Vanipedia:News and Views
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((News/2008|2008))
((News/October 2008|October)) - ((November 2008|November)) - ((News/December 2008|December))
Today is Thursday, October 31, 2024; it is now 22:48 UTC.
Progress report from March 08
On the 21st of March we launched the introductory version of Vanipedia 0.1 to communicate the vision of the project. Since then we have been working on different logistical stuff.
Evaluating the platforms
We spent a few months checking out some platforms for the other petals, and even challenged ourselves to see if wiki was the platform that we would continue with for the Vanisource, Vaniquotes and Vanipedia petals. We bounced back and forth the advantages of a centralized database system versus the wiki platform of individual non related pages. Finally we again embraced Wiki as the platform for developing these three petals. The conclusion was that while a centralized database system has some advantages to it, at this stage with the manpower and resources we have it is totally beyond us to create a platform that offers a centralized database and all the other features needed for collaboration, which wiki already facilitates us with. While this exercise took some time it ended up deepening our resolve to go with the wiki platform's wonderful collaborating possibilities. Actually we are very happy with wiki, as it flows, looks good, is easy to handle, and their philosophy of liberal distribution of knowledge resonates very much with Srila Prabhupada's own program. The only difference is in their definition and our definition of what real knowledge actually is.
Compling form for Vaniquotes
So with that exercise out of the way, Acyutananda started making a compiling form for transferring Vedabase text into Vaniquotes pages with all the links to Vanisource. This took time as there are many complicated variables in the Vedabase's references, and all of that had to be worked out so that we could end up having clean links from Vaniquotes into Vanisource. We have at the moment a pretty clean form, and now as more people use it for compiling, any last dead links can be worked out. Actually the compilers who are already using the form can testify that this really makes the whole process very easy and sublime.
Compiling Manual
Matea and Rita started a crash course on compiling and writing a manual simultaneously. They did a great job, and now we have a pretty good beginning manual for compilers to refer to after being trained by a Vanitutor. As compilers become more familiar with the compiling process and use the manual, we will be able to fine tune it further. As we envision having hundreds of compilers, the time spent on the manual has been well worth it, as it is a great help to refer to when one gets a little lost.
Completing Vanisource
This is a work in process. Now we have all of the major texts included, photos on each page, the speakers of every verse of the Bhagavatam on the bottom of each page (great resource when coming in from Vaniquotes) and practically all the links from cited verses in purports working.
It has not started yet, but as an ongoing thing we will be linking different key words from Vanisource back into Vaniquotes. There is still some more content to place in; the original 1972 version of the Gita, the legal documents, pre 1966 BTGs, and Prabhupada's diaries. We will do that as time allows. Need more of you to be involved.
Constructing new facilities
With faith that there is a steady future for Vanipedia, we are moving forward with the construction of an extension to BLS's existing building. The architectural plans were submitted for permission on the 27th of August, and they have 115 days to reply. So let's see what happens there. The extension will be 5 living rooms and storage facilities for the books. When it is finished we will move things around to create a more efficient setup for BLS on the ground floor: shop, office, mail-order, packing and book storage.
This will give Vanipedia a really cool facility on the first floor with two nice offices (we have one now), a great kitchen and 5 extra living rooms for more devotees who join the core team. They will help with all the infrastructural development needed to get this Vanivision off the ground and flying high.
Are people really getting involved?
In one year the amount of people involved in Vanipedia has risen from 3 to 30. This is a very good increase as during this period we have been concentrating most of our energy on preparing the foundations of the site. Only now are we beginning to invite a large number of devotees to participate. Here are some testimonies of a few devotees sharing their experiences so far.
Acyutananda Caitanya dasa - Colombia/ Croatia
My experience serving Srila Prabhupada has always been blessed by great association; I have found in the Vanipedia team wonderful persons who are very intelligent, dedicated, humble and personal. Now my service has become the perfect arrangement, with the mix of great sanga with Srila Prabhupada himself (through his teachings), sanga with his servants, and the fact that in Krsna Consciousness you can (and should) be engaged according to your abilities and qualities. My abilities are in computer systems and technology, and Vanipedia offers to Srila Prabhupada the most advanced, influential and interactive medium to propagate his teachings: the internet. I am very happy and honored to have this opportunity to render service and at the same time grow intellectually and spiritually.
Archana devi dasi - Sinpapore
Vanipedia is one of the best and most interesting ways to serve Srila Prabhupada. I found that I can actually feel Srila Prabhupada speaking to me while I am doing this service. This means that this service is making me more and more Prabhupada conscious.
To compile Srila Prabhupada's teachings into Vaniquotes is a great joy. A sense of pride and achievement is easily attained by performing this unique service. 'Joy' because you intensely read up a lot of different quotations from Srila Prabhupada's nectarine books and compile them according to different categories. I feel that Srila Prabhupada will be very pleased with the launching of this project because it provides easy access to His Divine Grace's teachings to countless generations of people at a touch of a finger. All intelligent persons should join in this service and make their lives successful. Thank you once again for engaging me in this service.
Chris Fellingham - UK
When I was first asked to take part in the Vanipedia project, I did not know what to expect. I soon found what a joy it is to be a part of such a monumental project and at the same time immersed in the nectar of Srila Prabhupada's books. This project will truly give Srila Prabhupada to the world, unlike anything that has gone before. It will also, being thematically arranged, serve as the ultimate reference/resource tool for generations of Iskcon devotees. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Laksmipriya devi dasi - Slovakia/Radhadesh
I have been serving with BLS for the last 6 years and from the very beginning I have loved every part of it . What can be better than being surrounded by all the wonderful books every day? When I came in, I said: "I want to learn everything about BLS," and over time I did. By now I have mastered quite a few things and am always eager to be fully engaged. The nature of the service with BLS is wavelike, which means that it comes in waves - sometimes I don’t know what to start first and sometimes I am wondering how to be engaged.
Assisting from the sideline, I have seen the conception and birth of Vanipedia, understanding the potential and the greatness of the whole project. In spite of that, I felt hesitant to become engaged in compiling, thinking that its not really for me. After all, I already spend so much time in front of a computer and I am more of a physical person, even though I love reading Srila Prabhupada's books every day.
When the last wave of wondering how to keep myself engaged came, Visnu Murti suggested that he train me in compiling in Vaniquotes, so being unengaged I agreed. After the initial training session I started to explore the whole world of Vanipedia and Vaniquotes in detail. I have become awestruck. Diving deeper and deeper into the different compilations and finding the pearls of exquisite beauty of Srila Prabhupada's usage of language was such a soul refreshing shelter, that I couldn’t hold my happiness for myself. We discussed, and brainstormed on everything we can compile and how we can organize things to develop better the project.
My first steps in making the different compilations on my own felt a little insecure, but with each and every new push of the save button, I became more confident to continue on. I realize how Srila Prabhupada is calling us again and again to assist him in his service and how these compilations are such a treasure for every devotee and for all people.
I am very much gladdened by and grateful to Acyuta, who made the compiling process so easy and automated by creating the compiling form. It is really simple and everyone can learn it, if so desired. Hare Krishna.
Matea Zajec - Croatia
From the first year of living in Radhadesh and studying at the Bhaktivedanta College, I have found a true well-wisher, mentor and a spiritual guide in Visnu Murti Prabhu. I have considered myself to be a small part of the Vanipedia team even before I actually started offering service, because I have tracked the project's creation and advancement through it's senior team members. If one spends time with and takes knowledge and association from the devotees engaged in Vanipedia, and listens to their incredibly enthusiastic testimonies, I think the natural step is to become very amazed and interested in the service as the project is becoming so fruitful and fulfilling to others. In this way I decided to offer some service to the Vanipedia and presented myself for professional training and instruction.
Every day it is as if a whole new world is revealing itself before me. I know the depth of Srila Prabhupada's wisdom and instructions is immeasurable, but I never imagined there would be one place where the whole ocean of knowledge could be accessed. What really amazes me is that each devotee in the Vaniteam naturally experiences a completely individual adventure working on this project. This has definitely been one of the most pragmatic and intriguing experiences I have had in ISKCON, I perceive working on this project to be very helpful for deepening my understanding of Vaishnava philosophy, and I will carry the experience gained working on Vanipedia throughout my life. And thanks to the Internet, Vanipedia will be available for active access and engagement for a very long time.
Sahadeva dasa - UK/Vrndavana
At the beginning of this year Visnu Murti prabhu introduced me to a wonderful way of glorifying Srila Prabhupada and Krsna lila! This Vanipedia project offers a new way to study and research with a computer and Internet connection. I'm very interested in seeing who's who in Krsna lila and Gaura lila and so started researching the Vedabase for all references Srila Prabhupada makes to different personalities. This seva is an absorbing way of reading i.e. to choose a subject and fully research it over hours and sometimes days and then to present the results of that work on the Web for others to benefit is very satisfying. Vanipedia allows for anyone to contribute on subjects that interest them and as Srila Prabhupada wrote and spoke about so many different things, we now have a place on the Web to collect, preserve and refer to all of his vani nectar.
Visnu Murti dasa - NZ/Radhadesh
I have such an enthusiasm for Vanipedia that it is truly inspiring me. My prayers for developing the abilities needed to help the whole project to be realized are more intense than in any other project I have ever served with. Serving in Vanipedia means directly serving Prabhupada's heart, and I have seen there is some very special mercy to be experienced, so I just keep diving into the ocean of Vani with full faith and continual experience that Srila Prabhupada lives in his teachings and that we can all live with him. I am convinced that inside of Srila Prabhupada's teachings is the key for the people to actually become successful in attaining the goal of human life.
Big party saying thank you to Eivind
Two years ago in September 2006, Eivind Morland came for a few months to BLS to help with the distribution of books. He offered services in customer care, packing up books for shipping, cleaning, and little general tasks. Joyful Eivind created a nice spirit around him, as he was always available to do whatever was asked of him.
In October 2006, Visnu Murti requested him to spend some time looking for the best platform to begin the Vanipedia project. He jumped into it, and spent whatever time he could surfing around the web. In January 07 we decided on wiki, and we bought the domain name Vanipedia. As this was in his real nature and passion, we freed Eivind to work on Vanipedia full time. So little by little, along with Acyuta (who came in May of 2007), they both built the whole site. Eivind spent many hours becoming expert in different areas of web management.
Now after two years of wonderful service he is going back to Norway to see what the next things are that Krsna has in store for him. Eivind will always be a founding member of Vanipedia, has stopped being a core team member, and will now offer different services to Vanipedia as a volunteer from his homeland.
We want to take this opportunity to thank Eivind from the bottom of our hearts. There is no doubt in our minds that Vanipedia will one day grow to become the standard of how we approach Prabhupada's teachings for qualitative research on all topics. Thousands and millions of people will use Vanipedia in the future and every one of them, when understanding the history of how it all began, will be able to thank Eivind that he came forward when he did, and how he was chosen by Krsna to begin a very strategic service for the glorification of Srila Prabhupada and the spreading of Krsna consciousness worldwide.
The three S's are present in Vanipedia
Srila Prabhupada emphasized that for a devotee's life to be successful one needs to have sanga, sadhana and seva on a regular basis. Sometimes these elements are not always there for us, especially for those devotees who live independently from the temples. Now there is an opportunity for everyone as Vanipedia facilitates all of these.
Sanga is there - by associating with Krsna, His incarnations, Srila Prabhupada and all the other great saints found within Srila Prabhupada's teachings, and by associating in teams with the devotees involved in the Vanipedia project.
Sadhana is there - by reading attentively in order to make high quality Vaniquotes pages, and the other aspects of the services that relate directly with having to study Srila Prabhupada's teachings.
Seva is there - by offering the various kinds of services needed for the completion of the project. They all culminate in missionary activities, as we are all serving to help Srila Prabhupada and his assistants to preach Krsna consciousness. There are also many services that will be generated as Vanipedia becomes more and more successful.
The printing press is the representative of Radharani
- All the Vanipedia servants received the following message on the auspicious anniversary of Srimati Radharani's appearance. I speak for myself, but I found it very inspiring, so much so that I wanted to share it with more devotees. Hope you get inspired too. Your servant, Laksmipriya dd.
Haribol Prabhus!
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Today is Srimati Radharani's appearance day, and so I have been doing a little compiling about Her in Vaniquotes. I came across this quote which I found very profound:
Letter to Jayagovinda — Los Angeles 4 July, 1969: "I am glad that you have named your printing press the Radha Press. It is very gratifying. May your Radha Press be enriched in publishing all our books and literatures in the German language. It is a very nice name. Radharani is the best, topmost servitor of Krishna, and the printing machine is the biggest medium at the present moment for serving Krishna. Therefore, it is really a representative of Srimati Radharani. I like the idea very much."
I want to share with you my realizations:
Here Srila Prabhupada is stating that Radharani is the topmost servitor of Krsna and the printing press is the representative of Radharani, as it is the biggest medium at the present moment for serving Krsna.
I note that he says at the present moment. This was written in 1969, and we know that Srila Prabhupada did not ever change his understanding of the power of the printing press in distributing Krsna consciousness, for all the time he was physically with us. He imbibed this spirit from his spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja, who in the 1930's had stated many times that the printing press was the "brhat mrdanga" as it could be heard far more further a field than a mrdanga, which is audible only around the neighborhood where it is played.
In May I introduced Radhika Raman prabhu to the vision of Vanipedia. He embraced the vision quickly and could easily understand what we were trying to do. He made two very enthused and clear statements which I could immediately identify with.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Vanipedia will become the standard for how we approach Srila Prabhupada's teachings, because it is presented via themes and it is on the Web." He also said "Bhaktisiddanta Sasavati said that the printing press was the brhat mrdanga, and Prabhupada understood it as such. I think that Vanipedia is the brhat brhat mrdanga"
It is this second statement that I want to explore a little. For the best part of the 20th century the printing press and the products that it produced were the tools that resulted in so much successful propaganda by so many groups of people. Prabhupada stated how expert the communists were to spread their influence in India via the pamphlets and books they distributed. Prabhupada used this example to express how he wanted to make a large propaganda program for Krishna consciousness by distributing his books all over the world.
Now in the 21st century the power of influence has shifted to the Internet. In the last 20 years it has started to slowly influence how we do things in so many ways. And its influence is not waning. It is on the increase.
Srila Prabhupada's statement of "at the present moment" was made long before the Internet started to have any influence on people's lives.
In 1970 Srila Prabhupada wrote this letter to one of his leading disciples.
Letter to Bhagavan — Bombay 24 November, 1970: "Krishna has said in Bhagavad-gita that "whoever explains my transcendental glories to others is most dear to me in this world and never will there be one more dear to me than he". So go on with your organization for distribution of my books through press and other modern media and Krishna will certainly be pleased upon you. We can use everything—television, radio, movies, or whatever there may be—to tell about Krishna and outside of devotional service all these modern paraphernalia are just so much rubbish."
So it is without doubt that Srila Prabhupada would embrace the Internet as a way to communicate to people the truths of Krsna consciousness.
Notice that Prabhupada directly says "go on with your organization for distribution of my books through press and other modern media" so this is indeed what we trying to do with Vanipedia. We are trying to give Srila Prabhupada an unparalleled platform in an unparalleled modern media.
Let us rise to whatever challenges we face and make this significant platform for Srila Prabhupada books. For there is no doubt it is the "biggest medium at the present moment for serving Krishna"
If Radha's Press can be stated by Prabhupada to be "really the representative of Srimati Radharani" then we can be sure that Vanipedia is also "really the representative of Srimati Radharani"
May Radharani bless you all in your aspirations to assist Her in making Krsna happy.
your servant
Visnu Murti dasa