contrary to this attitude of expecting Lord Krishna to do our practical work for us in the matter of protecting the devotees, cows, and Deities, we find in Krsna Book that Nanda Maharaja and Sunanda, during a meeting with other cowherd men of Sri Gokula, decided their residence was no longer safe; therefore they decided to move immediately to a safer location in Vrindaban. In other words, as responsible leaders, they made practical plans to avoid a dangerous circumstance.

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741112SB.BOM Lectures

So similarly, Krsna also becomes very… Krsna and Kapiladeva, no difference. So Krsna also becomes very beautiful. He’s already beautiful. But when a devotee serves Him, a devotee comes to Him, He also becomes very beautiful. A devotee, when with his heart and soul, serves Krsna in dressing Him, in feeding Him, in giving Him flower, He becomes smiling. And if you can get Krsna, once smiling upon you, your life is fulfilled. Thank you very much. (end)

Hare Krsna

Pranams to all

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Below are some excerpts from various conversations wherein Srila Prabhupada explains

very nicely how anyone can live easily without much anxiety in this world, grow his or her

own food for his family, and have more than ample time for spiritual life.

This lifestyle is contrasted with modern city living where one has to work most of the day, drive for hours back and forth to work, be in total anxiety all the while, and in the end get ulcers, headaches, or some

other serious disease for your reward for all this work.

Krsna does not want His part and parcels to suffer like this. He gives us the recommendations

for how to live in this or any age.

Every once in a while I get some negative feedback where a devotee will say to me-so I am in ignorance if I dont grow my own food? How can I possibly live in the country if I have so many obligations here in the city?

Who is going to afford this place?

All these questions are answered below by Srila Prabhupada.

One who thinks a little soberly about these things will ask himself-what does it mean to live simply with high thinking? Isnt this supposed to be the motto of all Hare Krsna devotees? If so, then why do the majority of them not do it? Do we just read these words from our Acarya and think they are meant for someone else?

They will say-I am not a farmer, I am an engineer, or a Doctor, or a technologist, or whatever. I have so many responsibilities in this city. How can I possibly leave all this? And furthermore, why should I ? I can hear them all now.

One point Prabhupada is trying to make in all these talks is this- we, as spirit souls really dont belong here, and the work we do to sustain ourselves for the most part does not further the betterment of human society towards the goal of liberation. Present day society is a nuts and bolts conglomeration of humanity which produces unfit humans for any kind of progressive path towards ultimate liberation of the soul from the material tabernacle. Nobody knows the actual goal of human life, except for the devotees of the Lord. And what do the devotees do as work which practices what we preach? We work right along side of the karmis whom we will criticize in our SB classes.

And yet we have all the answers to all the problems. Prabhupada many times has said, that any question you may encounter in preaching about Krsna Consciousness can be answered from Bhagavad Gita.

OK, do we accept that?

Yes?

Then what does Krsna tell us about how to solve all our economic problems? Annad bhavanti bhutani

750524BG.FIJ Lectures Nowadays they are facing a scarcity of food. The solution is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says, annad bhavanti bhutani: “Bhutani, all living entities, both animal and man, they can live very nicely without any anxiety provided they have got sufficient food grains.” Now what is your objection to this? This is the solution. Krsna says, annad bhavanti bhutani. So it is not utopian; it is practical. You must have sufficient food grain to feed the human being and the animal, and everything will be peaceful immediately. Because people, if one become hungry, he is disturbed. So give him food first of all. That is Krsna’s injunction. Is that very impossible, impractical? No. You grow food more and distribute. So much land is there, but we are not growing food. We are growing or busy in manufacturing tools and motor tires. Then now eat motor tires. But Krsna says that “You grow anna.” Then there is no question of scarcity. Annad bhavanti bhutani

———————

So to sum up what you will read below–

Srila Prabhupada tells us —

….how to make the transition from city to rural life.

….tells us that everybody should grow food

…shows us how important and sacred are grains

…self preservation is the first law of nature and the fear of not having food, or being unable to afford it for daily sustenance is eliminated by growing owns own

…having owns own food source means you become independent of the karmis rat race

..growing owns own food is “our mission”

…how to start this? he started his movement under a tree!

..everyone should live on farms, not just householders

..Indian farmers are clever-they move to city, get a job and send

most of the money back to the family, Then when they have enough money-quit their

job, buy land and start to grow their own food and become independent !!

…and more….

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

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1) 740418mw.bom Conversations

Prabhupada: (Sanskrit) From our childhood, if there was a rice grain on the floor, my father, er, my mother would ask me, “Take it and touch it on your head.” Dr. Patel: We were advised not to tread on the grains. (break) Prabhupada: Because by chance, if the grain is struck with the leg, she asked, “Take it and you touch it on the head.” Dr. Patel: That is the culture. That is real culture. Prabhupada: Means from the very beginning he understands anna-brahma. Dr. Patel: Even it is not spoken, you practice it. Prabhupada: Yes, practice it. According to Vedic culture, the higher class, in every home there is narayana-sila for worship, especially of the brahmanas.

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720622SB.LA Lectures

Prabhupada: So here is one word, “steel-framed.” Nowadays, the medical

science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is

making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also,

there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad

asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt

very easily, similarly, anyone’s heart which does not change after

chanting Hare Krsna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that

it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, harinama… Harer

nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. It is especially meant for

cleansing the heart. That every… All misconception is within our

heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that “I am this body.”

That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu

says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. So as you go on chanting, gradually the

heart will be cleansed, and you’ll be able to understand that you are

not this body.

… So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Krsna

mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering

of the body, then that means he’s not coming to the perfectional

point.

So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra without offense, according

to, and observing the regulative principles and numerical strength …

Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. The Gosvamis, in Vrndavana, they

used to chant keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated

persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant

keeping a numerical strength. Haridasa Thakura, he used to chant Hare

Krsna mantra keeping a numerical strength–300,000 times. 300,000

times. So our prescription is only 25,000. Not 100,000. So it is not

very difficult; it takes utmost 2 hours. We can find out, out of 24

hours, 2 hours. We can find out time. So if we actually follow the

rules and regulations and chant Hare Krsna mantra, then these symptoms

will come. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. When this comes then you

know that “I am coming to perfection.” And if it is not coming, then

it is to be understood the heart is steel-framed. Steel-framed. So it

is steel only. Stone. Stone, if we keep our heart stone or

steel-framed, then it cannot be melted. This… These symptoms mean

heart is melting or changing…

…disturbance. So such things are happening. Now anyone is manufacturing

his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are

supporting, that “Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our

own way of worship.” But Rupa Gosvami says, “This is simply creating

disturbance.” That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our

temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says

that “I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity,” then what

will be the condition?

It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on.

…(not)authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There

is example that in India there is a tree, sagu, sagu(?) tree. I do not

know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean

to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little

jerking. Sagu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind

tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So

our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take

shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sagu tree. The tamarind tree

is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake. As I have given

you several times the example that Vedas says that stool of animal is

impure, and in another place it says that stool of cow is pure….

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Today I desire

(Dedicated To My Beloved Spiritual Father Srila Prabhupada)

Today I desire to live in Vrindavan, where there is The Lotus Dust of my beloved Lord Shri Krishna,

Today I desire to smear myself with that Dust, with which the most sinful become purified as the milky ocean…

Today I desire to chant and glorify the names of Shri Radha and Krishna, and want to know nothing else more than this…

Today I desire to become mad with ecstasy, when I chant their names…

Today I desire to be in the mad people, who have even forgotten their own names and only remember Madhava’s ..

If being mad is the criteria, I desire to be mad, knowing no obligations, nothing else but remember Keshva’s names…

How long do I need to pretend to be one of these materialistic people, who only want to satisfy their own senses…

Today I desire to forget my own senses forever and satisfy the senses of my most dear Friend Krishna…

Today I desire to abandon everything, today I desire to give up all the opulences I have,

Today I desire to even give up my remaining breaths, if they don’t recite the names of Krishna…

The world has taken the shelter of that Madhusudan, and I am left here alone tied up my unnecessary worldly desires…

Today I desire to break up all unnecessary relations and reestablish my forgotten relationship with my Friend…

Tell me where can I find Him… I am looking everywhere, having no sign of Him –

but when I am in the association of His pure devotees, who simply want nothing else but to hear/chant His names..

I find Him – I find HIM right in the center – enjoying the ecstasies that His devotees relish…

Today I desire to sing His glories out loud – as loud as I can so the everyone can hear and revive their lost relationship with that Govardhan lifter….

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Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

For those of you who read that dire report sent yesterday from the Indian writer about the degraded conditions present now in India, this report will cheer you up !

Most people can understand and see that the governments of the world are corrupt and getting worse as we speak. But most people don’t see any solution to these complex problems thinking, “what can I do?”

(that answer at the end of this report)

Fortunate for those who are fortunate and listen to the perfect words of advice given by the Lords pure representatives, such as Srila Prabhupada His Senapati Bhakta, for those of us who do listen to his instructions, we will get the material and spiritual benefits-right now in this lifetime and the next one for sure.

I was reading over some past articles this morning and saw two that caught my eye because it totally related to the one sent yesterday. Doom and gloom yesterday and today- how to solve it. There is only one sure way to solve material problems. We have to go to the only One who can alleviate these problems which we create.

Isvara parama Krsna-that supreme controller, Lord Brahma says is Krsna, Govinda, Shyamasundara, our only real friend in times of need. So please consider these words of advice from Srila Prabhupada and the photos I have included at the end are one major way we can solve these problems. Practical, simple and a lot of fun doing it.

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

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Hare Krishna Society

4 seasons harvest-how to do it

The disappearance day of Jayananda das brahmacari

Jai Srila Prabhupada…

Jwala Nrsimhadev-story and video

“Awaiting that Disaster” Srila Prabhupada Predicts Doomsday

Getting Krsna to smile- just once upon you

How to solve all ones economic problems-SP

Removing the steel from our hearts by chanting Hare Krsna-SP

Today I desire….

Today I desire

(Dedicated To My Beloved Spiritual Father Srila Prabhupada)

Springtime–a time for hope