Deland

Temple & Farm Community, Florida USA

In 2018 HH Bhakti Charu Swami established a new temple and farm community in Deland, Florida, USA. The Deland project is situated on 120 acres of land surrounded by the scenic Ocala national rainforest.
At Deland Maharaja established a temple, a cow sanctuary, a guesthouse, organic farming and food distribution to local towns. He planned for the project include a large Vedic temple, an Ayurvedic clinic, eco-friendly homes, a retreat centre, meditation hall and auditorium. His idea was to establish a center that would propagate Vedic culture and the Vedic principles of simple living with high thinking.

"We are building temples and developing projects; they are not just buildings or structures. These projects are meant for helping you make spiritual advancement. These projects are meant to bring you closer to Krishna.''

“The topmost region of the spiritual world is called Goloka Vrindavana, the spiritual planet where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated. Go means cow and loka means planet, so Goloka is the planet of cows. The topmost region of the spiritual world is the world of cows and there everyone’s occupation is to take care of the cows. Therefore, they are known as gopas or cowherds. There the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Gopala, the maintainer of the cows and Govinda, the one who gives pleasure to the cows

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna in His original spiritual identity has a form which is two armed. Very mercifully the Lord has given us human beings His own form. Man has been created according to the image of God. When He sent us here, along with us He gave us the cows to rely and depend upon. Real prosperity comes in human society when cows are protected. That is why worshipping cows and taking care of cows is so important.

Human beings depend upon trees and plants. All our food comes from trees and plants. Vegetation is the basic principle of civilisation. Where there is no vegetation there is no civilisation, like the deserts. One may say that I eat meat, but the animals depend upon trees and plants. If there were no trees and plants, there will not be any animals.

When you are breathing you are taking in oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide. The trees and plants are taking carbon dioxide and giving back oxygen. Do you see the interdependence and how our existence depends upon trees and plants. If we go further, in a more subtle and spiritual probing way, then we find how our real prosperity depends upon our relationship with the cows. Therefore, in Vedic culture cow killing is absolutely forbidden.”