I got tired of swiping a metallic looking thing to the right to open up my personal-universe-slash-smartphone. It got boring. But today, there is a new iOS! iOS7! Seven!!! Now I don’t have to swipe that same old boring metallic looking thing to the right. Now I have… well, I don’t really even know how to describe it, it’s so light and airy and freeform. It’s so fun. It’s like right-swiping cotton candy.
My personal-universe-slash-smartphone is fun again! Yippie!
And other neat things abound. I can have an “active background.” That means little bubbles can blurb around animated in the background. That’s a relief. I was bored solid of those static, standing-still photo-images I had to use for the last twelve years as the backdrop to my personal universe.
And there are other neat things. Well, there are other things that look neater, and there are a few things that even work better. Actually, everything looks neater. Kinda more like, you know… one of those other smartphones – like the Galaxy or whatever else is out there.
So, that’s what you do. You repackage.
Here is a bit of meal that’s already been chewed. That’s alright, we can serve it again, just put it on a new plate. The customer will love it, because the plate is more modern. So I get my new iOS and feel like a kid again, for fifteen minutes, or maybe fifteen days. Then I’ll want a new plate again, a new package, a new update, some new way to swipe, some new two-finger screen-gesture to flick… and they’ll give it to me. iOS7.0.0.0.0.1. They’ll keep giving it to me because they like my money.
And it seems that I like giving them my money.
It’s nothing “evil” about Apple, or smartphones, or technology, or the modern world. It’s just the way things are. Everything has always been this way.
A zillion aeons ago, a brilliant young boy named Prahlād ingeniously expressed what it’s like to live in this world:
“Again and again, chewing the chewed…”
We’re chewing something that doesn’t have flavor. But it’s so nicely packaged! The plate is so well presented, and so nicely decorated! The user interface is so simple, clear, minimal, and effective!!! So, let’s try it!
OK, once the packaging is opened, the content is… well, the same… basically, something without much flavor.
“Waiter! This is tasteless. Send it back to the chef!”
OK, the chef will try again… a new platter, new decorations, a new interface – same food.
Oooo, so attractive. Let’s try it again. Chew it again.
Why doesn’t the content have any flavor? We should ask! Our smart-phones are fun to use, but what do we use them for? Talking to friends? It can be fun to swipe, pinch and point to call and text our friends, but do our friends really even like us? If we stopped driving them here or there, or flattering their ego – would they keep speed-dialing and SMS / Line / Skyping us? And how delicious is that reality?
The real operating system is the mind. And the real content is the heart.
Our content is stale. Only love is fresh.
Instead of love we all are saturated with various permutations of selfishness – the anti-love. That’s why life tastes bitter. Even if you taste a bitter thing from a penthouse on the top of the Empire State Building, it’s still bitter. Even if you read it on your amazing iOS79c transported by Mr. Spock to you from the future – it’s still bitter.
So, you might be thinking, “What? I’m selfish?”
It’s not like it’s just you – it’s the entire material universe. So when you compare yourself to the creature standing next to you in the line for the cashier, you might look pretty awesome and unselfish.
So, again, you might be thinking, “What? This whole universe is selfish?”
Yeah. You haven’t noticed? The only unselfish thing that exists is love. But is there any true love in the material world??? When you’ve got the patience and guts, think about that honestly for a while. Like I said with your friends, are they really texting you, or are they texting someone who enhances their image, or maybe makes them feel “good” etc. etc.? How about your significant other? Do they love you, or what you do for them? The only love that’s pretty darn close to true love in this world is the love of a really good mother; and it only gives you a hint of the reflection of real, true love.
If you want to get a taste for true love, I really think you’ll need to put yourself in contact with Śrī Krishna Caitanya – the fountainhead of true-love-divine. It’s a very deep and beautiful ocean of bliss you can access there. It won’t fit in this short article about a gadget’s latest crappy update.
Suffice to say that as long as we are charmed by the allure of repackaging a selfish, bitter outlook on life – every revision is going to be disappointing (as iOS7 turned out to be). As soon as we forget the fluff and get to the real stuff – right down into our heart and work on finding the infinite pool of rāsa (FLAVOR) that ripples like nectar in the goblet of our spiritual being – then we really won’t give a damn for any OS updates. We’ll be too busy dancing, singing, celebrating, and shedding tears of loving joy.
This is the most powerful mantra that will update the kernel of your soul’s inner heart. Download it now:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
Chant this mantra constantly and you will discover the fountainhead of all delightful flavor, Krishna – the honeymoon-faced divine darling surrounded by the limitless beautiful love.
Indradyumna Swami: Today I had a hernia operation in a hospital in Durban, South Africa. After the surgery I had a surprise visitor to my room: His excellency King Goodwill Zwelithini, king of the 30-million strong Zulu nation. He was at the hospital to visit his daughter who is recovering from an illness in the room next to mine. When he learned I was next door he immediately came see me. We reminisced about my visit to his kingdom last December and our discussions about God, South Africa and social cohesion. He invited me back to his palace in Zululand as soon as I'm better to continue our discussions. I was so honoured by his visit 
The larger Iskcon community of Latin America 
Narottama dasa Thakura has sung:
goloker premadhana, harinama-sankirtana, ratina janmila kenetay
samsara-visanale, divanisi hiya jvale, judaite na kaimu upaya
Sankirtana is imported from Goloka Vrindaban it is not material musical rock and roll. It is actually imported from Goloka. Narottama sings, Everyone is burning in the materialistic way of life. That burning can be extinguished only be employing Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is a fact that the western countries are in blazing fire of material enjoyment. But as soon as they take to Hare Krsna surely they will find peace and happiness. There is no doubt about it. 
Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is 
Chanting the Holy Name! 
Every year, the British Prime Minister hosts a special Diwali event in his official residence of 10 Downing Street. This year the event fell on Wednesday 6th November and it carried with it an extra special charm: As part of the proceedings, children from the Krishna Avanti and Avanti Schools sang a number of traditional songs glorifying Lord Rama. 
A few weeks ago, Annie Sakab, a student who is studying photojournalism at Loyalist College in Belleville, paid a visit to our temple during one of our Sunday Feasts. The pictures she took were for a project in one of her classes. Annie has kindly shared her photos with us! Check out these wonderful photos, taken from the perspective of a talented photography student!