08/30/98-2094

Gathering of the Krsna Clans 1999

England (VNN) - Gathering of the krsna Clans 1999 A Vision Quest

by Mathura dasa and Mrgapati das [ART_COOP@Compuserve.com]

Gathering of the Krsna Clans 1999
Somewhere in Merrie England
Around Balaram Purnima of 1999 (Aug 26)

A Healing Yajna for Love and Trust in the Vaisnava family as an Offering to Gauranga Mahaprabhu for the Millenium and the Yuga Dharma

Workshops- Mahayajna - Puja - 24 Hour Kirtan- Music - Theatre
Dance - Sumptuous Prasad - Snacks & Refreshments - Juice Bars - Debate
Counselling - Healing- Yoga - Martial Arts - Swimming Pool- Celebrities
Lectures - Youth and Children's Areas - Bazaar - Exhibitions - Poetry
Storytelling - Juggling - Gulab competit ion - Lectures - Videos - Jyotish
and all the fun of the Fayre

A Vision-Quest

Take part - Help make the vision a reality

A Cultural Celebration of Unity in Diversity

The Purpose of the Gathering

Anyone can see it . The times they are a changin. The signs are all around us. Sages and Seers have predicted that this is a time of massive change. Things are accelerating to a crescendo. The divisive influence of Kali is at loose in the world and also it would seem in our own vaishnava family. The need of the moment is for a Yajna to dispel the storm clouds encircling the vaishnava camp and the world in general.

Periodically, throughout history at such crucial times, when all seems to be chaos and disarray there is an urge among the people to gird up their loins and taking their cloths in their hands run in the direction of the promised land. - We seek a King Arthur, A Merlin and a Lancelot. - Application forms can be obtained from our Bristol offices. Seriously though...Now is the time to "rally around the flag" of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What happened to our vision of Mahaprabhu's plan to save the world; the fulfilment of the yuga dharma ? Will this be achieved by fragmented squabbling groups of pedants ? Not on your Nelly mate !!

Therefore, taking a piece of dusty straw from the floor of a near-by cow barn, between our collective teeth we offer this humble vision. It is our little ëcandle in the wind'. Hopefully the candle will not set fire to the straw and burn our teeth in the process.

We envision a gathering. A coming together of like minded individuals for the purpose of seeing manifest the larger picture of Mahaprabhu's Divine plan. Divisiveness isn't where it's at brothers and sisters and mothers and uncles. It's about a big happy family all grooving together on the eternal vibe like Hari Bol y'all. So we thought - why not arrange a gig, throw a Krsna party to celebrate the millennium and as a Yajna for our own and the world's safety.
Is this not the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Ten Millennia Golden Age ? When are we going to stop squabbling and tidy the place up before the Devas get here.

Tradition

The timeless tradition of the "gathering of the clans" is one which enables the celebration of unity whilst appreciating diversity. Bringing together the varied strands of the weave helps to reveal the glory of the whole fabric. It can act as a catalyst and forum for much needed communication and sharing.

The Ancient Fayres of Merrie England, with their cyclic emphasis on the stars and seasons and their purpose as a rejuvenating ritual, mirror the Vedic ëMelas'. These serve to bring together, at auspicious or inauspicious times according to celestial indications, the various tribes, akharas, clans, maths, sadhus, yogis, gurus, scholars, pilgrims, etc to celebrate in a collective way, unity in diversity. Such cultural dimensions can also act as a counterbalance to the destructive influence of unfettered fundamentalism.We therefore humbly submit that England, the sacred Isle of Albion steeped in legend and mystic tradition, with it's health giving airs, revitalizing waters, sunny clime and rolling fields where lambs and grasshopper gamble gaily in blissful dalliance can serve as a wholesome and inviting neutral space wherein to hold our sacred triste.This can hopefully serve as a pilot for many other such events world wide.


The Gathering.

WHERE ?

Somewhere in the south of England, not too far from London, with in house accommodation, quality camping facilities, swimming pool, tennis courts, rolling countryside, privacy, easy access by road, train, boat, elephant, bullock cart, 747, skateboard, camel, donkey, flying carpet or steam roller. Facilities for exhibition tents, marquees, and festival attractions. Research is going on.

WHEN ?

Around Balaram Purnima (Aug 26th 1999). For around five to seven days. This date chosen to partake of the strength of lord Balarama. It is a good time for camping or holidaying in England as the weather is always totally tropical. It is also still school hols, so chaps with homework projects can come along and join in the fun. It gives leaders and air miles top travellers time to return to their respective bases in time to celebrate Janmastami, (3rd Sept). Also it gives us all a year to plan it.

WHAT ?

In a beautiful tent we imagine a rotational 24 hour kirtan from the various devotee clans and participants that will create a background of transcendental vibrations, to constantly purify the atmosphere.

Also a Vedic style Yajna (with dozens of Brahmins chanting mantras and oblations into the fire) performed with the intention of healing the planet.

Visualize the diversity of the vaisnava family tree in the sacred circle of unity. A circle of stalls, tents exhibitions and presentations from many Krsna clans or individuals encircling a 3 dimensional depiction of the "Caitanya Tree".

The cultural highlight will be the stage programmes.

Respected Prabhus, Babus, Maharajas, Matajis, Swamis and bhaktas and all Krsna folk both great and small come gather ye all here in the field of activities, where is to be held a great and gargantuan feast of spiritual sensibility both delightful and sweet. A Most splendid and sumptuous delectation for the eyes, ears, noses, feely bits and other organs of cultural perceptivity. Please be advised of the most audaciously sparkling array of thespic talent and creativity. The acme of aesthetic and integrally proportioned dramatic presentations, musical and oratorical recitations of both singular and choral nature. Theatre, review, satire, skits, sketches, pastel drawings and full colour three dimensional artifacts from diverse regions of the globe, movies, slide shows, musical extravaganza, rock and roll, folksong, classical Indian raga, Bengali bhajan bands and celebrities of stage, screen and mandir from all over the world will be served up with extravagant lashings of good cheer.


Ye Attractions

We envision several talking spaces where devotees can have structured debates, present papers, hold workshops or have brainstorming sessions to present siddhanta, realizations and visions. We hope that contentious issues, if not resolved, may at least be addressed in a level headed and gentlemanly or ladylike manner. Along with a whinging tent we would like a space for Krsna katha, nectar, poetry, and storytelling.

As well as sumptuous communal feast prasad, with lots of pakoras, panneer, samosas and with those pink things in white custard, we envision a variety of juice and snack bars, organic chip stalls, lassi shops and shake whallahs. Here devotees can relax take a weight of the danda , shoot the breeze and refresh, rejuvenate and edify themselves in happy association.

The emphasis on healing means we will invite all layers on of hands, ayurvedic physicians, shiatsu and Reiki masters, counsellors and therapists, earth mothers and uncles, as well as all balancers of chakras in general along with their attendant aura tuners.

No Merrie Fayre can be without its bazaar where you can browse the bizarre. Here you can barter for a bead bag, haggle over a hammock, sniff out a scent wallah, choose a cheap chaddha, grab granary grain grits, or just browse among the bustling book stalls.

Youth and children's areas . We would like to encourage young people to be creative and make a valuable contribution in their own way to the fun.

Mahakrama prabhu says he'll do a martial arts workshop every morning.

Cows, farming, basketweaving and lifestyle. Yurts, domes, wind and solar power, ecology, sustainable environment, ducks, geese, carrots, cucumbers and parsley unction. . Simple living and cream teas. Arts and Crafts, weaving and bobbing, necklace knitting and bead threading, pottery, murti sculpture, yantra painting and papier mache masks.

Due to the prevalence of cosmic signs and omens, portents and auguries, we invite all jyotishis, readers of runes, signs, symbols and riddles to attend. All seers and magi, workers of wonders and prophets of the apocalypse are urged to come together in a uniting of the cosmic forces for the casting of a great incantation into the cauldron. Let us collectively send out healing vibes using all the alchemical and wizardly ways of yore to heal the wounds of Mother Bhumi and her residents, tenants, lodgers and various persons just passing through for the week-end, as well as all downtrodden and weary masses huddled together in far flung corners( not forgetting the few in the middle) of a world in crisis.


HOW ?

This started out as a madcap devil may care sort of idea. Everyone we presented it to thought it was a jolly splendid one. So we wrote it down on a piece of paper. On Janmastami in England we gave out some papers and talked to lots of devotees including Mukunda maharaj, Radhanatha swami, Vipramukhya maharaja, Chanel 5, Akhandadi and Ratnavati, Kripamoya, Saksi Gopal, Yaduraja, Vimuktasanga ( who was the first devotee to see the manor you know), Mahabhuja and others. We got such positive feedback from everyone, babbling ecstasies, rolling eyes and swoonings, including a motely assortment of superlatives, "wows, far outs and right on dude nuff respecs, that we decided to tell a few more people, who,in their turn told others and in this way the vision spread until, verily, it was as though a prophetic quest was born.

In this time of omens and auguries it behoves all who seek the chalice of the Holy Graal to assist the crystallization of this vision. To take up the quest in the spirit of Parzival and the knights of the round table. Let us slay the dragons of nasty things and machiavelian manipulation. Let us chase away the demons of despondency, paranoia, depression and mild toothache. Let us bring joy to the world and say "pish" in the face of lamentation. Let us become empowered by quaffing at the well of jolly fellowship. Let us be instruments that play in harmony, such that the fulfillment of the prophecy may come to pass for the glorification of the Lord and the furtherance of His Divine Plan to restore order to the world and bring peace and happiness to all living beings. In this manner the Yuga Dharma may flourish and the vision of Srila Prabhupada and all the acaryas be fulfilled.

INVITATION (RSVP)

Everyone is cordially invited to join our vision quest. Evening dress is optional. However all dandas must be kept to a modest height. Portable wind powered vyasasans will not be permitted on the site. There will, however be adequate parking facilities for all push bikes and fyling carpets. Please reply with your requirements, suggestions, ideas and contributions to the office of The Alliance of the Non-Aligned (ANA). Or alternatively by e mail to..

ART_COOP@Compuserve.com

This missive brought to you courtesy of those cheeky chappies from Inner Sanctum at the multi award winning Kula Shaker web site.

Your humble servants

Mathura dasa

Mrgapati das

(We will now return the straw to the barn and put out the candle for the night) Thanks for your patient and good-humoured attention.

Footnotes

The Alliance of the Non Aligned was inaugurated under the auspices of the assembled vaisnavas at the World Vaisnava Sanga in Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Puspa Samhadi in Mayapura W.Bengal at the Gaura Purnima festival 1997. The Alliance of the Nonaligned exists to represent those who are not represented officially in the vaisnava forum and who would like to be aligned with others of a non - aligned status for the purpose of achieving an alliance, albeit an unaligned one as far as alliances go. The ANA is aligned to other allied bodies, who, in turn, are aligned with each other, whilst at the same time maintaining their independent status. In this way a loose network of tightly knit, non aligned individuals or groups of individuals may keep contact with other like minded or unlike minded individuals or alliances on an unaligned basis.

Applications for non aligned alliance to the A.N.A. are cordially invited from non aligned individual or groups who are presently unaligned or even still aligned to other groups whether aligned, non aligned, neutrally aligned or non aligned to other organizations, clans, tribes, akharas, maths, knitting circles, or factions of any shape, size, spatial or temporal dimension, demeanour or geological persuasion.

Ana - from the sanskrit - grain , also to nourish, that which nourishes, nourishing, satisfying fulfillment of filling of an empty space such as a stomach, body ( planetary or otherwise) to be fed, feed, eat, chew gently or swallow whole, as in "swallowing the whole samosa"... A gift from the Gods, Divine sustenance, the vehicle by which souls enter into the world, the earthly dimension, a badly spelt girl's name, derived from the minor babylonian or tutelary deity Anapothcenthrapi the lesser, in short a lot in a little.