1968 November 20: "Bhaktivinoda Thakura was associating with impersonalists for sometime and then he manifested himself as pure devotee. So there is no misunderstanding. Everything must be understood through the transparent via media of the bona fide Spiritual Master."
1969 November 20: "We do not mind if there is no savings. Our policy should be to collect millions of dollars and to spend also millions of dollars or sometimes more. But we should be very careful that we may not be extravagant."
1971 November 20: "My Guru Maharaja used to say, 'Anything material, if it is used for the service of Krishna, it is a mistake to give it up.' Because I understood this principle, he used to appreciate me in front of my godbrothers. Why you big leaders do not understand?"
1974 November 20: "So we should not be confused. A big nation, a big worker, a big ascetic, and all similar big attempts, if they are devoid of bhagavad-bhakti, then such big qualities are exactly like the decoration of a dead body."
1975 November 20: "Produce just enough for our own use. If you start trading business, then so many problems will be there. Trading leads to envy and jealousy and cheating, then everything is lost."
1975 November 20: "Why increase business? This is not required. He came to India simply for business so I gave him sannyasa and now he is finished with all business. Business should be discouraged, our business is simply book distribution."
1975 November 20: "Personal example - this is our process of preaching - not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and we are not that kind of cheater."
1975 November 20: "Whatever is suitable, that you should do. This is the meaning of plain living and high thinking. But if the chanting of Hare Krsna is not there, then no high thinking will be there."
"Oh Tulasi, you previously appeared in this world due to the demigods. The demigods and demons together worship you. Please remove all of my sins. I pay my obeisances unto you..." (Hari Bhakti Vilasa 9/101) Oh Tulasi Devi, please remove all sinful propensities from our hearts that we may sincerely hanker for the darsana of the Divine Couple.
The Govardhan Puja festival was celebrated on 28th of October, 2011 the day after Divali at the temple grounds with much colour and gaiety. Lord Indra had become furious that the people of Gokul were not celebrating the festival in his honour thus lashed at them with heavy rains. When the Brajavasis pleaded with Krsna for help the Lord lifted Mount Govardhan as if it was an umbrella with His little finger so that everyone could take shelter under it. He held it for seven days to protect them from the deluge that Indra had sent. After this event Lord Krishna came to be known as Giridhari or Govardhandhari. 
Devotees around the world celebrate this pastime yearly by building a replica of Govardhan with prasadam, then place a murti of Lord Krishna atop and finally circumambulate the ‘Anna-koot’ swaying to the rhythm of sweet kirtana. ISKCON Adelaide celebrated the festival with a slight twist. A mount of rocks which had been erected for landscaping to enhance the beauty of the gardens (thanks to our Christian predecessors) served as the focal point for this colourful festival. The rock-formation represented the legendary Govardhan in Mathura and a Giriraj sila representing Krsna was placed on the ‘hillock’. A mountain of goodies like sweets, cakes, cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, chutneys, pickles, and salads were placed in front of the deity and offerings made. 
Inside the temple a skit on ‘Indra Yajna Bhangam’ was performed by children to the appreciation of all. After a discourse on this lila by HG Adi Purusa Krsna dasa the ‘Anna koot’ was distributed to the large group of devotees that had turned up for the event. 
Click here to see more photos from Adelaide Govardhana Puja 2011 Click here to see the Adelaide ISKCON web site
1. Define your top priorities each day 2. Organize and execute around your top priorities 3. Make a list of 10 points that describe your optimal day 4. Read it several times a day to remind yourself 5. Simplify your life by doing fewer things better 6. Do not spend time on less important things 7. Choose your company wisely 8. Be careful what you watch, read and hear 9. Do something to help yourself 10. Do something to helps others
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, 2011) Lecture – Become a champion chanter
Through such mantras one can do something undoubtedly. So if we chant the Hanuman Chalisa on all the windows…..every window! Just to make sure that nothing will happen. So like that we are into the ritual, but when we understand the essence of the ritual, is when the boss is satisfied. You don’t have to go to through the normal procedures. If the boss is satisfied, then it is okay, you will surpass everything. Therefore if we turn to Krishna, then it is not required. Of course, some ways of making offerings to Krishna is also there, but it becomes simplified, and yet the bhakti increases….the dedication must increase. So we are not so concerned. I was in a house program, and the people had cooked pure vegetarian food and they asked our devotees to offer it, and the devotees did that. But then one brahmacari, had two people standing with him with the harinam chadhar, and it was going on behind the hariman chadhar. Suddenly a lot of smoke….a lot….and loud bells sounded, ‘ting…ting…ting!’ And there is smoke everywhere: “Now it is really prasadam!” It was a lot of smoke, but it is not like that at all, since the smoke is one bundle of incense. A big bundle of incense – that is the smoke. It is not about how many bells were ringing or the amount of smoke, since it is simply about bhakti, and how one is dedicated to Krishna with purity in the heart….that is what counts! When the pure devotee offers it very simple, but he does it with full bhakti, then the full potency is there! So we must understand the difference between bhakti and ritualistic activity, and that bhakti is beyond all ritualistic activity. And in the chanting of Hare Krishna brings us to the point of developing love for Krishna, which goes beyond ritual!
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.14-18 - The people in general in this age of Kali are too much interested in matter, which is temporary. Because of ignorance they are unable to evaluate the assets of life and be enlightened in spiritual knowledge.
4:17 A.M. The Bhattacarya ran after Amogha to strike him with a stick but Amogha fled so fast that the Bhattacarya could not catch him. Seeing the lamentation of both husband and wife, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu tried to pacify them. According to their desire, He ate the prasadam and was very satisfied. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu [...] Poem for November 17 is a post from: EVERY DAY
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, 2011) Lecture – Become a champion chanter 
Lord Siva wanted to enter the pastimes of Lord Krishna and the gopis. So he took a form of a gopi and came to Vrindavan……………….. and just as he was about to sneak in, Krishna saw him and said: “Oh, Lord Siva. How are you? I was just looking for you! There are so many intruders who try to sneak into this rasa dance. I just needed someone to stand guard, and you are the perfect person! In this way Lord Siva became Gopīśvara. In Vrindavan we see this liṅgas called Gopīśvara of Lord Siva, who is guarding the rasa dance. In some days they are dressing up this liṅgas as a gopi, to remind them of how Lord Siva was trying to sneak in to this pastime. So no one can enter, If Lord Siva cannot enter, than can we enter? It’s not so simple…..it’s not so easy!
If you want to serve others, you have to take good care of yourself. If you don't do it, who will? Here are some ideas to take care of your body, mind and spirit: - Better diet - More movement - Time to think and reflect - Time to write important insights - Time to plan and determine your highest priorities - Time to read inspiring books - Talking to someone who has your best interest at heart
4:33 A.M. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to go to Vrndavana and Maharaja Prataparudra became very morose upon hearing this news. When Lord Caitanya consulted with Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma, saying, “I shall go to Vrndavana,” they requested Him to first observe the Ratha-yatra festival and when Karttika came He could go to Vrndavana. However [...] Poem for November 18 is a post from: EVERY DAY
From Memories “Those Days and These” “Praghosa dasa asked me to again assign value to living in the 1966 days with Prabhupada. He put it like this: “‘In 1966, ISKCON seemed so sublime. It not only had a single purpose but a single method of achieving that purpose, and this personally guided [...] Selected Writings is a post from: EVERY DAY
4:33 A.M. Svarupa Damodara requested Lord Caitanya to take Balabhadra Bhattacarya and another brahmana on His travels to Vrndavana. The Lord entered the solitary forest chanting the names of Krishna. All the tigers and elephants, seeing Him, gave way. Balabhadra was very afraid of all the animals, but by Lord Caitanya’s influence they all stood [...] Poem for November 19 is a post from: EVERY DAY
From The Qualities of Sri Krishna “11. Highly Learned “Srila Rupa Gosvami’s definition of highly learned includes ‘highly educated’ and ‘acting on moral principles.’ This is different that the modern standard of academic education, where a ‘brilliant’ teacher is not discredited for his sinful habits. Krishna’s dealings, however, are always full of kindness and [...] Selected Writings is a post from: EVERY DAY
From Vrndavana Writing August 28 1:00 A.M. “‘Using their upraised ears as vessels, the cows are drinking the nectar of the flutesong flowing out of Krishna’s mouth. The calves, their mouths full of milk from their mother’s moist nipples, stand still as they take Govinda within themselves through their tear-filled eyes and embrace Him with [...] Selected Writings is a post from: EVERY DAY
Hare Krsna my dear devotees. I hope your week of chanting has been fine and that you have entered the weekend full of nice realizations on spiritual life and with lots of energy to chant the holy names of the Lord.
Once I have heard that when we move towards the Lord once, He moves many times towards us - this means that any effort we make to improve our service Krsna reciprocates tremendously with His mercy and love in our direction. We will never be lonely and we will always be protected. When we forget about our service and when we do not dedicate to our chanting, actually we are moving away from Krsna but He is not, He is always there for us waiting for a tiny opportunity to reciprocate with our love.
I am not talking about all the great vaisnavas that dedicate their lives to Krsna and spend hours serving the Lord....thinking of Him and preaching to others about the Lord`s glories, these ones are so protected that they can`t even imagine how precious they are to the Lord.
This month some countries are celebrating Thanksgiving and it's a month to be grateful for something we have, definitely we should be grateful all the time but if we can choose this time for that, I can say that I am so grateful I have got this chanting of the Holy Names, that I have devotees's association and also that I have got Srila Prabhupada's mercy through his books and teachings. What can you be grateful for this month?
Wishing you a wonderful week of chanting.
your servant,
Aruna devi
By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 18 Nov 2011 Originally launched as Krishna Camp in 2006, when younger ISKCON devotees from New Vrindaban established a presence at just two alternative festivals—West Virginia’s Rainbow Gathering and Nevada’s Burning Man—Krishna Kitchen has since evolved into a full scale prasadam catering company that hit fifteen events across the U.S. this year. And it’s making prasadam—pure vegetarian food sanctified by being offered to Lord Krishna—more and more popular amongst people who don’t just find it delicious but also understand its value. This year, Nitai Dasa, who joined ISKCON in New Vrindaban in 1998, distributed over 100,000 pieces of prasadam along with his crew, who have been on the road for a straight shot from mid July to mid October this year. It’s an ambitious program, which aims for excellence in every area. Nitai’s fifteen-person core crew, for instance, consists of some of ISKCON’s top chefs and managers. There’s former Gita Nagari temple president Advaita Acharya Dasa, who currently runs an outreach center in San Antonio, Texas; Nanda-Nandana Dasi, former head cook of ISKCON Boston and currently running an outreach center in Northampton, Massacheussets; and Sunanda Dasa, former head chef of the Radha Damodara Traveling Sankirtan Party, Kalachandji’s restaurant in Dallas, and The Krishna House in Gainesville, Florida. “We decided to invest in dependable, skilled devotees who run their own outreach centers, so that we are not just paying people to maintain themselves, but are also supporting worthwhile ISKCON projects,” Nitai says. “Our ultimate goal is to generate enough revenue through prasadam sales for them to maintain their centers year around.” While in previous years, Krishna Kitchen staff cooked out of the back of trailers and trucks, this year, they’ve also aimed for top quality equipment, renting a twenty-foot kitchen trailer and using a thirty gallon propane-powered tilt-skillet that can cook enough subji for four hundred plates at one time. Nitai has also gotten the best training in large scale catering that ISKCON has to offer. “In 2009, I spent two months in Australia studying under the president of the New Govardhana farm Ajita Dasa, who has mastered prasadam distribution at festivals,” he says. “He and his team cater at over fifty festivals and make millions of dollars every year. So I studied their menu, production flow, and strategies on where to cut corners and where not to.” Ajita’s formula, Nitai explains, is KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid!—a reminder to those in catering who often get carried away with too many products and find themselves overwhelmed. “Our menu is similar to theirs, with a few regional variations,” Nitai says. “We have a main course of royal rice, mixed veggie curry, savory kofta balls, tomato chutney and halava. Often in California, where people are very health-focused, we replace the halava with salad, and have several raw food items such as raw Thai curry and Nori rolls. Samosas, one of our few side options, are also very popular—we’ve sold upwards of 1,500 in three days. We also differ from Australia in that our whole menu is vegan. We find it easier to cook for a broad audience rather than having to provide multiple options.” Krishna Kitchen caters at a multitude of yoga, sacred music, environmental and alternative festivals from coast to coast, including Oregon’s Beloved Festival and Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, California. But its two largest scale events, by far, are Vermont’s Wanderlust, the largest yoga/music festival in America, and Burning Man, a week-long festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert celebrating community, art, self-expression and self-reliance that draws over 50,000 people. “We spent seventeen days there this year,” Nitai says. “The first week, before the festival, we fed the hundreds of artists who were out there constructing the temporary city and fabricating all the major art installations for the event. It meant a lot to them to receive this gourmet food while they were out there toiling under intense deadlines and weather conditions.” Later, at the main Burning Man event, Krishna Kitchen delivered 1,000 plates of a special international menu every day. They also catered for the Burning Man administration—whom Nitai praises as being ‘responsible for producing the largest festival of its kind on the face of the earth’ with a twelve-course Indian feast including eggplant curd subji, opulent rice and urad dahl, strawberry avocado salad, spinach pakoras, samosas, two chutneys, and gulabjamuns. Finally, they were invited to cater for Burning Man’s special TED conference, TEDx Black Rock City, a one-day event of talks and performances exploring the frontiers of human knowledge and experience. “We served 1,000 sweet potato patras—a kind of swirly Gujarati fritter made with spinach and chickpea flour— along with apple chutney to the six hundred-strong crowd,” Nitai says. “The reception was very positive.” Meanwhile at Wanderlust, Krishna Kitchen also catered a pre-festival event, the yoga teacher’s retreat Anusara Grand Circle, which saw several hundred teachers of the increasingly popular Anusara yoga gather from all over the country with founder John Friend. Knowing the multiple offerings devotees had to contribute, Friend also invited them to produce a combined Krishna Kitchen and Kirtan Café in the Village Anusara section of Wanderlust. “We created a kirtan/temple space with a full altar, decorated it with a fusion of Orissan cloths and South Indian brass lamps, and had a variety of kirtan artists from ISKCON and beyond perform,” says Nitai. An extremely popular yoga teacher whose classes have been known to sell out 1,000 tickets, John Friend received a Bhagavad-gita As It Is in 1972 in a McDonald’s parking lot in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, and never forgot the devotees. “I just recently brought him prasadam at a program he was doing in Ohio, and he was super excited,” Nitai says. “He’s gone out of his way to express his desire to have prasadam at not only the Anusara Grand Circle, but at all his yoga retreats.” Other major yoga teachers such as Shiva Rea, as well as Wanderlust’s impressive crop of widely-known music artists also repeatedly request prasadam by name. Michael Franti, who recently had a US Top 20 hit with his song Say Hey (I Love You), and just finished a tour with Carlos Santana, called Krishna Kitchen staff backstage to feed him and his band members prasadam after their performance. “He was very expressive in his appreciation for the quality of the food, and went out of his way to thank us and invite us to other events he participates in,” Nitai says. “All these top tier people in the spiritual yoga scene—Michael Franti, John Friend, Shiva Rea—are very appreciative of and desirous of association with devotees. To them, we are not just some strange alternative sect—they have a commonality with us and respect us as bhakti yogis and deep spiritual practioners. And while they may not have taken to the process of Krishna consciousness themselves, it has definitely impacted them and added to their spiritual lives.” To create an even more impactful experience of Krishna consciousness at the festivals he caters, Nitai has been gradually adding other interactive cultural elements to the Krishna Kitchen set-up. At the last five festivals on this year’s tour, for instance, second-generation artists Gundica Dasi and Kuvaleshaya Dasa—whose father Nara-Narayana Dasa was the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s art director from 1975 to 1980—devised an interactive way to sell coconuts and other food products. “They decorated our booth with custom fabric from Jagannath Puri, India, and transformed Kuva into the host, this character called The Coconut Baba,” Nitai says. “He wore a turban and glow-in-the-dark tilak, had his eyelids painted to look like another set of eyes, and sat on a vyasasana decorated with coconuts and lamps, chopping coconuts for hours. He drew large crowds, and would lecture them in Krishna conscious philosophy in an avant garde way—because he was playing a character, he could get away with anything. Meanwhile prasadam was being sold and kirtan was playing in the background. It brought the whole booth to life and made it so unique compared to the other stalls’ ordinary ‘Give us some money, here’s a pizza slice and a bottle of bubbly water’ exchanges.” In the future Nitai hopes that the Krishna Kitchen experience will become even more interactive—he is working with other devotee-run projects to create a larger, more diverse space at festivals that will give people a more vibrant, powerful presentation of Krishna consciousness. For now, however, he’s focusing on excellence in prasadam catering. Next year, he hopes that Krishna Kitchen will have its own custom-built kitchen trailer, created specifically for its needs. “Already people see our food as not only consistent, flavorful, and top-quality, but they also recognize the Bhakti,” he says. “They understand that we have devotion integrated into our food that can’t be easily replicated. That’s why when event organizers book us to feed their event staff and artists, they specifically ask for prasadam by name. They understand the dynamic difference and the power behind spiritualized food.” Nitai feels that the majority of the general public is initially drawn to devotees not by high philosophy, but by kirtan or prasadam. Prasadam, in particular, has the broadest appeal, and the greatest ability to give people a positive perspective of Krishna consciousness, and, ultimately, to transform their hearts. “People are so much more interested in discussing philosophy with us once they’re totally addicted to our food,” Nitai concludes with a grin. See article with pictures: http://news.iskcon.com/node/4030/2011-11-18/krishna_kitchen_makes_prasadam_fans_of_us_festivalgoers#ixzz1eAOvPzMj
It is cool but bright and sunny and the auction I was going to go to today I am skipping because there is rain in the forecast for tomorrow and still too many things to do in the garden to that potential bargains will have to go unrealized. When you plant a landscape you have to plan for all 4 seasons. Some earn a place by dramatic spring time flowering but others are inconspicuous during the growing season then earn their spot in the winter. The ornamental grasses fall into this category. This morning the sun is shining through the dried seed-heads of some ornamental grasses I planted last year that came into their own this year. The picture doesn’t do it justice, my camera can’t capture the effect but with the sun behind the seed-heads they look translucent and shiny. They are glowing. They will hold up all winter so that is a nice visual interest for the snowy days ahead. 
I haven’t bundled up my fig as it can get quite cold before it needs the protection but I did have to get my fragrant native azaleas covered. The deer nibble on the buds and will wipe them out early in the fall so as fast as the leaves drop I have to cover them. 
It is a little trouble but the fragrance next spring is so heady that it is well worth the effort. “Just like you’ll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. “Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience. Similar… Therefore the field or the earth is not exploding with the vegetation. It is due to the sunshine. Therefore it is coming out. It is the real cause. “Similarly, accepting that chunk, the total material energy, it is agitated by the glance of Maha-Visnu. Then it explodes and things are coming out. We can accept that in that way, but not that automatically there was explosion. That is not fact. “Therefore to the foolish person, the power behind the explosion is not visible. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. Therefore Krsna says that “I am not visible to everyone, they being covered by the curtain of yoga-maya.” Mudhah nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. Tribhir gunamayir bhavair mohitah. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.12 — Mayapur, April 5, 1975
(continued from yesterday) Love for the heart: Our deepest hunger is our heart’s hunger for love. When we are starved of love, that starvation strangles our desire to live; love-less living soon becomes life-less living. To make life worth living, all of us offer our love somewhere, be it to a person or a possession or a pet or an idea or a hobby or whatever. However, these objects can never reciprocate with our offerings of love adequately: being limited, they can’t satisfy completely; being temporary, they can’t satisfy permanently. But when we decide to offer our love first and foremost to Krishna, recognizing the futility of all substitutes, he being the possessor of all attractive qualities draws our love like no one else. And for our every offering of love, he being infinite and eternal reciprocates perfectly by filling and flooding our heart with ever-increasing love. This love-flood not only sates our heart’s hunger fully, but also overflows to sate the heart’s hunger of many, many others. 
[The Won-Durr Boiz diary series is based on four ex-gurukuli brothers (surname: Durr) coming together for the first time to share Krsna consciousness with the outside world. Madhavendra Puri (the author and middle elder) has been waiting in Radhadesh (Belgium) for his brothers to arrive. Nitai Canda (the eldest) and Rupa Gosvami (the youngest) arrive first, and Bhisma Deva (the middle younger) is scheduled to come half way through. Their adventure takes them through Belgium, Germany and Poland, for rathayatras, festival tours and kirtana events. These diaries aim to bring inspiration and joy to the readers, and hopefully encourage others to entangle themselves in Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtana movement – whether for the spiritual benefits or simply for the fun.] 
[Tour diaries in audio. Gotta love it.] Diary for the 8th Read original post: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com] Subscribe: [http://maddmonk.wordpress.com/subscribe] Poland (21) . Poland (22) 
 It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.
I spent November 11-15th in Nova Gokula, the most famous rural temple in ISKCON Brazil. Two important events took place there during this holiday weekend: the national meetings of the ISKCON Brazil leaders and a 48h Kirtan. 
Nova Gokula is a very special place with an authentic “dhama vibe” as a result of the intense devotion that has been cultivated there for over three decades, the passage of thousands of devotees and pilgrims and, of course, the presence of the Divine Couple in the temple in the form of Sri Sri Radha-Gokulananda . The focus of the meetings of the National Council (CGB) was a leadership course taught by Hanuman Prabhu. The highlight of the course was Devamrta Maharaja’s daily talk on leadership, the GBC’s strategic planning innovations and devotee care. Devamrta Maharaja is the GBC for Brazil and has, in his own subtle and cautious way, brought about important changes to ISKCON Brazil. One of the important decisions that came about was the appointment of three new Zonal secretaries: Dhanvantari Swami , Yamunacarya Prabhu and me. Hanuman Prabhu continues as Zonal Secretary, so now we have four working together in Brazil. Being the youngest and least experienced next to these three great Vaishnavas, I was appointed Zonal Secretary “candidate”, which means I have to “prove myself” on the job in the next 18-24 months. I ask for the blessings of the Vaishnavas in this regard! 
Devamrta Maharaja gave a brilliant Srimad Bhagavatam class on Saturday, speaking on how sad it is to grow old without spiritual advancement, where desires continue piling up, but the senses are no longer able to act, death is approaching and everything is lost. 
The 48h Kirtan started on Saturday. This great event was organized by Vaikuntha Murti Prabhu, who has proved himself time and time again as very competent in organizing tours and events. We had 48 hours non-stop chanting of the maha-mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare! World renowned kirtaneers came from the US, Argentina and India: Amala Kirtan, Amala Harinam (pictured above), Ajamil Prabhus and Gunagrahi Maharaja. Hundreds of participants swam in an ocean of nectar of the holy names of Krishna in great bliss! Great association, great kirtans, beautiful Deities and a chance to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission: what else could one ask for?
We celebrated the wedding of Raphael and Tania this afternoon. Raphael is the son of Shyamananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada's disciple famous for the various paintings up in Srila Prabhupada's room here in Melbourne. Tania is the daughter of Doug, who has also met Srila Prabhupada. Despite the rain, the ceremony was a real success and all the guests were very satisfied; thanks to the combined effort of Gangeswara Prabhu, Sri Murti Mataji, Adrian Prabhu, Jess Mataji and all the beautiful devotees who have eagerly assisted them. Here's the slideshow.
Jim Wilson/The New York Times The California Valley Solar Ranch under construction near Santa Margarita.
WASHINGTON — Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on a former cattle ranch and gypsum mine, NRG Energy is building an engineering marvel: a compound of nearly a million solar panels that will produce enough electricity to power about 100,000 homes.
The project is also a marvel in another, less obvious way: Taxpayers and ratepayers are providing subsidies worth almost as much as the entire $1.6 billion cost of the project. Similar subsidy packages have been given to 15 other solar- and wind-power electric plants since 2009.
The government support — which includes loan guarantees, cash grants and contracts that require electric customers to pay higher rates — largely eliminated the risk to the private investors and almost guaranteed them large profits for years to come. The beneficiaries include financial firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, conglomerates like General Electric, utilities like Exelon and NRG — even Google.
A great deal of attention has been focused on Solyndra, a start-up that received $528 million in federal loans to develop cutting-edge solar technology before it went bankrupt, but nearly 90 percent of the $16 billion in clean-energy loans guaranteed by the federal government since 2009 went to subsidize these lower-risk power plants, which in many cases were backed by big companies with vast resources.
When the Obama administration and Congress expanded the clean-energy incentives in 2009, a gold-rush mentality took over.
As NRG’s chief executive, David W. Crane, put it to Wall Street analysts early this year, the government’s largess was a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and “we intend to do as much of this business as we can get our hands on.” NRG, along with partners, ultimately secured $5.2 billion in federal loan guarantees plus hundreds of millions in other subsidies for four large solar projects.
“I have never seen anything that I have had to do in my 20 years in the power industry that involved less risk than these projects,” he said in a recent interview. “It is just filling the desert with panels.”
From 2007 to 2010, federal subsidies jumped to $14.7 billion from $5.1 billion, according to a recent study.
Most of the surge came from the economic stimulus bill, which was passed in 2009 and financed an Energy Department loanguarantee program and a separate Treasury Department grant program that were promoted as important in creating green jobs.
States like California sweetened the pot by offering their own tax breaks and by approving long-term power-purchase contracts that, while promoting clean energy, will also require ratepayers to pay billions of dollars more for electricity for as long as two decades. The federal loan guarantee program expired on Sept. 30. The Treasury grant program is scheduled to expire at the end of December, although the energy industry is lobbying Congress to extend it. But other subsidies will remain.
The windfall for the industry over the last three years raises questions of whether the Obama administration and state governments went too far in their support of solar and wind power projects, some of which would have been built anyway, according to the companies involved.
Obama administration officials argue that the incentives, which began on a large scale late in the Bush administration but were expanded by the stimulus legislation, make economic and environmental sense. Beyond the short-term increase in construction hiring, they say, the cleaner air and lower carbon emissions will benefit the country for decades.
“Subsidies and government support have been part of many key industries in U.S. history — railroads, oil, gas and coal, aviation,” said Damien LaVera, an Energy Department spokesman.
Rasabihari dasa: I have a shop in Mayapur in front of the Main Gate at the ISKCON temple. We sell ready made clothes, dhoties, kurtas, saris, punjabis, and other clothes as well. Please come visit my shop, we will give cheaper prices than other shops for devotees
Suresvara dasa: The Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium, needs a qualified devotee to direct an English Foundations Program for its students, most of whom are native speakers of other languages. College classes are conducted in English
Gopijana vallabha das: With great happiness, we inform that the first episode broadcast of Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir’s Arati will be on Saturday, the 19 November 2011 at 5.00 AM (IST) on Colors TV. Colors TV is a most popular TV Channel with millions of viewers
Laxman Reddy: I am mailing you to know if there are devotees in South Carolina, Greenville area. I am moving from Boston in Dec 2011 and am desperately searching for Hare Krishna devotees association in Greenville area
Priyavrata das: Just love people and encourage them. Distribute prasadam or help someone else do that. Chant the holy name or encourage someone else do that. That is what the world needs
1965 November 19: "I am obliged to your good daughter for awarding me the degree SWAMI JESUS. I take this honour as sent by Lord Jesus through an innocent child. Lord Jesus preached the message of God and I have taken up the same mission, and it would be a good luck for me if I can follow in the foot prints of Lord Jesus."
1968 November 19: "Your idea is very glorious but until you have some income how can you give up your prresent job? Of course, if there is no other alternative but to give up the job and depend on Krishna - He will do the needful."
1969 November 19: "I am very sorry to learn that our press is lying idle. Immediately print paperback TLC and the first volume of Srimad Bhagavatam. You mention lack of management but why should this be so when yourself and others are there?"
"Krishna Govinda Govinda Gopal Nandlal...."HH Lokanath Maharaja's kirtan streams from the speakers. Its a dream come true to actually celebrate Gopastami and dress up Srimati Radharani as a Gopa. This Kartika, the deities seemed to have understood my pleas for extra mercy and we were were surrounded by a host of transcendental visitors. First came Gaura Nitai from one devotee who was away on
1973 November 19: "The picture of Radha-Paris Isvara is very nice and Radharani's attitude is very nice. She is giving her blessings to everyone. The picture of the arati is also a nice pose. Krishna is looking upon me and I am looking to Him. Kindly send me copies."
1975 November 19: "Krsna will guide you how to increase the library distribution. Do not worry. Just do it sincerely and with a cool brain. Anyone who is not biased and fanatically sophisticated will like our books. Yes, I am doing Srimad-Bhagavatam, trying to finish. I am trying my best."
1975 November 19: "Why are they doing business? We shall only do one business and that is book-selling. That's all. This business should not be encouraged any more. Doing business and not sankirtana, this is not at all good."
1975 November 19: "It is very impressive. It looks like a secretariat building. Even big, big businessmen, they haven't got such branches all over the world as we have got. And our business is with honor. Why not purchase this building?"
1975 November 19: "Regarding the one million copies of Back to Godhead printed. Thank you, this is solid work. Regarding the new printing of the abridged Gita, why there should be mistakes? Mistakes makes the book useless. You must be very, very careful."
Kalindi – Damodarastaka – ISKCON Lisbon – October 30, 2011
THE FOLLOWING LECTURE ON SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, CANTO 3, CHAPTER 25, THE GLORIES OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE, TEXT 15, WAS GIVEN BY HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI CARU SWAMI IN ISKCON UJJAIN, INDIA ON 8th OCTOBER 2010. Transcription : Her Grace Ranga Radhika Dasi Editing : Ramananda Raya Dasa Audio-Reference : click here Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Om namo Bhagavate [...]
A daily broadcast of the Ultimate Self Realization Course Saturday 19 November 2011 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani are enjoying transcendental pastimes in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Sri Goloka Vrindavan. They are beckoning us to rejoin them. (Click on photo to see a larger image.) Our Mission: To help everyone awaken their original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. Such a global awakening will, in one stroke, solve all the problems of the world society bringing in a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all. May that day, which the world so desperately needs, come very soon. We request you to participate in this mission by reviving your dormant Krishna consciousness and assisting us in spreading this science all over the world. Dedicated with love to ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, and to you, our dear readers. For Transcendental Association Connect With Other Members of this Course. Join this Conference: http://groups.google.com/group/sda_students Help Popularize Our Message By Liking Today's Thought on Facebook: Today's Thought: Ignorance Causes Sin or Sin Causes Ignorance? uploaded from Pune, India Is ignorance the cause of sin? Or is sin the cause of ignorance? The answer is that both are true. The more you are ignorant of the distinction between right and wrong, the more you will naturally be sinful. And the more you are sinful, the more you will become buried deeper and deeper upon layers of ignorance. So what is the solution? You must be fortunate to come into contact with Krishna's pure devotee who plants the seed of pure devotion within your heart. If you take advantage of his merciful, enlightening words, you will be saved from ignorance and sin. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Relishing the Sublime Srimad Bhagavatam Wisdom Pune, India--18 November 2011 http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pune_Lecture1.JPG http://www.backtohome.com/images/2011-Fall/Pune_Lecture2.JPG Answers by Citing the Vedic Version: Question: Is Initiation Required to Follow Teachings? 1. Is spiritual initiation necessary for a person? I mean if the person is following all the four regulative principles and reading Srila Prabhupada's books and following the instructions given in the books, does he still need initiation? 2. If a person is trying to practice Krishna Consciousness, but his parents and friends don't support him or criticize him, then should he walk out of all his relationships? Your unworthy servant and admirer, Rohit Answer: The Teachings Mandate Initiation Srila Prabhupada states in his books that initiation is required. Therefore anyone is following what is in his books will naturally take initiation. There is no question of following the books and not getting initiated. Everyone needs support for their chosen path of life. Therefore to make yourself strong in Krishna consciousness you should associate with devotees as much as possible. Regular devotee association is the most important ingredient for a Krishna conscious life. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Transcendental Resources: Receive the Special Blessings of Krishna Now you too can render the greatest service to the suffering humanity and attract the all-auspicious blessings of Lord Sri Krishna upon yourself and your family by assisting our mission. Lectures and Kirtans in Audio and Video: Link to High Definition Videos Link to Over 1,000 Lecture Audios Lecture-Travel Schedule for 2011 http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule Have Questions or Need Further Guidance? Check out the resources at: http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com or write Sankarshan Das Adhikari at: sda@backtohome.com Get your copy today of the world's greatest self-realization guide book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is available at:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/store Know someone who could benefit from this? Forward it to them. Searchable archives of all of course material: http://www.sda-archives.com Receive Thought for the Day as an RSS feed: http://www.backtohome.com/rss.htm Unsubscribe or change your email address Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Daily_Thought Thought for the Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ultimate.Self.Realization Copyright 2005-2011 by Ultimate Self Realization.Com Distribution of this material is encouraged. Simply we request you to acknowledge where it is coming from with a link to our sign up page: http://www.backtohome.com Our records indicate that at requested to be enrolled to receive e-mails from the Ultimate Self Realization Course at: This request was made on: From the following IP address: {contact_address
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