Predictions of Liberation or Enlightenment Are a Bogus Hoax
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Reblogged from Vic DiCara's Astrology:

Astrologers can be extremely pompus at our worst moments, but never are we more presumptuous, over-adoring of the potentials of astrology, and under-aware of its limits, than when we claim to state on the basis of astrology whether or not a person will attain mokṣa (emancipation from the cycle of birth and death).

Emancipation is beyond matter. It is beyond time and space. 

Read more… 480 more words

Choose Beauty
→ Seed of Devotion

I used to hate my hairline. It creeps forward where my temples are and then tapers back out for my forehead. I used to think that it made my face look narrow and imbalanced.

For years and years, ever since I was in elementary school, I wore my hair parted to the side to cover my hairline. It didn't really do anything, but still it was a mental crutch. I thought that somehow I could never really look beautiful if I wore my hair any other way.

As an adult, I seriously considered laser hair removal to remove the hair on my temples. I would go in front of the mirror and place my fingers on my temples, trying to envision what my face would look like with a broad, round hairline. Surely then my face would look more balanced.

Then, about two years ago, I dived into an emotional educational course called the Satvatove Advanced Course, which is based upon the spiritual principles of the Bhagavad Gita. In the course, I deeply got in touch with living a life at choice.

On the last day of the course, my "graduation" day, I woke up, looked in the mirror...

... and pulled my hair back.

All the way.

My scalp tingled. The line where I had parted my hair for most of my life pulsed as if it had been seared upon my head.

I was astonished to find, upon looking in the mirror, that I looked beautiful. No, more than that, I felt beautiful. My eyes shone. Beauty became something that nothing and no one could determine for me, not even the mirror. Beauty is a quality of the soul.

For me, that was a day of liberation.

A year later, I took the next step - I parted my hair down the middle. My scalp tingled all over again.



And then there are some days when I still choose to wear my hair parted to the side.

After all, when the soul is shining through, who cares about your hairline?!?



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“Am I a demon or a vaishnav?”
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12 September 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.20.13)

Satsvarup Maharaja raised that question in one of his books which had the title, “Am I a demon or a vaishnav?”  That is a very good question, really. It is like a perennial question for all of us because we are in this transition from possibly being demoniac going towards being devotees. What we are is not so clear cut. We can see that demoniac tendencies remain within us.

The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita is an important chapter because it describes the divine and the demoniac qualities. We can recognise something in ourselves, like harsh speech as one of the qualities of demons. It is not so easy to avoid harsh speech it comes out quite naturally. So some of these qualities are within us.

Krishna-sucks-the-life-out-of-Putana-who-expands-to-a-six-mile-form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone Can Be a Part of This Year’s Book Marathon
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Book’s for you
Book’s for me
It’s book marathon time, a time when we can show our appreciation and love for Srila Prabhupada, and anyone and everyone can be a part of it and there is many devotee’s who are willing to help if your unsure.
It’s easy to get involved and more enjoyable than watching TV;
You can join one of the travelling parties for the day or a couple of days
You can join one of the Saturday Sacred Street groups
You can go from door to door if the streets appear too daunting
But if this isn’t for you then here’s another few options:
One devotee went and dropped off books in public places; doctors and hospital waiting rooms, hairdressers indeed they left a small note in each and amazingly they got several call’s asking if they had more.
Alternatively sponsor book’s if your shy or not quiet up to going on the front line then make sure that as many of Srila Prabhupada’s books are paid for; so that even more people can get gain this transcendental knowledge.
And how easy is it?
Well the other day I had a cancellation in work; most of the day was free; at the time I was in a well known supermarket looking out at the car park their was an opportunity free time, a few books in the boot and a lot of hungry shoppers.
Many were eager to get their hand’s on the books “This will be a great Christmas present for one of my friends!” A young enthusiastic chap proclaimed. I was down to my last one, then the store manager stopped me.
We had a small discussion and I explained I only had one book left and how it would be wonderful if I finished the day with no books in the boot of my car. He was just about to ask me to leave when he caught sight of the book, “wow! I’ve been looking for a copy of this book” so I gave it as a gift for his kindness at letting me distribute the books in his car park.
Book’s are not the temple devotee only calling, but everyone’s and Yes if you to are looking for that ultimate Christmas Gift you know what to give, the question is which one of Srila Prabhupada’s book’s will you give?

VIHE Holy Name Retreat, 64-Round Day, November 23, Ter Kadamba, Vraja Mandala
Giriraj Swami

11.23.13_04.TerKadamba“It is more important to chant constantly with feeling, clearly hearing each syllable, than to simply increase the number of rounds. And as paradoxical as it may sound, on your 64-round day, in some way forget the sixty-four rounds. Remember more to chant with feeling and devotion, and you will easily reach sixty-four rounds. Everything will be very easy if you chant with devotion, tuning yourself into this beautiful devotional atmosphere. Here Rupa Gosvami, one of the greatest devotees and a resident of the spiritual world, waits to take you by the hand into the spiritual world.” —Sacinandana Swami

11.23.13_01.TerKadamba11.23.13_02.TerKadamba11.23.13_03.TerKadamba11.23.13_05.TerKadamba______________________________________
Prasanta dasi
Sacinandana Swami
Bhurijana dasa
Hrisikesh Baba
Conclusion – Bhurijana dasa, Giriraj Swami, Sacinandna Swami

Travel Journal#9.21: New York City and Beyond
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 21
By Krishna-kripa das
(November 2013, part one)
Chanting in New York City and Beyond
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on December 3, 2013)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued chanting on harinama six hours a day at Union Square in New York City with Rama Raya Prabhu’s party, and living in Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn, cutting vegetables for their lunch program and Sunday feast. I attended a variety of special events as well. On November 4, I attended a lively Govardhan Puja festival at the Brooklyn temple. On November 6, I heard The Mayapuris play at the Jivamukti Yoga School NYC. The next evening, I traveled to New Brunwick, New Jersey, to Sacred Sounds, a kirtana event sponsored by the Rutgers University Bhakti Yoga Club, with this year’s guests, The Hanumen and The Mayapuris. On November 9, I attended a home program of Bengali-speaking devotees in Queens where we observed Govardhan Puja again. From November 14–17 I took a break to visit my family in and around Albany, and I got to talk with and have lunch with Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, who lives just 25 minutes from my mother, along with some of his other disciples, and I got to clean up afterward. The first half of November was so busy, it makes me exhausted just remembering it all, what to speak of describing it!

There are truly beautiful insights I share from Srila Prabhupada’s books, lectures, and letters, and some valuable points from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s blog, including a beautiful glorification of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Prahladananda Swami made some great points worth sharing in his lectures at the Brooklyn temple. There are also some interesting realizations from a discussion between Yogesvara Prabhu, and Sharon Gannon, of Jivamukti Yoga School, also a devotee of Lord Krishna. I also include some great quotes from the Jan /Feb 2014 issue of Back to Godhead, which I was proofreading.

Thanks to Nam Sankirtan Prabhu, Lila Padma dd, Chandra Mohini dd, and Gabriel for pictures of me on harinama at Union Square and in the subway station.

Harinamas at Union Square

As I mentioned in a previous journal, several people who regularly pass by our Union Square chanting party became regular attenders of it. One French literature major at Hunter College named Alice sat down with the devotee chanters back in June and stayed for the whole rest of the day. As they were packing up Baladeva recalls, “Alice asked if she could play the harmonium, and she did, singing Hare Krishna as she played. The next day she came and stayed the whole time, and then asked if she could play the mrdanga as they were packing up.” Now when she is not too busy with school, she comes by a few days a week for a few hours each day, and when she leads the singing, sometimes she will go on for an hour and a half or more! She has a loud voice, and it is great having her sing the response. One devotee lady told me Alice also goes to the Bhakti Center everyday for mangala-arati. I recorded some video clips of her singing on harinama to share with you (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xLKhBtu3AN_O5cbEBNU7vXC):



Often Max would play the drum while I chanted.


One girl named Jill from Connecticut, who studied art and psychology, enjoyed offering a candle to Damodar . . . 


and then watching and listening to the kirtana party, and hearing a few words from me about psychology and the Bhagavad-gita.



Once on harinama, two girls played the instruments.


Motherly Chandra Mohini dd later embraced them.


It was often a bit cold in November, but when the sun was shining on you it was nice.



One couple positioned two chairs in the sunshine in front of the harinama party, right in the middle of the walkway, and closed their eyes and listened to the kirtana, undisturbed by all the people passing by!

Later that day Chandra Mohini and Janette danced very beautifully together for some time.



One Czech couple joined us for an hour or so. They had visited our Krishna camp at the Trutnov Open Air Music Festival (the Czech Woodstock) which I have attended for five years. They also knew about one of our Govinda’s restaurants in Prague.


I gave them the Czech mantra card and invitation to the Prague temple which I had in my money belt. At one point, the girl got into dancing.



Sometimes I would distribute pamphlets.


Visvambhar Prabhu of The Mayapuris came and played and sang for a couple hours on Govardhan Puja Day, sharing his enthusiasm for kirtana with us, to our great happiness. He was in town to do programs at local yoga centers and Rutgers University in New Jersey.



Experiencing the discomfort of the cold, he later expressed appreciation that we were chanting out there for six hours a day.

One 59-year-old lady who watched our chanting for an hour, said that except for our Union Square chanting, she had not encountered Hare Krishna since the 1970s. She was very happy to see the devotees chanting and to learn of Govinda’s Vegetarian Lunch in Brooklyn. She credited Hare Krishna with her becoming vegetarian at 17 years old.

One artist had written “DOG IS LOVE” on the pavement and was coloring in a picture of a dog.



He was complaining to a passerby how he only made $6 a day for all his endeavor. I was thinking that if I sat down and chanted Hare Krishna, people would give me more than $6! I wonder if he had written “GOD IS LOVE” and was coloring in a picture of Krishna how well he would do!

Once it rained, and we had to sit under umbrellas.


One devotee youth I knew from Alachua, Madhvacarya Prabhu, came by on occasion, here playing the gong.,



One time Jai Giridhari Prabhu, in a blissful mood, decided to lead the kirtana while dancing, and other devotees joined him (http://youtu.be/DFTLzE4rhVc):


Once when Michael Collins was leading a lively kirtana in the subway station,one young lady sat down in the middle of the floor against a pillar to take videos and to listen.



Chandra Mohini dd kindly gave her a cushion.


The crowd increased.


Prahladananda Swami came on harinama for over an hour and a half when we were chanting in the Union Square subway station because of the cold outside. 




  

He seemed so joyful as he chanted, several people were attracted to listen, even during slow time in mid-afternoon. 



One older man with gray hair clapped and smiled, moving with the beat of the music, for at least fifteen minutes. 


I did not get a chance to talk with him, but he seemed very happy to encounter Prahladananda Swami and the chanting of Hare Krishna. Later that day more devotees came by and for the last hour we had fourteen devotees chanting in the subway.



At one point three people were looking at literature!


Murli Krishna Prabhu led a really lively kirtana (http://youtu.be/5H6ml7XgTek):


One girl named Julienne, who joined us chanting at Union Square once before and later attended a single Thursday evening kirtana at the Bhakti Center, saw us chanting in the subway station as she walked toward the L-train platform. 



She stayed and chanted for over an hour, playing the instruments with a joyful expression on her face.

Govardhana Puja in Brooklyn



At Radha Govinda temple in Brooklyn, the hill of sweets celebrating Lord Krishna’s Govardhana Puja festival was awesome!



After the bathing ceremony for Giri Govardhan and circumambulation of the hill, we all got containers with lots of sweets. I was so busy eating the sweets, I devoured all the good looking and tasty sweets before I thought to take a picture of the whole container.



Lots of people, including Visvambhar, danced enthusiastically in kirtana.



The following Saturday I attended a Bengali nama-hatta program in Queens at the residence of Pankajanghri Prabhu where they celebrated Govardhana Puja also with great devotion.




Sacred Sounds at Rutgers

For the last six years, the Bhakti Yoga Club at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey at New Brunswick, has hosted a kirtana event called Sacred Sounds. Visvambhar, who has been going for six years, invited me to attend when he read my Facebook post lamenting missing a similar event he did in Tampa in October. After singing in Union Square for five hours on November 7, I took the train to New Brunswick for the evening event.

I ended up sitting next to a Rutgers professor of religion, Dr. Edwin Bryant, known to the Hare Krishna community as Advaita Prabhu. I had heard his name come up in discussions with devotee scholars like Hridayananda Dasa Goswami and Sadaputa Prabhu, and I was happy to finally meet him. I had heard he was famous for writing a book about the Aryan invasion theory, and I asked about it. He explained his strategy in the book was to present the arguments on both sides of the theory so that people could come to their own conclusions, and thus the publication was appreciated by the scholarly community. He also has written about the relationship between bhakti and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. I also met a student of his by the name of Chelsea, who I remembered from chanting Hare Krishna in the Times Square subway station during last year’s winter vacation. She mentioned that Advaita taught a course called Krishna, as well as several other interesting courses with topics related to the Hindu tradition. In fact, she decided to minor in religion in order to be permitted to take all the classes taught by Advaita Prabhu that she was interested in. I felt inspired by my contact with both this enthusiastic scholar of bhakti and his enthusiastic follower. Hopefully someday I will find some way to please Krishna with my natural talents.

Although the Sacred Sounds event was not attended by five hundred students as some of the past events, still over two hundred students were there. Many of the students got into singing and dancing with the kirtana.







The Hanumen and The Mayapuris played.



The Hanumen consist of Benjy Wertheimer, John de Kadt, who is a poet, Purushartha Dasa, who plays the bass, and the lead singer, Gaura Vani.


The Mayapuris consisted of Visvambhar and Krishna Kishore, and Visvambhar’s sister, Gangi, who was happy to go on tour for a week and dance, and Kumari, a friend from Alachua, now living in New York City.

I took a few notes on what was said and on some of the songs:

Gaura Vani Prabhu:

[Gaura Vani later explained that he created the band, Hanumen, with artists from different spiritual traditions, to show the universality and the reality of sacred sound.]

When we put up our arms, we are asking for grace to enter into our lives.

Sankaracarya saw an old man in Varanasi on the point of death studying Sanskrit grammar, and he advised him “Bhaja Govinda, bhaja Govinda, mudha mate.—Just worship Govinda, you fool.” Life is meant for focusing on God, not improving your
situation in this world, especially at the time of death.

This song is dedicated to those chanters who have gone before us and learned how to turn their tragedy and grief into prayer and transcendence.

Lines from songs:

We all bleed blood, we all breathe air, we all break bread, we’ve all been there.

Home to my Lord and be free.

Krishna Kishore Prabhu: Wouldn’t it be nice to able to love fearlessly? That is possible by chanting the names of Govinda. Let’s give it a try.



Many volunteers helped with the event, including these two who are modeling the festival T-shirt they sold for the low, low price of $5.



The spiritual food was very good, and I fell victim to the jalebis, a tasty Indian sweet that one rarely gets, and which I had thirds on. I talked to Geoff, who remembered me from when he spent sometime volunteering with Back to Godhead magazine in Alachua over ten years before. One devotee lady offered to have me speak on one phone conference call lecture she arranges.

I thought $13 each way on the train to New Brunswick was too much, and so I was happy to get a ride back to Brooklyn with some devotee friends. I arrived at the locked Brooklyn temple at 2:00 a.m. on a cold November night and chanted in the warm subway station until the pujari came to wake the deities at 3:50 a.m. Although I had only slept an hour, I ended up singing the mangala-arati prayers as the person who did it usually did not show up. My visit to Sacred Sounds made for an intense and long day, but it was well worth it, and I hope to go again if I am in New York City when it happens in the future.

My Mother Wins Peace Award

My 89-year old mother, Pat Beetle, won an award for her peace activism in the year 2013, given by a New York State Capital District group called Women Against War. My sister said that our mom has been inviting her to go to these different awards programs from time to time and she had not gone, but she was going to go this time. I decided that as I was going go to Albany to visit my mother at some point I would go then too. My mother has helped me in many ways in addition to taking care of me as a child. She bought me a ticket to see my diksa guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, in Ireland, and to go to the Polish Woodstock, back in 2001. I liked the Woodstock so much I attended it for the last thirteen years. She has also helped contribute to my transatlantic airline tickets. She funded a trip that we took to South India, which culminated in her going to Mayapur. Thus I decided that in reciprocation it would be good to go to the meeting where she was honored.

In this picture, you see my mother on the extreme right, and my sister, Karen, next to her. I am in the back and on the left is Jun-San, a Buddhist monk and peace activist.



Jun-San chants that Buddhist mantra “Nam(u)-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō” at different peace rallies around the world for hours on end, usually with drum accompaniment. When she heard about our chanting Hare Krishna at Union Square for six hours every day of the year, she was impressed. Because Buddhists are famous for meditation, I asked her about meditation, and she replied that she hated meditation. That was the funniest thing I had heard recently—a Buddhist monk who hated meditation. Upon reflection, I took that to mean that she was such an activist that silent meditation was not so important for her.

There were three different posters made showing some of my mother’s activities:





One women named Maureen spoke about my mother’s career as an activist, and that my mother has been for forty years clerk of the peace and service committee in the Albany Friends Meeting, did service for the Capital Area Mediation Group, was founder of Peace Action, worked on the nuclear weapons freeze campaign, reminded people of the horrors of nuclear weapons on the anniversary of Hiroshima each year, and founded a group called Grannies for Peace, which got good publicity. Maureen concluded by appreciating her sisterhood, mentoring, and inspiration.

My mother spoke and told some other details about her life. “I thought more about peace when I became involved with the Albany Friends Meeting and joined the vigil protesting the Vietnam War. In 1976, I, along with my two teenage kids, joined the Continental Walk for Disarmament and Social Justice on the part from Albany to New York. I was involved with alternatives to violence programs in prisons which made me more concerned about criminal justice. I worked with an International Center women’s group, helping visiting and immigrant ladies from around the world, and also spent time helping refugees from Central America, and participating in the Women Peace Encampment of 1983. I visited Israel and Palestine to better understand the situation there, and I visited Cuba as well.”

After they honored my mother at the Women Against War meeting, climate change activist Rachel Smolker spoke, and I learned more about that issue.

Those who accept the Vedic wisdom know about the predictions of government corruption in this age, and Ms. Smolker gave some examples of that in her talk:

The military is exempt from both the reporting of and the regulations on carbon emissions and green house gasses.
The military is aware of the climate change issue and is investigating it, while at the same time contributing greatly to it. For example:
A B-52 bomber burns 86 barrels of oil per hour.
A F-4 Phantom fighter/bomber devours 40 barrels per hour.

One year for each $94 spent for the military just $1 was spent for climate change preparation. The next year for each $41 for spent for military $1 was spent for climate change preparation, a slight improvement.

The Vedic wisdom describes our disease as conditioned souls is that we want to imitate God. Ms. Smolker also discussed a whole new field of study dedicated to just that, synthetic biology.

In synthetic biology, they do things like create a genetic code for a yeast cell so it will digest cellulose and create a new energy source. In this field, the military is also trying to produce through genetic manipulation organisms that excrete explosive substances.

Other interesting points Ms. Smolker made in her talk included:

It is a myth that bioenergy has lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels.

Albert Einstein once said, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

When asked, “Do you have any reason to be optimistic about the health the planet?”
She replied, “I do not feel optimistic, but our best chance is compassion and making a spiritual connection between ourselves and the earth.”

It is interesting that her only hope was in compassion and making spiritual connections.

Regarding the ecology and the military, she shared a humorous web page touching on those topics, a web page that no longer exists:

“Green War?

“War and violence have always caused major destruction and loss, but it does not have to be this way anymore. The sustainable military development company GreenWar can help make environmentally-friendly, energy-conserving, carbon-neutral, ecological conflicts. Go green with GreenWar and give ‘war’ a chance. A chance to do good. Good for Mother Nature, good for you!”

Prasadam Distribution in Albany

My main Krishna outreach in Albany is distribution of Krishna prasadam. I was fortunate to have the chance to cook for two potluck events in Albany in the three days I was there, the Women Against War meeting attended by about sixty people and the Friends Meeting lunch which my mother and I attended along with fifteen or twenty others. I made a beautiful carrot-coconut rice from Yamuna’s cookbook and mint coconut burfi for the Women Against War meeting. The rice was eaten almost entirely, and about half the coconut sweet, primarily due to competition with a variety of cakes and pies. Some of the people who remembered my coconut sweets from my previous visits to Albany made sure to take some despite the other desserts. For the Friends Meeting I made baked yams and laddus. The yams were completely finished, and half the laddus, only because I made enough for thirty-two people. I felt very successful because of the appreciation of the prasadam. I am thankful to my mother and sister for the raw ingredients and the kitchen facilities that were essential to my success.

For dinner at my sister’s place, I made kotfa balls following a recipe in Yamuna’s cookbook, and amazing they came out better than ever before. I prayed to Radharani and played a Badahari das Prabhu CD as usual while cooking in Albany. It was a real cooperative adventure with my mom buying the ingredients, my sister, Karen, grating the carrots for the kofta and making the spaghetti and the sauce, her boyfriend, Victor, grating the cabbages for the kofta, and myself making the batter for the koftas and cooking them.

Once day I brought a pot of soup for lunch to my guru, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and his helpers, and after the meal, his longtime servant, Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu, filled the same pot with all the ingredients for palak paneer as he knows my family likes it. 



All I had to do was cook it and offer it to Krishna.It was great. They all loved it.


You can try his recipe. (That is 8 lbs. of spinach.)

Another day I brought a pot of soup for my friend, Peter Howard, and his family. Peter got to meet the devotees when Romapada Swami asked me if I knew where his sankirtana party could stay in the Albany area, and I suggested the farm belonging to Burt Howard, Peter’s father. Now Peter chants Hare Krishna on beads and attends the big Hare Krishna festival called Ratha-yatra in New York City each year. While visiting Peter, I played harmonium, and he and his girlfriend chanted the “Damodarastakam” in celebration of Karttika and some Hare Krishna mantras as well.


To see the pictures which I took but did not include in this journal, click on the link below or copy it to your web browser:


The unused pictures appear after the used ones in the folder of pictures.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 9.362, purport:

“One who strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will actually be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession. Those who want to attain life’s ultimate goal must follow this principle.”

from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.19.4, purport:

“. . . a pure devotee will not ask anything from the Lord. He simply offers the Lord his respectful obeisances, and the Lord is prepared to accept whatever the devotee can secure to worship Him, even patram puspam phalam toyam [Bg. 9.26]—a leaf, flower, fruit or water. There is no need to artificially exert oneself. It is better to be plain and simple and with respectful obeisances offer to the Lord whatever one can secure. The Lord is completely able to bless the devotee with all opulences.”

from Sri Isopanisad, verse 13:

“Here also in Sri Isopanisad it is verified that one achieves different results by different modes of worship. If we worship the Supreme Lord, we will certainly reach Him in His eternal abode, and if we worship demigods like the sun-god or moon-god, we can reach their respective planets without a doubt. And if we wish to remain on this wretched planet with our planning commissions and our stopgap political adjustments, we can certainly do that also.”

“One who is in passion cannot become detached from material hankering, and one who is in ignorance cannot know what he is or what the Lord is. Thus when one is in passion or ignorance, there is no chance for self-realization, however much one may play the part of a religionist. For a devotee, the modes of passion and ignorance are removed by the grace of the Lord. In this way the devotee becomes situated in the quality of goodness, the sign of a perfect brahmana.Anyone can qualify as a brahmanaif he follows the path of devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master.”

from Sri Isopanisad, verse 14:

“Material scientists and politicians are trying to make this place deathless because they have no information of the deathless spiritual nature. This is due to their ignorance of the Vedic literature, which contains full knowledge confirmed by mature transcendental experience. Unfortunately, modern man is averse to receiving knowledge from the Vedas, Puranas and other scriptures.”

from a lecture on The Nectar of Devotion:

If your mind is too agitated, it is better to sit in the temple and chant Hare Krishna until it becomes peaceful again, not that we unnecessarily remain in a state of lamentation.

Just by developing Krishna consciousness every member of society will become happy.

Some people say, “If everyone became Krishna conscious, how will the world go on?” But do we need the world to go on as it is, with the stealing of others property, etc.? Realistically there is not a danger of everyone becoming Krishna conscious.

Whether one acts according to Vedic direction or his own imagination, if he acts for the pleasure Krishna, he is rightly situated.

Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra cannot be checked. If you are poor, you can still chant Hare Krishna.

from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.20 given on June 17, 1972 in Los Angeles:

“Just as a chaste woman is meant for her husband, a chaste tongue is meant for chanting Hare Krishna and tasting Krishna prasada.If you can simply engage your tongue in chanting Hare Krishna and tasting Krishna prasada,you become perfect. Simple thing. There is no difficulty. Whenever there is time, chant Hare Krishna. And when you feel hungry, take Krishna prasada.And live here peacefully. . . . By talking nonsense we allow our span of life to be diminished by the sunrise and sunset. But if we talk about Urugaya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then our life cannot be taken away. It cannot be decreased. It will be eternal–simply by doing these two things. If we engage the tongue in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, then we can see God eye to eye.”

from a letter to Satsvarupa Dasa, January 11, 1971:

“I want all our students to write articles for our transcendental magazine [Back to Godhead].”

from a letter to Hayagriva Dasa, July 12, 1969:

“Regarding articles for BTG,I have already issued instructions to all centers requesting my disciples to send articles every month, and I am going to repeat it again for the second time.”

Prahladananda Swami:

The more we hanker, the more we lament. When we are free from hankering and lamenting we are liberated. On the platform of Krishna consciousness, we hanker for Krishna and lament that we have not achieved Krishna.

If I want to be someone’s friend, I should think of how to give them Krishna. Krishna is what they are actually looking for. They are looking for a situation of eternal happiness, but that can only be achieved by attaining Krishna.

The body is not dying; it is already dead. As spiritual souls we leave the body. As souls we do not have to worry about dying but accepting many bodies and then leaving them.

As a baby all he can say is “googoo googoo.” His parents are impressed. They do not know in his last life he was a chemistry professor and he won the Nobel Prize, and now all he can say is “googoo googoo.”

As we hanker for the holy name and lament we do not have it, Krishna gradually reveals more and more to us about our spiritual situation and our relationship with Him.

My relationship with my husband, my wife, my children, my dog, my cat, my parakeet, can all be spiritual if we see them as souls and engage them in Krishna’s service. Help them all to be Krishna conscious as Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised.

Having a taste for hearing and chanting about Krishna means we like Krishna, and not having a taste for hearing and chanting about Krishna means we do not like Krishna, at least as much as we like other things. By engaging our propensities in the Lord’s service, we become purified and get a taste for hearing and chanting about Krishna, but if we are unwilling to engage our propensities in Krishna’s service, then we will not become purified and we will not get a taste for hearing and chanting about Krishna.

The great souls talk about how we can direct our energy so that we can experience Krishna.

One becomes satisfied when he is not exploiting others for his sense gratification nor disturbed by others attempting to exploit him for their sense gratification.

We cannot expect to have prema or love for Krishna if we still have lust, greed, and anger in our heart.

We can have taste for Krishna consciousness if our material desires are so minimized that they do not disturb our devotional service.

The symptom that we are still revolting against Krishna is that when Krishna says to do something, we do just the opposite.

From taste (ruci) wedevelop attachment for Krishna (asakti), feelings for Krishna (bhava), and finally love for Krishna (prema).

For the neophyte devotees, who are not liberated, hearing about how souls are suffering in illusion due to the external energy of the Lord is the topics of the Lord they need to hear.

Without experiencing transcendental pleasure within, it is not possible to renounce sense gratification without.

They did a study with rats on a box of shredded wheat to understand its nutritional value, but the rats ate the box and left the shredded wheat.

Because Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was absorbed in transcendental feelings of separation from Krishna he was detached from so many material things.

The soul has no real problem. His body has so many problems, and the problem of the soul is that he thinks he is the body, and therefore, he thinks he has so many problems.

Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a perfect example of how we can solve all problems by completely dedicating ourselves to the activities of the soul.

Hong Kong is so expensive there are people who live in the sewer.

Our body is always changing, and so we can legitimately ask which body we are actually serving.

We should ask what is the purpose of having a material body. For one with a human body, our mission is to understand our relationship with God.

Our body is just the part that we are playing for this one life. We like to imagine that we are playing a very important role in the drama, but in actuality, we are simply struggling to survive.

Real progress in life to realize our spiritual identity.

Focus on our spiritual identity does not do much for the Gross National Product, and therefore, we are not trained in our educational systems to understand how to realize our spiritual identity.

People are in anxiety about what has happened to them so far, and in even more anxiety about what will happen to them in the future.

Everything is Krishna’s and when we forget that, we become covered by maya, or illusion. Krishna’s property should be used in Krishna’s service, and to understand how to do that we consult Bhagavad-gita and the spiritual master.

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:


Krishnahnika Kaumudi: The White Lotus of Radha-Krishna’s Daily Pastimes
by Kavi-karnapura Gosvami
Third Ray of Light
Forenoon Pastimes
Purvahna-lila 8:36–10:48 A.M.
Going to the Forest (continued)

“Whether close by or far away, all the cows
and boys receive the same affection from Krishna as they offer to Him.”

“As soon as they hear Govinda’s flute, the inert entities
start singing and the vocal entities fall silent.
River waves freeze and cease their movement;
immobile objects begin moving and solid objects turn to liquid.
Thus Krishna’s flute song reverses
the functions of nature. The world dances in wonderful ways when Sri Krishna presses His flute to His bimba-fruit lips.
The leaves of all the trees stand on
end. The birds tremble as tears glide down their wings.
Their jaws locked in paralysis, the animals stop chewing and stare
in astonishment. The mountains are covered with perspiration.”

Krishnahnika Kaumudi: The White Lotus of Radha-Krishna’s Daily Pastimes
by Kavi-karnapura Gosvami
Third Ray of Light
Forenoon Pastimes
Purvahna-lila 8:36–10:48 A.M.
Going to the Forest (continued)

“Syamasundara is that remarkable personality
with a dark complexion who sports
in the garden of love, who attracts
Cupid by His unsurpassed beauty
and who offers His love to all
with a smile from His reservoir of nectar.”

“Today’s drawing shows four
bhaktasdancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
Their faces are joyful
and their movements are
so graceful that they
attract many onlookers
to their harinama.
They are the greatest welfare
workers because they
are distributing love of
God in the form
of the holy names.
The people of the
world are bereft and hungry for
lack of Krishna-prema.
They are looking
for happiness
in illusory places.
But if they will stop
and listen to
the sound vibration
of these men
they will find
the answer to their prayers.”






















“Today’s drawing shows four
bhaktasdancing and chanting
with upraised arms.
They appear blissful
and they are dancing
with one another.
The camaraderie of
harinamais a wonderful
thing. All possible differences
between them dissolve
and they enter the spirit
of brotherly love.
They share affection for
one another without motivation.
They are like the branches
of the tree of love of God
made up of the followers
of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda.
Prabhupada writes that
asCaitanya-caritamrtamentions
that devotees in Bengal and Orissa [Odisha],
future accounts will have
to contain the names
of Hare Krishna members
spread all over the world.”

from “Poem for November 5” in Viraha Bhavan:



“Prabhupada’s books present 
pure devotional service
on almost every page.
He advocates pure
devotional service
thus he is teaching
the most advanced knowledge,
and one
simply has to apply it
to one’s life,
and he will get the effect.
The charge that his
books are teaching
only the preliminary
instructions is unfounded.
He teaches plenty of
vaidhi-bhakti,which is
necessary for us.
But he cites readings
of ragunaga bhakti
for the stage of loving
transcendental service.

In the Antya-lila of Caitanya-caritamrta
he writes of Lord Caitanya’s intense
feelings of separation,
a most confidential
topic, and in the talks with Ramananda
Raya, the position of gopi-manjari
is explained. In the Krishnabook
the five chapters of the rasadance
are thoroughly discussed. The
Nectar of Devotiondiscusses deeply esoteric
aspects of devotional service.

In the purports of Srimad-Bhagavatam and
Caitanya-caritamrta all knowledge is
revealed, and in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is
the spirit that
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is given on every page.
Srila Prabhupada’s books can be read
again and again, and one will
always see new lights.
There is nothing lacking.”

from Radio Shows:

“Somehow or other, introduce Krishna and give these people Krishna consciousness. It’s bound to work because Krishna consciousness is not sectarian. It’s not an artificial imposition on the mind. It’s the original consciousness of the living entity. Just chant and this sound vibration will open the heart. Prabhupada’s daring and conviction still holds the Krishna consciousness movement together. His teachings are the cutting edge.”

Yogesvara Prabhu:

I appreciate Sharon Gannon and Jivamukti Yoga School because they openly say “Without opening your heart to God, your yoga practice is useless.” I cannot think of three yoga centers in the country with such an open attitude toward God.

Bhakti has always been there in yoga texts, even before Patanjali.

Q (by Yogesvara Prabhu): What does it mean to be a yogi?
A (by Sharon Gannon): A yogi is striving to live in harmony with the earth and all living beings on the earth, and to love God better.

[The dialog continues with Yogesvara Prabhu posing questions to Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga School, who practices bhakti following the path of Vallabhacarya.]

Q: How to begin?
A: I do not think yoga should be proselytized. The desire arises in the heart. Association with spiritually minded people is the first step. Association can be in terms of persons, books, movies, etc.

Q: What was it like it for you to first encounter yoga?
A: I grew up as a Catholic. I loved being around the nuns at school. I liked that better than being at my home. I liked hearing of the pastimes of Jesus, mystical and magical and otherworldly things. I was fascinated by visiting a convent. I learned I did not have to do the usual things that a woman did, like get married, and have kids—I could be a bride of God. There is a lot of movement in the Catholic mass like a Surya namaskara, there is prasadam (spiritual food), and seva (spiritual service). So I do not think I changed so much in encountering yoga.

In this Kali-yuga, anyone who has any slightest interest in yoga, they are just continuing from a previous practice in a previous life.

If you have the ticket of compassion you can get abroad a bus to the Lord.

Q: What about climate change? Can yoga provide an answer?
A: Yes. We should find other ways to enjoy life than producing children and consuming goods, such as spiritual association.

God will take of everything if we place our faith in the source of love itself.
You have to practice remembering God in all circumstances. You have to make your desire to take His shelter, to always think sri krishna saranam mama.[Krishna is my shelter.]

Q: What about the reaction we get when we start talking about taking complete shelter of God?
A: It does not bother me if people choose not to follow the devotional path or the yoga path. Most people are not ready to strive for joy or for freedom. It seems to me most people are attached to their suffering.

You can call God Krishna or any other name. The important thing is to call Him.
Patanjali just used the word isvara (Lord) rather than a particular name of God.

Yogesvara Prabhu:

We must be confident of our specific truth that we can step out of it and appreciate the realizations of others.

Bhakti is not about defeating other traditions but honoring how other traditions love and honor that same supreme being that we worship.

A Jewish author [the rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik] wrote a book, The Lonely Man of Faith, that explains that ultimately we must walk the path of devotion alone.

Legislation does not change the human heart. We have to change the human heart through yoga and come to understand that as spiritual children of the same supreme father we have to care about others.

Sharon:

We must take the road that will increase bliss.

Gauri Prabhu:

from “The Vaishnava Path in George’s Harrison’s Songs,” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 48, No. 1, Jan / Feb 2014:

In the obituaries [of George Harrison], his most often recurring quote was “Everything else can wait, but the search for God …”

Krishnanandani Devi Dasi:

from “Krishna, the Chief Enjoyment Officer (CEO)” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 48, No. 1, Jan / Feb 2014:

“The nineteenth-century Scottish writer Alexander Chalmers wrote, ‘The three grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.’ According to the Bhagavad-gitaand the Vaishnava preceptors, the ‘someone to love’ is Krishna, the ‘something to do’ is serve Krishna, and the ‘something to hope for’ is pure, unmotivated, uninterrupted devotional service to Krishna.”

“‘God is love.’ My mother and grandparents said this time and time again when I was growing up. In Krishna consciousness we have a refined understanding of that laudable sentiment: Krishna, being absolute, is identical with His quality of infinite love.”

“In the Qu’ran we learn, ‘The most beautiful names belong to God, so call upon Him by them.’”

Caitanya Carana Prabhu:

from “Writing for Krishna: The Price and The Prize” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 48, No. 1, Jan / Feb 2014:

“. . . writing is a way to worship Krishna. When we write, we are decorating with our words the deity of Krishna manifested as His message.”

“I know that if I write and submit an article for BTG, I have a guaranteed audience of at least five individuals–and five senior devotees at that. Imagine if we were giving a class with five veteran devotee-scholars in the audience. We would feel honored by their presence and would feel grateful if after the class they gave us some feedback. The same opportunity beckons all of us each time we submit an article to BTG.”

Prabhu:

Govardhana Hill is mentioned in Ramayanain this connection.Hanuman thought that the construction of the bridge to Lanka was going too slowly with animals throwing pebbles into the water, so he went and asked Govardhana Hill if he would be willing to be part of the bridge. Govardhana was honored to be asked to be engaged in the Lord’s service, but when they returned to the bridge, they found it was complete. Govardhana was heart-broken to lose that chance to serve, but the Lord promised in His next incarnation Govardhana would be useful in His pastimes.

Mataji:

When I was in high school in West Bengal, my mother would offer evening worship to a beautiful picture of Krishna. From meditating on Krishna, I lost my taste for meat and fish, but I was too shy to tell anyone why. I wanted to travel to the Hare Krishna temple in Mayapur, and my mother said she would take me if I again would eat meat and fish because everyone in Bengal eats meat and fish and she would have difficulty finding a husband for me. My mother and sisters went to Mayapur and when they returned they all gave up eating meat and fish, and my father did as well, all by Krishna’s mercy.

Krishna-kripa das:

from a Facebook post:

“When I am away from our temples and my public chanting service, the morning chanting of Hare Krishna on beads seems to be my primary spiritual shelter, and remembering its importance is one virtue of being in such a situation.”

-----

atmendriya-priti-vancha—tare bali ‘kama’
krishnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama


“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krishna is prema [love].” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 4.165)

Sunday, December 1st, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

The Flying Monk?

Varadero, Cuba

It dawned on me that perhaps I should start a blog called The Flying Monk since I’m so much in the air.  But, no chance!  Sitting in aircraft lacks adventure, so there really isn’t too much to speak about except for something that slightly humoured me today – about a couple next to me.

It was Sunwing Airlines flight 627 on its way back to Toronto when all was well with him and her until something was said by one of them that flared up a snarl and a growl which went back and forth for a while.  It was irrelevant what the topic was.  It was none of my business and it was kept hushed enough in volume that it remained private.

Some ambivalence struck me though when I sat through this, especially when the communication broke off.   Initially I felt bad for them, but then I reasoned, hey, this is just normal, get real.

She was in the middle of us two.  When they stopped talking to each other, she switched angles with her body and then swung over to my side to pretend to shut off and sleep.  She practically leaned on me and that was just when I thought I’m glad I’m a monk and I don’t have to go through this type of thing.  I enjoy my singleness.

She sat quite resentful for a minute with her back to him and then turned towards him for one more moment to grab her passport which was set with his in the chair’s pouch in front of him.  She then placed her own passport in her own pouch.  Now, if that isn’t a clear statement about how one person is not on speaking terms, then I don’t know what is.

So now, here’s how a sneak look at the Gita’s chapter 10 comes in handy.  There, Krishna states, “Of subduers, I am time.”  Our grand prince and princess for the hour were taking a much needed chill time.  By the time we all landed, had gone through customs and were waiting at the carousel for luggage, I noticed they were friends again.

Indeed, time plays an important role in life.

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

Somvati Amavasya @ Bhandrivan 2/12/2013 (Album 113 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Somvati Amavasya is the new moon day or the no moon day that falls on a Monday (Somvar). The significance of Somvati Amavasya was explained by Bhisma to Yudhishtra in the Mahabharata. It is said that who ever takes a dip in the important rivers on the day would be prosperous, free of diseases and would be free from grief and sorrow. It is also believed that by taking a dip in the holy rivers the soul of ancestors will rest in peace. Read more ›

Bhaktimarga Swami reaches “Nirvana” in Cuba! :-)
→ Dandavats.com

What a great relief! In Cuba you can approach a person or pass by one on the street and not have to deal with a moat around his castle. I mean to say people here, on the whole, have not yet been burdened by pods and pods or I this or I that I, I, I, I, I,… Yes, I say it’s a consolation, seeing a human being and having it be an eye-to-eye situation, instead of an eye-to-I. There are little or no gadgets. I feel liberated! I feel I’ve reached moksha, nirvana. Read more ›

Bhaktivedanta Academy Students Raise $374 to Support Cow Protection at New Raman Reti
→ Dandavats.com

Bhaktivedanta Academy students raise funds to support the cow protection efforts at the New Raman Reti Temple every year. This year they set a goal of raising $308 for fixing pasture fences and providing feed for the Temple's herd of cows. Students did odd jobs around their homes, tapped into their personal savings (piggy banks), and in some cases, went out into the community distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books with their parents. As a result of all these efforts, we presented a check for $374 to the Save the Cow program! Read more ›

Great news for fans of HG Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari: “Christmas is…Not on Vaishnava Calendar,” (2 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Great news for fans of HG Yama Niyama Dasa Brahmachari—his new Holiday CD, "Christmas is...Not on Vaishnava Calendar," is now finally recorded. Now you can give the most jolly, unique, and inspiring Christmas gifts to friends and family by showing your support now for the first ever Vaishnava Christmas CD in the history of the world. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And remember, "Yamaraja is Coming to Town." Read more ›

Krishna Kids Camp 2013 – Detroit ISKCON (Album 83 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

So I decided to stay during the 4 days of camp with my 3 children at the Mandir. The prabhuji's and the mataji's were so warm and friendly and welcoming. My children and I made so many friends. Infact my children were sad to see the camp end on Saturday. I couldn't believe my eldest daughter was chosen to play the part of Lord Krishna in the small play that the older children performed for the other parents on Saturday. With all the positive encouragement and help of her teachers at the camp she did an amazing job!" Read more ›

A Sincere Devotee Has Full Faith
→ Japa Group

"One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy name. A sincere devotee has full faith in the Holy name. He always tries to improve his chanting by pulling out the weeds of illicit desires. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves on the path of devotion by surrendering moment to moment to the Lord of attraction."

From Illuminations On Nama Aparadha
by Mahanidhi Swami

VIHE Holy Name Retreat, Kirtan Day, November 22, Varsana, Vraja Mandala
Giriraj Swami

11.22.13_02.Vdvn11.22.13_01.Vdvn————————————————————————————————–
“Somehow or other we have been called here to Vrindavan. And we can see that something wonderful is behind this thin curtain. Now, the question, of course,  is how to remove the curtain. And the answer is that we don’t have the capacity to remove the curtain. But if we can chant Krishna’s names in such a way that we are seriously calling, expressing a serious desire to see and serve behind the curtain, or if we can just chant attentively, trying to develop a mood of ‘Please accept me. Please allow me to serve you. Please allow me to taste the sweetness that is fully there in this dhama‘ — because the spiritual realm is so apparent here, if we chant with that kind of focus, then clearly the Divine Couple and all Their associates who are there behind this thin veil can hear us.” —Bhurijana dasa

Kirtan by Giriraj Swami
Kirtan by Bhurijana dasa
Talk by Sacinandana Swami
Kirtan by Sacinandana Swami
Conclusion by Sacinandana Swami

Levels of consciousness
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, BYS Lecture)

kks_radhadesh_lecture under the tree_2013I’m thinking about Carl Jung who in an interview was asked, “Mr Jung, would you say that you believe in God?”

That’s a basic question when you interview Carl Jung because everybody knows that Jung was very religious.

But Jung said, “No, I don’t believe in God.”

The interviewer was shocked. Shocked! How could he say this? Jung? What happened? Did he lose his faith?

Then Jung said, “No, I don’t believe in God. I know that God exists!”

Now we’ve come to the fourth level. On the fourth level, we go beyond belief – we go to the level of experience. Here we break through into a mystical realm, a realm where there is an experience of a higher reality, where there is an experience of divinity that goes beyond theory.

I’ll quickly do a resume in numbers. In level one we are concerned with basic survival; in level two, with relationships; in level three, with enquiry into the purpose of life; and level four is actually a knowing of the mystical reality and having an experience of divinity. In level five, we have a full experience of living in that reality. In level five, one lives in one’s spiritual identity, and one is in this world as a liberated soul. Externally one may be here, but internally, one is in the eternal spiritual reality. So these are the levels of consciousness that are depicted in the vedic literature.

 

 

Marathon
→ Seed of Devotion

Imagine - your name is Phillipides and you're a soldier and professional runner in the Greek army. One fateful morning, the general of the army summons you: You must deliver the news that we were victorious over the Persians, but they are fast approaching Athens and plan to surprise attack. The only way to deliver this news is to run.

The distance is 24 miles.

You are exhausted. Battle-worn. But you firm your resolve and nod to your general, accept the mission.

You run. From the plains of Marathon to the city of Athens, you run the distance in 3 hours. Upon arrival, you cry the word, "Niki!" (Victory!) and fall to the ground and breathe your last.

Sorry you had to die, man. But what's the tale of one of the most famous battles in history without a little drama?

This is the tale of the marathon race. It's a story of urgency, sacrifice, bravery.

And this is kind of where I'm at with Seed of Devotion. I made a vow to publish 40 blog posts for the year 2013. I still have 12 to write, and there are only 29 days left.

This means I need to publish a post about every 2 or 3 days, which is pretty unprecedented in the history of Seed of Devotion.

As a woman of my word, it's time to nod to my general, accept the challenge. Time to run from

here

to

there.

I'm not quite sure how I'll do it. Not quite sure what I'll share or what will come out. All I know is that now is the time. Time to open up, be brave.

Write!

I may not die when I reach my 40th post, but for sure I shall cry out, "Niki!"


Subscribe

Saturday, November 30th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

The Kissin’ Kind

Varadero, Cuba
 
There were a number of wet faces, tears being shed while viewing the documentary, “Your Ever Well Wisher”. An old movie house, cinema 23, in Habana, now refurbished played host to this 30 year old account of the life of the most prominent Krishna monk of recent times. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s life, whom his followers beautifully address as his Divine Grace as well as Prabhupada, is documented in this film. I guess it’s been 20 years since I viewed it. It tapped my emotions seeing it again.
 
I especially loved the image where he is depicted in a dark room, from a distance. A faint light sheds enough illumination to do his important work, in the wee hours of some morning, speaking in a Dictaphone as translation work on his books. I find it fascinating: this elderly person, a father to so many of us, working tirelessly for the world, even taking on the world. He challenged the status quo with his purports and had us believing in conspiracy concepts that were not for us to immerse ourselves in. He had us trusting in a powerful deity, Krishna, who had multiple manifestations such as Buddha.
 
For our last day in Cuba, location Varadero at the Memories Resort, our Canadian contingent from Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto regrouped. While having a chat, a woman, a tourist from Niagara Falls, Ontario, approached me.
 
“Hello, how are you?” she said. “You’re Buddhist?”
 
“I’m a Krishna monk.”
 
I didn’t volunteer to express the similarities of the two cultures. I relayed that I a pilgrim having trekked Canada now almost completing a fourth time.
 
It was a brief encounter. Here at the resort, it’s not Cuba. It’s a tourist destination. There is a gulf of difference between Cuba and this 22 KM stretch of beach.
 
I wonder what the Cubans think of us tourists. From my perspective tourists are more unshapely, sour-puss faced and more cordial than warm.  There’s really an aspect of this country that the world can learn from. People here are not spoiled by capitalism. They are very loving and kissin’ kind and are easily touched by a person (Prabhupada) whose message is for all.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
5 KM

Friday, November 29th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Get Down With Bhagavatam
 
Habana, Cuba
 
It was India’s Ambassador for Cuba, C. Rajasekhar, whom we had the pleasure to meet yesterday at the embassy’s stately building at Calle 21, Vedado in Habana. India has had a special bond with Cuba for generations. From the main lobby to ascending the stairs to the Ambassador’s room, the walls are flanked with photos of dignitaries representing both countries, for instance Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Fidel Castro and others are seen in mutual exchange with each other.
 
Our small contingent simply made this a courtesy visit. We had no other agenda but to keep up a communication. Rajasekhar mentioned that he wished to join me on my next pilgrimage. I alluded to the fact that it’s not in India that I traverse, rather it’s outside of India.
 
“Please let me know. I want to accompany you.”
 
“In Canada?”
 
“Yes, why not?”
 
Apart from thinking that it would be an honour, I raced in my mind what the logistics would be. We shall see.
 
Then he asked for a publication of the book “Bhagavatam”.  “It’s a text that was engrained in the family.” he said.
 
“Consider it done!”
 
It was this evening in the midst of monsoonal rains that I ventured with another contingent to the Episcopal College some blocks from the Embassy where I was asked to introduce mature students to the epical book “The Bhagavatam”. Somewhere in the course of the delivery I mentioned “Noah’s Ark”. At that moment torrents came down while we were comfortably set in the classroom. Timing couldn’t have been better.
 
The response to the class was absolutely wonderful. We even slid in an opportunity for all to chant together, not that the philosophy of the Bhagavat is alien to transcendental sound. In addition to the other visit at the college we also took quality time to tell of Bhagavatam stories to eager listeners to our small devotional ranks here in Cuba.
 
For the day’s overview it was several times that we dodged rain, even to and from the college on foot. Content to be embraced by the pastimes contained in the Bhagavatam, we couldn’t help noticing on our return to our room, the bars in Habana being occupied. From a monk’s perspective I wondered, “I’m glad I can take a daily drink of this divine text’s message. I’m fortunate to have left the pub scene behind and taken to the monastic way.”
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Thursday, November 28th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

On the Roads in Cuba
 
Havana, Cuba
 
A man promptly trailed along the street with one of those famous Cuban cigars set in his mouth. I had expected more of this type of image in Cuba. I see few young folks smoking them. They resort more to cigarettes.
 
According to one of our Cuban members here, Raja Guyam, ´´Cubans are not so big on drugs as they are on drinking, and gambling is out of the question. In ’59 it was outlawed and you get penalized quite heavily if found doing so.´´.
 
When we conducted our second initiation on the island on this trip, the candidates who made their vows, have no qualms about abstinence towards gambling and for the most part intoxication. When I looked into the eyes of those initiates as they expressed their commitments, I wished with an optic discharge that they would do well. I said, “Be an inspiration to others.”  Being quite young, Claudia is a young mother to the first Vaishnav baby boy in Cuba and has a good chance to succeed with a supportive husband, who is now in Spain on a scholarship. Alex the other initiate is only 20, with a promising future could easily be swept away given his good looks, so we wish him well. Stay in spiritual company and you are safe.
 
Hayagriva and I, along with two female devotees, took to the charm of streets in Rodas. We compare life here to the villages in India: simple circumstance with modest homes and basic needs being met. Walking in such a neighbourhood is heart-warming.
 
Opportunities to walk came in doses. On the autopista, an eight lane highway, en route to Habana, for washroom breaks I vied to walk a stretch of it. I figured people need to get used to the robes. I’m going to be coming regularly.
 
The final trek was along the Malecon, the sea walk, where the road was actually closed to the traffic. The Atlantic seemed angry with blasts of water spraying over into the several lanes. We kept our distance from these water walls which have the potential to totally knock you out. Danger lurks at every step.
 
Alex is now Adidev. Claudia is Chaitanya Lila. Congratulations!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Never Before
 
Rodas, Cuba
 
Never before had such loud thunderclaps fallen on these ears.
 
5 AM was our agreed-upon time for a trek through and beyond the town Rodas, a place we visited last year. Friends from Matanzas had taken what seemed like the day-long bus ride to this place and had now converged for a walk. Cuba and Canadian contingents unit, I guess you could say. In the early wake of dawn Indra, the god of rain, had shown his generous side.
 
Quick! We moved to the nearest shelter and spent a good 2½ hours there in a meaningful chatter of things that were devotional. The young Cuban devotees were eager to hear from Hayagriva and I. At that time we shared what we could as stormy dynamics occupied the space beyond the old Spanish-flavoured edifice we took protection within.
 
Once heavy rains cleared replaced by sprinkle, we headed for the home of our host, Mercedes and her husband who is a Steve Martin look-alike. After a smoothie (Cubans had never heard the term before) we went into further bhakti discussions. (By the way, the smoothie, my concoction, consisted of yogurt, fresh guavas, bananas and a tomato.)
 
The afternoon engagement was held at a local Culture House, a decent facility with an art gallery and a hall equipped with a stage. Electricity wasn’t up to par, it was just not working, period. I spoke more or less in a half-lit/half-dark situation about Vaisnava art culture which was followed by participants chanting. As the term was used before, we are fun addicts, and hopefully not perceived as fanatics.
 
A second public venue for the day was the movie house, a cozy place really, where the spiritually inclined gravitated; about thirty in number. The task at hand was to keep the very young who were present, seniors and all in between, perked-up, so we implemented some improvisation and enactment of the philosophy of the Gita. Volunteers came forward to portray images from the text. To give an example, “Be a lotus” for instance, the message being, “Remain dry in the midst of water or be unaffected by material entanglement”.
 
The meal at the end was novel-spaghetti and sweet potato halava.
 
All is good with our stay in Cuba. Not only did Steve Martin appear to be with us, but a Ray Charles look-alike also participated. No he didn’t play music but he sang with us with Krishna on his mind.
 
May the Source be with you!
 
4 KM

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
→ The Walking Monk

Relief!
 
Santa Clara, Cuba
 
What a great relief!
 
In Cuba you can approach a person or pass by one on the street and not have to deal with a moat around his castle. I mean to say people here, on the whole, have not yet been burdened by pods and pods or I this or I that I, I, I, I, I,…
 
Yes, I say it’s a consolation, seeing a human being and having it be an eye-to-eye situation, instead of an eye-to-I. There are little or no gadgets. I feel liberated! I feel I’ve reached moksha, nirvana.
 
A small group of us from Canada went on a two block excursion on the street in Santa Clara to test the waters of human interaction. Cuba strikes No.1 on my gauge of personalism. We got such a nice response. There was no bar between us and them. Our kirtan actually was a raft, slow chant with a drum beat to boot. Inquisitive they were.
 
We found the same at Cuba’s renowned “El Mejunje”, a community square in the heart of Santa Clara when Iksvaku, a Cuban-born American, conducted a fire ceremony for three new initiates in Krishna Consciousness. The audience was curious and yet divided. To one side were the managers of the place. Hugged around the small fire pit were committed devotees. The tattered bleachers directly in front of the pit were spiritual seekers. To the other side were young lovers locked in each other arms. To the far right of the pit were the hipsters. I saw these distinct groups yet they all became one during the final chanting session as we “sweat like hogs” in dance under three shady flamboyant trees with three sided graphitized walls.
 
By the way the three ladies taking diksha were Maite, on behalf of my godbrother, Jayapataka, is now Madhumati Vishaka. Santa is now Sruti and Nancy is now Nandarani.
 
A regret is that I couldn’t walk much. It was a full-on bus ride to Santa Clara from Matanzas. Only by evening did the opportunity avail itself. People are not so car-dependant here. In some villages, half the transportation is by horse and carriage. What else is different? In Cuban homes, toilets and faucets don’t always work, although rainwater from a tank could suffice. You get used to it.
 
One thing I’m also getting used to, is communicating with human beings that are straight-on, with no device between us. Agreeable! It’s so nice!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM

Our Stories: Come home, all is forgiven!
→ Vaisnava Connection - London Temples

Two devotees who used to come online seem to have disappeared from Mayapur TV!  Maybe they are getting more live association… anyone seen them?  Anyway, here are their stories, which they sent in many moons ago.

Annaanna

 

I first met devotees nearly seven years ago* in Reading, UK.  I remember that I’d seen devotees before on trips to London. They struck me as strange, with their dancing and hippy- looking clothing, so when I saw them in Reading I made a concerted effort to walk around them and gave them sideways looks from afar.

Then one day I was stopped by a devotee.  At the time I was a practising Jew.  I’d converted a few years before and had a solid plan to return to Israel where I’d spent time and become an Orthodox Jew, living a strict religious life in a Jerusalem suburb somewhere.

So I stopped, and smiled warily, ready for the conversion type tactics I’d encountered with Christian missionaries, ready for an argument and to defend my choice of faith.  What I got instead was a smile, and a pleasant conversation about what I believed in and where I was from. I made it clear Krishna wasn’t for me and instead of hell fire and damnation I got another smile and a wish for a nice day.  I walked away surprised.

After that I bumped into devotees on a few other occasions. Once or twice I took a book, remembering that first devotee, flicked through it and read the odd page.  I got something about a blue God, who liked cows and pretty girls.  It confirmed my feeling that those Hare Krishna people were strange, so I put the books in a corner and forgot about them.

Fast forward a few years and I’d given up my ideas of Orthodox Judaism:  too many rules and not enough spirituality – I couldn’t hack it. I still went to Synagogue and taught Hebrew, but I felt myself slowly drifting away.  I started re-exploring the ”alternative” beliefs of my teen years. I went to Buddhist meditation classes, flirted with Wicca, and tried to be a good Jew in between, and wrestled furiously with myself over what I thought I should be believing.

Somewhere along the way I became interested in Hinduism. It seemed to fit in well with my ideas on God so I read and checked out some websites.   The more I read, the more I liked, so one day I decided to check out a temple. By Krishna’s merciful arrangement the nearest and most accessible temple to me was Radha London Isvara in Soho, London.

I’d checked out the website, and knew it belonged to Hare Krishnas. So I went, remembering the encounters of my past, determined to satisfy my interest and nothing more.  Those weird Hare Krishnas were NOT having me!

What I found in the temple was not a cult or a bunch of white hippies trying to be Indians as I had expected, but a place full of light and music, colour and welcoming smiles.   Devotees were friendly and helpful; no conversion tactics, just openness and friendly faces that patiently answered my questions, no matter how challenging they were.    But more than that, I felt like I had come home.  The sights and sounds were strange, but familiar all at the same time. All my concerns melted away:  it felt like a place I could stay forever.

The story really starts there. I left that day in a bubble of happiness.  I felt like I’d been purified.  I swapped my Buddhist mantras for the Maha Mantra and chanted Hare Krishna all the way home, barely able to stop smiling.  Before I went to Londonisvara I’d been a major meat eater, but from that day I couldn’t eat meat anymore; I lost my taste for it completely.

When I got home the first thing I did was dig out the forgotten books I’d taken all those years ago.  Suddenly they went from being reluctantly taken items to things precious beyond words.  I read them, the words and images no longer strange, but life-giving, like water in a desert.

My journey to becoming a devotee hasn’t been without its slip-ups, and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve not chanted for days but I’ve remained vegetarian since that first day and I know I’ll be a devotee for life.

Krishna Consciousness has changed me completely and I feel more peaceful and happy than I ever thought possible. I have real friends, and a philosophy that I don’t have to force myself to believe in.  HDG Prabhupad once said everything to do with Krishna tastes sweet, and I can honestly say it’s true.

I don’t remember the names of those devotees who first smiled and talked so nicely with me, or who gave me a book for just a few pennies, but every time I take out my japa bag, or walk into Londonisvara, I think of them, because without them I would not be a devotee today.

*Will be longer now: not sure how long I’ve had the story! Ed.

 

Jeremejereme

When I was 19, in 1994, I was at art college in Carlisle. I had an interview for university in London but needed to stay somewhere overnight as it was too far for a day trip. My Dad told me he had a colleague whose daughter was a student in London, and somehow persuaded him to ask his daughter if I could stay a night at her home. I went for my interview and met Sam at Euston Station. When we met it was love at first sight and we were married seven days later. After the wedding we went to her flat and she put on a record she was given when she was a small child by a devotee in Germany; her Mum thought it was a Beatles record I believe. It was the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra and we sang it for the rest of the day, not knowing what it was about.

A few weeks later, I was busking with my saxophone in Covent Garden, London and two devotees stopped and talked to me. I was immediately attracted to them; it was as if they were from another universe! They gave me a leaflet/ booklet about their philosophy; I did not read it, but enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Feeling it was something special, I kept the booklet and, perhaps 6 or 7 years later, my wife and I finally read it. We then went straight to London and visited the Soho Street temple where we saw the Deities, met devotees and bought lots of books about KC from the gift shop. Several weeks later we visited Bhaktivedanta Manor and discovered that a new programme was starting in Ipswich; as this was near our home at the time, we attended, and had the great pleasure of meeting more wonderful devotees including Kripamoya das.

Sorry the pic is so small.  Ed.