The three volume Make Vrindavana book was compiled by Gopinatha Acarya Prabhu (initiated 1973) following his two year expulsion (due to philosophical differences) from ISKCON’s New Govardhana farm community in Australia. During that time he went to a public library and spent his days compiling all of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on varnashrama. He spent his nights sleeping under a tree. After he was done compiling the book, he returned to New Govardhana, and was allowed to stay.
The compilation is priceless because until now, Prabhupada’s teachings and instructions on the matter of varnashram have only to be found here and there throughout his morning walks, and particularly in his conversations. To a lesser degree they are to be found in his letters and books. Now, thanks to the devotional efforts of Gopinatha Acarya Prabhu, it’s all together in one place. When we see the whole picture, one can understand how actually the implementation of varnashram was Prabhupada’s foremost desire – above and beyond everything else.
The title Make Vrindavana comes from an instruction Prabhupada gave to Rameswara in 1976, telling Rameswara to literally “Make Vrindavan” i.e. to actually give up his BBT service, and dedicate his life to creating ideal varnashram communities. Or at least one. Needless to say, Rameswara disregarded the instruction, but the extensive instructions to Rameswara which Prabhupada gave over an extended period live on, his desire waiting to be fulfilled. Any and all of us can fulfill that desire of his – it doesn’t have to be Rameswara.
At Janmastami 2007, Shayamasundara and his wife, Indulekha presented me (Anuttama) with the 3 volume set as a gift. He expressed the desire to make the book available to devotees on the internet. Although it has taken some time, it is now here for anyone to read, free of charge. Our intention is for it to be available as a hard copy soon because 1600 pages is overwhelming to read on a computer screen! But the computerized version is excellent for searching various topics.
This book has been life transforming for me. I had always thought that Srila Prabhupada wanted book distribution, and for the devotees to follow the regs, chant, attend the programs etc., but hadn’t realized how much and how often he stressed the necessity for us to live the simple life. He says again and again in Make Vrindavana that living this non-materialistic lifestyle will make us happy and attract others to Krsna consciousness. Of course almost nobody really thinks he/she could live in the way that Srila Prabhupada describes. It would mean giving up our cars, bank accounts, jobs and other things that we are attached to. However, looking at the situation in the material world, perhaps we should have given up these things voluntarily as they seem likely to be taken from us forcefully in the near future.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this book. Gopinatha Acarya is already living the varnashrama lifestyle and is not hooked up with e-mail or a phone. He doesn’t even do snail mail. When Shyamsundara Prabhu wants to contact him, he has to drive all the way to New Govardhana. There is no other way!
www.makevrndavan.org
www.makevrndavana.com
pamho
agtACBSP
Thank you for posting this article, SRILA PRABHUPADA’s desire was to live in SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM as a niskincana sadhu but HE was called by the causeless mercy of SRI SRI GURU GAURANGA to spread the daivi varnasrama dharma around all over the world through HIS eternal vani seva within HIS transcendental books for another 9.500 years of kali yuga. In that period of golden age time the varnasrama dharma is fully established and everyone follow the vedic culture by the mercy of SRILA PRABHUPADA, everywhere is SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM, so if we don’t get perfection for this lifetime there is still a golden age to come to give us a better chance to go back home.
At moment SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM is where people chanting the holy name of SRI KRSNA acharya kahe tumi yahan sei vrindavan mora bagye c.c .3.33 but by following the vedic culture SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM will be everwhere because the daivi varnasrama dharma is the only way to satisfy SRI VISNU completely. Nowadays we have serious problems because the varnasrama dharma is not established properly yet, because the process of devotional service is a very slow process and one life is not enough to go back home but in the future golden age it will be more easy because SRILA PRABHUPADA is still preaching and spreading krsna consciousness including SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM everywhere, and it will be manifested through the factor time.
It’s too early at moment to get that things but at least we knows that time will come by making our perfection easier.
agtSP
ys haribol
This is a very important work to start compiling the ‘canon laws’ of DVD. This is more than a constitution. the instruction/mandate in the BG 4.13 is constitutional. Divide by four varnas and asrama, the broad strokes. The ‘canons’ will be the applicable details. Like what is in the BG 18th chapter and so on so forth from the entire vani.
Plus remember we are not under other ‘laws’. we are a Transcendental See. Transcending heaven and earth law!! We follow Krsna, He gives us transcendental law in Bhagavad-gita/SB/CC etc.
There are many canon law points made in this conversation. The most important I would like devotees to understand is how we are not to be controlled by karmi law.
Prabhupada: Public we don’t care. We… What is the public? We have got our own public here. So pub… What is the public? All rascals. They are killing cows and drinking and topless dance, bottomless dance. What is the value of this public? All rascals. I don’t give any importance to this class of public, only after sense gratification, that’s all. They have no ideals of life. They do not know what is God. What is the value of this public? Mudhas, they have been described, mudhas. You know the meaning of mudha?
now you will say he did not say what I’m offering as a future vision of a Transcendental See.. Read the conversation, have a little sight/vision into the future needs we will face in the wide world affairs and see where this DVD needs to go for our future preservation.
Like Prabhiupada would say
Prabhupada: When there will be military march of Krsna conscious soldiers. Anyone who does not believe in Krsna, “Blam!” (laughter) Yes. The same process as the Mohammedans did, with sword and Koran, we’ll have to do that. “Do you believe in Krsna or not?” “No, sir.” “Blam!” Finished. (laughter, Prabhupada laughs) What do you think, Madhudvisa Maharaja? Is that all right?
so we can do canon/sharia/noahide/constitutional laws better that the karmis, because we are from Krsna’s TRANSCENDENTAL ‘SEE’ re-establish on the battle field of Kuruksetra with Bhagavad-gita
Room Conversation with Devotees
—
August 1, 1975, New Orleans
Prabhupada: That is time for punishment. They should build up their character, samah, damah, fully controlled. When they like, they become grhasthas. Otherwise they are controlled. That is brahmana. For brahmana it is not compulsory to marry. Ksatriyas may marry more than one wife. They can take. So all girls must be married. That is… They must…They must have one husband, even the husband has got fifty wives. Then the problem of girls’ marriage will be solved. And as soon as one girl is pregnant, she should be separated.
Hrdayananda: From the husband.
Prabhupada: At least for one and half years.
Upendra: At the moment of pregnancy? From the moment of pregnancy one and a half years?
Prabhupada: Yes. Pregnancy is understood at three months. From that month till further, sixteen months at least, she should not come to be near husband. That is eka-kadi (?). The child does not live. And they are not inclined to come unless a man induces. So the man, if he has got more than one wife, so man will not disturb her. And she will take rest for the next eighteen months. So after ten months she will give birth to the child, and for six months continually she will take care of the child. Feeding the child with breast milk, the child will be healthy. If the child can take mother’s milk for six months at least continually, he’ll become healthy for life.
Upendra: Where do they send that mother?
Prabhupada: Where they’ll take care.
Upendra: If the man sends the woman away, where does she…?
Prabhupada: Our aim is not to give help, but not… Generally she goes to the father’s house. So you can have separate building for that.
Nityananda: Are you saying that our men should have more than one wife?
Prabhupada: I have no objection.
Satsvarupa: That’s a difficult proposition.
Prabhupada: Why?
Satsvarupa: It’s not allowed in this country. It’s illegal. It’s against the law.
Devotee: It’s against the law.
Nityananda: No, it’s a matter of… No one knows who is married or unmarried, but if you have…
Prabhupada: That is not very difficult.
Satsvarupa: Well, the other difficulty, you brought this up several years ago, was that the men who take many wives have to be very select. Otherwise men will be attracted to join our movement for sex life, having different wives.
Prabhupada: No, no, unless our men are trained up, why you should allow to stay here and to wife. We want trained up men, not third-class picked-up. We want men who will follow the rules and regulations and fully trained up. Otherwise we don’t want. We don’t want ordinary karmis and… And if he agrees to be trained up, then we’ll take. Otherwise what is the use of bringing some useless men? He must agree to produce his own food, and work. Our rules and regulations, he must follow. Then it will be ideal community. Otherwise, if you bring from here and there some men and fill up, that is not good thing. This is a training institution, to become devotee.
Satsvarupa: Everything we do, we don’t hide it. We show the world what we’re doing. I don’t see how we could hide that one man had many different wives.
Prabhupada: If you don’t call wife, you can have. The law allows you to keep boyfriend, girlfriend. Then the… Instead of calling “husband,” call “friend.” That’s all. But, er, it is risky and the man must be responsible to keep… To keep more than one wife by trained-up man is not disallowed.
Brahmananda : But I think they thought that he could get it legally established, at least in the state of California.
Prabhupada: Well then go and marry there. If the state of California allows that, then they all can go to California.
Nityananda: The general public objects to that… It’s very…
Prabhupada: Public we don’t care. We… What is the public? We have got our own public here. So pub… What is the public? All rascals. They are killing cows and drinking and topless dance, bottomless dance. What is the value of this public? All rascals. I don’t give any importance to this class of public, only after sense gratification, that’s all. They have no ideals of life. They do not know what is God. What is the value of this public? Mudhas, they have been described, mudhas. You know the meaning of mudha?
In 2008 when I was visiting Murwillumbah I had quite a lengthy conversation with Gopinath Acharya Prabhu about some of the difficulties he was experiencing at the time, this must have been just prior to his departure from the Farm. I have great affection and respect for Gopinath Acharya Prabhu as he is a very amiable, kind hearted soul with a wealth of knowledge especially in the area of cow protection, and the simplicity of rural village life. I initially met him in around 1982 when he was travelling Australia with Brighupati Prabhu selling ‘sets’ of Srimad Bhagavatams. Sriman Gopinatha has been a brahmacari for many decades and is well versed in siddhanta and is an inspiration for anyone who is attracted to the simplicity of village life.
There are many quotes by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada where He also states that we can utilize everything for Sri Krishna and I must confess that although I like to spend some time in the country environment after a while I know it doesn’t suit me personally. So because all devotees have a different inclination the best concept would be one which utilizes every-ones abilities. The Idea of a farm from my own perspective is that few acres are devoted to a Public Space with museum, restaurant, farm yard (for public interaction), gift shop, walkways etc so that what we are about can be conveyed to the public for the benefit of society in general. It is a must that cows (and all animals) are protected but also that this is conveyed to the public also.
Daso Smi
Sudarsana Das
Sudarsana says)) There are many quotes by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada where He also states that we can utilize everything for Sri Krishna and I must confess that although I like to spend some time in the country environment after a while I know it doesn’t suit me personally. So because all devotees have a different inclination the best concept would be one which utilizes every-ones abilities. The Idea of a farm from my own perspective is that few acres are devoted to a Public Space with museum, restaurant, farm yard (for public interaction), gift shop, walkways etc so that what we are about can be conveyed to the public for the benefit of society in general. It is a must that cows (and all animals) are protected but also that this is conveyed to the public also.
RCB)) Personal taste is OK in DVD, not everyone will live the same varna standards or in rural life styles There are cities to.
I like the idea of a show case, but that has to come after you would have a thing to SHOW. Plus DVD is NOT just about a farm. It is FIRST about division!! farming is what vaisyas(yes ksatriyas and brahmanas too but that is a different conversation) do. Why do devotees have such a single minded vision? There is Mathura as well as Vrndavan
When Prabhupada said to imbibe DVD in our centers, there were only a handful of rural farms in the world. City temples were the majority, they were to divide service also. Prabhupada saw no problems with this as I have read.
HDG. Srila Prabhupada VANI – Instructions are for every one to be trained up and become perfect under the Varna and Asharam system.
The chaos is there when the persons pretend to be some body when they are not having their personal motives or hidden agenda of some sort . That is the main problem.
Therefore, one must start from individual to be trained up and become perfect under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada VANI and His like minded followers in order to implement the Varna and Ashram in one’s family, and then friends and so on expanding slowly but surely.
Otherwise the CHAOS shall continue to prevail amongst the followers of Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Raja Caturbahu Das Bhakti. 1. Thank you for reminding me that DVD is NOT just about a farm and that there are cities too. 2. Gaudiya Vaisnavas are generally followers of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and are not really concerned with Mathura lila (Aishvarya). 3. Varnasrama Dharma is more external and Daivi Varnasrama Dharma more internal but both have more to do with ‘unity in diversity’ than just division.
In a ”devotee community” where monkeys think they are guru’s, and madhyam adhikari devotees are the exception rather than the rule, your plan to reinstate DVD is most ambitious indeed! So I wish you the best of luck because you are definitely going to need it!
Daso Smi
Sudarsana
social-paths always project their true feelings and motives on others in accusation.
what you say here is pure IS-A-CON dismissal of DVD and about as far from Prabhupada’s explanations and vani on the subject as any sinister cult I have run into.
ONLY THE PURE DEVOTEE IS FREE FROM MOTIVATION AND CONDITIONING!!!! THAT IS WHY HE IS PURE, HE IS FREE FROM ANY SEMBLANCE OF MAYA.
YOU ARE NOT!!! same as all of us.
the rest is new age wishy washy mumbo jumbo regurgitation.
you actually could not even intelligently address what I said in my first post. You just went right to fault finding and skipped over intelligent discussion. sinister is as sinister does! and you are by the numbers easy to figure out.
I’m sorry I forgot the include the reference from Amara d in my last post addressed to him
Yes Sudarsana DVD is VERY ambitious, i took inspiration from Prabhupada’s mood. I see it as the ratha to carry the sankirtan movement. DVD will need to be established well beyond any idea of corporations and such karmi interference.
There is one conversation Prabhupada has with Svarupa Damadar about DVD in his area. Prabhupada was VERY keen to have a ‘state’ run under this hybrid Vedic culture.
Another thing I find interesting with devotees. they claim ‘Vedic’ culture, but will not accept DVD life styles.. So just what is their definition of ‘Vedic’ if it rejects the DVD standards???
Sudarsana says)) 2. Gaudiya Vaisnavas are generally followers of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and are not really concerned with Mathura lila (Aishvarya).
RCB)) I’m a Krsna devotee first, I came from reading BG. I learned about Lord Caitanya after I came to the movement. Subsequently I’m not fully up to that standard yet.
SD says)) 3. Varnasrama Dharma is more external and Daivi Varnasrama Dharma more internal but both have more to do with ‘unity in diversity’ than just division.
RCB)) By definition, divide is definitively first I think. When Prabhupada talks DVD he almost always mentions the division and then the results. Result is fundamental unity as a whole social body. ‘unity’ in the social body is achieved by division first. Though it is generally understood the varnas are there in a disorganized way. it is the ksatriya that bring the organizational prowess to bear.
Dear Raja Catur Das Bhakti
In spite of your accusatory tone and maniacal conclusions, I am wishing you ‘good luck’ in your endeavours and regardless of your own admission that you are “not up to that standard yet” I am comforted to hear that your “organizational prowess” (as you put it) will eventually bear fruit.
Please don’t waste anymore of my time!
If I can quote the words of Forrest Gump “That’s all I have to say about that”
Once again good luck and GOODBYE!
Vaisnava Dasanudas
Sudarsana
Sudarsana,
I don’t know your comment history, but from what I have seen the last few days since participating on this blog, I can say for sure your behavior is that of a puffed up, condescending pompous person and your latest claim to prefer to follow Mahaprabhu and reject the mood of Mathura, as if any of that has anything to do with following the Acarya, is indication of your slide into sahajyism. I know first hand the degree of surrender to Srila Prabhupada of the person you are naively castigating. I kindly suggest you say not one more word towards that devotee unless it is an apology, the sadhu ninda you have already perpetrated will haunt you for a long time and likely will encourage you to believe even more highly of yourself as punishment.
Be careful or not as your free will dictates.
Hare Krsna
RCB says ; ” it is the ksatriya that bring the organizational prowess to bear. ”
If I may ask RCB, what type of a Ksatriya are you talking about ?
For an example ;
A Kamsa type Ksatriya ?
or
A Vasudeva type Ksatriya ?
It will certainly help the readers to determine what you said in your statement mentioned above.
Bhakta Mark says …………………”your latest claim to prefer Mahaprabhu (Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) and reject the mood of Mathura, as if any of that has anything to do with following the Acharya………………..”
…………”AS IF THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH FOLLOWING THE ACHARYA!”………
Is this guy serious? His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada is the direct link and representative of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and is the last Acharya in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada REPRESENTS THE GAUDIYA VAISNAVAS WITHIN THIS SAMPRADAYA AND IS IT’S DIRECT LINK! GAUDIYA VAISNAVAS ARE THE FOLLOWERS OF LORD SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU! According to Bhakta Mark that makes all of us Sahajiyas! What a brilliant logician this guy is!
If you don’t want accept that Srila Prabhupada IS THE DIRECT REPRESENTATIVE OF SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, what can I say? This is unbelievable. What is even more ridiculous is that you want to hijack the debate with your obvious immaturity and poor fund of knowledge.
Vaisnava Dasanudas
Sudarshana, your latest emotional comment claimed I reject Prabhupada as Acarya based on rejecting your claim that you prefer to follow Mahaprabhu and reject Mathura mood. That was nonsense to begin with which I will explain.
First, let me remind you that YOU have chosen to play the role of opposition to DVD implementation in this conversation, by using arguments against it. That is the context here.
Let me remind you that a comment you made a week ago claiming that Lord Caitanya’s conversation with Ramananda Raya is yet another reason for you to reject DVD, was thoroughly refuted and you ignored the refutation and did not reply.
I will now remind you of your recent statement, given as a reply to RCB, as to why to reject Srila Prabhupada’s order to implement DVD among devotees. First I need to set you straight on a misconception.
Sudarsana: “Varnasrama Dharma is more external and Daivi Varnasrama Dharma more internal but both have more to do with ‘unity in diversity’ than just division.”
That is a statement with no basis in fact or scripture. All VD aimed at pleasing Lord Visnu OR Krsna is Daivi or divinely given practices for humans. It is only “external” in the sense that it is meant for humans who are already focused on externals to some degree, and it will help to lift them out. The only VD that is NOT Daivi, is what Prabhupada called “asura” VD, which is pseudo VD based on smarta idea of dividing by birth in caste, and not by observed qualities.
“The ācāryas who advocate the daiva-varṇāśrama (the social order of cātur-varṇyam mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā) do not accept the proposition of āsura-varṇāśrama, which maintains that the social order of varṇa is indicated by birth.” Madhya 3.6 : PURPORT
Now to your latest Mathura misconception.
Sudarshan: There are many quotes by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada where He also states that we can utilize everything for Sri Krishna and I must confess that although I like to spend some time in the country environment after a while “I know it doesn’t suit me personally.”
RCB: Personal taste is OK in DVD, not everyone will live the same varna standards or in rural life styles There are cities too.
I like the idea of a show case, but that has to come after you would have a thing to SHOW. Plus DVD is NOT just about a farm. It is FIRST about division!! farming is what vaisyas (yes ksatriyas and brahmanas too but that is a different conversation) do. Why do devotees have such a single minded vision? There is Mathura as well as Vrndavan.
(my comment): here RCB was responding to YOUR MOOD, which was in your own words that your PERSONAL PREFERENCE is not a Vrndavan atmosphere of rural country/farm life. RCB points out there are other moods and atmospheres related to Krsna lila. To which you replied.
Sudarsana: “Gaudiya Vaisnavas are generally followers of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and are not really concerned with Mathura lila (Aishvarya)”
(my comment) Another of your excuses to reject DVD fails badly. You were right to say “generally” because it is a fact that there are plenty of followers of Mahaprabhu who were interested in moods other than Vrndavana, including RAMA lila and Vaikuntha lila. This latest excuse is very similar to the Ramananda Raya excuse. (We are pure Vaisnavas and can thus reject DVD). But here you are contradicting yourself! You first admitted a city mood and city means Ksatriyas, but now you argue against Mathura mood in order to imply Mahaprabhus followers prefer Vrndavana mood (no Ksatriyas present thus no full DVD).
SB 3.25.34 purport: The Bhāgavatam is especially meant for the pure devotees, who always engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the activities of the Lord, and always glorify these transcendental activities. Pure devotees worship the transcendental activities of the Lord in Vṛndāvana, Dvārakā and Mathurā as they are narrated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other purāṇas.
NOD 6 “Out of these sixty-four items, five items-namely, offering water to the tulasī tree, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, associating amongst the devotees, saṅkīrtana and living in Mathurā-are very important”
Followers of both Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada are obviously not exclusive of Mathura mood. Which nullifies your latest tirade claiming I reject Prabhupada as a representative of Mahaprabhu.
All I see in your replies are clever rationalizations in order to reject the orders of the Acarya that all his disciples divide and cooperate according to observed qualifications IMMEDIATELY, and quit pretending to be qualified like Mahaprabhu in order to focus on the mood of the Gopis 24/7 and reject DVD as too external for your current level of advancement.
Then you betray further your true mood with this sarcastic statement to RCB.
Sudarsana. “your plan to reinstate DVD is most ambitious indeed! So I wish you the best of luck because you are definitely going to need it!
It was PRABHUPADA’S PLAN first, and RCB is his DISCIPLE following his Guru’s plan. Perhaps you don’t realize it but inwardly believe you are so advanced that you can pick and choose your sadhana, maybe that is why you feel confident to tease us lowly external devotees and “wish us luck” with our external following of DVD. I can’t think of another reason why you are so condescending Prabhu.
Sahajyism is claiming you are too good for DVD period. Sahajyism is making up excuses that contradict your own statements. Better to admit it you are not qualified to even be in a DVD community then to pretend you are above it. For your own spiritual health.
I hope you don’t take this offensively. I am not offended by what you have said to me, I just prefer the truth and to speak the truth and correct untruth when possible.
Hare Krsna
Dear Mark. I certainly hope and pray that I am ‘not qualified’ to become part of any “community” that you or your associates are involved with so kindly save your frustrated, maniacal and venomous ranting for somebody else. You live in a country (USA) full of gun-nuts and wackos so just do me a favour? Don’t emigrate!
Daso Smi
Sudarsana