Srila Prabhupada wanted every temple to have a farm community and goshala within a 50 KM radius of the city temple. As we know, Srila Prabhupada personally started the very first such community New Vrindavan in West Virginia, USA and he established many more similar projects afterwards. We should understand that the desires of the pure devotees will one day be realized because those desires are non different from Krishna’s desires.
The 12 years OM Sri Surabhi Campaign initiated by the ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry in India is bringing us this particular mood of Srila Prabhupada mission. Since last year, the OM Sri Surabhi Campaign, under the guidance of His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami, has been promoting the glories of Mother Cow and encouraging devotee to become more involved in Cow Protection.
In the month of May this year, by Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, a team of three devotees got a chance to visit Hong Kong and conduct various programs related to the Surabhi Campaign. Over the past 9 days the devotees conducted four seminars in different places. The seminars included 1) ISKCON’s Four Movements, 2) Introduction to the OM Sri Surabhi Campaign, 3) Best Practices within ISKCON where various farm projects all around the world were featured and 4) Discourse on World Peace, an interfaith dialogue organized by the World Alliance of Religious Peace (HWPL).
Another very inspiring program was the visit to a local goshala where there are 150 cows, bulls, and calves. The owner is a Chinese lady who has been caring for cows for the last 18 years. The devotees realized that actually the cow protection movement is active right here in Hong Kong. Similar projects are ongoing not too far from our temples in other countries like Cambodia, Thailand, and other places.
Although some people may not yet be devotees of Krishna, due to their natural affection, they are inspired to protect and serve the cows. All living entities naturally love Krishna and by daily seeing Krishna’s form, hearing His names and pastimes we can renew our pure love for Him. In a similar way, we can naturally develop our love for cows if we live with them and befriend them.
Both the brahmanas and the cows are Krishna’s very dear friends. And without them society will be in a dangerous condition. We can see how nowadays people in general are unhappy. Their lives are so complicated. They are always in anxiety because of no guidance from bonafide brahmanas. Actually, we cannot have brahmanas if we don’t have cows. That is one of the reasons why Srila Prabhupada wanted us to maintain goshalas and protect cows.
Srila Prabhupada explains that if we maintain cows, we can get milk for the devotees. HH Bhakti Raghava Maharaja said if we don’t care for cows, how Krishna will care about us. Thus 50 percent of Srila Prabhupada’s mission remains unfulfilled, and Srila Prabhupada gave this instruction at the end of His Lila in this word emphasizing the need to protect cows and establish farm communities.
We are very grateful to this Chinese lady although she has not joined the Hare Krishna Movement. She is already protecting 160 cows and bulls, and this under very trying conditions. In Cambodia there is one person who is doing something similar, also in Thailand and Kalimantan, Indonesia. So we should learn from these persons. Please visit our website at www.srisurabhi.org for more information related to the OM Sri Surabhi Campaign and how you can be part of it.
Thank your for your kind attention,
Your servant,
Gunaavatara das
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