A letter regarding my plans for this year, Gaura Purnima 2016-2017
→ SivaramaSwami.com

Dear Devotees

Please accept my blessings, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am writing this letter from Vrndavana, outlining my plans for this upcoming year. As you may know I am going to be 67 years old this year and to be honest I feel it. As Srila Prabhupada said, travelling takes a toll on a preacher. I feel that toll.

A turning point came after I surfaced from the bliss of participating in this year’s Prabhupada marathon. The physical strain seriously exacerbated a neurological condition that effects my spine, a condition with which I have been coping for the last two years. I won’t get into the details, but the physical effects are intense and unrelenting. If the condition gets out of hand, I could become disabled. Obviously I don’t want that to happen. There are other, currently secondary ailments, but in short, my body is rundown. So, I feel that the prudent thing to do is to both change my lifestyle and take a semi-break for this year.

By a change of lifestyle I mean that I will come to Hungary as planned, but I will not travel to other centres in Hungary, UK, Romania or Turkey. I will stay only in Budapest and New Vraja-dhama and make use of modern internet technology to give classes and to communicate with those places where I cannot physically go. And of course those devotees are welcome to visit where I am.

As for a semi-break, a period for recuperation, I plan on spending half the year in the Hungarian yatra’s apartment in Mayapura. That means being in India this year for most of July and August, October and November, and for the next year from January to April. In total I will be in Hungary for five months, with one brief visit to Istanbul and London.

Those rest periods will also give me an opportunity to spend further quality time in chanting and reading. So in effect it will be like a partial sabbatical. However I will continue to be accessible and I shall be on line to maintain contact with the yatra’s leaders and with devotees in general.

That is it in short. No doubt you will hear me explain this in further detail, in person. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Hoping this meets you in the best of health and Krsna-consciousness
I remain you ever well-wisher in the service of Srila Prabhupada.

Sivarama Swami

The post A letter regarding my plans for this year, Gaura Purnima 2016-2017 appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Sunday Program in Durban, 03 April 2016
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Here are photos and recordings of Kadamba Kanana Swami from the Sunday Program on 03 April, taken at the New Jagannatha Puri Temple near Durban.

KKS_DBN_03April2016__NJP_SundayProgram_JRM

KKS_DBN_03April2016__NJP_SundayProgram_Lecture

 

03April2016 (7) 03April2016 (1) 03April2016 (6) 03April2016 (3) 03April2016 (2) 03April2016 (4) 03April2016 (5)

​What is the subconscious mind – is it related with karana sharira?
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​When our life is so busy how can we make time for introspection and journaling?
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North Indian Carrot Halava. Kurma dasa: Since so many have…
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North Indian Carrot Halava.
Kurma dasa: Since so many have asked, here is my recipe for carrot halava. It is not the usual milky version. I like this one better because the taste of the carrots comes through.
Unlike the Middle Eastern sesame based halva, Indian halavas are more like fluffy puddings, and can be made with grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds or legumes. In my ultra-simple version of the famous North Indian dish, fresh sweet carrots are shredded and cooked with ghee or butter and sweet spices, then folded with dried fruit and nuts to form an aromatic dense pudding. Carrot halava is delicious, and ideal when you want to prepare something a little different. Serves 4 – 6 persons.
2/3 cup unsalted butter, or ghee, about 140g
900g (almost 2 pounds) carrots, trimmed, peeled and coarsely shredded (weighed after trimming and peeling)
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom seeds
¾ cup raw sugar
¼ cup sultanas
½ cup toasted almond slivers, pistachios or cashews
Light cream to serve
Melt the butter or ghee in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat.
Add the shredded carrots, increase the heat to moderate and, stirring frequently, cook the carrots and butter together for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very reduced, dry and completely soft.
Add the powdered cardamom, sugar, and sultanas, and stirring steadily to prevent scorching, cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until the orange coloured ghee oozes out of the pudding, and the mixture is again nearly dry. Remove the carrot halava from the heat, fold in the nuts and serve hot or warm.

The Life of King Kulasekhara – a great Rama Bhakta
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By Shyamasundara Dasa

The name of King Kulasekhara Alvar is well known to the followers of Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace used to relish with great ecstasy the Mukunda Mala Stotra written by this great saintly king. This stotra is commonly known in ISKCON as the Prayers of King Kulasekhara. Though his name is well known, for most devotees, very little is known about Maharaja Kulasekhara. We shall now try to remedy this lacuna by presenting a concise synopsis of his life. But before we start we must briefly answer the question-- Who are the Alvars? Continue reading "The Life of King Kulasekhara – a great Rama Bhakta
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The incident of Lord Rama and the Dog
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By Shyamasundara Dasa

The following history from the Valmiki Ramaya is full of import for anyone who wants to be a guru, GBC, temple president or leader in ISKCON or any spiritual institution. "Sri Rama said to Laksmana who was seated there and who was characterized by auspicious marks, ‘O Long-armed Laksmana! Go out and call by turn those, who have come with some business’. Having listened to Sri Rama’s order, Laksmana endowed with auspicious marks, going to the palace-gate himself called those who had come with some request. Continue reading "The incident of Lord Rama and the Dog
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​Disproportionate punishment can be atrocious – Ashwattama pastime analysis 2
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​Evening program at ISKCON, Perth

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Understanding Krishna’s position and disposition from the Gita and the Mahabharata
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Bhakti Vriksha program at ISKCON, Perth

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Is constantly thinking about death psychologically damaging?
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Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Perth

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April 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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April 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Burglary in Prabhupada’s Room.
April 1966: Someone broke into Room 307 while Srila Prabhupada was out and stole his typewriter and tape recorder. When Prabhupada returned to the building, the janitor informed him of the theft: an unknown burglar had broken the transom glass, climbed through, taken the valuables and escaped. As Prabhupada listened, he became convinced that the janitor himself was the culprit. Of course he couldn’t prove it, so he accepted the loss with disappointment. Some friends offered replacements for his old typewriter and tape recorder. In a letter to India he described the theft as a loss of more than a thousand rupees ($157.00).
It is understood that such crime as has been committed in my room is very common in New York. This is the way of material nature. American people have everything in ample, and the worker gets about Rs 100 daily wages. And still there are thieves for want of character. The social condition is not very good.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Lord Rama’s Appearance Day – Fri, April 15, 2016
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

On Friday, April 15, 2016, Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple will celebrate the Appearance of Lord Ramachandra - Rama Navami.

Lord Ramachandra is Krishna's avatar who ruled the earth as the ideal king. He appeared more than two million years ago. Under the order of His father, Lord Ramachandra lived in the forest for fourteen years, along with His wife, Sita Devi, and His younger brother, Lakshmana.

After the powerful demon Ravana kidnapped His wife, Lord Ramachandra rescued her, with the help of His faithful servant Hanuman, and killed Ravana along with Ravana's armies. The history of Lord Ramachandra's pastimes is recounted by the sage Valmiki in his Ramayana.  Everyone is welcome to attend this special festival!

Festivities will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Hare Krishna Temple! Below is the schedule for the festival (subject to change):

6:00pm to 6:30pm - Kirtan (Arati)
6:30pm to 6:40pm  - Welcome & Announcements
6:40pm to 7:15pm - Class by Mahabhagavat das
7:15pm to 7:30pm - Rama Navami Quiz!
7:30pm to 8:00pm - Vegetarian Feast (Prasadam)
8:00pm to 8:30pm - Kirtan (Arati)


Welcoming Rohini Priya Prabhu to Toronto!
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple is excited to announce that HG Rohini Priya das will be back in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) from April 15 to 18, 2016!  He will facilitating programs all around the GTA, including the Sunday Feast discourse on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at the Toronto Hare Krishna Temple.

His Grace Rohini Priya Das Prabhu graduated as a doctor of Medicine from Mumbai University but decided to dedicate his life in the service of Lord Krishna.  He is a senior brahmachari (monk) at ISKCON's Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir at Chowpatty, Mumbai, India. He is currently serving as the Vice President at ISKCON Chowpatty in Mumbai.

For the last 19 years he has not only been practicing Krishna Conciousness but has been actively distributing the message of Bhagavad Gita to thousands of engineering, medical students and other professionals all over India.

He also travels widely to USA, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauricious, Nepal and Canada and delivers various seminars on Krsna Consciousness.  He also delivers various seminars in Universities and other ISKCON centers.

My Promise To You
→ travelingmonk.com

Many years ago, H. H. Tamal Krsna Goswami asked me to accompany him to China, where he had been pioneering Krsna consciousness for some years. I was unable to go at the time so he said, “Promise me you’ll make it there one day.” I agreed. Goswami, this evening I am flying to mainland China [...]

Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead
→ TKG Academy

In Sastra class, the Upper Elementary students have been relishing Krishna’s appearance and childhood feats through their study of the book Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Students take turns reading aloud daily, summarizing, sharing reflections, posing thoughtful questions, and answering philosophical inquiries. We have just completed our study of chapter thirty-five, and students are eagerly anticipating the beginning of Krishna’s pastimes in Mathura. We look forward to continuing our study in the months to come!IMG_3038-77

Tight Knit Group
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Our last stop in New Zealand was Christchurch in the south island. Still recovering from a major earthquake 5 years ago construction is going on everywhere in the city. Our temple, which was destroyed in the earthquake, is being rebuilt now as well. Our devotees have become a tight knit group as a result of [...]

Bharatpur Rathayatra (Album with photos) Deena Bandhu Das:…
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Bharatpur Rathayatra (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Rathayatra for the first time in Bharatpur, Rajasthan! On Sunday, Radha Shyamasundara Prabhu arranged for Rathayatra and the people of Bharatpur opened their hearts to the devotees. Every block they arranged to distribute juice, water, and other cold drinks to the dancing devotees. For ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary, another Rathayatra for Srila Prabhupada! Relish the joy through Vittalrukmini’s pics!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/krDvTY

Book Reports are Passé
→ TKG Academy

Back when I was at school we simply wrote book reports. I’m impressed by and appreciate Mother Syamali’s creative literature projects. As of lately, Upper Elementary students were asked to choose one of the major characters in their independent reading book, and plan a dynamic scrapbook. Using key events and characters from their novels, they made a collection of hand-drawn photos, representing special memories. Each photo was accompanied by a caption of at least three sentences, explaining the image’s connection to the story. Students also included a variety of different artifacts to represent the events and characters, decorating each page to match the theme of their texts. What a genius way of reviewing and representing the main events!

Most recently, students created unique board games to showcase their independent reading. The artwork, content, and overall theme of the board games was inspired by characters, conflicts, and events in their selected novels. Students were given permission to use any combination of hand-drawn and computer generated images and follow a specific list of requirements. The results were remarkable. Students designed and crafted the board and the counters. Some even made their own dice. They deliberated the rules of the game and its strategies. Some also prepared question cards based on the books. And the bonus? After presenting their finished products, students had the opportunity to sit together and put the games to the test! What an original way of reflecting on and expressing an understanding of literature!

Photoset not found

 

Tuesday, March 8th, 2016
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Tuesday, March 8th, 2016                         
Mayapur, India

Getting Frail and Strong                

My dear friend, Agnidev, fainted at Govinda’s Restaurant last night evening after a successful lead of chanting at the Kirtan Mela.  So, the rumour has it.  It’s unknown to some of us the cause for this beautiful singer’s collapse.  Exhaustion?  Dehydration?  I hope he’s alright.

One thing is for sure-the body is frail.  I had the pleasure to conduct a sanga for senior devotees, some who are under care and are ‘wheel-chaired.’  Where our discussion went to was ails from trails.  I told of our blissful encounter with seniors of “Golden Pond” in Massachusettslast fall and how they were doing their version of aerobics.  The instructor wondered if I could do some mentoring in that department, we ended up doing “the Swami Swerve”, a fun concoction of moves.

The lending with these devotional folks who were listening to the tales and mantras was very real.  It was a presentation of a slower nature.  Because of age and some impaired hearing, I spoke with volume up, slower and enhanced articulation.

A planned trip across the Jalanghi Riverdid fructify just before the sun downed itself.  The group of us from Canadaand those from Polandto guide us, took to the village streets with kirtan.

Maha Shringha is the name of the devotee who led us through the modes homesteads.  He is so much loved by the rural Bengalis of the area.  For twenty years now he has connected with the locals through food, fun and friendship.  He knows an astounding number of people, all rather simple and sweet.  It is equally impressive that he knows the townsfolk, so many by their individual names.

After zig-zagging through the streets with our mantra, a drum player, and singers on foot, we ended the kirtan at the home of Bhakti Devi who worked a fabulous meal at her home.

Great people! Great hospitality! Great day! Great night!

May the Source be with you!

6 Km

Monday, March 7th, 2016
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Monday, March 7th, 2016                                                 
Mayapur, India

He Would Be Pleased

Life in the dham is pure.  Not all who contact the dham (holy place) however, benefit.  There’s pickpockets and people of greed, and ulterior motives.  After all, there’s lots of money to be made at pilgrim sites, where people converge from all around the world.

You hear at announcement time the loss of a passport, a wallet, or someone’s precious chanting beads. Fortunately the beads are easily replaceable.  There are some developers in the area that are exploiting tenants but not delivering full expectations.  We hear of buildings not up to code, or built in too tight to each other.

This may sound depressing and unspiritual but that may be an aspect of the ‘dark-side’ of Mayapur. There is a lot more reason to sound conches and gongs over the pluses.  Pilgrims are not fools.  At least they should not be naive.  This is the material world and blessed we are to have wonderful areas of retreat and refuge in which to charge the spiritual batteries.

I see happy faces here.  People of different shades engaged in the same thing.  At the Kirtan Mela there are Chinese, African, as well as South and North American participants.  You have Aussies and Europeans enthralled in song.  It is as the great luminary Bhaktivinode predicted.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, must be pleased.  When you think about it, in a mere 50 years since the inception of this branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, So much growth, along with growing pains, has taken place.

May the Source be with you!

5 Km

New U.S. TOVP Office and Foundation
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he U.S. TOVP Team announces the Grand Opening of their new office in Alachua, Florida on the auspicious occasion of Rama-navami. (April 15th)

The U.S. TOVP Team will be opening a new office in Alachua, Florida to manage their fundraising and promotional operations in America. The office is a house donated for this purpose by Ambarisa Prabhu. Along with the office, a newly formed Foundation, TOVP Foundation, Inc. has been set up with Sesa prabhu as its Chairman. Sesa is also the 2016 appointed GBC Chairman, as well as the ISKCON Minister of Education.

Prior to the Grand Opening of the new office, Ambarisa and Braja Vilas Prabhus will be visiting a number of U.S. temples, including Dallas, Houston and New Jersey, to assure devotees that the TOVP construction and overall progress is moving full steam ahead. Please contact these temples for the scheduled date of their visit and presentation if you live in that area.

At this time we would like to encourage all devotees to re-affirm their personal and financial commitments to this most dear project of Srila Prabhupada and our predecessor acaryas. Particularly in the U.S. where we had to discontinue bank auto-withdrawals towards large pledges. You can now visit TOVP.org at the following address to start your pledges once again; the online portal will be through PayPal, which has facilities to use bank account, credit and debit cards:

http://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

You can also setup EFT recurring payments directly with your bank by visiting your bank’s online portal and setting up the payments with the following bank details:

Bank Name: Capital City Bank

Address: 15000 NW 140th Street, Alachua, FL 32615

Bank Account Number: 10000100957

Checks can also be immediately sent to the Mailing Address below (not the Physical Address). Please do not contact the office until after April 15th.

TOVP Office Physical Address

TOVP FOUNDATION, INC.

13901 NW 142 Ave.

Alachua, FL 32615

TOVP Office Mailing Address

TOVP FOUNDATION, INC.

PO Box 609

Alachua, FL 32616

We would also like to share two new and inspiring videos with you. One is the latest construction update, and the other is called “For Tomorrow”.

http://tovp.org/news/construction/iskcons-50th-anniversary-tovp-video-update-march-22-2016/

http://tovp.org/news/construction/tovp-iskcon-tomorrow/

Srila Prabhupada – “Mayapur is the spiritual world manifest on earth. Build your sambandha by seva and glorification of the Dhama. As the Dhama manifests so also your seva to it will give you the path back to Godhead.” – Back to Godhead

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur: “Those who are trying their best to keep intact the flow of service to Sri Mayapur will be considered the benefactors of the world of Vaisnavas.” – Sajjana Toshani

Your servants,

The U.S. TOVP Team

Sunday, March 6th, 2016
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Sunday, March 6th, 2016                                                   
Mayapur, India

Focus Tradition

Yesterday I had been marvelling at the excellent work of Sesha.  It was the last day of our AGM and he wrapped-up our session of discussion with an ability I hadn’t seen before.  I happened to be sitting next to him at an angle where I could see his profile. He resembled, with poise, the power and penetration of a hawk. He was focused on the subject matters on the table.  Perhaps he is mastering time management skills.  Being a lawyer, he is sharp and direct, and gets to conciseness.  He would stay on topic and not allow for endless comments to enter the circle.  At the same time he made everyone in the room feel that they were sufficiently heard.

There’s a gift in all of this.

Kirtan  Mela has begun.  It is a festival of the Mantra.  By good fortune I had a time slot to lead for half an hour.  As was done last year, when the mic was given to me I addressed all the people in the Pancha Tattva Hall.

“We are going to do this in the traditional way.”

So I encouraged all to rise and get up on their feet and “Dance to the music” (Sly and the Family Stone).

The smiles were oceanic.  The moves were animated.  The sound was loud, and for a few moments of truth to set in, as expressed in the words of Shivaram Swami during the morning class “the name of the Lord is more beautiful than the form of the Lord.”

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Saturday, March 5th, 2016
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Saturday, March 5th, 2016                                                                                
Mayapur, India

Bhakti Light

Today was ekadasi a day to fast from grains.  Most important about it is to enhance your devotional output.  I was pleasantly surprised by the grain replacement offered today on the menu- buckwheat dosas. Yes, buckwheat is not considered a grain.  That, in dosa format, supposes the flavour of a regular dosa. Ours was served with potato-and-nut filling.  A beautiful discovery!

To look at the enhanced devotion I did not have to strain myself thinking of what "extra" I had done.  For the last three days I made an appeal on the microphone and over Mayapur TV airwaves for a crowd, an actual good cross-section of different people- African, American, Chinese, Indians, blacks, whites, male, and female- to show up as a chanting party for an upcoming documentary "Acharya."

As requested, people turned up at 4PM.  The local young monks, gurukulis, were on their regular slot for singing, and all that was missing at the venue, the Radha Madhava temple, was the group of responders and dancers.  The outcome was one displaying the epitome of a bunch of happy Hare Krishnas.  This was what film-maker, Yadubar, wanted.

It was neither an austerity to put together, nor was it a chore to be part of the session, in dancing with the crew! Yadubar had asked beforehand that I depict the group.  This was not necessary since those who showed up were on automatic pilot.

I also accepted lunch at Maha-Shringha's home where I read a segment of "Krishna" book and partook in kirtan with a kirtan band, "The Maya-puris." Food was light because that is what ekadasi is much about; increased services and being easier on the belly.

May the Source be with you!

4 Km

Friday, March 4th, 2016
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Friday, March 4th, 2016                                                       
Mayapur, India

Not Always Rosy

I had met Jaya Vijay at a festival in the Berkley area some years ago and had marvelled at his working efforts.  He was a padayatra (Pilgrim) leader for 10 years from 1986 to 1996.  He is indeed inspiring. I wanted to include him in this blog about the purifying nature of walking.  An article appeared in the recent issue of Padayatra: Worldwide:

“When you watch a Padayatra India slideshow everything seems rosy, but in fact it
was very difficult.  Walking the highways in Indiais no place for a lady or gentleman.
Some of the truck drivers are very rough – sometimes they go off the road or hit the
oxen.  We got malaria and dysentery.  When the devotees get ill, it’s difficult to
recover and keep moving at the same time.  They have to stay on the tractor. They
don’t have a private room.  Maybe once or twice a month we might get a private
room.  Usually we stayed in open schools, where there was no privacy at all.  People
watched you when you took your bath or passed stool. Sadhu means “open book” – it
is another definition of a sadhu – there is nothing to hide.  You have to learn to sit
down on your mat and be in your own mental world and do your own thing. 
Sometimes it’s hard to do it because you’re tired and you have people looking at you,
laughing at you, joking about you.  It’s a place to learn tolerance; it is not a joke.  I
have seen many devotees blow it or hit each other, not out of contempt but because
they’d just had enough.  I have seen lots of sannyasis go crazy with the kids.  It is very
difficult.  Some devotees got injured.  There were broken wrists and ankles, one
devotee was hit by a truck, and another from Finlanddied when he fell under the
tractor in South India.  Sometimes we present the rosy side of padayatra, but to pick
the roses there are many thorns, and sometimes you get pricked.  It’s not a piece of
cake.  In the long run it’s very purifying – the most purifying program in our whole
ISKCON society.”

(The Most Purifying Programs, by Jaya Vijaya dasa, Padayatra Newsletter, 2016)

May the Source be with you!

6 Km

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2016                                                      
Mayapur, India

Boat on the Ganga

He came riding on an elephant.  Kishand Radha Padmini got married today at the popular Jagannath temple, and it was done in royal style.  Unfortunately I missed that part of the grand entrance by the couple.

I arrived late although invited a year ago.  The bride came on a palanquin.  I was told it was classy.  My excuse for the lateness:  I organized a boat kirtan for our devotees from Canada.  We come from a country that is so stretched out.  We rarely get together.  We enjoyed a motor boat's ride with an awning to provide shade as we plied along the Ganges River, past the confluence of the Jalangi.  Gliding over the water of perhaps the most famous river in the world, we formed ourselves in song.

That is exactly as it went.  Once embarking on that boat which could accommodate 45 people, we just began singing the mantras.  There was no real talking on that boat.  We were communicating nevertheless.  The mantra makes the heart connection in its magical way.  It was Sri Chaitanya who expressed that all spiritual powers are invested in the Hare Krishna mantra.  If anyone could get an inkling of these powers, consider yourself very blessed.

The boat ride was a celebration of all that's holy- the water, the mantras, and the people chanting.

The wedding described earlier was a gathering of special people.  "They are like demigods", remarked my friend, Yadubar.  I couldn't agree more.  Photogenic, energetic and hooked up to Krishna, puts them in a special spot.  There's a certain dedication the younger folks have captured.

On one occasion our guru, Srila Prabhupada, said that it is noble to be dedicated.

May the Source be with you!

7 Km

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016
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Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016                                   
Mayapur, India

Bat Blood             

Right off the bat the day started off in a most interesting way.

I was just ready to leave for the Samadhi temple as Mandala was taking his shower.  I opened the door when a bat helped himself to our premises.  I shouted to Mandala that we had an uninvited guest.            

"There's a bat in the room!"

I proceeded to open the door with the prospect to have him leave.  A second opportunistic bat flew in. Now we had two of them fluttering around.  Okay, I kept the doors open hoping a third wouldn't venture in.  One of them did make an exit.  The fan running at optimum mode may have confused them.

Unfortunately, after hearing a sound of something hitting the fan, I had hoped we didn't injure the remaining fellow.  I stepped in and there he was, fallen on the floor.  A streak of blood droplets lie near his body which still had signs of life.  There was an occasional flap of the wings but I could see his hours if not minutes were numbered.  Sad for him.  I moved him out into the corridor with the sliding if my shoe.

When I returned from my morning sadhana I found he was gone-- left to providence in some form.  God bless his soul.

This evening I received a number of complements on our production of "Krishna Is."  It was held in the Samadhi Auditorium.  The most common remark was regarding the excellent job done by Balaram Vilchis as "Krishna."  His portrayal is very graceful and masculine at the same time.  I think he outdoes Batman.

May the Source be with you!

7 Km

Tuesday March 1st, 2016
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Tuesday March 1st, 2016
Mayapur, India

Worry for Gain

I’m going to wear my theatre cap right now.  It is a remarkable challenge in dealing with local Bengalis (all nice people) who have been given technical responsibility to set up the stage arrangements.  Is working with them a challenge?  Challenge #1 They know no English. Challenge #2 is their old equipment, worked into the ground – so to speak.  Challenge #3 is that they may get things done; on their own time (Perhaps that has something to do with hot weather).  Challenge #4 is that they are used to doing things in their own way.  Our dress rehearsal was disastrous from the technical side.

These hurdles caused a bit of rough sleep last night.  I was anxious, to say the least, right up to the last moment before show-time.

It becomes an impetus to develop your faith in the Sublime.  You convince yourself that you did the best you could.  So what happened is the technical crew actually felt our sense of urgency, and that we were going to settle for nothing less than pakha (perfect) arrangements.

The lights went up for the stage.  The lights were lowered for the green rooms.  My hands-on technical personnel, Nick and Mandala, were moving things along.  Actors for the play, ‘Krishna Is’ were ready.  Manoram, the magician opened the show and all went as pakha as it could possibly be.

The crowd of one-thousand-plus was very pleased.  The worry paid off.  I say that because the opposite extreme – over-confidence – never helps you win the game.

Trust in Krishna does!

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Monday Feb 29th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Monday Feb 29th, 2016
Mayapur, India

Love Trails

“Every path hath its own personality,” I mentioned to Abhay as we reached a juncture, turned a corner, and allowed our feet to feel all the different stones.  Our eyes were excited by the blackness of those stones.

“Unique from the rest of the trails,” I added.

“They are going to put tar on the surface,” said Abhay.

“Don’t tell me!”

“That’s the plan,” said Abhay, a resident of Mayapur.

“To accommodate hardware,” I thought; hardware (meaning cars and scooters) and less software (meaning feet).

I wish I could love Krishnaas much as people love their vehicles.

On one of the trails nearby the local elephants do tread.  They, the two females, Visnupriya and Laksmipriya, have their daily strolls just like us.  They have their personalities too.  Vishnupriya, the slightly smaller, is feisty.  News got around that one time, while walking by, a woman (a pilgrim I suppose) just got too close to the giant mammal.  Vishnupriya picked her up at the waist with her powerful nose and tossed the lady in the ditch.  She ‘ditched’ her.

My sympathies go out to the woman who was thrown.  I am not aware of any serious injuries.  May the presiding deities of Krishna, in the name of Radha Madhava, give protection to all, as well as to the trails that connect people to each other, and to opportunities.  Each trail is unique and it carries with it the weight of trucks, people, and elephants.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Sunday, February 28th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, February 28th, 2016
Mayapur, India

Fate is Hard

He wasn't a puppy, exactly, but still too young to call him an adolescent.  He was by his own, perhaps disowned by his mother. He may never have had and may never will have a master. He is too sickly to be wanted.  Like many of his type you might call him a ‘mutt.’  He is a stray dog; like so many in India.

We were walking a trail eastbound and there he lies part cuddled, part up.  He was flee-infected and was working with his snout to his leg, addressing the disease of itch.  He was patchy-- bald in places-- and we felt sorry for him.

After the evening's fresh rainfall he had made the moist path his residence for the night.  Now that traffic picked up, like us trekkers, he would most likely move on, forever miserable in his existence.  He was ugly, and being that he was so young I personally wondered what chance he had for any kind of real life.

If he should live to puberty he may look for a mate.  Food will certainly be a priority.  He'll get sleep.  I assume he'll have some fights but hopefully the packs of jackals will be leaving him unnoticed.

Again, I felt for him.  I or we left him with a mantra as we passed by him on this quiet and sometimes harsh trail.  Fate is hard.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, February 27th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Saturday, February 27th, 2016
Mayapur, India

A Change

It was a nice change.  I had been sitting in seminars and sinking in my chair during
administrative meetings.  The seminars were stimulating.  Lokanath Swami and Hari Bhakti led one on proper Sanskrit pronunciation and traditional melodies.  I had dreamt that such an arrangement would materialize.

Well it has!

Also, my friend from the UK, Krpamoya, led a seminar 'The Guru and How Spiritual Teachers Fit or do Not Fit into an Institution.'  Gurus can be quite independent unless guided and blessed by their peers.  That's where the topic became interesting.  When John Lennon spoke to our guru, Prabhupada, about spiritual masters - the conversation led to ‘what makes a guru bona fide?’ and one of the best tests to ensure authenticity is that he talks and lives every moment for the Supreme.

What really made me feel that I was a bit off-the-grid, of hearing and listening at seminars and meetings, was giving a presentation myself.  At the courtyard of a condo block I was invited by Noam from Israelto chant, speak, and take some great middle-eastern food.

For openers we chanted and then read theatrically from the book, 'Krishna.'  The evening was stirring with winds picking up as we sat in the courtyard.  It simply added to the dramatic effects.

After so many hours of hearing you feel rather driven to deliver, hence we have the program of shravanam (hearing) and then kirtanam (delivery).

May the Source be with you!

9 km

Friday, Feb 26th 2016
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Friday, Feb 26th 2016
Mayapur, India

Human Need

Jananivas is a dedicated priest in Mayapur.  When a samskar, or a ritual, needs to be executed he’ll be only too happy to deploy himself.  Now when I say dedicated it is no joke.  He and his identical twin joined Iskcon many years ago and have lived in Mayapur for forty years.

An extraordinary monk!

I had an obligation to fulfill and I needed Jananivas’ help.  A friend from Canada, Danapati, had lost his wife.  She had perished before the year ended in 2015 and I was asked to carry those ashes to merge with the Ganges River.

Jananivas made use of kusha as an ingredient, along with honey, panchagavya (five substances from the cow), and some grains.  The ashes were placed in a clump of Ganges silt along with the ingredients.  The clump was shaped to accommodate those ingredients and then more mud was placed over top to cover everything.

This procedure was also repeated by two other participants.  A father of 55, Arjuna, placed his 21 year old son’s ashes in the same way.  This was the son who tried to stop thieves from entering their home when he was shot to death.  Tragic! Giri-Gopal from Guyana also partook with his Mum’s ashes.  She had been struggling with illness for years.

The mantras used were a final send-off and a communication with Vishnu while all three sets of ashes were made to float until merging.  Jananivas directed us to take a full bath in the sacred river.  I moved on more to the current of the water to meet another monk and friend, Jayadwaita Swami.  The three of us participants then returned to our schedules.

A closure was put to a human need.

May the Source be with you!

8 km