Friday, May 23rd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

East End, Saskatchewan

A Place of Safety

There’s this incredible feeling of safety or sanctuary in the town of East End.  I felt it when I walked through here last year, quite overwhelmed by people’s kindness and receptivity.  I had a chance to find out why the place was so special, at least from the historical point of view.

Tim, from “The Advance” newspaper, located in Gull Lake, was interviewing me about my walking excursions.  Once done, I took the liberty to interview him to let me know what is so significant about this area.  Not but one kilometre near Raven’s Craig, in this extraordinary valley with coulees all around, the very revered Chief Sitting Bull, came here to stay for a three year period with his army.  The US blue coats were eager to capture this powerful warrior who fought for his people’s culture preservation.  Sitting Bull took refuge here and in the adjoining Cypress Hill. 

Tim, who’s quite the historian, elaborated on the past and satisfied my questions about this peaceful place.  On a plaque on the valley road nearby, a synopsis is given. 

“In 1876 the Sioux Indian Nation defeated General Custer at the battle of Little Big Horn.  Fearing reprisal from the US Cavalry, thousands of Sioux passed the Medicine Line – the Canada/US border.  Sitting Bull came with 400 of his lodges, and is reported to have camped in the Cypress Hills.  It is said that 200 of Crazy Horse’s lodges camped near this site.  Many had originally stayed in the US with Crazy Horse, but when their chief was killed by cavalry soldiers at Fort Robinson in the states.  Lodges joined Sitting Bull north of the Medicine Line.”

So this area was a major shelter for the indigenous people who were eventually coerced to return south for various reasons, including the consequences of lack of food source, the buffalo, which has all been killed. 

It was an ugly period of history for human kind.  We should know history and learn from past mistakes.  When you walk, you must spend time, at least a moment, to understand the pain and pleasures of past peoples. 

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Estevan, Saskatchewan
 
Shanti in Estevan
 
"Star wars and Spartan battles are nothing compared to what you see in the open sky," I explained to tonight's group.  Roxy, the person behind a new-age boutique called 'Soul Hideout’, had her shelves of paraphernalia shoved to the perimeter of the room to accommodate my presentation.
 
I was talking to the circle of attendees about the glory of foot travel and the accompanying entertainment that comes as a natural consequence.  "I recall an eagle going after the eggs of a heron and the fierce battle that ensued.  I recall just the other day in Kenora seeing a couple of robins in feverish agitation over a crow at their nest.  I recall numerous aviation dynamics that put me in awe of nature and the Creator."
 
We also talked about the difference between matter and spirit and how you can happily bind the two through service of a devotional kind and that this service is the end of all knowledge and the end of all yoga.  "We are not these bodies.  We are spirits," I added.  That in fact should be a relief to those of us who get too fidgety over our flesh and blood.
 
Everyone really had a good feeling about the mantra meditation we did near the end.  It put a cap onto this evening of shanti, peace.  But before I sign off on this quick report on today's goings-on I wanted to mention a small incident of the afternoon.  At Churchill Park in Estevan, where Karuna and I rested a while, I noticed a young man in the distance sitting at the grass’s edge and looking out at the deep valley below.  I encouraged Karuna, who's also young, to talk to him.  I surmised that he was in contemplation, and since he was there for quite a while, that his contemplation was more penetrating than normal.  His dream has dimension and that maybe he was at a crossroads.
 
Karuna honoured my suggestion and indeed he did discover that the young man, who was Philippino, was gnawing within to explore the world.  He wanted to be somewhere beyond the town and was praying to God to help with this.  Karuna's timely drop-in to this man's life made a difference.  He was cheered on to reference the Creator for strength.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM

Beautiful Vrindavana with its temples, residents, devotees, visitors and vaikuntha atmosphere (Album 139 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavana, with purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Sri Krishna's transcendent pastimes. Chaitanya wandered through the different sacred forests of Vrindavana in a spiritual trance of divine love. It was believed that by His divine spiritual power, He was able locate all the important places of Krishna's pastimes in and around Vrindavana. Read more ›

Niranjana Swami finds fresh inspiration and bliss from Srila Prabhupada’s Lilamrita!
→ Dandavats.com

I've found myself overwhelmed with gratitude, both to Satsvarupa Maharaja and especially to Srila Prabhupada, and at the same time, immensely humbled by reflecting upon the tiny and insignificant efforts I've made in this life to spread Krsna consciousness in comparison to what Srila Prabhupada has done to expand Krsna consciousness throughout this world. In fact, I've realized that it would be an offense on my part to even attempt to make such a comparison. Read more ›

Iskcon Sarajevo: Hare Krishna Food for life, Olovo, Vareš (Album 50 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Our enthusiastic FFL team (including 4 Hungarian devotees) yesterday (did a big prasadam distribution in Olovo (Mid-Bosnia). In a cooperation with a city mayor office, devotees came to the city center, where municipality officers help them by bringing their tables-so devotees can start with distribution. Some 80 workers, who are doing very hard job of cleaning the city which was 2m under the water took our prasadam meal (lentils, subjee vegetables, salad, sweets and fruits). Later, devotees continued with prasadam distribution on the streets and in the buildings-literary door-to door! 250 people got prasadam in Olovo this way and our devotees everywhere introduced themselves as Hare Krishna Food for life! They even have nice aprons with Hare Krishna from Hungary! After Olovo, they went to the city of Vareš, driving trough mountains and forest roads. On the photos you can see destroyed roads, people who really appreciate our devotees, and most of all entusiasm and atmosphere among our devotees. Today (Sunday) devotees are on their way to Begov Han, where they will distribute prasadam to people who have literary lost everything, since their houses are destroyed and covered by mud in landslides. You will see photos (as soon as possible), stay tuned and please keep contributing! Read more ›

Srila Prabhupada Writes Of Deciding To Spend 4 Months Of Each Year In New Vrindaban – June 1969
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Prabhupada New Vrindaban 1969

Srila Prabhupada, 1969, at New Vrindaban’s “Old Vrindaban” farm.

 

Srila Prabhupada  Writes Of Deciding To Spend 4 Months Of Each Year In New Vrindaban  - June 1969.

From a series of letters written by Srila Prabhupada outlining his vision for New Vrindaban.

Thanks to Vanipedia for the source material.

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June 01, 1969

Dear Dayananda,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated May 25, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. If a new temple site in Los Angeles is absolutely required to be moved in a bigger place, that should be your first business. For my place you may find a place near the temple, and it should be independent of any other tenants. It may be a small cottage, but it should be independent with a little compound surrounding. That will be very nice. I think there are many small cottages near the place, Hayworth Avenue. When I was walking on Oakwood Avenue there were many places there. I remember one at the junction of Oakwood and Harper. So this place, or a similar independent place, never mind how small, will be very convenient for me. I have already written to Tamala Krishna that if I am not invited to London during the month of June, then sometimes in July early I shall go to San Francisco to see the Rathayatra Festival there, and then I will come down to Los Angeles. But I have decided that I shall spend four months in New Vrindaban and eight months in Los Angeles. That will be my regular program.

Please convey my blessings to your good wife, Nandarani, and your nice little daughter, Candramukhi. I hope this will meet you all in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

New Vrindaban ISKCON Logo

Faith in God is man’s common and constant characteristic
→ The Spiritual Scientist

On examining the historical records of all types  of people around the world, it  will be obvious that    faith  in  God  is man's  common and  constant characteristic. Uncivilized forest  tribals  survive, like animals,  on animal  flesh, but  they  also worship the sun,  the moon,  huge  mountains, large  rivers  and  tall trees  as their   benefactors and  controllers. Why do they do this?  Though the soul is extremely bound up, his faith in the  Lord, his natural quality as spirit  soul,    will  gradually manifest as the  degree that  the  material covering is  weakened.

Chaitanya Shikshamrita, Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Even Within The Abdomen
→ Japa Group

"One can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere and everywhere, provided he can always think of Kṛṣṇa. The mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, can be chanted even within the abdomen of one's mother."

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.31.21

The answer to the depression of kaliyuga
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 22.142)

old carI do not have the fix for material problems – I don’t. I also have material problems – many! So, I cannot fix anyone’s material problems permanently.

Material life is a broken car. It is an old, old, broken car. Many screws keep on falling out. As a car mechanic, I could try to put some new screws in but there are other screws that are falling out at the same time. So, it is going to be a broken car even if you fix it. But we keep it on the road and we reach our destination – that is the good part.

So, we can be happy. We should not become depressed that this is the age of kali. The mercy is here in the age of kali, so if we become depressed, we should meditate on the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is the answer to the depression that we sometimes feel in the age of kali.

 

Australia AGM
→ Ramai Swami

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Once again the leaders from around Australia attended the annual general meeting held at Govinda Valley, which is about an hour south of Sydney. This is a twenty acre property with conference facilities that the devotees rent regularly for retreats, usually to different yoga groups.

The meeting went for three days and it was nice to have everyone’s association and hear reports of the activities going on at the temples and preaching centres around Australia. Aniruddha headed a strategic planning session that will continue and increase every year.
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Connection With Kṛṣṇa Means Service
Bhakti Charu Swami

 INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The following lecture entitled: ‘Connection with Kṛṣṇa means service’ was given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in Iskcon Budapest, Hungary, on 27 August 2013. Now we can see this transcendental knowledge, whether it is coming from the Kumāras or Brahmā or Laxmi(...)