Week Ahead 28 January - 4 February

Dear Friends,

This week we welcome Ambarish Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, chairman of the board for construction of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur and he is the great grandson of Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company.

Srila Prabhupada was a true visionary. He wanted to offer the world a temple with a detailed vision of the Vedic cosmology as described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur narrated a description of the future development of Mayapur given by Sri Nityananada Prabhu to Srila Jiva Gosvami: “One exceedingly wonderful temple (adbhuta-mandira) will appear from which Gauranga’s eternal service will be preached everywhere.”  It was during Srila Prabhupada’s last visit to America that Prabhupada asked Ambarish Prabhu to provide the funds for this adbhuta mandir, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Srila Prabhupada said that the secret of success in spiritual life is to try and fulfill the desires of the previous acharyas. Therefore our mission is to please Srila Prabhupada and the previous acharyas by developing this temple in a way that most closely follows the instructions and vision of Srila Prabhupada. We invite you to join us on this journey of fulfilling the vision of that great visionary, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Week Ahead

Thursday, 30 January 

Business Breakfast with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry:

ECONOMIC ETHICS FOR A NEW  WORLD OF BUSINESS

Coastlands Hotel, Umhlanga

8:00am for 8:30am

Members:  R350,00 pp

Non Member:  R450,00 pp

RSVP:  Sharmala Pillay – 031 335 1017 | pillays@durbanchamber.co.za

Friday, 31 January

Evening Banquet with Ambarish Prabhu

Rising Sun Conference Hall

Scottsburgh

RSVP Haridev Das – 039 978 300 | haridev@telkomsa.net

Saturday, 1 February

Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Presentation with Ambarish Prabhu at 4pm

Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

RSVP Divesh Maharaj – vaishnava.research@gmail.com | 084 0625 630

Sunday, 2 February

Sunday Love Feast with Ambarish Prabhu 

New Jagannath Puri Temple at 11am

Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple at 4pm

If you are in Matric or University then meet Ambarish Prabhu at 3pm in Srila Prabhupada’s Room. He will discuss Balancing Spirituality and Career.

Monday, 3 February

Kendra Business Forum in Association with ISKCON hosts Mr. Alfred Ford

Kendra Lower Level Hall 

5.30pm for 6:00pm

RSVP Divesh Maharaj – vaishnava.research@gmail.com | 084 0625 630

Two-day Seminar with His Holiness Bhakti Narasimha Swami

The Significance of the Names of Krishna 

based on the Bhagavad-gita

Thursday & Friday , 30th & 31st January

7:00pm - 8:00pm

Srila Prabhupada’s Room

Please bring writing material

Please note that there is an unavoidable delay in dispatching the January/February issue of Back To Godhead magazine. You can expect it in the post after the second week of February.

Finally, after receiving some late results, we are happy to announce that Radha Radhanath Temple distributed even more books than reported last week: 30 014 books over a period of 30 days. Congratulations to all who participated and may Srila Prabhupada bless all your endeavours. 

As always, we look forward to seeing you and hope this finds you in the best spirits,

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

T: 031 4033328  |  F: 031 4034429  |  www.iskcondurban.net  |  temple@iskcondurban.net

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/DurbanKrishna  |  Twitter: http://twitter.com/DurbanKrishna

One Book Can Change a Life - Message from Vibhu Caitanya Das and Week Ahead

Dear Devotees,

Hare Krishna. I trust you are having great start to the year. 

We held a sankirtan festival on Sunday and I wanted to share our scores and some of my hopes with regards to book distribution. Many devotees were inspired by Srila Narottama Das Thakur’s letter to Srila Jiva Gosvami: "Until we are able to develop another type of technology to print the books, due to the difficulty involved in creating books by hand (which is being neglected), most of our book distribution programme will be postponed. We are sure that one day some magnanimous person will come and will develop the movement of ecstatic love of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, distributing books all over the world. Until then, what will we — persons who are poor, bereft and abominable — do?”

For the 2013 Srila Prabhupada Book Marathon, devotees at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple embarked on a mission to please Srila Prabhupada and Srila Narottama Das Thakur by strategising weeks before the marathon on how we could distribute more books. We set a goal of 40 000 books and while we did not reach our goal, we saw a 30% increase from the scores the previous year:

Book Distribution Statistics
Year	Total Books	Total Points
2009	8574	11615,5
2010	16228	8828,2
2011	13448	7501,3
2012	18575	7851,5
2013	24026	16210

Whether you distributed 1 book or 10 000 books, what pleases us is your sincere endeavour to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books. I beg all of you to please continue in your own sincere way throughout the year. Don't  forget to always have books with you, while traveling, at work, or at home. You never know who is in need of a treasure. This year the devotees will begin planning the marathon in June. Now let us double it, individually we can present Srila Prabhupada a small offering but collectively we can offer a "Maha Maha” offering, introducing more souls at his lotus feet.

My sincere thanks to all the devotees who helped with organisation, as well as the back up team at the temple book office. I also congratulate the other centres around Durban and the greater KZN areas in participating in the marathon. 

This week we are blessed with His Grace Ksudhi Prabhu’s association. 

Week Ahead

Wednesday, 22 January 

Special Evening Programme: Reflections of the Past - Spiritual Nourishment for the Future with Ksudhi Prabhu at 7pm

Other guest speakers: Mr. Bob Narandas and Mr. Champak Soni

Sunday, 26 January

Love Feast at 3pm with Ksudhi Prabhu

Monday, 27 January 

Ekadasi

Fast from grains, beans, and legumes.

Tuesday, 28 January

Break fast 05.21 - 09.52

I looking forward to seeing you at the temple.

Your servant and friend

Vibhu Caitanya Das

Chandan Yatra & Sankirtan Festival

Farewell Giri Govardhan Dhari Prabhu

Dear Friends,

Giri Govardhan Dhari Prabhu, a disciple of His Holiness Giriraj Swami,
passed away today. He served Sri Sri Radha Radhanath for over twenty
years and many will remember him serving caranamrita on Sundays.

His funeral will be tomorrow, Wednesday, at 10.30am at Sri Sri Radha
Radhanath Temple and at 2pm at Clare Estate Cremetorium.

Giri Govardhan Dhari Prabhu's 3rd day memorial service led by His
Holiness Partha Sarathi Das Goswami will be on Saturday, at 6.30pm at
Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami will be giving a special lecture on
Thursday, 16 January, at 7pm at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple. Topic:
Counteracting the Modern Effects of the Age of Kali

Special Sunday Love Feast - Chandan Darshan of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath
and Sankirtan Festival with His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami at 3pm.
Book distributors will share their stories and receive awards.

Devotees are invited to come and help grind chandan during the course
of the week for Sri Sri Radha Radhanath's special chandan darshan.

We look forward to seeing you at the temple.

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

Weekend with His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami

Krishna's Vrindavan Pastimes Seminar:

Friday: 7pm

Saturday: 1-3pm and 5-7pm (prasad 3-5pm)

Sunday: 11am-1pm

Maharaja will be at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Sunday Love Feast, a special memorial programme for His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu at 3pm.

Tribute to His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu

A Tribute to His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu

By Rukmini Devi Dasi 

On behalf of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

On October 12th 1953 our dear Shyamlal Prabhu was born in Navadwipa, the lap of Lord Caitanya. He was just 17 years old when the sight of Srila Prabhupada’s “dancing white elephants” captured his heart. He left home in the middle of the night and joined ISKCON in Kolkata. He was one of the first Bengali devotees to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada. Accepting the devotees as his family and Srila Prabhupada as his eternal father, he never looked back.

Throughout his life his main services were fundraising and cultivating life members. It was what Srila Prabhupada asked him to do, and he never stopped. Initially he served in India with Gargamuni Prabhu. Later Srila Prabhupada called on his young Bengali disciple to go to Africa and assist Brahmananda Prabhu in ISKCON projects there. Shyamlal Prabhu’s faith in his spiritual master’s words is deeply admirable. He didn’t hesitate. He would fondly recollect how Srila Prabhupada told him, “Serve these two brothers, Gargamumi and Brahmananda. That is as good as serving me directly.”

He later married Sri Murti Mataji and they settled in South Africa in the early 1980’s where they had three beautiful children, Jahnavi, Radhe and Abhay. In the words of Bhakti Brnga Govinda Swami, “Sri Murti, is a wonderful Vaishnavi who has always assisted her husband 10,000% in all of his preaching.” Entering and staying in South Africa was by no means an easy feat. Apartheid was in its prime and foreigners were unwelcome. He often remembered how his passport read, ‘Valid for all countries except South Africa”. Getting the required visas was nothing short of a miracle and he was gratefully aided by Devarata Prabhu, who would become a lifelong friend.  

Once in South Africa his sankirtan services resumed with full gusto. He spent years traveling the length and breadth of this country raising funds. No doubt every brick of the majestic Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, our shelter to this day, has his name on it. Yet that is not his only glory. He attracted thousands of people to the path of devotional service with his mood of “conscientious cultivation” of caring for others. It was not uncommon for him to drive for hours on Janmastami day just to deliver maha-prasadam to a distant donor. It is said that you know a great man by how he treats the little people. Shyamlal Prabhu was loved by all, giants or otherwise.

His love for Srila Prabhupada was truly something to witness. On Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapujas hundreds of bhoga offerings would come streaming in to the temple. He would personally teach the devotees how the different preparation should be classified and the specific order in which they should be presented to Srila Prabhupada. Then he would sit and lovingly offer Srila Prabhupada the devotees’ culinary efforts. He embodied wisdom, culture and guru-bhakti. In the autumn of his life the love for Srila Prabhupada that he harboured in his heart was made evident for the world to see. He would cherish the memories of how he was Srila Prabhupada’s “dealer”. He would smuggle in Prabhupada’s favourite sweets like rasagula and rasamalai. It was their secret. He remained fully absorbed in remembrance of Srila Prabhupada at every moment, and seldom had anything else to say.

Day and night, Shyamlal Prabhu would recite the following verses:

vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya

“A mental speculator cannot understand the mind of a Vaishnava.”

Who could understand the mind of Shyamlal Prabhu - a mind purified by years of selfless service and imbued with love.

tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa

janame janame haya, ei abhilasa

“Birth after birth, I desire to serve the lotus feet of the acaryas and live in a society of devotees.”

On January 5th 2014 at 6:50 pm His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu left this material world. As a yatra we place our heads at the dust of his lotus feet in gratitude.  He leaves behind a wonderful family and multitudes of devotees who will honour his passing with deep sadness.

“I was an atheist,” said Devarata Prabhu, “A proud law student.  Shyamlal Prabhu taught be humility, tolerance and respect.  And finally he taught me practically that I am not this body by using his own body as an example.”

We cherish the memory of his personal presence and are infinity blessed to have had him walk among us.Thank you Shyamlal Prabhu.

Honouring His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu

Dear Devotees and Friends,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu.

The Vaishnava community is feeling the sadness of Shyamlal Prabhu’s departure. Devotees are welcome to write tributes at http://iskcondurban.net/?page_id=2616

Please find below our programme to honour His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu.

Your servant

Vibhu Caitanya Das

Goodbye Shyamlal Prabhu

We sadly announce the passing away of His Grace Shyamlal Prabhu, beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Shyamlal Prabhu was a pillar of strength, kindness, and compassion to all who were blessed to have known him. Funeral details to be announced.

2014 Message - 2-10 January

Dear Friends,

Our warmest wishes to you in 2014. 2013 was an eventful year for Sri
Sri Radha Radhanath Temple. We received a prestigious award from the
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism Awards for best
landmark. Lord Jagannath strolled down the beachfront after many
years. Our outreach programme attracted many new people to Krishna
consciousness. BYS, our campus programme, has increased to nine events
a week and sees a marked increase in interested students. We find that
on weekends many families and students choose to spend their time
at the temple by booking a guest flat or staying in the ashram. We
have a stronger presence on social media. Do not forget to like our
Facebook page and follow DurbanKrishna on Twitter, if you haven't done
so already. Daily Darshan is hugely popular with temples around the
world requesting photos of our beloved Sri Sri Radha Radhanath for
their calendars, etc. Remember we have three beautiful calendars, with
holy days, for sale at the temple.

We are planing inspiring programmes and projects for 2014 and you can look
forward to all our major festivals and more. While we experienced some 
challenges in 2013, in 2014 we are looking forward to overcoming these 
challenges. Temple restoration will continue and by 2015 the temple will be even more captivating than ever. The Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple is home to Sri Sri Radha
Radhanath, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Giriraj Govardhan, Srila
Prabhupada and you. You do not need an invitation to enter your home,
so remember come by as often as you can. Let's all hear, chant and
dance together for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath.

Finally, do not miss the Love Feast this Sunday at 4pm with His
Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions to improve.

Your friends at Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple