CowSeva-Issue2

"The brahmanas, the cows, Vedic knowledge, austerity, truthfulness, control of the mind and senses, faith, mercy, tolerance and sacrifice are the different parts of the body of Lord Vishnu, and they are the paraphernalia for a Godly civilization." (Srimad Bhagavatam10.4.41)

Purport by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedenta Swami Maharaj Prabhupada:
When we offer our obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, we say:

"When Krsna comes to establish real perfection in the social order, He personally gives protection to the cows and the brahmanas (go-brahmana-hitaya ca). This is His first interest because without protection of the brahmanas and the cows, there can be no human civilization and no question of happy, peaceful life...." (1)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.16 purport:
"...His pastimes in Gokula, His dhama, are always favorable to the brahmanas and the cows. His first business is to give all comfort to the cows and the brahmanas. In fact, comfort for the brahmanas is secondary, and comfort for the cows is His first concern...."

Last year Sri Bhakti Lalita Devi Dasi mentioned to me in a note of encouragement: "This is the important seva for a devotee of Krishna." By Srila Govinda Maharaj's mercy we are getting engagement in Bhakti, seva. This "Cow Service" program is a golden opportunity for all the devotees worldwide to participate in serving our central Math's cows and thereby gain unlimited sukriti. This confidential seva which for so long has been hidden from the world is now being opened up to the general population, by Srila Gurudeva's unlimited magnanimity.

Our beloved Guardian graced all of His servants and aspiring servants on the Hawaiian island of Maui early last November. We all had much opportunity to hear from His Divine Grace. Words cannot describe the joy He brings to us all, often at the expense of His own health. A couple of times Srila Gurudev let us in on some of His wealth of cow {service} consciousness.

As originally requested in the first newsletter, in this past year this Cow Seva program has regularly received service from several individuals. Sriman Rasa Raja Prabhu from NY has consistently sent a donation each month. Also Sriman Dharmadyaksha Prabhu and his good wife Srimati Rama Priya didi have combined several months of offerings into an occasional larger check. Srila Gurudev has received these donations (approx.) quarterly with much appreciation.

Also, Mahavishnu Prabhu, secretary for Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva Ashram, Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia, wrote an email to me in August introducing himself and saying he distributed the Cow Seva Newsletter to all his godbrothers and sisters in Malaysia and was doing a collection for the cows. Later he informed me that he would personally deliver the collection to Srila Govinda Maharaj's holy feet in October.

Also one Vaisnavi servant of Srila Gurudev (who humbly requested not to have her name mentioned) has also steadily sent monthly service. Her service check has always come with a beautiful card (often hand-made), written inside with her own affectionate mood and exquisite handwriting. She is giving us all nourishment and encouragement with different slokas or holy words of our Gurus, about the beloved relationship our Lord has with His cows.

Hopefully, other respected readers of this newsletter will also send me little quotes. I consider these holy words contributions of the greatest value and will be using them in this and in future issues.

Srila Gurudev spoke the meaning of one such verse in Maui for our eternal benefit and proceeded to fill us with nectar of Sri Govinda seva.

"They know, they will feel it: The life of my life 'jivaner jivan', they will feel, to see Mahaprabhu and Krsna. And they're behaving with Him like that. The cows are not ever leaving Krsna.

"What is the beauty existing in this world? All beauty is with eternity, and in the most exalted, glorious way it is existing in Vrindaban. 'Ban' means 'garden' here. We do not find an organized garden but a very natural and agreeable beauty there. We have seen so many flowers here [in Hawaii] and all the flowers are beautiful. When I think that in Vrindaban flowers are more colorful than this, of inconceivable form also. Many times Sunanda has sent to Nabadwip for Gaura-purnima and Janmastami a big bucket full of flowers, two hundred dollars transportation to send the flowers."

Sriman Mahaprabhu performed His ecstatic sankirtan pastimes throughout the whole area known as Rarh Desh. Bamunpara, where Srila Gurudev took birth, is within that area. Srila Govinda Maharaj told us that when He was growing up, He saw "...thirty or forty thousand cows there. It was their unwritten law that no one would sell or trade milk. If someone had the need, they were given milk freely." He told us,"And if someone was selling milk, no one would give their daughter to his house for marriage."

In two Gopinath Mandirs in Dhaihat, a village near Bamunpara, every day they each would fry minimum twenty kilos of flour in ghee for the bhoga offering. These puris would be distributed to guests and more widely distributed through priests' houses in the nearby villages. But as Srila Maharaj was saying, people can only eat so many puris. Srila Gurudev told us that so many puris would come to His family home, they would dry them in the sun and use them as firewood, they had so many! "Coconut sandesh and puris, so much...." They had great abundance; ghee and paneer were a major wealth of the villages in that part of Nadia. Everyone was constantly receiving the benedictions of cow protection.

I asked Srila Gurudev about when He was growing up if he used to take care of cows, He said: "not taking care of; playing with cows."

Sripad Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj mentioned an early pastime of Srila Govinda Maharaj about when the men would come by singing a song "tunga mani mandire..." about Krsna and Balaram going with the cows to the forest. Srila Gurudeva as a young boy would join them, thinking: "I am also a cowherd boy going to the forest with Krsna and Balaram...." Sri Acharyyadeva commented, laughing: "I was in an intoxicated mood."

At another time Srila Gurudev was speaking about previous pastimes with cows at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math....

"All the naughty cows, they liked me! I was surprised. Naughty cows were not giving milk to others, they were binding their legs, etc." Srila Gurudev was telling us how he would come to feed the cows and the
"...naughty cow who was not giving so much milk to others, maybe two or two and a half kg., that cow was giving six kg. milk to me." "Affection," someone said. Srila Gurudev said, "Yes, cow and dog, I like very much. The dog is so affectionate. The cow is also very affectionate and the horse is also very affectionate, but we have no horse. And it is not possible to keep a horse; because who will ride it? When I was riding a horse it was my plan to keep one horse. Later days changed so much, then the motorcar came; instead of the horse came the motorcar. The horse is a very faithful and good animal. So many animals, if you give them affection, even the tiger, they also will not do wrong with you. If you are familiar with a tiger, give affection to the tiger, that tiger also will give affection to you. We have seen it...."

"He who is giving joy in the heart of the cow, Himself giving nourishment, that is Govinda's nature. Also through cow milk.

"This time when the flood happened our Deity was taking so much cow milk. There was no other food but plenty of milk, and some potatoes. We collect some potatoes during Gaura-purnima time and the excess potatoes we keep in storage. Those potatoes helped this time; the cows were also eating potatoes, and the cows were healthy when I came.

"Five or six men are always behind the cow in Nabadwip--five or six are not necessary, only three or four men are necessary, and when western devotees are going they will engage themselves for the cow seva."

Srila Govinda Maharaj is requesting the western devotees to take up some of the responsibility of cow seva when we come to the Holy Dham. "Five or six men are not necessary...." We come there for seva to the residents of our Math and the cows are not least among the residents. The cows are also servants of the servants of the servants of the gopis.

We are in a very beneficial and safe position if we will engage in their service and that will be very pleasing to our Srila Gurudev.

Govardhan cow program on Srila Gurudev's mind...
Calling all affectionate cowherd men...

Our dear friend Dayala Chandra Prabhu who served in Vishnujana Swami's traveling sankirtan party for Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada's mission, was in Maui with us for a few days. Sri Acharyyadev showed very much appreciation hearing how Dayala Chandra single-handedly manages a herd of over fifty cows, calves, oxen and bulls.

"Really it is in my mind that in Govardhan I can do some cow service arrangement but there is no [cowherd] man. Here is one cowherd man, Dayala Chandra Prabhu. If Dayala Chandra will go and take charge then I will get some enthusiasm. Actually Dayala Chandra has much affection for cows."

Someone asked more specifically about His Divine Grace's plans for cow seva in Govardhan. Srila Maharaj responded: "Now I'm not doing cow program in Sri Govardhan, now only thinking about it. It's not such an easy thing to make. There I have land in Govardhan for cows, and also in other places I have land. On the parikrama route in Vrindaban, there is one very nice piece of cow land.

"If we can keep some cows in Govardhan it is my wish. Not so many cows, two cows. Two cows will have some place there. Two cows within ten years will be eight cows; then what will do?

"Milking the cow is not the factor, maintaining the cow is the factor. ISKCON Vrindaban has 150 cows. Four men are maintaining 150 cows. Everything is automated. Feeding and cutting straw with a machine, etc. They have one family; husband, wife and maybe two children. ISKCON is giving them 4 or 5 kg of milk per day for their family. And with the rest of the milk they are making some paramana [sweet rice] for distribution, and most of the milk they are selling in the market. This way they are arranging for milk. Four persons are there, two persons always engaged for the service of the cow. A machine is feeding water, everything.

"Actually if we will try in India, there is plenty of cow food we can collect. Everyone who has some facility to serve cows, he will try to serve. One man is giving 800 rupees per month to us for our cows. Our maintenance is so much, thirty thousand rupees per month for cow seva. Every day the doctor is coming, and taking two hundred rupees. Everyday! Among fifty cows, someone must have some need."

"Affection for cow is necessary"

The next day after Dayala Chandra had returned to the Big Island to tend his cows, Srila Maharaj spoke: "If Dayala Chandra can look after the cows in Nabadwip then no problem." Someone commented that Dayala Prabhu knows a lot about cows. Srila Govinda Maharaj interjected: "Actually affection for the cow is necessary." [of course implying that it's not knowledge but love that is necessary] We began to tell Srila Gurudev about Dayala's affectionate pastimes with his cows; how he has a big bull that he can ride and several generations of beautiful tame calves and cows, etc. Srila Gurudev asked: "That bull is producing children?" Someone told, "Yes". He said: "Western people, when they're keeping some animal they are giving much affection; otherwise, an Indian bull you cannot ride. Indian bulls are very naughty."

Those living in the Math, are serving....

Rasa Priya Prabhu asked: "Srila Gurudev, with so many disciples, why are you thinking you have so little man power? Seems that you have lots of disciples but so little man power...."

Sri Acharyyadev paused poignantly, then answered: "What can I say to you? I am a servant of you. I am a servant to everyone. Those who are living in the Math are serving in the Math. So many disciples are not living in the Math. I arrange for them, I am trying to arrange also." Actually this is always His clear message. Srila Govinda Maharaj is looking forward to us westerners coming to take the footdust of the holy residents of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. To come there to the holiest of holy places to live in surrendered service. Serving the great devotees whose life and soul is sold to the service of Srila Guru Maharaj's mission, His Deities and Math twenty four hours a day. And now Srila Govinda Maharaj has been gloriously expanding Srila Guru Maharaj's mission in India, to accommodate devotees from around the world, for the eternal benefit of us all.

As we can experience in Srila Gurudev, Sri Govinda Himself is most pleased by the devotee who gives affection to cows and bulls. This affection transcends mundaneness and awards purity, increasing the heart flow between devotee and Divinity.

Everyone is humbly invited to take part in this holy engagement for the supreme satisfaction of our Lord.

Srila Guru Maharaj and Sri Govinda Sundar Himself, saw that His most beautiful devotee, inside and out, must be known by His own most beautiful name. Revealing Srila Govinda Maharaj’s beautiful heart and exalted mood of devotion, giving pleasure to the cows and enlivening the spiritual senses, this is Sri Govinda Sundar's expression of love to His devotees. And this is the sweet mood of Vraja embodied in our beloved Srila Gurudev.

Please, humbly I beg all who read this little newsletter; can you find a place in your heart, a place in your budget, a place in your service program to fit in a small donation each month for the service of Srila Gurudeva's cow family? They are also our family and it would certainly be a wonderful way for us to do personal service to the servants of the devotees and Deities of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

All we are suggesting is 11.00 monthly. Most can afford that. If you have a greater service capacity than this, your generosity will be noted in Goloka. Size of donation is not as important as the mood the service is given in. Perhaps some folks are inspired to serve the cows and yet have no money. I would propose that if someone is sincere, it may become possible by the sponsorship of our worldwide Vaisnava community to send that devotee to the Holy Dham for direct hands-on seva.

Hawaii cow service training?

Also, we have the possibility of training devotees here in Hawaii in cow seva. Srila Govinda Maharaj has a friend in Sriman Dayala Chandra Prabhu, who is constantly engaged in the service of cows here on the Big Island of Hawaii. Dayala Chandra is willing to take sincere devotees into his humble home for training in cow seva. This could be a preliminary step for someone who wants to learn about cows and bulls but is not presently prepared for serving the cows in India, which is quite a bit more austere. It is one of the goals of this newsletter to, over time, gather together a team of devotees from around the world to personally give service to the cows in India. This Hawaii training idea and sponsorship of devotees to have the opportunity to do hands-on cow service, are ideas that have been proposed. We are open to any other such input from our world community.

In closing I beg all who read this newsletter to be merciful and forgiving to me. Some editing of Srila Govinda Maharaj's English seemed necessary, which I humbly attempted in good faith, with the consultation of several good devotees. Any flaws herein are due solely to my own error.

My affectionate dandabat pranams to all of the servants and friends of Srila Gurudev, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, the cows and other servitors of Srila Guru Maharaj's mission.

Haryyananda Das

Healthy Cows
comment by Puspanjali Devi Dasi

I feel it is appropriate to mention the following in this newsletter, as we all want to be aware of the best way to promote robust health in our cows. Many of us have noted with dismay the massive human-caused tragedy for cows in Europe (especially Great Britain) which is currently taking place under the guise of eradicating disease. Another, health-producing approach to prevention and healing of disease in cow herds has been known for over a half-century.

In the words of a qualified agriculturalist: "If your soils are healthy, your crops will be healthy. If your crops are healthy then your animals will be healthy. Healthy crops and animals have natural resistance to all disease."

Sir Albert Howard, considered by some the father of organic farming, wrote in 1945 about his many years of experience in India demonstrating proper soil, crop and animal husbandry. His oxen consistently demonstrated immunity to foot-and-mouth and other diseases, even when deliberately and repeatedly exposed. This mild disease has an effect of reducing an animal's productivity, yet 75% of animals will recover from it, and it poses no threat to humans. For economic reasons it is being treated like a deadly plague in the U.K. Starting in 1910, for 26 years Sir Albert ran agricultural institutes in different parts of India. In Indore, his oxen often were exhibited as exemplary specimens of their types at agricultural shows. He wrote: "They were also in great demand for the religious processions which took place in Indore city from time to time, a compliment which gave intense pleasure to the labour staff of the Institute."

For those who wish to inform themselves of Sir Albert's interesting research, the story is found online at: http://www.whatareweswallowing.freeserve.co.uk/footquestions.htm.

If you would like a hard copy of the article, please inform Haryyananda Prabhu and myself and we would be very happy to send it by snail mail.

"King of the Cows"
from Loving Search for the Lost Servant,
contributed by an anonymous donor

Nanda Maharaj prays: "May that Lord of the cows be satisfied by us. Who is Indra when compared with Krsna? Krsna is the master of Indra. And yet, He has appeared as the master of cows; the Supreme Absolute Truth has accepted a simple position as the keeper of the cows. Superficially, He is a mere cowherd boy. But let that cowherd boy, Who holds within Him the power of controlling the whole universe, be satisfied with us. We want to worship that Lord who has taken the humble position of the King of the cows."

1. Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada's Srimad Bhagavatam 10.4.41 purport continues:
"...Asuras, therefore, are always interested in killing the brahmanas and cows. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, cows are being killed all over the world, and as soon as there is a movement to establish brahminical civilization, people in general rebel. Thus they regard the Krsna consciousness movement as a form of "brainwashing." How can such envious persons be happy in their godless civilization? The Supreme Personality of Godhead punishes them by keeping them in darkness, birth after birth, and pushing them lower and lower into wretched conditions of hellish life. The Krsna consciousness movement has started a brahminical civilization, but especially when it is introduced in the Western countries, the asuras try to impede it in many ways. Nonetheless, we must push forward this movement tolerantly for the benefit of human society."

2. "Prema-gunjanali-punja..." Sri Sri Premadhama Deva Stotram, verse 39

Requested monthly donation: $11.00 U.S.**
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**$7.75 is perfectly acceptable if cash flow is low. More than $11.00 is also appreciated if it doesn't hurt too much.
Mainly we are hoping to encourage regular monthly donors, so if a smaller donation is more realistic to keep up, than start small and gradually increase if possible. We would much rather collect $7.75 each from 100 devotees than $775. from only one devotee.
Accounts can be viewed by donors at any time, and will automatically be sent to all donors annually. Funds sent to Sri Chaitanya Sanctuary will safely reach Srila Gurudev's own hand, with the account record of who joined in service to our Math's cows.