Ukraine – 10,000 Devotees and Counting
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Dnipro is one of the main cities in Ukraine. Indradyumna Swami and his group arrived just in time for the local temple's celebration of Nrsimha Caturdasi and next day's Ratha Yatra. A thousand devotees attended both programs.There are over 10,000 devotees in Ukraine. It is a paradise for those sharing Krsna consciousness.

Devoted Cowherds in New Vrindaban
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Devoted Cowherds

New Vrindaban is home to the first and longest-running cow-protection program in ISKCON and, amazingly, in the entire Western world. The credit goes to many heroic souls, but few as dedicated as Ranaka Dasa. By Krishna’s divine arrangement, he had been a farmhand before joining ISKCON in 1977. And so for more than forty years he has lovingly served New Vrindaban’s cows. This gives him the distinction of being the longest-serving cowherd in all of ISKCON.

Lil’ Krishna Kidz – Annual Festival
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Balimardana Das: Lil’ Krishna Kidz is a spiritual enrichment program that offers Krishna Conscious teaching and activities to kids in a fun-filled atmosphere. Lil’ Krishna Kidz was started in the San Franciso Bay Area, California, USA in May 2011 under the able guidance of H. H. Hanumatpreshaka Maharaja and H.G. Vaisesika Prabhu. These children are in 3-11 year age group.

What is KRISHNA VILLAGE?
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What is KRISHNA VILLAGE?
Aindavi devi dasi: Have you ever wondered what actually happens in Krishna Village? Recently I found out directly from New Govardhana’s director himself, Ajita dasa. He explained Krishna Village’s relationship with the burgeoning curiosity about spirituality and ecological accountability in society.

ISKCON European Communications Conference – Day 2
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Day Two of the European Communications Conference began with a very relevant and hard-hitting talk by Willy Fautre of Human Rights Without Frontiers. Next was an enlivening discussion where ISKCON leaders from across Europe and the US shared their experiences of using advocacy, engaging with politicians and examples of when this has been successful.

How can we become determined like Hanuman?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

 

Transcription :

Transcriber: Sharan

Question: How can we become determined like Hanuman?

Answer: We usually hear people say that they have no determination. For example, some are alcoholic and have no determination to give up alcohol. However, the funny part is they have determination to keep drinking alcohol. Some say they have no determination to wake up in the morning but interestingly they have determination to keep sleeping. Everyone is trying to wake them up, calling them lazy, giving dark looks but still they are determined to keep sleeping. It is not that they have no determination, it is just that the determination is misguided. Everybody has determination but, in most cases, it is not directed.

Determination means concentrated desires directed constructively. We all have desires but to stay focused on something the desires need to be concentrated.

When someone say they have set hundred goals for the month, mostly those are not goals, but a wish list. There maybe many things that we want to do but need to focus on the most important ones to achieve them. If we focus on too many things at once, then determination gets dissipated. Once we prioritize and decide, we need to plan and follow a process to achieve our goals.
Setting achievable daily goals and meeting them consistently while also raising the bar periodically also helps us build our determination steadily.

Determination is like muscles. When we lift weights, the muscles become stronger and we can lift more weights. That is why, we should start with whatever determination we have and eventually it will grow.

It is said that Hanuman is buddhi matam varishtam – he is the best among wise people. Although Hanuman had a very strong desire to serve Lord Rama, he used his intelligence to direct the desire properly.

End of transcription.

The post How can we become determined like Hanuman? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Body Fever: Learning to Love My Body? With Devamrita Swami
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Do you love your body? Should you love your body? Whose body do you love? Has society been hit with a dose of body fever?

Maddened by the waves of body consciousness, the fever is rising. Urban monk and international Bhakti teacher and speaker Devamrita Swami will strip bare the facts with a dose of cooling yoga wisdom to combat the heat!

Travelling the globe for 50 years, visiting every habitable continent to share and teach the wisdom of higher-happiness principles and practice, Devamrita Swami describes himself in one interview as “a talent scout”: “I’m looking for persons who want to go beyond the hum-drum. [..] To go deep within and uncover what is real happiness, beyond the body and mind”.

Listen to a recent interview with Devamrita Swami here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/melbourneweekends/devamrita-swami/10933982

Don’t miss this special and exciting opportunity to cross paths with a monk! We hope to see you there!

Book now on our website. $10 includes talk and dinner and dessert.

See you there!

The post Body Fever: Learning to Love My Body? With Devamrita Swami appeared first on Bhakti Lounge.

Body Fever: Learning to Love My Body? With Devamrita Swami
→ Bhakti Lounge

Do you love your body? Should you love your body? Whose body do you love? Has society been hit with a dose of body fever?

Maddened by the waves of body consciousness, the fever is rising. Urban monk and international Bhakti teacher and speaker Devamrita Swami will strip bare the facts with a dose of cooling yoga wisdom to combat the heat!

Travelling the globe for 50 years, visiting every habitable continent to share and teach the wisdom of higher-happiness principles and practice, Devamrita Swami describes himself in one interview as “a talent scout”: “I’m looking for persons who want to go beyond the hum-drum. [..] To go deep within and uncover what is real happiness, beyond the body and mind”.

Listen to a recent interview with Devamrita Swami here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/melbourneweekends/devamrita-swami/10933982

Don’t miss this special and exciting opportunity to cross paths with a monk! We hope to see you there!

Book now on our website. $10 includes talk and dinner and dessert.

See you there!

Body Fever: Learning to Love My Body? With Devamrita Swami
→ Bhakti Lounge

Do you love your body? Should you love your body? Whose body do you love? Has society been hit with a dose of body fever?

Maddened by the waves of body consciousness, the fever is rising. Urban monk and international Bhakti teacher and speaker Devamrita Swami will strip bare the facts with a dose of cooling yoga wisdom to combat the heat!

Travelling the globe for 50 years, visiting every habitable continent to share and teach the wisdom of higher-happiness principles and practice, Devamrita Swami describes himself in one interview as “a talent scout”: “I’m looking for persons who want to go beyond the hum-drum. [..] To go deep within and uncover what is real happiness, beyond the body and mind”.

Listen to a recent interview with Devamrita Swami here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/melbourneweekends/devamrita-swami/10933982

Don’t miss this special and exciting opportunity to cross paths with a monk! We hope to see you there!

Book now on our website. $10 includes talk and dinner and dessert.

See you there!

Body Fever: Learning to Love My Body? With Devamrita Swami
→ Bhakti Lounge

Do you love your body? Should you love your body? Whose body do you love? Has society been hit with a dose of body fever?

Maddened by the waves of body consciousness, the fever is rising. Urban monk and international Bhakti teacher and speaker Devamrita Swami will strip bare the facts with a dose of cooling yoga wisdom to combat the heat!

Travelling the globe for 50 years, visiting every habitable continent to share and teach the wisdom of higher-happiness principles and practice, Devamrita Swami describes himself in one interview as “a talent scout”: “I’m looking for persons who want to go beyond the hum-drum. [..] To go deep within and uncover what is real happiness, beyond the body and mind”.

Listen to a recent interview with Devamrita Swami here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/melbourneweekends/devamrita-swami/10933982

Don’t miss this special and exciting opportunity to cross paths with a monk! We hope to see you there!

Book now on our website. $10 includes talk and dinner and dessert.

See you there!

KOFTA BALLS! GOVINDAS ON THE MOVE
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KOFTA BALLS! GOVINDAS ON THE MOVE.
Tom Adams: New Govardhana resident Krsna Gana is well-known for his enthusiasm for prasadam distribution. Ten years ago, he began catering for Govindas and since then has been traveling all over Australia successfully serving prasadam, especially kofta balls. Indeed, in his own words, “everywhere we go, everyone loves kofta balls”.

Australian Conference: New Govardhana
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Australian Conference: New Govardhana
New Govardhana has mastered the art of hosting volunteers. Its “Krishna Village” hosts over thirty “WWOOFers” at a time, functions as a department of the farm, offers training in Yoga and other subjects and generates over a million dollars every year. The farm has also just opened a new state-of-the-art Goshala and operates a first-class cow protection project, with retired animals, oxen training and milking cows departments. Animals are loved, healthy and happy.
Partnering with the Ministry, New Govardhana will host the first Australian Farm Conference from November 15th to 17th, which will offer training on building an ecovillage, holistic management for pasture lands, and syntropic farming.

Harinama in Rome, Italy (Album of photos)
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Harinama in Rome, Italy (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51 Purport)

In Search of Utopia
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The word is out that excellence is the way to go. But what about the other 95% of ISKCON’s membership- our Grihastha ashram? Will aiming for Okay make them happy, will it provide an inspiring example for their children to emulate? I don’t think so!

An auspicious appearance
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 8 March 2019, Durban, South Africa, Kendra nama-hatta)

The Lord is one without a second. He is inconceivable and He takes unlimited forms. Of all these forms, the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is particularly extraordinary because in this form he is the maha vadanyaya avatar, the most merciful incarnation.

He appeared in the land of Gauda, specifically in the land of Navadvipa Mandala, being in Sri Dhama Mayapur, particularly in the Yoga-Pitha, in Antardvipa, in the central island of the 9 islands of Navadvipa. The Lord appeared under a neem tree at the time of a lunar eclipse when Rahu was attacking the moon. It is considered to be an inauspicious time, therefore everyone, in order to counteract this inauspicious time, entered into holy waters.

The Ganga was filled with people, and all these people were chanting the holy names of the Lord. And so Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared at a time which was apparently inauspicious in terms of the lunar eclipse, but that inauspiciousness became completely auspicious when there was the congregational chanting of the holy name. Suddenly everything was transformed and the spiritual world manifested in this world. Everyone was touched by the transcendental influence and became completely blissful. And so this is how it is said that the Lord appeared in Sri Dhama Mayapur.

The article " An auspicious appearance " was published on KKSBlog.

New Zealand Annual General Meetings (Album of photos) Ramai…
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New Zealand Annual General Meetings (Album of photos)
Ramai Swami: Devamrta Maharaja and I flew from the AGM in Australia to attend the AGM in New Zealand, which was held at New Varshana in Auckland.
It’s always a pleasure visiting New Varshana because of the beautiful deities and temple and because we have 100 acres of rural style living, but we’re only 25 minutes from downtown.
The meeting was held at the school and the leaders discussed relevant issues and challenges facing ISKCON. As always, the kirtan, association and prasadam was blissful.
Find them here: https://is.gd/Wu8sBK

WSN April 2019 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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By Vijaya dasa

Number one in Arabic book distribution is, believe it or not, a farm project in Germany, the Simhacalam temple. They more than doubled everyone else in the world distributing 182 Arabic books. For the second time Padayatra India is the number one temple in the small temple category in the world with 5,716 book points and a 96% increase. This isn’t your normal temple. It’s a moving temple, but a temple non the less. Continue reading "WSN April 2019 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

New Zealand AGM
→ Ramai Swami

Devamrta Maharaja and I flew from the AGM in Australia to attend the AGM in New Zealand, which was held at New Varshana in Auckland.

It’s always a pleasure visiting New Varshana because of the beautiful deities and temple and because we have 100 acres of rural style living, but we’re only 25 minutes from downtown.

The meeting was held at the school and the leaders discussed relevant issues and challengers facing ISKCON. As always, the kirtan, association and prasadam was blissful.


How can we balance between overthinking about other people’s actions and being thoughtful?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast

The post How can we balance between overthinking about other people’s actions and being thoughtful? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Wednesday, May 29th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

To The Grange

Karuna and I check out the weather practically by the hour just to see what will be favourable for a kirtansession in the park.  It's a funny year, weather-wise.  The sun seems to have abandoned our spring.  But wait, it did break through at mid-day and so our decision was made.  Off to Grange Park, we went.

After a thirty-five-minute jaunt we reached this newly-renovated facility—green and clean. I admired the Henry Moore sculpture. His work was my favourite during my Fine Arts period, before I became a monk.  I took a minute to sit on his masterpiece, "Two Large Forms." It's a good place to chant. Better still was the mat on the grass. The chant there began and like Bellevue Park, people started to notice.  Some joined in.  Then came Michelle.  Born and raised in Toronto, she has somewhat taken to sacred sound and speaks of God as the Divine.  Michelle is sold out to chant and dance.

Kids always respond so favourably.  For them the sound we produce compels them to break into a jig of some sort.  That makes the parents smile.  That is just priceless. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByGKjKJAg03/?igshid=1zak6nxydgsx

I invite you to Christie Pitts Park for Friday, May 31st, for a more elaborate kirtan session from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Bring a mat.  And if you can't make it to the city to watch and experience the little miracles in the park then simply wish to be there.  We will receive you in mind.

My reflective Gita verse for the day is 9:30: "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated in his determination."

May the Source be with you!
3 km

Tuesday, May 28th, 2019
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Toronto, Ontario

Young Men Coming

A young man came to visit for the first time.  He said he's chanting all the time, even at work, on a low-decibel level, of course.  He's getting a really good feeling from the maha-mantra, and that's why he's making that commitment.

He asked me about living like a monk and trying it out.  "I'm thinking about it," he said.  Naturally I encouraged him and suggested he consider a short term session, a weekend or so, for starters.  I gave him things to contemplate.  He's interested in it all.  He's Hispanic.

Another young man, of Gujarati descent, came to talk.  "I wanted to confess to someone and get some advice about sin." It was a great thirty minutes just hearing about his personal concerns, and how he was going through what young men want—position, gain, owning, belonging and love.  We chatted about things that he could not open up to fully with parents.  That's natural because everyone needs a mentor, big brother, counselor-type in life, especially young males before they take on the world, and even after.

My advice was to keep dharmic-centered and ultimately bhakti-centered. In other words, oblige oneself to duty and responsibility to others, and then to the self.  Exercise focus in these areas.

It was another day of over-castness and drizzle, but in between the light-sprinkle segments, I managed to walk within the neighbourhood doing a few loops on local streets and in alleyways.

May the Source be with you!
4 km


Monday, May 27th, 2019
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Toronto, Ontario

Where We Like To Be

Karuna Sindhu and I hung out at the park in Kensington—well, we didn't really "hang out."  We had a purpose and that was connecting with people through drum and mantra.

Sandra came to join us today, along with her Colombian hubby and their young daughter. They drop in to the temple/ashram from time to time and even host kirtan at their home.

There were a lot of other people "hanging out."  One dude in his early twenties was convinced he's Spider Man. He climbed up the wash/rest room in full attire and spun a rope in the air.  He got down and with thick string webbed from tree to tree trying to impress.

The cannabis-smoking gets thick in the air here.  Grass is the stuff.  People also lie on it—the sod.

This is a place for all, I would say.  Young and old come here.  It's part of a Toronto Free Spirit world.  It's a change for Karuna and myself as well.  We are generally associating with conservatives, but here in Bellevue Park it is a more radical liberal scene.

We both decided to walk back to the ashram while helpful Gaurachandra drove back our instruments.  We walked Augusta Avenue, busy like anything with street musicians and such, and then through quiet residential roadways all in top bloom with trees and bushes, and people out on porches and decks.  It's just a great day.  The world is shining.  https://www.instagram.com/p/ByALmeEg_1S/?igshid=mgpmeatch2mo

We arrived back in time for our weekly reading and sharing of the book, Nectar of Devotion.  It's always a fine time when resident devotees come together.

May the Source be with you!
5 km

Sunday, May 26th, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Rochester / Hamilton / Milton

Fit In

Since a pre-planned retreat at a Seneca Reservation was cancelled out for this weekend, our creative and adjustment minds came into play.  The visit to Rochester was not pre-meditated, nor the visit to see God-sibling, Visvakarma, in Hamilton, nor the Sunday afternoon stopover and presentation in our ISKCON Milton Centre.  They were all last minute.

In Rochester we made one last walk in Linear Park along the Genesee River.  The trail was a bit soggy due to the sudden gush of rain yesterday.  You never will find a trail to be the same as a previous day.  A trail is ever-changing.

Seeing Visvakarma at his home in Hamilton is always interesting.  He had cooked a serious dahl and a light rice.  It was much appreciated in addition to his entertaining company.  Karuna, Connor and I managed to squeeze in a walk along the Rail Trail to assist in calorie burning.

The final visit of the day was in Milton at the Anglican Church in downtown where the basement provides space for weekly bhakti practices.  I was happy to speak about the value of regulation in the course of one's life.  "Regulation—discipline allows for  a happy conquer.  When you gain some control over the senses, then you gain—period.  Chapter Six of the Gita is a good source for inspiring discipline."

The group in Milton was content with talk, kirtan and our engaging or indulging in the wraps they assembled for us.  Many young families come to the regular programs.  They manage to find that it's a good fit.

May the Source be with you!
3 km

Saturday, May 25th, 2019
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Rochester, New York

We Love Rochester

I trekked a stretch on Lundy's Lane once again, the sight of combat from the War of 1812.  It is different now, being a strip of motels in Niagara. Back then, the place was more woodsy, with men in red coats, the Brits, and the Americans in blue, and with some backing by local indigenous warriors in more naturalist garb. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx4brH3g6By/?igshid=12q8pl9q7pyfz

Karuna and Connor picked me up for crossing the border at the Rainbow Bridge.  We were off to Rochester to meet some members of the Krishna community.  Quite spontaneously we decided to take a stroll along the Erie Coast before a more formal sangha,where we chanted, and reflected on a verse from Canto One of Chapter Two, "Divinity and Devotional Service."

To participate at this house program of Ravi and Priya was eighty-three-year-old, Hari, who worked on the ship, the Jaladuta, the same vessel and the same trip that our guru, Prabhupada, sailed on in September of '65 to make the historic journey to America.  To meet Hari was a peaking moment for the day.

Another surprise for our day was meeting Alicia in yet another park called Linear Park. She had tethered to herself on a leash, an interesting pet, a ring-tailed coati from South America.  He's a cute fellow with a tail resembling that of a raccoon, and a nose like a slender snout of a pig.  The guy was hungry foraging. "A tough pet." Alicia said of him.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx6-X4sAL8Y/?igshid=1vcaffygyegxy

A small group of us conducted a kirtan on the bridge overlooking High Falls. And the final event for the day was a sit-down at the prestigious RIT campus where I delivered a talk, "Tales from Trails."  A long day? Yes, I would say so.

May the Source be with you!
5 km



Friday, May 24th, 2019
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Hamilton / Niagara Falls

Movin' Along

Dr. Singh showed me the results of a very good physical check-up.  "Organs in fine shape.  No sign of cancer anywhere.  It's good news," he said, "just take care of your blood clots." He did recommend to use compression socks on a long flight in the future, and more.

At St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, I met with a blood clot expert, Dr. Ikesaka, who also gave counsel.  "Take the blood thinners and we'll see you again in September."

Karuna, Connor and I then drove to Niagara Falls, but before arriving, we decided to do a celebratory walk along Beach Trail, Lake Ontario, a well-used path shared by runners, walkers and cyclists.  It was one of those seasons with gnat infestation.  "Flying ants," one walker called them.

The day wasn't complete without some effort at outreach, so the three of us along with our host at the Falls, a South African born bhaktiyogi by the name of Vaishnava, made it to the gardens along the amazing waterway to chant.  Vaishnava strapped his guitar around the neck, and so we sang.  People and sea gulls responded well, but admittedly so, those white fowl were anticipating some scraps, which we didn't have.  As usual they were squawking and wailing.

A final walk for the day was a solo along Lundy's Lane.  "Peace Brother," shouted a greeting man at the shopping plaza. And an enthusiastic honk came from a motorist.  Likely, monks are a rarity, even though Niagara draws people from around the world.

May the Source be with you!
6 km


Thursday, May 23rd, 2019
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Toronto, Ontario

Sherri's Day

We had just set ourselves up with mats on the grass when Sherri, who was shaded by the next tree over, recognized me.

"I know you," she said.  "It's my birthday today."  Lo and behold, Karuna and I sang the Happy Birthday song but with the insert of "Hare Krishna," and as we did so, instantly a healthy gust of wind showered hundreds of thousands of pink blossoms down upon her frame.  The moment we stopped chanting, the blossoms desisted from falling down.

"How did you guys do that?" she expressed in awe over the magical occurrence.

"Mantras are powerful!" I said.

She concurred.

Now, with cannabis-smoking totally legal for the whole country, here at Bellevue Park, the heart of Kensington, so many people are ‘up in smoke’.  This is now part of the package deal within a park experience. Stoned or not, people are attracted to our mantras and the sound of the drum.  They join us with guitar, or just sit and sing.  It is so sweet.

One father was training his young son how to skateboard on the sidewalk next to us, and with some success, helped confidence to be achieved.  Near us was a guy on a didgeridoo, and almost everyone else was just lying on that grass that was recently blessed by a fine rain shower. Gregory came back to join us again, but at times he would break away and climb the maple as if a fast monkey, quick in action.  Being that it was Sherri's day, we allowed her to harmonize the mantra while we were immersed in the thick of our own melodic way.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx2CT4sAMFZ/?igshid=1ezs3dadthk75

May the Source be with you!
5 km


Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario

The Black Beauty

We didn't realize that "Long & McQuade" music store was quite the distance.  We had not anticipated but the walk was good for us nevertheless.  Karuna, Connor and I were set for the trek to purchase a hand-held tambourine for kirtan sessions.  It so happens that musical instruments left in our temple room are often used and sometimes left in disrepair.  Such is the case with the beloved tambourine.

Once we entered the store, we directly asked for our sought-after item to replace the broken merchandise that has rendered such valuable service in kirtan. We were told that a selection can be found in the basement, so we went for the choices.

We didn't want to buy the most expensive piece, for fear that it will be too easily ‘lifted’.  We also were not keen to go for the cheapest, as history tells such items break down too fast.  Go for the one in the middle! was the satisfactory compromise within the mind. We made the purchase and partially subwayed our way back to the ashram to give it a home.

It really was another day for good walking, but with drizzle, a let-down for conducting chanting, as we could not repeat yesterday's experience in the neighbourhood of free spirits, in Kensington Market.  We look to tomorrow for a promising warmer day when we can try/test our new tambourine.  It is a black beauty.

If memory hasn't left me, Bob Dylan wrote a down-home, "Mr. Tambourine Man." Also in the sixties/seventies you had the Lemon Pipers sing a catchy "Green Tambourine."  Much later Prince sang, "Tambourine," which I guess is in the funk genre.  Anyway, we will play our instrument for Krishna's pleasure.

May the Source be with you!
5 km