(An edited version of this article appeared in the Time of India's Speaking Tree column with the title Yatra of love)

Today some of us will see on the roads in our cities a massive procession that we recognize as a familiar festival – the Ratha Yatra Utsav, an annual festival that dates back to centuries, even millennia. Back in those days, it was more for the residents of Odisha, Bengal and some nearby states. But today it is much more – it’s a global cultural phenomenon. It’s celebrated in over 100 countries and 500 cities, from Boston to Belfast to Brisbane; and from Dublin to Dubai to Dnepropetrovsk. In fact, New York boasts of its own annual Ratha Yatra for twenty-six years. Breaking across geographical and cultural boundaries, Lord Jagannatha's Ratha Yatra demonstrates the universality of spiritual love.

Let’s explore what this ancient festival offers to modern minds the world over as they, like us, seek to evolve as better beings.

The Face of the Mystery of Indian Spirituality

The Ratha-Yatra expands divine love in circles of increasing grace.

Firstly, it expands divine grace from the sacred space of the temple to the rest of the city. The Lord riding atop the majestic chariot offers the blessing of his darshan to one and all – even those who do not come to the temple. The sway of the magnificent chariots; the embellishments with many meaningful motifs; the beauty of the triune Divinities – Jagannatha with his brother Baladava and sister Subhadra; the symphony of musical eulogies by skilled singers; and the heartfelt cries of “Jaya Jagannatha” by thousands of assembled worshipers – all such potent devotional stimuli at the Ratha-Yatra kindle life-transforming spiritual experiences.

Secondly, the globalization of Ratha Yatra expands the grace beyond Jagannatha Puri and even India. In 1968, Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’s founder, inspired the first non-Indian Ratha Yatra in San Francisco, which also hosted Jagannatha’s first Western temple. Since then, this pan-Indian festival has assumed a trans-national proportion. Indeed, Jagannatha has become a charming face of the beauty and mystery of Indian spirituality.

The Ecstatic Agony

Much of the mystery of Jagannatha centers on his face. He is said to be non-different from Krishna, yet he looks much different. The difference in their appearances is testimony to the transformational power of love.

The bhakti tradition holds that emotions are eternal – and are gateways to the eternal. Approaching the Absolute Truth requires not the eradication of emotion, but their elevation. In fact, life’s crowning emotion, love, is the heart of the life eternal – relationships between the Lord and the devotee.

Jagannatha is Krishna enraptured by the spell of love – love of his topmost devotees, the gopis of Vrindavana, who were afflicted with the ecstatic agony of separation from him.

Ecstatic agony? The mystery deepens and sweetens.

Love is akin to a fire. If the fire is small, a gust of wind extinguishes it. But if the fire is large, the same wind expands it. Similarly, when devotion is tender, akin to a small fire, separation from the Lord, being like the wind, extinguishes it. But if the flame of devotion is strong, the wind of separation intensifies it, evoking ecstatic longing for the Lord with every heartbeat. Such was the ecstatic agony of the Vraja-gopis when Krishna departed from Vrindavana.

While in Dwarka, Krishna heard about their love-afflicted plight. In amazement, his mouth fell open, his eyes became large, and his limbs became motionless and withdrew into themselves just as his consciousness withdrew from everything else to focus on his devotees. And Krishna became Jagannatha.

The celestial sage Narada beheld this extraordinary form. Becoming blissful, he begged that the Lord bless everyone with that divine darshan. His desire was fulfilled through a later king Indradyumna, whose blooper turned out be a serendipity. The king had assigned the task of fashioning the Deity of the Lord to an expert artisan. The artisan asked for total seclusion for twenty-one days as he went about the task, warning that if he were interrupted, he would leave. The king kept his distance for fourteen days, being heartened by the sounds of the artisan at work. But when the sounds stopped completely with no sign of recommencing, the anxious king burst into the workshop. True to his threat, the artisan had departed, leaving the work half-done. The king was dismayed till came the revelation that the incomplete-looking forms were devotionally complete – they manifested perfectly the Lord’s ecstatic feeling of incompleteness in separation from his devotees.

The Immortalization of an Invitation

Just as the form of Jagannatha has a special story behind it, so does his chariot festival. Many Deities go out in processions to bestow grace on onlookers, but Jagannatha goes out on an additional special mission. After Krishna left Vrindavan, the Vraja-gopis met him many decades later in Kurukshsetra where the devout from far and wide had congregated on the occasion of a solar eclipse. This brief re-union inflamed within the gopis a fervent longing for lasting re-union in the pastoral paradise of Vrindavana – the original and inimitable setting for their lila. They envisioned taking Krishna back to Vrindavana on a chariot – drawn not by horses, but by love of their hearts and the labor of their hands. Their sacred longing is immortalized in the Ratha-Yatra, wherein the starting point represents Kurukshetra and the ending point represents Vrindavana. When we pull the Lord’s chariot, we assist the gopis in their labor of love. By thus assisting those enriched with bhakti, our hearts become enriched with bhakti. By our loving pulls, we not only take Jagannatha back to Vrindavana, but also invite him back into our heart.

In summary, the Ratha Yatra manifests an expansion of divine love from the temple to the rest of the city, and indeed the whole world. And it offers us an opportunity to elevate our devotional love from separation to union, from disconnection with the divine to re-connection.

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This talk is a part of the "Fascinating Mahabharata Characters" series. To know more about this course, please visit: bhakticourses.com

Things are Dismal?

Two kinds of people smile — fools and the wise. Unfortunately, I am a fool trying to become wise. That’s where it becomes difficult to smile.

So why not remain a fool?

Because the smile of a fool is shallow. I want the smile of the wise, I have been captivated by its depth and profundity. It is a whole different smile. It makes the fool’s smile seem like a drugged stupor.

Everything in the fool’s world annoys me. It shouldn’t be that way. It should inspire me, or at least I should be indifferent to it. And sometimes I come close to that level of vision, but right now I am just thinking about how annoying the fool’s world is.

Why annoying?

Fake.

All the smiles are fake. Everything is so fake, and it just keeps getting faker as time goes by. 400 years ago “fake” meant sitting in a meadow with a lover and looking at the clouds. Today “fake” means hunting prey in a nightclub at 3am. The fake of 400 years ago is so much less stressful and exhausting than the fake of today.

I guess I just miss the fake of my previous lifetimes. I miss going to sleep a little after the Sun went down. I miss eating good food that tasted unique. I miss eating things that people I actually know prepared, not that got mass produced in some awful mechanized factory and shipped in on a boat. I miss knowing the neighbors names. I miss hanging out outside. I miss working with real things instead of electronic blips. I miss hearing musicians play in the center of town, instead of having iTunes randomize my 5,000 mp3s. I miss seeing dramas, unique theater, instead of watching crap — absolute crap — on television.

I mean, the fake world of today is just… dismal. And the most annoying, fakest part of if, is that we think its all the rage.

What to do? Write a blog on a new text editor. Sigh. Eat some dark chocolate. Hope for a better meditation tomorrow morning, because todays sucked.

Nah, there is a better way to handle these blues. I actually realized something important. I realized that its impossible to be happy. And in the next instant I realized the reason… the reason is because we are happiness. While we are looking for happiness we have to ignore that we are happiness. Looking for something around us, we have to be blind to the fact that it is within us. Now, how do we realize that we are happiness? We realize that we are not recipients of happiness, we are fountains of it. When we try to be a source of happiness for others, that is when we feel happy — and all the fakeness of the world (past or present) disappears and the whole world becomes real and we smile the smile of the wise.

That is bhakti-yoga at stage 1: learning to change our perspective from trying to receive happiness to trying to give it.

Hari bol.

Fresh Perspectives on Life, Universe & Everything
Open discussions hosted by Bal Gopal who has had over 10 years experience in the Bhakti-Yoga practise. Each week we will be looking at a new topic through the broad lens of Bhakti. Leave feeling nourished, intrigued & with a new vision on life. 6pm. Come hungry. Includes dinner. $10/$5 students.

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28 July Transforming lust into love
4 August Peace in the city

The end of the Festival of Fiji was celebrated in Lautoka. Devotees stayed in and around the original temple of Fiji, Sri Krsna Kaliya Mandir. Now there are also alters for Gaura Nitai and Radha Govinda. 

Kadamba Kanana Swami spent a few days in London (21-26 June). On Sunday (22 June), he presented the morning Caitanya Caritamrta lecture at Bhaktivedanta Manor which was followed by Krishna Kirtan Das receiving second initiation. On Thursday, Maharaj travelled to Amsterdam and continues with his summer preaching tour. 

KKS_UK_Manor_22 June 2014_CC 8.63-66

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NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, minister of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Dallas 

Due to a lack of spiritual intelligence, ignorant persons misidentify the eternal self with the temporary body and mind.  Such illusion does not only include ideas such as, ‘I am White’, ‘I am Black’, ‘I am American’, ‘I am Democrat,’ but also the illusion also includes ideas of, ‘I am Hindu’, ‘I am Christian’, ‘I am Muslim.’

For the person who has received spiritual training understands that, ‘I am not this body but rather I am an eternal soul.’  Therefore a spiritually wise soul does not discriminate against others based on temporary bodily designations but rather sees the soul proper.

“He who sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.

One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?” - Śrī Īśopaniṣad 6-7

To see all responses of the TEXAS Faith panel click here.

So reading the news headlines for Wales my eye’s were drawn to an article on a church leader recently convicted for sex offences and rape, it brought back some sad memories and as I read it the parallels were frighting and involved the same religious group.
I could get quiet moralistic or even shouting against the society concerned “look they preach and say one thing whilst preaching another” so much for their teaching.
Like ISKCON their well known for book distribution and are well identifiable in the community and it reminded me that the action’s of one does not constitute a true impression of the whole society.
In a small community it’s hard to hide and sadly some do not disconnect the actions of one from the good found in the whole; so collectively they all suffer even when totally innocent and trying to live in the scriptural principles set.
It reminded me that our actions reflect not only on ourselves but if we are closely connected with a group of people our actions also reflect on the group and we should indeed keep a watchful eye on what we do and say.
Personally I have come a long way, no longer blaming the religious group I was once a member of but also to the point were I hope one day the perpetrators come into full Krishna Consciousness.
For forgiveness and mercy is not something we speak but should also put into action.
And I pray that those who are effected by the latest abuse case in a religious group that they do not loose faith in God/Krishna but see it for what it is the action’s of a weak individual overcome by their own desires unable to control them.
Indeed the worst disease possible in this age of Kali

Public program in Timisoara Romania on June 28th.

The post Introduction to Bhakti-yoga (Part 1) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Observation, Imagination, Information

There are three ways to acquire knowledge: observation, imagination, and information.

Observation (prayakṣa) is probably the most basic method. We see a car in the road, so we know it is there. Simple. Of course, it works well for simple things but sometimes its not accurate. For example, it looks like the Sun literally rises and sets, but that’s not exactly the whole truth.

Imagination (anumān) builds on observation, extrapolates it, abstracts it, and combines it in new ways. You see a bike, and you see a red car, so you can imagine a red bike. Or you see people smile when they feel happy, so when you see anyone smile you imagine they must be happy.

Imagination is great, but it can be misleading. Maybe the person isn’t happy, maybe they are just being paid to smile at customers. If there is smoke on the hill, maybe there is a fire, but maybe not.

Information (śabda) is when the imagination and observation receive guidance from an authentic source of knowledge. If a guy walks over from the hill and says, “hey man, the place is on fire over there,” then you know for sure your observation and imagination about the situation was correct.

Getting information from a third party is potentially the most powerful way of gaining knowledge, if (and its a big “if”) the third party is qualified as a genuine authority on whatever it is they are telling you.

In yoga the agents giving information are called guru and śāstra — teacher and textbook. Many practitioners, particularly Westerners, have a misconception that guru and śāstra replace observation and imagination. This is wrong. If you only hear information without imagining what you are hearing and without attempting to observe it in the real world, then everything you hear will never become more than just that — merely words to hear and perhaps repeat by rote.

When we receive information from guru and śāstra we must try to imagine and envision it in your mind, and test our images of the information against our observation of how things work in the real world. This will make us active listeners, good students.

Finally, we take our imagine of what we heard back to our teacher and say, “I listened to what you said and I think it means X, Y, Z. Is that right?” The teacher can then say, “Yes, that’s great. Good job,” or, “Well, almost, but not its a little more like W, X, Y,” or, “No, that’s all wrong, it’s like A, B, C.”

That’s the process of receiving information. Information guides the imagination and observation, it doesn’t replace it.

Just as the typical educated and uneducated modern person needs to become more aware of the enormous value of being guided by authentic information, to a similar extent many Western practitioners of Indian spirituality need to become more aware of the role that imagination and observation play in the process of receiving guidance from authentic sources.

29th of June, 2014 is the day to celebrate the world-famous Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Puri, India. A slideshow featuring art and animated graphics of Lord Jagannatha situated at ancient Puri Temple in Orissa, In India, The video is set to the music "Lord of the Universe" by well known devotional and New Age artist Gaurangi Devi Dasi aka Pia. 

H.G. Nama Rasa Das Final Kirtan Birmingham 2014

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This talk is a part of the "Fascinating Mahabharata Characters" series. To know more about this course, please visit: bhakticourses.com

BY SRI JAGANNATH MANDIR, KL

KUALA LUMPUR - Tomorrow is Ratha Yatra in Sri Jagannatha Mandir , Kuala Lumpur so today is Gundica Marjana – Devotees clean the temple and their hearts.

The observance of Gundica-marjana, the washing and cleansing of the Gundica temple, takes place on the day before Ratha-yatra, to welcome Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra .

Devotees and congregation members enthusiastically gathered in the temple hall at 8am today morning .Much of the action was in the temple hall, devotees were engaged in cleaning the temple altar, windows, lights, Srila Prabupada’s Vyasasana and the courtyards .

Cleaning process went on until evening 6 p.m. at various departments and kids had a great time wiping and playing with the water. Thus they all hoped to clean their hearts of the material desires, attachments and increase their love for Krishna .

BY SRILA BHAKTI VINODA THAKURA

"The swanlike Vaishnavas are present in the battlefield as negotiators. They do not hate or reject various sinful persons. Swanlike Vaishnavas are always engaged in purifying the hearts of sinful persons by confidential instructions, public lectures, friendly advice, chastising, setting example, and sometimes punishing sinners."

"All glories, all glories to the holy name of the Lord, the abode of immortal transcendental bliss! The Supreme Absolute Truth, who possesses an eternal form of sacred syllables, has descended in the form of the holy name. Thereby He shows mercy to His own devotees while showering boundless compassion upon all fallen souls."

"But, O holy name, if You are manifest on the tongue of Your unalloyed devotee, then all of his sinful reactions of both past and present lives are completely destroyed. This truth is sung by the Vedas again and again."

"Bhaktivinoda raises his arms and says, "Take up the banner of the holy name and walk along sounding the drum of the holy name. In this way you will surely obtain the direct audience of Lord Muralidhara, the holder of the flute."

"O Harinam, thus according to Your own sweet will You are manifest in all these forms and in many others also. Please let my love and attachment for them increase more and more. Bhaktivinoda recognizes his own priceless treasure and clasps the lotus feet of Rupa Goswami and Swarupa Damodara Goswami while offering this prayer."

"The holy name of Sri Krsna has fulfilled all my desires by thus manifesting on everyone's tongue. Bhaktivinoda, the humble servant of the Lord, therefore prays at the feet of Sri Rupa Goswami that the chanting of Harinam may always continue in this way."

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 09 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.23.3-6)

I always used to think of myself as a bit more spiritual than other people. What to do! I had a little more spiritual interest than the average person, in fact I thought I was very spiritual. But when I saw so many different groups practicing this yoga and that yoga, I saw that most were doing it for status.

I was in the Himalayas, in the place of the Tibetans. I met all the people at the Tibetan tea stall, where in the morning you were having tea and little hot breads with butter which in those days, I thought was not bad but then people were saying, “Are you going to the library, Tibetan library? Are you already studying the Tibetan? Are you doing the mediation courses? Which one are you doing the first grade or the second one?” (British accent) Then someone said the first grade. So someone else said, “Oh yeah, it is kind of difficult, isn’t it. I remember when I used to…” And I thought, “Oh my God, we are keeping up with the Joneses here.” I want to get out of here. “Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the most spiritual of all!” But was I any different?

Anyway, when I finally came to the devotees, they were too spiritual, too serious! I mean, it was just too much these Hare Krsnas; they were totally dedicated. Shocking! I really, I felt like exposed – exposed for a lack of surrender. I didn’t surrender when I saw that but I lived with that feeling of guilt. I lived with that feeling that I am not up to the mark. I could do better.

Then I picked up the Bhagavad-gita by Srila Prabhupada, while smoking my cigarettes and blowing smoke rings through smoke rings. What can you do, this is the sort of thing you do in the material world. I read the Bhagavad-gita and I thought, “Yes, yes, yes… I know all this,” in my arrogance but then, every time, the words of Srila Prabhupada were hammering my heart.

These words were hammering my heart because they were sort of calling for surrender and I used to think of myself as sincere. Then I thought that if I am not going to do it now then how can I call myself as sincere!? And still, I didn’t surrender. And it was difficult then to live with myself after that… trying to look on myself as sincere, because it is hard to when you are not being sincere. Everyone likes to think of themselves, “I am totally sincere.” So it was tough and eventually it ate at my heart. One day, I had to do it, at one point I was like, “Alright then, okay I WILL DO IT!”