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Srila Prabhupada

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

“Now you all together make this Vedic Planetarium very nice, so that people may come and see… …Sources (of funds) means we get contributions from all over the world. All of our branches will gladly contribute. Practically this institution is the real U.N. We have the co-operation from all nations, all religions, all communities, etc. It will be an international institute”

– Letter from Srila Prabhupada to H.H. Jayapataka Swami,1976


Ambarisa Das

Ambarisa Das
Chairman

Dear friends, supporters and well-wishers, The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is one of Srila Prabhupada’s most dear desires. In Detroit in 1976, he described to me his vision for the project. He wanted to build an amazing and wonderful temple in Sridhama Mayapur to attract people from all over the world to the holy dhama and ultimately to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

At that time, Srila Prabhupada asked me to help finance this project. I have joined the project team and countless donors to bring the project to the stage which you see in this brochure. Now, I am asking for your help to bring this epic project to fruition.

We know there are many worthwhile ventures to support in the world. Please consider the unique benefits of a gift to this project. It is a rare opportunity to touch countless souls from across the globe and help place them on the path to salvation. It is a rare opportunity to benefit so many future generations. And it is a rare opportunity to be part of something truly Historical.

Take a once in a million lifetime opportunity and join me on this incredible, historic journey.

Hare Krsna, With best wishes,
Alfred Brush Ford (Ambarisa Dasa)


vraj-vilas-das-member-photo

Vraja Vilasa Das
Director of Development

My name is Vraja Vilasa das, Director of Development for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). On behalf of the whole TOVP team, I gratefully acknowledge your desire to kindly contribute to the project, and welcome you to the family of TOVP supporters.

At the TOVP, your donation means a lot to us, and it certainly means a lot to Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. Your gesture does not go in vain. It is our solemn promise that every penny will be used for the construction of this wonderful superstructure.

Phase One of our project was funded by a very generous donation by our lead donor and project chairman, Ambarisha Prabhu. Your donation will directly fund Phase Two of the Temple construction. Phase Two involves preparing the basic structure for the grand installation of the Deites of Sri Panca Tattva, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, the Guru Parampara, and Lord Nrsmhadeva. Phase Two is slated for 2022.


 

 

Message from the GBC for the UK



Dear Friends,

Srila Prabhupada had many goals for his ISKCON, indeed he must surely be the most ambitious goal setter of all time. Many of those goals he personally saw to completion while he was physically present but if there was any doubt about his ongoing influence, his most audacious project is now racing to fruition, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium!

There is so much that can be said of this project and its importance, already we can see the global interest in it and the super structure is yet to be completed. When it is, the preaching it will effect will be enormous and none more so than to the academic and scientific community. I recently read an article on the BBC website about the creation of the universe. The article stated that it represented the definitive view from the scientific community, hence I read it with great interest. It was a long article but the essence of it was presented as:

“The scientists admittedly controversial answer is that the entire universe, from the fireball of the Big Bang to the star-studded cosmos we now inhabit, popped into existence from nothing at all. It had to happen, they say, because “nothing” is inherently unstable”

Generally when devotees first read things like the paragraph above their first reaction is to mock it, taking solace in Srila Prabhupada’s often uncompromising comments about scientists and their view of the world. Certainly when I first read the above I was thinking of Prabhupada’s famous ‘kick on the face comments’;

“A missing link? Then I kick on your face. You’re missing this kick. Now learn it. Nonsense. Here is the missing point. Just learn it. Write vigorous articles to kick on the face of these rascals. You have got so much advanced laboratories, advanced knowledge. You do not… even you are defying the authority of God. You have become so great. And you cannot prove that life is coming out of matter. That you are leaving aside for future. And I have to believe such a rascal?” Morning Walk – April 19, 1973, Los Angeles

However I also remembered how Prabhupada encouraged us to see these kind of statements as great preaching opportunities and that our main issue with the scientists should be whether they defy the existence of God or not:

“If they (the scientists) accept God, then we give them all credit. That’s all right. Otherwise zero. We don’t deprecate their intention of advancement in knowledge. But we simply protest against their defying the authority of God. That is our point.” Morning Walk — April 19, 1973, Los Angeles

From one perspective if we consider that even the theistic scientists are unlikely to have the spiritual acumen to understand the subtle workings of the cosmos, what to speak of its spiritual origin, then their understanding that the universe came from nothing is somewhat logical. In other words it came from something that they have no understanding of, or access to, hence they conclude it came from nothing. To that end we have a starting point with the scientists where we have at least tenuous agreement.

Additionally science accepts that there is no such thing as ‘pure nothing’, hence their reference that nothing is inherently unstable. So when they say the universe “popped into existence from nothing” they do not mean an absolute nothing. Rather as the Bhagavatam explains, everything that is manifest in this gross world originates from the subtle realm. So in essence the scientists are stating the same thing, that tangible matter has manifest from intangible matter. Of course as of yet they are not so aware that they are saying the same thing and are also not aware of the original source, the noumena, Krsna.

To this end Prabhupada’s purport to SB 3.26.34 is most illuminating:

“this verse is the potential basis of great scientific research work, for it explains… how tangible elements are manifested from the subtle form”

And furthermore Prabhupada states our unified vision with the scientists even more clearly:

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually realised in the vision of a material philosopher and scientist through the manifestation of His material energy” CC Adi 6.14-14

So the scientists are coming around more and more to the conclusions of the Bhagavatam and Prabhupada’s transcendental purports, now we just have to create the environment where Prabhupada’s wisdom brings them to point of not only being scientific theists but also scientific bhaktas. To achieve that we simply have to leave our ego aside and refrain from giving them a rollicking!

Rather Prabhupada and the ever rising ToVP will do the rest, uniting in the intelligence of the scientists the phenomena and noumena, Sri Krsna, as they rightly should be united.

So please help Srila Prabhupada in completing this project which will surely bring with it a new dawn in the understanding of the creation of the universe and the glory behind it.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

Praghosa dasa

In the UK there are a few ways you can help out and give your donations.

1. By sending a cheque – made payable to – ISKCON Ltd

Post all cheques to: TOVP UK GBC National Office C/o ToVP 1 Watford Road Radlett Herts WD7 8LA

2. PayPal Direct Link

As a valued member of our ISKCON UK society and donor of TOVP. Here is a direct link created for your convenience.

https://www.paypal.me/TOVPUK

3. TOVP website for card Payments and advanced Paypal facilities: visit www.tovp.org and follow the prompts.

If you are a UK TAX PAYER and would like your donation to be worth more then please request for a gift aid form by sending an email to tovpuk@gmail.com.

For more information on the Temple of Vedic Planetarium you can write to tovpinfo@gmail.com

Above: In a gesture expressing unity of purpose for the service of ISKCON Founder-Acharya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Praghosa Das, the newly appointed Chairman of the GBC, has announced in Mayapur that 2015, the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the Western world, is the Year of the TOVP.