Large Radha Krishna Fountain for Auction
This statue is on auction. Starting bid is $80. It is a bit broken at one end, but the damage is so minor that no one would even notice that, plus it is possible to fix it.
The actual price was $130. Auction ends on Sunday 6th July at 8:30pm in the temple foyer. If anyone is interested please ring Hemang on 0421 632 345 or Sunil on 9959 4558.
Hindus Divided On “The Love Guru” Movie
http://www.religionnews.com/
USA, July 20, 2008: The latest character to test the good humor of Indian Americans is Mike Myers’ “The Love Guru,” a narcissistic spiritual leader whose goals in life are to meet girls and appear on “Oprah.” The film opened Friday (June 20) in theaters nationwide.
Enough is enough, some Hindu activists claim. For them, lampooning a guru crosses the line from acceptable social satire to mockery of a minority religious culture little understood by Americans. Some Hindu groups have asked Paramount Pictures for an apology and other initiatives. Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain from Nevada and a vocal protester, said “the problem is that cinema is a powerful medium, and people who are not well-versed in Hinduism get misinformed.”
But opinions differ inside the Hindu community. The Washington-based Hindu American Foundation had taken a wait-and-see approach and after a screening in Minneapolis on Thursday, board members found it “vulgar, crude … and tasteless” but nonetheless few screeners thought it “anti-Hindu or mean-spirited.” Vijaya Emani, former president of the Federation of India Community Associations in Ohio, had plain-spoken advice to Hindu protesters after seeing the film: “Lighten up.”
In the movie, Myers portrays the Indian-trained “Guru Pitka,” who oversees a self-help empire built on books such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Think Again.” Much of the humor seems to be aimed at 8-year-olds, with scores of attempts to elicit laughs based on bodily functions. Most reviews have been unfavorable, and the New York Times called the movie “unfunny.”
Deepak Sarma, an associate professor of religious studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, expressed concern that the film could fuel “a kind of jingoistic Americanism” that makes fun of those who are different. “The amount of damage for the understanding of Hinduism in America will be tremendous,” said Sarma, editor of “Hinduism: A Reader.”
Virginia Lam, a spokeswoman for Paramount said the new film is in the same spirit as Myers’ Austin Powers films. “No one could confuse, or has confused, this film as intending to tackle serious issues surrounding faith and religion just as no one confused Austin Powers as being a commentary on globalism and trans-Atlantic relations,” Lam said in a statement. While some advocate a boycott, others see the controversy as an opportunity to better explain Hinduism to an attentive media. “Sometimes, it takes perceived provocations such as this address topics such Hinduism in front of a larger audience,” said Brent Plate, an associate professor of religion and the visual arts at Texas Christian University. “In a strange way, they get us talking about these issues.”
courtesy of Hinduism Today http://www.hinduismtoday.com
ISKCON North America’s Official Statement on The Love Guru
http://namahatta.org/en/node/8012
On June 20, 2008, Paramount Pictures releases The Love Guru nationwide. The film tells the story of Guru Pitka (Mike Myers), a westerner raised at an Indian ashram, who grows up to be a high-profile and eccentric holy man come west.
While the level of humor contained in the film is crass, the comedy has drawn significant attention even before its official opening—both pro and con—and from Hindu-Americans concerned that it violates appropriate boundaries in dealing with a religious subject.
On behalf of the North American chapters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Vaishnava, or devotional Hindu organization with an ethnically diverse membership, we understand that many Hindus are concerned that the film may mock their faith. At the same time, having seen the film in its entirety, we find it to be a typical satire that does not intend to hurt religious sentiments.
While we respect the rights of others within the community to draw their own conclusions, we disagree with the calls to protest or boycott the film. We encourage the Hindu-American community to view the film in its context as a comedy, and to draw on the tolerance and broadmindedness that are hallmarks of our faith.
The Love Guru is a satire, a genre that typically replaces reality with contradictions and exaggerations. If however, some mistake satire for truth, then rather than be angered, we could take the opportunity to clarify misrepresentations and educate others about our authentic traditions. If approached in a constructive and proactive way, the film may even lead to increased tolerance, dialogue, and understanding between Hindus and non-Hindus.
We believe that pressuring filmmakers to censor , re-rate, or otherwise limit their artistic freedom is generally antithetical to the spirit of pluralism and tolerance within the Vedic, or Hindu culture. We recognize that, in certain cases, media depictions may so egregiously distort or maliciously denigrate our faith that boycotts, petitions, and other acts of protest are warranted. The Love Guru, however, is not such a case.
Members of most faith traditions are sensitive about aspects of their tradition being used as sources of humor. However, The Love Guru reminds us that it is wise for people of faith to also maintain a sense of humor-and to take the time to laugh (even at ourselves) once in a while.
Anuttama dasa
ISKCON Minister of Communications
Sample video snip of the movie:
http://news.iskcon.com/node/1071/2008-06-22/hare_krishnas_weigh_in_on_the_love_guru_controversy
Winds of change for ISKCON France
from http://www.dandavats.com/?p=5986 by Srinath das
From India to Ireland, Scotland to South Africa, America to Australia, Moscow to Mauritius, ISKCON (popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement) is accepted as a bona fide religious organization around the world and is recognized among learned academics (e.g. University of Cambridge, England). In France however, the influential anti-cult bureau (funded by the French government) has successfully introduced laws and policies constricting the activities of minority religious organizations and in 1989, has unfairly and unlawfully branded the Hare Krishna movement a dangerous cult, thereby creating unfounded fears in the public against us and curtailing our efforts to serve French society.
Two communication teams have been created in Paris & New Mayapur and they have met with the government representative for observing the cult issue and dealings with religious minorities. She has spoken positively on the Hare Krishna movement on French TV channel 2 and some more meetings will take place with her and the communication team.
Establishing Krishna Consciousness in Paris had not been easy due to discrimination for many years but there are positive signs now due to a number of auspicious things:
* The devotees have acquired a fully owned property for the new Temple in Paris.
* The French authorities will not allow us to open the temple unless our visitors have some space to park their vehicles. We have found such a car park, close to the temple and we are negotiating with the owner in order to get it.
* One devotee has been kind enough to buy a 50 square meter storefront for a preaching center on Rue de Pontoise, near one of the most famous restaurant in Paris La Tour D’Argent and near to the Notre Dame Cathedral.
* Better relationships with the government representatives.
* The new President of France, Mr.Nicolas Sarkozy is establishing better relationship with religious minorities and also with other faith organizations like Hinduism.
* Devotees have attended some Interfaith meetings regularly, particularly in New Mayapur area.
* Harinam in the Paris Metro is going on everyday and is known as the Metro Yoga ( http://metroyoga.fr ). People appreciate it so much that they often clap hands after the performance.
* The magazine ‘Bhakti’ is coming up again in French. The first special issue is titled - Le Rem de la Violence (Remedy for Violence).
* On the new year’s eve more than a thousand people followed the devotees chanting on the world’s most glamorous street the Champs-Elysees.
“If anyone wants to really experience bliss or as close to it as you can imagine - then take a break in Paris and go on Harinam. Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower. It’s terrific the place is crawling with thousands and thousands of tourists and locals and they really love the devotees, at least when they are dancing and chanting”. - Janananda Gosvami.
For pictures and videos - http://krishnaparis.com
- Srinath das
Five year old blind Korean girl plays piano
Check out this five year old girl who is an expert pianist, who in her short life was never taught to play, but who at three years old began to play incredibly complex pieces of music. Not only that but sings quite philosophically meaningful songs at the same time, she also can expertly play any song or tune by just hearing it once. They call her Genius Mozart, but who knows who she was previously in a previous birth to have carried her skills into this life:
http://www.thepostmanscorner.net/da/movies2200.html
YouTube has better quality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntReE2n15bo
Blind Pianist Ye Eun & Connie Talbot - listen to the voice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bppXP91b4nE
or this three year old child artist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrdRrAjpcDM&feature=related
Or these three kids, titled "Talent on Loan from God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pYAHps2HmI&feature=related
Read more on Reincarnation HERE >
Time to go Vego?
http://www.atmayoga.com.au/blog/?p=311
June 5, 2008
[via the BBC]
“The best solution would be for us all to become vegetarians”.
So suggested the head of the UN climate agency, Yvo de Boer, who is attending UN-led climate talks in Germany this week. He was responding to criticism that measures to tackle climate change are partly to blame for the rise in food and energy costs. Carbon-cutting biofuels, for example, use food crops to make alternatives to gasoline.
Meanwhile, Patrick Wall, chairman of the European Food Safety Authority, has questioned whether it is “morally or ethically correct” to be feeding grain to animals while people starve. Speaking to the Times, he argued that it’s time to end the EU ban on the use of animal remains to feed pigs and chickens. Lifting the ban would allow grain to be diverted to millions of starving people.
And the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, hosting a much publicised summit in Rome this week, has warned of global catastrophe unless food reaches parts of the world where it is needed most.
So, does the global food crisis demand a radical rethink of how we distribute food? Should we worry less about feeding our animals and prioritise getting grain to people suffering food shortages - even if that affects the availability of meat?
Is it time for us all to become vegetarian?
BBC Newsnight vegetarianism
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=5901
Radha Mohan das: Please visit this blog and make comments. Last night Nightnight on the BBC discussed the issue of vegetarianism because the issue came up in the UN Conference.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2008/06/is_it_time_to_turn_vegetarian.html
ys Radha Mohan das
Bhaktivedanta Manor Communications Secretary
Dozens of Krishna Conscious Videos and More at SastraDana.com
View all videos here:
http://sastradana.com/html/video1.htm
Listen to Bhagavad-gita Online
If you like listening to Gita online you can do so on the following
link.
http://www.gitamrta.org
For more news in the world of ISKCON, please visit:
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