This article from the Austin American Statesman describes a bhakti yoga class that seems to present the teachings of Krishna consciousness in an innovative, relevant, and attractive way. I don't know if the devotee running the program described here is a member of ISKCON or not, but I think his approach is inspiring and dynamic, and can teach us all a thing or two about effectively communicating Srila Prabhupada's mission. Finding Inner Space for Meditation:
a little yoga can go a long way
I didn't know quite what to expect when I crossed the threshold of the Austin Meditation Center for the first time. I slipped off my sandals and placed them neatly on the shelf available by the door for this purpose, then took a look around.
The best way to describe the center is also the most clichéd: It was peaceful. I was greeted by the yogi, an older Englishman with a wide smile on his face. Richard Davis seemed to radiate energy and life. We sat down and talked for a while as others trickled in.
After offering us water, organic cherries and whole wheat, sugar-free, homemade cookies, he led us into the next room, where seats and pillows formed a circle on the hardwood floor. The walls were lined with paintings of figures such as Krishna and Christ. We sat as he took his place in front, closing the circle.
Richard took time discussing the concept of mantra meditation with us beginners. He told us that there are two worlds — the material world, and that of the spirit — and that we are "in illusion" when we believe that we are our bodies, and that we are of this material world. We wear our bodies like we wear a T-shirt, he said. The T-shirt is not us; we only wear it. We are "atma," the spirit-soul, that divine spark that differentiates between a living body and a dead one.
He shared an analogy of a fish in the ocean. If you were to take such a fish and put him on the hot, sandy beach, would he be happy? No. He belongs in the ocean. Likewise we, as spiritual beings, can never find happiness in the material world, try as we may. We will only find happiness when we reconnect with our "atma." Happiness — pure bliss — is possible only through the sound vibrations of mantra. Mantra is the vehicle that takes us there, to that place within.
Richard then taught us three kinds of mantra meditation. The first, "breathing meditation," consisted of saying a one-word mantra, "Gauranga," upon exhaling our breath. We inhaled deeply and when we could inhale no more, we began to push out each syllable: "Gaur ... Ra ... Ang ... Ga." "Gauranga" means the "golden effulgence" or light that surrounds God, and can be used as a name for God Himself.
Next we learned "japa meditation." We chanted a phrase as we moved our fingers along wooden beads to keep track. "Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana," we repeated, which I soon learned were other names for God.
Meditation and chanting form patterns similar to the worship I had experienced in Christian churches. The most striking similarity came when we did "kirtan," which was singing the names of God as Richard played guitar: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
Despite the familiarity of the phrase from popular culture, to a Western woman who was raised within the Christian church, this was all so new and strange. Yet I had made a commitment to try it, and I wanted to see if it really did offer contentment.
And so, I did it each day in my home, breathing and chanting and counting the beads. I was surprised to find that mantra had sneaked into my subconscious and was pervading my life: It was in my head at work and I would chant it under my breath in the car. In addition, I felt peace envelop me, as if nothing could harm me any longer. When I heard bad news, it did not break me. I felt above it, able to handle anything. I felt my anxiety and even some of my customary road rage dissipate. This was quite welcome.
I am still new to meditation and to the doctrines of karma, reincarnation and the like that surround it, and I cannot honestly say that I believe every single one of these precepts. Maybe I will come to, and maybe I will not. I will, however, continue to make time and space for contemplation, silence and peace in my ever-whirling, ever-changing world.
April D. Boland is a writer and editor from New York City who currently works in marketing as she completes her English literature degree.
A week or two of not posting and I've (re-) discovered the obvious: blogging, like any other form of communication, is a type of
sadhana, or a disciplined practice.
In the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition,
sadhana is understood to come in two flavors:
vaidhi (governed by rules and regulations) and
raga (characterized by spontaneity).
As blogging
sadhakas, we look to the day when writing will become like breathing; when the words will flow spontaneously and freely, and connection between the thoughts in the head, the feelings in the heart, and the words on the screen will be seamless. But that purity must be earned, and it is purchased through regularity, sincerity, and consistency.
Ultimately, it requires us to be enthusiastic (to embrace our practice and "just write"), patient (with ourselves and the process, humbled by writer's block, mismanaged time, and other indications of how much farther we have to go), and confident (that as long as we are committed to the practice, Krishna will carry us to our goal and use as His instruments).
A week or two of not posting and I've (re-) discovered the obvious: blogging, like any other form of communication, is a type of
sadhana, or a disciplined practice.
In the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition,
sadhana is understood to come in two flavors:
vaidhi (governed by rules and regulations) and
raga (characterized by spontaneity).
As blogging
sadhakas, we look to the day when writing will become like breathing; when the words will flow spontaneously and freely, and connection between the thoughts in the head, the feelings in the heart, and the words on the screen will be seamless. But that purity must be earned, and it is purchased through regularity, sincerity, and consistency.
Ultimately, it requires us to be enthusiastic (to embrace our practice and "just write"), patient (with ourselves and the process, humbled by writer's block, mismanaged time, and other indications of how much farther we have to go), and confident (that as long as we are committed to the practice, Krishna will carry us to our goal and use as His instruments).
"The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky." (SB3.11.05)
Scientists currently believe that the photon (also known as light) is the transmitter particle (gauge boson) for electromagnetic force. Photons supposedly have no mass and no electric charge. It is said that Einstein was the first person to theorize that these particles should exist (except he wasn't the first - not by a long shot!).
Photon (obviously) travel at the speed of light. They can be redirected by gravity (not because gravity attracts the photon like e.g. a magnet attracts iron, but because gravity bends the very space through which the photon flies).
Photons are strange because they behave both as waves and as particles at the same time (as demonstrated in the famous double-slit experiment).
Besides photons, which we "see" every day, there are supposedly a few other gauge bosons, or carrier particles for fundamental forces of nature. Specifically, there supposed to exist W and Z bosons (which supposedly cause the weak atomic interaction), gluons (which supposedly cause the strong atomic interaction) and the (totally speculative) gravitons (which supposedly cause gravity - although no one has ever detected a graviton).
Physicists are hard at work trying to figure out how these particles fit together in a grand unification theory. They believe that if they figure this out they will understand everything there is to know about the elegant universe with no need for primitive gods, deities and other "unscientific" stuff like that.
And here we have the Srimad Bhagavatam stating quite plainly and clearly, thousands of years before the advert of modern physics (or more precisely: the sage Maitreya speaking to Vidura sometime around the year 3102 B.C.), that the photon is actually made up of 6 (specifically 3 groups of 2) atomic particles. These Vedic Atoms (parama-anuh) are the true fundamental particles of nature. In different combinations these particles presumably also make up the other gauga bosons.
So, there we have the much vaunted unification theory.
Why do theoretical physicists not take notice?
Update: (disclaimer) My statements above are called into question by some good counter arguments in the comments to this post. This is not to say that the article is incorrect, but I nevertheless advise anyone reading this to read the comments and make up their own mind based upon what they think are the most reasonable assumptions.
"The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky." (SB3.11.05)
Scientists currently believe that the photon (also known as light) is the transmitter particle (gauge boson) for electromagnetic force. Photons supposedly have no mass and no electric charge. It is said that Einstein was the first person to theorize that these particles should exist (except he wasn't the first - not by a long shot!).
Photon (obviously) travel at the speed of light. They can be redirected by gravity (not because gravity attracts the photon like e.g. a magnet attracts iron, but because gravity bends the very space through which the photon flies).
Photons are strange because they behave both as waves and as particles at the same time (as demonstrated in the famous double-slit experiment).
Besides photons, which we "see" every day, there are supposedly a few other gauge bosons, or carrier particles for fundamental forces of nature. Specifically, there supposed to exist W and Z bosons (which supposedly cause the weak atomic interaction), gluons (which supposedly cause the strong atomic interaction) and the (totally speculative) gravitons (which supposedly cause gravity - although no one has ever detected a graviton).
Physicists are hard at work trying to figure out how these particles fit together in a grand unification theory. They believe that if they figure this out they will understand everything there is to know about the elegant universe with no need for primitive gods, deities and other "unscientific" stuff like that.
And here we have the Srimad Bhagavatam stating quite plainly and clearly, thousands of years before the advert of modern physics (or more precisely: the sage Maitreya speaking to Vidura sometime around the year 3102 B.C.), that the photon is actually made up of 6 (specifically 3 groups of 2) atomic particles. These Vedic Atoms (parama-anuh) are the true fundamental particles of nature. In different combinations these particles presumably also make up the other gauga bosons.
So, there we have the much vaunted unification theory.
Why do theoretical physicists not take notice?
Update: (disclaimer) My statements above are called into question by some good counter arguments in the comments to this post. This is not to say that the article is incorrect, but I nevertheless advise anyone reading this to read the comments and make up their own mind based upon what they think are the most reasonable assumptions.
Seek not to be respected but to be respectable. It's simple isn't it? But yet so elusive to the soul in search of some comfort in this world. Being respected is dearer to the living being than life itself. For one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death. And yet we cannot please all the people all of the time. Someone will inevitably come into our life, for however brief a moment it may be, with the express reason of making our lives as miserable as possible by treating us like we were something nasty clinging to the inside of a toilet bowl. It's inevitable, and for some of us these moments are more frequent than not.
Being attached to some dignity and simultaneously watching someone's face turn from as bright as the sun to sour grapes, just because we walked into their line of sight, can have some adverse side effects in our resolve, especially if we have never met that person before. One reason for this unsolicited adversity could be outward appearance. It's funny how something as simple as clothing can summon up so much wrath amongst people. Generally we dress to be accepted in whatever we want to be accepted in. If we're in the high-powered business world it would be considered intelligent to own the best tailored suits in order to create a mark in others. If we're fashion conscious it would behoof us to be up with the times. If we're in a casual setting then acceptance lies with being causally adorned. But when one of these worlds, without warning, steps into another then there is undoubtedly discomfort. Borders are drawn, acceptance is sought amongst ones own kind, especially at the cost of ridiculing the other -- in other words, a natural selection takes place.
But if you are not at all affected by the results of such barriers and aggressions, then, even if you are ridiculed or abused, it will make no difference. You will have transcended the dress and gained access to a place where respect is given to everyone no matter who or what they are. As Srila Prabhupada points out, one life you may be a King, the next a dog. What is the use of identifying with our dress? It dosn't make us a better person -- a better dressed person maybe, but not one that has become unblemished like the cloth one wears.
Yet the unanswered question here is how, in the midst of so much adversity, do we become respectable rather than seek respect? In the same vein we could ask how do we become tolerant? Does tolerance get given to us or are we put into situations where we have an opportunity to practice tolerance? How can we give unless we are in a situation where we can understand the value of what we have to give? Similarly, how can we become respectable if we are never given a chance to not expect respect?
Seek not to be respected but to be respectable. It's simple isn't it? But yet so elusive to the soul in search of some comfort in this world. Being respected is dearer to the living being than life itself. For one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death. And yet we cannot please all the people all of the time. Someone will inevitably come into our life, for however brief a moment it may be, with the express reason of making our lives as miserable as possible by treating us like we were something nasty clinging to the inside of a toilet bowl. It's inevitable, and for some of us these moments are more frequent than not.
Being attached to some dignity and simultaneously watching someone's face turn from as bright as the sun to sour grapes, just because we walked into their line of sight, can have some adverse side effects in our resolve, especially if we have never met that person before. One reason for this unsolicited adversity could be outward appearance. It's funny how something as simple as clothing can summon up so much wrath amongst people. Generally we dress to be accepted in whatever we want to be accepted in. If we're in the high-powered business world it would be considered intelligent to own the best tailored suits in order to create a mark in others. If we're fashion conscious it would behoof us to be up with the times. If we're in a casual setting then acceptance lies with being causally adorned. But when one of these worlds, without warning, steps into another then there is undoubtedly discomfort. Borders are drawn, acceptance is sought amongst ones own kind, especially at the cost of ridiculing the other -- in other words, a natural selection takes place.
But if you are not at all affected by the results of such barriers and aggressions, then, even if you are ridiculed or abused, it will make no difference. You will have transcended the dress and gained access to a place where respect is given to everyone no matter who or what they are. As Srila Prabhupada points out, one life you may be a King, the next a dog. What is the use of identifying with our dress? It dosn't make us a better person -- a better dressed person maybe, but not one that has become unblemished like the cloth one wears.
Yet the unanswered question here is how, in the midst of so much adversity, do we become respectable rather than seek respect? In the same vein we could ask how do we become tolerant? Does tolerance get given to us or are we put into situations where we have an opportunity to practice tolerance? How can we give unless we are in a situation where we can understand the value of what we have to give? Similarly, how can we become respectable if we are never given a chance to not expect respect?
I just had a paper accepted for publication at this year's Knowledge Capture conference (K-CAP 2007). My paper is "A Methodology for Asynchronous Multi-User Editing of Semantic Web Ontologies". It will serve as the basis of my upcoming PhD thesis.
You can download the paper here, or in the publication section of this website.
So, see you in Whistler, Canada in October.
I just had a paper accepted for publication at this year's Knowledge Capture conference (K-CAP 2007). My paper is "A Methodology for Asynchronous Multi-User Editing of Semantic Web Ontologies". It will serve as the basis of my upcoming PhD thesis.
You can download the paper here, or in the publication section of this website.
So, see you in Whistler, Canada in October.
This video site has a number of how to and self-help videos. For example, the hilarious: how to give a great man-to-man hug video. The videos are informative and often really funny. I could see this site becoming quite popular in the future. They have a niche beyond the usual youtube clone.
It would be great if some devotees could make a video version of Vaisnava Etiquette and How-To guides. There are a few "how to play mrdanga" video and audio sites, but that's about it.
So, how about videos on: "how to offer obeisances", "how to ask a question to a senior devotee", "how to enter the temple room", "how to wear a dhoti", "how to eat prasadam", etc.
Such videos would be more accessible than a book and potentially even quicker to produce. All it would take is a video camera, some aspiring devotee actors and a computer with good video editing software (such as iMovie on the Mac).
(see also my previous post on video blogging)
This video site has a number of how to and self-help videos. For example, the hilarious: how to give a great man-to-man hug video. The videos are informative and often really funny. I could see this site becoming quite popular in the future. They have a niche beyond the usual youtube clone.
It would be great if some devotees could make a video version of Vaisnava Etiquette and How-To guides. There are a few "how to play mrdanga" video and audio sites, but that's about it.
So, how about videos on: "how to offer obeisances", "how to ask a question to a senior devotee", "how to enter the temple room", "how to wear a dhoti", "how to eat prasadam", etc.
Such videos would be more accessible than a book and potentially even quicker to produce. All it would take is a video camera, some aspiring devotee actors and a computer with good video editing software (such as iMovie on the Mac).
(see also my previous post on video blogging)
I just can't make this stuff up, folks.
From the Indian
news, also making the rounds on some "stranger than fiction" types of
blogs:
Prison food too good to leave
Inmates of an Indian prison are reportedly refusing to apply for bail because the food is so good.
Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore is crowded with 4,700 inmates, more than twice its capacity.
Criminals are refusing to apply for bail to get out while juvenile offenders are lying about their age to get in, reports the Bangalore Mirror.
The paper says the reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.
ISKCON, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, started serving its pure-vegetarian fare in the jail in May under contract from the prisons department.
Lunch and dinner typically include piping hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk.
A dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and also once a week.
Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years for theft, robbery and burglary, said: "When we are getting tasty, nutritious food three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes."
source
I just can't make this stuff up, folks.
From the Indian
news, also making the rounds on some "stranger than fiction" types of
blogs:
Prison food too good to leave
Inmates of an Indian prison are reportedly refusing to apply for bail because the food is so good.
Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore is crowded with 4,700 inmates, more than twice its capacity.
Criminals are refusing to apply for bail to get out while juvenile offenders are lying about their age to get in, reports the Bangalore Mirror.
The paper says the reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.
ISKCON, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, started serving its pure-vegetarian fare in the jail in May under contract from the prisons department.
Lunch and dinner typically include piping hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk.
A dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and also once a week.
Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years for theft, robbery and burglary, said: "When we are getting tasty, nutritious food three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes."
source
60 minutes has a report (A Pill to Forget?) (videos here) on a drug that can erase memories. Propranolol is a drug that (among other things) seems to erase link between an intense emotional event and the memory.
Psychiatrist hope to treat patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (i.e. victims of war, rape, or accidents). Usually if someone has experienced a traumatic event and then, years later, sees or hears something that reminds them of that experience, then the emotions from the trauma come back in full force. However, the drug shows promise that it can remove these painful memories.
It does its magic by blocking adrenaline from nerve cells. Adrenaline causes memories to really take root. We can see for ourselves: most long-lived memories are associated with some event that caused our body to produced lots of adrenaline. So, if the drug is taken shortly after a traumatic event, or even many years after the event, provided the victim is made to remember the thoughts and emotions of that time, then it breaks the link between the thoughts and the emotions. The memory fades away.
Opponents of the drug believe that our memories make us who we are. Erasing painful memories would rob us of the chance to become better people. They also fear the drug will be used recreationally, to erase minor unpleasant or embarrassing moments from our memory.
This strikes me as interesting and reminds me of a realization that a devotee recently shared with me:
The devotee is interested in remembering Krishna at the time of death. Everyone else is interested in remember as little as possible at the time of death.
This devotee doctor was telling me that death is super painful. Like 1000 scorpions biting you all at once. A dying person usually is given vast quantities of morphine to dull their brain so they feel and remember as little as possible. However, there comes a stage at the end of life where even morphine is no longer effective and the full pain takes effect.
However, the jaws of death are just like the jaws of a cat carrying her kitten to the devotee. The rat lives in terror of the fearsome cat jaw, but the kitten purrs contently as its mother carries it in the very same jaw.
The memory pill opponents do not know that we are not this body and mind. Our memories most certainly do not make us who we are. After all, we forget almost everything at the time of death. However, the subtle impressions remain. So, someone who has endured a life of a pig will subconsciously learn that maybe they should not engage in a gluttonous lifestyle when they become a human again.
Can this pill erase these subtle imprints? - I don't know.
One frightening thing however is that while the drug can erase bad memories it can also probably erase good ones. The Vedic culture makes use of so-called samskaras. Rituals at important life events that serve as imprints in people's memories. If the samskaras are Krishna conscious, then the person recalling these memories at the time of death can attain liberation (and avoid repeated birth in the animal kingdom) (BG 8.6 + BG 14.15).
Another perspective is that living with painful memories, day-after-day, is suffering we were destined to receive by our previous actions (bad karma). If we try to escape the suffering by taking a pill, it will just come back at us in some other way. No one can escape their karma (unless, of course, they practice devotional service and Krishna personally intervenes to give them a special personalized reduced package of karmic reaction that is best suited to bringing them back to Godhead).
So, this is yet another example of today's culture of ignorance and forgetfulness. Materialists want to forget as much as possible, while devotees want constant remembrance (smartavyah satatam vishnu).
60 minutes has a report (A Pill to Forget?) (videos here) on a drug that can erase memories. Propranolol is a drug that (among other things) seems to erase link between an intense emotional event and the memory.
Psychiatrist hope to treat patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (i.e. victims of war, rape, or accidents). Usually if someone has experienced a traumatic event and then, years later, sees or hears something that reminds them of that experience, then the emotions from the trauma come back in full force. However, the drug shows promise that it can remove these painful memories.
It does its magic by blocking adrenaline from nerve cells. Adrenaline causes memories to really take root. We can see for ourselves: most long-lived memories are associated with some event that caused our body to produced lots of adrenaline. So, if the drug is taken shortly after a traumatic event, or even many years after the event, provided the victim is made to remember the thoughts and emotions of that time, then it breaks the link between the thoughts and the emotions. The memory fades away.
Opponents of the drug believe that our memories make us who we are. Erasing painful memories would rob us of the chance to become better people. They also fear the drug will be used recreationally, to erase minor unpleasant or embarrassing moments from our memory.
This strikes me as interesting and reminds me of a realization that a devotee recently shared with me:
The devotee is interested in remembering Krishna at the time of death. Everyone else is interested in remember as little as possible at the time of death.
This devotee doctor was telling me that death is super painful. Like 1000 scorpions biting you all at once. A dying person usually is given vast quantities of morphine to dull their brain so they feel and remember as little as possible. However, there comes a stage at the end of life where even morphine is no longer effective and the full pain takes effect.
However, the jaws of death are just like the jaws of a cat carrying her kitten to the devotee. The rat lives in terror of the fearsome cat jaw, but the kitten purrs contently as its mother carries it in the very same jaw.
The memory pill opponents do not know that we are not this body and mind. Our memories most certainly do not make us who we are. After all, we forget almost everything at the time of death. However, the subtle impressions remain. So, someone who has endured a life of a pig will subconsciously learn that maybe they should not engage in a gluttonous lifestyle when they become a human again.
Can this pill erase these subtle imprints? - I don't know.
One frightening thing however is that while the drug can erase bad memories it can also probably erase good ones. The Vedic culture makes use of so-called samskaras. Rituals at important life events that serve as imprints in people's memories. If the samskaras are Krishna conscious, then the person recalling these memories at the time of death can attain liberation (and avoid repeated birth in the animal kingdom) (BG 8.6 + BG 14.15).
Another perspective is that living with painful memories, day-after-day, is suffering we were destined to receive by our previous actions (bad karma). If we try to escape the suffering by taking a pill, it will just come back at us in some other way. No one can escape their karma (unless, of course, they practice devotional service and Krishna personally intervenes to give them a special personalized reduced package of karmic reaction that is best suited to bringing them back to Godhead).
So, this is yet another example of today's culture of ignorance and forgetfulness. Materialists want to forget as much as possible, while devotees want constant remembrance (smartavyah satatam vishnu).
I had a dream. I was hovering above myself as I was dying, and no one noticed. Men, women and children passed by without blinking an eye at my demise on the pavement next to them. I made no noise for fear of disturbing them. I kept to myself for want of peace. And then, just as I was breathing my final breath, a small girl stopped and looked into my eyes. She said nothing but I knew her thoughts were mirroring mine as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. I reached for her hand but she took a step back, out of reach. And then blackness.
By this time my eyes were wide open and I was in a cold sweat on my therm-a-rest®©. It was a bad dream, I told myself, and tried to fall back to sleep again but to no avail. Death in the dream was not disturbing me, nor was it the lack of interest from the masses; it was those tears, the look in that little girl's face, and her subsequent standoffishness.
I sat up and drank some water from a glass next to me. Water - the elixir of life. Life - something we take for granted. Why is it that we need something overwhelming to happen to us in order to register that simple fact? That we can so easily go through life without blinking an eye, without even acknowledging existence let alone ponder over it. And before we know it we missed the boat and wasted a golden opportunity to understand.
I had to get up now and walk over to the window. Outside it was dark and drizzling. Small raindrops patted against the windowpane, eventually forming streams of water that glided down to the window's ledge. These streams moved slowly at first, almost uncertain, but picked up speed and confidence before moving like lightening in the final third.
The transition of movement from apprehensive to certain in those small rivulets of water seemed so brief. In the beginning it was almost meditative, soothingly melancholy, to watch an element creatively exist and awkwardly function in another element. I could keep up with it. Mother Nature weeping in kindness. But then, when it built up to breakneck speed in such a short time and quickly vanished into it's own at the end of it's journey, I had to take a step back for my eye strained in trying to keep up.
Lightening struck. And then darkness. The sudden burst of light emphasizing the blackness that followed it. It was too dark to see anything outside the window for there were no streetlights nor was their moonlight for the clouds. I went back to the therm-a-rest®© and laid down on it again. My folly was to close my eyes, for off I drifted into a deep dreamless sleep wherein I forgot everything.
I had a dream. I was hovering above myself as I was dying, and no one noticed. Men, women and children passed by without blinking an eye at my demise on the pavement next to them. I made no noise for fear of disturbing them. I kept to myself for want of peace. And then, just as I was breathing my final breath, a small girl stopped and looked into my eyes. She said nothing but I knew her thoughts were mirroring mine as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. I reached for her hand but she took a step back, out of reach. And then blackness.
By this time my eyes were wide open and I was in a cold sweat on my therm-a-rest®©. It was a bad dream, I told myself, and tried to fall back to sleep again but to no avail. Death in the dream was not disturbing me, nor was it the lack of interest from the masses; it was those tears, the look in that little girl's face, and her subsequent standoffishness.
I sat up and drank some water from a glass next to me. Water - the elixir of life. Life - something we take for granted. Why is it that we need something overwhelming to happen to us in order to register that simple fact? That we can so easily go through life without blinking an eye, without even acknowledging existence let alone ponder over it. And before we know it we missed the boat and wasted a golden opportunity to understand.
I had to get up now and walk over to the window. Outside it was dark and drizzling. Small raindrops patted against the windowpane, eventually forming streams of water that glided down to the window's ledge. These streams moved slowly at first, almost uncertain, but picked up speed and confidence before moving like lightening in the final third.
The transition of movement from apprehensive to certain in those small rivulets of water seemed so brief. In the beginning it was almost meditative, soothingly melancholy, to watch an element creatively exist and awkwardly function in another element. I could keep up with it. Mother Nature weeping in kindness. But then, when it built up to breakneck speed in such a short time and quickly vanished into it's own at the end of it's journey, I had to take a step back for my eye strained in trying to keep up.
Lightening struck. And then darkness. The sudden burst of light emphasizing the blackness that followed it. It was too dark to see anything outside the window for there were no streetlights nor was their moonlight for the clouds. I went back to the therm-a-rest®© and laid down on it again. My folly was to close my eyes, for off I drifted into a deep dreamless sleep wherein I forgot everything.
Do it three times!
The news media is more than willing to publish a story, any story. If something is moderately well written and seems to be interesting, a local newspaper will publish it. If something is of interest to a broader spectrum of people, then a national newspaper will publish it. The trick is to publish the same news three times. Observe the stories from day-to-day and see this in effect. Heres a fictional example:
"Russia commits to donate $1 million to help world hunger."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia starts the process of supplying one million dollars to feed the hungry all over the world."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia has successfully completed the process of giving $1 million to charitable food distribution."
This makes it sound like Russia had given $3 million. People don't notice that it is the same story, worded slightly differently, repeated over and over again. They get three separate positive impressions on three separate occasions. One event gives triple the benefit.
Do it three times!
The news media is more than willing to publish a story, any story. If something is moderately well written and seems to be interesting, a local newspaper will publish it. If something is of interest to a broader spectrum of people, then a national newspaper will publish it. The trick is to publish the same news three times. Observe the stories from day-to-day and see this in effect. Heres a fictional example:
"Russia commits to donate $1 million to help world hunger."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia starts the process of supplying one million dollars to feed the hungry all over the world."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia has successfully completed the process of giving $1 million to charitable food distribution."
This makes it sound like Russia had given $3 million. People don't notice that it is the same story, worded slightly differently, repeated over and over again. They get three separate positive impressions on three separate occasions. One event gives triple the benefit.
I think this comes from the Mahabharata, which i think gets it from one of the Puranas (refs are welcomed in a comment on this posting)? Also, i thought the original was actually Atri Muni speaking? But the lesson is poignant either way. Basically he's saying, be careful about slandering others for by doing so you gain their bad qualities as well as giving them the results of your piety. This explains why some you wouldn't think should do well are in fact doing well...
Vidura said: In this connection is cited the old story of the discourse between the son of Atri and the deities called Sadhyas is as heard by us.
In days of old, the deities known by the name of Sadhyas questioned the highly wise and great Rishi of rigid vows (the son of Atri), while the latter was wandering in the guise of one depending on eleemosynary charity for livelihood.
The Sadhyas said: We are, O great Rishi, deities known as Sadhyas. Beholding thee, we are unable to guess who thou art. It seems to us, however, that thou art possessed of intelligence and self-control in consequence of acquaintance with the scriptures. It, therefore, behoveth thee to discourse to us in magnanimous words fraught with learning.
Slanders and reproaches
The mendicant Rishi answered: Ye immortals, it has been heard by me that by untying all the knots in the heart by the aid of tranquillity, and by mastery over all the passions, and observance of true religion, one should regard both the agreeable and the disagreeable like his own self. One should not return the slanders or reproaches of others for the pain that is felt by him who bears silently, consumes the slanderer; and he that bears, succeeds also appropriating the virtues of the slanderer. Indulge not in slanders and reproaches.
Do not humiliate and insult others. Quarrel not with friends. Abstain from companionship with those that are vile and low. Be not arrogant and ignoble in conduct. Avoid words that are harsh and fraught with anger. Harsh words burn and scorch the very vitals, bones, heart, and the very sources of the life of men. Therefore, he, that is virtuous, should always abstain from harsh and angry words. That worst of men is of harsh and wrathful speech that pierces the vitals of others with wordy thorns, bears hell in his tongue, and should ever be regarded as a dispenser of misery to men. The man that is wise, pierced by another's wordy arrows, sharp pointed and smarting like fire or the sun, should, even if deeply wounded and burning with pain, bear them patiently remembering that the slanderer's merits become his.
He that waits upon one that is good or upon one that is wicked, upon one that is possessed of ascetic merit or upon one that is a thief, soon takes the colour from that companion of his, like a cloth from the dye in which it is soaked. The very gods desire his company, who, stung with reproach, returns if not himself nor causes others to return it, or who being struck does not himself return the blow nor causes others to do it, and who wishes not the slightest injury to him that injures him.
I think this comes from the Mahabharata, which i think gets it from one of the Puranas (refs are welcomed in a comment on this posting)? Also, i thought the original was actually Atri Muni speaking? But the lesson is poignant either way. Basically he's saying, be careful about slandering others for by doing so you gain their bad qualities as well as giving them the results of your piety. This explains why some you wouldn't think should do well are in fact doing well...
Vidura said: In this connection is cited the old story of the discourse between the son of Atri and the deities called Sadhyas is as heard by us.
In days of old, the deities known by the name of Sadhyas questioned the highly wise and great Rishi of rigid vows (the son of Atri), while the latter was wandering in the guise of one depending on eleemosynary charity for livelihood.
The Sadhyas said: We are, O great Rishi, deities known as Sadhyas. Beholding thee, we are unable to guess who thou art. It seems to us, however, that thou art possessed of intelligence and self-control in consequence of acquaintance with the scriptures. It, therefore, behoveth thee to discourse to us in magnanimous words fraught with learning.
Slanders and reproaches
The mendicant Rishi answered: Ye immortals, it has been heard by me that by untying all the knots in the heart by the aid of tranquillity, and by mastery over all the passions, and observance of true religion, one should regard both the agreeable and the disagreeable like his own self. One should not return the slanders or reproaches of others for the pain that is felt by him who bears silently, consumes the slanderer; and he that bears, succeeds also appropriating the virtues of the slanderer. Indulge not in slanders and reproaches.
Do not humiliate and insult others. Quarrel not with friends. Abstain from companionship with those that are vile and low. Be not arrogant and ignoble in conduct. Avoid words that are harsh and fraught with anger. Harsh words burn and scorch the very vitals, bones, heart, and the very sources of the life of men. Therefore, he, that is virtuous, should always abstain from harsh and angry words. That worst of men is of harsh and wrathful speech that pierces the vitals of others with wordy thorns, bears hell in his tongue, and should ever be regarded as a dispenser of misery to men. The man that is wise, pierced by another's wordy arrows, sharp pointed and smarting like fire or the sun, should, even if deeply wounded and burning with pain, bear them patiently remembering that the slanderer's merits become his.
He that waits upon one that is good or upon one that is wicked, upon one that is possessed of ascetic merit or upon one that is a thief, soon takes the colour from that companion of his, like a cloth from the dye in which it is soaked. The very gods desire his company, who, stung with reproach, returns if not himself nor causes others to return it, or who being struck does not himself return the blow nor causes others to do it, and who wishes not the slightest injury to him that injures him.
What was my experiences in the Holy Dhama? My experiences are worthless, but one thing that's been re-emphasized from my visit there is that the Dhama is non different to the Supreme. That's why being in the presence of the Dhama means being in direct contact with Krsna.
Many years ago i rode a bus between Delhi and Agra as a traveler. I wasn't an aspiring devotee then, just someone who had left London in search of some meaning and adventure in his otherwise humdrum, run-of-the-mill life. Even though i didn't know it at the time, this trip to Agra took me for a brief few minutes through places where Krsna had enacted many of His pastimes; the heart of Braja. I was driven in-between Vrndavan and Govardhana and then along the outskirts of Mathura. I can honestly say that this seemingly passive incident in my a priori spiritual journey affected me in a positive way.
A different situation, but similar effect, happened about three years ago when i spent a couple of months at the asrama in Govardhana. My sadhana was shot from all my travels and crazy schedules, i had no taste for the Holy Name, and among many other problems i was a spiritual wreck. And yet, even though nothing improved from my endeavors and works during that stay, i still felt as if i reaped some unseen, causeless benefit from being in the presence of Giriraja. After my stay i felt somewhat rejuvenated from simply being there - i didn't do anything to bring this on apart from stay there.
This year was similar. For various reasons i had become run-down and weakened by staying in the West for a long time. Sense gratification becomes the norm in America and Europe as maya lures one like a seductress with many different dresses to suit different occasions and tendencies. I was worn out and tired. Again, it seemed that my time in the Dhama was unproductive, i know i could have achieved a lot more. But yet again, on reflection, i can see that by just having put myself in the care of the Dhama it has affected me in a deeper more subtle way without my reciprocation.
Why do we go to places of pilgrimage? In the Bhagavatam (1.13.10 purport) Prabhupada says "To go to some holy place of pilgrimage does not mean only to take a bath in the Ganges or Yamuna or to visit the temples situated in those places. One should also find representatives of Vidura who have no desire in life save and except to serve the Personality of Godhead." The Holy Dhama is recommended to be resided in for that reason. The Dhama itself, it's residents, and the pilgrims visiting are all sources of understanding the goal of life. What did Prabhupada say about the goal of life?... something about being addicted to Krsna. In some places this addiction is more contagious. We can only aspire for it by making some good choices.
What was my experiences in the Holy Dhama? My experiences are worthless, but one thing that's been re-emphasized from my visit there is that the Dhama is non different to the Supreme. That's why being in the presence of the Dhama means being in direct contact with Krsna.
Many years ago i rode a bus between Delhi and Agra as a traveler. I wasn't an aspiring devotee then, just someone who had left London in search of some meaning and adventure in his otherwise humdrum, run-of-the-mill life. Even though i didn't know it at the time, this trip to Agra took me for a brief few minutes through places where Krsna had enacted many of His pastimes; the heart of Braja. I was driven in-between Vrndavan and Govardhana and then along the outskirts of Mathura. I can honestly say that this seemingly passive incident in my a priori spiritual journey affected me in a positive way.
A different situation, but similar effect, happened about three years ago when i spent a couple of months at the asrama in Govardhana. My sadhana was shot from all my travels and crazy schedules, i had no taste for the Holy Name, and among many other problems i was a spiritual wreck. And yet, even though nothing improved from my endeavors and works during that stay, i still felt as if i reaped some unseen, causeless benefit from being in the presence of Giriraja. After my stay i felt somewhat rejuvenated from simply being there - i didn't do anything to bring this on apart from stay there.
This year was similar. For various reasons i had become run-down and weakened by staying in the West for a long time. Sense gratification becomes the norm in America and Europe as maya lures one like a seductress with many different dresses to suit different occasions and tendencies. I was worn out and tired. Again, it seemed that my time in the Dhama was unproductive, i know i could have achieved a lot more. But yet again, on reflection, i can see that by just having put myself in the care of the Dhama it has affected me in a deeper more subtle way without my reciprocation.
Why do we go to places of pilgrimage? In the Bhagavatam (1.13.10 purport) Prabhupada says "To go to some holy place of pilgrimage does not mean only to take a bath in the Ganges or Yamuna or to visit the temples situated in those places. One should also find representatives of Vidura who have no desire in life save and except to serve the Personality of Godhead." The Holy Dhama is recommended to be resided in for that reason. The Dhama itself, it's residents, and the pilgrims visiting are all sources of understanding the goal of life. What did Prabhupada say about the goal of life?... something about being addicted to Krsna. In some places this addiction is more contagious. We can only aspire for it by making some good choices.
An article on New York Ratha Yatra, from the India Post newspaper:
ISKCON rath yatra attracts New Yorkers
Wednesday, 06.20.2007, 03:19am (GMT-7)
NEW YORK: When British colonists first encountered the Ratha Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath - a millenia-old Hindu procession of three giant chariots bearing images of Lord Krishna - they hardly knew what to make of it.
Today, the British Empire has come and gone, but Ratha Yatra rolls down some of the most famous streets in the Western world. Case in point: on Saturday, June 9, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) presented their jubilant annual Ratha Yatra (Festival of the Chariots) parade down Fifth Avenue.
Modeled after the original Ratha Yatra held in the seaside holy city of Puri, the New York City version of this event featured a procession of three 40-foot high traditional Indian chariots - pulled by hand by Krishna devotees and guests.
The custom built chariots, bearing sacred images of Lord Krishna, were festooned with colorful canopies, flower garlands, and other decorations by a team of hundreds of devotee volunteers from the Hare Krishna temple in Brooklyn, New York. "This festival brings the East and West together," said Pragnesh Surti, an architect and festival volunteer from Queens.
"It is a demonstration of universal peace, goodwill, and the equality of all in the eyes of God."Like many of the young volunteers helping to keep the parade running smoothly, Surti is a second-generation Hindu-American who grew up attending the Hare Krishna temple. He credited ISKCON with connecting him to his cultural and spiritual roots."Being a part of ISKCON has helped me to understand and better appreciate the amazing gift that I was given," he said.
"Now I am trying to do my part to share this gift with others - Indian, American, white, black, or brown." From 2pm until 7pm the celebration continued with the Festival of India, a traveling exhibition of India's spirituality and culture. Washington Square Park morphed into a traditional Indian mela, with performances by professional artists and local community groups. Western-born Krishna devotee Anapayini Dasi and her Bhakti-kalalayam Dance School presented a bharat-natyam dance ballet on the ten incarnations of Vishnu, while the East-West School of Dance portrayed Krishna's famous dances with the gopis of Vrindavan.
The show-stealer, however, was a multi-ethnic local cast performing their take on The Age of Kali, a Bengali classic. The drama, which depicted personified Sin and her agents being defeated by the power of Lord Krishna's holy name, had the audience of over one hundred adults and children spellbound. Along with the stage show, display booths allowed festival-goers to get their hands on traditional Indian handicrafts and books on bhakti-yoga, and approximately ten thousand visitors were treated to a complimentary multi-course vegetarian feast.
"The festival celebrates the beauty of Eastern spirituality encountering 21st century New York City." said Vineet Chander, a communications director with ISKCON.
The Festival of the Chariots is modeled after the ancient festival of Ratha Yatra, one of the most important yearly events in the calendar of the Hindu faith. This festival is especially sacred to Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Krishna).In the sea-side holy city of Jagannath Puri, every summer, at the beginning of the monsoon season, the Deity is taken out of the temple amidst great fanfare, and placed on bright and colorful chariots.
Almost a million worshippers throng to the city and pull the chariots with love and devotion, accompanied by joyful music, religious chants, and dancing. In 1976 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, inaugurated the New York City version of this ancient Indian parade. Since then, it has been celebrated annually here and has become a New York summer tradition.
This festival blends the splendor of a millennia-old celebration with the excitement of a parade down New York's world famous Fifth Avenue. This event draws thousands of people of various walks of life from all over the world, bringing the best of the East and West together in a demonstration of universal peace, harmony and goodwill.
An article on New York Ratha Yatra, from the India Post newspaper:
ISKCON rath yatra attracts New Yorkers
Wednesday, 06.20.2007, 03:19am (GMT-7)
NEW YORK: When British colonists first encountered the Ratha Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath - a millenia-old Hindu procession of three giant chariots bearing images of Lord Krishna - they hardly knew what to make of it.
Today, the British Empire has come and gone, but Ratha Yatra rolls down some of the most famous streets in the Western world. Case in point: on Saturday, June 9, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) presented their jubilant annual Ratha Yatra (Festival of the Chariots) parade down Fifth Avenue.
Modeled after the original Ratha Yatra held in the seaside holy city of Puri, the New York City version of this event featured a procession of three 40-foot high traditional Indian chariots - pulled by hand by Krishna devotees and guests.
The custom built chariots, bearing sacred images of Lord Krishna, were festooned with colorful canopies, flower garlands, and other decorations by a team of hundreds of devotee volunteers from the Hare Krishna temple in Brooklyn, New York. "This festival brings the East and West together," said Pragnesh Surti, an architect and festival volunteer from Queens.
"It is a demonstration of universal peace, goodwill, and the equality of all in the eyes of God."Like many of the young volunteers helping to keep the parade running smoothly, Surti is a second-generation Hindu-American who grew up attending the Hare Krishna temple. He credited ISKCON with connecting him to his cultural and spiritual roots."Being a part of ISKCON has helped me to understand and better appreciate the amazing gift that I was given," he said.
"Now I am trying to do my part to share this gift with others - Indian, American, white, black, or brown." From 2pm until 7pm the celebration continued with the Festival of India, a traveling exhibition of India's spirituality and culture. Washington Square Park morphed into a traditional Indian mela, with performances by professional artists and local community groups. Western-born Krishna devotee Anapayini Dasi and her Bhakti-kalalayam Dance School presented a bharat-natyam dance ballet on the ten incarnations of Vishnu, while the East-West School of Dance portrayed Krishna's famous dances with the gopis of Vrindavan.
The show-stealer, however, was a multi-ethnic local cast performing their take on The Age of Kali, a Bengali classic. The drama, which depicted personified Sin and her agents being defeated by the power of Lord Krishna's holy name, had the audience of over one hundred adults and children spellbound. Along with the stage show, display booths allowed festival-goers to get their hands on traditional Indian handicrafts and books on bhakti-yoga, and approximately ten thousand visitors were treated to a complimentary multi-course vegetarian feast.
"The festival celebrates the beauty of Eastern spirituality encountering 21st century New York City." said Vineet Chander, a communications director with ISKCON.
The Festival of the Chariots is modeled after the ancient festival of Ratha Yatra, one of the most important yearly events in the calendar of the Hindu faith. This festival is especially sacred to Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Krishna).In the sea-side holy city of Jagannath Puri, every summer, at the beginning of the monsoon season, the Deity is taken out of the temple amidst great fanfare, and placed on bright and colorful chariots.
Almost a million worshippers throng to the city and pull the chariots with love and devotion, accompanied by joyful music, religious chants, and dancing. In 1976 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, inaugurated the New York City version of this ancient Indian parade. Since then, it has been celebrated annually here and has become a New York summer tradition.
This festival blends the splendor of a millennia-old celebration with the excitement of a parade down New York's world famous Fifth Avenue. This event draws thousands of people of various walks of life from all over the world, bringing the best of the East and West together in a demonstration of universal peace, harmony and goodwill.
from
New York Daily Photo blog:
(click on image for a larger version)
from
New York Daily Photo blog:
(click on image for a larger version)
Two weeks after my maha-long flight my body started malfunctioning. Digestion went down the drain, stomach wound itself up in pain and PhD work showed no gain. This if fairly normal for me. Two weeks after some damage to the body I get the delayed reaction. However, Phil thought his preemptive treatment should have prevented this from happening this time.
So, I emailed Dr Phil and asked for advice. His advice: fast for a day or two to give the digestion system a break, take loads of the clay and slippery elm powder to coat and heal the colon and drink loads of Aloe Vera juice to soothe the digestion and add some more healing power to the mix.
It worked. In a few days I was (almost) back to normal. See here for more of the miracle of Aloe Vera and how to Harvest Fresh Aloe Vera Gel.
Two weeks after my maha-long flight my body started malfunctioning. Digestion went down the drain, stomach wound itself up in pain and PhD work showed no gain. This if fairly normal for me. Two weeks after some damage to the body I get the delayed reaction. However, Phil thought his preemptive treatment should have prevented this from happening this time.
So, I emailed Dr Phil and asked for advice. His advice: fast for a day or two to give the digestion system a break, take loads of the clay and slippery elm powder to coat and heal the colon and drink loads of Aloe Vera juice to soothe the digestion and add some more healing power to the mix.
It worked. In a few days I was (almost) back to normal. See here for more of the miracle of Aloe Vera and how to Harvest Fresh Aloe Vera Gel.
Just back from my trip to New Zealand I saw Dr Phil again. He did a brief calculation of my astrology. The result: it seems just around the time I'm due to finish my PhD my planetary influence moves from "study" to "work". My health should get a bit better too at that point. Oh and I'll have influential children...
The irregularity of travel had thrown my body a bit out of whack. I was feeling quite hot (where I'm usually too cold) and was needing only 6 hours sleep (not because I was healthy, but because my body was so confused it didn't quite know what to do and when).
Philip used acupuncture to sort those things out by unblocking a few meridians. He stuck needles in various exotic places like my arm pits, the upper side of my chest, my feet and the sides of my legs (the last two are fairly common).
I had some acupuncture done while in New Zealand and I asked Philip about this. The person I saw in NZ was trained to use as thick needles as possible and stuck them in as deep as possible.
"The bigger and deeper the needle, the more the effect." - he said
While this is true in one sense, Philip prefers a more subtle approach. Chinese bodies' constitutions are, in general, strong as oxen. They don't get sick like we westerns do. Traditional Chinese treatment is therefore too heavy handed for the average frail western body. So, it doesn't work. Systems of medicine have to be adapted to the changing conditions of the patient group. Even 20 years ago people were completely different and required a different alternative medical approach in order to heal them. The treatments of yesterday no longer work today. The doctor needs to keep learning and adapting.
A lump had been developing under the skin of my chest. It was very unlikely to be cancer around to western doctors, however they didn't have a cure. If it got too big they offered surgery as the only solution. "That's no solution" said Philip, "it has to be caused by something".
The acupuncture should help it. He also gave me a herbal mix to reduce growths and cancers, as well as increase my testosterone level slightly. He also gave me some zinc and probiotics to help my body in general.
Just back from my trip to New Zealand I saw Dr Phil again. He did a brief calculation of my astrology. The result: it seems just around the time I'm due to finish my PhD my planetary influence moves from "study" to "work". My health should get a bit better too at that point. Oh and I'll have influential children...
The irregularity of travel had thrown my body a bit out of whack. I was feeling quite hot (where I'm usually too cold) and was needing only 6 hours sleep (not because I was healthy, but because my body was so confused it didn't quite know what to do and when).
Philip used acupuncture to sort those things out by unblocking a few meridians. He stuck needles in various exotic places like my arm pits, the upper side of my chest, my feet and the sides of my legs (the last two are fairly common).
I had some acupuncture done while in New Zealand and I asked Philip about this. The person I saw in NZ was trained to use as thick needles as possible and stuck them in as deep as possible.
"The bigger and deeper the needle, the more the effect." - he said
While this is true in one sense, Philip prefers a more subtle approach. Chinese bodies' constitutions are, in general, strong as oxen. They don't get sick like we westerns do. Traditional Chinese treatment is therefore too heavy handed for the average frail western body. So, it doesn't work. Systems of medicine have to be adapted to the changing conditions of the patient group. Even 20 years ago people were completely different and required a different alternative medical approach in order to heal them. The treatments of yesterday no longer work today. The doctor needs to keep learning and adapting.
A lump had been developing under the skin of my chest. It was very unlikely to be cancer around to western doctors, however they didn't have a cure. If it got too big they offered surgery as the only solution. "That's no solution" said Philip, "it has to be caused by something".
The acupuncture should help it. He also gave me a herbal mix to reduce growths and cancers, as well as increase my testosterone level slightly. He also gave me some zinc and probiotics to help my body in general.
I dun be as sick as a wounded dawg. Yea, I have a recurrence of bronchitis which is causing a cough from hell, plus, as if that wasn't enough, my right ear is blocked because of an infection. This is probably part of the deal of having been in India for the last 4 weeks (call it purification or karma). And so henceforth, my friends, here's another practical lesson in how the material body is not for us... Gone is skipping dainty through daffodil carpeted fields of blissful existence and joy. Imploded have the promising dreams of a healthy life in serenity and sugar candied familial love. Regurgitated are the ambrosial delicacies that were brought forth for the finer pleasures of the palate. Creamed are the memories of happiness... all that is left in their place is a deaf stupor.
In the holy words of the monty python team sometime in the 1970s; “That's nothing!” My so called cajoling with the stark inevitability of material agony is simply a stroll in the park in comparison with others' who have it much worse. One devotee here in Taipei suffered polio in early life and because of it still sustains a dysfunctional leg to this day. He learned to overcome the regret and pain associated with it, even though it also cost him the chance to pursue his dream of an occupation as a doctor, for according to Taiwanese law you can't be a doctor with such a disability. He now makes a living on the street making those little rubber stamps that Chinese people officially sign their names with. There really is no solace in material life; it leads simply to madness. But, for the majority of us, we still pray with folded hands and all sincerity that we can find some happiness in it.
Forget yoga, jnana and fruitive research. Simply meditate on the divine feet of Nanda Nandana with as much love as you can muster and beg the sublimely pure Sri for Her help. Anything else just won't do.
I dun be as sick as a wounded dawg. Yea, I have a recurrence of bronchitis which is causing a cough from hell, plus, as if that wasn't enough, my right ear is blocked because of an infection. This is probably part of the deal of having been in India for the last 4 weeks (call it purification or karma). And so henceforth, my friends, here's another practical lesson in how the material body is not for us... Gone is skipping dainty through daffodil carpeted fields of blissful existence and joy. Imploded have the promising dreams of a healthy life in serenity and sugar candied familial love. Regurgitated are the ambrosial delicacies that were brought forth for the finer pleasures of the palate. Creamed are the memories of happiness... all that is left in their place is a deaf stupor.
In the holy words of the monty python team sometime in the 1970s; “That's nothing!” My so called cajoling with the stark inevitability of material agony is simply a stroll in the park in comparison with others' who have it much worse. One devotee here in Taipei suffered polio in early life and because of it still sustains a dysfunctional leg to this day. He learned to overcome the regret and pain associated with it, even though it also cost him the chance to pursue his dream of an occupation as a doctor, for according to Taiwanese law you can't be a doctor with such a disability. He now makes a living on the street making those little rubber stamps that Chinese people officially sign their names with. There really is no solace in material life; it leads simply to madness. But, for the majority of us, we still pray with folded hands and all sincerity that we can find some happiness in it.
Forget yoga, jnana and fruitive research. Simply meditate on the divine feet of Nanda Nandana with as much love as you can muster and beg the sublimely pure Sri for Her help. Anything else just won't do.
After my stay in Wellington I went onwards to Auckland for a brief two day visit. I went to the Loft for one evening. It is very similar to Gaura Yoga in mood, style and popularity, although maybe a little more industrial looking. It is a very nice place that attracts many, many people to Krishna consciousness.
I went to visit the brahmacari monks living in "peaceful" South Auckland in a wonderful ashram environment. They live a very regulated life of distributing books (50000 Srimad Bhagavatam 1st Cantos in the warehouse, waiting to be distributed), studying books (2 hours each day), distributing prasadam (at the many Auckland universities) and chanting the Maha-Mantra (at least 16 round each day). Such wonderful character-building service to all of humanity! The brahmacaris also have a vegetable patch in their back garden. Such a moderately sized garden is enough to supply food for most of the year. So much so that they often have to give some away to the loft, because they can't eat it all. If it is so easy to feed 8 hungry men, then what is this non-sense about world hunger due to overpopulation (although granted, the population of New Zealand isn't exactly large)?
I also gave a talk about Krishna consciousness to students at Massey University in North Auckland. This was part of a series of activities the devotees had organized as part of a "spirituality week" that was going on there. Krishna consciousness was a welcome break from the legions of christians that jumped on top of every unsuspecting student that entered the main concourse the day before (I was told).
Just a few hours after that I was off on a 32 hour flight back to the UK.
Pictures from Auckland are viewable here.
After my stay in Wellington I went onwards to Auckland for a brief two day visit. I went to the Loft for one evening. It is very similar to Gaura Yoga in mood, style and popularity, although maybe a little more industrial looking. It is a very nice place that attracts many, many people to Krishna consciousness.
I went to visit the brahmacari monks living in "peaceful" South Auckland in a wonderful ashram environment. They live a very regulated life of distributing books (50000 Srimad Bhagavatam 1st Cantos in the warehouse, waiting to be distributed), studying books (2 hours each day), distributing prasadam (at the many Auckland universities) and chanting the Maha-Mantra (at least 16 round each day). Such wonderful character-building service to all of humanity! The brahmacaris also have a vegetable patch in their back garden. Such a moderately sized garden is enough to supply food for most of the year. So much so that they often have to give some away to the loft, because they can't eat it all. If it is so easy to feed 8 hungry men, then what is this non-sense about world hunger due to overpopulation (although granted, the population of New Zealand isn't exactly large)?
I also gave a talk about Krishna consciousness to students at Massey University in North Auckland. This was part of a series of activities the devotees had organized as part of a "spirituality week" that was going on there. Krishna consciousness was a welcome break from the legions of christians that jumped on top of every unsuspecting student that entered the main concourse the day before (I was told).
Just a few hours after that I was off on a 32 hour flight back to the UK.
Pictures from Auckland are viewable here.
A realization I had while reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam: the place commonly known as "hell" is not underground or anything like that, but in the sky. In the place between heaven and earth.
"Living entities who are associates of Rudra develop in the third mode of material nature, or ignorance. They are situated in the sky between the earthly planets and the heavenly planets." SB3.6.29
So, to me that means "hell", or the ideal living conditions for those in the mode of ignorance, is situated in space, on other planets in the solar system, on asteroids, etc.
A realization I had while reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam: the place commonly known as "hell" is not underground or anything like that, but in the sky. In the place between heaven and earth.
"Living entities who are associates of Rudra develop in the third mode of material nature, or ignorance. They are situated in the sky between the earthly planets and the heavenly planets." SB3.6.29
So, to me that means "hell", or the ideal living conditions for those in the mode of ignorance, is situated in space, on other planets in the solar system, on asteroids, etc.
While in Wellington (New Zealand) I gave a Sunday presentation at Gaura Yoga. I talked on Scientific Spirituality. I talked about science in general and how it works (or not). Then I went on to talk about Krishna consciousness explaining how it is a very scientific process of spirituality which is in many ways more advanced and beneficial than materialistic science.
View the video of my presentation:
Download a more high-quality version of the video and download the Apple Keynote slideshow presentation (mac only).
While in Wellington (New Zealand) I gave a Sunday presentation at Gaura Yoga. I talked on Scientific Spirituality. I talked about science in general and how it works (or not). Then I went on to talk about Krishna consciousness explaining how it is a very scientific process of spirituality which is in many ways more advanced and beneficial than materialistic science.
View the video of my presentation:
Download a more high-quality version of the video and download the Apple Keynote slideshow presentation (mac only).
