The Folded-Palms Thingy
→ Seed of Devotion

*pseudonym

The stampede of students flew down the stairs - the end of the school day had arrived. "Hey, Mrs. Caruso," Charles*, an 8th grade student, called out to me with a grin, breezing past, "you have 180 youtube subscribers!"

"Wait, what? I do?" I replied, shocked. "How do you know??"

"We were all just checking it out in Mr. O'Connor's* class,"

"You mean, right now?"

"Yeah. We saw you singing. And dancing. You were playing that piano thingy..."

My mouth was agape. "That's called a harmonium,"

"Yeah, it was cool. A Simple Post? That's the name of the video? Pretty cool,"

"That was like, six years ago! My YouTube channel is mainly a teaching tool for singing...!"

"I know, I know. And what was that thing that all these people were doing - " Charles motioned his hands up into a kind of prayer position, " - you all came in and bowed..."

Bewildered, I said, "Uh, I don't know!"

The student swept on by. I glanced around in shock to other 8th grade students who had overheard us and they just nodded, grinning too. They also bounded away, carried away in the exultation of the end of the school day. Obviously they were in on this and had seen all the hullabaloo on Mrs. Caruso's YouTube channel.

I walked back up to my classroom, dazed.

Naturally, I looked up my YouTube channel. I looked at it through the eyes of my eighth graders. Mind you, I work at a Catholic school and I'm the Religion teacher to boot. So these kids are looking at a teacher who has all of these exotic videos of India, putting on some strange draped garment, wearing red dots on her head, performing some intricate and foreign kind of dance, being proposed to in front of an exotic priest in orange cloth, singing some kind of ancient language, and on and on.

Must be weird.

I then came home and kept watching and watching, no longer seeing through my students' eyes, but seeing through MY eyes, the eyes of a Bhakti lata who has been removed from her culture and active spirituality for a few years now. In all of these videos, I'm seeing a common thread - even the ones where I'm just demonstrating the structure of a Hare Krishna melody:

Devotion.

I'm peering into another world, another person's life.

And it's beautiful.

I keep remembering when my student Charles said that he had watched A Simple Post, which I had posted 6 years ago and was just me singing Hare Krishna in my cluttered living room. He had expressed genuine appreciation for that video. It wasn't some fancy edited video, I wasn't doing anything that dramatic. But his eyes had softened when he said, "Pretty cool,"

Some 8th grade boy thought that was pretty cool? Why? No seriously, why? Not just because of the cool harmonium thingy. Not even the foreign language I was singing in.

There must have been something else that was cool.

The holy name.

Devotion.

A hunger for something beyond this world. A hunger for a love to satisfy the soul.

In this quiet space before I jump into the whirlwind of work tomorrow, I feel this tender spiraling of my heart, this yearning to... to... be a devotee. To express my longing for God with all of my heart.

Oh Krishna. Please draw me home to You.

And if you so desire, may I sing and play the piano-thingy and may I approach you with the folded-palms thingy.


(If you are an email subscriber, you may click on the links below the videos to view)


A Simple Post: https://youtu.be/bj6lwzjFbhQ
Subscribe

Srila Prabhupada’s mission is reaching out to everyone! I…
→ Dandavats



Srila Prabhupada’s mission is reaching out to everyone!
I stopped stunning 85-year-old Noreen today. She loved what I was doing and said she has an altar at home and a beautiful relationship with God. As I told her about the Veda she eagerly took one saying she would love to read it and deepen her relationship with God. How fortunate is this 85-year old coming into contact with Krishna. It really is never too late. Srila Prabhupada’s mission is reaching out to everyone and the book marathon is making it happen!

Truly uplifting! Meet Jim (left) and John (right). Yesterday, in…
→ Dandavats



Truly uplifting!
Meet Jim (left) and John (right). Yesterday, in Coventry, UK, as I was speaking to someone, John came over and started to look at the Veda on top of my trolley. As I finished speaking to the person, I approached John and he asked me what the books were about. I had quite literally only just started to brief him, and in an instant, he took a note out of his wallet and placed it in my hand and walked off with the book. I was amazed, intrigued and curious. This is one of the many magical experiences we encounter on the streets. I recalled this exchange a number of times in the day thinking how rewarding book distribution is. To my surprise, John came to see me again this morning with his friend Jim. He asked for another Veda. He then explained to me that he had taken the book home and his wife and son were arguing over the book, both wanting to be the first to read it. His wife started to read it and became instantly immersed so his son said he would download the e-book, however John insisted that he would buy him another book the following day. John also decided to take the Bhagavad Gita to read so they could all read a book each together as a family. Jim was standing listening to us and he became so intrigued about the books, clearly the conversation had a galvanizing effect on him, that he also took one of each. These encounters truly pierce my soul knowing that people are not only taking Srila Prabhupada’s books but they are reading and sharing them, and buying more for family and friends. Truly uplifting.

Temple Anniversary
→ Ramai Swami

Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara temple was opened 19 years ago just outside Denpasar, Bali. Since then the community of devotees has grown extensively with many purchasing houses in the area.

Atmanivedana Swami, Bhakti Jivan Maharaja and I were invited for the anniversary celebration. The afternoon started with abhiseka of the deities, then speeches, dance performances, arati and feast.

Odana-sasthi
Giriraj Swami

Today is Odana-sasthi, the date on which Lord Jagannatha is given a winter shawl. One year, when Lord Caitanya and His associates celebrated this festival in Puri, Purdarika Vidyanidhi, who is Vrsabhanu Maharaja, Srimati Radharani’s father, in krsna-lila, received some special mercy. His experience is instructive for us all.

Srila Prabhupada explains, “At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.” (Cc Madhya 16.78 purport)

And Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 16.78-81) describes the event: “Pundarika Vidyanidhi initiated Gadadhara Pandita for the second time, and on the day of Odana-sasthi Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw the festival. When Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that Lord Jagannatha was given a starched garment, he became a little hateful. In this way his mind was polluted. That night the brothers Lord Jagannatha and Balarama came to Pundarika Vidyanidhi and, smiling, began to slap him. Although his cheeks were swollen from the slapping, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was very happy within. This incident has been elaborately described by Thakura Vrndavana dasa.”

From this incident, we can learn that the Lord does not tolerate offenses against His servants, even from an advanced devotee, and that He chastises a devotee who commits such an offense even within the mind. We can also learn that a pure devotee accepts such chastisement from the Lord with great happiness, as a manifestation of the Lord’s mercy, of His love and care for His devotees—both for those who may commit such an offense and for those who may be objects of such an offense. He thanks the Lord for rectifying him and preventing him from committing further offenses, and he feel great jubilation within his heart.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

State of today’s religion
→ Servant of the Servant

The common and prevalent understanding is that religion is the cause of wars, bigotry and sectarianism. Therefore religion is not discussed in a public forum. Actually, people in general think God and religion is primitive especially in view of modern science. But this sort of awareness amongst people exist because religious leaders and their followers have made religion on the physical and mundane platform without any knowledge of the identity of God. What we see today as religion is simply another form of materialism. Real religion is something else. Below are some thoughts by Srila Prabhupada on this point. 

Real religion should be taken. Simply because religion has not been properly executed by the so-called priests, that does not mean religion should be rejected. If my eye is giving me some kind of trouble on account of a cataract, that doesn’t mean my eye should be plucked out. The cataract should be removed. So that is the idea of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement – to remove the cataract from people’s religious vision. Generally, modern so-called religious leaders have no conception of God, and yet they are preaching religion. What good is that religion? People are simply being misled. Real religion means God’s order: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. If your religion has no conception of God, where is the question of religion? Still, without any conception of God, they are professing some religion. How long will it go on artificially? It will deteriorate. That ignorance about God has resulted in the present condition.

Real religion is the source of true happiness and as humans we have the ability to understand God who is all-pervading, within and without. We should not waste this opportunity of human existence!

Hare Krishna

Closing Ceremony: Govardhana Retreat 2018 (Album of photos)…
→ Dandavats



Closing Ceremony: Govardhana Retreat 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Oh Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.51 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/76a1nX

Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back by smooth ferry…
→ Dandavats



Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back by smooth ferry boat.
Srila Prabhupada goes out on the Maidan Cruise of the fiberglass twin-engine catamaran marine craft called the Jala - Duta 1 (3 min video)
The Company Name on the side of the marine craft is the “Mayapur Ganga Vivada Cruise Services. This ferry boat will carry passengers in quiet, smooth air-conditioned comfort like experienced on International airline flights. The craft is equipped with forty-two airline reclining seating and will bring the passenger in safe relaxing comfort from Kolkata to Sri Dhama Mayapur and back. What a nice way to travel to the Holy Dhama on the Sacred River Ganges.

The Iskcon Hare Krishna Explosion From The Inside
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Govinda Dasi

For me, the reason I like to hear other devotees’ memoirs and experiences, such as in Siddhanta Prabhu’s “Memories” series, and Yadubar/Visakha’s “Following Srila Prabhupada” series, and even simple memories on Facebook, is that when I came to be with Srila Prabhupada, it was at a very different time. I love to hear what other devotees experienced. I love to hear their realizations. And I see the common thread of awe and inspiration at the time of their first meeting with Srila Prabhupada. And I think it is important for everyone who was there at that magical time to share their experiences and realizations of what it was like to be in the presence of a “modern-day saint.” Continue reading "The Iskcon Hare Krishna Explosion From The Inside
→ Dandavats"

Kumbha Mela – A symbol of co-operation for greater cause
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Shyamananda Dasa

ISKCON devotees started the procession with a unique traditional bullock cart with hundreds of Vaisnava sadhus following the cart of Nitai Gaura Sundar and Srila Prabhupada, and blessed millions of pilgrims and devotees by their melodious kirtan. This Padyatra bullock cart has been travelling all over India for last 29 years since it started in 1984. The ISKCON Camp at Maha Kumbha Mela was located on Tulasi Marg, sector 5, Mori Gate (under Taragunj Railway bridge), and accommodated nearly 1,000 devotees from all over the world. The dioramas depicting churning Kshira Sagar by demigods and demons, the Gajendra-moksha-lila, Ram-Lila with monkeys attracted a lot of visitors.This tradition has been carried on till this day. Continue reading "Kumbha Mela – A symbol of co-operation for greater cause
→ Dandavats"

Bridging Science and Spirituality
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaBy Jaganmohini Devi Dasi

As a founder director of Bhaktivedanta Institute, HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, was able to lay the foundation of the Bhaktivedanta Institute under Srila Prabhupada's direct guidance. During Srila Prabhupada's final days and even before that HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami was very enthusiastic and had adopted versatile and dynamic approach to reach to intellectual community. And Srila Prabhupada very much approved and appreciated it. There are several conversations between them in this regard. Thereafter, for nearly three decades, HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami has made pioneering efforts to provide a platform for mutual dialogue among scientists, religious leaders and academicians, such that both the scientists and spiritual leaders would have the opportunity to learn from each other and thereby broaden their respective world views for the benefit of mankind Continue reading "Bridging Science and Spirituality
→ Dandavats"

Jagannath Rath Yatra in Baudda, Nepal (Album of photos) Srila…
→ Dandavats



Jagannath Rath Yatra in Baudda, Nepal (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vAUBeW

While struggling with conditionings how can we avoid the extremes of becoming hopeless and becoming shameless?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

The post While struggling with conditionings how can we avoid the extremes of becoming hopeless and becoming shameless? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Enthusiasm
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaThis movement offers the opportunity, the eagerness required to become a pure devotee. We have the opportunity of beginning the day with an offering to the Lord. No day is ordinary, everyday is special. Different days are linked to different planets. All that matters is what we really want to do. Come to that stage of pure devotional service.
Read More...

STEADY PADAYATRAS IN MAURITIUS
→ Dandavats

A three day Padayatra was held from September 21st to 23rd. It started at 5p.m from ”Caro-Battat” and reached the Nrisimha Mandir in Valetta a few hours later. The procession was followed by local people and about 100 of them packed into the Mandir Hall. Shyam Sundar Prabhu attended the first day of Padayatra and delivered a nectarean katha.

UDGAAR – Youth Festival at ISKCON Gaya
→ Dandavats

Hare KrishnaOn 9th December afternoon, ISKCON Youth Forum Gaya celebrated UDGAAR (An expression of goodness & Joy) festival on the topic “The Joy of De-addiction” at ISKCON Gaya premises. About one thousand youths from various universities, Gaya Engineering college and academic institutes of Gaya attended the festival. Festival started with video show on ISKCON achievement and Srila Prabhupad’s glories.

Do we make destiny or does destiny make us? – Marathi
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at ISKCON, Bahrain]

Podcast


 

Podcast Summary


 

Video:

The post Do we make destiny or does destiny make us? – Marathi appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Wisdom from Ramayana – New Book
→ The Spiritual Scientist

I am delighted to inform you that my latest book “Wisdom from Ramayana on Life and Relationships” is now available at all leading bookstores, as well as at amazon.com (Wisdom From Ramayana) and amazon.in (Wisdom from Ramayana). This is my second book published by Fingerprint and my twenty-fifth book overall.

The book selects some twenty incidents from Ramayana that are narrated and analyzed for practical life lessons such as:

  1. Overcoming misunderstandings in relationships
  2. Responding maturely to others’ harsh words
  3. Understanding when to accept things as destiny and when to change them as duty
  4. Taking our devotion above the play of our emotions
  5. Learning to see opportunity in adversity

Here I speak about what I inspired me write the book:

The book was published three months ago, while I was touring the West. The first print is nearly over, and the publisher has just sent the book for the second print run.

For those of you who have already bought the book, thank you very much for your overwhelming response. If you liked the book, please consider posting a review on amazon.com and / or amazon.in.

For those of you who weren’t yet aware of the book’s publication or haven’t yet got it, here’s an opportunity to enrich your life with the timeless wisdom of Ramayana, as applied to our life and relationships.

 

 

 

 

The post Wisdom from Ramayana – New Book appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 11/18/2018
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

ECO-Vrindaban New Vrindaban ISKCON cows gardens Prabhupada ISKCON

ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 11/18/2018

Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes cow protection, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Founder-Acharya.

Participating Directors: Anuttama, Chaitanya Mangala (chair), Jamuna Jivani (board secretary), Makara, Olivia, Ranaka, and Vraja.

Participating Advisors: Kalakantha.

1. Ranaka’s Monthly Report

Lalita Gopi (Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s Barn):

  • and Anandavidya are currently milking eight cows (Usha, Lakshmi, Anjali, Malati, Surabhi, Jamuna, Subhadra, and Sriya). They are producing 23 gal per day.
  • The butter production has roughly doubled. Approximately 30 to 40 lb per week of butter is supplied to the deity kitchen for their use as ghee.
  • We had a nice festival for Govardhan Puja, attended by the children of Gopal’s Garden and various other devotees.
  • We put up name signs for the cows over their stalls and will be adding pictures of each cow on the wall.
  • We had two “No Feeding During Milking” signs printed.
  • We purchased a new hundi, which still needs to be secured to the wall.
  • Lalita attended a short seminar on grass production with the WVU extension team.
  • We put bedding out in preparation for the winter and have begun feeding at the barn.

Ray (General Farm Work):

  • In addition to normal maintenance and repair duties, he washed and bagged the remaining 1,000 lb of potatoes that were harvested last month.
  • Moved 13 cows from the Bahulaban pasture to their winter quarters at the Valley Barn.
  • Filled the pot holes in the Valley Barn driveway with recycled asphalt donated by the road crew.
  • Repaired the pasture fence at Valley Barn.
  • Spread manure on Community Garden and Valley Bottom potato field.
  • End of the year brush-hogging on Nandagram pastures, area around INV sewer lagoons, Mangalananda’s house and Sukhavaha’s house
  • Moving hay from Valley Barn to Nandagram and Temple Barns.

Caitanya Bhagavat: 

At Nandagram:

  • Built a structurally reinforced indoor bullpen for Madhusudhana and Vamsika.
  • Filled the barns with hay for the winter.
  • Cleared the feed isles.
  • He and Tripada Vibhuti cleaned out the geriatric barn with the skid loader and then Caitanya Bhagavata prepared it for winter and divided it: one part for Tulsi, Punja, and Ganga; the other part for Bhadra Gaurachandra and Asesa Nitai Kripa.
  • Provided general maintenance of the barns and cow care: putting out hay, filling the stock tanks with water two-to-three times a day, bed packing, counting the cows, and keeping an eye on the cows health and well-being.

At Bahulaban:

  • He assisted Ray in moving 13 cows to the Valley Barn for the winter. Three still need to be moved.
  • Provided maintenance of the barn and general cow care.

Suchandra:

  • Suchandra’s crew consists of: Monique, Moriah, Madri, Ryan, and Shyama.
  • Butternut squash: 200 lb delivered to temple kitchen.
  • Stored the remaining butternut squash.
  • Pulled up all plants at the Community Garden and Teaching Garden.
  • Pulled up all the black ground cover in both gardens.
  • Removed front and back of fence so tractor could get through to spread manure.
  • Dug up dahlias and stored them.
  • Trimmed cannas.
  • Dug up mums to replant in another area.
  • Stored hoses, tools and fencing material.
  • Replanted gladiola bulbs so that they will be better supported next year.
  • Trimmed back lilies and butterfly bushes.
  • Trimmed herbs.
  • Covered lily and gladiola beds with hay
  • Pulled down bitter melon, bean, and loki plants at the Teaching Garden

Lila (Nandagram Garden):

  • Moved cages
  • Cleaned up beds
  • Harvested for October 2018:
    • Kale – 5 lb
    • Hot pepper – 7.25 lb
    • Bitter melon – 6.25 lb
    • Roma tomato – 17 lb
    • Okra – .75 lb
    • Green bell pepper – 3.25 lb
    • Winter squash – 1,200 lb
    • Grape tomato – 6.5 lb

Radhanath das (Vidya’s Garden):

September Report

  • Was assisted by Govinda and Prahlad.
  • Harvested the last of the produce.
  • Removed the marigolds and tomato plants that were no longer producing.
  • Lilies were weeded and mulched.
  • Most of the plastic and tomato cages have been rolled up and stored for next year.
  • A load of aged manure was manually spread over the marigold garden addition in preparation for spring.
  • September harvest totals (in pounds):
    • Bitter Melon – 138.25
    • Tomato – 77
    • Green bell peppers – 20
    • Hot peppers – 18
    • Loki squash – 50

October Report

  • Harvest season came to a close.
  • Potted 200 hyacinth bulbs in Vidya’s basement greenhouse in order to initiate our overwintering fragrant, flowering bulbs project. Suchandra and Shyama looked after the bulbs most of the month by watering and monitoring the temperature.
  • Vidya was able to harvest the last bit of the bitter melon before the frost.
  • Mowed the lawn and tilled in the manure that was spread in the marigold garden.
  • He had done all the plant and plastic removal, manure spreading, and rototilling for this season in the spring. Now, however, he is doing this work in the fall in preparation for next season.
  • Also harvested five lb of hot peppers that got hotter with the frost.
  • Has been trying to recruit a few helpers to work with him in the garden two days a week
  • It is time to focus on getting seeds, supplies, and greenhouses ready for March, so we can have a smooth as possible start.

Ranaka:

  • Total estimated garden sales to INV to date for 2018 are $28,298.
  • He and the garden crew are scheduled to meet with Kacey Gantzer (our former garden supervisor) on December 7th for her guidance on greenhouses and high tunnels.

2. External Grant Request: $7.5K for IMCPA 2019 Budget

WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to support self-sufficiency and cow protection throughout ISKCON.

RESOLVED: The Board approves a grant up to $7,500 to IMCPA for 2019.

3. External Grant Request: $6K to ISKCON News

WHEREAS: ECO-V wishes to support ISKCON News with their ongoing coverage of ECO-V’s cow protection and local agriculture projects, as well as reporting on other similar efforts throughout ISKCON.

RESOLVED: The ECO-V board approves a grant up to $6,000 to ISKCON Communications for 2019.

Here’s a link to the ECO-Vrindaban website.

For regular updates, please visit, like and follow the ECO-V Facebook page.

Sunday, December 9th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Fallowfield / Ottawa

Off the Train

The conductor announced, "Fallowfield is next. Fallowfield coming up!"  https://www.instagram.com/p/BrPtD7YANuj/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=gky6f1phbw3u

That registered with me, however, I had been caught up in reading, absorbed in the stories of monk Chaitanya.  Oops!  The train stopped.  This is where I get off.  I was swift on my feet and de-trained like anything.  There at the station was Surinder to pick me up for a short drive to his home for lunch, before heading to the Ottawa ISKCON Centre on 212 Somerset Street.

Actually, I was quite absorbed in reading about the demeanour of someone by the name of Ramachandra Puri.  He was a monk whom everyone despised.  He excelled in fault-finding, which is never good for anyone in spiritual life.  You could call him a fanatic.  It was humourous though, going over his nit-picking habits, finding faults in other monks over petty matters.

This is material for a new play! I thought.

Anyway, I made it to the kirtan,and delivered a class from 10.10 of the Gita.  The subject of the message was "Be A Giver."  The essential principle here is to recognize God in the heart giving us the intelligence to make the right devotional decisions.

It was great meeting a young guy who is a student at Ottawa U.  He explained he'd been dancing on the dark side of the moon with alcohol, but: "That's behind me," he proudly said. 

I expressed that we have to start giving to ourselves.

No walking today.  Time constraints.  Woe is me!

May the Source be with you!
0 km

Saturday, December 8th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mississauga / Markham

Six Refreshing K's

I managed a refreshing six kilometres of walking from Yonge and Lawrence to the ashram. At the major juncture of Eglinton, I and a host of pedestrians waiting at the stop light, looked on in shock. And horror  at an older person with a walker crossing the street on the red.  Traffic was approaching but he managed to walk through out of the courtesy of the motorists who saw what was going on.  He was dangerously in his own world.

My walk was another nighttime walk, after conducting a house program in Markham.  There were quite a few new people there experiencing kirtanfor the first time.  They were quite eager to hear of my walking pastimes, so I obliged them. That request came in earlier on in Mississauga when I attended a program of a similar nature at a household there. For them, I told of wildlife attacks and threats from bears, birds and wasps.

My companion for that program was Dwarkanath, a Toronto monk from Bangladesh, who just lost his mum to cancer.  It's a little tough for him.  He wasn't there at the cremation as it took place in Kolkata. He's a good soul and I'm sure so was she, bless her heart.

I'm trying to encourage him to take walks just as I do.  He's still struggling with the weather challenge of Canada.  "The air is fresh here and you can get some prana, good air power, from the experience," I explained.  "Be a warrior."  Bravery is what I was alluding to.

Overall, it was a fulfilling day.  One last event was the Kid's GitaContest held in Toronto's ISKCON Centre.  The young children recited verses from the Gitafrom memory.  Impressive!

May the Source be with you!
6 km


Friday, December 7th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Richmond Hill / North York

Three Things

Monks have obligations.  When someone in the community perishes, a monk participates in the send-off.  Krishna Sharma, I'm guessing, was ninety.  She resided in our ashram in the ’80s.  I learned a few things from her in the kitchen.  She could make a fantastic green banana subji.  Her English wasn't totally terrific but we loved her attempt at it.  Instead of saying "spaghetti," she would come up with "subghetti."  We loved her. She was a real giver.

My experience is that family and friends at a crematorium are unsure of proceedings at the last rites, so I become a natural co-ordinator for her funeral—an emcee, you might say.  We highlighted chanting.  God bless her soul.

A second obligation executed today was a visit to the Caledon farm owned by Vishal and Yasomati.  The couple have come up with innovation, especially in regard to the by-products of bull and cow.  Their milk, dung and urine have miraculous properties, some which will even tackle cancer.  We relished their butternut squash soup, very organic, very local—in fact, from the farm. Monks visit farmers.

A final obligation was to stop by at the home of a family.  A second family joined.  To get there I actually walked from Yonge and Steeles to Yonge and Sheppard, a perfect five kilometres.  A couple, Bully and Amala, hosted a few of us for a kale and chilli supper.  Renunciant people visit homes to try and inspire. This is a young couple  and they are artists in music.  Upstairs hangs a fine painting by Amogha Pandit on their wall. It portrays monk, Chaitanya, dancing with associates.  Monks are meant to appreciate devotional artwork when rendered.

May the Source be with you!
5 km



Thursday, December 6th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Varadero / Toronto

The Last Papaya

Light raindrops moistening our backs were the final goodbye gestures from Cuba's north-shore sky.  From the resort, ‘Memories’, Prana, Ananda and I boarded the bus for the Varadero Airport.  We are leaving behind us a wonderful group of people who feel sometimes very isolated from the rest of the family we call bhakti-yogis.  Unfortunately, one of our young men, Leonardo, is stricken with dengue fever, a mosquito-induced, sometimes fatal disease, and he's alone in intensive care.  May he overcome that hurdle.  Please help, O Divine Master.

On the bus, we re-connected with travellers making use of  the same deal as ourselves.  You have one week to go all out with your senses.  There's the beach, sun, sand, drinks, live music, all-you-can-eat food, internet—the works.  Those of us on the yoga mission stayed clear.  Our friends, who a week ago arrived with great anticipation, now, on the bus back, some part of them seemed drained, a trifle disappointed, not fulfilled, ready to move on.

I am not saying that the three of us are better, but I will say we were on a different program and we relished every minute of it.  The dance and chant in the tunnel, the wedding in the woods, the organic veggies cooked with love, the people eager to learn, and all of that in densely-populated Havana.

Perhaps my sweetest dessert, on the menu of all we did, was to speak of Prabhupada, our guru, and all he did for me and the world. He did have a remarkable impact.

Now, on a flight back to Canada, Ananda forks in his last chunk of Cuban papaya.

May the Source be with you!
4 km


Wednesday, December 5th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Matanzas, Cuba

Last Fall Day In Cuba

The goat, a baby, was lost from its herd and crying for help like anything.  Enroute to Varadero, our party of three made a stop-over in Matanzas, the "city of intellectuals," as people say.  We made our way to the peak elevation and to an old church where tourists love to be trapped for an hour or so.  The view is exquisite.  Great place for a picnic.  Also, excellent for a kirtan.  We did the above with devotees from the area.  Animals come up here to graze, ranging from horses, to cows and goats.

One goat, as I said, a baby, was led astray. He was anxious for Mom.  A horseback farmer noticed the panic-stricken goat, came over, swooped him up and brought him back to his domain—the herd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrB0j6XAaVd/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=19ztc4nj11etp

Oh, we can be lost.  As souls, disconnected from the world of brahman, we are lost, separated from our Great Master.  We have to work diligently to get back to our home of freedom.

When back at Memories Resort in Varadero, Ananda and I had a swim and breathed fresh air; Havana is not a place for that.  We had someone behind us, a Canadian dude, start talking to us.  Because of the sikhas, the back tuft of hair we both sported, the fellow made a connection between us and some famous kick-boxers who evidently have that pony-tail.  I clarified who we actually were while in our swim gear.  From here on we got to talking about control of the senses, yoga with mantras, and agreeing to co-operate with the universe through dharma, and how then, although small, a mere cog in the universe, we will get the power and freedom which we deserve. 

"We need to approach it all with humility."

May the Source be with you!
5 km


Tuesday, December 4th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Havana, Cuba

Through the Arts

Our apartment is relatively close to the ocean and to the Malecon.  From the ocean's edge, the sky is clear, revealing a very clean sliver for the moon. The pole star is above. Interesting!  Yesterday's sky showed the star to be below the moon. Indeed there is much to see above us.

Just ninety miles north of us is Key West, Florida, but we can't see that.  Our senses are imperfect, so limited.  We can only perceive to the best of our ability.  This inability to perceive well is so evident while walking the streets of Havana.  Sidewalks are quite broken up.  You must watch every step.

Jiva Goswami Das from Miami popped in today. He caught the tail-end of our presentation at "Vivarta Teatro."  We had parting words for those we won't see for a whole year. Jiva and I trekked to our apartment and on the way bumped into tourists, two young couples from Punjab, India.  I asked how they liked Cuba and the one spokesperson simply said, "It's much like India: lots of chaos but a happy chaos."

I met another young tourist from India, from Chennai near the President Hotel, where everyone goes for WiFi connections. Again, this guy confirmed how he liked the country.

After having taught kirtan standards, music lessons, and dance expressions to our friends of Krishna in Cuba, Ananda, Prana and I concluded that through the arts a great potential lives in Cuba for a change in consciousness.

May the Source be with you!
6 km

Vyasa Puja Offering 2018
→ Seed of Devotion

Radhanath Swami Vyasa Puja Offering, 2018

Once upon a time there was a little oyster who lived with her colony along the coral reef off the coast of Tahiti. The colony was growing and thriving amid the swirling, brilliant turquoise ocean, where streams of golden light danced along the ocean floor. Little Oyster was happy.

One day, the water darkened to a blackish blue and turbulence swept through the colony. To Little Oyster’s shock and dismay, she saw oysters being uprooted and swept into the maelstrom. She huddled with her neighbors. They sucked more tightly to the rocky ocean floor, screwing themselves into the ground, hunkering down. But Little Oyster was not so strong. When the maelstrom approached, the sand filled the water in vicious swirls -- she choked. “Help!” she cried, but the oysters were all hunkered down. With one last SHLOOP she was sucked off of the floor and flung into the whirling maelstrom.

Little Oyster was swept through the ocean and she was utterly disoriented. Oysters are sedentary creatures. She had never heard of oysters being swept away into the ocean.

At last, at last, the roar of the storm softened and finally settled to a whisper and she was deposited upon a foreign floor, alone.

She shivered and glanced about her. She had somehow landed among a forest of kelp, the green leaves around her swaying gently and spiraling up toward the white and blue sun above In this undulating forest, she saw no other oyster. The image of her colony all shut down against the maelstrom - and her cries for help - flashed in her mind. Her heart stung. Little Oyster wept and her tears dissolved into the salty ocean.

Soon, the moon rose and shone in silver spears through the water, and still the pain did not go away.
The day dawned, the golden sun shining through the waters of this foreign, ethereal place, and still the pain did not go away.

Several days went by, and the pain worsened.

A passing swordfish heard Little Oyster’s cries and swam closer. “Hello little oyster, what brings you such tears?”

“Well, my heart is hurting,”

“Your heart? You know, I know a pretty good doctor, he’s just on the other side of this kelp forest,”

“A doctor?”

“Yes, he’s one of your kind, an oyster,”

“An oyster doctor? That sounds impossible,”

“It’s true. I’ve even known octopi who go visit him for help. I once helped a clam get to him, because clams are like you too, you know, a homebody and I had to carry him in my mouth. You know, you guys really should get around more,”

“Would you… would you take me to the doctor?” Little Oyster asked tentatively. “The pain is getting worse. It’s a physical pain deep inside, and I think there’s something going on for me, but I don’t know what it is. I need some help,”

“Sure Little Oy, I’ll take ya,” the swordfish said jovially. And with utmost care, he maneuvered his body to be horizontal with the ocean floor, gently moving his fins to precisely position his mouth around Little Oyster’s spine.

Suddenly, she was lifted off of the ocean floor. She gasped. She felt dizzy. She was so not meant to be gallivanting off into the ocean like this. This was crazy.

The swordfish swam through the undulating kelp forest, and gradually Little Oyster’s mind fell quiet, mesmerized by the beauty of a world she had never seen before. They swam past jewel-toned reefs and golden fish and bright red fish dashing in and out of their homes. Many smiled from their doorsteps and called out, “Good day, Swordfish!”

They reached the outskirts of the forest and the Coral City.

Swordfish brought her around the corner to a seemingly forgotten nook.

Little Oyster was surprised. She saw a whole motley crew of creatures lined up outside of this little cavern – a gangly octopus with his undulating arms and big, bulbous head, a jolly bright clownfish striped in a brilliant white and orange, and even a gigantic black manta ray, undulating across the ocean floor, his tail a deadly arrow behind him.

To Little Oyster’s astonishment, she saw that the multifarious creatures that were leaving the cave of the heart doctor carried iridescent white spheres that glowed.

“Swordfish, what are those white globes?”

“The heart doctor. He gives them away. They’re called pearls,”

“Pearls? And he gives them away?” Little Oyster exclaimed with a gasp. “They look… priceless.”

“They are. They have healing powers. When you hold one of those pearls, the pain in your heart kind of… dissolves.”

“Wow,”’ Little Oyster murmured. The pain in her heart was getting more and more acute, and her little oyster toes curled.

When their turn came, Swordfish and Little Oyster slowly entered the cave, and she was astonished to realize that the cave was glowing with the silvery glow of hundreds and hundreds of pearls.

And there, nestled among the glowing orbs was the heart doctor. Her heart leapt to see another oyster – she hadn’t realized how lonely she had felt these past several days. He was quite large, his rippled shell an iridescent saffron that glowed. The doctor looked at her with his golden oyster eyes and Little Oyster became shy.

“Hello doctor,” she said shyly.

“I am so happy to see you, Little Oyster,” he said kindly.

“And I am grateful to see you,” she said.

“I see you have a pain in your heart,” he said gently. His voice carried through the water in soft reverberations.

“Yes, doctor.”

“Please tell me what is hurting for you,”

“Well, there was this maelstrom that hit my colony about a week ago, and I was displaced, and my heart has been hurting ever since,”

“Hmmm…” The doctor murmured. “When do you remember the pain hitting you especially?”

“Well, there were clouds of sand… I called for help, but everyone had already closed their shells –“

“Ah, clouds of sand,” the doctor murmured, and his brown eyes shone. “A little grain of sand from those clouds entered your heart and is the cause of your pain. This pain you feel is the pain of betrayal. Betrayal is sometimes worse than death.”

Little Oyster fell silent, stunned with this diagnosis.

The doctor turned and placed his oyster foot upon several different pearls, seemingly testing each one, and at last he selected one and then held it out to Little Oyster. It was rather small and although it glowed it looked very old. “This is for you,”

“For me? This precious pearl?”

“Yes. Hold this pearl and you will experience healing. This pearl is prayer made solid and is medicine for your soul,”

Little Oyster gingerly held out her foot and felt the smooth, slightly rippled surface of the pearl.

“I will tell you a secret, little one,” he said suddenly, somberly. “All of these pearls come from my own heart,”

“Oh wow,” Little Oyster murmured, somewhat shocked. “Your, um, heart?”

“Well, near it, anyway. You see, Little Oyster, we are humble creatures, but there is something special about us. When some pain enters our heart, like that grain of sand in the maelstrom that fateful day a week ago, if we turn to the Lord with sincerity and gratitude for healing, then he gives us the power to create a coating around the shard that is giving us pain. This coating is called nacre. And if we continue to turn and pray to the Lord again and again, we can repeatedly cover that shard with this iridescent nacre so much that layer after layer after layer… this moonlike pearl emerges,” The doctor smiled gently and gestured to the glowing pearl that Little Oyster held in her feet. “Prayer made solid,”

Little Oyster stared at the pearl and back to the doctor, then back to the pearl.

“At the core of this pearl that you are giving me…” Little Oyster murmured, “is a shard of pain that was lodged in your own heart,”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “That particular one I’ve been saving to give to someone special. When I was just a young oyster, a friend of mine - a clam - told me that his whole family hated me and that one day, he would hate me too, just because I was an oyster. A shard of pain entered my heart that day, the shard of betrayal by a friend, the deepest pain anyone could experience. Worse than death,” his voice dropped low. “I prayed and prayed for understanding. The pain softened and softened until one day, I scooped this pearl out and laid it here in this cave with me. It was waiting for you all these years,”

“That is a sad yet beautiful story, doctor,” Little Oyster said. “Do these all come from shards of pain that were lodged in your heart?” Little Oyster gestured around her to the glimmering pearls that filled the cave.

“Everyone has shards of pain in their heart, little one. These pearls come from prayer and the Lord has made them. I am only the vehicle. What is more, Little Oyster,” the doctor leaned in and gave a small smile, “You can also create these pearls from your own heart. You are an oyster, too. If you turn to the Lord with sincerity and gratitude right now, the Lord can give you the nacre to coat that shard of pain in your heart. And one day, you will have something so beautiful and wondrous to share with the world,”

“You are saying that the grain of sand that entered my heart in the maelstrom can become… this?” Little Oyster held out the old, iridescent pearl, trembling.

“Yes,”

“But… why do you give all of these pearls away? I see so many leaving this cave with a pearl. And it took you years to make even one pearl!”

“People come to me for healing, little one, and the healing they seek is to be understood in their pain. These pearls offer that understanding, that compassion,” the doctor said. “I hope one day you will see that the pain in your heart may become a great treasure to offer the world one day,”

“Thank you, doctor,” Little Oyster brought the pearl to her shell and could feel some gentleness from the pearl reach out to caress her heart. A tear seeped into the salty ocean that surrounded her. “Thank you for your gift of understanding and prayer,”

The doctor only smiled.

Little Oyster requested to Swordfish to please take her back to her oyster colony. She shook with nervousness all the way, but clutched her prayer pearl for strength. At last, he dropped her off, and they nuzzled briefly. “Thank you,” Little Oyster said. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. The maelstrom lead me to you and to the heart doctor. I am grateful,” as soon as Little Oyster said the words, she felt a softening in her heart, a kind of milky suffusion that gave her peace. She realized that the grain of sand in her heart was being coated with nacre. After several minutes, the pain in her heart came back, but less sharp.

Through the heart doctor’s guidance, Little Oyster learned to pray. She lived among her colony, and every time the memory of that dark maelstrom haunted her heart, she would pray to God for healing and understanding, and the coating of nacre would cover the shard of pain. Again and again and again, coating after coating of prayer. She began to smile and sing again in her colony.

Two years later, held in Swordfish’s mouth, Little Oyster returned to that little nook beyond the kelp forest and entered the cave of pearls. She approached and held out her oyster feet to offer a shimmering white pearl to the heart doctor. The doctor’s eyes gleamed in the glow of the pearls in the cave, and he took the pearl in his feet. “Very beautiful, Little Oyster,” he murmured.

“Doctor,” she said, “I was hoping that if someone comes to you that needs this pearl, that you would give it to them for healing,”

“I shall,” he replied. “Thank you,”

And he placed her pearl in a little alcove behind him.

Thank you, Radhanath Swami, for the priceless gift of your compassion and prayer. You teach me and the world through your own example how to turn even the most painful experience into a pearl by turning to God with a heart of prayer, again and again and again. You teach me that there is no wasted pain in this world, only opportunities to pray and turn to Krishna.

Thank you for gifting me with a life of integrity, gurudeva.

Your loving oyster daughter,

 Bhakti lata dasi

Related image
Subscribe