Service Opportunity for Mayapur TV
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

A vacancy now exists for an editor for Vaisnava Connection Online: London temples.  I’ve been doing it since April 2012 and have very much enjoyed the service but am now getting a bit stale.

There is never any pressure and I have brought out issues as and when I had time.  However, I now have regular service locally which is enough for me.

You can read past issues at:

http://iskconlondon.mayapur.tv although of course you may prefer to do it differently  (I gathered the articles from online devotees mostly and wrote a few articles myself.)

If you would like further information about what is involved, please contact Antardwip Prabhu at Mayapur TV.  He has been very helpful and supportive when there was anything I was uncertain of and always given me encouragement that has helped me forward in my devotional life.

your servant

marion

Mark and Nikki’s initiation
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

Mark and Nikki’s initiation

On Sunday 7th December 2014, Mark and Nikki, regular online devotees of London temples and who also run a devotee shop in Rochester, were initiated at Bhaktivedanta Manor by Radhanath Swami.  Their new names are Mukunda Kishore das and Nandini Rasika devi dasi.  Congratulations to you both!!

Hope you enjoy these photos, courtesy of Cit Shakti devi dasi:

mn initiation 1

mn initiation 4Mukunda prabhu (with glasses) is just behind Manor devotee Jurgita in pink. Nandini mataji to his left, and then Cit Shakti mataji.

mn initiation 3

mn initiation 2

Our stories: Marion
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

25 aug 2012 underground to Stanmore My God consciousness began in childhood; my first Guru, my mother, taught me to pray, my grandmother gave me the Holy Bible and I was confirmed Christian, then I trailed off and later became a hippie.

In the 70s a friend brought posters of Hanuman and Ghanesh from India, then another gave me a copy of Easy Journey to other Planets.  I read it, but found it hard to get my head around it.  I had done some Hatha Yoga and had a few lessons in Hindi, but had never heard of Bhakti Yoga.

Then in late 1986, I met a devotee at work, Radha dasi who I then knew as Rita.  She immediately befriended me and soon she invited me to her house.  Seeing a poster on the kitchen wall, I asked, ‘Which God is that?’  Her mother said that there was only one God, Krishna, and the rest were demigods.

I kept asking questions, asked what temple programmes were like and in Spring 1987 the family invited me to Gaudiya Math in Cricklewood, North London. I felt shy, but followed what everyone else was doing.  After prasadum, I was introduced to Paribrajak Maharaj.  Although I couldn’t understand every word of his English, I easily understood his meaning; he was putting into words what I had always, somewhere inside of me, known.  I had come home.

On the Guru’s Appearance day in June 1987  I remember smelling a fat pink rose – my first blunder as it hadn’t yet been offered to Krishna.  I was almost vegetarian already and stopped eating meat two months later – fish and eggs took a little longer.  I would go to various temples and festivals with my new second family, read the books, fast for Janmashtami, and slowly, slowly started to realise how much there was to learn.

When I moved to Nottingham I still went to festivals, but with less regular association it seemed so hard.  Surrounded by non-devotees and only occasionally going to a temple, I felt torn two ways. Eventually I told my friends and then, when I had been in KC 20 years, my family, that I was a Hare Krishna.  Responses varied, ‘Have you gone stark raving bonkers?’ silence, and ‘Oh well, Happy Hare Krishna’.  One friend fasted with me for Janmashtami, two came to Ratha Yatra, some asked questions and one made donations to ISKCON Leicester.

Sometimes over the years I found it so hard to follow Krishna Consciousness without enough association that I would cry out to Krishna, ‘How do you expect me to keep this up?  For God’s sake, I’m a human being!’  Well, EXACTLY!!  But once Krishna finds you, he never lets you go.

I didn’t discover Nottingham Nama Hatta for quite a while and when I did,  they met in areas dangerous for a lady alone at night on public transport.  I started going to Leicester occasionally but would rush off to catch my bus, missing prasadam, not having time to get to know devotees and stressing out about getting home.  When Antardwip and Krupesh prabhus (now Karunamoy Krsna das) told me about Mayapur TV’s Morning Programme it was literally a Godsend.  Association is paramount, and while my dear friend Radha is still very much there for me, patiently answering my questions, I now also wake up in the morning, switch on the computer and associate with others online.  It’s the best way I know to start the day!

Thanks to the increased online association I now go to programmes in Leicester, Harinam in Nottingham, London and other places, stay at the Manor quite often and go to devotional retreats and festivals whenever I can.  I serve at Govinda’s Notts and have done a little online service, veg prep, garland making, cleaning and a short spell at the Ahimsa Farm in Groby, Leics, mostly pulling up weeds and also getting to know the cows.  In July 2013 I was introduced to my spiritual master and started aspiring to him.  I don’t feel that this would have been possible without Mayapur TV – Mayapur TV ki jai!

gaura purnima 2014 harinam - just me

Wednesday, December 24th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario

Cycles


What doesn’t go in cycles? 

Through the unusual weather that we’re having for the day before Christmas with its light drizzle and fog, I did loop my walking directions.  From the home of Rajneesh, where I stayed overnight on Meridian Drive, I did turn a right, then a right, then a right again, and another right, and just one more right, to be right back from where I started from.

I noticed on each loop that there was someone pulling out of the driveway in this residential neighbourhood.  People generally follow a daily pattern driving to work.  This assumption is a normal pattern.  Go to work!  Come back home.  Go to work.  Come back home.  It’s a cyclic performance.  On the weekend the destination could be the mall.  But you still wind up at the same place – home. 

Circles are an inevitable part of life, like the seasons.  Time brings us to a full 360 degrees through 365 days, full circle from December the 21st of the last year, we have done one complete round.  Life is all about wheels in motions.  Wheels are all around us and in us as well. 

The Bhagavad Gita makes the case of rebirth: “From childhood to youth and to old age, and then back to childhood again.  (2.13)  Sri Krishna, the Gita speaker, asserts that the soul is persistent in returning.  Here’s the transliteration to the Sanskrit of one of the verses that verifies this:  (8.19)

 bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
 
While life is like a ferris wheel, the Gita suggests that we pull away and seek liberation from all of this. 

May the Source be with you!

7 KM

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

Essence of Life


I took a trek with Cameron, who hails from Australia, to our local hardware store.  You can’t be more Canadian then when you zip over to a shop for merchandise, and when it’s called Canadian Tire.  My intent in the visit falls under the realm of maintenance, perhaps, not exactly.  It was for the purchase of mirrors, a prop I anticipate to use in the Lord’s service for a new drama production, Blue Mystic.  I obtained my four identical mirrors, and with the help of Cameron, we trekked back to the ashram.

My second journey on foot today was to the home of Subuddhi for a feasting type of satsang.  Here, perhaps more directly, you can call the ‘intent’ devotional, for even the exceptional food she cooked was blessed as prasadam and prepared with heart.  Absolutely!  It was a divine devour. 

Other ashram dwellers had also come, in fact, we trekked to Subuddhi’s as a group, no use of automobile today, that’s the way I like it.  Instead of horse power, we used human power to transport ourselves.  And what qualifies the program at this kind hearted lady’s home as strictly devotional, is that as a group we all enjoyed a session of kirtan.  It was to the beat of a symbol dhol drum. 

Anytime, anywhere, anything, when your purpose or usage is of devotional content, it’s orientation is a step towards transcendence.  You become an automatic yogi of sorts.  In Bhakti Yoga, the essence of life is to utilize everything in every moment for the service of the Supreme.

May the Source be with you!

7 KM

Monday, Dec. 22nd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
Wet Socks - Yuck
 
 
I was pacing back and forth in the foyer of our ashram and I found my feet getting wet from the carpet.  I decided to remain socked and unshoed in order to avoid a pounding effect on the floor.  Beneath me, on the level below, ashram dwellers are asleep.  It is the women's wing of the building underneath.  Every time you take a step on the floor above, where there is not a laid out carpet, the pressure from the feet can be heard below.  In order to show my R-E-S-P-E-C-T to the ladies, I decided to "sock it to me" and use the closest thing to a soft shoe effect.  In other words, socks only.
 
Unfortunately, I felt as if I was not the recipient of the red carpet treatment while I was pacing (the carpets are red, by the way).  The cleaning boy who comes at night apparently left the floors too wet and did not leave enough drying time before laying out the carpet strips.  Results were annoying.  The carpets absorbed all the water used to mop the floor, leaving a wet sock experience.
 
Now there is about nothing worse than parading around in wet socks inside or outside the building.  It's a pet peeve of mine.  I would liken it to consuming a cold eggplant curry dish.
 
Two things had to be implemented I felt.  Number one, I would let the carpet strips hang to dry.  Number two, to inform the cleaning lad to improve on his services. 
 
Heaven knows that when it comes time to do your walking you want the most peaceful situation possible. Reality tells though that whenever you execute anything in this world there will always be something coming your way that will agitate.  During such perplexing times you can curse and cuss, but I decided let me "adjust my sails". At this point I was peaceful within.  Of course, I didn't forget step three, to remove my wet socks and chant Hare Krishna.
 
May the socks be with you (dry ones).
 
3 KM

Monday, December 21st, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Edmonton, Alberta
 
Over Ice
 
 
Before and after a 3 hour trip to Edmonton from Calgary via auto to and fro on the Queen Elizabeth #2, I did tread a slippery trail.  Back allies and streets, not snow plowed, are the great walking challenges in Calgary.  Temperatures dip in this area and then rise by the mighty power of warm Chinook winds.  It causes a melting period.  This then is followed by a freeze which leaves pockets of bumpy ice all around.
 
I find it fun, really.  You go about treading as a stunt man would do.  You have to be ready for a slip and a fall and to make sure to try to land on where you will find the most cushion you carry, anywhere from the thigh to the buttocks.  Frankly, I haven't slipped yet this season that recall, that is nothing too serious.
 
Anyways, nothing usually deters me from whatever the outdoors will offer.  The walk on or off ice gives me life.  Any ride inside a vehicle makes me dull. 
 
The talk which I gave in Edmonton in the middle of today's ice capades covered a verse from the Gita from chapter 14 verse 17:
 
"From the mode of goodness real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion"
 
Dwelling on the topic of the above mentioned three modes or energies of nature, it should be a relief to know we have choices we can make in life.  The ideal is to gain governance and influence from the mode of goodness. 
 
And may the Source be with you! 
 
7 KM

Saturday, December 20th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Calgary, Alberta

Prairie Hopes


You can see the sliver of the moon, it was sky suspended as usual, hanging particularly low.  Gaura Chandra and I were trekking on the Greenway Trail when we spotted it this early morn.  From our view, our imperfect sense projection, that one thousand miles could get you there, to the point where you could stand under.  A good leap or thrust upward might allow you to grasp the sliver.  There you might dangle for a few seconds before hoisting yourself up to sit upon it.  That would be the coolest thing. 

Of course, we’re just dreaming.  In all reality, our age restricts such frivolity.  And, as usual, my dhoti, lower monk robe, wouldn’t measure up to the task, but may fantasy continue to take its course. 

Speaking of courses, my afternoon was occupied with feet firmly on the ground as I was facilitating a Kirtan Standard Workshop.  To accompany me in this endeavour was Dhruva Das from Montreal.  Together we presented the disciplines and joys applied to the ancient practice of sacred sound output.  The 50 plus people there were intrigued.  In fact, the response was such that you could see the craving for more guidance on this and other topics which deal with bhakti, devotion to Krishna.  In the evening, such eagerness for more fullness in devotion came through at a satsang, the home of a Bangledeshi family was the hosted space for Dhruva and I.  There, a flow of questions came, primarily from university students.  It was so sweet. 

I picked up on a phrase of goodwill from one of the attendees.  I really like it, though it may not top, “Hare Krishna” ever. 

“Merry Everything!  And a Happy Always!”

May the Source be with you!

5 KM

Friday, December 19th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Calgary, Alberta
 
Walk to End Violence 
 
 
I shared, in conversation with others, my inner disturbance at the news of terrorist attacks in a cafe in Sydney, Australia and worse still, over a hundred school children being killed in Pakistan. I had come out of the bubble of Saranagati safety to receive more details on acts of cowardice that are shaking our world.
 
To say that we reside in the Age of Kali (the era of darkness) would be an understatement. Could such a shameless venture as gunning down 141 children at school be on par with the assassination of JFK or the ill-fated destruction of New York's twin towers? I should think so.
 
While taking an afternoon walk with Krishna's devotees at Calgary's north-east Greenway, we addressed with heavy hearts this recent-most incident. Speaking for myself, my initial feelings are mixed with compassion for the innocent, and contempt for the offenders, or for the sinners as much as for the sin. What could drive people so mad to come to this? I'm afraid these feelings will linger for some time.
 
At the Radha-Madhav Cultural Center I became a teacher for the evening before children, youth and adults. The session held before the deity of Krishna became more of a Q and A program. I simply put the suggestion forward "What's on your mind? Questions on anything, please." The bulk of the questions that rolled out held onto the topic of long-distance walking and so I obliged and answered, hoping it would inspire the group to walking-and-chanting initiatives.
 
May pilgrimage play a role in people's lives and help to stamp out within the mind of the walker any notion of any anticipated senseless violence.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Thursday, December 18th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Saranagati Village, British Columbia
 
Stepping Through Silence
 
 
I was stepping through silence in this world of mountain magic. Suddenly I was struck by surprise. The quiet of walking broke. A grouse just appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He fluttered in frenzy and made his way to hide behind the bushes. No doubt I was the one who scared him. Life or signs of it are very diminished on a winter's day but "look, listen and feel." There is always some life force exhibiting itself even during the sleepiest seasons.
 
I had gone house-hopping in the valley and the space in between each home allows for the most uplifting breath sensation. Phoebe, who is, it`s my guess part Labrador, caught up to me again. To keep this eight month-old large pup engaged you throw a stick for her to catch. I also toss out a mantra or two. Yes, even dogs are eligible recipients of sacred sound.
 
My `hopping`program began at 5:15 at the local temple with Kulashekar, then Mahidhar, the school, then lunch at Partha and Uttama`s, then back to Mahidhar and finally the gorgeous and rustic home of Govinda Gosh where his dear wife Bhava held her birthday party.
 
Govinda is a great chef and his personality to add, draws the community. Well we had the kirtan of our life- boisterous, bold and beautiful.
 
In the serenity of a mountain valley, so much joy can explode.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Snippets of wisdom by Kalakantha Prabhu For many people,…
→ Dandavats.com



Snippets of wisdom by Kalakantha Prabhu
For many people, religion means being in constant fear of a dictator-like God, and therefore they reject it.
When there is no love, how can you think about another person all the time?
In the four key verses of Bhagavad-gita 10.8–11, just half of the first verse deals with Krishna alone, and in the rest the Lord talks about His devotees and their relationship with Him.
If we do not have the knowledge of how to connect with God, we are like an orphaned child.
If we show Krishna just a little bit of desire to connect with Him, He will reciprocate in a dramatic way.
Why do we not reach out to Krishna? Because are afraid Krishna will take something away that we do not want to give up.
When we tell Krishna in all sincerity that He is the most important person in our life and we act like that, Krishna will provide whatever we need.
By understanding how we are incapable of dealing with the challenges in our lives, and how Krishna is willing and capable to help, we can let go of our material attachments.
Srila Prabhupada once said, “All we are asking you to give up is your miseries.”
Hearing from devotees who have experience of Krishna’s reciprocation to their surrender can give us the conviction we need to surrender ourselves.
Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness is all about training others.
Bhakti Tirtha Swami said to be careful about you how you deal with devotees for they may be the people you die with.
We do not have to try to be humble. We just have to try to please Krishna.
The origin of the word “relationship” is a Latin word meaning “carry back,” implying give and take. We see this give and take in Bhagavad-gita verses 10.8–11.
The devotees worship Him with all their hearts, and He gives them knowledge.
Remember: The relationships between devotees are always more important than points of philosophy or the task at hand.
Words are hard to retract. They are like arrows.
Four stages of learning:
unconscious incompetence
conscious incompetence
conscious competence
unconscious competence
Srila Prabhupada said, “Are you here to serve or disturb?”
Intimacy grows in time.
When Srila Prabhupada left this world, I was just a devotee for a few years, and I did not cry. But when Tamal Krishna Goswami, who was a friend for many years, left suddenly, I cried for many days.
If you criticize someone, the laws of nature will not allow you to stay with that person. Pick who you want to criticize, and you will not hang out with him.
Peter Burwash as a young tennis professional, gave $1000 to a temple president who took it and left. When he met Srila Prabhupada and asked him about it, Srila Prabhupada said, “Do not blame the agent of your karma.” Peter Burwash made that understanding a pillar of his life.
“Nobody should criticize anyone. Because everyone is engaged in the service of the Lord, according to one’s capacity, and the thing is, Krishna wants to see how much one is sincere in rendering Him service.” (Srila Prabhupada, from a letter to Tamala Krishna written on August 19, 1968)
comment by Tulasirani Devi: Sivarama Swami said being bitten by a poisonous snake can end our body but offending a Vaishnava can harm our spiritual life for many births.
If we are offended, it is good to resolve it.
When you hear a devotee criticized… . Say something positive about the person being criticized or leave. Don’t gang up on the person being criticized and especially do not repeat what you heard (except in extreme cases, and then only to appropriate persons). Three ways to appreciate Vaishnava: Talk about Krishna’s names, pastimes, service, etc., with them. Serve them. Find the good in them.
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Show respect for others’ opinions.
Never tell someone they’re wrong. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way, and admit it quickly.
Do not condemn, criticize, or complain. If we are thinking that we want to have better relationships with devotees, Krishna will see that and reciprocate.
It never good to be angry at a devotee. Only if it is controlled and one is an acknowledged trainer, can one use anger with a devotee.
I once addressed my godsister, “Mother Yamuna.” Yamuna replied, “Yes, Father Kalakantha.”
When we start revealing our minds to persons of another gender, we cross the line of appropriate behavior, except in the case of a guru-disciple relationship.
We can respect all Vaishnavas, but we must choose who to reveal our mind to and who to respect from a distance.
If a grhastha asrama is not financially independent then it is not a grhastha asrama.
It takes a lot of endeavor to find the right partner for a Krishna conscious marriage.
If you enter into a marriage thinking I am going to serve this person in this way, this way, and this way, then it works. In the grhastha asrama, one advantage is that you naturally develop a service attitude for others.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/O38VHr

Penang Witnesses Three Ratha Yatras
→ ISKCON Malaysia

BY MEGHASHYAMA LIM

PENANG - In just the time span of one week, Penang has witnessed 3 Ratha Yatra chariot festivals in Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Jaya, and Penang Island, on the 14th, 19th and 20th December 2014 respectively. It was memorable, blissful, energetic, and definitely an amazing experience. The photos expresses it better than words.

Slideshows:

http://www.iskconmalaysia.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=3702849:Album:47431

http://www.iskconmalaysia.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=3702849:Album:47592