Monthly Archives: April 2014

Gopal Bhatta Goswami’s deity Progress
- TOVP.org

A whirling fan offers small relief to the oppressive summer heat of West Bengal. Devotees working on site have accepted the austerity and continue on peacefully with their seva. In between gulps of water and wiping brows, progress on the mold of Gopal Bhatta Goswami punctuates each day with milestones. The process of creating a

China Bans Reincarnation Without Government Permission!
→ Dandavats.com

China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is “an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.” Read more ›

Anti Racism Demo, Trafalger Square, London
→ simple thoughts

The dictionary informs us that racism “a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.” So basically we were on a demo where people wanted to see others beyond the […]

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 04/17/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 04/17/14. Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban. This digital photo is a bit fuzzy and it’s challenging, but not impossible, to identify people in it. This week’s challenge:  We are hoping someone familiar with the photo can share some history as well as the names […]

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Stay in the Water
Durban, South Africa
 
This marks the 20th year since the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa.  People of native origin fought long and hard to achieve their freedom as recent history tells.  Despite the policy and administrative adjustments, things are far from perfect. Now you have minorities complaining about favoritism.  Job opportunities are preferentially partial.  And it goes on and on.  
But lets not be naive. Nothing’s ever going to be a bowl of roses. We are living in the material world, so, let’s not whine so much.  Let’s not blame everyone else for our own discomforts. You put yourself in the spot where you are now.  Such is the nature of karma. So swallow it and get on with life.  Life isn’t always fair, okay?
Maybe you don’t belong here in the first place? Is that fair? Is that a fair question?
Today we spent hours on preparing dramas for the upcoming weekend Festival of Chariots.  Walking took a back seat.  To address this “other worldly” issue I found it great in the script writing by local stand up comedian, K.C., we call him, when the Sangoma, a Zulu shaman, who directs the troubled under dogged victim out of his misery. The story plays up on the analogy that we are all fish out of water.
Little Fish is the actual name of the victim and he addresses the Sangoma, “I need help. I don’t know what to do anymore.  I need someone to take my problems away.”  The Sangoma spews out sounds like only a wizard can do as he throws the bones and reads the message.  
“The bones don’t lie.  You were in a good place, a really good place, a long time ago!  Hmm, hmmm, then you got greedy.  You left that place.  You left that lovely place, to come here! But my friend, you’re never going to be happy over here, this place is not for you.  You are never going to be happy here, unless you go back to your home.  This place is not for you… you are like a fish out of water.”
The message has merit.  It gives us something to aspire towards. 
May the Source be with you!
0 KM

Monday, April 14th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Durban, South Africa
To Tolerate
Kala, Tamohara and I were flying from Mauritius to South Africa.  While waiting at the airport in Johannesburg, the stopover before heading to Durban, I was reading some anecdotes from those who were with our guru.  A passage I read happened to be of an occurrence while our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had flown from Mauritius to Durban.  It was a small lesson on tolerance.
Pusta Krishna: We were flying from Mauritius to Durban on Quantus Airlines. I was seated beside Srila Prabhupada wearing my little British hat, shirt, coat and pants.  At that time there was a rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand teams, and there were a lot of rugby types on the plane. We had a seat in the non-smoking section, but people were smoking there and I was disturbed.  I was also concerned for Srila Prabhupada’s welfare.  So I asked the stewardess to please ask them to stop smoking in the non-smoking section.  She told the rugby type guys, who were drinking quite a bit as well, to stop smoking.  But they didn’t stop. I was about to ask the stewardess, “Please ask them again,” when Prabhupada stopped me.  He said “What is the difference between us and them if we can’t tolerate these sort of things?  Don’t be an ordinary, common, foolish man.”
I thought the passage was instructive.  Why whine over everything?  While in the air on whatever jet, there are always little things that we persevere through. Anyway, “Sawubona!” which means, “Hello!” in Zulu.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM

The Lake Of The Mind
→ Japa Group

“During the japa session, as the mind howls, don’t give up the chanting. However bad the mind’s demands, don’t give in; let’s keep chanting till we complete our daily quota. The lake of the mind will eventually settle down. But be rest assured, tomorrow as you sit for another japa session, the mind will once again agitate. Again the solution is the same; do not react.”

Radhanatha Swami

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ April 16, 2014
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

O brother, what kinds of enjoyment have you not already experienced in this world of birth and death? What kind of fame and worship have you not already attained in this world by scholarship, charity, and sacrifice? For today, O friend, simply accept whatever food comes unsought, look to see the good qualities in others […]

Chitrakavitvani 2 – Chanting doesn’t make us give up what we naturally like to do – it enables us to do it better and do it for the best purpose
→ The Spiritual Scientist

charchoru ruchira ucchora      ruchiro ‘ram charachare chauracharo ‘chirat chiram     rucha charur achuchurat “Acting like a thief, Nanda’s broad-chested son, the most handsome person in the world, quickly stole the gopis’ garments. His effulgence made Him very attractive, and the sandal paste anointing His limbs enhanced His beauty.” Holy Name Meditation Podcast

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Acquiring Krsna’s qualities
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 09 March 2014, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.6.11) sarva mahā-guṇa-gaṇa vaiṣṇava-śarīre kṛṣṇa-bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakali sañcāre (CC Madhya 22.75) This verse is saying that all the good qualities are present within the body of a vaisnava. All the good qualities of Krsna are actually manifesting in the devotee. So it is interesting […]

The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to God
→ The Spiritual Scientist

The root of sin is deliberate disobedience of the laws of nature through disregarding the proprietorship of the Lord. Disobeying the laws of nature or the order of the Lord brings ruin to a human being. Conversely, one who is sober, who knows the laws of nature, and who is not influenced by unnecessary attachment […]

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Frequently Non-answered Questions
→ Dandavats.com

More than half of the problems that exist today would be tackled differently if we solely knew the answer to the question that Calvin poses. Wouldn’t it? Violence, discrimination, environmental pollution, corruption – you name it – all would end if everyone just got the answer to this fundamental question – who are we? And what are we doing here? Are we in tune with our real nature?

Sometimes the questions we ask are more important than answers we already have. That’s what the teachers from ancient India tell us in the Vedanta Sutras – athato brahma jigyasa – literally, “thus, let us ask the questions about the Absolute Truth, God”. This, they say, is the question of all questions. Did you spend some time thinking about the big questions of life? Why don’t you?

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