IPM Freedom Newsletter
July–September 2008

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
founder-acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami

bhakti te mukti: Devotion is real freedom!

by Bhakta Mike, posted May 13, 2008

In response to a law suit citing obstruction of religious practice, the Arizona attorney general has requested the Tucson ISKCON temple and Govinda's Natural Foods Restaurant to provide three meals a day for inmate Jeff Walls, a Hare Krishna devotee in Federal Prison. Walls told the state that eating the prison food violated his religious practice of only eating sanctified food prepared in a clean, meat free kitchen by a brahmana with spiritual consciousness. The attorney generals office is negotiating with temple president Sandamini Mataji to provide those meals.

IPM Freedom Newsletter
April–June 2008

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
founder-acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami

bhakti te mukti: Devotion is real freedom!

by bhakta Jason Matthews

It was 1973 when I first came into contact with Krishna’s pure devotees. I was five years old and traveling through the Frankfurt airport with my parents and older brother. In thinking back on the experience it’s really odd that I remember it so clearly now, especially as it has become covered by other experiences of conditional life and remained forgotten for thirty two years.

As a very inquisitive child, I liked to explore and ask many questions of my parents and others around me. Therefore, it was always necessary for either my mom or dad to hold my hand so I did not wander off into the environment. This occasion was no different. My eyes were darting around from one person to another. Looking up and down the airport corridors, I was indeed enarmoured by all of the activity.

by Madhava Smullen

ISKCON's Prison Ministry traces its roots all the way back to 1962, when Srila Prabhupada visited Tihar Prison in New Delhi. "If you give me the chance to speak to all the members of the Jail," he wrote to superintendent Sri Puri, "It is quite possible for me to turn them into ideal characters."

Yet it wasn't until 1988 Candrasekhara Dasa established the official ISKCON Prison Ministry in the USA, as an outlet for householders to preach without having to leave their homes; all they had to do was write letters. Shyama Priya Dasi, now an IPM volunteer for seventeen years, was gripped by the idea of such a personal service the moment she was first introduced to it in 1990. "Chandrasekhara showed me a photo album of all the inmates he was writing to," she says. "It was like they were family."

by Candra das

Do lotus flowers really blossom out of muddy waters? Or, can something pure really emerge out of a contaminated environment? The Vedas illustrate this analogy by citing the emergence of Prahlada Maharaja, a pure soul from birth, with respect to familial association with his first-class demon father Hiranyakasipu. Yet these and many historical facts from the Vedas are being covered, as similarly our natural habitats are being obscured by the expanding concrete jungles we call urban cities or metropolises.

IPM Freedom Newsletter
January–March 2008

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
founder-acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami

bhakti te mukti: Devotion is real freedom!

by Chandrasekar das

“The benediction moon of the mercy of Sri Caitanyacandra shone only in the courtyards of the professional brahmanas proficient in various rituals, and the prominent and wealthy vaisyas who were as laden with laksmi as the beehives overflowing with honey in Sri Vrindavana-dhama. Sri Gaurahari and his brother Sri Nityananda Rama never chanted the holy names amongst the contaminated masses, which included prisoners of state, students, women, the lowborn, sudras, simple villagers, the forlorn, the distressed, and the unsophisticated.”

—Swami Bogananda’s Bogus Caitanya Upanisad

Every year for Janmastami we have a big program in Agra Central Jail with very enthusiastic participation from the prisoners who make Krishna Lila dioramas. Unfortunately this year there was civil unrest in Agra do to rioting by a certain community and there was curfew. But several days later after things were peaceful, the superintendent of the Jail invited us for doing a wonderful program.

IPM Freedom Newsletter
August - September 2007

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami

bhakti te mukti - Devotion is real freedom!

In this online-version you find selected articles, letters, and artwork. The original pdf-version is attached.

By Giridhari Syam das,
CDM Office, Sri Mayapur

Tamil Nadu, India

Click to see a larger map.

The cult of Krishna consciousness is spreading to every corner of the world by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the compassion of Srila Prabhupada, and the hard labor of Sri Gaura-bhakta-vrnda.

When I visited my birthplace in South India recently to see my mother, I happened to join in prison preaching with Ananda Govinda Prabhu, a congregational preacher. Ananda Govinda Prabhu is balancing family duties and service to the Hare Krishna movement. As a business man, he knows how to convince people to purchase his product. Similarly, he is able to convince people to “purchase the product” of Caitanya Mahaprabhu: the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which culminates in Krishna-prema. Indeed he has been very successful in the neighboring villages through the Nama-hatta preaching method.

In this partial online-publication you find:

• Bhakta Victor describes in The Call of the Wilderness how, during his unexpected placement in high-security detention, he came in contact with Krishna consciousness and finally managed to channel his negative energies towards understanding himself, Lord Krishna, and his position as His eternal servant;
• The first three winners of IPM's contest to express Bhagavad-gita 3:39 through art or words:
  1. Lust - Drawing by Bhakta David Lightsey;
  2. Lust and the Dance of Krishna - Essay by Bhakta Arthur;
  3. Extinguish the Shackles of Fiery Sex Life - Essay by Bhakta Kendrick Curry;
• An essay by Bhakta Carl Sheppard: Finding Happiness in the Bhagavad-gita;

You can download the complete newsletter here (pdf-file; last time I tried the download was corrupted, though).

Previously published links to the IPM web site don't work anymore; there's a new site coming up (under construction) at this address: www.iskconprisonministry.com.

I just received the IPM-newletter for March-April 2007. The pdf-file can be downloaded here: link, from the IPM web site.

There's another web site coming up, at www.iskconprisonministry.com, which also offers a pdf-newsletter containing contact information and some statements from prisoners.

In this 'online book' you find the articles I found most interesting from the above newsletter (March-April '07):

1. Organic Space-suits
2. The Paradox of Our Time
3. Letters from Jail
4. Let Us Culture Knowledge
5. Fatal Fat
6. Our Duty as Spiritual Vegetarians

The ISKCON Prison Ministries Web Site

iskconprisonministries.com is up and running, and you find all IPM Newsletters (pdf-format) here - including the latest one, November – December 2006. (The web site is still "under construction" and I'm sure Bhakta Jerry Prabhu will appreciate any coments and suggestions you may have.)

In this online-edition you find, among others:

• Mount Olive Yatra

  An exceptional article about a group of devotees in the high-security prison Mount Olive in West Virginia, USA, by long-time devotee and inmate Tirtha Prabhu, and

• The Wholly Joyful, Wholly Hopeful Holy Name

  "... I am often amazed at the vast quantities of hope and joy that the message of the Vedas has brought into my life from so many different angles when it seems as though we are living in a world of turmoil where hope and joy should be the exceptions rather than the rule."

  by Carl Sheppard

by Bhakta Bruce

As is often said in regard to alcoholics and drug abusers, a person is hardly ready to give up his addiction until he has hit rock bottom. It is when Maya kicks so hard that he is ready to give up his sense gratification.

When is the best time to preach to a person? Is it when he is enjoying like a king, or when he has nothing or next to nothing? And in what circumstances does the living entity become favorable to hear that what he has considered pleasure is nothing but really pain?

Perhaps the best time to preach the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease is when the living entity finds himself behind bars, in a prison house within the prison house of this material world.

By Jana Janmadi dasa

On July 11, 2006, I participated in oral arguments in the Texas First Court of Appeals (Houston), Case 01-04- 00820-CV. This was an appeal proceeding the lawsuit I filed based on the relatively new Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA), V.T.C.A. Civil Practice & Remedies Code @110.001 et sequentes.

The TRFRA prohibits the government from making any law or rule that substantially burdens a person's free exercise of religion unless the law or rule is made to further a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive means to further that interest. Generalized security fears are not a compelling interest.

Anne Graham Lotz

Billy Graham’s daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, "How could God have allowed such a horrible thing to happen on September 11th?"

Anne Graham replied deep and wisely:

"I believe God must have gotten very sad with what happened, just as much as any of us did. For so many years we have told God not to poke His nose into our choices, get out of our government and out of our lives. Being a gentleman as God is, I believe He calmly left us. How can we expect God to give us blessings and protection when we ask him to leave us alone?

Arizona finds religions make good path to rehabilitation

Judi Villa, The Arizona Republic
Feb. 15, 2006 12:00 AM

Inmate Richard Webb talks to other prisoners last month during a meeting of Wiccan believers at the Meadows prison complex in Florence.

FLORENCE - Geoffrey Burbank knelt in the corner of a prison chow hall, a small silver hammer medallion on his right shoulder.

Burbank, 32, has been in and out of prison in three states, but this time, he says he has found something that just may change the course of his life: faith. More specifically, Asatrú, an ancient Norse religion that espouses family and nine "noble virtues" such as courage, honor, trust and discipline.

"Every other time I got out, it was always get back involved with drugs. Guns and drugs," said Burbank, who studied Asatrú for about a year before he knelt to take his oath of allegiance at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Eyman. The hammer on his shoulder represents the legendary magical weapon of the god Thor.

"This changed my outlook on life," Burbank said. "I got something else to look forward to when I get out. Maybe I can stay away from guns and drugs this time."

	ISKCON Prison Ministries Freedom Newsletter
	His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
	Under the guidance of His Holiness Candramauli Swami
	May / June 2006	bhakti te mukti—DEVOTION IS REAL FREEDOM

Now the whole newsletter is available here. I'm sorry for the extremely slow upload, but my regular internet connection is out, and I get a chance to work online only once in a while, when the modem-dialup works.)

Kaunteya prabhu sent me a description of an early prison-preaching event with HH Visnujana Maharaja, ISKCON's famous singer who disappeared mysteriously in 1976.

Information about HH Visnujana Maharaja, including audio files and devotees' memories of him, are available at vishnujana.com. Here is an excerpt:

Chaitanya dasi: What I always remembered most was he was very transcendental. He would lead for long periods of time. It seemed like he had endless energy. He would play mrdanga, and it looked as though his feet weren't even on the ground. It was so amazing to watch him play mrdanga and chant, and his eyes would always be closed. It was like he went into trance, into another world. And his feet, it was as if he was floating on the ground.

ISKCON Prison Ministries

bhakti te mukti - Devotion is real freedom

(Submitted by Bhakta Jerry.)

The ISKCON Prison Ministries have been giving Krishna consciousness to inmates in prisons all over the world for over 18 years. Candrasekhara dasa heads these ministries, which started as a way for him to preach as a householder. Responding to hundreds of letters and inquiries every year, he has kept the ministries going all these years, through many difficulties and with very little help.

Many people are looking for Krishna while incarcerated. The ISKCON Prison Ministries are helping them find Him by sending books, tapes, Back To Godhead magazines, videos, japa beads. Some inmates, guided by the ministries, have been able to take shelter of a guru. Many prisoners never had association of devotees before meeting them through the ministries. Some have never visited a temple, but are looking forward to it after they are released. Somehow or other finding a book and writing to a temple or the BBT, they were at last connected to the ministries.