Protect A Cow

Sanatana Prabhu distributing sanctified foodstuffs to a disabled man at the Tompkins Square Park Labor Day Festival.

Labor Day Festival at Tompkins Square Park

Message From Ralph Laurino, Founder of Protect A Cow: Thanks to all who made Prabhupada's 108th Birthday celebration, sponsored by Prabhupada Sankirtan Society, such a huge success.

I have traveled throughout the world -- bathing in the sacred rivers Ganges and Yamuna, visiting the Seven Sacred Temples of Vrindavana, beholding Lord Caintanya's birthplace at Mayapura, and seeing the splendors of Buddhist temples in Japan. In the United States, I helped lead teams of oxen through Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC during the festival of Rathayatra, with hundreds of thousands lining the streets. Perhaps most satisfying, I saved Gita-Nagari's herd of 200 cows from the demoniac element that sought their demise under the guise of cow "protection." However, this pilgrimage to Prabhupada's Tree, the very place where he first brought the Krishna Consciousness Movement to the West in 1965, was the most transcendant and mystical experience I've had the honor to be a part of.

The enthusiastic reception we received from New Yorkers of all walks of life, from stockbrokers to the homeless or disabled, confirmed that the combination of the Prabhupada Tree devotees and the Cow Sanctuary movement is the future of Krishna Consciousness! The spark and energy of the Prabhupada Tree devotees, and their sincerity, respect and devotion to our cause, convinced me that the TRUE spirit of Prabhupada's movement will live on forever.

Go to http://protectacow.typepad.com/photos/protect_a_cow_events/ for more pictures of this historic event, from dawn to dark!