Wednesday, October 21st, 2015
Butler, Pennsylvania
What’s so Special About Butler?
My very competent support person, Vivasvan, navigated a route that
would avoid busy traffic. A connected series of quiet gravel and
paved roads was the perfect lead into Butler, Pennsylvania – a true
milestone for this pilgrimage.
Karuna Sindhu joined Tre’von and I for a stretch. Yes, our party is
growing happily. It seems that some young men are attracted to the
program. Another one joins us on Saturday.
Now, back to Butler and the significance this tiny city has for our
spiritual order (known in theological terms as the Gaudiya Vaishnava
tradition) which has roots in India. The Vaishnava culture dates back
thousands of years. One of the major teachers in this lineage from
the medieval period in India is Sri Chaitanya, himself, a well-known
walker, who promoted adoration for the Divine in the form of Krishna.
The most recent exponent of this form of spiritualism is, in lengthy
honorific terms, known as Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – or
Prabhupada for short.
It was he, Prabhupada, who came to Butler in 1965 – 50 years ago. He
took accommodation at the then YMCA, now the Boys’ Cubs Hall on McKean
St. Prabhupada spoke at the Y as well as the Lions Club and St.
Fidelis Monastery in nearby Herman. It was here in Butler, at the
mature age of 70, that he planted seeds of bhakti (a form of
devotional yoga) before he moved on to New York City where a following
finally took hold.
When I entered Butler today and made my way to the old YMCA, I met a
rep from the Butler County Eagle Paper and a local radio rep. The
news was later announced that the Walking Monk had come to honour his
teacher, Prabhupada. My emotions did arise.
I shall attempt to make a list of Prabhupada’s accomplishments after
my own humble deliberation:
1) Forerunner of kirtan culture, or introducing chanting to the West.
2) Introduced bhakti-yoga, an ancient devotional lifestyle to the West.
3) Wrote, presented, and published a scholarly line of Vedic
philosophical texts (including a translation of the Bhagavad-gita)
forming a veritable library on Eastern thought. Established the
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to print these books.
4) Introduced a new line of vegetarian cooking. Perhaps the first
teacher of Vedic cooking in the West. Taught how to consecrate that
food as prasadam (where, in Judaism, such food is known as Kosher and
in Islam as Halal).
5) Forerunner of animal rights, ie. Cow and bull protection
6) Introduced to the West the ancient technique of seva puja,
honouring the Divine as a sacred image.
7) Forerunner of the science of reincarnation. Spoke boldly of the
soul’s transmigration (sourced through his books).
8) Reinforced agrarian life, ‘Back-to-the-land’ living as an
ecologically-friendly alternative, ie. ‘Gita Nagari’ in Port Royal, PA
& ‘New Vrindavan’ in Wheeling, West Virginia.
9) Reinforced that God is a person, hence, he challenged atheism and Darwinism.
10) Promoted anti-racism through provocative, profound statements like
‘We are not these bodies, we are spirits.’ All-inclusive policies
towards men, women, and people of all races.
11) Spoke strongly against drug intake, alcohol intake, and gambling –
hence saving lives.
12) Established a world-wide mission called ISKCON, commonly known as
‘Hare Krishna.’
These and other contributions can be considered as benevolent for
improving and adjusting life-styles in the West. We are grateful to
the founder of Iskcon, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km
Wednesday, October 21st, 2015
Monday, October 19th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Monday, October 19th, 2015
Rural Valley, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania People
Bill was right on the road to greet me. He shook my hand and I remarked that he’s got farmer’s hands, big and callous-like. It was a compliment of course and he took it that way. “Well, more like coal miners’ hands,” he said in good fun. We talked and I could see he was a very God conscious man. In fact, he asked for a blessing since he’s having kidney issues. He removed his hat, I placed my right palm on his forehead and recited a Sanskrit mantra for protection. He was grateful.
I also came upon two country folks at the side of their yard. Two gentlemen. They had been looking with an eager eye as to what I was all about. Handshakes again. “I’m Bhaktimarga Swami, Swami for short. I’m a monk and I’m walking. I started from Boston.” Surprised, they were. They offered iced tea. We chatted. One of the fellows said, “Only Catholics have monks, right?”
“Actually, there’s a whole history of monastic life within Hinduism and Buddhism, big time.”
I asked them if they were familiar with Hare Krishna and the response was no. I asked if they had heard of Broadway’s production, ‘Hair’.
“Yes!”
And so that was their reference point.
Further down the road I met some teenage Amish girls with dresses and bonnets. They were gathering walnuts on the side of the road. I could see they were shy.
“Hello, how are you? What do you do with them?”
“We make pies with the walnuts and cakes.”
“God bless,” I said.
Not but ten minutes later on in my walk, there was a team of horses, two in number, that were yoked to a wagon standing stationary at the side of the road. Right next to them, in a corn field, was an Amish farmer along with two women who were manually breaking off corn and tossing it into the wagon. I asked if he could toss me one for a souvenir, so he did and suggested that they are good for corn bread.
“Thanks, God bless.”
In Pennsylvania country I see it’s much to do about family, food, work, and God. That’s good.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km
Rural Valley, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania People
Bill was right on the road to greet me. He shook my hand and I remarked that he’s got farmer’s hands, big and callous-like. It was a compliment of course and he took it that way. “Well, more like coal miners’ hands,” he said in good fun. We talked and I could see he was a very God conscious man. In fact, he asked for a blessing since he’s having kidney issues. He removed his hat, I placed my right palm on his forehead and recited a Sanskrit mantra for protection. He was grateful.
I also came upon two country folks at the side of their yard. Two gentlemen. They had been looking with an eager eye as to what I was all about. Handshakes again. “I’m Bhaktimarga Swami, Swami for short. I’m a monk and I’m walking. I started from Boston.” Surprised, they were. They offered iced tea. We chatted. One of the fellows said, “Only Catholics have monks, right?”
“Actually, there’s a whole history of monastic life within Hinduism and Buddhism, big time.”
I asked them if they were familiar with Hare Krishna and the response was no. I asked if they had heard of Broadway’s production, ‘Hair’.
“Yes!”
And so that was their reference point.
Further down the road I met some teenage Amish girls with dresses and bonnets. They were gathering walnuts on the side of the road. I could see they were shy.
“Hello, how are you? What do you do with them?”
“We make pies with the walnuts and cakes.”
“God bless,” I said.
Not but ten minutes later on in my walk, there was a team of horses, two in number, that were yoked to a wagon standing stationary at the side of the road. Right next to them, in a corn field, was an Amish farmer along with two women who were manually breaking off corn and tossing it into the wagon. I asked if he could toss me one for a souvenir, so he did and suggested that they are good for corn bread.
“Thanks, God bless.”
In Pennsylvania country I see it’s much to do about family, food, work, and God. That’s good.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km
Sunday, October 18th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Sunday, October 18th, 2015
Earnest, Pennsylvania
Kirtan Inside Outside
Bandhur atmatmanas tasya…
I referenced this quote from Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad-Gita for a group of soon to be yoga teachers at Penn State College. We are talking here about the mind and how it can be your best friend or worst enemy. Another verse describes how the mind can either degrade or elevate the consciousness. Therefore, the message is to harness the wild mind and to direct it to a progressive higher consciousness. This chapter has all to do with meditational yoga. I explained “In order to benefit from yoga in full, the Gita recommends an insertion of bhakti, devotion, into the practices.”
I was happy to see and hear everyone take to the process of kirtan, chanting, and lest we forget – dancing.
Vivasvan, Tre’von, and I then rushed to the farm community of Gita Nagari near Port Royal. Arriving in the nick of time, 4 PM, for the Sunday Open House. We were warmly greeted and taken to the temple building where the microphone was placed before me for leading another kirtan and then class. I was keen to keep some continuity in my message. I spoke on Chapter 6, again, entitled ‘Jnana Yoga’, wherein determination, patience, and disregard for mundane things which arise from mental speculation, were topics for discussion.
People at Gita Nagari are more familiar with kirtan than the first group. Nevertheless, it was enjoyed at both sessions all the same.
Whether indoor or outdoor, kirtan, chanting, has its natural attraction. When Tre’von and I took to trekking earlier on in the morning, we came near a barn with a cow sticking her head out curiously to see us. We both broke into another song beginning with the name Govinda, a name for Krishna referring to Him as the tender of the cows. The cow came out of the barn to listen and then a herd followed and remained still as if they were yogis themselves, motionless and serene.
May the Source be with you!
12 miles / 19 km
Earnest, Pennsylvania
Kirtan Inside Outside
Bandhur atmatmanas tasya…
I referenced this quote from Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad-Gita for a group of soon to be yoga teachers at Penn State College. We are talking here about the mind and how it can be your best friend or worst enemy. Another verse describes how the mind can either degrade or elevate the consciousness. Therefore, the message is to harness the wild mind and to direct it to a progressive higher consciousness. This chapter has all to do with meditational yoga. I explained “In order to benefit from yoga in full, the Gita recommends an insertion of bhakti, devotion, into the practices.”
I was happy to see and hear everyone take to the process of kirtan, chanting, and lest we forget – dancing.
Vivasvan, Tre’von, and I then rushed to the farm community of Gita Nagari near Port Royal. Arriving in the nick of time, 4 PM, for the Sunday Open House. We were warmly greeted and taken to the temple building where the microphone was placed before me for leading another kirtan and then class. I was keen to keep some continuity in my message. I spoke on Chapter 6, again, entitled ‘Jnana Yoga’, wherein determination, patience, and disregard for mundane things which arise from mental speculation, were topics for discussion.
People at Gita Nagari are more familiar with kirtan than the first group. Nevertheless, it was enjoyed at both sessions all the same.
Whether indoor or outdoor, kirtan, chanting, has its natural attraction. When Tre’von and I took to trekking earlier on in the morning, we came near a barn with a cow sticking her head out curiously to see us. We both broke into another song beginning with the name Govinda, a name for Krishna referring to Him as the tender of the cows. The cow came out of the barn to listen and then a herd followed and remained still as if they were yogis themselves, motionless and serene.
May the Source be with you!
12 miles / 19 km
Saturday, October 17th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Saturday, October 17th, 2015
Westover, Pennsylvania
A Pull
“Maya, get back here!” shouted the owner of the pitbull. This young female dog named Maya was definitely after me and her master was calling her back. It was necessary for him to come right up to me in order to stave off Maya. She was not listening too well to orders even when the lady of the house yelled "Get over here!" with her raspy voice. I asked the owner if he knew what Maya meant.
“No I don’t,” he said in a confession-like tone.
“It’s a Sanskrit word meaning ‘illusion’.”
"Well, she’s illusion alright,” he retorted, now gaining some control over her barking and threatening.
It was a crazy road to be on. Vivasvan and I were scolded for being on what GPS identified as a walking trail by a teenage boy in fatigues and crossbow in hand who told us it was not. The boy I managed to shake hands with and talk with but the oncoming overbearing dad was different. The stern message was clear, that we were to turn around and get out of there NOW!!!
It was so evident that deer are the actual target these days during hunting season. At the front of one household, a deer’s carcass was hung from a pole and an open bucket was set underneath. In the early hour of the day, the first hour, as I was walking with my safety vest on, a vehicle swerved away from me and wheeled over onto deer road kill. This sent the contents in the air. An explosion of guts, you might say.
I trekked through trails and roads today that were clearly in State Game Lands but like all the other hunters in the vicinity who wear luminescent orange, I’ve got myself fully covered with the colour.
Even though a vegetarian pacifistic monk may feel some discomfort in all of this, I will refrain from judging. I feel the power of the mantra that I’ve been singing, the prana from the clean air, the prana from the crisp organic apples I would chance upon, and just the anticipation that I’m getting closer and closer to the city of Butler where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, first launched the bhakti movement in the west, I feel choked up at times and with tears in the eyes, a pull comes to the heart.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km
Westover, Pennsylvania
A Pull
“Maya, get back here!” shouted the owner of the pitbull. This young female dog named Maya was definitely after me and her master was calling her back. It was necessary for him to come right up to me in order to stave off Maya. She was not listening too well to orders even when the lady of the house yelled "Get over here!" with her raspy voice. I asked the owner if he knew what Maya meant.
“No I don’t,” he said in a confession-like tone.
“It’s a Sanskrit word meaning ‘illusion’.”
"Well, she’s illusion alright,” he retorted, now gaining some control over her barking and threatening.
It was a crazy road to be on. Vivasvan and I were scolded for being on what GPS identified as a walking trail by a teenage boy in fatigues and crossbow in hand who told us it was not. The boy I managed to shake hands with and talk with but the oncoming overbearing dad was different. The stern message was clear, that we were to turn around and get out of there NOW!!!
It was so evident that deer are the actual target these days during hunting season. At the front of one household, a deer’s carcass was hung from a pole and an open bucket was set underneath. In the early hour of the day, the first hour, as I was walking with my safety vest on, a vehicle swerved away from me and wheeled over onto deer road kill. This sent the contents in the air. An explosion of guts, you might say.
I trekked through trails and roads today that were clearly in State Game Lands but like all the other hunters in the vicinity who wear luminescent orange, I’ve got myself fully covered with the colour.
Even though a vegetarian pacifistic monk may feel some discomfort in all of this, I will refrain from judging. I feel the power of the mantra that I’ve been singing, the prana from the clean air, the prana from the crisp organic apples I would chance upon, and just the anticipation that I’m getting closer and closer to the city of Butler where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, first launched the bhakti movement in the west, I feel choked up at times and with tears in the eyes, a pull comes to the heart.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km
Friday, October 16th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Friday, October 16th, 2015
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Shooting Stars
Shooting stars we saw. We viewed with awe. Our walking route also called for a section through the forest. The kicking of leaves, which created a hissing sound, and moving shadows conjured up from our flashlights spooked Tre’von in the darkness of the early morning. We could still see the stars above but they were blinking because of the effect of passing through the trees. Owls were making their sound. These were great sensations.
Paul had made a jovial deal with us the night before, “Come to Mass with me in the morning and I’ll take you to the newspaper place for a story.” Paul, our B&B host, placed this loving condition on us which, to us, was irresistible. We sealed the deal. We like both of the venues and their people. We sat in at the Christian service and then ventured off to the Herald, the local paper, for an interview. This was followed by visiting a new-age shop which was newly opened. We happened to be there just before the ribbon cutting ceremony. There I met briefly with the local senator. I told him of our guru’s benevolent work and how he came to the US fifty years ago from India and launched the Hare Krishna Movement.
I asked him, “How are things?”
“Lots of problems,” he said with a smile.
“I can imagine,” was my response.
From that downtime in Tyrone’s downtown, I proceeded onto the highway going up the mountain and entered into deer hunting country. 1600 acres are allotted for the hunt in this area. At one point, a young fellow, plumber by profession, pulled over and graced us with a donation. He liked what we were doing and then happily received from us our favourite mantra, the Hare Krishna mantra. He wanted to invite us to his home but he remarked, “My wife would think I was crazy.”
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Shooting Stars
Shooting stars we saw. We viewed with awe. Our walking route also called for a section through the forest. The kicking of leaves, which created a hissing sound, and moving shadows conjured up from our flashlights spooked Tre’von in the darkness of the early morning. We could still see the stars above but they were blinking because of the effect of passing through the trees. Owls were making their sound. These were great sensations.
Paul had made a jovial deal with us the night before, “Come to Mass with me in the morning and I’ll take you to the newspaper place for a story.” Paul, our B&B host, placed this loving condition on us which, to us, was irresistible. We sealed the deal. We like both of the venues and their people. We sat in at the Christian service and then ventured off to the Herald, the local paper, for an interview. This was followed by visiting a new-age shop which was newly opened. We happened to be there just before the ribbon cutting ceremony. There I met briefly with the local senator. I told him of our guru’s benevolent work and how he came to the US fifty years ago from India and launched the Hare Krishna Movement.
I asked him, “How are things?”
“Lots of problems,” he said with a smile.
“I can imagine,” was my response.
From that downtime in Tyrone’s downtown, I proceeded onto the highway going up the mountain and entered into deer hunting country. 1600 acres are allotted for the hunt in this area. At one point, a young fellow, plumber by profession, pulled over and graced us with a donation. He liked what we were doing and then happily received from us our favourite mantra, the Hare Krishna mantra. He wanted to invite us to his home but he remarked, “My wife would think I was crazy.”
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
State College, Pennsylvania
Day Is Dung
I was raised on a farm, have visited India in her rural parts multiple times, and so I’m used to dung. My morning walking partner, Tre’von, is a city boy and is not used to the horse caca on the road’s shoulder. I told him, “Just get used to it. Some of the stuff will get trapped in between the treads under your shoes. You have to live with it so you might as well love it.”
We started our trek at 5:45 AM, an hour when the sun has not yet woken. We are somewhat moving through heaps of the stuff due to the Amish horse-driven carts coming through on the sides of the road. Because it’s dark, it’s hard to see when the heaps are coming forward. We just have to accept it.
The area is all about land and animals. A team of mules was pulling a machine for corn harvest. They are natural work animals. Some Holsteins came to greet us until the electric fence opposed further forwardness from both sides. White horses and beef cattle were also curious about us.
But the creatures of the wild, the undomesticated ones, had a hard time with the road. We’re talking about raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, and porcupines. Even the fast fox has no chance against the more rapid formidable machines which we call trucks and cars.
At one person’s driveway, two huge black pigs were milling around. They were held in check by three Doberman pinchers. The dogs appear to be the fence for the pigs, otherwise, those oinky creatures would be venturing into the traffic. The dogs became a bit distracted from their work when I was walking by their property but then a stocky woman, I assume the owner, called the dogs off from going after me. I guess she was their fence, thank God. Cyclists drove by and there were also two motorists who stopped to offer a ride on different occasions. In most cases, such persons are more curious than anything because most people have this notion that someone in robes is most likely on a mission, a walking mission, a pilgrimage of sorts.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km
State College, Pennsylvania
Day Is Dung
I was raised on a farm, have visited India in her rural parts multiple times, and so I’m used to dung. My morning walking partner, Tre’von, is a city boy and is not used to the horse caca on the road’s shoulder. I told him, “Just get used to it. Some of the stuff will get trapped in between the treads under your shoes. You have to live with it so you might as well love it.”
We started our trek at 5:45 AM, an hour when the sun has not yet woken. We are somewhat moving through heaps of the stuff due to the Amish horse-driven carts coming through on the sides of the road. Because it’s dark, it’s hard to see when the heaps are coming forward. We just have to accept it.
The area is all about land and animals. A team of mules was pulling a machine for corn harvest. They are natural work animals. Some Holsteins came to greet us until the electric fence opposed further forwardness from both sides. White horses and beef cattle were also curious about us.
But the creatures of the wild, the undomesticated ones, had a hard time with the road. We’re talking about raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, and porcupines. Even the fast fox has no chance against the more rapid formidable machines which we call trucks and cars.
At one person’s driveway, two huge black pigs were milling around. They were held in check by three Doberman pinchers. The dogs appear to be the fence for the pigs, otherwise, those oinky creatures would be venturing into the traffic. The dogs became a bit distracted from their work when I was walking by their property but then a stocky woman, I assume the owner, called the dogs off from going after me. I guess she was their fence, thank God. Cyclists drove by and there were also two motorists who stopped to offer a ride on different occasions. In most cases, such persons are more curious than anything because most people have this notion that someone in robes is most likely on a mission, a walking mission, a pilgrimage of sorts.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km
Thursday, October 15th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Thursday, October 15th, 2015
Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania
On Top of the Hill
While walking down cool downtown State College, one café was playing the local radio station broadcasting through the speakers. It just so happened that the chorus of My Sweet Lord was playing as I passed the café. Yes indeed, the sound of George Harrison’s voice came through on the chorus of that beautiful musical piece at that moment. What are the chances of that happening? I took it as a good omen. What else about State College? It's where you find Pennsylvania’s largest university. Two young female students working on a film project spontaneously had me in a queue for questions about pumpkin picking. The camera started rolling:
“Have you ever picked pumpkins?” was the first question.
“As someone who grew up on a farm, I’ve harvested about everything, except for pumpkins.”
The interview started off light but it became more grave as we moved along and started to discuss about my purpose for walking. The notion of pilgrimage was discussed. The interview was done and personally I believe that the girls were charmed by having a guy answering questions in pumpkin-coloured attire.
Our evening in Tyrone, a town of 5,000 plus, was something to remember. We took a chance to stay at a bed and breakfast called ‘Stoney Point’, a sort of old mansion on top of a hill. We found out later on that this place was rated as the number one B&B in the state, number 3 in America, and number 14 in the world. It’s no wonder because Paul, the host, is a real human with a big heart. This place had charm. The ambiance was great and it’s not what the three of us in our team are usually used to although we’ve been very lucky to stay at temples and people’s homes and on occasion, a motel.
It was great to pull out our dolak drum and to chant in the living room with Paul and other tenants in the house. It was as if the wood of the fireplace got lit up by the stroke of a chant. The place became so cozy and warm.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km
Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania
On Top of the Hill
While walking down cool downtown State College, one café was playing the local radio station broadcasting through the speakers. It just so happened that the chorus of My Sweet Lord was playing as I passed the café. Yes indeed, the sound of George Harrison’s voice came through on the chorus of that beautiful musical piece at that moment. What are the chances of that happening? I took it as a good omen. What else about State College? It's where you find Pennsylvania’s largest university. Two young female students working on a film project spontaneously had me in a queue for questions about pumpkin picking. The camera started rolling:
“Have you ever picked pumpkins?” was the first question.
“As someone who grew up on a farm, I’ve harvested about everything, except for pumpkins.”
The interview started off light but it became more grave as we moved along and started to discuss about my purpose for walking. The notion of pilgrimage was discussed. The interview was done and personally I believe that the girls were charmed by having a guy answering questions in pumpkin-coloured attire.
Our evening in Tyrone, a town of 5,000 plus, was something to remember. We took a chance to stay at a bed and breakfast called ‘Stoney Point’, a sort of old mansion on top of a hill. We found out later on that this place was rated as the number one B&B in the state, number 3 in America, and number 14 in the world. It’s no wonder because Paul, the host, is a real human with a big heart. This place had charm. The ambiance was great and it’s not what the three of us in our team are usually used to although we’ve been very lucky to stay at temples and people’s homes and on occasion, a motel.
It was great to pull out our dolak drum and to chant in the living room with Paul and other tenants in the house. It was as if the wood of the fireplace got lit up by the stroke of a chant. The place became so cozy and warm.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km
Tuesday, October 13th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Tuesday, October 13th, 2015
Woodward, Pennsylvania
Back Again
So many people have written upbeat songs about being on the road again. What comes to mind is my dear friend, cross-country walker Michael Oesch, who likes Willie Nelson’s rendition. Well here I am, once again, at one of the places I like to be - the road, the trail.
After being picked up at the Pittsburgh Airport, where they were playing classical music over the speaker, which I liked, Vivasvan and Tre’von came to drive us to College State where we slept for the night. We then drove to the spot where I left off from four days before at Buffalo Valley Trail, a parallel route to Highway 45.
The trek started with a drizzle, though rain never became a big issue. At one point the sun blazed through before overcast sky hit us again. Tre’von stayed loyal to my every step for 18 miles. Then, I finished solo with an extra four miles under the feet. It was at this point that a police officer came to see what was up. It was another one of those things where someone called in, being suspicious of a guy in orange, the colour that prisoner’s wear in jumpsuits. This simply became an opportunity for me to talk and make a friend with the officer. He resembled strongly the features of fellow monk, Sridhar Swami.
A real milestone for our team today was to hear Tre’von master his memory of mantras. I had been teaching him while trekking the two mantras in honour of guru. He took the bold step to ask to learn the mantra for Pancha Tattva. This he learned, with a breeze.
I observed that he likes to rap and at times breaks into a dance step while we travel along. Traffic is not anything that hinders his spontaneous mood and frankly, I don’t get embarrassed despite the conservative Amish countryside we find ourselves in. At one point, he played from his phone James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ which ended up being an ideal pacey piece of music for walking.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km
Woodward, Pennsylvania
Back Again
So many people have written upbeat songs about being on the road again. What comes to mind is my dear friend, cross-country walker Michael Oesch, who likes Willie Nelson’s rendition. Well here I am, once again, at one of the places I like to be - the road, the trail.
After being picked up at the Pittsburgh Airport, where they were playing classical music over the speaker, which I liked, Vivasvan and Tre’von came to drive us to College State where we slept for the night. We then drove to the spot where I left off from four days before at Buffalo Valley Trail, a parallel route to Highway 45.
The trek started with a drizzle, though rain never became a big issue. At one point the sun blazed through before overcast sky hit us again. Tre’von stayed loyal to my every step for 18 miles. Then, I finished solo with an extra four miles under the feet. It was at this point that a police officer came to see what was up. It was another one of those things where someone called in, being suspicious of a guy in orange, the colour that prisoner’s wear in jumpsuits. This simply became an opportunity for me to talk and make a friend with the officer. He resembled strongly the features of fellow monk, Sridhar Swami.
A real milestone for our team today was to hear Tre’von master his memory of mantras. I had been teaching him while trekking the two mantras in honour of guru. He took the bold step to ask to learn the mantra for Pancha Tattva. This he learned, with a breeze.
I observed that he likes to rap and at times breaks into a dance step while we travel along. Traffic is not anything that hinders his spontaneous mood and frankly, I don’t get embarrassed despite the conservative Amish countryside we find ourselves in. At one point, he played from his phone James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ which ended up being an ideal pacey piece of music for walking.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km
Monday, October 12th, 2015
→ The Walking Monk
Monday, October 12th, 2015
Mississauga, Ontario
Sorting Out The Trails
“Since the Supreme is the origin of all facets of life, including ourselves, where does hate come into the picture?” asked Raj as we stepped through the trees on a trail near his home.
Raj had been questioning this for years, wondering how hate or contempt could be a component of God’s personality. As we were walking, he and I discussed how Krishna, in His pastimes, eliminated demonic forces. Yet, it appears that hate or malice was not necessarily found in the character of Krishna during the time of His subduing such nasty forces. Raj insisted, “He doesn’t show hate but where does this hate come from since whatever is within us can be traced back to the Source?”
While I was looking deeply within for the best way to respond to Raj’s wonder, we had to make choices as to which path to tread. All trails were laden with autumn leaves but some were broad in width while some were less defined, obscured, and less travelled. We chose to tackle them all. We found other people from the same neighbourhood doing the same type of exploration. Searching for answers through adventurous avenues might be a very good thing.
Here is the gist of my contribution to Raj’s query. The Absolute (God, the Divine, whatever is your preferred terminology) is definitely the root or the seed behind all things good and bad. Yes, even when Krishna does some of His dissolution work, He invokes some anger but with a charm that moves the emotions. It is executed in the spirit of detachment. Now, why is our hate so strong and so vindictive at times? In other words, why are we so extreme? What comes to mind is something that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and his guru explained. It goes as such:
All things in the material world are perverted reflections of the spiritual world. Here’s one example to illustrate our malicious intentions. When a rod is placed in a pool of water, the image in the water is refracted or distorted. Similarly, whatever we do in this world tends to get twisted and our attitude becomes extreme and this happens by choice. Choice is another trait we have inherited from the Supreme. Our obligation is to just get clean, to go for a purging.
May the Source be with you!
1.9 miles / 3 km
Mississauga, Ontario
Sorting Out The Trails
“Since the Supreme is the origin of all facets of life, including ourselves, where does hate come into the picture?” asked Raj as we stepped through the trees on a trail near his home.
Raj had been questioning this for years, wondering how hate or contempt could be a component of God’s personality. As we were walking, he and I discussed how Krishna, in His pastimes, eliminated demonic forces. Yet, it appears that hate or malice was not necessarily found in the character of Krishna during the time of His subduing such nasty forces. Raj insisted, “He doesn’t show hate but where does this hate come from since whatever is within us can be traced back to the Source?”
While I was looking deeply within for the best way to respond to Raj’s wonder, we had to make choices as to which path to tread. All trails were laden with autumn leaves but some were broad in width while some were less defined, obscured, and less travelled. We chose to tackle them all. We found other people from the same neighbourhood doing the same type of exploration. Searching for answers through adventurous avenues might be a very good thing.
Here is the gist of my contribution to Raj’s query. The Absolute (God, the Divine, whatever is your preferred terminology) is definitely the root or the seed behind all things good and bad. Yes, even when Krishna does some of His dissolution work, He invokes some anger but with a charm that moves the emotions. It is executed in the spirit of detachment. Now, why is our hate so strong and so vindictive at times? In other words, why are we so extreme? What comes to mind is something that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and his guru explained. It goes as such:
All things in the material world are perverted reflections of the spiritual world. Here’s one example to illustrate our malicious intentions. When a rod is placed in a pool of water, the image in the water is refracted or distorted. Similarly, whatever we do in this world tends to get twisted and our attitude becomes extreme and this happens by choice. Choice is another trait we have inherited from the Supreme. Our obligation is to just get clean, to go for a purging.
May the Source be with you!
1.9 miles / 3 km
Hare Krishna! Glorification of Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam by…
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Hare Krishna! Glorification of Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam by dance ballet
On the auspicious occasion of Srila Krishna dasa kaviraja goswami’s disappearance day today we wish to present the devotees all over the world the dance ballet performed last month in the glory of Sri Chaitanya Charitamritam. This dance ballet was performed on the occasion of Radhastami Adhivas at ISKCON, Mira Road (Mumbai, India) on 20th September 2015, which coincided with inauguration of weeklong festivals to mark the grand opening of Sri Sri RadhaGiridhari temple at Mira Road that is poised to become the crest jewel for the western suburbs of Mumbai. Please relish viewing the video
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20677
Vishaka Devi Dasi asks
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Is it wrong to kill mosquitos even though they are trying to hurt us?
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Ratha yatra in Milan 2015 (Album with photos)
Find them here:…
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Mukunda Goswami’s Srimad Bhagavatam class (30 min…
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Mukunda Goswami’s Srimad Bhagavatam class (30 min video)
Lecture given on New Govardhana Hare Krishna Farm (Australia).
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/mn1zjR
Mukunda Goswami’s health update.
H.H. Mukunda Goswami has…
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Mukunda Goswami’s health update.
H.H. Mukunda Goswami has suffered a heart attack after he slipped and broken his hip two days ago. He is in the hospital, in good spirits, chanting and reading, but the doctors could not operate him due to his heart condition.
Maharaj was one of the first members of ISKCON and has spent the last 50 years in service to Srila Prabhupada. Please pray for Maharaja’s full recovery.
HH BB Govinda Swami Rocks Hong Kong! (3 min video)
Recording on…
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HH BB Govinda Swami Rocks Hong Kong! (3 min video)
Recording on a kirtan at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong. People are all happily dancing and chanting with maharaja! The mrdanga (Vrindavan Kirtan) and the harmonium (Akincana Krishna) were carrying them to the highest ecstasy. Jaya!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/JOATun
Daily Darshan – October 25th, 2015 – Mangal Arati
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The post Daily Darshan – October 25th, 2015 – Mangal Arati appeared first on Mayapur.com.
The Joy of Devotion music festival 2015 – Live with HG Atmaram…
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The Joy of Devotion music festival 2015 - Live with HG Atmaram Das (6 min video)
Recorded at the music concert organised by Study of Indian Culture Limited and co-organised by ISKCON (Hong Kong) on 22 October 2015.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/WEZZlB
October 25. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily…
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October 25. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Prabhupada had always done much preaching by letter writing. When he was alone as a householder in India he had written many letters to influential leaders, including a prophetic letter to Mahatma Gandhi asking him to quit politics and study Bhagavad-gita or die an inglorious death. He had written to big businessmen and top politicians. They were not mere formal letters asking for funds, but deeply personal, sincere appeals and filled with philosophical explanations of the need to take up the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita to solve all the social, political and economic problems of the present day. Prabhupada did not get much favorable response from these letters, but he was undaunted in attempting them. He was like a voice crying in the wilderness. Now alone in New York City, penniless and practically homeless, he appealed directly for funds to purchase a building for a temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490/#25
Daily Darshan – October 25th, 2015
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The post Daily Darshan – October 25th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Shayan Darshan Of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath;19th october 2015
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Shayan Darshan Of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath;19th october 2015
27 Oct 2015 – Sri Krsna Saradiya Rasayatra
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27 Oct 2015 – Disappearance Day of Sri Murari Gupta
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27 Oct 2015 – Laksmi Puja
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October 25, 2015
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Let Me Taste Some Pleasure
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From Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna
by Mahanidhi Swami
Sensitively transforming others’ hearts – Analysis of Lord Chaitanya’s delivering Sarvabhauma
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Lecture Podcast:
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When Buddha and Kalki appear in Kali-yuga, why is Vishnu called Tri-yugi?
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Answer Podcast:
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When Sarvabhauma was an impersonalist how could he appreciate symptoms of love of God in Lord Chaitanya?
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If I don’t have enough sattva to study sabda constantly, should I not become a brahmachari?
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When staying silent amidst injustice is wrong, why did Yudhishthira passively accept the Kauravas’ atrocities?
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Is dissatisfaction because of not being able to read scripture regularly good?
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Spirituality and Business
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Keynote address during panel discussion organized by Artha Forum at Sacramento, USA
Podcast:
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A month to meditate on Krsna
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture)
During the month of Kartik, there is the chance to make special advancement. Especially whoever goes to Vrindavan is very fortunate because in Vrindavan, during Kartik, one can make many times more advancement under than under normal conditions!
Therefore, being in Vrindavan during Kartik is very, very special. But not all of us have the opportunity or the time to just leave everything and go to Vrindavan for Kartik but one can at least go in consciousness because the acaryas like Srila Jiva Gosvami have. mentioned, “Mathura is not a place. It is a state of consciousness.”
So the consciousness of Mathura or Vrindavan is what really transports us there! Therefore we can also invoke that atmosphere from wherever we are and in that way, one can reside in Vrindavan by remembering Vrindavan because remembrance on the spiritual platform is as good as being there, and we simply remember the spiritual world. So this is a month to meditate on Krsna!
HG Daru Krsna Prabhu / SB 10.88.3-4
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UA Vedic Society hosts Sacred Sounds.
During the concert, the…
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UA Vedic Society hosts Sacred Sounds.
During the concert, the audience danced along to the music and recited mantras, or traditional words and phrases from Vedic literature.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/gnVYw3
Hare Krishna! TOVP: A Story of Humble Success in Ukraine!
The…
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Hare Krishna! TOVP: A Story of Humble Success in Ukraine!
The geography of donations collecting started to expand. Devotees from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Dnepropetrovsk joined us. Transcendental stories never ended. Immediately after the Vyasa Puja of His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu we received a call from a young man named Marian. He served in the Ukrainian Army and phoned from the hot spot. Once during the “silence”, he visited the website of Alexander Khakimov (HG Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu) and saw a banner of the Vedic Planetarium Temple project. A young soldier, from a small town Chervonograd in western Ukraine, ordered Srila Prabhupada’s books and began to send all his salary for the construction of the Vedic Planetarium Temple. Now Marian is demobilized, he met the devotees from the Lvov city, he is chanting the Maha-mantra and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. He came to the All-Ukrainian festival “Bhakti Sangama” and was happy in devotees’ company. We were very pleased to meet him, and he thanked us for the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20653
Visiting the new Iskcon temple at Mira Road (Album with…
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Visiting the new Iskcon temple at Mira Road (Album with photos)
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A Story of Humble Success the Ukraine
- TOVP.org
Dear Your Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaj!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
We are Varanasi Devi Dasi and Gopi Nandini Devi Dasi, the disciples of His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu. In September 2014 by the causeless mercy of Guru and Gauranga we were lucky to get the nectar service, i.e. to develop the project of the Vedic Planetarium Temple in Ukraine. It happened right after Russian festival “Sadhu-Sanga” where Mataji Varanasi was serving you and helping devotees to spread the information about the project of the Vedic Planetarium and to collect donations for the Temple.
In spite of the difficult political and economic situation in Ukraine as well as the financial difficulties in Zaporozhye Yatra, the president of our temple, Badrinath Prabhu, was enthusiastic about collecting donations for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in our city. He announced the launch of this wonderful project in our city and in Ukraine.
We decided to start the development of the project in our city first, and then being an example for other devotees to implement it in other towns and villages of the country. At first we had a feeling that collecting money for the first golden brick of Pancha-tattva will take us an eternity because economic conditions in Ukraine were just deplorable. But Krishna and Srila Prabhupada had a different plan. It is with enthusiasm that devotees start to collect money for the Temple, to fasten the process we suggested collecting the sum for the Pancha-tattva brick till the end of Kartik.
$ 1,600 is big money for our region and the fact that we have gathered half of this sum during Kartik was good news for us. But the devotees were unsatisfied, they said: “How come! We were going to do everything in this favorable month to collect the required sum, and we only have half of it!!!
We tried to reassure them that it is also a good result. But the real miracle happened on the last day of Kartik – our phones were ringing off the hook; all day we were just running around and gathering donations. At the end of the day when we counted the money and saw that we had collected even more than was required for our first gold brick.
Later we got to know that on the last day of Kartik, in the morning, Mataji Varanasi had darshan with His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu and asked for His blessings to collect the remaining sum as soon as possible…
The day when our first tranche went to Mayapur, Ukrainian financial system was in default. In the morning, all the bank staff was in a panic, but when we came with dollars (which that day no one was selling) and asked to send the sum to the Central Bank of India, bank employees were shocked. When we sent the bank transfer the password for banks was: “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead! ».
Fundraising of the Nrsimhadeva brick was as well exceptional. Not only the devotees were donating, but also simple people were just coming from nowhere donating big sums of money. On the last day of fundraising the miracle happened again – we received thousands of calls – as if Nrsimhadeva himself was hurrying everybody up! The devotees who don’t visit the programs because of their health, the beginners, and even devotees’ neighbors – everybody was donating. We did not even notice how the sum for the Nrisimhadeva’s brick was collected! We weren’t even surprised when the dollar jumped upright on the day of sending the money to Mayapur. It seemed quite normal to us.
But when we began to collect Lakshmi for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s brick the economy was just agonizing. Everywhere in Ukraine food disappeared from the store shelves. People swept everything away. There was no salt, no sugar, and no flour. The panic because of military actions came to a head, people fled the cities and at this time the devotees not only from Zaporozhye, but also even from other cities of Ukraine transferred Lakshmi for the altar of Sri Sri Radha Madhava. It was just magical.
However, we couldn’t send the sum for Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s brick. That day there was no Internet in the bank and all the programs didn’t work. We have never seen anything of that kind neither have the bank workers. The operator, who was sending the money by Swift delivery, politely asked us to go home and not to worry. “When everything is adjusted, the payment will be sent”, – he assured. And so it happened. We even were not surprised when the payment “left” in the first minutes of Akshay Tritiya.
The geography of donations collecting started to expand. Devotees from Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Dnepropetrovsk joined us. Transcendental stories never ended.
Immediately after the Vyasa Puja of His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu we received a call from a young man named Marian. He served in the Ukrainian Army and phoned from the hot spot. Once during the “silence”, he visited the website of Alexander Khakimov (HG Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu) and saw a banner of the Vedic Planetarium Temple project. A young soldier, from a small town Chervonograd in western Ukraine, ordered Srila Prabhupada’s books and began to send all his salary for the construction of the Vedic Planetarium Temple. Now Marian is demobilized, he met the devotees from the Lvov city, he is chanting the Maha-mantra and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. He came to the All-Ukrainian festival “Bhakti Sangama” and was happy in devotees’ company. We were very pleased to meet him, and he thanked us for the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada.
Before the All-Ukrainian festival “Bhakti Sangama 2015”, by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy we had the opportunity to meet His Holiness Niranjana Swami and we told him about our service. He gave us His blessing to develop the project of Vedic Planetarium in Ukraine. In the festival, we were distributing cards and leaflets on the construction of the Temple. During the meeting of His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu disciples on the festival “Bhakti Sangama” we were trying to inspire our brothers and sisters from all cities of Ukraine to participate in the project. Currently, a group of devotees – regional representatives of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Project in Ukraine is being organized. We hope so much for your blessings. We pray that all the Ukrainians would learn about the construction of the Vedic Planetarium Temple and our country will be actively involved in collecting donations for this most spectacular temple in the Universe.
This summer and autumn Mataji Varanasi Devi Dasi accompanied His Grace Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu on His tour in Ural and Siberia, where He presented the Project of the Vedic Planetarium Temple. He is very devoted to your Grace and to the project because he knows that the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is your heart, life, and soul. As a result, devotees and especially new people treat this project with great enthusiasm and warmth; they support this initiative and believe in it. Especially they are inspired by the fact that this project will be the personification of the Golden Age on our planet, it gives them great hope for the future. When accompanying Guru Maharaj on His tour we noticed a huge wave of interest towards the Vedic tradition, to the transcendental knowledge and its practical application as well as to the Project of the Vedic Planetarium Temple, especially from the part of new people. As a result, during the tour more than 1 million rubles was raised, and the collection of donations continues thanks to devotees who want to perform service in this Project in their own towns. After the tour, almost everyone in this region knows this wonderful project, and Srila Prabhupada’s dream to build this magnificent temple that will spiritualize all the mankind.
In December 2015, the special “Yoga Festival” is planned to be held in Kiev where a magnificent theater performance of “The Creation of the Universe” and the TOVP project will be presented for a few thousands of people.
We are praying for your blessings to continue our service to Srila Prabhupada, our Guru Maharaj, and You, Your Grace Jayapataka Swami, to be able to involve everyone in realizing of the Great Plan of Lord Chaitanya, to flood the Universe with the pure love to God.
Your servants,
Varanasi Devi Dasi,
Gopi Nandini Devi Dasi.
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Hare Krishna! NASN September 2015 – North American Sankirtan…
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Hare Krishna! NASN September 2015 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of September. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20650
The Boys Summer Trip 2015 (26 min video)
Rtadhvaja Swami’s…
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The Boys Summer Trip 2015 (26 min video)
Rtadhvaja Swami’s Summer Trip program has been carried on by the efforts of his former students. They have continued to apply everything he taught them and strive to improve and expand their program to give boys an enjoyable Krishna Conscious experience. By traveling, visiting temples and Ratha Yatras, creating long lasting friendships, and developing not only moral but also spiritual character, the legacy will continue for each new generation.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/h6SA5g