| Introduction The Mission Vrinda Spiritual Masters |
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HINDU
VAISHNAVA RELIGION
IN HUNGARY |
India embraces one of the earliest civilizations in the world, providing a unique contribution to the cultural heritage of the world in terms of fine arts, literature, architecture, sciences, religion and philosophy. India is a land of diverse religious heritage of which Vaishnavism represents individual monotheism. Devotees of Vishnu, Rama and Krishna are called Vaishnavas. According to the Vaishnava teachings, the only one way to attain
lasting happiness is to awaken and develop our lost affectionate
relationship with God. This spiritual process is called the yoga
of divine love (bhakti-yoga). Practising it, we can gradually
become open-hearted, selfless and faithful. We can read about
this in the Vaishnavas’ sacred book, the Bhagavad Gíta. At the
end of the spiritual process, pure love for God evolves in our
hearts, and this is what we call perfection of life. Hinduism in the Western World Treasures of Hindu philosophy and culture first appeared in Europe during the British colonization of India. There was great influence on some German philosophers, American transcendentalists and Tolstoy, which helped to spread these thoughts throughout Europe, and at the end of the last century they appeared in Hungary as well. Vaishnavism in Western Countries 
In 1966, an elderly Vaishnava monk, Bhaktivedanta Swami, arrived in America. Inspired by his spiritual master, he spread Vaishnava philosophy throughout the western world. Bhaktivedanta Swami, also known as Srila Prabhupad to his followers was a highly-educated, charismatic person with a good sense of humour. Over the course of 11 years, until his departure from this world in 1977, he achieved monumental feats. He translated and published a great number of Vedic scriptures and gave numerous lectures. He initiated thousands of disciples, who established temples, farms and spiritual communities in almost every country in the world. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Srila Prabhupad, Vaishnavism started expanding into western societies. Vaishnavism in Hungary
In 1985, our Master entered into the renounced order
of life and he received the name Bhakti_Abhay_Narayan_Swami.
He accepted many disciples up until his departure from this world
in 1993. He translated into Hungarian and published Bhagavad Gíta
and many other Vaishnava scriptures. He also launched the publication
of two periodicals. Kagylókürt is a cultural magazine which is
distributed all over Hungary and, the other one, Gangesz, represents
Vaishnava philosophy. Both periodicals are still being published.
In his final years, Narayan Swami taught Vaishnava philosophy and
Sanskrit at the University in Pécs.
Vaishnava Hindu Temple on the Hungarian Plain The temple is situated five km from Balástya, and its unique style
combines traditional Hungarian and Vaishnava architectural elements,
symbolising the existence of two geographically distinct cultures
living together in harmony.
Although the temple has been operating for several years, some of the internal works and external decorations are not yet completed. Our plan is to create a park around the temple with plants matching the landscape. We also intend to renovate the old community house and build new guest quarters. Our intention is to launch Vaishnava Open University and summer camps dealing with topics like naturalistic lifestyle, yoga and environmental protection.
There are only a few Hindu temples in Europe, therefore we hope that our Vaishnava temple in Balástya will be able to contribute to the cultural value and attraction of the area through its architectural values and events. |
Our Roots
In 1972 our Guru met Bhaktivedanta Swami’s disciples in Stockholm.
This meeting had a great impact on him, so in Paris in 1973,
he became Bhaktivedanta Swami’s disciple. He was given the task
by his Master to preach in the socialist countries behind the
Iron Curtain. It was a difficult and risky mission at that time
because disseminating prohibited literature and idealistic philosophy
was a great hazard. His adventurous travels were known far and
wide to his contemporaries. In spite of his high stature, his
homeland, Hungary, remained a place of great importance to him.
From 1976, he regularly visited Hungary. 
The
first Hungarian Vaishnavas organized their spirtual activities
under his guidance. In 1979, together with some of the members
of the new Vaishnava community, he purchased some farmland near
Szeged. Their goal was to establish a spiritual centre where
people could live in harmony with nature and practise their faith
freely. The small community developed nicely, and over the years
it has been expanding. Thousands of people have visited the centre,
experiencing the special atmosphere of the place, including the
ancient wisdom of timeless philosophy, the exotic smell of incense-sticks,
Indian vegetarian cuisine and heart-warming hospitality.
