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WORLD  Vasu Murti Named Ahimsa Council Organizer BY TRIDANDI SWAMI BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI USA, Jun 12 (VNN) — WVA-IC: VASU MURTI NAMED AHIMSA COUNCIL ORGANIZER Vasu Murti Appointed to Organize Interfaith Council For Non-violence World Vaishnava Association Interfaith Committee - (WVA-IC) Interim Coordinator Hare Krishna! Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga ki jaya! To the esteemed Sanga of the WVA, and the Devotees of the world, We are most grateful to our Gurus, The Lord and Our Merciful Mother, and pleased to announce to the devotees of the world that Vasu Murti of Oakland California, USA has accepted his invitation to organize the first WVA-IC Ahimsa Council, to promote the Vaishnava ideals of holy peace and benevolence through interfaith dialogue on ahimsa and non-violent cooperation in addressing social issues of critical importance. Vasu Murti is a Vaishnava activist in the promotion of Gaudiya Vaishnava Tradition based non-violence. Long a crusader against abortion and other violence against human beings, and a strong advocate for animal rights, Vasu Murti has devoted himself tirelessly to these causes. Vasu Murti has been involved in interfaith dialogue for years. Learning to respect those of other traditions, he has become pro-active in his approach and thus has been earning the respect and friendship of non-violence peaceworkers in the Christian, Jewish and other traditions. The following is a brief introduction to Vasu Murti Prabhu, whose energetic efforts to increase peace are much appreciated. We pray for his Divine empowerment and success in this interfaith Ahimsa Council service. As a Good-will Ambassador from Vaishnavism to other people of faith in the global cause of peacework, we are sure that he will humbly and energetically cooperate with others to promote the common cause of peace with justice for all peoples and for the community of creation and Mother Earth Herself. Introducing Vasu Murti Prabhu Worshiping with the Vaishnava Community in America for nearly twenty years, Vasu Murti has been a FOLK member since 1986, and an ISKCON Life Member since 1988. In addition to his study of Shastra, and devotional practices like daily Maha Mantra Japa, he has enjoyed the service of distributing Maha Prasadam to over a hundred people on various occasions. He has been a vegetarian since 1982, has been an ahimsa activist, and has written books on Vaishnavism and related topics. Vasu Murti is the author of "A Source of Inspiration," a guide to interfaith understanding between Christians and Vaishnavas, and "They Shall not Hurt or Destroy," which discusses animal rights and vegetarianism in the Western religious traditions. He has written a critique of Kathleen Marquardt's "Animal Scam: The Beastly Abuse of Human Rights," in which she attacks the animal rights movement. He has also compiled a manuscript entitled "The Politics of Vegetarianism," which discusses (in secular, political language) the relationship between food, economy, environment and war. As part of his devotional service, he has made copies of these manuscripts available to the ISKCON leadership (temple presidents in the U.S.), and to the public on the internet. Please visit his site at.. [insert a link to your site here] or contact him at VASU MURTI 30 Villanova Lane Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 339-8155 vasum@juno.com http://www.vasumurti.org Vasu Murti received his B.A. Degree in Physics and Applied Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, California, USA. He is currently an Eligibility Technician for Alameda County Social Services, and has also worked in the financial services field. Some of his writings include... "Victories for Animals," Stanislaus Connections. 2001 "Nonviolence or Nonexistence," Stanislaus Connections. 2001 "Animal Rights and Civil Rights," Stanislaus Connections. 1999 "Peace and Vegetarianism," Stanislaus Connections. 1999 "A New Ethic Towards Animals," Harmony: Voices for a Just Future. 1999 "And Justice for All," Harmony: Voices for a Just Future. 1995 "Parallel Lines," Harmony: Voices for a Just Future. 1992 "Hindu Perspectives on Abortion," Feminism & Nonviolence Studies. 1998 "Similar Principles," Feminism & Nonviolence Studies. 1995 As a social justice and animal rights activist Vasu Murti is a member of the following organizations... People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) In Defense of Animals (IDA) Friends of Animals (FoA) Feminists For Life (FFL) Amnesty International Organizing an Interfaith Ahimsa Council If readers wish to assist Vasu Murti in any of these areas of service promoting non-violence, please contact him. He will be networking with individual peaceworkers and organizations to promote interfaith cooperation in matters of common concern. He is authorized by myself (Bhakti Ananda Goswami) to encourage others to set-up their own local and regional WVA-IC Ahimsa councils. These informal councils may focus on a specific problem, such as abortion, "Just War", capital punishment issues, euthanasia, slavery, women's rights / domestic violence, other human rights issues, animal rights, violence in the media etc. Or a council may form with an inclusive range of ahimsa concerns. The mandate of these councils will be to provide a think-globally-act-locally interfaith forum for peaceworkers. If councils form which want to be formally constituted, they can do it according to their needs and desires. The WVA-IC is only interested to promote common values and holy goals, ways and means, and has no interest in owning, controlling or managing the projects of individual members or allied groups. The World Vaishnava Association Interfaith Committee (WVA-IC) is a purely devotional association promoting individual holiness and interfaith cooperation on all levels. We will be pleased to give our blessings and encouragement and prayers for the success of these councils. Those wishing to be part of the network Vasu Murti is involved in, and those wishing to form their own local or networking ahimsa councils should contact Vasu Murti Prabhu at the addresses provided herein. The principle of respect for others' sacred traditions is fundamental to achieving cooperation between those of different faith communities in any social-reform endeavor. The human race and Earth herself are suffering unimaginably from mankind's addiction to violence. If we do not together successfully address this global crisis in human civilization, and achieve general non-violence as societies and nations, we will not have any future on the planet Earth. Life on our beautiful, bucolic garden planet will be destroyed by mankind's madness of predation, cruel exploitation, violence to oppress others and bestial desire for revenge. To avert this impending global extinction of our own and other species, we all must cooperate to the fullest. We cannot remain isolated in our endeavors. All devotees of the Lord, all people of faith and good-will must now cooperate together to increase-the-peace ! The individual organizations and networks of peaceworkers, like the Catholic 'Seamless Garment' network, must form interfaith alliances to maximize their effectiveness. Such interfaith cooperation is essential to achieving any major progress towards peace on Earth. Each community should ideally have an interfaith peaceworkers council. The Vaishnavas of various lineages should get involved with the peaceworkers of other Bhakti Traditions to make their needed contributions in the global interfaith effort to promote non-violence. The Vaishnavas of the WVA-IC Ahimsa Council (s) can work locally and globally to increase interfaith cooperation in all related areas of human rights / social justice and animal rights. While there is a 'Just War' doctrine in Vaishnavism (Kshatriya Dharma is based on this), there is also a parallel great Vaishnava tradition of AHIMSA or non-violence. In the Bhagavad-gita Chapter 16, Text 2, Sri Krishna states that non-violence (AHIMSA) is a transcendental quality belonging to godly men endowed with divine nature. In Chapter 10, Text 5, The Blessed Lord says that AHIMSA is created by Him alone. Truly, non-violence and peace with justice are His creations, but we are the ones who must realize these BY OBEDIENCE TO GOD in our own hearts and lives, our own faith communities, and within the global community of faiths and nations. May our Gurus, The Supreme Lord, and Our Merciful Mother bless Vasu Murti and us all, as we humble ourselves to cooperate and thus increase-the-peace in this troubled world. Your aspiring servant, WVA-IC Interim Coordinator, Bhakti Ananda Goswami Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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