Love Letter for Radhe Shyam
→ Seed of Devotion



My Dear Radhe Shyam,

Oh magnificent Shyam! My gorgeous, life-giving Lord. Your Radharani is a moon in the dark night of my mind. Her beauty is unrivaled in this world.

I want to share that You both are my inspiration for connecting with God as a person. You have inspired me for so many years to connect with You through intimate singing, dancing in kirtan, everything to do with worshiping the Lord. You are woven into the fabric of my soul. When I am in Your presence, all worries dissolve, all of my wishes seem to be granted. I am at peace, satisfied.

You are the reason I attended Mayapur Academy in India to learn the highest standard of worship. You are the reason I received second initiation, so that I could step upon Your altar to worship You. I just want to worship You, care for You, learn how to love You.

When all seems lost in my connection to Krishna consciousness, I have only to sit before You and sing for Sayana Arati and the well of my soul fills with the sweet water of nourishment and realization.

You both are the monarchs of my heart. Always. Forever. You are so, so high above, commanding such presence and high level of worship. And yet You are also so divinely soft and loving - You allowed me to step upon Your altar a year ago to touch Your feet for the very first time. Absolutely mind-blowing.

I have sat before You literally thousands of times to chant, sing, and absorb Your gorgeous forms. A year ago I sat before you, writing in my journal. You were on the other side of the curtains, getting ready for bed. I did not know when I would return to You to sing You another lullaby. I still don't. My destiny is in Your hands. I am now in New York, praying that I may be an instrument of Your grace.

I love You. I miss You. May I eternally return to reside at Your feet, singing lullabies.

Love,

Bhakti lata dasi

(photos courtesy of Ragunath das) 


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He Will Give Us The Strength
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"Maya is always placing the memories of our past sinful activities before us, and encouraging us to come once again into her clutches, but by always chanting Hare Krishna and keeping our mind fixed on Krishna, he will give us the strength to resist her demands, and gradually they will diminish."

Letter to Koumadaki
March 27, 1972

Can’t get no satisfaction?
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.49-50)
jayananda_ptaI like in the Bhagavad-gita that when austerity is mentioned – there is the austerity of the body, austerity of speech and austerity of the mind. It is mentioned that the austerity of the mind is to be satisfied. So, since when is it an austerity to be satisfied!?

To be satisfied when everything is in place, all the auspicious things are there and then the mind still goes, “But…” out of habit.
“No, no, dear mind, this time there is no but. There is actually no but.”
“Really? Not a little but?”

“No, no buts. It is alright. It is actually nice. It is actually good. It is okay. Radhadesh is actually a nice place. Yes, it is!”  the mind can say. In this place, especially in November, it is like when the sun is over and the skies get permanently grey and can be for the next three months. It is the time when it rains and the drizzle really sets in. It is the time of preparation. It is the time when one thinks, “Why am I here?” I always used to run away to Greece before Krsna consciousness. So that is November in this part of the world. It is an austere time but as a devotee, one can say, “No, this November is nice. This is the time when we read. Finally, the festivals are over. Jaya! No more festivals. Great! The end of all of it, now it’s quiet. People don’t come. Yay!”

In Vrindavan, the winter is austere but in a way, it was the only time of the year when one had some time to himself. Now even that is spoilt. Even now there is never peace. My point is that if one is positive, one can find the positive in every situation and that is something to learn.

 

 

From the New Vrindaban Garden 6-16-14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban G7G

300 foot long terrace of tomatoes, marigolds, peppers, and basil

 

Over the past two weeks the garden has been transformed.  All of our early season crops and flowers have been planted.

A few new items include:

1000 Beauregard Sweet Potatoes

3 varieties of bush green beans

2 varieties of pole beans

radishes

watermelons

a small field of giant golden amaranth

sunflowers

75 strawberries

50 new asparagus

We are also at the stage in which we are harvesting some of our earlier spring plantings.  This week we picked 3 bushels of spinach from the teaching garden.  There are many types of mixed greens and head lettuce we will be picking for this weekend. We have also picked  delicious sugar snap peas and beets. In the coming weeks we look forward to providing the temple and community with many types of fresh produce.

New Vrindaban Garden beans

Green beans mulched with hay in the Garden of Seven Gates

Faith is a journey from hypothesis to evidence
→ Servant of the Servant

Material Science Model


Bhagavad Gita Science Model



Faith is the pathway or method interconnecting hypothesis and evidence. Travelling this pathway or method takes time. This is true for both material science and Bhagavad Gita science which implies there is faith involved in material science as well. The only difference is the length of time.

In material science, the time between evidence and hypothesis setting is relatively small, in comparison the time between evidence and hypothesis related to Bhagavad Gita is very long. Therefore patience is one of the principal principles of Bhagavad Gita.

Dogma on the other hand just has a hypothesis but no clear pathway or method towards evidence. In reality as we experience daily, there is no operating system that exists with just hypothetical statements where no clear pathway to gathering evidence is laid out. So why should religion operate on such an open ended path? Henceforth, today we have so many religions and religious postulates which are at loggerhead with each other.

Anyone who is aspiring to understand the metaphysical aspect of life should have a sound hypothesis followed by a clear path towards gathering evidence with an experienced teacher guiding us and also have references from pantheon of experts before us. All these principles are found in modern science and hence majority if not all people trust and follow modern science.

What people don't know is that all these principles are also laid out in Bhagavad Gita where the subject of the Supreme Absolute Truth is dealt.

Try the Gita path, surely you will not be disappointed.

Hare Krishna.


Why are Einstein’s and Prabhupada’s metaphors about blind man-lame man contradictory?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Grisham P

Einstein compares religion to feet and science to eyes, whereas Prabhupada compares Eastern wisdom to eyes and Western technology to feet. Why the difference?

Answer Podcast

Another relevant quote:

"You know in the West we have built a large, beautiful ship. It has all the comforts in it. but one thing is missing: It has no compass and does not know where to go."

Werner Heisenberg to Albert Einstein, Quoted by Dr Abdul Kalam in Ignited Minds

What does Einstein’s metaphor about science and religion mean?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

Albert Einstein's full quote:

"Science  can  only  be  created by  those  who  are  thoroughly imbued  with  the  aspiration towards truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from religion. To this there also belongs the faith in the possibility that  the regulations valid for the world of existence  are  rational, that  is,  comprehensible  to  reason. I  cannot  imagine a scientist without that profound faith. The  situation  may be  expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

Saturday, June 14th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Greenwood, British Columbia

Beauty Along the Way


I walked amidst the red pine, cedar, and deciduous trees, and myriad herbs that seemed to line the roads on both sides.  The road is a marvelous vein that slices through nature’s environment.  Each morning I receive the nostril arousement from fragrant disbursements that those green companions share.   I only wish that the world could be with me to experience it.  You are lucky to catch it at the right hour, somewhere at dawn. 

A cattle rancher from the area proposed to offer a ride.  I declined for obvious reasons.  He was inquisitive so I explained my pilgrimage purpose.  His remark before he trailed off was, “Hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“Will do!”  I said, while in my mind I was content to believe that I’m indeed finding it – Divinity and all that’s natural around me. 

I met the Websters, a couple with this lovely home overlooking a valley with a lake.  They tell me their son has made it big on a TV show called “Timber Kings” to do with log homes.  Well, they have the ideal home themselves, which they proudly wanted me to view from the deck so I could capture the ultimate vista.  This was a slight divergence from walking while at the same time the meeting of people is part and parcel of this walking mission. 

May the Source be with you!

35 KM

Friday, June 13th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Grand Forks, British Columbia

In The Doukhobors’ Town


I went to the emergency ward at the local hospital simply to address a fingernail infection.  The pain of it kept me up most of the night – no connection to Friday the 13th full moon I hope.  While waiting with patients for some treatment, I clued into some of the conversations.  Topical were the two subjects of disease and death. 

“It’s all those chemicals they put in the food that’s causing the cancer.  It’s killing all my friends,” said a woman to an acquaintance. 

Then a new patient took a seat and told me why he was in the hospital, “Lower back issues,” he said.  I suggested he walk, which is what I did when I encountered low back spasms.  Another older woman, 88, with a walking cane, intimated to me that even with her cane she falls frequently.  Then she showed me the bruises on her legs – the result of injury from collapsing.  One couple started the conversation on euthanasia, about willful and premature dying.  This all sounded somewhat depressing. 

I was compelled to tell each and all about the actual truth regarding dying as being superficial.  The spirit goes on, only the body is shed.  I felt, however, that the opportunity didn’t really arise.  Friendship and listening was apropos, as opposed to preaching a sermon.  Many of those really good folks I chatted with and listened to have a unique ancestral background. 

The history of Grand Forks is very interesting with many of the early settlers being immigrants from Russia.  The particular group were known as the Doukhobors, which when translated means, spirit fighter.  After renouncing the rituals of the Russian Orthodox Church, and refusing Russia military service, these early Doukhobors faced intense persecution by the church and state.  There was help from a number of influential humanitarians including the famous writer, Leo Tolstoy.  Apparently about 8,000 Doukhobors escaped Tsarist Russia and migrated to Canada in 1899.  Many settled in this area.  They were largely vegetarians as diet was concerned.  One of the radical branches of the Doukhobors would protest in the nude, and that was in the 1920’s, and that was a group called The Sons of Freedom. 

When I spoke to elders in the area, not necessarily the people I met in the hospital, some of their woes were that the current young generation keep meagerly to the ways of their ancestors. 

May the Source be with you!

30 KM

Avoiding Offenses To Vaisnavas
→ Japa Group

In terms of spiritual life, this offense is one of the biggest impediments for achieving a taste for chanting the Holy names.

We need this reminder - that somehow or other we have to avoid offenses to devotees and then we can more easily avoid the other offenses by the Lord's grace.

"When a mad elephant enters a garden, it spoils all the fruits and flowers. Similarly, if one offends a Vaisnava, he spoils all his spiritual assets." SB 5.10.17 purport

May 29th 2014 Krishna Lounge Kirtans & Talk
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BeerPong_2L

Kirtan lead by Jaya Tulasi devi dasi:


 
Kirtan lead by Giriraj Gopal dasa:

 
Talk by Giriraj Gopal dasa:

Twenty-Two Years To The Day
→ travelingmonk.com

Yesterday devotees in Moscow celebrated the installation of their Gaura Nitai deities exactly twenty-two years ago. I was thinking how pleased Srila Prabhupada must be with them for maintaining a consistent and high standard for over two decades. Because of various factors the devotees have had to move their temple numerous times – but the [...]

Getting instructions
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 8.31)

cape town_march2014When we just start reading alone, without the guidance of a spiritual master, there is a good chance that we can become confused therefore, ultimately we must hear from the vaisnavas. Sometimes this question was asked to Srila Prabhupada, ‘Is it enough if we are just reading your books at home or should we also hear them from the various speakers in classes?’ Srila Prabhupada pointed out that it is very important to hear from the speakers. If we read ourselves, we may have a particular understanding of what we read, according to our own limited conception, and it may not be completely right; it may not be completely profound. We just read and we just multiply our own misconceptions every time we read. Then when we hear a class, we hear a particular explanation of something that we read a thousand times and suddenly we think, ‘Well, I never have thought of it like that! Gosh!’ In this way, hearing from various speakers will deepen our understanding and refine our understanding. This is how gradually Krsna consciousness will begin to dawn upon us.

In the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, there is an interesting description of how Gopa Kumar meets his spiritual master whom he does not see very often, but when he does, sometimes the spiritual master is not really finishing his instruction. Due to ecstasy or whatever, he gives him half an instruction or he just moves on, and then Gopa Kumar does not quite get it, ‘What did he mean?’ But anyway, he tries as good as possible to execute that instruction and then somehow, it is revealed from within.

krsna and gopakumarIn the Bhagavad-gita, in the purport of one of the catur-sloki, the same point is made – Srila Prabhupada says that Krsna is always enlightening us with transcendental knowledge, but if somehow we are so unfortunate that still we don’t understand, then there is the spiritual master and the devotees, vaisnavas, who are instructing spiritual masters to enlighten us further. But if one is so unfortunate that even in spite of receiving such instructions, one is still not acting properly upon the path, then Krsna will make arrangements; in other words – you get smashed! So it is something like: hear or get smashed!

So, we learn not only through hearing but also through life in the material world, through the interaction of the modes of material nature. And thus both Krsna and guru are teaching us both from within and from out therefore, the instruction of the spiritual master is the last word.