Author Archives: Candidasa dasa, UK

I had recovered somewhat from exhaustion of the journey. Today was learning time. After the morning program I drove with my spiritual master to Dharmasetu’s house where he was staying. While there I took instruction from both Vrikash and his wife. They…

I had recovered somewhat from exhaustion of the journey. Today was learning time. After the morning program I drove with my spiritual master to Dharmasetu’s house where he was staying. While there I took instruction from both Vrikash and his wife. They…

Swansea was a veritable reunion. Many disciples and aspiring disciples magically materialized in Wales for our brief visit. Kishore Muri das, Simon (ex-yacht captain for the ultra-rich), Stambha Bhava das (“the right kind of ecstasy”), Simon (ex-carpen…

Swansea was a veritable reunion. Many disciples and aspiring disciples magically materialized in Wales for our brief visit. Kishore Muri das, Simon (ex-yacht captain for the ultra-rich), Stambha Bhava das (“the right kind of ecstasy”), Simon (ex-carpen…

Today we traveled by train to Cardiff, Wales. Vrikash and his wife picked us up from there and we drove on to Swansea. Dharmasetu and Karana Karana took very good care of Devamrita Swami. I could get some much needed rest.

Today we traveled by train to Cardiff, Wales. Vrikash and his wife picked us up from there and we drove on to Swansea. Dharmasetu and Karana Karana took very good care of Devamrita Swami. I could get some much needed rest.

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I spent the night at my parent’s house and picked up my German driver’s license in the morning. It had been quite an endeavor to get it exchanged for my US military license.
Devamrita Swami and I departed back to England. Dina Sarani departed back…

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I spent the night at my parent’s house and picked up my German driver’s license in the morning. It had been quite an endeavor to get it exchanged for my US military license.
Devamrita Swami and I departed back to England. Dina Sarani departed back…

Enthusiastic morning program at Goloka Dhama. Among other things, DS talked about how to attract more people to Krishna consciousness. Scores of Germans start practicing KC in New Zealand, but no new devotees seem to come forth in Germany (in fact: ano…

Enthusiastic morning program at Goloka Dhama. Among other things, DS talked about how to attract more people to Krishna consciousness. Scores of Germans start practicing KC in New Zealand, but no new devotees seem to come forth in Germany (in fact: ano…

DS rested from the program the night before, so Dina Sarani dd gave the Bhagavatam class in the morning. Afterward we traveled in a (large, well-organized) car to Abentheuer in the Saarland region of Germany. Located there: German Krishna headquarters,…

DS rested from the program the night before, so Dina Sarani dd gave the Bhagavatam class in the morning. Afterward we traveled in a (large, well-organized) car to Abentheuer in the Saarland region of Germany. Located there: German Krishna headquarters,…

A very nice (long) morning class started off the day. Two interested guests talk which DS personally afterwards. He certainly made an impression on them. They both liked his personal nature. “Er ist sehr annehmbar”, one Zen-Buddhist/Devotee said.
Caran…

A very nice (long) morning class started off the day. Two interested guests talk which DS personally afterwards. He certainly made an impression on them. They both liked his personal nature. “Er ist sehr annehmbar”, one Zen-Buddhist/Devotee said.
Caran…

After a small morning program in Burg Hohenstein, breakfast and over two hours of trying to organize suitable cars for travel, we set off for K??ln. When all was said and done everyone arrived just in the for the Sunday Feast program in K??ln. I was su…

After a small morning program in Burg Hohenstein, breakfast and over two hours of trying to organize suitable cars for travel, we set off for K??ln. When all was said and done everyone arrived just in the for the Sunday Feast program in K??ln. I was su…

My father, mother and me traveled to an art school in central Wiesbaden. DS was to speak at a program there. The devotees in the Wiesbaden area come together every month for a Saturday-Feast program. Lots of people came. DS talked about the difficultie…

My father, mother and me traveled to an art school in central Wiesbaden. DS was to speak at a program there. The devotees in the Wiesbaden area come together every month for a Saturday-Feast program. Lots of people came. DS talked about the difficultie…

Last week I went on a tour of Germany with my spiritual master (Devamrita Swami).
Arriving in Frankfurt/Main airport we were greeted by Bhakta Marcus and my father. The plan was for me to spend a day with my parents in K??nigstein and Devamrita Swami …

Last week I went on a tour of Germany with my spiritual master (Devamrita Swami).
Arriving in Frankfurt/Main airport we were greeted by Bhakta Marcus and my father. The plan was for me to spend a day with my parents in K??nigstein and Devamrita Swami …

[Me putting down a pitcher of water]
“Well, it looks like we’ll need a cup now, doesn’t it?”
“You don’t quite fit into the material world.”
“Surely, that’s a good thing?”
“Yes, certainly.”

[Me putting down a pitcher of water]
“Well, it looks like we’ll need a cup now, doesn’t it?”
“You don’t quite fit into the material world.”
“Surely, that’s a good thing?”
“Yes, certainly.”

This week was national vegetarian week. I heard an in-store advert in ASDA loudly proclaiming: “a vegetarian diet is great for health and fitness, try it now, we have lots of vegetarian products here at ASDA (hint-hint)”.
Nice that people are being en…

This week was national vegetarian week. I heard an in-store advert in ASDA loudly proclaiming: “a vegetarian diet is great for health and fitness, try it now, we have lots of vegetarian products here at ASDA (hint-hint)”.
Nice that people are being en…

(warning: longest sentence in existence)
He who is the very form of existence, consciousness and bliss, who possesses inconceivable, multifarious and unlimited energies that are of his own nature, he who is the ocean of unlimited, mutually contradictor…

(warning: longest sentence in existence)
He who is the very form of existence, consciousness and bliss, who possesses inconceivable, multifarious and unlimited energies that are of his own nature, he who is the ocean of unlimited, mutually contradictor…

I’ve been to see Dr. Philip Weeks, the devotee/herbalist doctor who has been treating my condition (western medicine is useless: no cause, no cure, no mercy). He usually uses a Vega testing machine to diagnose the cause of an illness and mixes together…

I’ve been to see Dr. Philip Weeks, the devotee/herbalist doctor who has been treating my condition (western medicine is useless: no cause, no cure, no mercy). He usually uses a Vega testing machine to diagnose the cause of an illness and mixes together…

Last weekend I experienced a relapse of Ulcerative Colits. The flair-up started off with my eating some dal and feeling very wiped out afterwards. I spelt for a hour and had a horrible burning feeling in my stomach. A few hours later I started getting …

Last weekend I experienced a relapse of Ulcerative Colits. The flair-up started off with my eating some dal and feeling very wiped out afterwards. I spelt for a hour and had a horrible burning feeling in my stomach. A few hours later I started getting …

In general, conflicts should not be seen as “bad”. They are something we can learn and grow from. Conflicts, if handled correctly, result in a “win/win” situation where everyone is better off.
Ineffective conflict resolution
Battle mode: the idea that …

In general, conflicts should not be seen as “bad”. They are something we can learn and grow from. Conflicts, if handled correctly, result in a “win/win” situation where everyone is better off.
Ineffective conflict resolution
Battle mode: the idea that …

From a series of lectures by Bhakta Tirtha Swami: four spiritual technologies for raising our collective purity. Things to internalize as complementary to the four regs.
If there is a conflict: first look at yourself as being at fault.
Think of the pe…

From a series of lectures by Bhakta Tirtha Swami: four spiritual technologies for raising our collective purity. Things to internalize as complementary to the four regs.
If there is a conflict: first look at yourself as being at fault.
Think of the pe…

Taking off my researcher hat for a moment: the real reason computers are difficult to use is simply that they are very, very, very complicated. No one expects a F-22 fighter jet to be easy to use, what makes a home computer any different (expect for th…

Taking off my researcher hat for a moment: the real reason computers are difficult to use is simply that they are very, very, very complicated. No one expects a F-22 fighter jet to be easy to use, what makes a home computer any different (expect for th…

I was having a discussion with fellow researchers in an academic writing module. We were discussing the difficultly of evaluating our research against some objective criteria. Three of people??(TM)s PhD projects are about improving the ease of performi…

I was having a discussion with fellow researchers in an academic writing module. We were discussing the difficultly of evaluating our research against some objective criteria. Three of people??(TM)s PhD projects are about improving the ease of performing a certain task (e.g. building an ontology). However, the measure ??oeease?? a series of usability tests are required. HCI however, is something this computer science department does not teach (at all). It is not ??oehard-code engineering?? enough.

Ultimately, these students may end up changing what they do so that they come up with a research hypothesis that is easier to prove. I think this is a major flaw in the way research is conducted. Everything is far too focused on evaluation, evaluation, evaluation. Usability is difficult to objectively evaluate, so most research ends up avoiding usability altogether. The result: completely unusable software that bewilders the average human being.

If only we could relax the so-called objectivity of modern science and introduce some subjectivity. Scientists would be more inclined to the process of improving their subjective state of consciousness and computers might actually become easy to use.

I was listening to a lecture series by Bhakti Caitanya Swami (Ten Subjects of Srimad-Bhagavatam). He makes one very interesting point: desire = karma.
If I??(TM)m asked what determines our next body via reincarnation, the usual answer I give is: a mix…

I was listening to a lecture series by Bhakti Caitanya Swami (Ten Subjects of Srimad-Bhagavatam). He makes one very interesting point: desire = karma.

If I??(TM)m asked what determines our next body via reincarnation, the usual answer I give is: a mixture of karma and desire. You get what you want according to the amount of ??oebuying power?? you have due to karma. However, as I now realized, the karma is really just another side of the same ??oedesire?? coin. Desire is the root cause of everything.

Any pious activity, which results in good karma and a high quality body, is due to us desiring to perform those activities. By utilizing this stock of good karma, the living entity can then choose its next body from a shelf of high quality bodies, as well as having a sufficiently elevated consciousness to actually desire to inhabitate such a body. Most people (sudras) don??(TM)t actually want to be a CEO (Indra), nor are they qualified to.