Back to Godhead indeed!

Our guests at the Hare Krishna Food for Life are absorbed in reading the transcendental Back to Godhead Magazines and On Chanting Hare Krsna pamphlets!

People are hungry for this knowledge and the more we make it available for people to read, the more we will alleviate the suffering of mankind, our own twisted souls and please our Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada and all the previous Acharyas!

Back to Godhead indeed my dear friends!

Prasadam, Holy name and smiling faces!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!  Please accept my respects!

The summer is heating up here in Whangarei, and so is the Hare Krishna Food For Life Community Cafe kitchen!
Buddhi and I are blessed to be serving Srila Prabhupada in this way.
The community is still supplying us with the most beautiful organic vegetables and our guests are still coming for delicious Prasadam! And INCREASING!!
With the Holy names playing, incense burning we stood by today and watched all sorts of people honor prasadam while reading old BTGs and Chanting Hare Krishna pamphlets.
Today a lady spontaneously asked us if she would like her to distribute flyers for free, as she does a paper run to 1000 homes!  Then she asked if she could sweep out the cafe.
I was humbled that someone would do such a menial chore as to sweep up, but gave her the broom, because I know that she is doing devotional service.  She  would please Srila Prabhupada and Krsna and come closer to Their Lotus Feet, even if unknowingly.
It was a good day today, we had no prasadam left by the end of the day.
My realization, is that we all have the full blessings of Srila Prabhupada to give the mercy to others.  We have SO MUCH MERCY!
We actually have all facility.  We can do it by Srila Prabhupadas mercy and some endevour on our part.
Praying that more and more devotees take up this mission of Srila Prabhupada, to whatever degree.  It's so simple and so sublime.  Giving this gift to others, there is nothing better in this world.
Even if the "institution" is in a mess, that does'nt matter!  The whole world is a mess! :)  Devotees all over the world should try to do what they can to give prasadam, Srila Prabhupadas books and the Holy Name out to others.  We don't have to rely on the institution to do this.  Independantly thoughtful.  As the ad goes..."JUST DO IT!"...of course, the right time will happen for everyone, a year ago my husband and I did'nt know what we were going to do, but somehow or other we are really getting into the NECTAR...as they say and are feeling so very happy in devotional service.
I pray that devotees once again become happy in their devotion service.  So much suffering has happened within our society, but if we can find the happiness again in the Pure teachings of our Divine Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada and serve Him as He has shown us, then our lives will become blissful and full of purpose and real happiness.
Prasadam, Holy name, pure teachings and happy smiling faces all around.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!

New Year, old body, old anarthas.

The new year has begun, the body gets older and the anarthas may be older than we care to admit.
For the conditioned soul, being envious of Krsna and His pure eternal associates is an anartha so deep rooted, that we sometimes can't even see it.  I saw it today...it reared it's ugly head and the shame it brought with it made me want to break free from this demoniac nature.

In Kali Yuga, the demon and devotee lives within the SAME body...I shudder to think of it.

Living in this material world, a place that's full of suffering.  Srila Prabhupada says that EVERYONE is suffering, from the Demigods right down to the insignificant ant...SUFFERING. 
We feel the pains of our bodies, minds, other living entities, the demigods and to top it off, we are envious of God...what is our hope?  Is there a saving grace?  His Divine Grace, Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

We may even  be envious of the pure devotee, but if we continue to sincerely try to serve Him, we will become purified.  I heard a pastime that a devotee was shaving Srila Prabhupadas face and the devotee said "Srila Prabhupada, I want to cut your throat."  and Srila Prabhupada said "Just keep on shaving."

So in this new year, in our aging bodies with our deep rooted anarthas (unwanted qualities of the heart), just keep on chanting, keep on reading, keep on serving, keep on dancing, keep on preaching under the direction of His Divine Grace Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and one day, by His mercy we will have a new year everyday, with eternal bodies and pure qualities. 

How long will it take?  We do not know, but we must keep pushing on forward, because it's a war against so many obstacles.  Keeping our eye on the General, Srila Prabhupada always and forever.  There is no alternative.