Planet ISKCON

The Annex, Toronto

 

His Name is Prince

 

The sun was hitting the rooftops, and people too, and it was beckoning people to come out of hiding. Yes, people like me. At 9°C who wouldn’t go for a stroll with Friday night optimism in the air. I set out for Bloor Street.

 

At Hot Docs movie house the curved art deco. awning shelters a homeless crew. How many? I don’t know. They do seem to hoard a lot of paraphernalia. It’s a bit unsightly with it sprawled out, including a half dozen comforters or so.

 

One of the blanket proprietors did see me as I passed by, giving more attention to the “stuff” than the people there. He shouted, “Haribol!” and it compelled me to turn around to see its source.

 

“Oh, yay, I know you!” I remarked, seeing a fellow who turned 40 last summer. He was a troubled fellow, one who frequented our temple in the past. Later on I received another “Haribol” from one of the Sharma’s just outside their Indian boutique called “Priya’s.”

 

It was a full “Hare Krishna” that greeted me at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. There at the corner on a chair with his bongo drums was a Nigerian who sat there with all smiles. “I used to hang out with the Krishna’s in New York. I even had a shikha(tuft of hair at the back).” He said.

 

“That’s remarkable,” I replied. He was happy and then began chanting the full maha mantra to the beat of the drum. Pedestrians got to hear the sacred sound. That’s fortunate for them. The person’s name is Prince.

 

May the Source be with you!

5km

 

 

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

 

Peace On Earth

 

The express postman left a parcel for us about a week ago. We had been waiting for it and it just so happened that he left it at the wrong door. A passerby in a nearby address noticed it sitting right by the door. It’s surprising that no one bothered to pick it up off the street and run away with it during the entire week. It appears that there are still some honest people in the world. This pedestrian did spot it and brought it to a proper door where he found one of us.

 

Wow! Really! What if a snow storm came and buried the parcel? Thank God for the occasional saint!

 

Speaking of weather, it has been quite mild for this time of year. Temperatures are in the plus, just above freezing. Unfortunately I’m not getting much of the action. With assignments such as an overhaul in the kitchen, I didn’t once get a whiff of the outside air until before bedtime. God, is the air good. Let me rephrase, “God is the good air.”

 

These days are fine in the sense that Gitas are going out and getting distributed. That good Lord that I’m talking about is pleased when the most famous dialogue of all time, between Himself and the soul (represented here by Arjuna) is being shared. Surely in these times of stress people could use some good guidance as is delineated in the 700 verse masterpiece. We could all use a little more “Peace on Earth.”

 

May the Source be with you!

0 km, but stretching took place

 

Podcast:

Video:

The post Gita daily – Empower yourself with timeless wisdom appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Mandakini Devi Dasi: Dear devotees we are very sad to inform you that one of the first preachers in the Soviet Union Brahmananda Puri Prabhu left his body out of Covid. During that time where circumstances were extreme, he published Srila Prabhupada's books in clandestinity, at his own life's risk. He came from Armenia and became so enthusiastic after reading Srila Prabhupada's books that most of his village inhabitants became devotees. Let us all pray that he reaches safely the Lord's mercy guided by his heroic devotional service for Srila Prabhupada's mission. Read More...

King Malayadhvaja fathered one daughter, who had very black eyes. He also had seven sons, who later became rulers of that tract of land known as Draviḍa. Thus there were seven kings in that land.
Read More...

Learning many slokas at once is easier than learning one at a time… Don’t believe me… Check out this episode where we cover: the most effective time-tested technique for learning slokas why small children should learn many slokas… and why it doesn’t matter if they don’t understand them how to use “muscle memory” and “musical […]

The post SV32-Why it is easier to learn a whole chapter than it is to learn one verse appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

Learning many slokas at once is easier than learning one at a time… Don’t believe me… Check out this episode where we cover: the most effective time-tested technique for learning slokas why small children should learn many slokas… and why it doesn’t matter if they don’t understand them how to use “muscle memory” and “musical […]

The post SV32-Why it is easier to learn a whole chapter than it is to learn one verse appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

Enjoy these ancient mantras set to a sweet reggae tune. "Jiv jago" means "Wake up sleeping soul" as chanting these mantras will reawaken our long-forgotten spiritual identity.

Read More...

Podcast:

Video:

The post History of ISKCON and HH Radhanath Maharaj contribution – Hindi appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly called the modern class of scientists “rascals” and “cheaters”, and accused them of speaking “nonsense”. The fact is, he was not against science as a principle, but he did not accept the authority of modern scientists whose constantly changing conclusions are based on imperfect sense perception and speculation. “We have our authorities”, he said, “and they have theirs”. And our authorities base their understanding on revealed knowledge descending through strict successional dissemination of the Vedic scriptures, which originate from God Himself.

However, Srila Prabhupada also exhorted his scientific-minded disciples to challenge the scientists and use science to prove the existence of God, consciousness, reincarnation and, of course, the structure and nature of the universe according to the Bhagavatam and other shastras, as well as the existence of the spiritual world. Without ‘science’ the Vedic conclusions can be misunderstood to be mere theology or mythology with no concrete, fundamental proof. This is the main purpose of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, aside from being a place of kirtan and worship, and the new home of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva.

“Apart from Puranas and Vedic literatures, scientifically it is the modern science, according to their way, we can convince. Puranas you may not believe the authority, I may not believe. But scientific truth has to be accepted.”

Room Conversation, March 31, 1977, Mumbai

We would like to announce the creation of our new Book Marketplace on the TOVP website where you can find publications by devotee scientists and scholars on all the above subjects, and more. The books are not being sold directly on the website, but links will bring you to the specific websites where they can be purchased. Our current selection of authors includes Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami, Danavir Goswami, Sadaputa Dasa, Drutakarma Dasa and Rishiraja Dasa. More will be added over time.

We encourage all devotees to visit our Book Marketplace and become educated on these subjects in order to arm themselves against the barrage of atheistic, mechanistic and impersonal conceptions that pervade all modern explanations of life, nature and the universe.

Visit the TOVP Book Marketplace now.

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Follow: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch: www.youtube.com/c/TOVPinfoTube
View at 360°: www.tovp360.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/

In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 5, Chapter 3, Text 8, Srila Prabhupada addresses the importance of acting to satisfy the Supreme Lord, specifically with regards to building huge temples. This answers the question sometimes put forward, “Why do we need another temple”? Of course, there are many reasons why the TOVP is important and why it’s needed, and below Srila Prabhupada points out one of the most important of these.

In this section of the Bhagavatam, King Nabhi performs a sacrifice to Lord Visnu to obtain a good son, and the Lord having personally appeared, the brahmanas performing the yajna offer prayers while regretting their materialistic intentions in performing the sacrifice.

Srimad Bhagavatam 5.3.8

TEXT 8

ātmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeṇa bobhūyamānāśeṣa-puruṣārtha-svarūpasya kintu nāthāśiṣa āśāsānānām etad
abhisaṁrādhana-mātraṁ bhavitum arhati

TRANSLATION
All of life’s goals and opulences are directly, self-sufficiently, unceasingly and unlimitedly increasing in You at every moment. Indeed, You are unlimited enjoyment and blissful existence itself. As far as we are concerned, O Lord, we are always after material enjoyment. You do not need all these sacrificial arrangements, but they are meant for us so that we may be benedicted by Your Lordship. All these sacrifices are performed for our fruitive results, and they are not actually needed by You.

PURPORT
Being self-sufficient, the Supreme Lord does not need huge sacrifices. Fruitive activity for a more opulent life is for those who desire such material opulence for their interest. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: [Bg. 3.9]) if we do not act to satisfy the Supreme Lord we engage in māyā’s activities. We may construct a gorgeous temple and spend thousands of dollars, but such a temple is not required by the Lord. The Lord has many millions of temples for His residence and He does not need our attempt. He does not require opulent activity at all. Such engagement is meant for our benefit. If we engage our money in constructing a gorgeous temple, we are freed from the reactions of our endeavors. This is for our benefit. In addition, if we attempt to do something nice for the Supreme Lord, He is pleased with us and gives us His benediction. In conclusion, the gorgeous arrangements are not for the Lord’s sake but for our own. If we somehow or other receive blessings and benedictions from the Lord, our consciousness can be purified and we can become eligible to return home, back to Godhead.

Relishing the transcendental sweetness of Krishna Kirtana is only possible when one is actually advanced, towards perfection. Srila Rupa Goswami used to say, wishing if he had possessed millions of ears, and billions of tongues then he could chant the Hare Krishna mantra a little bit relishably. In the conditioned stage, we chant Hare Krishna mantra officially without any attachment and try to finish the rounds as soon as possible.

Read More...

Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Kalakantha Prabhu - ISKCON Gainesville

Read More...

We would like to dedicate the last 18 days of this year to celebrate this festival! The Gita Challenge is ONLY 18 days – from 14th to 31st of December!

Read More...

“As far as studying my books is concerned, I have already given the order. One hour in the morning class and one hour in the evening and if there is extra time during the day it may be used for studying but we cannot expect everyone to be studious.” Srila Prabhupada Letter to Rupanuga -- Sydney, 14 February 1973

Read More...

Srimad Bhagavatam class by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami - 13 December 2020. ISKCON Coimbatore.

Read More...

By Srimati Dasi

Let’s face it. It’s not easy trying to live Bhagavad-gita in today’s world — it’s tough! And the taste is more often bitter/sweet than sweet/sweet. Govindadeva gives the practical essence of living Bhagavad-gétä in verse 18.66. The Kali-yugian heart has no trouble with the first half of the equation — abandon all varieties of religion. That’s very much in tune with today’s life standards. But the second half — surrender unto Me — that’s the tough part. Why do we find it so tough? Continue reading "The Bitter-Sweet Taste of Living Bhagavad-Gita
→ Dandavats"

Shri Saranga Thakura (Saranga Murari) lived in Mamagacchi, Modadrumadwipa (Navadwipa). Staying under a Bakula tree, Saranga Thakura served throughout the day to please his worshipable Deity. Single handedly, he would collect fruits, vegetables and firewood. He would also beg rice, cook, bathe, dress, and feed his Lord. After a full day of Deity service ,Saranga […]

The post Remembering Sri Saranga Thakura – Sri Saranga Thakura Disappearance appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Devotees around the world are aiming to distribute at least two million Bhagavad-gitas during the last quarter of 2020, as part of the Prabhupada marathon and the Live to Give campaign. The campaign will culminate with World Gita Day (also known as Gita Jayanti) on December 25th. To mark the occasion, there will be a […]

The post Live to Give Campaign to Distribute 2 Million Bhagavad-gitas by World Gita Day appeared first on ISKCON News.

Devotees around the world are aiming to distribute at least two million Bhagavad-gitas during the last quarter of 2020, as part of the Prabhupada marathon and the Live to Give campaign.

  We sometimes get allured by the promise of free entertainment on the Internet. Because it seems free, we may spend far more time than what we might have otherwise spend on it. For example, we may watch mediocre movies that we would never spend money to watch. Though such movies may be free in […]

The post Free Entertainment, Expensive Entanglement appeared first on ISKCON News.

The worst part of such entanglement is that we don’t even realize we are getting entangled.

• 

• 

Sri Saranga Murari Thakura used to reside at Modadrumadwipa Mamagachi, where his Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath are still present. There is also a Bakula tree there which is perhaps existing since the time of Saranga Thakura. There is a local legend concerning this tree. One day when Mahaprabhu came there, He noticed that the Bakula tree in the courtyard of Saranga’s Temple was dying. So He asked Saranga, “This Bakula tree is dying, so what are you going to do?”

Saranga Thakura replied, “Besides Your mercy Prabhu, I don’t see any hope for this tree.” Then Mahaprabhu embraced that tree, which has remained healthy to this day and is now quite large.

Saranga Thakura had resolved that he would not accept any disciples but Mahaprabhu nevertheless repeatedly requested him to do so. Finally he relented and agreed by saying, “Tomorrow morning the first person I see I will initiate with the divine mantra.”

The next day, in the early morning, he went to take his bath in the Ganges. By chance a dead body came and touched his feet as he entered the water. Picking up this body he said, “Who are you? Get up.” From behind Mahaprabhu who was witnessing everything called out, “Saranga! Say the mantra in his ear!” Then when Saranga said the mantra into the ear of that dead child, the body became conscious. He said, “My name is Murari. I am your servant. Please bestow your mercy upon me.”

On the day when this boy was to be invested with the sacred thread he was by chance bitten by a snake and died. As he was only a boy, the custom was not to burn the body but rather to place it on a raft of banana trees and float it down the Ganga. When his parents received the news that their child was alive, they came there to take him home. However Murari declined to accompany them to his former home. He told them, “I will remain in the service of he who has given me life again, for I am indebted to him.”

According to Gaur-Ganoddesa-Dipika (text 172.) Saranga Thakura was previously Nandi Mukhi, in Braja lila.

vraje nandimukhi yasit
sadya saranga-thakkurah
prahlado manyate kaishchin
mat-pitraa na sa manyate

 “The Vraja-brahmani Nandimukhi-devi appeared as Saranga Thakura. Some people think that Saranga Thakura was the incarnation of Prahlada Maharaj. My father (Sivananda Sena – the father of Kavi-karnapura) did not agree with them.”

 His appearence is on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Asar. His disappearance is on the 13th day of dark fortnight af the month Agrahayon (Mrigashirsha – November-December). 

• 

• 

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

 

Path of Grace

 

My day finished with a piece of lightly sweetened carob cake. The topping of the day, not the cake (with no icing), was a continual cleanup in the temple’s pantry, some emailing, some calls to promote the Gita-drive known as “Give to Live,” and a call with Radhanatha Swami, something we regularly share.

 

My conversation with Radhanatha was private enough, however, we did cover conversations of a more sharing nature. First of all we were both participants in a forum of eulogies about our recently deceased Krishnanandini. She was a fine example of a great human being, a family person and a devotee of God.

 

We also talked about his childhood. He had a friend who lost his life in the icy waters of Lake Michigan, just off a cliff’s edge. Yes, we dwelled on the topic of death and birth. That’s common enough as themes for monk discussions—unless you’re the hermit-type where a little is said, a lot is seen and much is thought.

 

We left our call on the note of a west-coast friend we both share, an individual struggling with Parkinson’s. Oh, how tough is the world and life itself.

 

One other short list of items I will share with you all came from a person who is quite introspective. His sharing goes like this:

1. Everything changes and ends.

2. Things do not always go according to plan.

3. Life is not always fair

4. Pain is part of life.

5. People are not always loving and loyal.

 

His conclusion was that we should follow the path of bhakti, the path of grace.

 

May the source be with you!

3 km

 

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

 

Didn’t Step Out

 

I didn’t step out of the building today. My knees and ankles are sometimes weak. At such times I apply something called “Sacred Salve” and the pain goes away immediately. The other miracle I apply is a good brand of mustard seed oil. That also does wonders; the body likes it.

 

There’s something we do in the ashram that the soul likes and each morning the few of us sit down to become absorbed in the Leela of the Lord. Recently we have been listening to the verses from Canto One of the Srimad Bhagavatam, were the queens of Krishna speak like mad women. They address the birds, the river, the breeze, the cloud and the ocean, communicating with them in a mood of separation. They even express a sense of jealousy. “Laxmi, the Goddess of Fortune, is getting all the attention.”

 

They truly miss Him when He’s not about. They are immersed in His charm, looks, warmth and protectiveness. These are their warm thoughts about Him—thoughts that don’t easily drift away. It’s a beautiful theme to soak in for a morning meditation.

 

My afternoon was an actual absorption in the stories about devotees’ lives. It is material for a book I’m working on, Krishna In The Mapleleaf. “Wow!” I say to the tales I hear directly from those who’ve experienced the wonders of Krishna Consciousness in the early years—1967 to 1977—up to the point of our guru’s divine departure. I couldn’t hold back my tears when one of these great souls relayed her traumatic life events to me.

 

May the source be with you!

0 km

 

 

Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

Date: 13th Dec 2020

Day: Sunday

Time: 11 am to 12 noon

Topic: Meditation on the auspicious marks on the Lotus feet of Lord Krsna and Smt Radha Rani

Link to join the class from your desktop or laptop:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9150790510?pwd=Wk5GYXVRMkJmdk84MzZJRXBKYUgwUT09



CC. Madhya 8.253:
“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Out of many types of meditation, which is required for all living entities?”
Srila Ramananda Raya replied, “The chief duty of every living entity is to meditate upon the lotus feet of Radha and Kṛṣṇa.”


The parrots glorify the lotus feet of Lord Krsna(From Govinda-lilamrta by Sri Krishna Das Kaviraja Gosvami)

• All glories to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, which are imprinted with nineteen auspicious marks and thus advertise the supremacy of the original Personality of Godhead, Purusottama. His beautiful lotus feet contain the marks of disc, halfmoon, barleycorn, octagon, water-pots, umbrella, triangle, sky, bow, svastika, thunderbolt, cow-hoof, conch-shell, fish, upward-line, elephant-goad, a lotus, a flag and ripened blackberry fruits.
• Simply by meditating on Krsna's lotus feet, one attains all spiritual and material fortune, beauty, good qualities and wealth. They are the abode of all pastimes. May those feet be our everything.
• Even a slight worship of Krsna’s feet turns a mere stone into a purposeful gem, a mere cow into a kamadhenu, a mere tree into a kalpavrksa -desire tree. They fulfill all desires of a living being. Who will not take shelter of these lotus feet?
• Giridhari's lotus-feet always gladdens the tongues of the honeybee-like devotees with their fragrance that fills the whole world. Which devotee of taste could give up these feet?

Sri Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi-The Nectar Moon of Sri Radha's Sweetness- by Prabhodananda Saraswathi

• O Sri Radha, when will I place on my head Your lotus feet, which are a flood of the nectar of spiritual love, a flood that always flows among Your devotees, and are the treasure more dear than life for Lord Krsna?

ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough, Ontario,
Canada, M1V4C7
Website: www.iskconscarborough.org
Email:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com
scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 1 August 2020, Radhadesh, Belgium, Initiation Ceremony Lecture)

By taking initiation, there are such powerful blessings which are passed, that practically our journey back to the spiritual world is guaranteed. We just simply do our level best, whatever that is, as good as we can. To follow this for our lives and surely, then success will be there. So it is a very joyous occasion. It is a serious matter also. One question we can raise is that how can one take a vow for one’s whole life? How do we know what it would be like in ten years’ time? It maybe be very different. How can we really promise for our whole life? We are promising for our whole life praying to Krsna to somehow or other help us to make it possible to develop love for Him. We are praying to all the vaisnavas to make it possible. Only then, it can be done. Although we promise for our whole life, it is just like climbing a mountain and we are going to the top. We have an idea of the path that we are going to go but while we are climbing, we are paying attention to what is in front of us. So in this way, we are focusing on the present, although we are trying to last for a lifetime. We do it by making our spiritual life a success today. We are investing in our spiritual life today and to make the best possible offering to Krsna. And in this way, we make a plan to chant our 16 rounds and we go forward.

The initiation is the beginning of a long journey on the way to the spiritual world. But it is possible to make it successful in this lifetime. That is our desire. Our desire is to somehow or other make that desire complete in this lifetime, not by our perfect sadhana, not that we are going to be the best devotees, probably not. As time goes on, we realise that maybe we are just average at best. But with time, we realise that the mercy of the vaisnavas is very powerful, so we hang onto that mercy. Somehow or other, that mercy will bring us home.

The article " Guaranteed to go back home " was published on KKSBlog.

Kaliya Krishna dasa, also known as Kala Krishnadasa, was a devotee of Nityananda Prabhu. His birthplace is in the Bardhaman (Burdwan) district of West Bengal within a short distance from the Railway station at Katwa, at the village called Akai Hatta. This village is situated on the old king’s road between Nabadwipa and Katwa. Akai […]

The post Kaliya Krsna dasa- Disappearance appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srila Prabhupada, our Founder-Acharya, the perfect example of being conservative but simultaneously merciful

Read More...

By Jayapataka Swami

In Mayapur, because of the outreach programs, various namahatta devotees attending in Mayapur, somehow the coronavirus has spread amongst our namahatta preachers. Of them, two swamis, His Holiness Gauranga Prema Swami and His Holiness Bhakti Vilasa Gauracandra Swami have tested positive. So they have quarantined the whole namahatta and they are undergoing treatment. But this disease is, you know – it is hard to make the devotees understand that this is a serious thing, it is still there. Continue reading "Prayers needed for HH Gauranga Prema Swami and HH Bhakti Vilasa Gauracandra Swami (Mayapur)
→ Dandavats"

By the BBT

What is Live to Give? “Live to Give” is the end of year book distribution campaign uniting devotees all over the world to combinedly distribute at least 2 Million Bhagavad Gitas. See here how we are doing as One World Team. Continue reading "Live to Give – Distribute 2 Million Bhagavad Gitas
→ Dandavats"

By BBT MCI

Updates on all the exciting events happening on World Gita Day!. Empowered by Gita Contest It's time to get your creative hat on! Get out your brushes, pens and cameras for the Empowered by Gita Global Contest part of the World Gita Day We have age categories from 3 to adults plus winners and runner-ups in each will get an exclusive BBT swag bag plus get their work featured on World Gita Day Global event! Get creating right away as deadline is on December 17th, 2020 Continue reading "World Gita Day
→ Dandavats"

Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Bhakta Prabhu at ISKCON Melbourne.

Read More...

Seaton Village, Toronto

 

Towards the Light

 

Subuddhi is in her 80’s and it’s a little bit tough for her to get around these days. For her group studies online she requested a copy of the mystical text, Brahma Samhita. She called me and asked for a copy.

 

“I haven’t yet walked today so I can walk over and drop off a copy. I’d be happy to,” I said.

 

The sun was in the west and to get to her place at Seaton Village I would have to head west. Great! I know the neighbourhood quite well with its quiet back streets. It’s pretty much and eclectic neighborhood, mostly people of European background. Lots of families and schools as well as small parks in the area.

 

I have been calling our centres across Canada, encouraging the leaders to pledge towards the Gita drive called “Gifts of Knowledge,” coining the phrase “Give to Live.” It’s working. This is the time of year that wisdom is disbursed in a big way by Krishna devotees all over the globe. I guess my short 3 km to Subuddhi’s, a god-sister, fits into this particular service effort. Delivering to someone’s home a brick of gold like the Brahma Samhita is a pious deed. Although it was dark at the time (the days are getting shorter) I felt as if I were walking into the sun.

 

The other day, at High Park, I walked with Christopher towards the light; towards the sun.

 

May the Source be with you!

6km

 

 

High Park, Toronto

 

High in High Park

 

It’s strange but Toronto has been my home base since 1973 and in all that time I’ve never had, or taken, the opportunity to venture into High Park. It is rated as 4.5/5 and I can testify. When you’re there you won’t feel like you’re in the city.

 

Walking along the pond called Grenadier is pleasant as well as the main trails and off route ones. It’s always great to be in nature, with or without company. I’m not going out to even small home events but in nature’s social-distance venues I have no problem.

 

Christopher and Nick brought me along and it is Nick who more-or-less was our guide, being that he frequents this treasure, which is in his neighbourhood. We got a charge from the lone swan, the unique trees and, I guess you can say, the people. Trees, water, earth and sky bring out the best in folks. They seemed to respond to the need of getting out.

 

This notion of moving on, getting out the door and going to explore and seen more reminds me of something from the shastra, scripture. In Canto One of the book Bhagavatam, the wise Vidura tells his older and sickly, blind brother that it’s time to leave the house (in his case, the palace). He was urging him to depart from his attachment and comfort. “Go to the north! Go to the quiet!” Was the message. He was implying the need to exit the world from there and to do so in a proper frame of mind; one of detachment while remaining attached to Krishna.

 

The three of us were not ready to leave the world. We still want to see more of the world’s leaves.

 

May the source be with you!

3 km