Lessons from Lord Ramacandra’s Banishment
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami
03-04-2014 Lessons from Lord Ramacandra’s Banishment, ISKCON Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.MP3
Lessons from Lord Ramacandra’s Banishment
2014 04 05 SB 10 42 15 38 Breaking of Sacrificial Bow Gaur Krishna Prabhu ISKCON Chowpatty
→ Gouranga TV - The Hare Krishna video collection
2014 04 05 SB 10 42 15 38 Breaking of Sacrificial Bow Gaur Krishna Prabhu ISKCON Chowpatty
HG Narottamananda Prabhu / SB 10.59.27-29
→ Kalachandji's Audio Archive
Abhaya and Jayanti
→ Ramai Swami
Abhaya Carana das and his wife Jayanti devi dasi lived in New Zealand and were rendering service at the Wellington temple at Newlands. Last year Kaliya Krsna from New Gokula Australia asked if they could come to the farm and help with service there.
After relocating, Abhaya and Jayanti found there were plenty of things to do such as farming, deity worship, cooking, looking after the cows and running the veggie club at Newcastle University.
They are also in charge of the new restaurant/preaching facility at Mayfield, which is 5 minutes from Newcastle University. At the moment, tradesmen are renovating and making a commercial kitchen so in a few months time everything will be nicely set up.
Gaur Purnima Celebrations 2014
→ TKG Academy
One of the most incredible perks of being part of the TKG Academy is the vibrant community around the school, Sri Radha Kalachandji Dham. This community celebrates the major Vaishnava festivals regularly. Here, students, alumni, parents, supporters and all the families worship Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda on the auspicious occasion of Gaura Purnima.
Special Visitors-HH Giriraj Swami & HH Rtadhvaja Swami
→ TKG Academy
5,000 years ago, Sri Krishna’s friend Arjuna asked Him a question.
“Oh Krishna, what are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is merged in transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?” BG 2.54
On March 31st, the TKG Academy students had a chance to ask similar questions to two Vaishnavas, His Holiness Giriraj Swami and Rtadhvaja Swami, whose consciousness is completely merged in Krishna.
“What is your favorite food? Your favorite pastime? Your favorite color?”
Giriraj Maharaja’s favorite color is blue, like Krishna and Rtadhvaja Maharaj’s is yellow for Gauranga.
Students also asked other questions they had been wondering for some time. “What does Krishna like most in Vrindavan?” “How do we give up material desires and attachments?” “Why did Krishna let Kamsa kill his baby brothers and sisters?”
The Maharajas lovingly and patiently answered the questions, tailoring their answers to young children’s understanding.
One student asked, “When did you first meet Srila Prabhupada?”
Giriraj Maharaj answered, “March 31st, 1969.”
Wait! Today is March 31st! The students worked to figure out how many years it had been. It had been 45 years since Giriraj Maharaj had first met Srila Prabhupada! Wow, what an auspicious day for his visit.
Rtadhvaja Maharaja’s years of practice as a teacher showed when he only answered those whose hands were raised quietly. He ended the session with a brain teaser for the young ones to figure out.
We always look forward to their visits, and are grateful to get a chance to spend some time with them. If you didn’t already know, Giriraj Maharaj’s favorite food is rasagulla.
Offer the Plant Parts
→ TKG Academy
Spring time means time with plants and flowers! Our March days began with offering flowers, leaves and nuts to the Deities, and reciting the Bhagavad Gita verse 9.26. “If you offer me with love and devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it.”
In Science, the 2nd to 3rd graders were immersed in hands-on plant projects, growing, describing, and observing.
Students learned about the Parts of a Plant, and the jobs of each part. Stems carry water to the rest of the leaves. Leaves are the plant factory, where food is made. They learned about the process of Photosynthesis, and that chlorophyll is the green in the plant. They also learned how all the plant parts are are things that we eat every day! Carrots are roots, celery and asparagus are stems, and broccoli are flowers. After gluing edible plant parts together, they offered their plants to Krishna. As He says in Bhagavad-Gita, we pray that He accepted their loving offerings.
Celebrate Ramanavami with us this Tuesday from 7.00pm-9.00pm
→ ISKCON Brampton
Special Ramanavami Maha Feast | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
The glories of Srimad Bhagavatam
→ KKSBlog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2013, Pretoria, South Africa, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture)
The nature of Srimad Bhagavatam is that it is ever fresh. It is never old; it is never stale but ever fresh! It is going on right now – Bhagavatam. There is no limit to the Bhagavatam. The demigods have a Bhagavatam of 100 000 verses. We have 18 000 verses and they have a 100 000. There is more and more… and more will be revealed. Bhagavatam will be revealed from within the heart because dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 25.57) – true religious principles are not found within the scripture alone but they are hidden within the heart. Within the heart these things will be revealed.
So we read Srimad Bhagavatam and then we live by Srimad Bhagavatam and then Srimad Bhagavatam becomes revealed to us, gradually. This is the system of how to change our lives. That is the idea. Only then will we know Srimad Bhagavatam. You cannot know the Bhagavatam just by reading. By reading, you scratch the surface but you cannot know; just as you cannot know Vrndavan by just buying a ticket, going there and walking around. One may say, “Radhe Radhe,” but we cannot know. We cannot penetrate into Vrndavan unless we live like the eternal residents of Vrndavan, unless we become pure devotees then we can perceive Vrndavan.
New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ April 7, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
With Their soft flower-petal hands Sri Ra?dha?-Krishna carefully watered the trees and vines from the time of their first sprouting. They nourished them and made them grow and, at the proper time, married each vine to an appropriate tree . When They saw new flowers beginning to blossom, They became delighted and spoke many playful joking words. Let us bow down and offer our respectful obeisances to these trees and vines of Vrinda?vana forest.
[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-2, Text-11, Translation.]
Please click here for more photos
You’ll Be Saved
→ Japa Group
Lecture SB 1.16.19 Hawaii
January 15, 1974
Appropriate Renunciation, April 5, Houston
Giriraj Swami
Rtadhvaja Swami and Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Kabe Habe Bolo by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
“This is the aspiration of the devotee who is making advancement—to relish the ecstasy of the holy name. Not as a selfish desire, but as a sign that Krishna and the acharyas are pleased, that they have granted him admittance into the nectarean realm of pure chanting. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions specifically, ‘after grasping the feet of a saint who constantly relishes the flavor (rasa) of devotion.’ ‘Grasping the feet’ can be taken literally, but ‘grasping the feet’ can also mean holding tightly to the instructions and following them.” —Giriraj Swami
Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-04-07 19:24:00 →
1966 April 7:
"Tritiya. Today I am staying with Paul. I cooked food and dined with him and Sakar. They liked the foodstuff very nice. Circumstances seem to be favorable. Paul promises to organize. He is enthusiastic. Let us see. He attended the morning class punctually."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966
"Tritiya. Today I am staying with Paul. I cooked food and dined with him and Sakar. They liked the foodstuff very nice. Circumstances seem to be favorable. Paul promises to organize. He is enthusiastic. Let us see. He attended the morning class punctually."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966
HG Nityananda Prabhu / The Story Of Lord Jagannath
→ Kalachandji's Audio Archive
Due to four imperfections in us, we can never deliver perfect knowledge
→ The Spiritual Scientist
A living being who lives in the mundane world has four defects: (1) he is certain to commit mistakes; (2) he is subject to illusion; (3) he has a propensity to cheat others; and (4) his senses are imperfect. No one with these four imperfections can deliver perfect knowledge.
- Srila Prabhupada, Sri Isopanishad Mantra 1
From the Garden 4/7/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
Greetings from the Garden……
It has been another busy week in the garden. Unfortunately, the April showers are keeping us from doing much planting and tilling. In the teaching garden post have been put in for the new fence. The plan for the teaching garden is to have 1/3 flowers, 1/3 greens, and 1/3 perennials & herbs. In the Garden of Seven Gates we planted Cayuga and Mars grapes this week. They are genetically the most resistant to black (also called brown) rot the bane of Eastern grape growers.
Some of the perennial plants to look forward to in the Garden of Seven Gates include: blueberries, red raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, bush cherries, grapes, honey berries, elderberries, and asparagus.
The newest addition to the perennial fruits in the garden are goji berries. The picture above is of goji berries, they are also know as the wolfberry. Goji berries are often used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are usually cooked or dried before eating. The berries are high in nutrients and are believed to have many health benefits. You can grow goji berries in your home garden they grow well in containers and in your garden soil. They can be pruned as bushes or trained to grow on a trellis.
Over the next few weeks we will be planting fruit trees, flowering bushes, perennial fruits, and hopefully if the rain holds off spring vegetables. Until next week, happy gardening.
Donor Spotlight- Sri Neeraj & Smt Kavitha Bhatnagar
→ TKG Academy
This month, we would like recognize Neeraj and Kavitha Bhatnagar as our Donor Spotlight.
Neeraj and Kavitha began their spiritual journey in 2005 , where they attended Krishna Center programs of His Grace Prthu-srava Prabhu & Danakeli Mataji in Illinois. They were immediately attracted to the amazing devotees.
When they moved to Texas in 2011, they were eager to continue their spiritual pursuits. They began attending the programs at Kalachandji’s Temple. Though they live all the way in Frisco, they attend the programs regularly, attracted by the enchanting forms of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji and the kirtans.
Neeraj and Kavitha are both software engineers, working during the day and performing bhakti-yoga at home in the evening. Neeraj works at HP and Kavitha works at AmDocs. Balancing the needs of maintaining a family and taking care of their 2 year old daughter, Meera, both chant regularly and read Bhagavad Gita in their homes.
Kavitha explained that she supports TKG Academy because she feels that education is a great priority in this world. Neeraj’s desire to support the school is a little more selfish, he says. His wish is so his little Meera, can attend TKG Academy when she grows up.
We are very thankful for their support each month. This donation ensures a Krishna conscious education, updated facilities and a safe and loving environment for our 30 students.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Position In Iskcon
Bhakti Charu Swami
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The following evening lecture-seminar on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Position In Iskcon, was given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in ISKCON Chowpatty on 07 April 2014. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So class will be go on until what time? 9h00? It’s(...)
Volunteer Spotlight-TKG Academy Clean Up
→ TKG Academy
During the winter break, while all was quiet and peaceful at the end of the temple block known as TKG Academy, a storm erupted. The bus tour coming from Mexico descended upon the playgrounds. Nearly twenty youth, along with many of our own youth from Dallas, decided to give the school grounds some tender loving care. I was out of town and you can guess my reaction when I returned and saw the transformation that had occurred. I was elated!
The new ramps which had been installed during the summer break, needed priming and painting. During the first part of school, Joseph Clark who had been coming to the Wednesday classes, came several times and began the painting. We found it a bit difficult to have fresh paint in the porch area when children were around so he was asked to come back to paint during the winter break.
And then the service hungry youth appeared. Manorama Dasa has long been known for taking temples by storm with his energetic, talented youth. Some of our devotees here in Dallas realized that the grounds at the school needed raking and that the ramp painting needed to be completed. Someone told me that Krishna Mangala Dasi along with her children and many of our young men and women, gathered the bus tour youth together, and tackled the job.
Needless to say, things got done. The playground yard was immaculate, the long ramps were primed and painted, the porch roof was swept off, and all those leaves and sticks were bagged and hauled to the street.
Mother Jayanti says, “I wish to thank all of those persons who were involved in this project. This is the sort of work that makes an old woman happy to see accomplished. I just wish that I could have been there to thank these devotees personally. “
Please have a look at the wonderful pictures.
Symbols of Texas
→ TKG Academy
Fourth graders create posters depicting “Symbols of Texas”. The Pecan tree, the Mockingbird, the state seal, the Bluebonnet, the motto “Friendship”, and the state flag are all symbols of Texas. After describing their symbol, what it means, and why they chose it, students connect it to Krsna consciousness. Kalyani Rao, 9, quotes Bhagavad-gita 9.26, “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” She observes that when we see a bluebonnet, we can remember the blue of Krsna’s complexion.
Spiritual inertia
→ Servant of the Servant
There is a general feeling when it comes to God (not religion) that we work or relate or interact with God only when we feel like it (in a spontaneous sense). When we don't "feel" the love from God, we do not really worry about God. But actually our Acharyas teach that we have to "force" certain issues. Krishna asks Arjuna to "control" his mind through practice and detachment. Practice means we have to force our mind to behave in a certain way.
Spiritual inertia is a natural element of material culture. Our culture is advancing in the name of technology to increased levels of inertia or simply put laziness. Think about it - inventions such as automobiles, tractors, cell phones, computers make things efficient, quick and orderly but creates a mentality that machines will do the work and I just need to control the machine. Science is advancing more and more towards increasing technology however it is also drastically promoting laziness. When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand and mailed it to your loved one? So this is the situation - this inertia has largely impacted our spiritual life as well.
We fear change, and lack the drive to beat the blues in terms of spiritual inertia or laziness. But if we want to progress towards Krishna, then no machine or sporadic spontaneous feelings of God will cut it. We have to approach this "military" style meaning with intent and conviction. We have to force our enthusiasm to be in Krishna consciousness.
The more we show our conviction towards Krishna in terms of disciplining our mind (forcefully) then surely Krishna will reciprocate and when that reciprocation happens, we know He exists and there is no greater feeling than knowing that Krishna exists and He is looking out for us. This experience or realization will cultivate within us a spontaneous attachment towards Krishna.
So yes purity is the force, so lets force it!
Hare Krishna
Spiritual inertia is a natural element of material culture. Our culture is advancing in the name of technology to increased levels of inertia or simply put laziness. Think about it - inventions such as automobiles, tractors, cell phones, computers make things efficient, quick and orderly but creates a mentality that machines will do the work and I just need to control the machine. Science is advancing more and more towards increasing technology however it is also drastically promoting laziness. When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand and mailed it to your loved one? So this is the situation - this inertia has largely impacted our spiritual life as well.
We fear change, and lack the drive to beat the blues in terms of spiritual inertia or laziness. But if we want to progress towards Krishna, then no machine or sporadic spontaneous feelings of God will cut it. We have to approach this "military" style meaning with intent and conviction. We have to force our enthusiasm to be in Krishna consciousness.
The more we show our conviction towards Krishna in terms of disciplining our mind (forcefully) then surely Krishna will reciprocate and when that reciprocation happens, we know He exists and there is no greater feeling than knowing that Krishna exists and He is looking out for us. This experience or realization will cultivate within us a spontaneous attachment towards Krishna.
So yes purity is the force, so lets force it!
Hare Krishna
Shobha Yatra in Vrindavana (Album 18 photos)
→ Dandavats.com
Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, class 'quick_page_post_reds' does not have a method 'ppr_filter_page_links ' in /home/haribol2/m.dandavats.com/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 199
Procession celebration in Krishna Balaram Mandir. Read more › Reminices of ISKCON Cape Town
→ HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami
22-09-2013 Reminices of ISKCON Cape Town, ISKCON Cape Town, South Africa.MP3
Summary of Srimad Bhagavatam
Krishna Dharma
Brilliant as the Sun, my summary of the first nine cantos of Srimad Bhagavatam is now available on Amazon Kindle.
April 7th, 2014 – Darshan
→ Mayapur.com
The post April 7th, 2014 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Sharing the fruits
→ travelingmonk.com
Tonight Bada Haridas and myself are leaving India for Europe. After a few days we’ll travel to South Africa for the Durban Ratha Yatra, and then onto Russia and Ukraine for a 3-week preaching tour. Time to share the fruits of our pilgrimages to India’s holy places with others!
Cows at Hare Krishna Valley, Bambra, near Melbourne, Australia (8 min video)
→ Dandavats.com
Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, class 'quick_page_post_reds' does not have a method 'ppr_filter_page_links ' in /home/haribol2/m.dandavats.com/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 199
Our Vision: To create an environment where people and animals can practice natural living and higher thinking, in an atmosphere of love and trust, for the pleasure of Shree Krishna. Philosophy: Our motto at Hare Krishna Valley is “natural living, high thinking”. Natural living means that we live a comfortable, uncomplicated life in harmony with nature. By reducing our “wants” to “needs”, we manage to live in a peaceful state of mind. Peace of mind is a prerequisite to true happiness.
The needs of all humanity can be amply supplied from Mother Nature. At Hare Krishna Valley we aim to develop a self-sufficient farm community in which we gratefully receive our gifts from the earth and in return protect the earth from unnecessary harm. Our project includes an investment in bio-dynamic farming, a plan for a humanitarian dairy, protection of wild life, forest regeneration and developing solar energy. Read more › To participate in Radha Syama’s service contact
→ SivaramaSwami.com
Damodara Dasa, damodara.d@gmail.com
The post To participate in Radha Syama’s service contact appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Wonderful class by HG Narayani Mathaji
→ ISKCON Scarborough
Maha-mantra rendition by Shivali Bhammer, recording artist, dancer and actor (4 min video)
→ Dandavats.com
Off Road Pictures presents: Hare Krishna by Shivali Bhammer . Directed by Hasinth Pathirana. Produced by Arjuna. Read more › Last verse of the Bhagavatam? (5 min video)
→ Dandavats.com
Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, class 'quick_page_post_reds' does not have a method 'ppr_filter_page_links ' in /home/haribol2/m.dandavats.com/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 199
What is the last verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam? "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the congregational chanting of whose names destroy all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all material suffering." SB 12.13.23. Pandu Putra Prabhu from Italy (bravissimo!), and Saksi Gopal Prabhu lead the Kirtan on the streets of London. Enjoy the movie, Read more › New Vrindaban Grows Through Care & Communication
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit
by Madhava Smullen
Lilasuka with glasses.
Since moving back to New Vrindaban three years ago, Lilasuka Dasi has used her people skills to inspire residents to care for each other and communicate positively with one another. This, she feels, is the key to the community’s recent attempt at rebuilding and growth.
Originally from Toronto, Lilasuka first lived in the rural West Virginia community between 1980 and 2000, teaching at the day school there.
She then relocated to Pittsburgh until New Vrindaban president Jaya Krishna Das, who calls her “the mother of New Vrindaban,” invited her back to head up the communications department.
From the way she talks about the community, it’s clear that Lilasuka loves New Vrindaban deeply. And that makes her ideal for the job.
“I know the ins and outs of New Vrindaban, and am friends with just about everyone, because I lived here for so long,” she says. “It’s ideal for a deep spiritual life, and is full of interesting people. I just like people, so I like studying them and figuring out how to work with them.”
Initially, the goal of Lilasuka’s department was to establish communications amongst a variety of external groups like the media, the local municipal departments, and the academic community.
And she does nurture a relationship with some, like the Marshall County Tourist Board, whose website advertises New Vrindaban’s festivals and lists Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold as one of the top six tourist attractions in the county.
But her first priority, she felt, was to focus on internal communications amongst New Vrindaban devotees and nearby ISKCON communities.
“A lot of people didn’t know what was going on in New Vrindaban — even those who lived here!” she says. “Now many devotees tell me that they are glad to see the regular updates about what’s happening.”
Lilasuka writes these updates herself and posts them once or twice a week on Brijbasi Spirit, an online newsletter started ten years ago which she has helped expand from an agrarian-focused publication to a broader community-wide news service.
“I post interviews with devotees, write articles about festivals, and announce seminars, new calf births and more,” she says. “I also write almost every day on the New Vrindaban Facebook page, and have helped to rewrite the community’s official website to make it more accessible.”
As well as keeping devotees informed, Lilasuka’s service has also naturally evolved into devotee care.
“My office has become like a revolving door,” she says. “People come looking for help or advice.”
Some come complaining about other devotees or management, too. Lilasuka encourages them to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. She offers to go with them to discuss their differences with other department staff, or with community president Jaya Krishna. She even helps couples who may be having difficulties in their relationships.
“A lot of misunderstandings come from miscommunications,” she says. She adds that her work has helped devotees embrace a positive attitude and has improved their support of New Vrindaban’s new leadership.
Lilasuka also provides practical care for New Vrindaban residents, and encourages others to help.
“It’s been snowing every day here for weeks, and some of the older devotees can’t even get out of their houses,” she says. “So I’ve been shopping for them or helping them to find rides. I have helpers too. One devotee drives some of the single women who don’t have cars into town to do their shopping every week.”
Lilasuka also recently arranged for the local Department of Health and Human Resources to give a seminar at New Vrindaban on how to apply for President Obama’s mandatory new healthcare plan. Around twenty-five devotees attended. Many expressed their appreciation for making the process a lot easier for them.
Lilasuka has also helped facilitate Canada-based homeopathic doctor Visvadhika Dasi to visit New Vrindaban every few months to care for ill devotees. All this kind of care and communication, she feels, is essential.
“New Vrindaban is such a big place,” she says. “Sometimes people can can get lost here, or feel like they’re not being looked after. There’s definitely a need for that, that I’m trying to fill.”
Lilasuka plans to continue building on this work. One of her most recent steps has been to join the New Vrindaban Community Advocacy Group, an organization formed in December 2013 and comprising of residents rather than management.
“We want to be advocates of devotees in the community who feel they don’t have a voice,” she says. “Our first topic is devotee care: we’ve already had volunteers help older devotees by bringing them basic necessities such as firewood and water.”
As far as communications is concerned, she’s working with North American ISKCON Communications Director Keshava Das on a new print and online newsletter, with news from New Vrindaban’s different departments.
She also hopes to add more staff to the communications department and to increase its outreach efforts amongst other local groups. Already, media communications for festivals is being handled by the aptly named Vrindavan Das.
Lilasuka is clearly excited by her service, and how it can help New Vrindaban in its current rebuilding phase.
“I think it’s making more people aware that working together cooperatively, caring for each other and communicating properly with each other is the key to helping New Vrindaban grow,” she says.
Mangala Arati – 30.03.2014 Iskcon London
→ Gouranga TV - The Hare Krishna video collection
Mangala Arati – 30.03.2014 Iskcon London
Closed Easter
→ Bhakti Lounge - The Heart Of Yoga in Wellington
Bhakti Lounge will be closed over Easter but back open on Tuesday 22nd April for Vinyasa Flow Yoga and discussion on the treasure chest of knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita. We will be open the next Sunday for Soul Feast, Anzac weekend. Hope you all have a lovely refreshing break :)
For the love of it
→ Bhakti Lounge - The Heart Of Yoga in Wellington
Invigorate your body, mind and consciousness for the upcoming week with our Super Yogi Sundays – it just couldn’t be a better line up!
5pm Yoga with Muni = core power and laughter at the same time :D
6pm Soul Feast = Beautiful, uplifting kirtan beats, consciousness expanding wisdom and foodthat will blow you out of this world!
Every Sunday starting April 13th.
Cost – from your heart. You give what you can, and what it’s worth to you. Simply for the love of it :D
Saturday, April 5th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk
Toronto, Ontario
Three of Us
All of us crave Sunshine, as long as there’s not too much of it. It was a pleasure to walk towards its disc which was making a slow descension into the western sky. The west side of the street going north/south was unfavourable for walking because I wanted the sun’s embrace. I switched directions to College Street. I ended up face to face with him. There were no more imposing buildings. It was nice, but like anything in this world, you take sookh and dookh (happiness and distress), sad and asad (good and bad). Basically, you receive a duality.
Along with that generous glow of the sun, came the wind. Unexpectedly, to me, as forceful as he was. He also got blocked by buildings eventually, just as the sun did. Now, I had two guys coming at my face. It was interesting to see them partnered. I had their company. There are three of us now until I turned another corner going north on Croft Street. Once again, I was in the shadows of the buildings. I was seemingly alone, but not. Paramatma(Supersoul) is always in the heart.
Croft Street is more like a back lane with mostly garages on both sides of the asphalt. There is pleasant graffiti, and some not so, meaning unsophisticated. People have left their mark.
On Bloor Street, I meet my companions again, the sun and the wind. The sun had moved by now, humbled by time, or just being on time. Perhaps defining time. Not exactly, it is said in the Bhagavatam, out of fear of Him, the sun shines. Who then, in actuality is defining the time factor.
Finally, I made it home, the temple ashram, where you enter a timeless zone, where all is spiritual, and where there is relative peace. I say relative because there are humans in the space, and they are not perfect.
I’m reminded of the joke about the human ego, “Nobody’s perfect, I’m just a nobody.”
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
Friday, April 4th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk
Toronto, Ontario
Fun Pun
I did not go outside the walls of the ashram building today. It doesn’t mean I was confined, as in prison. I was joyfully locked in with service – and service of a different kind. I’m speaking about theatre. The dramas! The directing! The performance! I put several hours into our practice of the drama, Little Big Ramayan. Doing “plays” is a marvelous creative outlet. And it’s approved (rather, receives blessings) by the previous acharyas or teachers in the line of devotion. In fact, our guru, Srila Prabhupada, loved dramas that have a spiritual message. He went so far as to say that the play is better than the book. He loved the theatre and even acted when as a student in his college years, he played the role of Adwaita, a close associate of Sri Chaitanya, father of kirtan in the modern age. Our guru also liked Charlie Chaplin. He would not go out of his way to the cinema, mind you, he wouldn’t have anything to do with extreme mundane entertainment. Once, on the plane, he had a few chuckles watching the guy with the funny stick, hat and moustache.
Now, speaking of fun, what about pun? Someone sent me from a facebook source, a list of puns called, “Punography”.
Here’s are some real dillies:
I tried to catch some, I mist.
A guy I know is addicted to brake fluid. He said he can stop any time.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, then it dawned on me.
The girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I never met herbivore.
I’m reading a book about antigravity. I can’t put it down.
I didn’t like my beard at first, then it grew on me.
How do you make holy water? Boil the hell out of it.
When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
What does a clock do when it’s still hungry? It goes back four seconds.
I wonder why the baseball was getting bigger, then it hit me.
May the Source be with you!
0 KM
The Padma Purana outlines evolution of a different kind
→ The Spiritual Scientist
"It is confirmed in Padma Purana that the species of life evolved from aquatics to plants, vegetables, trees; thereafter insects, reptiles, flies, birds, then beasts, and then human kind. This is the gradual process of evolution of species of life. . . . But we do not accept Darwin’s theory. According to Darwin’s theory, homo sapiens came later on, but we see that the most intelligent personality, Brahma, is born first. So according to Vedic knowledge, Darwin or similar mental speculators are rejected so far as the facts are concerned."
Letter to his disciple Hayagriva Dasa (Los Angeles 9 March, 1970)
We Want More Krishna!
→ The Enquirer
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.5.11-13… Vidura says it so well
“Who among us ever ceases to be thirsty for hearing about Krishna, whose sacred feet are adored by the gods? When this sound enters a person’s ears, it severs their affection for all the homely catalysts of material existence. Yes, your dark-skinned friend Vyāsa did describe the qualities of the All-Attractive in his Mahābhārata — using stories of worldly pleasures to attract the minds of common people to hear from and about Hari. If someone nourishes their interest in hearing Hari Kathā, it will cause them to lost interest in everything else. The pleasure of always remembering Hari immediately destroys all sadness.”
Vidura asked Maitreya many popular questions about the universe. Maitreya replied, “haven’t you heard the answers to these questions? Vyāsa has recently written about them in Mahābhārata.”
Vidura replied, “I’ve heard but I am not entirely satisfied.”
Maitreya: Why?
Vidura: The answers are not sufficiently connected to Krishna.
Maitreya: But Krishna is a central character of Mahābhārata.
Vidura: Yes, that’s true. Your friend Vyāsa has given Krishna in Mahābhārata… but not in a very direct and clear way. Mahābhārata is clouded with so many ordinary stories… so much “packaging” and “advertising” and not enough of the actual commodity – Krishna.
I don’t blame him for writing it like that. It was wise. By including all these stories he attracts the attention of ordinary people. And then, once their attention is attracted, he delivers sections like Bhagavad-Gītā, which contain the essence of Krishna Kathā.
And once ordinary people hear these sections, if they pay a little attention to them… the more they pay attention the more they will gain interest in Krishna and lose interest in everything else, everything which causes their entanglement in mundane existence. So the Mahābhārata will be effective for the ordinary person.
But I want something more.
I want something that is 100% Krishna-kathā, because I already have no interest in other topics. I can never get enough Krishna Kathā.
~ ~ ~
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is history’s first attempt to provide a radically condensed and saturated presentation of Krishna Kathā for the sake of people like Vidura, who are already directly interested in Krishna.
Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers have further condensed and sweetened it in their commentaries and expansive works.
We want to be born into (or moved into) a situation where such works are the dominant art form and entertainment that constantly saturates our ears. We are tired of watching hitopadesh type Lord of the Rings and Star Wars tales where Krishna is only very indirectly and allegorically present.
And certainly we are dead tired of coming into situations where Krishna Kathā is supposed to be spoken, but instead we are served reheated leftovers of grāmya-kathā in the form of psychology, astrology, sociology, astronomy, and plain old prajalpa.
We want our Krishna-kathā, and we want it now!
We Want More Krishna!
→ The Enquirer
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.5.11-13… Vidura says it so well
“Who among us ever ceases to be thirsty for hearing about Krishna, whose sacred feet are adored by the gods? When this sound enters a person’s ears, it severs their affection for all the homely catalysts of material existence. Yes, your dark-skinned friend Vyāsa did describe the qualities of the All-Attractive in his Mahābhārata — using stories of worldly pleasures to attract the minds of common people to hear from and about Hari. If someone nourishes their interest in hearing Hari Kathā, it will cause them to lost interest in everything else. The pleasure of always remembering Hari immediately destroys all sadness.”
Vidura asked Maitreya many popular questions about the universe. Maitreya replied, “haven’t you heard the answers to these questions? Vyāsa has recently written about them in Mahābhārata.”
Vidura replied, “I’ve heard but I am not entirely satisfied.”
Maitreya: Why?
Vidura: The answers are not sufficiently connected to Krishna.
Maitreya: But Krishna is a central character of Mahābhārata.
Vidura: Yes, that’s true. Your friend Vyāsa has given Krishna in Mahābhārata… but not in a very direct and clear way. Mahābhārata is clouded with so many ordinary stories… so much “packaging” and “advertising” and not enough of the actual commodity – Krishna.
I don’t blame him for writing it like that. It was wise. By including all these stories he attracts the attention of ordinary people. And then, once their attention is attracted, he delivers sections like Bhagavad-Gītā, which contain the essence of Krishna Kathā.
And once ordinary people hear these sections, if they pay a little attention to them… the more they pay attention the more they will gain interest in Krishna and lose interest in everything else, everything which causes their entanglement in mundane existence. So the Mahābhārata will be effective for the ordinary person.
But I want something more.
I want something that is 100% Krishna-kathā, because I already have no interest in other topics. I can never get enough Krishna Kathā.
~ ~ ~
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is history’s first attempt to provide a radically condensed and saturated presentation of Krishna Kathā for the sake of people like Vidura, who are already directly interested in Krishna.
Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers have further condensed and sweetened it in their commentaries and expansive works.
We want to be born into (or moved into) a situation where such works are the dominant art form and entertainment that constantly saturates our ears. We are tired of watching hitopadesh type Lord of the Rings and Star Wars tales where Krishna is only very indirectly and allegorically present.
And certainly we are dead tired of coming into situations where Krishna Kathā is supposed to be spoken, but instead we are served reheated leftovers of grāmya-kathā in the form of psychology, astrology, sociology, astronomy, and plain old prajalpa.
We want our Krishna-kathā, and we want it now!
