TEXAS FAITH 120: Does a white Christmas mean Santa and Jesus have to be white?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

A cable television anchor named Megyn Kelly told viewers last week that Jesus and Santa Claus are both white men. At issue was a Slate article written by a black writer titled “Santa Claus Should Not Be A White Man Anymore.” The context of the piece was the tendency of cultures to view important figures in the most familiar and comfortable light. On her Fox News program, Kelly took issue with the writer.

“Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change. Jesus was a white man, too. It’s like we have, he’s a historical figure that’s a verifiable fact, as is Santa, I just want kids to know that. How do you revise it in the middle of the legacy in the story and change Santa from white to black?”

Both sides pounced. Liberal web sites and late-night comics lampooned her. Conservative web sites defended her. Saturday Night Live did a skit featuring a black Santa. The debate went viral on the Internet. Kelly subsequently suggested she was joking and cast herself as a victim of identity politics. Clearly, her facts were flawed. Jesus was a 1st Century Jew who was likely dark skinned and Santa Claus is a mythological figure whose historical antecedent was from Turkey.

People believe what they are prepared to believe. What’s interesting was the passionate reaction to the remarks. Why the fierce dustup? Why did the idea that a white Christmas means Santa’s white cause so much consternation? What did this episode say about the way we see the world and our willingness — or reluctance – to see things in different ways?

Our Faith Panel weighs in thoughtfully (and with a few fireworks) on history, ethnic identity, political correctness and the virtues of faith and the holidays:

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

This is example of the disease of the bodily conception of life, a case of mistaken identity.   Our body is always changing in this life.  The body we had as child is no longer around and the current body that we have is composed of completely different cells and molecules.  It is a vehicle and we are the passenger.  As a passenger we have existed before the vehicle and shall exist after the vehicle's destruction.  Yet by the deluding power of avidya we ignorantly see the body as the self.  In this illusion we try to fulfill the needs of the self by placating the desires of the external vehicle, the subtle mind and physical body.  We may give the body comforts and give the mind profit, adoration, and prestige.  Yet despite such attempts towards satisfaction one remains not satisfied.  Only by loving connection to the Supreme does the self experience fulfillment.

Change directed towards the factual self is of value.  Ideologies for or against change based of the temporary bodily conception of life are of no real consequence.

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

TEXAS FAITH 119: How do you assess Nelson Mandela’s complex legacy?
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Dallas Morning News,

Each week we will post a question to a panel of about two dozen clergy, laity and theologians, all of whom are based in Texas or are from Texas. They will chime in with their responses to the question of the week. And you, readers, will be able to respond to their answers through the comment box.

How do you assess the complex legacy of Nelson Mandela?

There are so many ways to get into this question. So, let me start with these three quick summaries of his long journey:

In a powerful and controversial move as president, he set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid officially ended. The commission allowed those who testified about crimes in the apartheid era to step forward and tell the truth without fear of retribution. The sins of the past were acknowledged in exchange for individual amnesty.

On the other hand, Mandela was part of a group in the early 1960s that decided to take up arms against the apartheid government. They decided that rising up militarily against their oppressors was the best strategy. Of course, that was not the non-violent approach that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahatma Ganhdi embraced.

And then there was this revelation in Bill Keller’s obituary of Mandela in the New York Times:

Mr. Mandela said he regarded his prison experience as a major factor in his nonracial outlook. He said prison tempered any desire for vengeance by exposing him to sympathetic white guards who smuggled in newspapers and extra rations, and to moderates within the National Party government who approached him in hopes of opening a dialogue. Above all, prison taught him to be a master negotiator.

There are many aspects of his long, storied and complicated fight for justice. So, let me stop here and ask you:

What do you make of Nelson Mandela’s complex legacy?

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

Undoubtedly his most powerful contribution is "culturally many, spiritually one."

It is a fact that on the bodily level, all people are different. But those who can see the spiritual spark in other beings, as beings that are qualitatively one with oneself, they can make great progress in moral standards and leadership.

Those who have no inkling of this information may try to do good but only succeed in hurting others. For without such vision what is there to unify us?

There will always be a group discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their sex, their species, their position within or outside the womb. The understanding of how we are all spiritually one, that the symptoms of life indicate the presence is the soul, is the beginning of spiritual life

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

KIRTAN 101: Śrīla Prabhupāda’s style of kirtan–the magic is in the mantra
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s kirtan leading was always very meditative, deep, and focused.   He would often end in a crescendo but it was steady, long, and unrushed. 

“Gaura Gopala: I was right next to Prabhupada through the whole ceremony, playing the drum. He particularly liked to sing one tune through the whole time. He put his hands up in the air. He was dancing.” Ref. VedaBase => SPL 44: Let There Be a Temple

”It was clanging and banging. Kīrtana should be sweet and melodious.”

We had a kīrtana at the Rāma-līlā grounds, 1976 March, and Dīnanātha was leading, and tens
of thousands were attending and chanting. After the program Śrīla Prabhupāda and I were alone
in the back tent waiting for his servant and the car. As you know, he would often ask rhetorical
questions, and he asked me, “So, what did you think of the kīrtana?” Understanding this was
just a lead-in to his giving me an instruction, I answered with a bland “It was OK.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s definition to me then was as follows: “No, it was not nice. It was clanging
and banging. Kīrtana should be sweet and melodious. Come let us go to the ashram and have
kīrtana.”
And so we went — Śrīla Prabhupāda, his servant, Baradrāj, and myself. Except for his servant,
the three of us sat in his room and Baradrāj played harmonium on the request of Śrīla
Prabhupāda, and we had a long kīrtana. . . . On Śrīla Prabhupāda’s signal, the kīrtana ended. He
looked at me, smiling, shaking his head a little, and said, “So . . . sweet and melodious.” And
then he moved on with the rest of preaching and hearing. I had heard him say, and heard that
he also said, sometimes stopping kīrtana, “No screaming and shouting.” [remembrance by
Tejiyas dāsa, 12 Nov 2002]

I personally feel that if one becomes more focused on the Holy Name of Krishna with love and worry less on changing the melody their leading of kirtan will become more and more ecstatic.   This is especially in the case of those who are new to leading kirtan or who are not regular kirtan leaders.  In their nervousness or anxiety, they change the melody, perhaps thinking that others are bored.  This changing of melody may happen over 6 times in just a 15 minute period.  (BTW I not talking about the different parts of a melody but rather changing to completely different melodies)  Whereas kirtan stalwarts such as Indradyumna Swami, BB Govinda Swami, Madhava Prabhu and others keep it very steady and focused.  

Once I noticed a devotee chant Hare Krishna for the 30 minute Sandhya Ārati for a total of 2 minutes.  First he sang the standard Gaura Arati song and then the Hare Krishna Mantra for 2 minutes. (he also completely changed to different melodies within that 2 minute period)  Then he stopped chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra because he wanted to leave enough room for Jāya’ing at the end of the 1209860-Jayakirtan.   Śrīla Prabhupāda never was Jāya’er himself, so it is not actually necessary to do a Jāya session at the end of kirtan.  But the main thing is not to Jāya at the expensive of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.   It is called the Maha Mantra for a reason, it is the greatest mantra.   So my basic advice to new kirtan leaders is to keep steady the melody, even the parts of the melody should be steady, don’t shift it back and forth every few mantras and then run out tricks 2 minutes later.  

In the past I have given advice to new kirtan leaders for the arati as follows.  Chant the first part of the melody at least 10 times, then second at least 10 times.  Then you can go back to the first part and pick up the tempo.  The rest is up to you but starting if off like this is a good foundation. 

So all the best to you.  One simple item to test the efficacy of the one’s kirtan is to see if it creates smaraṇaṁ, even on a material level.  Will those who have heard it have it dancing through their minds throughout the rest of the day?  From śravaṇaṁ & kīrtanam comes smaraṇaṁ, rememberance. 

BTW here is a link to the Harinama Sankirtan Handbook by Indradyumna Swami

A visit to Pune’s New Vedic Cultural Centre (photos)
→ Dandavats.com

On December 22nd, 2013, Radhanath Swami addressed a gathering of over three thousand guests at Pune’s New Vedic Cultural Centre (NVCC) including visitors from all over the State of Maharashtra. The NVCC is a project initiated and completed under the guidance of Radhanath Swami’s student and disciple Radheyshyam das. It was inaugurated in February’ 2013 with the President of India, Mr Pranab Muinkherjee attending as a guest of honor. -- Read more ›

Protected Milk from a Rescued Dairy Cow for Sale by ISCOWP
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ISCOWP Logo

ISCOWP recently rescued a beautiful Holstein Cow from going to the slaughterhouse. She is not even 4 years old and was going to be slaughtered because she could not get pregnant again.

She is settled in now and is giving about 3 gallons of milk daily, much more than the ISCOWP crew can use.

We would like to offer members of the community Cruelty Free Milk at $8.00 a gallon and also Panir (curd) at $8.00 as each bag of Panir will be made from a gallon of milk.

Please check out our Youtube video [link below], starting with Jeanne arriving at the ISCOWP Farm. Jeanne’s name has been changed to Vegan Indira by ISCOWP members.

Looking forward to being of service to you all.

My cell phone is 304-281-2689

Home 304-843-1658

ys, Balabhadra das

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ January 13, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

Please click here for all photos

O friend, please control your mind and senses and go and live in Vrndavana, which is a mine of nectar, and which is so glorious that even millions of books by the greatest poets and philosophers cannot describe a single ray of light from the host of the jewels of its virtues.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-35 Translation]

Announcement: Greetings
→ Bhakti Centre Gold Coast

Hare Krsna! Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.

Welcome to the BHAKTI CENTRE GOLD COAST Blogsite.  The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was established in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  The “Hare Krsna Movement” has Temples or Centres all over the world today.  The mission of this nonsectarian, monotheistic movement is to promote the well being of society by teaching the science of Krishna Consciousness according to Bhagavad-Gita and other Ancient Scriptures.

The sanskrit word “Bhakti” means intense love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna or, as Srila Prabhupada would often translate the word, pure devotional service to Krishna.  Bhakti is the essence of the eternal spiritual relationship we have with Krishna.  As “Gold Coast” is a small Town, hence we currently have a “Centre” where the local community can gather and participate in the practice of Bhakti Yoga.

Please preview our Video Lectures, News & Updates and other Pages at your convenience and feel free to post your comments or feedback on the “Contact us” Page.

We also hearty welcome you to our Bhakti Centre Gold Coast.  Hope to see you soon.

Chant Hare Krsna and Be Happy….. Haribol!

All ISKCON Pictures and Logos used on this web site remain the property of their registered respective owners.

Copyright © Bhakti Centre Gold Coast 2007-2016.  All rights reserved.

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Get out of jail!
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 December 2013, Soweto, South Africa, Lecture)

cage-prisonerIn this world, we may think that some people are enjoying and that some people are suffering. We may think, “Some people in the world, they are the lucky people, they have everything. The other people in the world, they have to suffer.” We may think like that but I tell you, this is not true! Everybody suffers in this world because the world is a jail. We are locked in the jail and our body is the cell. We are locked in this body, we cannot get out, we cannot escape it! We may try to enjoy it; try… try… try!!

I like the example of The Rolling Stones, ”I cant’ get no satisfaction and I tried and I tried…”  They are still trying. Mick Jagger must be eighty by now or something like that and he is still trying, he never stopped. The Rolling Stones, they pumped so much drugs into their veins that every once in a while, they would go on a kidney machine (dialysis) to clean their blood so that they could do it again. All right but still not enough; still not satisfied!

You may have one woman, not satisfied; you may two women – not satisfied; three – not satisfied! Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur, he lived one-hundred years ago, he said, “A man may have all the women in the world but still not satisfied.” What can be done!? The mind is not satisfied and this is why we are in jail because of our mind. We are in jail, wherever we are, it does not matter. No money in your pocket, still in jail. Lots of money in your pocket, still in jail, still not free. It is difficult! So this Hare Krsna movement, this chanting of Hare Krsna, is giving us a chance to get free!

Srila Prabhupada describes a story. He described that there is a bird which had lived his whole life in a cage. The one day, they took the cage, put it outside, in the field, and opened the door. The door was opened and out the bird went. The bird was flying around a little bit in the sky but then, he turned around and flew back into the cage. Who is the bird? Are we the bird? The door is open, we can fly out; we have been in the cage so long, ”Actually I like my cage. It is a nice cage. There are many good things. I have different levels where I can sit and tasty things which also I like. It is a comfortable cage, beautiful also. Got a good view from my cage. Ah yes! I like this cage, too much.” It is the body, that is the cage and we keep on trying to enjoy, this way and that way, ”Oh, it is so good!” But why are we not satisfied, if it is so good!? It brings you suffering. Not only we are not satisfied but it brings so many complications.

It is like a man wants a woman and the woman wants a man. The woman wants children and so many things. You have one and then you cannot go anywhere. The thing cries all the time. Get someone to take care of the kid, “Your turn. Who is going to change the nappy today?’” These kinds of scenarios… But what does it all lead to? Then we have a beautiful house, then we have so many bills and then we sit in that beautiful house and it feels just like a cage! Still nothing satisfies us. So the point is why waste our time?

 

Kirtan with First United Methodist Church’s Confirmation Students (2 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Nityananda Chandra: Every we are visited a blissful group of young students from the ages of 7-13 along with their supportive parents and youth leaders. The students and parents always ask very nice and intriguing questions following by a lovely kirtan. After the program we always get a lot of thanks about how they enjoyed the presentation and everything else. -- Read more ›

Friday, January 10th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Houston, Texas

Bad News

It is an integral part of a Krishna monk’s daily life to do some listening to words of wisdom.  Then, he reciprocally relays what he heard to someone else after due process.  This method is called sravanam kirtanam (hearing and then repeating what’s worthwhile).

Great revelations came from today’s speaker in our class.  Anuttama, the speaker, was telling us about the downtime necessary for the intense devotional practitioner.  He compared it to slowing down when motorboat racing through shallow waters.  What really took away my breath was something not so analogous or philosophical, it was something else. 

As communications director for our worldwide community, Anuttama relayed a story of one of his trainees.  Aniruddha was a 28 year old bright, vivacious African man who’s life abruptly came to an end in an untimely death in an auto accident.  This is not the first time to hear of a personal friend who lost his life to our roads.  I recall having this Nigerian whose name is Aniruddha, act as the character Duryodhan from the Mahabharat in one of the dramas I directed.  It was a pleasure to work with such a talented and enthusiastic man whom I worked with on several occasions. 

Receiving the news of a good soul I’d known being sacrificed to road traffic once again, I liken to war time announcements of countrymen who died in action while in battle.  This recurring unfortunate way to exit (automobile accidents) is in my opinion, epidemic in our community.   And if you were to talk to practically just anyone, don’t be surprised to hear the same story – testimonies from people who have had dear ones gone to car casualties.  I wouldn’t be stunned if the average person could count up to a half a dozen to even a dozen departed souls who are family or acquaintances that died this way. 

We may pass it all off as karmic play, truth be told, yet we do have the power to choose for proactiveness for all we do.  My word of caution would be two fold, number one, avoid driving or passengering if possible, and number two, if you must drive, do so defensively.  I took a serious walk in dedication to Aniruddha’s soul and chanted maha mantras in his honour.  I hope to see you back, Aniruddha, and if providence wills, perhaps in the next life, we could delight in stage production again for the future.  So long, Aniruddha.

May the Source be with you!

6 KM