Monthly Archives: October 2013

NEW BOOK      Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest  by long time New Vrindaban resident and award-winning storyteller Sankirtana Das In the  late 1960’s, while in college, Sankirtana Das discovered an old book in the library. The Indian Story Book  (1914) by Richard Wilson,  a collection of India’s ancient stories,  included some from the epic Mahabharata. Sankirtana majored […]

Monday evening meeting with Turkish devotees in Istanbul.

Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we journeyed eastwards from Sofia to the town of Sliven for a program in a classic Bulgarian house, several hundred years old. Archeologists have found evidence of settlements in and around Sliven dating back over 6,000 years Read more ›

In pursuance of the GBC’s recent recommendation that the ISKCON Disciples Course be taught to all of the Society’s aspiring initiates, Namhatta leaders and preachers recently attended the course in Sri Dham Mayapur, with the aim of making it available to more than 2000 Namhatta centers throughout West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha. Taking a break […]

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ISKCON Punjabi Bagh had a humble beginning in 1984 as a small temple and was shifted to its present premises on 15th July 2005. ISKCON Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada always desired to establish the deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram in Delhi. Fulfilling the desires of Srila Prabhupada, under the guidance of HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj, the deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram were installed on the auspicious occasion of Radhastami in September 2007 Read more ›

What does not happen at a kirtan mela?

No other activities are to take place in the kirtan area (i.e. garland making, drawing, sewing, japa … ). Only chanting and dancing from the heart. (Exception made for broadcast and sound crew.) No clapping or cheering as though observing a performance. No flash photography or videography that can distract our already fickle minds! Read more ›

This is the first annual Bhaktivedanta Swami Lecture, given at Wits University in Johannesburg under the auspices of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa. The lecture was given last March Read more ›

Madhava prabhu – Day 4 of Polish Woodstock 2013

Answer Summary: Yes, they definitely have that right, but the issue is not of rights, but of sending the right message about ourselves to others. When rights blind us to the right, we brand the right – modest dressing – as wrong, as old-fashioned. Answer: Today’s culture makes women believe that they have the right to […]

It’s such a good thing when you chant your japa decently. It brightens your day. You feel hope for the ultimate goal. After all, chanting is the prime necessity, the easiest way to achieve love of God. In fact, it’s the only way in Kali-yuga.

From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Willis and the Gita

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I met Willis at German Town, he was just having a smoke outside the pub when we greeted each other.  First of all, because he was curious, I had to clarify which monastic order I belong to.

“What’s your belief system?” he asked.

“We follow the ancient teaching of Bhagavad Gita.”

“Hey, I read Bhagavad Gita,” which he pronounced perfectly.

“What do you think of it?”

“It’s got a lot of positive energy,” remarked Willis who I learned is a writer and a real estate agent.

Eventually our conversation lead to many spheres and especially the topic of male/female union.  He asked me what advice I could give of his urge and pursuit in this direction.  Frankly, I suggested to find the right partner and be committed to the one.  This way you both work on patience, tolerance and selflessness.  “We will all exit from this world at one point, and we want to leave this world being very clean inside,” I said.  To this he nodded in agreement.  It seems that Willis knows the people in the neighbourhood where two blocks away from our ISKCON centre, he succeeded in pulling a couple of guys over to let them in on the conversation.  We eventually parted on amicable terms.

Hours later I found myself in the office of Ravindra.  I had asked him for a critique on our dramatical rendition of the Bhagavad Gita called, “Gita: Concise”.  He was just cool with everything he had seen and had heard on the stage the previous day.  He did offer a brief suggestion for perhaps inserting a script, an emphasis on everyone’s natural role in this world as a servant.  Thanks, Ravindra, consider it done.

By the way, my performance towards walking was poor today, but a second take on the drama where my energy went, enthralled our Sunday crowd at the ISKCON Open House, including the university students that came.

3 KM

Shoeless?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

How is a person to walk without his shoes?  May he go barefoot?

There is one criticism that I have when visiting a Vedic centre, temple, or even a yoga studio.  While some of these destinations do not subscribe to the mayavad or ‘all is one’ philosophy, when it comes to precious shoes, you might experience a free for all culture.  It’s a little bit odd, but arrangements for the deities in a temple is totally together, or orderliness in a yoga session, but if you’re looking for a good first impression at the shoe shelf entrance area, then look elsewhere.

It was embarrassing for me when I discovered that Ravindra, the leader of the community, spent a good portion of his morning trying to track down my footwear.  He is my senior of nine years, he is my big bro, and to have him do this for me, well, it was a moment of humility that struck me.  I had left my pair of shoes at the entrance before retiring for the night.  By morning, prior to a proposed walk, they had vanished.  It ends up that they were borrowed.  Humourously, my crocs, a couple, if you will, had gone for separation.  One was found in the kitchen and another was found by some stairwell, a result of enthused chaos in preparation for the Chariot Fest today.

In any event, we were all “happy feet” again, and I became majorly involved in a chanting procession which began at noon at Ben Franklin Parkway to the art museum where according to one devotee is the famed place where Sylvester Stallone had himself go up and down those steps for training in the classic film, Rocky.

For the entertainment at the “Parade of Chariots” many Bharat Natyam dances took place. There’s a mesmerizing pull that these dance presentations offer, but after a while, I think, the audience wants something more comprehensible (the style of dance has vocalists using non-English formats).  Our troupe of monks from Canada came on the stage to demonstrate a different art form with a predominant male presence for “Gita: Concise”.  It went over really well.

As the day rolled on, my shoes stayed put at the base of my legs.  At one point I tucked them under a table situated near the mantra yoga tent where I also conducted a session.

You might lose your shoes, you might lose your soles, but you should never lose your soul.

8 KM