Planet ISKCON

Answer Podcast

Achyuta Gopi mataji – Day 4 of Polish Woodstock 2013

BY HH GOUR GOVINDA SWAMI

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot com

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Rasa Rasika dasa

WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to the latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly,” with preliminary data through to June 30, 2013, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) provided 14.20 percent of the nation’s net electric power generation during the first half of the year. For the same period in 2012, renewables accounted for 13.57 percent of net electrical generation.

Moreover, non-hydro renewables have more than tripled their output during the past decade. They now account for almost the same share of electrical generation (6.71 percent) as does conventional hydropower (7.49 percent). Ten years ago (i.e., calendar year 2003), non-hydro renewables provided only 2.05 percent of net U.S. electrical generation.

Comparing the first six months of 2013 to the same period in 2012, solar thermal & PV combined have grown 94.4 percent (these additions understate actual solar capacity gains. Unlike other energy sources, significant levels of solar capacity exist in smaller, non-utility-scale applications – e.g., rooftop solar photovoltaics). Wind increased 20.1 percent and geothermal grew by 1.0 percent, while biomass declined by 0.5 percent while hydropower dropped by 2.6 percent. Among the non-hydro renewabes, wind is in the lead, accounting for 4.67 percent of net electrical generation, followed by biomass (1.42 percent), geothermal (0.43 percent), and solar (0.19 percent).

The balance of the nation’s electrical generation mix for the first half of 2013 consisted of coal (39.00 percent - up by 10.3 percent), natural gas and other gas (26.46 percent - down by 13.6 percent), nuclear power (19.48 percent - up by 0.2 percent), and petroleum liquids + coke (0.66 percent - up by 15.6 percent). The balance (0.21 percent) was from other sources and pumped hydro storage.

Every year for the past decade, non-hydro renewables have increased both their net electrical output as well as their percentage share of the nation’s electricity mix. Moreover, the annual rate of growth for solar and wind continues in the double digits, setting new records each year.

Filed under: Cows and Environment

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“Srimati Radharani may be in the most intense throws of ecstasy in separation from Krishna, but still She thinks of the welfare of others. For us fallen souls in the material world Her compassion is vey important because we are in need of mercy, and to the extent that we cry out to Her through chanting the maha-mantra—’Hare’ is a form of address for Radharani—Her heart will melt. It is already melted, but it will melt even more and She will shower Her mercy upon us. In The Nectar of Devotion Srila Prabhupada writes that because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is difficult to approach Him, but He has a compassionate side, and that compassionate side is represented by Srimati Radharani. Therefore we can approach Krishna through His compassionate side—Srimati Radharani. And we do that when we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. As Srila Prabhupada said, the chanting should be like “the genuine cry of a child for its mother”: ‘O Mother Hara, please help me attain the grace of the Supreme Father, Krishna’—and “the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.”

Radhastami Morning

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

The devotees are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord’s service. The Lord understands the mentality and sincerity of a particular living entity who is engaged in Krsna consciousness and gives him the intelligence to understand the science of Krsna in the association of devotees. Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 9.1 purport

Our struggles as a devotee-seeker may dishearten us: “I have no love for Krishna. Even when I pray, chant or take darshan, my mind goes off in nasty directions. I am so far away from Krishna.”

Yes, we have a long way to go in our journey to Krishna. But that’s only a part of the story.

The other part is that we are so close to Krishna. The Bhagavad-gita (07.03) underscores that those who have made even a little headway on the journey to him are rare and special – they are one among thousands. By Krishna’s inconceivable and causeless mercy, we are among those few souls.

If we look at the vastness of material existence and the sheer number of mazes in which souls can stay lost in forgetfulness of Krishna, we can realize how fortunate we are to have found the way to Krishna and to be moving forward along that way. Considering that we too have probably wandered among those mazes in various nonhuman and human bodies, we are actually so close to Krishna.

Far closer than most living beings in material existence.

And far closer than what we have ever been since the start of our material existence.

Despite our conditionings, despite our half-heartedness, against all odds, Krishna has got us so close. He will take us all the way across the finishing line back to him – if we just let him.

If we obsess on how far we are, we will give up and ruin our chance of returning home. A chance that we have got after so many lifetimes.

If instead we focus on how close we are to the finishing line, we will stay encouraged and enthused to keep pressing on – even when the finishing line seems far away.

***

07.03 - Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

 

 

 

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Once upon a time, there lived a Brahman by the name of Deva Sharma with his wife. His wife delivered a son and they were happy to have their first child. The Brahmin wanted to have a pet animal to protect the child which would also be a companion to the child. The Brahmin kept his proposal before the Brahmani. She found the proposal acceptable and the Brahmin went to bring a pet.

Deva Sharma went round the village and after much toil, got a mongoose as an escort to his child. Brahmani didn’t like the idea to keep a mongoose for her child. But as the pet was already brought, so she accepted it. Now, both of them started loving the mongoose as their own child. Yet, the Brahmani never left her son alone because she did not trust the mongoose, fearing that it could harm her son.

One day, the farmer and his wife had to go out of the house leaving the child at home. The farmer confirmed that the mongoose would take care of the child while they would be away. So, they left the mongoose and the child at home and went out. Soon after they left, a cobra entered the home. Finding danger to the son of the Brahmin, the mongoose attacked the cobra. They had a bloody combat and the mongoose succeeded in killing the cobra.

After this, mongoose heard the footfalls of Brahmin’s wife and went at the door to greet her. Brahmani was trembled to see the blood stained mouth of the mongoose. She inferred that the mongoose had killed the child. Without a second thought, she threw a heavy box on mongoose and the mongoose died at the spot. Brahmani quickly entered the house to see her child and to her great surprise, she found her child sleeping quietly in the cradle.

As soon as, she saw a snake bitten into pieces lying near the cradle, she realized that the mongoose had saved her child. The Brahmani was struck by grief that she had killed the mongoose that was like a sibling to her son. She cried loud at her hasty action.

Lesson: Don’t pre-judge. Think before you act.

- Pancatantra

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BB Govinda Swami – Day 4 of Polish Woodstock 2013

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Are You Looking For Directions?

Shaunavon, Saskatchewan

“Are you looking for directions?” asked the two young female students on their way to high school.

“No, I’m not lost, I’m walking across the country to celebrate the human body and what it’s capable of, to tap into the spiritual side of life.”

“That’s so cool! Can we get a photo with you?” And that’s how morning began and the interaction with people. One fellow was on this huge machine grating the gravel road which I took for 10 KMs, when he stopped his whole operation to talk. He relayed how he finds all kinds of people on these roads, including a guy lying in the ditch trying to sober up.

At the town of East End where Daruka and I did a presentation at the school (from K-12), the teacher asked, “Are you a quiet order of monks?”

“No, in fact, we make lots of noise with drums and songs – mantras.”

My favourite comment for the day coming from roadside folks in particular was when four bikers on their Harley’s pulled over. They stopped their engines, cut off their machines, pulled off their helmets and gloves and reached out one by one to offer a handshake of congratulations. The spokesperson said, “I guess we’re here to get some blessings.” Apparently the fellows saw me on their way into town when in town they picked up a newspaper, The Boom Town, saw and read the article about The Walking Monk. On their return journey they just had to stop and talk. They were great.

In addition to all the wonderful interactions, I was interviewed live at 6:45 AM on CBC Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) from Regina with Sheila. Then we succeeded with a tape recording interview with Penny of CJSN Radio. The Standard Newspaper with Paul also came out to the highway to take a story. Finally it was with great satisfaction that Penelope booked Daruka and I for the library on Friday to speak on Tales From Trails.

We are quite set and are certainly not lost.

30 KM

The Day Began In T-Dot

Toronto/Calgary/Saskatoon/Swift Current

The day began in Toronto in the Yorkville district, one of the locations for TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival. Just hours after the parties rolled up to honour Hollywood stars, including those red carpets, a small group of us robe clad monastics took to those streets for our morning spiritual workout, which is walking and softly chanting. Yes, chanting and moving your mechanism is always a great way to start any day.

Via West Jet, I flew to Saskatoon with a stopover in Calgary. From there, Daruka drove us (with both of our tummies saturated in lasagna compliments of Panchami and Kasyap) to Swift Current and to our rest stop. There was very little exposure to the elements today. I could see the rolling planes, the sun, the clouds, even drops from a sun shower made their way on to the windshield, but I couldn’t feel these features being confined to conveyances.

I had time to contemplate the recent past, such as the verbal exchange I had with the professional wrestlers of yesterday. We were in fact talking about the power of maya, the conglomerate illusions of the world, and to put its personification into a permanent headlock, maybe even cut off the circulation in the process in order for maya to have a long long sleep (apparently wrestlers sometimes press on a gland in the neck of their opponent to achieve this, sounds gruesome).

Well, it is also gruesome to see a soul fall prey to all the diverse hankerings. It’s a pity to be enslaved by the very senses that gratify. Our lack of fortitude permits this slavery. Our reluctance to taste the higher taste and to settle for cheap gratification shows that we don’t want to budge much. As monastics, we never condone the pleasures of life, we just regulate them.

In fact, I came up with a line that I could use for people when they ask about my trekking, “I’m walking to celebrate the human body and the extraordinary things we can do with it such as connecting with our spiritual side. We all know our capacity to eat, sleep, mate, defend. What else are we, as humans, capable of? How about cultivating our true self awareness?”

By the time Daruka and I reached Swift Current I was overzealoused to put my feet on the ground. But sleep comes first, that was hard to do. Probably there’s too much adrenaline running through the machinery.

3 KM

Every month we will be interviewing students of TKG Academy gurukula.  Some of our students started school through TKG Academy preschool or kindergarten. Others moved to Dallas with their families and started in later grades. TKG Academy has students that come from Vaisnava families and others who are just being introduced to Krsna Consciousness through the gurukula. All of these students have one thing in common: parents that were searching for an educational alternative that included a tight knit, loving environment that teaches their children above standard academics from a dedicated staff of teachers that go above and beyond the  call of duty as educators.

Abhay is an 11 year old, 6th grader at TKG Academy. He is originally from Colorado. He entered into the gurukula in 5th grade when his family moved to Dallas, TX.

Q:What is your favorite food?                                                                                                                 

A: Pizza. Pizza….definitely pizza.

Q: What is your favorite pastime of Lord Krsna?

A: When the Boatman tricks the Gopis on Manasi Ganga.

Q: What’s your favorite school subject? Why?

A: I really like spelling because I’m a good speller.

Q: What do you like about TKG Academy?

A: I get more attention from my teachers because I’m in a smaller class.