Paul Rodney Turner's Blog, page 8

This is why I am not a vegan

Bull shit! Yes, actually that's the reason. Well, that and cow shit. You see, despite the obvious merit for choosing to be a vegan, which essentially means avoiding all foods, clothing and products that are the result of animal suffering; and extending that ideal to advocating that all animals should live independently (including cows and bulls); the vegan ideology does not honestly address the lack of B12 in the diet. And so to live the vegan ideology you absolutely have to take B12 supplements and obviously that is not natural and certainly not the way God and nature intended human life to be.

I mean, seriously, how silly is it to think that humanity has to take supplements in order to justify a more humane way to live? But that is exactly what vegans all over the world do, at least those that live in the city. But sadly, very few have the guts to admit that something is terribly wrong with that notion.

What is B12Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins. It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid synthesis (especially odd chain fatty acids) and energy production. Neither fungi, plants, nor animals are capable of producing vitamin B12.


How do I know I am deficient?Vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. At levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory may be experienced. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.

To be fair, however, most cases of B12 deficiency have nothing to do with diet. Rather, sometimes individuals lose their ability to absorb the vitamin and become deficient no matter what sort of diet they follow.

In the nonindustrialized world, where bacterial contamination commonly brought traces of B12 to foods, B12 deficiency is largely prevented. However, modern hygiene has eliminated this source, just as indoor living has largely eliminated sunlight, nature’s source of vitamin D.

What is the solution?So how to solve this vegan dilemma? Well, it all starts with a load of bull shit or cow shit. You see, B12 is actually a bacteria that lives in soil and is plentiful wherever farm animals live. Animals like cows eat grass, thus picking up this B12 bacteria and then cultivate it inside their stomachs. B12 is found naturally in manure fertilized soil and synthesized via bacteria which are present in the intestines of animals. However, animals themselves are not capable of synthesizing the vitamin, only the B12 bacteria contains the enzymes capable of breaking it down. Which means, in order for humans to acquire an adequate amount of B12 they must either obtain it from animal sources, fortified foods or multi-vitamins. When someone kills a cow this B12 is present in the meat and thus a carnivorous human does not usually have B12 deficiency. If someone takes dairy products they can also get remnants of B12, but a vegan misses out completely, unless they too live around farm animals and play and work in the same soils where the B12 bacteria exists.


That means, if we choose to live naturally, the way nature and God intended, playing and working in soils where farm animals live then B12 is practically everywhere, and in fact, we can even breath it in, it is so plentiful! But a fanatical vegan will declare that all animals are to be independent, even cows and bulls; that animals should never be used by humans for any labour, etc. The problem with those kinds of sweeping statements is that they completely ignore history. You see, from the beginning of time, man and beast have had a symbiotic relationship. The problem today is that this natural and respectful symbiotic relationship has been lost and now most of humanity exploits animals. If however, we respect and love and serve animals, as they do us, then a healthy symbiosis can ensue.

Animals should never be slaughtered for their meat, except in cases of survival where there are no other options for food. But in a world where food is plentiful, this is not the case. In fact, the world has the capacity to feed double the current population; "the problem is not food shortage, but inequitable distribution," declared the United Nations.

So getting back to bull shit. Yes, the miracle and magic of bull shit. You see, bull shit and cow shit is loaded with the B12 bacteria. So if we use this natural and most powerful manure to fertilise our fruits and vegetable and actually play with the soil they inhabit, we will get more than enough B12 inside our bodies. So for a fanatical vegan, this would mean acknowledging the reality that living around farm animals is essential for good health. A cow eats grass and produces milk. A bull eat grass and has the muscle and power to till a field. Both of them shit loads of B12 fertiliser that we can then use to make the best organically-grown, non-GMO fruits and vegetables. They serve us and we serve them by keeping them happy and healthy. That is how God and nature intended it, but if you listen to many vegans, they will outright reject such notions and either suffer B12 deficiency or supplement with B12 tablets.

So that is my big problem with the vegan ideology and so I choose not to be a vegan, but choose to accept that in order for me to live a healthy and natural life, I have to accept that farm animals must be part of my livelihood and the most natural and non-violent way to do that is to either live on a farm with farm animals and grow my own fruits and vegetables using cow manure as a fertiliser. Or obtain B12-enriched cow manure for my city garden; or consume (heaven forbid) non-violent dairy products. Yes, they do exist. More and more consumers are now demanding higher quality, non-violent dairy. Many of these people are not even vegetarians, but just people that realise that commercial milk is toxic to health.

I have abstained from commercial dairy for well over 15 years now. But I am not a "vegan," in the fanatical and impractical sense, but more so in adhering to the essential truth of the ideology, namely, non-violence. Therefore whenever I can, I will gladly consume milk offered to me by a protected and loved cow, knowing that her offering was given with love and she is happy, healthy and will live a long and natural life. That kind of milk is actually beneficial and to ignore that possibility is to ignore the entire history of domesticated cows. History has proven that cultures can survive for thousands of years and their people live long, healthy lives when there is a symbiotic relationship between humans and animals. Hundreds of millions of Hindus have used dairy products for many thousands of years, lending credibility to the notion that dairy products can be safe to consume. To ignore this fact is to allow ourselves to be blinded by our reluctance to even consider evidence that challenges our own personal convictions and the current medical belief.

The sad part of that story is how big business took over this once sacred tradition and turned it into a profit-driven hell for all bovine. Even in India, the "land of the cow," gross abuse of cows is taking place and commercial milk is now a contaminated cocktail containing detergent, hydrogen peroxide, urea, and contaminated water.  But of course, there are non-violent ways to get milk these days and that is exactly what the new ahimsa dairy farms are offering.

Consuming dairy from a loved, respected and protected cow is perfectly in line with the essential ideology of veganism -- non-violence. But if you're a fanatical vegan, you won't bring yourself to accept such a possibility. So it is best to avoid trying to press that ideal into a new form of the ideology, but rather accept the fact that veganism in the strictest sense of the term is flawed. And bull shit is the stain on the "white sheet" of this so-called pure ideology.

I believe it is time to redefine what it means to be a "vegan" and retire the old fanatical, ideologically inconsistent and unhealthy definition of veganism.

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VegNews shuts out Food for Life Global and I ASK WHY?

I used to think VegNews had substance and appreciated the work that my charity does all over the world. However, I am now convinced that they don't give a damn, even though Food for Life Global is the largest vegan food relief on the planet! In fact, our network of affiliates serve even more hot meals than the United Nations World Food Programme! But that does not seem to matter to VegNews. Oh no, it is far more important to report on the latest raw chocolate cake recipe, vegan celebrity gossip or some other trivial health fact. Who cares about world hunger? Who cares that Food for Life Global is directly addressing the cause of world hunger? Who cares that Food for Life Global was serving vegan meals to survivors of Typhon Haiyan in the Philippines? Who cares that our volunteers around the world serve up to 3 million vegan meals daily? Well, VegNews doesn't seem to give a damn.

The straw that broke the proverbial "camel's back" for me was their complete shut out and non interest in the following story reported on our web site: President Mujica enjoys vegan feast and welcomes Food for Life Global

Through months of hard work and networking, we were able to arrange a meeting with the world famous President Jose "Pepe" Mujica and cook him a vegan feast. It was the first time in the history of the country that a vegan feast had been cooked in the presidential house. Uruguay is literally the capital of the meat industry, and here was the president of Uruguay allowing us to cook him a vegan feast and discuss starting a Food for Life vegan lunch program in the schools. He told me: "The doors are open wide for Food for Life Global." This is a tremendous breakthrough for the vegan cause. But VegNews didn't care.

I put off writing this open complaint out of respect for the magazine and its editorial policies, but frankly, to ignore this story and the tremendous work that our volunteers do is outright offensive to our organisation and the volunteers that work hard every day to make the world a better place.

Here are my recent exchanges with Joe on Facebook messenger...Judge for yourself.

PAUL:
Hi Joe, http://www.ffl.org/2012/annamrita-food-for-life-now-serving-1-2-million-vegan-meals-daily/ 
This is just one of our affiliates organizations. FFL in total around the world is way over 2 million meals a day now. Annamrita Food for Life now serving 1.2 million vegan meals daily www.ffl.org
JOE: Excellent! Why weren't you at the IVU Congress?October 13, 2012 3:07 am
PAUL: I had other obligations and am not comfortable visiting the US these days. I live near Brisbane now and am currently in Europe promoting my book.December 12, 2013 11:29 am
PAUL:Food for Life vegan food relief.


January 31st, 9:40pm
PAUL:Hi Joseph, 
I hope you are well. I am always surprised that VegNews does not cover more of our vegan food relief. Is there a reason?April 6th, 12:14am
PAUL:Did you see this story? I cooked a vegan feast for Mujica 




http://www.ffl.org/2014/president-of-uruguay-welcomes-food-for-life/ President of Uruguay welcomes Food for Life | Food for Life Global - Uniting the World Through... www.ffl.orgApril 8th, 10:52pm

JOE:Paul, did any other media report on this story? Are there any better photos? The pictures I've seen aren't all that good/useable. Thanks,~ Joe

PAUL:Well to my knowledge no English media has. The Spanish media has. I can send bit better quality. Unfortunately we did not have the best camera, but try this.I can send through email in case FB crunches itBut it was a private meeting so it was a bit awkward.What is best email for you?April 9th, 12:05am
JOE:
joseph XXXXXXXXX (at) gmail (dot) com (without the spaces of course)April 9th, 9:53am
PAUL:Sent what I haveFriday 12:48am
PAUL:So, still not worthy of a mention on Vegnews?Friday 12:56pm
JOE:
Posting slink to a Spanish newspaper article won't benefit the average VegNews ready, Paul. Sorry.*Posting a link...
PAUL:But why is not news for Vegnews? Uruguay is a huge meat country.Mujica asked me to bring vegan meals to his school kidsI have the full government support.
JOE:
Let me think about doing a news blurb for you in my next issue. Maybe I can work it in that way.
PAUL: Seriously, do you realise how many people in the West love Mujica! ?This is hugeHe has been nominated for the Nobel peace prizeAll the vegan celebs will go nuts over this
I wish I could give you another article from an English media but no one has picked it up. I am shocked by it. Maybe it is because the US gov hates Mujica because of his stance on certain things.
================ END

Joe never wrote back and Vegnews has still not reported on the story or anything that our charity does.

So my question is: WHY THE SHUT OUT?

What exactly is not newsworthy here?



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Think with your brain, not your mouth! Shame on McDonalds

McDonalds latest campaign message is: "Think with your mouth."


But in truth, people don't think with their mouth or tongue. In reality they allow the tongue to be their master and to dictate what their body needs. It is foolish and the results are grossly evident in the obesity epidemic taking over the world today. Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in 21st century, with rising rates in both the developed and developing world. Rates of obesity in Canadian boys for example have increased from 11% in 1980s to over 30% in 1990s.

And obesity is expensive too.

In 2005, the medical costs attributable to obesity in the US were an estimated $190.2 billion or 20.6% of all medical expenditures, while the cost of obesity in Canada was estimated at CA$2 billion in 1997 (2.4% of total health costs). The total annual direct cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2005 was A$21 billion. Overweight and obese Australians also received A$35.6 billion in government subsidies. The estimate range for annual expenditures on diet products is $40 billion to $100 billion in the US alone. (source: Wikipedia)

McDonalds and fast food chains like them are the major contributors to obesity and slick slogans like, "Think with your mouth" only serve to encourage people to not use common sense when it comes to food choices.

The Yoga tradition encourages us to become master of the senses, beginning with the tongue and this requires a discriminating intelligence and a controlled mind.

Don't let McDonalds fool you. Respect your body like a temple. 
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We cooked a vegan lunch for the president of Uruguay

The idea of cooking a vegan lunch for the President of Uruguay was something I immediately thought about after my partner Juliana told me about Jose "Pepe" Muhica. She was like a little girl when describing this amazing man. She then showed me youtube videos and translated speeches he had given at the United Nations summit and online articles about what others had said of him and how rockstars like Aerosmith wanted to meet this humble man.

"He is the poorest president in the world," she told me. "He is also the most popular. It was all amazing to hear. Jose "Pepe" Muhica is a president of a democratic and modern country driving around in an old Volkswagen and wearing cheap suits and shirts. Rather than live in the presidential mansion in the city, he prefers to live on his humble farm with his beloved wife and grow vegetables. "I am not poor," he told the BBC. "I am actually rich. I have everything I need. Others are poor that want to many things." Muhica donates 90% of his salary to charity.


"I have to meet him. I have to cook for him," I told her. "Ok, let's try," she said. But how? "I have a friend in Uruguay. He is a famous sports reporter and tv celebrity. He knows everyone. Let me call him," she told me excitedly. Soon enough she got the answer from her friend, Pepe Mansilla that it was indeed possible and that he had met the president many times and loved the idea of us meeting him. He asked us to send all the materials we can on our charity work with Food for Life.

Months went by with no word from him, but we all knew that it was going to happen. Pepe Mansilla said he dreamed about the meeting. I could visualise it clearly in my mind and so too did Juliana. But when and how would it all play out. We did not know.

We were scheduled to arrive in Uruguay on March 10 as part of a lecture tour I planned; first spending 2 weeks in Brazil and then 2 weeks in Uruguay. We arrived and settled into our apartment in Montevideo. I kept myself busy giving talks at the local ISKCON temple while Mansilla continued to work on the meeting. He told us, "I am sure it will happen, but we just have to wait." Apparently the presidents secretary and security team were doing background checks on Juliana and I. Meanwhile Mansilla arranged for me to be on the daytime television show, Dia a Dia where I talked about Food for Life and my new book, FOOD YOGA. The host asked me what are my plans in Montevideo. I told him that we hope to start a new Food for Life project here with the help of the president. "He is very popular, even in Australia," I told the host. "Oh my, our "Pepe" Muhica is even more popular than football. Wow!"

It was March 21 and our scheduled return to Colombia was March 26. We were hopeful still but wondering when we would get the "green light" to actually meet the president. Then on March 22 we got confirmation. "You can cook him lunch and meet with him. But you only have 1.5 hours for everything," said Mansilla. "We're going to make Muhica's lunch!" I shouted with a smile. Juliana literally jumped into my arms. We were both so happy.

March 24 was to be the day. There was a lot to prepare. The menu! What do we cook? We finally decided on a bbq tomato, pumpkin curry, lentil soup, lemon rice, chapatis, samosas, mango chutney, avocado salad, coconut cream and mango smoothie, and a peppermint / chocolate ice cream cake!

The day before the lunch I gave a talk at the ISKCON temple and then we raced around town purchasing all the ingredients. The temple congregation were so happy to hear of our plans to make prasadam for their beloved president that they sang to us as we left for shopping.

We were told we had to cook for 15 people. There would be a lot of shopping to do. Somehow we found everything and dropped it off at the president's kitchen that same afternoon. Tomorrow, Monday we would have to arrive at 8am to start making the vegan feast. Everything was to be ready by 12 noon. The pressure was on. It was officially "Game on" time.

We both hardly slept that night as the meeting played out in our minds over and over. Fortunately we rested enough to be fresh and ready to go at 7am. We arrived at the presidents house around 8.20am by taxi carrying bags of extra ingredients. As soon as we entered the kitchen the presidential staff were waiting eagerly. They told us, "Tell us what you want us to do. We are here to help you." I had gone over the cooking strategy with Juliana multiple times so that on the day it was all second nature to us both. As planned, we set everyone on a specific task of cutting or cleaning as I managed the cooking. Juliana and our friend Labhanga helped me cook while the local staff did most of the cutting and cleaning.






We dined on the finest gold leafed china and silverware




Everything went like clockwork. By 12 noon all the preparations were complete. I was told that the lunch would be served at 12, but actually it was not served until 12.40. I put a sampling of all the things we made and had all the cooks come together with me and did an offering mediation over the food to bless it with nice energy. The local staff watched on and were really impressed. Later I was told by the president's head chef that he watched me carefully and was furiously taking notes of all my recipes.

I changed out of my chef shirt and put on a new light pink one. I was relieved and satisfied. We had completed phase 1, a nice vegan lunch for the president. Juliana and I went upstairs to greet the president. A car pulled up and the president got out. He was wearing blue jeans and a light grey shirt. He slowly climbed the stairs as Juliana and I anxiously waited. We greeted each other casually and proceeded to the dining room. It is not every day that you get to meet a world leader, but here we were about to have lunch with him -- a lunch that we prepared ourselves!

We all sat down. I was opposite President Muhica with Juliana to my right side and the Minister of Social Development to my left. To the left of the president sat our friend and colleague Pepe Mansilla and to the president's right sat his charming secretary.


Earlier, the serving staff asked me to show them how the lunch should be served. We made up a sample plate and instructed them to bring the meal in 4 courses. Everything went very smoothly and they did exactly as I had asked.

The president was not feeling well but he gladly accepted everything we served. He especially liked the lentil soup, vegetarian samosas with mango chutney and the mango lassi made by Juliana. He actually drank 5 glasses!

After the main courses were served it was time for the peppermint, chocolate vegan ice cream pie. Wow, it was so good. I had made it just right this time and was very proud. We completed lunch and continued discussing how Food for Life could cooperate with the government. It was then that I showed everyone a 10 minute video on the work of Food for Life Annamrita in India. Both the president and the Minister were super impressed. He told me, "The door is wide open for Food for Life. Let's cooperage to bring healthy meals to the children in schools." The president told me that there is a great need to educate people on how to eat properly in Uruguay.

"We don't have education about how to eat; we eat too much meat and people are sick all the time. We have to know what we need to eat. This country has all seasons, so our people need to understand what and when to eat the correct foods according to those seasons."

He also spoke fondly of the farmers and how they work hard but are not always good at business. I said to him that Food for Life has a policy of working with local farmers and businesses to support the local economy. He loved that idea and was even more encouraged to work with Food for Life.

"One of the important things in my government is to support the small farmers."

The president identifies with the small farmers, because he himself is one and grows vegetables to sell in the marketplace.

Our scheduled meeting was to last only 1.5 hours, but it was now 3pm. We asked the president to sign some autographs and he immediately asked for some paper and began writing little words of wisdom under each person's name. No one expected it, but it was so touching. He asked for the name and then offered some sage advice or encouragement even though some of the people were our relatives that he had not met. I had no paper, so I asked if he would kindly sign my $20 note. He happily complied and wrote:

"To Paul: This man was not convinced that woman deserve education too."

Apparently the man on the note, Jose Rodo, did not believe that woman deserved education. President Muhica, on the other hand, has demonstrated a lot of support for women's rights and education, because his wife was in jail with him during the dictatorship and had fought valiantly for women's rights. Education for all woman is essential, so when he saw the picture of Roda, he told us to not educate woman is so wrong.




We bid farewell to the president and the staff. The head chef told me that the staff loved our vegan lunch and the non-veg meal that he had prepared earlier was still sitting there. It was the first time anyone had ever cooked a fully vegetarian (vegan) meal in the president's house. It was indeed an experience and everyone wanted to try out the new dishes.

It is amazing what you can do when you fix your mind on some ideal and believe it. I fully believed this would happen. I could clearly see it in my mind and smell it. We did it and everyone was happy. It was a great day for Juliana and I and our good friend Pepe Mansilla. He told me later that the meeting went even better than he expected.

So now for the follow up. We have appointed Pepe Mansilla as the new director for Food for Life in Uruguay and he is currently setting up the new foundation to manage the project. Food for Life Uruguay will work closely with the Minister of Social development to create a scaled-down version of our successful midday meal project in India. There is much to do, but the first order of business is establishing the new foundation and working out healthy vegan meal plans.



To keep up to date on the progress of this new initiative in Uruguay, visit www.ffl.org

Juliana, Juliana, you are an example to humanity (POEM)

Juliana with her beloved "Yogi" the dog
Juliana, Juliana, your heart and eyes shine bright,as your ginger-tinged hair lights up the darkest of nights,Juliana, Juliana, your desires are passionate and bold,and for some uncanny reason, you never grow old. 
Juliana, Juliana, I am blessed to hold your hand, of one fine damsel desired by many a man.Juliana, Juliana, thank you so much for all...your kindness, caring, and patience for this silly ol' Paul.
Juliana, Juliana, you're the mother of many babies, cows, cats, chickens and a whole bunch of puppies.Juliana, Juliana with determination like the sun,Hindering your goals is not possible for anyone.
Juliana, Juliana, I am so impressed by you,And I am certain the divine Lord and Lady are tooJuliana, Juliana, carrying heavy bags of food,Just to see wagging tails and to enrich their mood
Juliana, Juliana, your 'children' love you to death,how can they survive without your sweet loving breath?Juliana, Juliana, you are an example to humanity...of how to love unconditionally devoid of species inequality
Juliana, Juliana, all animals are your friend, Like Saint Francis before you, who gave till the end.Feeling their pain and sadness, in a world of hate,you are there to befriend them before it is too late. 
Juliana, Juliana, you're a vegan goddess divine, Not a single quality in you can be considered dirty or swine,On the contrary, I've discovered a chest full of jewels,inside the most magnificent heart landscape bereft of all fools. 
Happy Birthday! 
(c) 2014 Paul Rodney Turner

Nityananda, Nityananda, can you pick up the phone? (POEM)

Nityananda Nityananda, your love knows no bounds,Nityananda Nityananda, you chant the holiest of sounds,Nityananda Nityananda, ever since I called out your name,my dry and boring life has never be the same.
Nityananda Nityananda, can you pick up the phone?This lowly traveller wants to get back in the zoneOf higher consciousness and love -- in a world so out of shapePlease, I'll be quicker than it takes you to squeeze a red grape
Nityananda Nityananda, your kindness does ruleEvery so-called holy man needs to attend your schoolNityananda Nityananda, with feet like a milion moonsOnly you can soothe the scorching desert of empty pious boons
Nityananda Nityananda, is that you picking up the phone?I can feel your sweet presence like a dog to a bone"Yes weary traveller, how can I help you today?"I'm lost for words now, I don't know what to say
Nityananda Nityananda, "Yes, that is my name"Dear sir, most kind one, of legendary fame,I just wanted to hear your voice and know you are real,To put a feeling to your name and sound to your feel
"My dear child, I am here for you, like a father to his sonNever doubt me for a second, oh fortunate oneMany flounder in this realm and never even try to callSo be proud you had the courage, my dearest Paul"
They also call me Priyavrata, or one who is dear to discipline"Yes, I'm quite aware, my son, you do like to listen.But your name 'Paul' is good too, like a flower to the sunYou are the servant of God; you are the little one"
Thank you, dear Sir, for reminding me of my callI promise You this, that I won't drop the ball,And waste this opportunity like some drunken fool,I'll continue to listen and learn in the Sankirtan school
Thanks for taking my call and giving me your time,As I painstakenly try to capture this event in rhyme,I feel peaceful and satisfied, knowing you care for my soulYour sweet voice, my Lord, has filled a gaping hole
Nityananda Nityananda, I call your name once moreWith even more devotion than I had before,Nityananda Nityananda, you are so wild and free,Free to love, free to dance, bathing us all in ecstasy!
Who is Lord Nityananda ?
(c) 2014 Paul Rodney Turner (Priyavrata das)

The Girl with the red dress (POEM for my daughter)

The girl with the red dress, turned 16 today,I honestly don't know whether to laugh, cry or say "hip, hip, hooray!"because with every cycle of the sun, my hair turns more grey, and frankly, getting old and useless is not something I pray.
However, to see my daughter shine and blossom like a rose; to see her eyes sparkle brightly, as she sings in prose;to see her dance freely, as she enters womanhood,makes me proud and satisfied that all things are good.
She makes me proud in ways that only a sweet daughter can, she has shown her resolve and strength to be like that of a man,and yet deep inside -- her heart pumps with sweet rhyme, my little girl is growing as she dances in time...
To the beat of her own drum, as she finds her inner voice,and follows her passions and her desired choice,as she fulfils her dreams and ticks them off her list,the sun of good fortune is ready to offer her a 'kiss.'
It is not easy to be a father or a parent these days, there is just so much competition at the "internet buffet"and yet nothing will change, that we are always as one -- a daddy and daughter until the last setting sun.
My sincerest wish is that she finds joy and success, in the way she decides how her life is to progress, and love and wisdom be her loyalest of friends,as she raises her arms high to once and for all transcend...
The shackles of limitations that haunt us in this domain,that stifle our voice and cause us pain,that restrict our vision and cause us not to see, that God is within us always, waiting patiently.
My darling Kishori, I love you and pray, that today is the beginning of more happy days,as you blossom into womanhood and learn from your past,and accept life's lessons as just one of many castes...
That are all part of the 'stage play' of a life well lived, of a person with passion who has so much to give.Yes, you do, my darling, so stand strong and tall, speak with gusto and sincerity in the 'Humanity hall.'
This is your time to shine -- your birthright I feel,the incarnation you will evolve and shed all 'peels' -- of ego-coloured garments that hide your true light,yes, this is the 'final act' of the 'opening night!'
Happy birthday!
Love, 
Dad.

My journey with Food for Life – A summary of 30 years of service

I could hardly imagine Food for Life being so successful when I first became a volunteer way back in 1984. Back then, I worked as an assistant cook and server at a free food cafe called, Gopals in Parramatta, Australia. That was one of the first free food cafes set up by the Hare Krishna movement in Australia and it was a forerunner to other Food for Life projects throughout Australia.
The Beginning days In 1974, Srila Prabhupada (1896 - 1977) the founder acharya of ISKCON and the pioneer of the kirtan movement in the West, was alarmed by some commotion outside the window of his room in India. He looked outside to see village children fighting off dogs over scraps of food that had recently been thrown out after a festival feast. The leaf plates still had some rice and curry stuck to them and that was just too much to ignore for these kids.

Unfortunately, it was the same for the local street dogs and they wanted those remnants. The children waved sticks and screamed while the dogs sneered with the hair on their backs fully raised. It was war and from the swami's view point and no one was a winner. He stood there in silence and cried. "How can this be?" he wondered. Feeling guilty that he had just finished his lunch, he called his students to come and see what was happening. "Do you see how hungry those children are?" he told them. "This is a temple of God and where there is God the father there should be no hungry children... No one within a ten mile radius of our temples should go hungry! Begin feeding these children immediately!"


Back then the program was called ISKCON Food Relief and it only operated in Mayapur, West Bengal. The yoga students dutifully fed the local people everyday and even provided hot meals to stranded villagers when the Ganges river overflowed her banks. A few days later, Srila Prabhupada asked that the program expand to all towns and villages in India. He saw the program as a means to break down barriers and create peace in society.
“I am hopeful that if we can widely distribute free foodstuffs to the people of India, by giving it out at our centers as well as by traveling parties to villages, we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on Krishna’s behalf” (SP Letter to Satyajit, March 16, 1974).
Although the swami never officially founded ISKCON Food Relief, the precursor to Food for Life, he was indeed the inspiration behind it with these words and many other instructions he gave to his students.

In 1979, however, the project took on a new direction with the opening of a small soup kitchen in Sydney, Australia leading the way.A new branding
From the back entrance of the ISKCON temple in Kings Cross (Sydney), Australia, Krishna monks began serving hot meals to the homeless. Soon hundreds of people were lining up daily and the local news began reporting on it. It was a sensation at the time, because the Krishna devotees were badly misunderstood in Australia, often being arrested for singing on the streets; so this new spotlight of good feelings towards them took everyone by surprise.  The communications director for ISKCON, Mukunda das noted the success and the improved public perception of the members and went on a worldwide campaign to encourage the same in every temple in ISKCON. But the first order of business was to rebrand the program to something more memorable; something less religious -- after all what the program stood for was to show compassion for all living beings. The name ISKCON Food Relief did not exactly carry that message so well, so he got together with head of ISKCON Television, David Shapiro (Nrsimhananda Das) and the "Aussie Einstein," Yasomatinandana Das to brainstorm a new brand. Sitting in a pyramid temple in California they came up with the new brand, Hare Krishna Food for Life, with the tag line: Feeding the Hungry Worldwide.

7 minute new clip on Food for Life in Sydney

The new program with some basic guidelines in place soon spread throughout the USA and Western Europe.  By the time I started volunteering in 1984 the project was pretty well established in most developed countries, however,  by the late 80s many of these programs had faded, either due to a lack of funding, professional management or abuse by  some unscrupulous fundraisers, causing some programs, like the one in New York to close down completely.Food for Life Newsletter By 1989, I started to focus on the power of the Food for Life project to educate people on the basic principles of spirituality and morality. More than simply a food relief for poor people, I saw Food for Life as a way to unite people in a spirit of family. Food for Life was all about reviving the ancient culture of spiritual hospitality that was so famous in India. By 1990, I fully embraced this concept and began writing about it in my Food for Life Newsletter that went out to volunteers throughout Australia. I furiously studied all of what Srila Prabhpada said about this ancient practice of prasadam distribution and learned that he had actually been promoting it ever since he set foot in America in 1966!

“Everywhere. In the hospitals, charitable societies, Industrial places, everywhere—distribute this prasada and chant this Hare Krishna. Just see what is the result. You want peace? These are the processes of peace.” (SP lecture, New York December 16, 1966)

"What had happened to this clear message" I wondered.

Then in 1991, Mukunda who was now a swami encouraged me to write my FFL Newsletter for the worldwide volunteer community, sharing what I had learned from studying Prabhupada's teachings and in my own experience with Food for Life, some of which included getting endorsements for Food for Life from influential political leaders, celebrities and news media. Below I invited all the leading dignitaries, including chief of police, president of the chamber of commerce, mayor of Sydney and local MP, Ms. Clover Moore who is currently the very popular mayor of Sydney.


The serving of the 2 millionth meal by Food for Life Sydney (1991)

I used a Mac Plus computer to design the Newsletter, then pasted it up, printed it and mailed out hundreds of copies around the world using my own money. By 1992 I had revived enthusiasm in the Food for Life project and inspired a whole new generation of volunteers that were coming out of the Eastern European countries, like Russia, Georgia, Latvia and Slovenia, etc.Leaving AustraliaThen in 1993, I left Australia to fuel this new momentum in Food for Life, first landing in India, the home of the project and then Russia, where I did a 6 month tour of the continent; at one point visiting 44 cities in just two months. That adventure in itself is a whole book. It was at that time that I worked on the first edition of the Food for Life Training Manual. Surprisingly, the program was now officially 19 years old, but no one had bothered to write up a training manual. I took on the task with enthusiasm. By 1994 my 200 page Training manual was complete. This new book provided the guidance, insight and philosophical grounding that Food for Life volunteers needed in an ISKCON culture that had been overrun with dry intellectuals. Food for Life was something that translated the deep philosophical tenants of the culture in practical terms. We are all spirit; we are all family; all living beings are children of God and our spiritual dharma is unconditional loving service. Since food is the centre of every culture, serving delicious meals with love was the most efficient way to express that understanding and people loved it!


Food for Life in Russia (1993)

 
Speaking at the opening of a new Food for Life centre in Russia (1993)

Hare Krishna Food for Life continued to expand throughout the 90s under various new names, simply because in some countries, the name Food for Life did not make sense. So for example, in Armenia, the program was called "Bread for Life" and in Lithuania it was called "Food for Soul". In South America, "Alimentos Para La Vida" worked well. The branding may have been adjusted, but what remained consistent was the focus of the program -- that everyone get a chance to eat blessed food (prasadam*).

One of the highlights of those tours to the Former Soviet were visiting volunteers in Sukhumi, Georgia (1993) and then later in Chechnya (1995) where I witnessed FFL volunteers putting their lives on the line to serve hot meals to refugees of the wars taking place there. During my time in Moscow I visited all the major western media offices and eventually our story was told in a page 4 article in the New York Times  (See:  KRISHNAS BAKE BREAD IN ONE OF RUSSIA’S BROKEN CITIES ).Prasadam DasAround this time, our Mascot, Prasadam Das (Servant of Prasadam) was born. We wanted to convey a sense of fun with our image without characterising him as a Hare Krishna volunteer, although even then, we couldn't help ourselves giving him a tuft of hair (sikha) and adorning his chef hat with the sacred tilak symbol. But it was subtle and he did have pants on and not an Indian dhoti.In 1996, while still a monk, I produced the first Food for Life music CD with the aim of immortalising our message in sound. Through the lyrics of those songs I tried to share my understanding of what Srila Prabhupada envisioned, however, the message of the charity and indeed myself were still very much influenced by my Hare Krishna roots. I knew something was just not right and although done sincerely, it missed the mark with most people. What was needed was something more accessible; something universal and something that resonated with everyone from all walks of life.Teach a man how to fishDuring the late 90s, I spoke at Vegetarian conferences around the world about the work of Food for Life and what it stood for. I would also typically give a presentation on the spiritual aspect of Food for Life and teach people about the benefits of offering their food to God as a way to nourish their mind and spirit too. It was during this time in my life I thought deeply about the words of Srila Prabhupada, "Everyone should get a chance to take prasadam." I thought if there are only so many of us volunteers, how will it be possible to give everyone in the world the experience of this beautiful "love" food? And then it hit me...



This famous maxim rang true for me and set me on a whole new course in my Food for Life career. Teaching people about the ancient Hindu tradition of offering food to the Gods was a nice addition to my Food for Life presentations, but for most people, it just didn't sit right with them. After all, they were not Hindus and many of them had lost all faith in the concept of a personal form of God. To offer food was a very big jump in faith. Solving this problem became a constant meditation for me into the new Millennium. What was needed, I surmised, was a completely non-sectarian approach to solving this riddle.

In 1995, after visiting about 30 countries in two years, I made Washington DC my base and with the help of Mukunda Goswami we established Food for Life Global to serve as the official headquarters for all Food for Life projects around the world. The new charity would establish standards and provide the guidance, training and inspiration needed to push the program on. Unexpectedly, we also became the central office for emergency relief coordination. As a result, I have been involved, in some way or another, with every major relief effort of Food for Life over the last 20 years.


Paul Turner serving children after the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka
Midday Meal Program By the early 2000s, there was a resurgence in the Food for Life program in India. This was partly due to the tremendous economic boom taking place in India with the expansion of the Internet. People had much more money now and they wanted to spend it. The Indian government was also flush with cash and so the president of India declared that all children in India must get a free lunch provided by the government. In 1995, they initiated a new project called the Midday Meal program and the government asked for all non-profits to participate. One of the first to step up to the plate was Madhu Pandit das, the president of ISKCON Bangalore. With the support of his local donors they formed the Akshaya Patra Foundation in the year 2000 and began feeding children in schools around the city. With the Indian government's increased support and the sponsorship of many local businesses, including high-tech giant InfoSys, their Midday Meal program expanded very fast, serving hundreds of thousands of meals a day within a few years.



Kitchens from both foundations have won numerous awards for hygiene and efficiency.

Inspired by these efforts, other ISKCON temples in India followed suit, forming a new organisation, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation , aka " Food for Life Annamrita " to also participate in the Indian Government's Midday Meal initiative. Over the next 10 years, both foundations have continued to raise the bar of professionalism and efficiency, with each receiving numerous awards and accolades from the Media, Government and United Nations. Both foundations, which are the two principle affiliates of Food for Life Global, now each serve up to 1.3 million meals daily! The Great Tsunami of 2004
The traveling monk, Indradyumna Swami and Paul handing out hot packaged meals in Sri Lanka.

 While employed with the World Bank as a web developer I continued my volunteer work for Food for Life Global, working mostly from my office at home. However, after news of the devastating tsunami spread across the Internet, I began getting calls from donors and volunteers asking FFLG to respond. This event was unprecedented and so it would require an unprecedented response. With the help of the Traveling Monk Indradyumna Swami we devised a plan to provide hot meals to survivors in Sri Lanka. Over the next week I started promoting Food for Life's plan to respond and asked for donations and volunteers. Well nothing could prepare me for what happened next. We literally got over 500 volunteer applications from people of all walks of life, police officers, military vets, nurses, doctors, film directors, actors, dancers, you name it -- I was overwhelmed. Soon tens of thousand of dollars in donations started pouring in and so we now had people and money to actually execute our plan. Over the next four months, more than 60 volunteers from around the world worked with Food for Life Global cooking vegan meals on firewood and distributing them to villagers all across the island. The Sri Lankan military and Red Cross also collaborated with FFLG. Over the next 8 years, Food for Life Global responded to many other natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami that hit Japan and the earthquake in Haiti. FOOD YOGA - Food for Life 2.0 In 2010, I started a new personal journey. Numerologically it was a year 9, meaning I was basically wrapping up all that had transpired over the last 9 years. And let me tell you, although I certainly did have some nice successes with Food for Life, including overseeing Food for Life's relief efforts in Haiti, on a personal level it was challenging. I decided to take a fresh look at the riddle of how to give everyone a chance to take prasadam and what I discovered was the major obstacle in realising that ideal was bringing people to:
1: Give a damn; 2: Accept that there is indeed a Supreme Intelligence behind creation and that that powerful Creative Force has a form and personality. So the book I was to write needed to address these two points. I started my quest in a 24-hour New York cafe called Yaffa, working all night long, researching and typing as I drank rose petal tea. Over the next 18 months, my new book FOOD YOGA - Nourishing Body, Mind & Soul took shape, going through 30 revisions. I tried to build my presentation using logic, science and references from a variety of spiritual sources, just so that it was clear that I was not favouring Hinduism, nor trying to convert anyone to a Hare Krishna viewpoint. What I wanted was for my readers to embrace the importance of food on their spiritual quest and to adopt what I now called, "The Food Offering Meditation." The book essentially was just building up to that one thing beginning with learning to see the presence of God in our day to day lives and appreciating the unconditional love of Mother Nature.
However, I also saw food yoga as the natural evolution of Food for Life, "the upgrade," if you will, and how it was important that I be honest and share my experience as a monk and volunteer of the organisation -- because in a sense my life was all about food yoga. In the end, my principle desire was to fulfil the ideal of Srila Prabhupada and thus help to expand Food for Life far beyond the limitations of any one religious organisation to that of a social revolution for unity, peace and prosperity with food as the preferred "weapon" of choice!This comment by Srila Prabhupada set the tone for a new direction and marketing message for Food for Life:

"Simply by liberal distribution of prasada and sankirtana, the whole world can become peaceful and prosperous." (Srimad Bhagavatam Purport, Verse: 4.12.10).

Food for Life was not a food relief, but rather an organisation focused on creating peace and prosperity in the world, which can only be possible when we have true equality. To position ourselves in the public eye as such we changed out tag line to: Uniting the World through Pure Food.As a supplement to this new plan I also wrote a book called, "How to Build a Successful Food Relief' specifically for people outside the Hindu and/or Krishna tradition and thus opened the door for collaboration beyond religious dogma and bias. However, FOOD YOGA - Nourishing Body, Mind and Soul , was really the essence of my meditation all these years.Food Yoga Tour and the message of Unity
Speaking to a group of bankers in Hong Kong at a Volunteer Appreciation dinner (2013)

In 2013, I decided to travel all year and over just 9 months I visited 28 countries in total, lecturing at clubs and yoga studios; teaching FFL volunteers, holding FOOD YOGA workshops and documenting some of the bigger FFL projects. From that rather extensive marketing campaign for FFL and Food Yoga, I became convinced that the message we are sharing is universally appreciated. I truly believe that what Food for Life represents is not just a display of compassion for other humans, but in truth, the very essence of a solution to ALL world problems. In other words, since food is so central to every culture and so fundamental to our existence, it has the power to break down barriers, heal wounds, and unite everyone in a spirit of brotherhood. And that my friend is what Food for Life is really all about: Spiritual Equality . See: PEACE FORMULA

Now in 2014, having visited close to 70 countries, I look back and think, "Srila Prabhupada's dreams are coming true." Maybe we can give everyone a chance to experience pure food (prasadam) and through the liberal distribution of such food we can bring about peace and prosperity in this world once and for all.

I hope you will join us!

Paul Rodney Turner
(Priyavrata das)
Director
Food for Life Global
Food Yoga web site

* Prasadam: Sanctified food prepared with loving intention using the purest ingredients that are free of violence.

Jayapataka Swami talks about the beginning of Food for Life

Jayapataka Swami was one of my early inspirations in my service to Food for Life. I wrote him many times through letters and later emails for guidance in the 80s and 90s as a monk, and whenever he saw me he told me, "Please tell me how I can help you." He loved that I was trying to expand the distribution of prasadam (sanctified food), because he understood its power to create peace and unity in the world and also knew how important it was to his guru and the founder of Food for Life, Srila Prabhupada.In this short video, he shares the story that started it all -- how Srila Prabhupada witnessed poor village children in India fighting with dogs over scraps of food and how from that one incident the idea of a worldwide food relief program was seeded, that now serves up to 3 MILLION meals a day! Yes, that is over 2000 meals a minute or 35 meals ever second. It is truly amazing and it all started in 1974. This is the 40th anniversary of Food for Life and I am so honoured to be part of its growth.Thanks to people like Jayapataka Swami, who inspired many of us, this program just keeps getting better and better and expanding more and more.This year I visited a festival in South America and he made a point to tell everyone at the festival just how important Food for Life is. I was so happy to hear that from a man with so much influence over millions of people around the world.Thank you Jayapataka Swami for your kindness and care.- Paul Rodney Turner
Director
Food for Life Global

My wish list for 2014

May this year bring me closer to my authentic self, May this year help me stand tall and not as an elf, May the sun of good thoughts cross my mind everyday, May the clouds of doubt and doom run far away.
May my daughter Kishori be happy and strong, May her soul soul sore high as she sings her songs, May Goddess Divine enter deep into her heart, May we never again be too far apart. 
May my service to the Lord expand and strengthen my faith,May all obstacles be removed as I enthusiastically create, May my dreams come true and manifest all around, May I constantly be immersed in the holiest of sounds. 
May I be blessed in union with my darling Juliana, May our minds hatch rainbows to a pot of Nirvana,May we relish the bliss of bhakti seva so fine,May we have happiness, peace and prosperity divine.
May my love for her inspire me to be 'Iron Man,' May I be a "superhero" to everyone and not a "Peter Pan"May I stand strong and steady and not flutter here and there, May my focus be one-pointed like a fox to a hare.
May I be kind and considerate and patient too, May I be reliable and consistent, and as flexible as bamboo,May I weather all storms of distrust and doubt, May my integrity stay intact despite the severity of the bout.
May Juliana and I find answers to challenges ahead, May we act as one and always keep cool heads, May we understand perfect and cheer each other on, May the world get behind us as we boldly dance along. 
May we find a 'yellow brick road' to guide us on our way, May we slay all black witches that may lead us astray,May we find a strong heart, intelligence and the courage to overcome,May we get all the blessings we deserve and then some!
May this year bring all good fortune to all whom I love, May they radiate grace out on the wings of a dove, May it sprinkle unconditionally to a world in need, May every living being be blessed -- God-speed.
May these words ring true, on this first day of the year, May we celebrate it joyfully with a heartfelt cheer, May unity in diversity be the song we all sing,May this year be the one that I wear a wedding ring! 
Dedicated to Juliana Castaneda (Jaggy)