Intro
HH Harivilas Maharaj was initiated in June 1970 and became the Paris temple president. HHHM invited His initiating spiritual master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to Paris in 1971 to the first ISKCON temple inauguration in France. In addition to overseeing temple activities, His Holiness Harivilas Maharaja started Middle Eastern Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) from 1981 – 1988. He guided people in the translation of the Bhagavad Gita, Beyond Birth and Death, Isopanishad and Coming Back into Armenian and printed books with his own funds.
Go-Seva
Many wonder why the Vedic and Vaishnava cultures especially stress protection of the cow. The philosophical reason is simple: The cow is considered one of our mothers, as she gives us her milk and thus nutures our health and well being. Just as no civilized person would injure or kill their mother, the Vedas teach that to take milk from the cow and then kill her is the same as killing one’s mother. Similarly, the bull is considered like the father because the bull traditionally helps in the tilling of the fields, and thus is to be respected.
In 2012, HHVM started the first Cow protection farm and spiritual center in Redmond WA and subsequently a second cow protection farm in Black Diamond/Auburn, WA.