Seeking The Essence

“A brijabasi is a resident of Vrindavan, and it was appropriate that the magazine of New Vrindaban was entitled Brijabasi Spirit. The Brijabasi Spirit first emerged in the early 70’s as a mimeographed 10-12 page newsletter which was stapled together. By 1977 it had become a 20 - 30 page magazine which included black & white photos. The issues catered to the community residents and copies were also sent to North American temples. In 1980 to 1982 the magazine added a color cover, and by 1983 it had evolved into a glossy magazine with a sophisticated layout and colored photos throughout. The articles catered to Hindu and Western visitors, highlighting the community’s planned expansion and various projects. By the late 1980′ s the magazine had returned to a simpler format. In the 1990’s it appeared sporadically until its demise in 1995. By the late 90’s the community produced a one or two page newsletter.”

This is a link to a newly revised online version of the Brijabasi Spirit magazine.  This latest incarnation comes to us through the determination of Madhava Gosh prabhu and a few others.  I am very interested in seeing how this develops.

Madhava Gosh appropriately calls his blogsite “View From a New Vrindaban Ridge.” The black and white photo from the cover of the Brijabasi Spirit magazine is of Bahulaban in the winter of 1979 (left picture, above).  At the time of the photo Bahulaban was the center of the New Vrindaban community (I moved to NV approximately 1 year after that photo was taken).  If you look closely at the upper left hand corner of the picture, through the tree line, you can see the house where Madhava Gosh currently resides and blogs.

The second photo (on the right, above) is a picture of New Vrindaban Brijabasis gathered at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace in 1982.  The resolution of the photo is not that good, so it may be a bit difficult to properly identify people in it.  Amongst others, you’ll find Sankara dasi (my mother, wearing a brown sari, fourth woman from the left, lower row) and myself (teenager wearing a red shirt, fourth from the left, standing in front of Manihara, upper row.)

“This conference is designed to provide Child Protection Team members, devotee parents, educators, and temple managers with tools and resources to take back to your communities. You will have the opportunity to network with other devotees interested in creating safer temples and communities. Our presenters are from the ISKCON Child Protection Office or from professionals in the field. The conference will take place in a beautiful retreat setting just 15 minutes from New Goloka Mandir in Hillsborough, North Carolina.”

This is a link to a brochure for a Child Protection Conference hosted by Lilasuka and Uttara prabhus, which is posted at the ISKCON Child Protection Office website.  Lilasuka and Uttara hosted a “Child Safety Workshop” at the Kulimela Kid’s Camp.  Having properly trained Child Protection Teams in each community is vital for the well-being of current and future generations.

“It reminds me somewhat of this Twilight Zone episode. Sirens and the radio warned of an imminent nuclear attack by the Soviets. Only one household had built a bomb shelter. The rest of the neighbors wanted in but are locked out. They finally decide to beat the cellar door down and kill the owner. The owner is just about to start shooting them in self defense. Timely, the radio announces it was a false alarm. Everyone is simply left to apologize to each other with no hard feelings. Some situations can make everyone go crazy. That is when the exemplary come to shine.”

Below is an article titled, “Children of the Ashram” written by Raghunatha anudasa.  As best I can tell it was written some time in the early to mid 90’s.  The article recounts some of his experiences as a student in ISKCON’s gurukula system in the 70’s and early 80’s.  It is generally accepted that the students in his age group received some of the worst treatment in the ashrams. I think he does a decent job of delivering a first hand account highlighting aspects of the gurukula experience that negatively impacted the students. 

His newsletter, ISKCON Youth Veterans, published in 1990, was the first public forum to give gurukula alumni a voice. Raghunatha also helped to organize the first gurukula reunion in Los Angeles in 1990.  Currently in his early forties, Raghu is considered one of the gurukuli elders. During a recent trip to New York City I was able to spend an evening with him and his family.  He lives in Battery Park, is still an active writer and invests in NY real estate. 

This article ties in with my previous posting “Who Set the Standards?”  The gurukula teachers mentioned by Raghu are pretty much the same ones involved in the room conversation with Srila Prabhupada. This narration illuminates how discussions with Srila Prabhupada were translated into action by the gurukula authorities.  (For clarification, Raghunatha is not the unnamed boy referred to in the room conversation between the gurukula teachers and Srila Prabhupada.)

NOTE: Please be aware that the article contains some intense details and descriptions.

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