Farm
OUR FARM
New Gokula is a small tight-knit spiritual community nestled in the heart of the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia. We grow our own organic produce on the farm which is used in our nutritious vegetarian cooking. In addition to vegetable gardens, we have more than 70 cows and bullocks on the farm. We strongly believe in the principle of 'ahimsa' (non-violence), so all the animals on our property are protected from harm throughout their lives. They are therefore very friendly and have unique personalities. The farm is committed to sustainable practices and self-sufficiency in many areas including food production and water usage.
Community
OUR COMMUNITY
We have about 10 full-time members living on the property at present and are always seeking to grow our budding community. Our members come from all walks of life and are dedicated to the principles upon which New Gokula and the broader Hare Krishna Society are founded: spiritual knowledge, congregational chanting of God's names, a sustainable lifestyle and compassion for all living entities. There are numerous ways in which our community members contribute to New Gokula, primarily through farming activities, assisting with guests and visitors, cooking delicious vegetarian meals and performing the worship of our resplendent deities.
Temple
OUR TEMPLE
The crown jewels of New Gokula are our resident Radha Krishna deities, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda. Devotees in our community rise before dawn to commence the worship of Their Lordships, including bathing, dressing and performing traditional arati or puja ceremonies. This full program of worship takes place every single day in our rammed earth temple (mandir). Our members living on the farm assemble in the temple daily to perform kirtan (congretational chanting and dancing), read the ancient scriptures of the Vedas and share sanctified vegetarian meals. You can view timings for all the services and ceremonies held at our New Gokula temple.
Society
OUR SOCIETY
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna society, is a branch of the monotheistic Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition within Hinduism dating back 5000 years to Lord Krishna Himself. ISKCON was established in the West in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada) and has since developed into a worldwide confederation of over 500 temples, centers, communities, schools, and restaurants. The mission of our nonsectarian, monotheistic movement is to promote the well-being of society by teaching the science of Krishna consciousness according to Bhagavad-gita and other ancient scriptures. The Bhagavad-gita describes how although we, the imperishable soul, dwell within our transient material bodies during this short lifetime, our true nature is spiritual, eternal and always blissful. By the practice of bhakti yoga we bring the material mind and material senses under control in order to revive our original pure consciousness and reawaken our divine love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This practice is joyfully performed by singing, dancing, meditation, study and service.
Founder
OUR FOUNDER
His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), known to his followers as Srila Prabhupada, is widely regarded as the worlds pre-eminent exponent of the teachings and practices of bhakti-yoga to the Western world. Srila Prabhupada endured great hardship to travel to America at the age of 70 to spread Krishna Consciousness at the height of the hippie movement. Perhaps Srila Prabhupada’s most significant contribution is his books. He authored over seventy volumes on Bhakti-yoga, which are highly respected for their authority, depth, clarity, and fidelity to tradition. His writings have been translated into seventy-six languages. His most prominent works include: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the thirty-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the seventeen-volume Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. For millennia the teachings of Bhakti-yoga had been concealed within Sanskrit and Indian vernacular languages, and the rich culture of Bhakti had been hidden behind the borders of India. Today, millions around the globe express their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for revealing the timeless wisdom of Bhakti to a world immersed in a materialistic and self-destructive ethos.