In Light of Day

On the weekend I went on a casual walk on a local country road.  It was in the late evening, lit only by house lights, street lamps, and stars.  I took a course of a couple kilometres through two neighbouring villages here in Belgium.  It was quiet, but while passing an old barn there was a strange noise and awkward ambience.  The smell surrounding the place reminded me of a pig farm we would daily drive by back at home, sometime in my childhood.  There are no pigs in the area but I know the smell belongs to cattle for the slaughter, who wreak something special due to their selective diet.  I let the thought settle, continuing the walk, only to have a short flashback reminder on the return trip home. 

A Moment?

I was late to the Bhaktivedanta College Poetry Club.  All I could think about was how much exists in a moment, as the weather changes from sun to snow in the same day.  I had to be somewhere so quickly and so many things were moving in my mind. 

Our Gosala Burned Down!

Dear devotees,
Last night our Gosala (cow barn) here in Radhadesh burnt to the ground. One cow was locked inside but managed to escape with only minor burns. The cause of the fire is still unknown though there is a suggestion of it being an electrical fire. There is nothing left of the building and the cows don’t really have great shelter at the moment. Additionally, one of them is pregnant (the one that had escaped from inside the building as it was burning down). We have 2 cows and two bullocks (oxen) and a baby on the way. I urge members of the ISKCON community to show some compassion and help us build this building back up off the ground. Please click the link and scroll down to donate.
Your servant, Madhavendra Puri dasa.

DONATE!

10th Graduation of Bhaktivedanta College

[This was an article on the Bhaktivedanta College graduation 2012.  It was later edited and published for their website.]  

Won-Durr Boiz in Belgium (Part 2) – Antwerp Rathayatra

Saturday 18^th, June 2011.

The Durr brothers woke up early to cook the morning’s breakfast.

Won-Durr Boiz in Belgium (Part 1) – Radhadesh

Wednesday 15^th, June 2011.

It seemed like another usual day in the Desh (Radhadesh) but it was obviously something special.

London Rathayatra 2011

We had a whole weekend scheduled for prasadam distribution and bhajans at a Bonsai Fair in Brussels.  After the first day, we realized that bonsais are exceptionally small plants and they draw exceptionally small crowds.  We were exhausted, on our drive home, because we had to wake up extra early for the event, and had to stay up the night before for some time.  While I was dosed off in the car, Lalita suggested “let’s just go to London Rathayatra instead?”

Miracle May

May was a miracle in many ways; it was another unforgettable time in my life.

Kadamba Kanana Swami’s Visit and Queen’s Day

The devotees were still flocking around the temple since the Japa retreat and a new crowd was now simultaneously filling the Castle halls.  HH Kadamba Kanana Swami was holding his famous Vyasapuja celebration so people had come from far and wide.

Sacinandana Swami’s Japa Retreat (Radhadesh)

The days of essays and assignments stopped and sannyasis flocked the scene.