Picture this please; Prabhupada Valley; Puspa-Samadhi Temple and Ashrama ; a pleasant mostly vanaprastha community situated on lightly-forested rolling farming land in the grape-growing semi-meditteranean climate of Bala-ton Lake, (Lake Bala-Rama!) Hungary. Nearby, is the largest fresh water lake in Europe; Balaton, more or less part of the Danube river system. Natural hot springs abound known for restoring health and easing arthritis and stomach aliments. Tourists crowd the long sandy beaches and others are boating and canoeing. Budapest is nearby, with many universities, artistic studios, religion, and historic beauty. Winters are short and not really so cold, maybe it gets 15 below for a few weeks, but nothing like those of more northern European countries, what to speak of Siberia/Canada! Summers are long and the growing season goes on and on, like Italy lite, without the excess humidity.
Greece, Romania, Russia, Turkey, mid-east, Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia etc; all are within easy access from this centrally located land; a Nato country and with reciprocal retirement etc plans with Canada, for example.
Nearby is Sivarama Swami's successful Krishna Valley ashrama, in Transdanubia, our region of interest. They have a beautiful opulent city Temple in wondrous pious Buda-Pest some 100 miles north of the proposed Lake Balaton region. Now that Hungary has accepted our Hare Krishna society, all is well for devotees there, with no interference from government agents. They are also aware of the evil influence of the NWO there.
We have long discussed opening an ashrama for retired devotees. Now Krsna has put the opportunity square in our laps! Hungary is perfect; one of the easiest countries to enter with or without a visa, and one can get citizenship and residence simply by owning a residence there. India is a $550 round trip ticket away.
Hungary is ancient and modern, democratic and yet more European than Europe; it is where princes go to find intelligent and beautiful wives, and where the Blue Danube flows past fruit growing and wheat growing lands. Hungary is mentioned in the Vedas specifically.
We can easily acquire land and an ashrama at a fraction of the cost of the rest of Europe, with organic gardening, art and music and dance classes and appreciation, individually-owned apartments or cottages, or rented apartment, an ashrama, and communal activities and kitchen, sankirtan parties to Europe and India nearby, and a wonderful samadhi of Srila Prabhupada to be built as the main attractive feature, based upon a petal of a flower that decorated his pure body at the time of his leaving this mundane earth.
Rasa Manjari Devi and I are doing this ourselves, if necessary, and plan to invest $50,000. this coming spring/summer of 2013, the funds already banked and waiting for usage. We intend to live their most of the year. We are asking our site members to consider the advantages and opportunity to join us in this service venture. For example, with a personal investment one can have a personally-owned cottage home in a warm climate where the cost of living is less than 1/3 that of USA, Canada, and even the rest of Western Europe, yet it is gorgeous, friendly, close to India, and devotees are already well-established in that area. Land values there are considered way low and a great investment opportunity by realtors worldwide.
By owning a cottage on the farm property, you establish permanent residency and can come and go as you choose. Hungary is a very healthy southern European climate, the people are generally very pious, intelligent, musical, poetic, artistic, mystically inclined, and clean, rather in smaller part like our own Rasa devi!
We all need a place to associate, plan sankirtana and retire with some degree of dignity and yet affluence. This is possible for us in Hungary. Again, an income of as little as $500. per month buys a comfortable life-style there, a modest cottage for life for you may be acquired for $15,000. to $35,000 depending on one's preferences, and if one has one's own cottage on our own self-owned farm land, then everything is set. You can live there half the year, and spend half the year in India etc if you like!
We propose to travel, optionally of course, as a group to the mid-east, India, Nepal, Canada, Europe, etc for sankirtan and pilgrimage. We hope to attract some new devotees also, we shall see how that goes, but a small organic farm etc is definitely planned, and firewood will be harvested from forests. Biking, hiking, and kayakking, sauna and other healthy activities will be available, and of course, BHAKTI SADHANA, mangala artik, and devotional service as a community! This will be a real Temple program, not merely a pleasant healthy organic retirement village.
So, this is a first announcement of a solidifying of our attempts since day one here; to do real service cooperatively as a community and establish something permanent. Radha Krsna are Blessing us, let us take up their service seriously Prabhus, this is the big opportunity we have wanted!
I await your positive responses, suggestions, help in planning etc . I am your grateful and enthusiastic servant! Details will be forthcoming...
Comments
Consider joining the new Prabhupada Valley group, now onsite.