Verse 4.17: The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is.
In Chapter 2 we discussed at length what karma (action), vikarama (forbidden action) and akarma (inaction) are. For anyone who would like a refresher, you can check it out here. Today, however, I'd like to talk about the real life application of these concepts.
Before getting to that, I'd like to share a beautiful quote from one of my favorite bhakti yoga mentors since it relates perfectly to this topic of application.
"It's very important to practice spirituality for practical application of spiritual knowledge."
Let's meditate on that for a moment, shall we? What does it actually mean? It means that we may hear lots of beautiful concepts and ideas but unless we actually try to implement that knowledge in our daily lives, it won't actually translate to wisdom. That's because wisdom is "the art of converting an experience into learning."
If we don't strive to apply what we've heard, then chances are we'll never really learn.
That's what our lives can become if we choose to live a life of learning. Since we are constantly performing actions, whether consciously or unconsciously, we get the perfect opportunity at every moment to tune into our motivations. Why are we doing something? Is it for our own satisfaction? Is it to make ourselves feel better? Is it really helping others? By posing such questions, we are forced to evaluate what is driving our actions. And trust me, if we actually attempt to do this even a little bit, it's amazing how introspective we'll become of our own thoughts and motivations.
Of course, we'll find that many times we'll skip out on checking into our motivations and you know what? It's ok. After all, for some of us this may be a slightly foreign concept to first reflect and then act. And like any habit, it takes practice and time. Even if we are starting to reflect after the fact, that's a step in the positive direction.
If and when we do reflect afterwards, it won't be uncommon to look back and perhaps cringe. Yes...that too is part of the process. It's may be uncomfortable to recognize what motivates our behaviour and distorts our consciousness. But that too is part of the learning process.
If we are unable to see the obstacles that prevent us from acting in positive and selfless ways, then we won't learn how to overcome them.
Life is all about the journey and in it there is the potential to learn so many lessons. Karma is one of the ways these lessons are dolled out. The Gita gives us practical knowledge as to why we face our current situations (i.e. results of our past actions). Equally important, the Gita teaches us how our reactions to these circumstances will impact our future. So...are you ready to live a life of learning?
Sleep got interrupted by some noise. Some creature was trying to poke its way into our tent at the Oungre campsite. I finally figured out what was trying to badger its way in. From the lamppost outside, I could make out its silhouette, it was the darndest cute little frog. His head was up and his legs spread out as he jumped his way up to explore our synthetic domicile. He would leap, attempt to clutch on, but he would either slide or just fall back. He tried various sides of our tent. I was just lying there less annoyed than amused.
Once it was time to rise, 4 AM, it was time to zip open that tent, zip over for a shower and zip on off to the road. The world of magic began once again. I was using my meditative beads to chant my daily mantras. It was a soft murmur of “Hare Krishna… “
From a distance shortly after sunrise, I could see a pack of coyotes running as in teamwork. Apparently local farmers sometimes lose their calves to these visitors. In any event it was exhilarating to see these wild dogs in some kind of action moving swiftly on their feet beyond the wheat field.
Daruka pulled over and had a cassette playing of Melanie, the popular folk singer of the late sixties, early seventies. The theme of this song seemed pertinent.
I Don’t Eat Animals
I was just thinking about the way it’s supposed to be
I’ll eat the plants and the fruits from the trees
And I’ll live on vegetables and I’ll grow on seeds
But I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me
Oh no, I don’t eat animals ‘cuz I love them you see
I don’t eat animals, I want nothing dead in me
I don’t eat white flour, white sugar makes you rot
Though white could be beautiful, but mostly it’s not
A little bit of whole meal, some raisins and cheese
I’ll eat the plants and the fruits from the trees
But I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me
Oh I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me
Oh no, I’ll live on life, I want nothing dead in me
You know, I’ll become life and my life will become me
You know, I’ll live on life and my life will live me
It’s a great song and I remember it from over 4 decades ago. Thank you, Melanie, I also don’t eat animals.
Now the last portion of the day had Daruka, Billy and I attend ISKCON’s centre in Regina. I spoke from 9.11 of the Bhagavad Gita. The message was that divinity is everywhere.
"The chanting and hearing is essence. Even when dealing with a practical problem, Srila Prabhupada was seeing it and soon speaking of it in absolute terms. Chanting especially promotes this: leave everything aside and chant the holy name. Then we can take up even our most demanding preaching duties in this world with vigor and endurance."
From Japa Reform Notebook by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
"It's all your mercy" is common Vaishnava parlance, in the ISKCON world and beyond. This catch-all response can be anything—from routine religious jargon, to heartfelt elegance, to the deepest realisation of one's utter spiritual dependency.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura writes in his song to Gurudeva, "When I examine myself, I find nothing of value. Therefore your mercy is essential to me. If you are not merciful, I shall simply weep and weep, and I shall not maintain my life."
I often wondered about how he and, of course, you actually feel this declaration so extraordinarily, as your entire being.
As the years of my insignificant life roll by, I increasingly realise that any perceived faults are all mine, and any credit is all yours. Is this one short life enough to fully grasp at least half the extent of your mercy? What to speak of your disciples, even grand disciples, and their followers testify to your munificence in their life.
During your days with us in the seventies, you once commented that physical association with the guru was for neophytes. I thought at that time,"Well, all glories to the sublime theology of vani-sanga, but so that the physical association with your divine presence will always be mine, let me always remain a neophyte."
Of course, better we hold to what you write in a purport (Cc. Madhya 18.99): “Unless one is enlightened by the knowledge given by the spiritual master, he cannot see things as they are, even though he remains with the spiritual master.”
In 1977, upon your departing the ordinary vision of this world, I was convinced I had failed to attain you. Concluding that any chance for a close relationship with you had left along with your physical presence, I resigned myself to helping the next generation of devotees not to miss out as I had. Vigorously urging your fledgling grand disciples to value the physical presence of their guru with utmost care, I would instruct them to seek every opportunity to have it.
After your departure, the constantly overpowering strains, agonies, and dangers of preaching behind the former Iron Curtain consumed my life—no time to continue lamenting about your disappearance. But during such bleak years there, when the atheistic communists, sure of their permanence, ruled with iron fists of terror their sealed-off kingdoms, your vani association caught this young foolish fugitive-devotee by surprise.
In testimony to your kindness upon even a insignificant jiva, I submit this poem written way back in the eighties, during my Iron Curtain years, for the glorification of your 2013 Vyasa-puja.
East Europe Bhajana
Part One (1977)
Sailing with devotees on the ISKCON-Los Angeles sea
hoping His Divine Grace, the captain,
would personally lead me
With good faith I endeavored
every day
Sure that his pure glance
would soon cast my way
Then he left
though I was still immature
My hopes for his divine sanga
crashed to the floor
Too young to have been with him
Too old to forget him
Certainly this was a very precarious situation
Alas, come what may . . .
the mission must push on
Maybe in fifty lifetimes . . .
I'll again see his form
Part Two (1978-79)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
with no hope that Srila Prabhupada
would come and rescue me
My ship is very tiny
yet the ego-mast is tall
I'm completely insignificant
and my service is so small
Naturally Srila Prabhupada ignored such a fool
I wasn’t worthy of the chance to be his tool
Part Three (1980)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
certain that Srila Prabhupada
will never find me
Smash!
Down comes the door to my
sealed-off heart
"You can't come in here," I protest
"It's too late to start!"
"Surrender to your spiritual master,"
you majestically declare,
"About your rationalizations,
I definitely don't care"
Part Four (1982)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
Sometimes does Srila Prabhupada stand
right beside me?
Becoming a little eager to serve him
according to his direction
Why does Srila Prabhupada shower
such care and affection?
Without his instructions
I'm a useless fool
Maybe one day I can actually
become his tool
O Srila Prabhupada!
I write of your mercy out of
great astonishment
Please forgive me, your aspiring servant, for my offenses
Since those excruciating days, let us hope that, by your grace, I have made some advancement. Now, more than a quarter century later, this microscopic servitor simply wonders what your real devotees experience—what kind of nectar you shower upon them.
In Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila Chapter 5, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami confesses that the attributes of Lord Nityananda, who acted as his guru, impelled him to become a madman writing of Lord Nityananda’s mercy.
Though nothing compared to Kaviraja Goswami, yet according to the measure of our own realizations, why don’t we publicize the merciful presence of Srila Prabhupada in every ISKCON devotee’s life, through his vani-sanga, especially via his books.
The Goswami explains that generally it is not proper to reveal an account as spiritually esoteric as his, “for it should be kept as confidential as the Vedas, yet I shall speak of it to make His mercy known to all.”
Similarly, whether highly advanced or neophyte, let us all broadcast the eternal relevance of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy for all generations of ISKCON devotees.
Clarifying his motivations, Kaviraja Goswami explains: “O Lord Nityänanda, I write of Your mercy out of great exultation. Please forgive me for my offenses.”
He concludes: “Who in this world but Nityänanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me?”
Seeking to follow these perfect parampara footsteps, in my imperfect capacity, I end: Who in this world but you, Srila Prabhupada, could show his mercy and kindness to such a guilty transgressor as me?”
Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
"It's all your mercy" is common Vaishnava parlance, in the ISKCON world and beyond. This catch-all response can be anything—from routine religious jargon, to heartfelt elegance, to the deepest realisation of one's utter spiritual dependency.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura writes in his song to Gurudeva, "When I examine myself, I find nothing of value. Therefore your mercy is essential to me. If you are not merciful, I shall simply weep and weep, and I shall not maintain my life."
I often wondered about how he and, of course, you actually feel this declaration so extraordinarily, as your entire being.
As the years of my insignificant life roll by, I increasingly realise that any perceived faults are all mine, and any credit is all yours. Is this one short life enough to fully grasp at least half the extent of your mercy? What to speak of your disciples, even grand disciples, and their followers testify to your munificence in their life.
During your days with us in the seventies, you once commented that physical association with the guru was for neophytes. I thought at that time,"Well, all glories to the sublime theology of vani-sanga, but so that the physical association with your divine presence will always be mine, let me always remain a neophyte."
Of course, better we hold to what you write in a purport (Cc. Madhya 18.99): “Unless one is enlightened by the knowledge given by the spiritual master, he cannot see things as they are, even though he remains with the spiritual master.”
In 1977, upon your departing the ordinary vision of this world, I was convinced I had failed to attain you. Concluding that any chance for a close relationship with you had left along with your physical presence, I resigned myself to helping the next generation of devotees not to miss out as I had. Vigorously urging your fledgling grand disciples to value the physical presence of their guru with utmost care, I would instruct them to seek every opportunity to have it.
After your departure, the constantly overpowering strains, agonies, and dangers of preaching behind the former Iron Curtain consumed my life—no time to continue lamenting about your disappearance. But during such bleak years there, when the atheistic communists, sure of their permanence, ruled with iron fists of terror their sealed-off kingdoms, your vani association caught this young foolish fugitive-devotee by surprise.
In testimony to your kindness upon even a insignificant jiva, I submit this poem written way back in the eighties, during my Iron Curtain years, for the glorification of your 2013 Vyasa-puja.
East Europe Bhajana
Part One (1977)
Sailing with devotees on the ISKCON-Los Angeles sea
hoping His Divine Grace, the captain,
would personally lead me
With good faith I endeavored
every day
Sure that his pure glance
would soon cast my way
Then he left
though I was still immature
My hopes for his divine sanga
crashed to the floor
Too young to have been with him
Too old to forget him
Certainly this was a very precarious situation
Alas, come what may . . .
the mission must push on
Maybe in fifty lifetimes . . .
I'll again see his form
Part Two (1978-79)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
with no hope that Srila Prabhupada
would come and rescue me
My ship is very tiny
yet the ego-mast is tall
I'm completely insignificant
and my service is so small
Naturally Srila Prabhupada ignored such a fool
I wasn’t worthy of the chance to be his tool
Part Three (1980)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
certain that Srila Prabhupada
will never find me
Smash!
Down comes the door to my
sealed-off heart
"You can't come in here," I protest
"It's too late to start!"
"Surrender to your spiritual master,"
you majestically declare,
"About your rationalizations,
I definitely don't care"
Part Four (1982)
Sailing alone on a most dangerous sea
Sometimes does Srila Prabhupada stand
right beside me?
Becoming a little eager to serve him
according to his direction
Why does Srila Prabhupada shower
such care and affection?
Without his instructions
I'm a useless fool
Maybe one day I can actually
become his tool
O Srila Prabhupada!
I write of your mercy out of
great astonishment
Please forgive me, your aspiring servant, for my offenses
Since those excruciating days, let us hope that, by your grace, I have made some advancement. Now, more than a quarter century later, this microscopic servitor simply wonders what your real devotees experience—what kind of nectar you shower upon them.
In Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila Chapter 5, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami confesses that the attributes of Lord Nityananda, who acted as his guru, impelled him to become a madman writing of Lord Nityananda’s mercy.
Though nothing compared to Kaviraja Goswami, yet according to the measure of our own realizations, why don’t we publicize the merciful presence of Srila Prabhupada in every ISKCON devotee’s life, through his vani-sanga, especially via his books.
The Goswami explains that generally it is not proper to reveal an account as spiritually esoteric as his, “for it should be kept as confidential as the Vedas, yet I shall speak of it to make His mercy known to all.”
Similarly, whether highly advanced or neophyte, let us all broadcast the eternal relevance of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy for all generations of ISKCON devotees.
Clarifying his motivations, Kaviraja Goswami explains: “O Lord Nityänanda, I write of Your mercy out of great exultation. Please forgive me for my offenses.”
He concludes: “Who in this world but Nityänanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me?”
Seeking to follow these perfect parampara footsteps, in my imperfect capacity, I end: Who in this world but you, Srila Prabhupada, could show his mercy and kindness to such a guilty transgressor as me?”
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 9, No. 15 By Krishna-kripa das (August 2013, part one)
Polish Woodstock, Harinamas in Germany and Bratislava (Sent from Newcastle upon Tyne on August 26, 2013)
Where I Went and What I Did
The devotees of the Sri Harinama Mandir traveling party dropped me at the Krakow train station, and I took an overnight train, crowded with young people, to Kostrzyn for my thirteenth time at the Polish Woodstock. The Vaishnava youth European bus tour joined the many regulars who come each year to share Krishna music, food, dance, knowledge, and more, with many tens of thousands of people there at the Polish Woodstock. New kirtana leaders are always coming, this year, Amala Harinam Darling and Jahnavi Harrison, in particular, and they both did a great job. Jayatam Jaya Sila Prabhu had printed thousands of Polish mantra cards with contact information for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Poland which I distributed many of. Some of my friends chanted to the crowds waiting at the Kostrzyn train station the day after the Woodstock, and we got a good response as usual. I took another amazingly crowded train to Berlin, and shared a car with people going toward Kassel, to join Sadbhuja Prabhu and his van party, distributing books and doing harinama in different German cities, which culminated in the Ancient Trance festival in Taucha, near Leipzig. Then I shared a group ticket on the train to Berlin, to go on harinama with the devotees there, before taking an overnight bus to Slovakia’s capital of Bratislava to give the Sunday feast lecture. The next three days I remained there, doing three hours of harinama each day with a party lead by Gaura Keshava Prabhu, who was inspired by chanting three months in Union Square with Rama Raya Prabhu’s party, to start a daily harinama party in Bratislava. Next I went to Czech Republic for the Trutnov Open Air Music Festival, also known as the Czech Woodstock, for the fifth time.
As I was in places with no morning lectures such as the Polish Woodstock, or where I gave morning lectures such as Germany and Bratislava, I have very few notes on lectures, but lots of absolutely wonderful quotes from my personal reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In addition to those, there is a brief Prabhupada remembrance by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, a note from a class by Bhakti Sastri teacher, Adi Purusa Prabhu, and a reflection by myself on spiritual dress.
Itinerary
August 26–29: Newcastle upon Tyne and nearby towns
August 30: Liverpool
August 31: Bolton
September 1–2: Dublin
September 3: Dublin, Philadelphia, Orlando
September 4–6: Gainesville
September 6–10: Tallahassee
September 11–12: Jacksonville
September 13: Gainesville
September 14: Jacksonville Beach Ratha-yatra
September 15–26: Gainesville [except one day in Tampa]
September 27–30: Columbus, Ohio
October 1–November 25: Union Square harinama, New York City
November 26–February 19, 2014: Gainesville
[except with 5 days / month in Tallahassee, one day per month in Tampa]
February 25–April 20, 2014: Mayapur
The Train to the Polish Woodstock
I heard that PKP, the Polish train company, had scheduled many extra trains to come to the Polish Woodstock, and to return home, but I had never ridden one. Nor do I think I will ever ride one again!
Judging from the number of people waiting at the Krakow train station, I could understand the train would be crowded.
There are always people who are not afraid to dress differently at such events as Woodstock, like the girl below with the violet hair and feathered cap.
The train was first announced to be 25 minutes late, and then 40 minutes late, 60 minutes late, and lastly 80 minutes late.
It finally left Krakow 100 minutes late, and arrived in Kostrzyn 120 minutes late!
I have been on trains with people who stay up late, but not that late. In fact, there was no time when all the people were asleep and none of the people were drinking, smoking, and talking loudly.
I talked to a few interesting people, like a boy who wanted to go to India, and a another boy who sat next to me and meditated.
While I was waiting in between the cars of the trains, in a queue for the toilet, several young people chanted a few mantras with me.
Had I been willing to spend 30 euros each way from the UK, I could have brought my harmonium, and got more people into chanting.
At one point, I realized it would not be able to get any more real sleep, so I put my headphones on and played a Madhava kirtana at its full volume. Then I was smiling and moving to the music, and I was pretty blissful despite my lack of sleep and all the craziness around me. Some people looked at me and smiled, and I took the headphones from my own head, and one by one, put them on the heads of the four people who were watching me, so they could hear, and they would smile. One girl sat diagonally across from me, and I put the headphones on her. She said she liked the music, and I invited her to our Krishna village, saying that the singer on the recording would be performing in person there.
Polish Woodstock
The Polish Woodstock is a free rock concert organized by philanthropist Jurek Oswiak, who appeciates Indradyumna Swami’s work in Poland, and allows him space to a free Krishna festival with kirtana, prasadam, dance, drama, yoga, questions and answers tents, and much, much more. Thus many, many tens of thousands of people mostly from Poland, get a very positive experience of Krishna consciousness.
Joyful to see thousands of people experiencing Krishna kirtana, I have been coming to the Polish Woodstock for thirteen years.
The harinamathe first day attracted more people to sing and dance with us, and to follow us back to our camp than ever before, and it was beautiful to see.
My role on the harinamas and the Ratha-yatras was to distribute invitations to our Krishna’s Village of Peace.
At one point, it began raining, and the devotees and onlookers continued to chant and dancing, and Indradyumna Swami continued to photograph them. As I was getting wet, I was looking at our main tent, which was largely vacant, and wondering how many Hare Krishnas does it take to figure out we would be better off in the tent. I decided to suggest to Indradyumna Swami that we might chant in the tent, and he made a beeline for the tent, and everyone followed him, surprising the people who were taking prasadam there, and we chanted and danced in the tent ecstatically for some time.
At the Woodstock, during our lunch, Govinda Prabhu always share verses that we have learned over the year. I taught him the only about how everything becomes easy if one remembers Lord Caitanya, and he taught me the beautiful one about Lord Caitanya that appears at the end of this blog.
Some people who saw me distributing mantra cards at the Mantra Yoga tent remembered me from the train to Kostrzyn, and others from seeing me last year. One man remembers
me from Zary in 2002 or 2003, and comes by to say hello each year. One man excited showed me the picture he took of me on his mobile phone last year, and insisted on taking another picture this year.
I met a girl named Frances from Berlin who was spiritually inquisitive. It was as if she wanted to believe in God but had had too many years of atheistic association to make it easily possible. I encouraged her to explore our tradition, and to try the practice to see if she found any benefit in it.
The program in our main stage begins with chanting, and when I am free, I go there and dance, and in that way try to inspire others. One girl came up, wanting to learn my dance step. After following me a little while, I suggested that Jahnavi Harrison take over as her dance instructor, which she kindly did.
Caturatma Prabhu did questions and answers a lot as usual, here translated by Mandakini dd.
He also would dance like mad in the Ratha-yatra kirtana.
Many, many people enjoyed dancing in the Ratha-yatra.
These include the brahmacari, Jon, below, who is a friend from Gainesville.
We had great singers in the kirtana tent, which was named Mantra Yoga. These included B. B. Govinda Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Bada Haridas Prabhu, Madhava Prabhu, Amala Harinama, Jahnavi Harrison, Acyuta Gopi, and her brother, Ananta.
The last two days inMantra Yoga, Madhava Prabhu sang for three and a half hours and then B. B. Govinda Goswami sang for an hour and a half or two hours. It was awesome to see the number of people happily participating by chanting and dancing. I distributed many mantra cards. Somehow it seemed we had more people at the end when Madhava Prabhu would sing first and B. B. Govinda Swami later, and that is how we did it the last two nights.
During Madhava Prabhu’s kirtana one trio became so inspired that they really took up his instruction to chant with all their hearts. The girl read the mantra from a card I gave her.
The girl and two boys would chant during the lead, during the response, and during the instrumental interludes. They did not stop! They chanted loudly chanting with blissful smiles on their faces for over half an hour, and you sensed that Krishna must have been reciprocating with their enthusiasm.
I met a German girl from Bonn, and I wrote down for her the web page for the local temple in the adjacent city of Cologne as she expressed some interest.
A middle-aged German couple from Berlin asked me about Krishna consciousness, the husband translating what I said for his wife.
I met a girl from Poznan who came everyday to the kirtana for hours. I gave her the contact for the devotee in Poznan who occasionally arranges programs there.
Izabela, who I originally met on our festival tour in Kolobrzeg years ago, but whose family lives in Kostrzyn, came to our camp, bringing friends for prasadam as she does every year. She studied in Wroclaw, then graduated and moved there, and I gave her the contact information for our temple there. Later she and a boy came back to the kirtana tent, and chanted and danced like anything. I do not remember her dancing like that ever before!
One girl with a bandaged foot told me lived in a place where we had no temple or nama-hatta program, but she was beginning her studies in Warsaw at the university. I had no Warsaw temple invitations, so I gave her my card, saying I would sent her the contact information for the temple. She surprised me by writing me the very morning after the Woodstock festival was finished. The vast majority of people I give my cards to do not write.
One man with one leg who was on crutches was so inspired by Bada Haridas Prabhu’s kirtana that he danced as best as one could in that condition. It was awesome to see.
In Mantra Yoga tent people sometimes happily dance in a chain,
sometimes in a circle,
and sometimes forming a bridge, and passing beneath it.
Older people would dance.
And younger people would dance.
I was surprised to see entire Polish families come more than once to our Mantra Yoga tent and dance with the devotees.
Some people would try to follow the dancing of the devotee ladies.
On the last day, as the evening progressed, I saw greater interest in the mantra cards, decidedly more so than in previous years. I would give the new mantra cards, with the mantra and a brief description, to people as they came out of our kirtana tent, thinking that the joy they experienced dancing with us might generate some interest in the mantra. Others, standing outside the tent, would see me handing out the cards, and they would approach me asking for one. In several cases, they asked for two, three, four, or even five, for their friends! Often when I gave someone a card they would smile or fold their hands in gratitude. I found it difficult to remember who I gave the cards to, and sometimes I noticed I thought I remembered the people but I was wrong. A few cards were left on the ground, but I think much less than one percent.
Harinama at the Kostrzyn Train Station
We planned to chant at the train station the day after the Woodstock from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but even though we ended our program by 2 a.m. the night before, much earlier than usual, devotees slept in so late we ended up going out from 1:10 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. instead. We would have stayed out longer, but I had a train to catch at 3:11 p.m., and I wanted to honor the post-Woodstock feast before leaving. As it was, I reached the train two minutes before it left. We started out with just four devotees on the harinama, Syama Rasa Prabu on the accordion, Vishnu Puri Prabhu on the mrdanga, and Mathura-pati Prabhu on the karatalas, and me, dancing and distributing mantra cards. It was so ecstatic to just be out chanting again, sharing Lord Caitanya gift of unlimited good fortune through the medium of his holy names. There were people who expressed their joy in seeing us by smiling, moving with the music, taking photos and accepting mantra cards. One man with a bandaged foot chanted with us on two occasions, reading the mantra from the card I gave him. He also danced the best he could in that condition and got cards for his two associates.
Two girls shook small boxes of candy in each hand in time with the music. One boy tried singing the mantra along with us.
Another time several girls danced as we passed them.
A couple of guys, luggage in hand, sang and followed us. We were joined by four Indian-looking devotees who encountered our party while looking for a taxi to the green school and who stayed for half an hour or so. The wife of Subuddhi Prabhu, who does art on the tour, was happy to join us and danced for a similar length of time, while her husband purchased rail tickets. When we returned to the school that was our base the devotees were serving out the feast, and those waiting in line were happy to encounter the kirtana party. A guy joined with another mrdanga, two guys played kalatalas, and three young ladies danced with enthusiasm.
Harinama in Germany
I chanted a couple days in Erfurt, in the center of Germany, with Sadbhuja Prabhu (playing harmonium below) and his van party.
Once some kids who were bathing in playground delighted in dancing with us.
Thereafter we went to Taucha, northeast of Leipzig, for the annual Ancient Trance festival, where they set up a yurt and chant and tell Krishna stories late into the night during the three-day event. Apparently Sadbhuja Prabhu has known the organizers from even before he became a devotees. Pradyumna Prabhu from Leipzig, also does vegetarian catering at the ancient trance event, and his food was tasty, especially a soup I had seconds on. Last year another group did the catering, but the organizers wanted Pradyumna back this year because he had done a better job. I liked the ancient trance event and was sorry I had to go to Berlin to catch a bus to Bratislava.
The Berlin police foolishly told the devotees they could do their Ratha-yatra on the same day as they had previously allowed another group do to a large festival. Therefore, although the devotees had printed and distributed 4,000 flyers for the Ratha-yatra, they had to cancel the event, and replace it with a harinama.
The harinama only lasted an hour and a half, and which was attended by about twelve devotees. Still it was nice to go on the harinama, although it was brief.
Some guy danced to our music.
And a lady danced with us as well.
Harinama in Bratislava
While enroute from Berlin to Bratislava, I was grateful that I could proofread my guru’s journal using the free WiFi for adjacent buses at the Berlin terminal and using the WiFi at the Prague bus station, where we had an hour layover.
Jivananda Prabhu kindly picked me up from Bratislava bus station, although the bus was scheduled to arrive at 2:30 a.m. Such a sacrifice for him! I did not wish to come at that time, but my desires to go to the Berlin Ratha-yatra [which was later canceled], to speak at the Bratislava Sunday feast, to save money, and to have to time recover from the journey left only that one option.
When I saw Gaura Keshava Prabhu on Rama Raya’s harnama party in New York City in April, I had no idea that he would become so inspired that he would start a similar program in Bratislava when he returned three months later, and that I would join him there for three days in the summer. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Although Adi Purusa Prabhu was teaching a Bhakti Sastri class attended by 30 devotees in the temple at the same time, we still had at least 6 people for most of our 3-hour harinamathe first day in Bratislava, and at one point we had 9 people! That is pretty fired up!
The red-haired girls had met the devotees previously at a festival.
Some people played the instruments,
and some danced with us, and some did both.
A group who was having a vegan dinner listened and ate some vegan halava we made just for them.
The second day, we chanted downtown.
A girl played the tambourine with us.
Adi Purusa Prabhu himself came out after his class, setting a good example.
The final night, we chanted by a statue.
Devotees came after the Bhakti Sastri class, and we had 14 devotees and three onlookers who joined our party.
Imagine if devotees from all the major cities of the world came to New York City, became inspired by Rama Raya Prabhu’s harinama, and returned to their own cities and started daily harinamas for three or four hours. That would give Lord Caitanya’s mission a big boost!
Thanks to nama-hatta.pl for their pictures of me at the Polish Woodstock, thanks to a German bhakta for pictures of me at Efurt, and thanks to Gaura Keshava Prabhu for his pictures of the harinamas in Bratislava. I have additional pictures I took which I did not include in this blog. If you want to see them, click on this link, or paste the URL into your web browser:
“O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be; able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship?
“Purport:
“This verse gives the sum and substance of devotional life. One must first become a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord (dasanudasa). Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised, and He also showed by His own example, that a living entity should always desire to be a servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis(gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ). This means that one must accept a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession and is a servant of the servant of the Lord. Under his direction, one must then engage one’s three properties, namely his body, mind and words. The body should be engaged in physical activity under the order of the master, the mind should think of Krishna incessantly, and one’s words should be engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord. If one is thus engaged in the loving service of the Lord, one’s life is successful.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam6.12.7, purport:
“Vritrasura encouraged Indra, saying, ‘Don’t be morose because of my victory. There is no need to stop fighting. Instead, you should go on with your duty. When Krishna desires, you will certainly be victorious.’ This verse is very instructive for sincere workers in the Krishna consciousness movement. We should not be jubilant in victory or morose in defeat. We should make a sincere effort to implement the will of Krishna, or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we should not be concerned with victory and defeat. Our only duty is to work sincerely, so that our activities may be recognized by Krishna.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam6.12.22, purport:
“A pure devotee is never attracted to any exalted position within this material world. He simply wants to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead like the inhabitants of Vrindavana—Srimati Radharani, the gopis, Krishna’s father and mother (Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda), Krishna’s friends and Krishna’s servants. He wants to associate with Krishna’s atmosphere of Vrindavana’s beauty. These are the highest ambitions of a devotee of Krishna.”
“Any material happiness is like water in a ditch, whereas the spiritual happiness eternally enjoyed in the spiritual world is like an ocean of nectar in which a devotee wants to swim.”
from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 48:
“It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—has attained a transcendental affection for Krishna, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord’s name in full affection and ecstatic love.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam6.15.2, purport:
“This world is temporary, but because of our previous karma we come here and accept bodies, creating temporary relationships in terms of society, friendship, love, nationality and community, which are all finished at death. These temporary relationships did not exist in the past, nor will they exist in the future. Therefore at the present moment the so-called relationships are illusions.”
The Nectar of Instruction preface:
“In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.”
from Letter of 2 August 1972:
“I sometimes remember that when I spoke in Portland, there were many Christians there, and they were very much favorable whenever we mentioned that we also are lovers of Christ. So you may preach in that way. We are not canvassing people to convert or criticize; we are canvassing that they should simply use their time for loving God by engaging in His devotional service, whether they are Christian, Catholic, Jew, or whatever. We are after God, that’s all. We are servants of God.
“So preach like that, very simply, and hold sankirtana all over the city, and distribute prasadam profusely, especially to the youth, then everything will be successful.”
from 73/08/26 London, lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.21–22: “But if you engage yourself in the service of Krishna, you’ll find new and new encouragement. That is spiritual. If you find it hackneyed, then you must know that you are not yet serving spiritually, you are serving materially. Formality, stereotype. But if you feel new and new energy, then you know that you are serving spiritually. This is the test. Your enthusiasm will increase, not decrease.
“So the test is within our hand. If during mangala-arati we feel laziness, that means I’m not yet spiritually advanced. And if one feels enthused, ‘Now it is time for mangala-arati,let me stand up, let me do this,’ then it is spiritual. Anyone can test.”
from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 7.82 verse and purport:
“Upon seeing the chanting and dancing of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda predicted that later there would be dancing and chanting in every village.
“Purport:
“This prediction of Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s is applicable not only in India but also all over the world. That is now happening by His grace. The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are now traveling from one village to another in the Western countries and are even carrying the Deity with them. These devotees distribute
various literatures all over the world. We hope that these devotees who are preaching the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will very seriously follow strictly in His footsteps. If they follow the rules and regulations and chant sixteen rounds daily, their endeavor to preach the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will certainly be successful.
The Nectar of Instruction, verse1, purport:
“As for the urges of the tongue, we all experience that the tongue wants to eat palatable dishes. Generally we should not allow the tongue to eat according to its choice, but should control the tongue by supplying prasada. The devotee’s attitude is that he will eat only when Krishna gives him prasada. That is the way to control the urge of the tongue.”
from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 7.101, purport:
“In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One must also request everyone to chant the maha-mantra. In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaishnavism, showing them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 7.129, purport:
“This is an opportunity for everyone. If one simply follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of His representative, and chants the Hare Krishna mantra, teaching everyone as far as possible the same principle, the contamination of the materialistic way of life will not even touch him. It does not matter whether one lives in a holy place like Vrindavana, Navadvipa or Jagannatha Puri or in the midst of European cities, where the materialistic way of life is very prominent. If a devotee follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Vrindavana and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Krishna consciousness.”
from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 7.130, purport:
“At whosever house Sri Caitanya accepted His alms by takingprasadam, He would convert the dwellers to His sankirtanamovement and advise them just as He advised the brahmananamed Kurma.
“Purport:
“The cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change his status. One may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It doesn’t matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in that way one’s life will be spiritually successful.”
from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita,Madhya 7.132:
“While on His tour, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the night at a temple or on the roadside.While on His tour, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the night at a temple or on the roadside.”
comment by Krishna-kripa das: Spending the night at a temple or on the roadside me of traveling with Parasurama Prabhu. Then it was mostly on the roadside.
from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.15.3:
“O King, as small particles of sand sometimes come together and are sometimes separated due to the force of the waves, the living entities who have accepted material bodies sometimes come together and are sometimes separated by the force of time.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.15.5, purport:
“A dream does not exist before one falls asleep, nor does it continue after one awakens. The period for dreaming exists only between these two, and therefore it is false in the sense that it is impermanent. Similarly, the entire material creation, including our own creation and those of others, is impermanent. We do not lament for the situation in a dream before the dream takes place or after it is over, and so during the dream, or during a dreamlike situation, one should not accept it as factual and lament about it. This is real knowledge.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.15.6, purport:
“The present chaotic conditions of the world are due to the ignorance of leaders who forget that they have been appointed to act by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they have been appointed by the Lord, their duty is to consult the Lord and act accordingly. The book for consultation is Bhagavad-gita, in which the Supreme Lord gives directions. Therefore those who are engaged in creation, maintenance and annihilation should consult the Supreme Person, who has appointed them, and should act accordingly. Then everyone will be satisfied, and there will be no disturbances.”
from Srimad-Bhagavatam6.15.21–23:
“O King, owner of the state of Surasena, one’s wife, his house, the opulence of his kingdom, and his various other opulences and objects of sense perception are all the same in that they are temporary. One’s kingdom, military power, treasury, servants, ministers, friends and relatives are all causes of fear, illusion, lamentation and distress. They are like a gandharva-nagara,a nonexistent palace that one imagines to exist in the forest. Because they are impermanent, they are no better than illusions, dreams and mental concoctions.”
The disciples of Srila Prabhupada:
from Srimad-Bhagavatam11.7.39:
“A learned sage should take his satisfaction in the simple maintenance of his existence and should not seek satisfaction through gratifying the material senses. In other words, one should care for the material body in such a way that one’s higher knowledge is not destroyed and so that one’s speech and mind are not deviated from self-realization.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
from his journal, Viraha Bhavan,“Poem for July 30”:
“Once I wrote to Prabhupada that I had little Jagannathas, and he wrote back that Jagannatha is neither big or small.”
Adi Purusa Prabhu:
Visvanatha Cakravarti says Chapter 7 of Bhagavad-gita describes six types of the devotees, the four mentioned in verse 7.16, the jnana-misra bhakta [whose devotion is mixed with desire for knowledge], and the pure devotee. All attain Vaikuntha, but it is a question of time. Those desiring sense gratification delay their success. Motive determines the speed we attain perfection.
Krishna-kripa das:
an observation:
“The superiors of Radharani do not like Krishna or His cowherd friends to associate with Her; therefore these friends sometimes clothe themselves in female dress so they can give Radharani a message from Krishna.” The above statement from The Nectar of Devotionis evidence that men and women dress differently in the spiritual world. This is contrary to a recent trend in the material world of women dressing as men do.
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sruyatam sruyatam nityam
giyatam giyatam muda
cintyatam cintyatam bhaktas
caitanya-caritamritam
“O devotees, may the transcendental life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu always be chanted and meditated upon with great happiness.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila 12.1)
I’m just west of Estevan, near a massive dam. Highway 18. The moon is above and in front of me. The sun sneaks up from behind. What clouds say, “You’ll be less intense today, we are here to veil you.”
The highway is lined with, from what I can make out, miniature sun flowers , actually Echinacea, and then there’s amaranth plants that ancient civilizations used as food substances. I’m glad to have their company. Muskrats are here, or what’s left of them after being run over. Caterpillars make their migration across. They have a better chance on the westerly portion of Highway 18, there’s less human traffic now.
A salamander sloths his way across. He’s absolutely adorable. With a tip of my umbrella I touch his belly. He swings his tail and actually swerves and makes a sound. I tried again to offer the softest touch, he reacted the same again and gave off a kind of a squeal. I didn’t know salamanders make noise.
I thought I would try my five finger Vibram footwear. It seems to work. The highway here is uneven, and pavement here is bumpier with a rough gravel surface. The feet like it, they like the grip.
Speaking about grip, let’s have a look at getting a hold on life. I meet a lot of young guys everyday, they are good to me, they are supportive, they seem happy and hard at work. One fellow gave me a container of cut watermelon just as I was getting so dehydrated. With some, we have some great chats about all the money they are making and about family and girlfriends and all. I make a point of them getting a grip on the term dharma, and what that means as far as responsibilities go. One fellow that I talked to was boasting, “I’ll just pick up a girl now that my ex is out of the picture.” I said, “You know women aren’t so cheap that you can just pick one up. They are valued just like you are valued.” It’s great speaking like a father to them. They really like monks.
In Torquay, the only village on today’s route, we met some great folks, especially a few bikers. I was curious to know what it’s like being on a Harley Davidson, “Check it out, Swami!” For fun, I sat there on the machine and had a good laugh. It seemed that the whole residential street was out there with us, meaning Daruka, Billy the parrot and myself. Everyone was looking at it and deciding whether the motorcycle was me or not. Ultimately consensus tells that I’m better with feet and the trail, and not putting pedal to the metal.
One of my favourite stories is the one about the boiling frog, who simply fails to realise that the water is getting hotter. His failure to comprehend the incremental rise in temperature (he’d jumped into a pan of cool water on an outdoor fire, you see) spelled his death. Similarly, the heat of fashionable nouveau atheism is increasing all around us. One writer who regularly does notice – and speaks up about it – is Melanie Phillips. I want to share her latest piece with you today.
Like a poorly knotted woggle, the attempt by the Girl Guides to rope in the new generation is now steadily unravelling.
In June, the Guides announced they were changing the historic promise made by all Guides and Brownies from ‘to love my God’ to ‘be true to myself and develop my beliefs’.
They would also drop the pledge to ‘serve my country’, which was to be replaced by ‘my community’.
According to the Chief Guide, Gill Slocombe, the old promise put some girls off because they found it confusing. The new formula, she said, would be easier for Guides to make and keep.
The change – which comes into force in six days’ time – was received with horror and outrage by Christians, and left many others bemused and uneasy. It seemed to be just a crude and shallow attempt by the Guiding establishment to rebrand itself as modern, by dumping timeless values.
Much worse was to follow, though. Guide groups in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, rightly dismayed by the proposed change, announced last week that they would encourage their girls and leaders to continue to use the old promise.
In a letter written jointly with a local vicar, they insisted the movement had to keep God at its core. Impeccably fair-minded and inclusive, they also proposed to offer the new promise to anyone who might prefer that form of words.
Yet in response, Ms Slocombe said such rebels need to accept this change, and even suggested they could be forced out of the movement altogether if they did not.
So much for diversity!
For with this not-so-veiled threat, the true intention of the movement’s leaders has been laid bare. A move they claimed to be more inclusive has turned out to be entirely the opposite.
Indeed, it now stands revealed as being actively discriminatory; far from pulling down any (mythical) barriers to joining the movement, the Guide leaders are actually putting them up.
Under the spurious guise of encouraging membership by atheists, or (inexplicably) those with an aversion to serving their country, the Guides are now threatening to expel those who wish to express a religious belief.
A belief, moreover, which forms the basis of the Christian values in which the Girl Guide movement is rooted, and on which its identity rests.
Yet this movement is now actively discriminating against those who wish to proclaim the continuation of those religious values at its own core.
Having dumped God and country altogether, it is now actually forbidding Guides – on pain of excommunication – to promise to serve anything beyond themselves.
Is this not beyond perverse? For there is no reason why the new promise needs to be exclusive of any other. After all, the Scouts apparently intend to offer atheists an alternative promise rather than abandon the existing one.
Other institutions have long done something similar to accommodate both believers and non-believers. When you swear to tell the truth in court, for example, or take the oath of allegiance as a new Member of Parliament, you are given the choice to swear on the Bible or to affirm.
Just imagine if you were forbidden to give evidence in court or take your seat in Parliament if you insisted on swearing on the Bible!
Of course, this would be utterly unthinkable. And yet that is precisely what the Guides are now doing. As church leaders have pointed out, this is nothing other than secular totalitarianism.
There is thus a weary absence of surprise upon learning that the Guides’ chief executive, Julia Bentley, formerly headed an abortion and contraception group. For it is hard to think of a background which more powerfully symbolises merciless and doctrinaire individualism.
Indeed, to Ms Bentley the Guides are the ultimate feminist organisation but – tsk! – too middle-class.
Thus she revealed herself to be just another politically correct zealot, standing for the secular sectarianism of group rights.
For far from serving the whole of society, each such interest group exists to gain power over everyone else – and damns anyone who stands in its way.
Indeed, this is why ‘political correctness’ is not remotely liberal at all, but viciously oppressive. It is simply a mechanism for re-ordering the world according to a particular dogma – and thus inescapably stifles all dissent.
Innately hostile to traditional morality, it paves the way for a secular Inquisition in which today’s Torquemadas are the ideologues of such group rights – and it is Christians and other religious believers who are the heretics to be silenced by force.
It is, indeed, the principal weapon of unholy war wielded by the forces of militant secularism, which are intent upon destroying the Judeo-Christian basis of western morality.
It supplants traditional morality and the concepts of right and wrong, truth and lies by a creed which says in effect, ‘Whatever is right for you is right’.
It also seeks to replace patriotism and service to one’s country by serving ‘the community’. This is yet another slippery concept, which today can simply amount to membership of just such an interest group, which is in the business of elbowing out other interest groups in the greedy clamour for entitlements.
So the new Guiding promise is all about being true to me, myself and my beliefs, whatever they may happen to be. It represents the antithesis of duty to others. It says, more or less, ‘I promise to serve myself’.
It is a promise for a narcissistic, self-centred and morally vacuous age.
And now we can see also that it is about brutally trampling underfoot the beliefs of others. Pinch yourself: this is the Girl Guides we are talking about, for heaven’s sake!
They have now managed to embody the aggressive secularism and hyper-individualism that the retiring Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, talked about yesterday when he told BBC Radio’s Sunday Programme that British society was losing the plot.
As he said, religious faith underpins the existence of trust. When religion breaks down, trust breaks down. When society becomes secularised, the collapse of trust and the rise of individualism mean the breakdown of social institutions such as the family.
Worse than that, by replacing God with an ideology which brooks no dissent, individualism is a mechanism for illiberalism and even tyranny as these groups get their way through tactics of insult, professional ostracism or outright banning.
Now, though, some Christians are fighting back. Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, said that he hoped many others would join the rebellion by the Harrogate Guide groups.
And now some churches are saying they will deny the Guides the use of church halls, which hitherto hundreds of their groups have used for free.
As the Rev Paul Williamson, vicar of St George’s church in Feltham, west London, has said, it would be hypocritical of the Guides to expect to use the church’s premises after abandoning its core beliefs.
That’s the spirit! Such responses show that, faced with the kind of secular intolerance that is now in danger of pushing Christianity to the very margins of society, the Church is not altogether on its knees.
Churches should deny the Guides use of their premises. Guide groups should offer the old promise, and people should refuse to join those that do not.
Only through such mass resistance will the secular zealots who have hijacked the Girl Guides be faced down, and a great institution be restored to the defence of a decent society, rather than hastening its demise.
One day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. "You have no right teaching others," he shouted. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake."
Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man "Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?"
The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, "It would belong to me, because I bought the gift."
The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself."
"If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy."
A recent article headline suggests that the widespread use of Kapalabhati pranayama (skull-polishing breath) in India promoted by Swami Ramdev’s popular television campaigns and yoga camps is dangerous and may lead to death, echoing lesser admonitions voiced by B.K.S. Iyengar and other yogis concerned about the impact of selling Kapalabhati as a quick fix.
Acharya Agyaatdarshan, a yogi from Delhi, shares that Kapal-kriya is the process of releasing prana or life breath, after death. Kapalabhati is controlling one’s lifespan through one’s breath, he notes; simply put, get it wrong, and you shorten your lifespan.” Long-term Iyengar practitioner Ashwini Gokhale likens Kapalabhati to a dose of strong antibiotics which should only be prescribed by a doctor, rather than the cure-all pill it’s currently marketed as.
A 2008 study by the Asian Heart Institute found a 100% correlation between 31 cases of heart attack and the reckless practice of Kapalabhati, although these results should be interpreted cautiously without more information about study design and details.
Kapalabhati, a cleansing and purifying breathing practice, is characterized by slow or rapid repetition of passive inhalations with a soft belly, followed by a sharp exhalation, during which time the belly is simultaneously drawn in and up towards the spine. This pranayama, when practiced vigorously and rapidly, is activating to the sympathetic nervous system and generates bodily heat. Practiced more gently, with no more than 10-15 repetitions per minute, sympathetic activation is minimized.
Considerably more research remains to be conducted on Kapalabhati’s safety and efficacy. Promising are the results of a study commissioned by senior doctors with the Yoga Institute in Mumbai; their findings indicate that the pranayama, when taught under the guidance of medical and yoga experts, showed benefits in controlling diabetes, obesity, asthma, energizing the mind, and improving depression.
What does this all boil down to? Pranayama is powerful, and should be taught and employed with attention to individual medical concerns and constitution. It is not intended for mass consumption and should be taught and initially supervised by a qualified yoga instructor or expert. Like all powerful techniques if Kapalabhati is used incorrectly it can have serious side effects.
Do you practice Kapalabhati? Have you noticed any adverse or beneficial effects on your health?
This Sunday ” Laugh your way to enlightenment “ Yes, a whole evening of comedy entertainment, that will not only have you laughing, but also leaving a whole lot wiser. Come and see a brilliantly funny and thought provoking DRAMA, followed by REGGAE Mantra jam, topped by a ‘no joke‘ amazing DINNER, all for just $5. [...]
73 photos: Balarama Festival in Iskcon Belo Horizonte 2013, which celebrated the 29th anniversary of the onset of the deities of Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva and Srimati Subhadra Maharani Read more ›
Vision Statement: Founded in 1968, Srila Prabhupada boldly envisions New Vrindaban as a sacred place known worldwide for Cow Protection, Self-Sufficiency, Holy Pilgrimage, Spiritual Education, and, above all, Loving Krishna.
Board of Director Members Present: Jaya Krsna, Dayavira, Chaitanya Mangala, Ranaka, Gopisa
Recording Secretary: Laxmi Honest
The first item discussed was improving community spirit. Chaitanya Mangala shared a timeline of New Vrindaban listing milestones and highlights in the history of the community. It was agreed that the timeline should be shared and ask devotees to contribute dates and events that they remember as important and can be celebrated.
Jaya Krsna then informed the members that an Irish couple will be coming to create a video of New Vrindaban. They will conduct interviews with senior devotees and will stay one month doing research and tapings and will then return to Ireland for editing and post production. It is hoped that this may encourage devotees to collect photos, videotapes, etc. for an archive at the Srila Prabhupada exposition planned as part of a renovated Palace.
Sankirtana Das will be coordinating events for a 2018 50th anniversary celebration of the founding of New Vrindaban.
The next topic was finding additional board members. There are two available seats on the INV Board. After some discussion it was agreed that the board should approach and encourage some of the Second Generation devotees to take on more active roles.
The next item was regarding the Palace. Jaya Krsna pointed out that at the annual Joint Boards Meeting in April of this year it was agreed that we cannot move forward without a clear plan. There are many ongoing problems with the building. It was suggested that we put out an international call for an experienced project manager.
The world usually defines us by our possessions – what we wear, what we drive in, what we own, for example. Being influenced by this pervasive social mirror, we too frequently define ourselves similarly.
But such a self-definition is fickle and fallible. Fickle because it can change dramatically or traumatically as our material fortunes change. And fallible because it doesn’t reveal our character, our heart, the essence of who we are.
Yes some people are so desperate to see a flattering reflection of themselves in the social mirror that they frantically crave and slave to increase their possessions – and even ride roughshod over their morality and integrity. They become blind to the reality indicated by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita (01.44) that such people unwittingly set themselves up for reaping heavy karmic consequences.
To avoid these consequences, we don’t have to give up our possessions; we just need to change our self-definition. The later sections of the Gita address Arjuna’s concerns by refining and revising his self-definition. The Gita replaces the fickle and fallible self-definition offered by society with our eternal and factual self-definition: we are eternal souls on a multi-lifetime journey meant to culminate in our return to Krishna’s supreme abode for a life of unending love. During this journey, our progressively unfolding love for Krishna is our only lasting possession. Nothing else will last, though it can make a lasting contribution if used for the service of Krishna – it can purify us and propel us forward on our spiritual odyssey.
Animated by our revised understanding of who we are and what is actually ours, we act as competent custodians of our belongings, using them in Krishna’s service. Thus our possessions become reinvented vehicles in our ongoing spiritual evolution.
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01.44 - Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
Largest Hare Krishna temple in Latin America is haven for those who want quiet in SP 
196 photos: Cultural Janamastami celebration 2013 Radhadesh 
73 photos: Balarama Festival in Iskcon Belo Horizonte 2013, which celebrated the 29th anniversary of the onset of the deities of Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva and Srimati Subhadra Maharani 
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