DA/Vanipedia's Manifesto

Introduktion

Srila Prabhupada lagde stor vægt på at undervise. Derfor er Vanipedia specielt dedikeret til at videregive hans livsværk, som både indbefatter bøger, foredrag, samtaler, breve og andet.

Når dette er færdiggjort, vil Vanipedia være det første Vani-tempel i verden, der tilbyder et helligt tilflugtssted, hvor millioner af mennesker som søger efter ægte åndelig vejledning vil finde inspiration gennem Srila Prabhupadas oplyste lære, der her præsenteres overskueligt og struktureret på så mange sprog som muligt.

Vanipedias erklærede Vision

At manifestere Srila Prabhupadas flersprogede Vani-tilstedeværelse fuldstændigt, og på den måde facilitere millioner af menneskers liv i Krishnabevidshed, og at tjene Herren Caitanya Mahaprabhus sankirtanbevægelse hvis formål det er at åndeliggøre det menneskelige samfund.

Samarbejde

At skabe en sådan encyklopædi, i den grad som det tilkendegives i Vanipedia, er kun muligt gennem de fælles anstrengelser fra tusindvis af hengivne, der flittigt og omhyggeligt sammenfatter og oversætter Srila Prabhupadas lære.

Vi ønsker at færdiggøre oversættelsen af alle Srila Prabhupadas bøger, foredrag, samtaler og breve på mindst 16 sprog, og vi vil gerne nå at repræsentere mindst 108 sprog på eller anden måde i Vanipedia op til November 2027.

Fra Oktober 2017 er hele Biblen oversat til 670 sprog, Det Nye Testamente er oversat til 1,521 sprog og dele og fortællinger fra Biblen er oversat til 1,121 andre sprog. Disse statistikker viser, at vores ambitioner, på trods af deres substantielle forøgelse af Srila Prabhupadas lære, ikke er spor overdrevne, sammenlignet med de ambitioner de kristne har for at sprede deres lære globalt.

Vi inviterer alle hengivne til sammen med os at bidrage i denne ædle bestræbelse på at opvække og fuldt ud manifestere Srila Prabhupadas flersprogede Vani-tilstedeværelse på nettet til glæde for hele menneskeheden.

Anråbelse

I 1965 ankom Srila Prabhupada uden at være indbudt til Amerika. Selvom dagene for hans gloriøse Vani-tilstedeværelse sluttede i 1977, eksisterer han stadig i sin Vani, og det er denne tilstedeværelse, som vi nu må anråbe. Kun ved at kalde på og bede Srila Prabhupada om at fremkomme, vil han gøre det. Vores intense ønske om at have ham blandt os er nøglen til hans tilstedeværelse.

Fuldstændig manifestation

Vi ønsker ikke en delvis tilstedeværelse af Srila Prabhupada foran os. Vi ønsker den fulde tilstedeværelse af Srila Prabhupada. Vi ønsker hans fulde Vani-tilstedeværelse. Alle optagelser med hans lære bør blive fuldstændigt samlet og oversat til mange sprog. Dette er vores ofring til fremtidens generationer på denne planet - fuldstændig tilflugt (ashraya) til Srila Prabhupadas lære.

Vani-tilstedeværelse

Srila Prabhupadas fuldstændige Vani-tilstedeværelse vil fremkomme i to faser. Den første og lette fase - er at sammensætte og oversætte Srila Prabhupadas lære til alle sprog. Den anden - og sværere fase - er at få millionvis af mennesker til at leve denne lære.

Forskellige måder at studere på

• Indtil nu har vi i vores undersøgelser oplevet at der er 60 forskellige måder hvorpå Srila Prabhupada instruerede de hengivne til at læse hans bøger.

Ved at studere Srila Prabhupadas bøger på på disse forskellige måder kan vi forstå og optage dem i os. Ved at følge den tematiske metode at studere og derpå sammensætte dem, kan man let komme ind til den dybereliggende mening af hvert ord, sætning, koncept eller personlighed, som Srila Prabhupada præsenterer. Hans lære er uden tvivl vores liv og sjæl, og når vi studerer den omhyggeligt kan vi modtage og opleve Srila Prabhupadas tilstedeværelse på mange dybsindige måder.

10 millioner Acaryaer

• Forestil dig at du har titusind nu. Vi vil udvide til hundredetusind. Det er der brug for. Så hundrede tusind til en million, og en million til ti millioner. Så der vil ikke være mangel på acharyaer og folk vil med lethed kunne forstå Krishnabevidsthed. Så organiser det. Bliv ikke opblæste. Følg acharyaens instruktion og forsøg at udvikle dig og modnes til fuldkommenhed. Så vil det være meget let at bekæmpe maya. Ja. Acharyaer, de erklærer krig mod mayas aktiviteter. – Srila Prabhupada foredrag fra Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, 6 April 1975

Kommentar

Denne vision fra Srila Prabhupada taler for sig selv - den perfekte plan for at folk let vil kunne forstå Krishnabevidsthed. Ti millioner bemyndigede siksadisciple af Srila Prabhupada der ydmygt lever vores grundlægger-acharyas instruktioner og altid forsøger at opnå perfektion og modnes. Srila Prabhupada fastslår tydeligt"organiser det." Vanipedia hjælper med til entusiastisk at virkeliggøre denne vision.

Videnskaben om Krishnabevidsthed

I det niende kapitel af Bhagavad Gita bliver denne videnskab om Krishnabevidsthed kaldt for kongen over al viden, kongen over alle hemmeligheder, og den højeste videnskab af transcendental realisation. Krishnabevidsthed er en transcendental videnskab, som kan blive åbenbaret til en seriøs hengiven, som er rede til at yde tjeneste til Gud. Krishnabevidsthed opnås ikke gennem tør argumenteren eller akademiske kvalifikationer. Krishnabevidsthed er ikke en tro, som hinduisme, buddhisme eller islam, men en videnskab. Hvis man læser Srila Prabhupadas bøger omhyggeligt, vil man realisere denne højeste videnskab om Krishnabevidsthed og blive mere inspireret til at sprede det til gavn for alle.

Herren Caitanyas Sankirtana bevægelse

Herren Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu er faderen og grundlæggeren af sankirtan-bevægelsen. Den der tilbeder Ham gennem at tilbyde sit liv, penge, sin intelligens og sine ord til sankirtan-bevægelsen bliver set af Herren og opnår Hans velsignelser. All andre ofre kan kaldes tåbelige, for af alle de ofre man kan bruge sin energi på, er et offer gjort for sankirtan-bevægelsen det mest glorværdige. Hele Krishnabevidstheds-bevægelsen er baseret på de principper for sankirtan-bevægelsen som Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu grundlagde . Derfor vil den, der prøver at forstå Guddommens højeste Personlighed gennem sankirtan-bevægelsen modtage perfekt viden. Han er sumedhas, en person der besidder virkelig intelligens.

Åndeliggørelse af det menneskelige samfund

Det menneskelige samfund er i øjeblikket ikke i glemslens mørke. Det har gjort store fremskridt på områder som materiel komfort, uddannelse og økonomisk udvikling overalt i verden. Men der er noget der generer i hele den sociale krop, og derfor er der store skænderier over selv mindre vigtige emner. Der er behov for retningslinjer for, hvordan menneskeheden kan forenes i fred, venskab og fremgang med en fælles sag. Srimad-Bhagavatam opfylder dette behov, for den er en kulturel præsentation som har det formål, at hele det menneskelige samfund igen kan blive åndeliggjort. Den almindelige befolkning bruges for det meste som værktøj i hænderne på de moderne politikere og ledere. Kun hvis disse ledere forandrer indstilling, kan der med sikkerhed opnås en radikal forandring i stemningen i verden. Målet for ægte uddannelse bør være selvrealisation, realisering af sjælens åndelige værdier. Alle bør hjælpe med at åndeliggøre alle aktiviteter i verden. Gennem sådanne aktiviteter vil både den der udfører dem, og det der udføres blive gennemstrømmet af ånd og transcendere naturens kvaliteter.

Vanipedias Missionserklæring

• At tilbyde Srila Prabhupada en vedvarende, verdensomspændende platform med det formål at træne og uddanne folk i videnskaben om Krishnabevidsthed på alle verdens sprog.

• At udforske, undersøge og omhyggeligt sammenfatte Srila Prabhupadas lære fra mange forskellige synsvinkler.

• At præsentere Srila Prabhupadas Vani på let tilgængelige og let forståelige måder.

• At tilbyde et opbevaringssted der faciliterer gennemgribende tematisk forskning, så der kan skrives mange bøger baseret på emner fra Srila Prabhupadas Vani.

• At tilbyde ressourcer til at udvikle forskellige uddannelsmæssige initiativer baseret på Srila Prabhupadas Vani.

• At give Srila Prabhupadas seriøse følgere en forståelse af hvor nødvendigt det er både at konsultere Srila Prabhupadas Vani for personlig vejledning, men også for at blive tilstrækkeligt lærd til at kunne repræsentere ham på alle niveauer.

• At tiltrække følgere af Srila Prabhupada fra alle lande til et globalt samarbejde med det formål at opnå det ovenstående.

Hvad der motiverer os til opbygge Vanipedia?

• Vi accepterer at.

• Srila Prabhupada er en ren hengiven, direkte bemyndiget af Herren Krishna, til at engagere de levende væsner i kærlig hengiven tjeneste til Gud. Denne bemyndigelse bevises gennem den uforlignelige fremstilling af den Absolutte Sandhed, som man finder i hans lære.

• Der har ikke været nogen større fortolker af Vaisnava-filosofi i nyere tid, og ingen større social kritiker, der forklarer samtiden SOM DEN ER end Srila Prabhupada.

• Srila Prabhupadas lære vil være det primære tilflugtssted for hans millioner af følgere i alle fremtidige generationer.

• Srila Prabhupada ønskede at hans lære skulle blive spredt vidt og bredt og blive rigtig forstået.

• En tematisk nærmen sig til Srila Prabhupadas lære forøger processen med at forstå dens sandhed betragteligt, og også at der er umådelig stor værdi i at udforske, opdage og omhyggeligt sammenfatte hans lære ud fra alle synsvinkler.

• At oversætte al Srila Prabhupadas lærdom til et bestemt sprog er det samme som at invitere Srila Prabhupada til at opholde sig for evigt på de steder, hvor dette sprog tales.

• På grund af hans fysiske fravær, har Srila Prabhupada brug for mange vanitjenere der kan hjælpe ham med denne mission.

På den måde er vi fast besluttede på at skabe en dynamisk platform, der understøtter delingen og den ægte forståelse af den perfekte viden og de realisationer der findes i Srila Prabhupadas lære, på en sådan måde, at de kan efterfølges med glæde. Så enkelt er det. Det eneste der adskiller os fra færdiggørelsen af Vanipedia er tiden og de mange hellige timer med vaniseva, som endnu venter på at blive udført af de hengivne, der overgiver sig til denne vision.

Jeg takker jer alle meget, for at værdsætte min ydmyge tjeneste, som jeg pligtskyldigt forsøger at udføre efter ordre fra min Gurumaharaja. Jeg beder alle mine disciple om at samarbejde, og jeg er sikker på at vores mission uden tvivl vil skride fremad. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Tamala Krishna das (GBC) - 14 August, 1971

Srila Prabhupadas tre naturlige positioner

En kultur af beskyttelse ved Srila Prabhupadas læres lotusfødder kan kun realiseres når disse tre positioner opvækkes i hjertet på alle hans følgere.

Srila Prabhupada er vores fremragende siksa-guru

• Vi accepterer at alle Srila Prabhupadas følgere kan opleve hans nærvær og tage beskyttelse i hans lære - både individuelt og ved at diskutere den i fællesskab.

• Vi renser os selv og etablerer et fast forhold med Srila Prabhupada ved at lære at leve med ham som vores vejledende samvittighed.

• Vi opmuntrer hengivne der føler adskillelse fra Srila Prabhupada, til at bruge tid på at søge hans nærvær og trøst gennem hans Vani.

• Vi deler Srila Prabhupadas medfølelse med alle sine følgere, både de der er blevet initieret i hans linje, såvel som dem der følger ham med deres forskellige kvalifikationer.

• Vi uddanner hengivne i sandheden om Srila Prabhupadas position. Som vores primære siksaguru, og vores sisya forhold til ham i adskillelse.

• Vi etablerer en række af siksa-bemyndigede disciple, der kan opretholde og videregive arven fra Srila Prabhupada til de efterfølgende generationer.

Srila Prabhupada er Grundlægger-acharyaen for ISKCON

• Vi fremhæver hans Vani som den primære kraft, der samler medlemmerne af ISKCON og bevarer deres trofasthed til ham, hvorved de føler sig inspirerede og målrettede mod at udvikle hans bevægelse, til det han ønskede - både nu og i fremtiden.

• Vi opmuntrer den vedvarende udvikling af Vaisnava-brahminske standarder centrerede omkring Srila Prabhupadas lære og hans prædikestrategier - en "vani-kultur."

• Vi uddanner hengivne i sandheden om Srila Prabhupadas position som Grundlægger-Acharya af ISKCON og vores tjeneste til ham og hans bevægelse.

Srila Prabhupada er Verdens-acharya

• Vi forøger den globale bevidsthed om betydningen af Srila Prabhupadas åndelige ståsted som Verdens-acharya ved at etablere den nutidige relevans af hans lære i alle cirkler i alle lande.

• Vi inspirerer en kultur af værdsættelse og respekt for Srila Prabhupadas lære, der resulterer i at hele verdens befolkning kan deltage aktivt og praktisere Krishnabevidsthed.

• Vi realiserer den forudsætning at Srila Prabhupada byggede et hus, som hele verden kan bo i, idet vi etablerer hans Vani som både fundamentet og taget – the shelter, the ashraya – som beskytter dette hus.

Vitalt for at etablere Srila Prabhupadas naturlige Position

• Samfundet ISKCON har brug for uddannelsesmæssige initiativer, politiske vejledninger, og social kultur for at facilitere og nære Srila Prabhupadas naturlige position i forhold til hans følgere og i hans bevægelse. Det vil ikke ske automatisk eller gennem ønsketænkning. Det kan kun ske gennem de intelligente, fælles bestræbelser som hans renhjertede hengivne tilbyder.

• Fem nøgleforhindringer der skjuler Srila Prabhupadas naturlige position indenfor hans bevægelse:

• 1. Uvidenhed om Srila Prabhupadas lære – han har givet instruktioner, men vi er ikke opmærksomme på, at de eksisterer.

• 2. Ligegyldighed overfor Srila Prabhupadas lære – vi ved at instruktionerne eksisterer, men vi er ligeglade med dem. Vi ignorerer dem.

• 3. misforståelser af Srila Prabhupadas lære – vi udnytter dem alvorligt, men på grund af enten vores umodenhed eller vores overmod anvender vi dem ikke korrekt.

• 4. Mangel på tillid til Srila Prabhupadas lære – inderst inde er vi ikke fuldstændigt overbevist og tænker, at det er en utopi der hverken er realistisk eller praktisk i en "moderne verden."

• 5. I konkurrence med Srila Prabhupadas lære – med fuld overbevisning og entusiasme går vi i en fuldstændig anderledes retning end den Srila Prabhupada har instrueret og påvirker derved andre til at følge os.

Kommentar

Vi tror på at disse forhindringer let kan afhjælpes gennem introduktionen af udelte, strukturerede uddannelses og træningsprogrammer, der har som formål at nære vores forhold til Srila Prabhupada og udvide vores viden om hans lære. Dette kan kun lykkes, hvis det gødes af en seriøs ledelse, der forpligter sig til at skabe en kultur, der er dybt forankret i Srila Prabhupadas Vani. På den måde vil Srila Prabhupadas naturlige position automatisk blive og forblive åbenlys for alle generationer af hengivne.

Hengivne er Srila Prabhupadas lemmer, ISKCON er hans krop, og hans Vani er hans sjæl

• I er min krops lemmer. Med mindre I samarbejder, vi, mit liv være nytteløst. Sanserne og livet er forbundne. Uden liv kan sanserne ikke handle og uden sanser, er livet inaktivt. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Brahmananda das (TP), 17 July 1968

• Jeg beder jer inderligt om ikke at skabe splittelse i samfundets sammenhængende krop. Samarbejd venligst uden nogle personlige ambitioner. Det vil understøtte formålet. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Brahmananda and Gargamuni Swamis, 31 July 1970

• Gør bogens omslag meget tiltrækkende, så de automatisk vil læse budskabet indeni. Omslaget er som sindet og sanserne, og bogens indhold er sjælen. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Amogha das (TP), 22 May 1972

• Jeg ønsker at det skal gå ned i historien, at denne Krishnabevidsthedsbevægelse har ansvaret for at redde verden. Når alt kommer til alt er denne bevægelse det eneste håb, der kan redde denne verden fra fuldstændig ulykke. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Sucandra das (TP), 1 January 1972

• Du bør altid huske på, at uanset hvad vi gør, så foregår det i parampara-systemet, der starter med Herren Krishna, helt ned til os. Derfor skal vores kærlige ånd dvæle mere ved budskabet end ved den fysiske repræsentant. Når vi elsker budskabet og tjener Ham, vil vores hengivne kærlighed for det fysiske opstå automatisk. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Govinda dasi, 7 April 1970

Kommentar

Vi er Srila Prabhupadas lemmer. For at kunne få succes med at samarbejde med ham til hans fulde tilfredsstillelse, må vi forbinde vores bevidsthed med ham. Dette kærlige fællesskab udvikles når vi bliver fuldstændigt fordybede, overbeviste og når vi praktiserer hans Vani. Vores holistiske strategi for succes er at alle assimilerer Srila Prabhupadas lære, og at vi modigt placerer dem som grundlaget, for alt hvad vi gør for hans Krishnabevidstheds-bevægelse. På denne måde kan Srila Prabhupadas hengivne blomstre personligt og i deres respektive tjenester for at gøre ISKCON til en sammenhængende krop, der kan opfylde Srila Prabhupadas ønske om at redde verden fra fuldstændig ulykke. De hengivne vinder, GBC vinder, ISKCON vinder, verden vinder, Srila Prabhupada vinder og Herren Caitanya vinder. Der vil ingen tabere være.

Distributing the Teachings of Parampara

1486 Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears in order to teach the world Krishna consciousness

1488 Sanatana Goswami appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1489 Rupa Gosvami appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1495 Raghunatha Gosvami appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1500 Mechanical printing presses begin to revolutionize the distribution of books throughout Europe

1513 Jiva Gosvami appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1834 Bhaktivinoda Thakura appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1874 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1896 Srila Prabhupada appears in order to write books on Krishna consciousness

1914 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati coins the phrase "brhat-mrdanga"

1922 Srila Prabhupada meets Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati for the first time and is immediately requested to preach in the English language

1935 Srila Prabhupada receives the instruction to print books

1944 Srila Prabhupada starts Back to Godhead magazine

1956 Srila Prabhupada moves to Vrndavana to write books

1962 Srila Prabhupada publishes his first volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam

1965 Srila Prabhupada arrives in the West to distribute his books

1968 Srila Prabhupada publishes his abridged Bhagavad-gita As-It-Is

1972 Srila Prabhupada publishes his full version of Bhagavad-gita As-It-Is

1972 Srila Prabhupada establishes the BBT to publish his books

1974 Srila Prabhupada's disciples start the serious distribution of his books

1975 Srila Prabhupada completes the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

1977 Srila Prabhupada stops speaking and leaves his Vani in our care

1978 The Bhaktivedanta Archives is established

1986 The world's digitally stored material amounts to 1 CD-ROM per person

1991 The World Wide Web (brhat-brhat-brhat mrdanga) is established

1992 The Bhaktivedanta VedaBase version 1.0 is created

2002 The Digital Age arrives - worldwide digital storage overtakes analog

2007 The world's digitally stored material amounts to 61 CD-ROMS per person, that makes 427 billion CD-ROMs (all full)

2007 Srila Prabhupada's Vani-temple, the Vanipedia begins construction in the web

2010 Srila Prabhupada's Vapu-temple, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium begins construction in Sridhama Mayapur

2012 Vanipedia reaches 1,906,753 quotes, 108,971 pages and 13,946 categories

2013 500,000,000 of Srila Prabhupada's books have been distributed by ISKCON devotees in 48 years – an average of 28,538 books every single day

2019 21st March, Gaura Purnima day at 7.15 Central European Time, Vanipedia celebrates 11 years of inviting devotees to collaborate together to invoke and fully manifest Srila Prabhupada's Vani-presence. Vanipedia now offers 45,588 categories, 282,297 pages, 2,100,000 plus quotes presented in 93 languages. This has been achieved by over 1,220 devotees who have performed more than 295,000 hours of vaniseva. We still have a long way to go in order to complete Srila Prabhupada's Vani-temple thus we continue to invite devotees to participate in this glorious mission.

Comment

The unfolding of the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the banner of the modern day Krishna consciousness movement is a very exciting time to be performing devotional service.

Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-acarya of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness has brought onto the world scene a life-changing phenomenon in the form of his Translations, Bhaktivedanta Purports, Lectures, Conversations, and Letters. Here lies the key to the respiritualization of the whole human society.

Vani, Personal Association and Service in Separation - Quotes

• My Guru Maharaja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is Vani. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the Vani, then you are getting help. – Srila Prabhupada Morning-walk Conversation, 21 July 1975

• In the absence of physical presentation of the Spiritual Master the Vaniseva is more important. My Spiritual Master, Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, may appear to be physically not present, but still because I try to serve His instruction I never feel separated from Him. I expect that all of you should follow these instructions. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Karandhara das (GBC), 22 August 1970

• From the very beginning I was strongly against the impersonalists and all my books are stressed on this point. So my oral instruction as well as my books are all at your service. Now you GBC consult them and get clear and strong idea, then there will be no disturbance. Disturbance is caused by ignorance; where there is no ignorance, there is no disturbance. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Hayagriva das (GBC), 22 August 1970

• So far personal association with the Guru is concerned, I was only with my Guru Maharaja four or five times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instructions, I have never felt any separation. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Satyadhanya das, 20 February 1972

• I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaja. – Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, 14 July 1977

• Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my Guru Maharaja since 1936 but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Uddhava das (ISKCON Press), 3 May 1968

Comment

Srila Prabhupada offers many revealing truths in this series of statements.

• Srila Prabhupada's personal guidance is always here.
• We should be happy in feelings of separation from Srila Prabhupada.
• In Srila Prabhupada's physical absence his Vaniseva is more important.
• Srila Prabhupada had very little personal association with his Guru Maharaja.
• Srila Prabhupada's oral instruction, as well as his books, are all at our service.
• Feelings of separation from Srila Prabhupada transform into transcendental bliss.
• When Srila Prabhupada is not physically present, if we follow his Vani, we get his help.
• Srila Prabhupada never left Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's association, not even for a moment.
• By consulting Srila Prabhupada's oral instructions and his books we get clear and strong ideas.
• By following Srila Prabhupada's instructions we will never feel separated (disconnected) from him.
• Srila Prabhupada expects all his followers to follow these instructions in order to become empowered siksa-disciples of him.

Using Media to Spread Krishna's Message

• 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. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Bhagavan das (GBC), 24 November 1970

• The mass-media can become such an important instrument in spreading our Krishna consciousness movement and I am glad to see that you are endeavoring to explore how this can be done. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Nayanabhirama das (TP), 9 January 1971

• I am very encouraged by the reports of the tremendous success of your TV and radio programs. As much as possible try to increase our preaching programs by using all the mass media which are available. We are modern day Vaishnavas and we must preach vigorously using all the means available. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Rupanuga das (GBC), 30 December 1971

• If you are able to arrange everything so that I can simply sit in my room and be seen by the world and speak to the world, then I shall never leave Los Angeles. That will be the perfection of your L.A. Temple. I am very, very encouraged by your proposal to flood the medias of your country with our Krishna Consciousness program, and see that it is practically taking shape under your hands, so I am all the more pleased. - Srila Prabhupada Letter to Siddhesvar das and Krishnakanti das, 16 February 1972

• You should try and get these TV personalities to show our books and advertise them over the air. This will be the real success of our endeavors with the media. - Srila Prabhupada Letter to Mukunda das, 21 February 1973

• His Divine Grace was very pleased to hear your proposal for systematically amassing a subject by subject encyclopedic compilation of all of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and instructions as found in his books. – Letter from Srila Prabhupada's Secretary to Subhananda das, 7 June 1977

Comment

Following in the footsteps of his Guru Maharaja Srila Prabhupada knew the art of engaging everything for Krishna's service.

• Srila Prabhupada wants to be seen by the world and speak to the world.
• Srila Prabhupada desires to flood the media with our Krishna Consciousness programs.
• Srila Prabhupada wants his books distributed through the press and other modern-media.
• Srila Prabhupada was happy to hear about the plan for a subject by subject encyclopedia of his teachings.
• Srila Prabhupada says we should increase our preaching programs by using all the mass media that is available.
• Srila Prabhupada says we are modern day Vaishnavas and we must preach vigorously using all the means available.
• Srila Prabhupada says we can use everything – television, radio, movies, or whatever there may be – to tell about Krishna.
• Srila Prabhupada says that the mass-media can become such an important instrument in spreading our Krishna consciousness movement.

Modern-media, modern opportunities

For Srila Prabhupada, in the 1970's, the terms modern-media and mass-media meant the printing press, radio, TV and movies. Since his departure, the landscape of mass media has dramatically transformed to include Android phones, cloud computing and storage, e-book readers, e-commerce, interactive TV and gaming, online publishing, podcasts and RSS feeds, social networking sites, streaming media services, touch-screen technologies, web-based communications & distribution services and wireless technologies.

In line with Srila Prabhupada's example we are, since 2007, using modern mass media technologies to compile, index, categorize and distribute Srila Prabhupada's Vani.

• Vanipedia's aim is to increase the visibility and accessibility of Srila Prabhupada's teachings on the web by offering a free, authentic, one-stop resource for

• ISKCON preachers

• ISKCON leaders and managers

• devotees studying devotional courses

• devotees wishing to deepen their knowledge

• devotees involved in inter-faith dialogues

• curriculum developers

• devotees feeling separation from Srila Prabhupada

• executive leaders

• academics

• teachers and students of religious education

• writers

• searchers of spirituality

• people concerned about current social issues

• historians

Comment

There is still more to be done to make Srila Prabhupada's teachings accessible and prominent in the world today. Collaborative web technologies provide us the opportunity to surpass all our previous successes.

Vaniseva – the Sacred Act of Serving Srila Prabhupada's Vani

Srila Prabhupada stopped speaking on the 14th of November, 1977, but the Vani he gave us remains ever fresh. However, these teachings are not yet in their pristine condition, nor are all of them readily accessible to his devotees. Srila Prabhupada's followers have a sacred duty to preserve and to distribute his Vani to everyone. We are therefore inviting you to perform this vaniseva.

Always remember that you are one of the few men I have appointed to carry on my work throughout the world and your mission before you is huge. Therefore, always pray to Krishna to give you strength for accomplishing this mission by doing what I am doing. My first business is to give the devotees the proper knowledge and engage them in devotional service, so that is not very difficult task for you, I have given you everything, so read and speak from the books and so many new lights will come out. We have got so many books, so if we go on preaching from them for the next 1,000 years, there is enough stock. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Satsvarupa das (GBC), 16 June 1972

In June of 1972 Srila Prabhupada said that "we have got so many books" that we have "enough stock" to preach from for the "next 1,000 years." At that time, only 10 titles had been printed, so with all the extra books that Srila Prabhupada published from July 1972 to November 1977 the number of years of stock could easily be expanded to 5,000. If we add to this his oral instructions and letters, then the stock expands to 10,000 years. We need to expertly prepare all these teachings to be accessed and properly understood so that they can be "preached from" for this whole period of time.

There is no doubt that Srila Prabhupada has unending enthusiasm and determination to preach the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It does not matter that his vapu has left us. He remains in his teachings, and via the digital platform, he can now preach even more widely than when he was physically present. With complete dependence on Lord Caitanya's mercy, let us embrace Srila Prabhupada's vani-mission, and with more resolve than ever before, expertly prepare his Vani for 10,000 years of preaching.

Over the past ten years I have given the framework and now we have become more than the British Empire. Even the British Empire was not as expansive as we. They had only a portion of the world, and we have not completed expanding. We must expand more and more unlimitedly. But I must now remind you that I have to complete the translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the greatest contribution; our books have given us a respectable position. People have no faith in this church or temple worship. Those days are gone. Of course, we have to maintain the temples as it is necessary to keep our spirits high. Simply intellectualism will not do, there must be practical purification.

So I request you to relieve me of management responsibilities more and more so that I can complete the Srimad-Bhagavatam translation. If I am always having to manage, then I cannot do my work on the books. It is document, I have to choose each word very soberly and if I have to think of management then I cannot do this. I cannot be like these rascals who present something mental concoction to cheat the public. So this task will not be finished without the cooperation of my appointed assistants, the GBC, temple presidents, and sannyasis. I have chosen my best men to be GBC and I do not want that the GBC should be disrespectful to the temple presidents. You can naturally consult me, but if the basic principle is weak, how will things go on? So please assist me in the management so that I can be free to finish the Srimad-Bhagavatam which will be our lasting contribution to the world. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to All Governing Body Commissioners, 19 May 1976

Here Srila Prabhupada is stating "this task will not be finished without the cooperation of my appointed assistants" to help him make "our lasting contribution to the world." It is Srila Prabhupada's books that have "given us a respectable position" and they are "the greatest contribution to the world."

Over the years, so much vaniseva has been performed by BBT devotees, book distributors, preachers who have held firmly to Srila Prabhupada's words, and by other devotees who have been dedicated to distribute and preserve his Vani in one way or another. But there is still much more to do. By working together via the technologies of the brhat-brhat-brhat mrdanga (the World Wide Web) we now have an opportunity to build an unparalleled manifestation of Srila Prabhupada's Vani in a very short period of time. Our proposal is to come together in vaniseva and build a Vani-temple to be completed by November 4th, 2027, at which time we will all be celebrating the final 50th anniversary. 50 years of serving Srila Prabhupada in separation. This will be a very appropriate and beautiful offering of love to Srila Prabhupada, and a glorious gift to all the future generations of his devotees.

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. – Srila Prabhupada Letter to Jaya Govinda das (Book production manager), 4 July 1969

For the better part of the 20th century, the printing press provided the tools for successful propaganda from so many groups of people. Srila Prabhupada stated how expert the communists were to spread their influence in India via the pamphlets and books they distributed. Srila 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, Srila Prabhupada's statement "the biggest medium at the present moment for serving Krishna" can undoubtedly be applied to the exponential and unparalleled power of internet publishing and distribution. In Vanipedia, we are preparing Srila Prabhupada's teachings for proper representation on this modern mass distribution platform. Srila Prabhupada stated that the Radha Press of his devotees in Germany was "really a representative of Srimati Radharani." We are therefore certain that he would consider Vanipedia to be a representative of Srimati Radharani as well.

So many beautiful Vapu-temples have already been built by ISKCON devotees – let us now build at least one glorious Vani-temple. The Vapu-temples offer sacred darshans to the forms of the Lord, and a Vani-temple will offer the sacred darshan to the teachings of the Lord and His pure devotees, as presented by Srila Prabhupada. The work of ISKCON devotees will naturally be more successful when Srila Prabhupada's teachings are situated in their rightful, worshipable position. Now there is a wonderful opportunity for all his current "appointed assistants" to embrace the vani-mission of building his Vani-temple and to inspire the whole movement to participate.

Just as the enormous and beautiful Vapu-temple rising from the banks of the Ganges in Sridham Mayapur is destined to help spread Lord Caitanya's mercy all over the world, so too can a Vani-temple of Srila Prabhupada's teachings strengthen his ISKCON mission to spread all over the world and establish Srila Prabhupada's natural position for thousands of years to come.

Vaniseva – Taking Practical Action to Serve

• Completing Vanipedia means Srila Prabhupada's teachings will be presented in a way that no one has ever done for the works of any spiritual teacher. We invite everyone to take part in this sacred mission. Together we will give Srila Prabhupada a unique exposure to the world on a magnitude only possible via the web.

• Our desire is to make Vanipedia the No.1 reference encyclopedia of Srila Prabhupada's teachings in multiple languages. This will only happen with the sincere commitment, sacrifice, and support of many devotees. To date, over 1,220 devotees have participated in building Vanisource and Vaniquotes and translations in 93 languages. Now in order to complete Vaniquotes and build the Vanipedia articles, the Vanibooks, the Vanimedia, and the Vaniversity courses we need more support from devotees with the following skills:

• Administration

• Compiling

• Curriculum Development

• Design and Layout

• Finance

• Management

• Promotion

• Researching

• Server Maintenance

• Site Development

• Software Programming

• Teaching

• Technical Editing

• Training

• Translating

• Writing

• Vaniservants offer their service from their homes, temples, and offices, or they can join us full-time for certain periods in Sridham Mayapur or Radhadesh.

Donating

• For the past 12 years Vanipedia has been primarily financed by the book distribution from Bhaktivedanta Library Services a.s.b.l. To continue its construction, Vanipedia needs funding beyond the current capacity of BLS. Once completed, Vanipedia will hopefully be sustained by small donations from a percentage of many satisfied visitors. But for now, in order to complete the initial phases of building this free encyclopedia, the service of offering financial support is crucial.

• Supporters of Vanipedia can choose from one of the following options

Sponsor: A person donating any amount they desire

Supporting Patron: An individual person or legal entity donating at least 81 euros

Sustaining Patron: An individual person or legal entity donating at least 810 euros with the possibility to make 9 monthly payments of 90 euros

Growth Patron: An individual person or legal entity donating 8,100 euros with the possibility to make 9 yearly payments of 900 euros

Foundational Patron: An individual person or legal entity donating 81,000 euros with the possibility to make 9 yearly payments of 9,000 euros

• Donations can be received online or through our PayPal account titled [email protected]. If you prefer another method or have more queries before donating, then email us at [email protected]

We Are Grateful - Prayers

We Are Grateful

Thank you Srila Prabhupada

for giving us this opportunity to serve you.

We will do our best to please you in your mission.

May your teachings give shelter to millions of fortunate souls.

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

please empower us

with all good qualities and abilities

and continue to send us long term

seriously committed devotees and resources

to successfully build your glorious Vani-temple

for the benefit of All.

Dear Sri Sri Panca Tattva,

please help us to become dear devotees of Sri Sri Radha Madhava

and dear disciples of Srila Prabhupada and our Guru Maharaja

by continuing to facilitate us to work hard and smart

in the mission of Srila Prabhupada

for the pleasure of his devotees.

Thank you for considering these prayers

Comment

Only by the empowering grace of Srila Prabhupada, Sri Sri Panca Tattva, and Sri Sri Radha Madhava can we ever hope to achieve this herculean task. Thus we incessantly pray for Their mercy.