An
example of the efforts we need to go to to protect our friends the cow
(or in this case the
bullock)...
After we had gotten Jaya secured in the geriatric barn, there was a five minute downpour of rain followed by a beautiful rainbow which ended right above the geriatric barn and Jaya. To us this was a very favorable sign and the end of successful journey to the Ohio State Veterinary hospital. We humbly request everyone to pray for Jaya's speedy and full recovery.
An interesting eBay auction pointed out to me by John Sinkowski. Who'd like to bid for it?
"A classic period piece originally painted in the 1970's for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
From the cover of Srimad Bhagavatam
"We are currently awaiting the arrival of Kalki Avatar..." -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami"
--------------------------------- Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center.
Prabhupada's reply was brief and to the point. "Understand Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, become perfect and distribute this knowledge to your fellow countrymen."
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sunday, 25 April 1976
(From "The Great Transcendental Adventure")
I'm really glad that I went to hear His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama last night. We ran into Rasika Seva on the way there, so that made four of us with myself, Param, and Prahlad.
He spoke to a packed house at the Brisbane Entertainment Center. I took some notes during the speech, which in parts were verbatim, in other parts a summary. My idea was to capture the structure of his talk to be able to analyze it afterwards.
His message was universal, and his delivery authentic. Very nice. Props.
Here's the talk:
He shared how American graduate students go to help poor families, and this gives these families a sense of being part of society, cared for by society, and gives them more self confidence.
First of all he talked about the biological nature of compassion, talking about the first experience of compassion - that of the mother. This is compassion mixed with attachment, but nevertheless it is valuable.
1000 years ago people were taken care of by the church and the family. Today both of these have broken down. Students in schools in the US shoot the other students. The youth suicide rate in Japan is very high.
Now the church and family have broken. There has been a great separation of church and state. This is in some senses a good thing.
"Moral ethics must be based on religious faith" - next question: "What religion?"
Theistic religion, non-theistic religion?
Human ethics through religion is very difficult. So therefore separation of education and religion is a good idea. It is important.
Meanwhile in the education field we need some effort to educate warm-heartedness. On the basis of our common sense, our common feeling, and scientific findings.
The 21st century belongs to the young people.
What is the big mistake in the 20th century? We are relying more on force, including weapons.
There is no chance of using weapons out of compassion. Weapons are used out of hate, anger, and greed.
"Simply think of oneself and try to eliminate those who have a different view."
In the new century the way to handle this problem is through dialog, not through force.
It is impossible to eliminate the so-called "enemy". If you try to eliminate some people, their children, their grandchildren still remain. It is impossible to eliminate them. So some sort of animosity continues.
Actually, September 11 - that unbelievable event that took place in America, New York. The next day I wrote a letter to President Bush, because I already know him. President Bush as a human being - very nice person. I love him. As a President, something different case. As a person - very nice person.
I wrote a letter to express my sorrow and also my condolence. And I expressed the counter measure for this unbelievable tragedy, hopefully not violent. I expressed. So then from time to time I express that if you have a counter measure to terrorism, if this become wrong or more violent then after 5 or ten years, then 10 Bin Ladens, then 100 Bin Laden. Because of the human hatred. If someone unjustly or justly, the countermeasure, violent way, violence, counter-violence, violence - it goes continuously.
At that time I mentioned in Europe, in some places, best thing is: "meet bin Laden. What is his reasons to create such an atrocity? Listen, and talk." So now this century I always tell people: "20th century become century of war, century of bloodshed".
Although this century start not so good, much better. No blocs with nuclear weapons. Berlin wall gone. Soviet Union gone. So you see - these are healthy. There are some pockets of violence. Every day innocent people killed. Even the Muslims between themselves, Shia and Sunni - killing each other.
So we have to make every effort, and in our mind, particularly the young - this century should be century of dialog. Not century of violence.
So for that - firstly, so long as weapons there - the very purpose of weapon is to kill. So already fortunately, now the serious discussion or negotiation - reduce nuclear weapons. So that I call external disarmament. So for this to work faithfully, first "internal disarmament". These are the path of promotion of inner disarmament. Now the responsibility of our younger generation.
So to familiarise the value of kindness, love, compassion - this kind of movement is very very valuable. In the meantime, in school, special lessons that any problem solution is dialog. That kind of course help to find peaceful resolution - through dialog. So sometimes I tell people: "in the school, teaching the important of dialog, and spiritual reconciliation, students now familiarise their belief with these things, then when the student returns to home - if the parent is a little quarrel or fighting. Then the student says: "this is wrong. We need to solve the problem through dialog".
When we see a problem or conflict, our response is "how to use force?" this mood should change through training, through education, to "how to solve this through dialog". With respect. You should consider the other as part of yourself. Give benefit to other - this is to give benefit to yourself. According to this reality the idea of "we" and "they" is irrelevant. For thousands of years we separate and on that basis we create so-called "enemy".
So in ancient times, the enemy's interest and our interest is separate. So destroy the enemy is victory of ourselves.
Today this is irrelevant. Now everybody is part of yourself. Destroy your neighbour is destroy yourself. That's the new reality.
So keeping in mind these new realities: "Oh, part of myself?" Then the problem must be solved with family feeling.
Then from Australia, from Japan, from Europe, etc... same effort to apply these things. In this way, the later part of this century will be long lasting peace.
This is my #1 commitment.
My 2nd commitment is promotion of religious harmony. Which I spoke about yesterday, so I will not repeat it. Now I stop, my talk finished. Now some questions.
Q&A
Question: It is easy to forgive after some small harms. Your Holiness, please give us advice on forgiving after there has been great harm.
Answer: Yes it is quite serious question. I think that one method. What is the meaning of forgiveness? Not forget. Forgiveness, and forget - two different things. If you really forget then no meaning of forgive. You must remember what injustice they have done. Now, tolerance or forgiveness. Not on the basis of their unjust action. As far as unjust action is concerned - you have to oppose. Sometimes you have to take counter-measure. But forgiveness means, not losing compassion toward that person. Not sympathetic to their wrong action. You have to stop their wrong action our of compassion for that person.
If you let it continue, sooner or later they harm themselves. So out of compassion try to stop them
Forgiveness doesn't mean complete submission or giving in.
Make separation - the actor and the action. Action side oppose. Actor, still feeling - possibly become friend. Not let hatred feeling towards the person. I think I maybe interesting to refer. Recently I met one American. He came to my lecture in America on one occasion. He told me that after listening my talk on tolerance and compassion, his feeling toward his President and Vice-President changed from hatred. After my talk he made distinction. Policy he still opposed, but as a person he no longer felt hatred. That's the real meaning of forgiveness. OK.
Question: Your Holiness, what has been the most difficult personal challenge or struggle you have faced. And what has been the highlight of your life?
Answer: I think that I mentioned before. From age 16, now nearly 72, a lot of happy moments. A lot of difficult moments, so difficult to pick up one. One I remember, my doctorate of study, after finishing that - that day I felt very happy. That's one of the happiest days. Then at that time the situation in Lhasa, already very, very tense. Every Chinese official, not only the military barracks, with sandbags and machine guns ready to fire. Very tense. Under such circumstances, I completed the final examination. So that day I really felt very happy. That's one happy moment.
Then, another happy moment, I think 17 March, 1959, I escaped Tibet. I left Lhasa about 10 o'clock in the evening, 10 pm, Lhasa time. So, the whole night we walked and next morning we already reached an area, now no longer immediate trap of Chinese forces. So at this point very happy moment.
Then, very serious moment. Too much anxiety in the same night. 17th I left Lhasa, then crossed river, then other side. We had to go by boat. On other side of river, Chinese military control. So we can see some of the Chinese guard. Although we tried to hide, and not use flash, but the horses hoof made noise. So we really feel: "Oh, what will happen? If they open fire, we will be finished."
Then also, 10 March, 1959. Almost entire population of Lhasa came to Doblinga, in order to block my visit to Chinese military control, in order to show culture program. So that day I still remember - the weather, sunny day. I talk to some officials. Now things became really very serious, almost to point of complete breakage. We know Chinese might. Chinese military side - fully prepared. Any consequences. Then thousands gathered. So I thought: "Now things really become out of control. One way this day may be turning point."
So I still remember the officials and our conversation. Clear skies over Lhasa. Again, I came around 10 in the morning. I remember. So my whole life turned from that day. So one way, very unfortunate, we lost our country, and at least a million Tibetans died. At least half million killed, others died from starvation.
Now at least we meet new opportunity. Me personally, opportunity to meet new people. Tragedy helps me, makes me more realistic. If everything's ok, then there is possibility of pretend. When your situation is truly desperate, difficult then you have to accept reality.
The newspaper mentioned, I am type of person, "radically informal". So I have to accept that way. The formality is artificial barrier. No use.
I sit on throne, others on floor. Some rituals, some ceremony. The reality, very, very tense. But other people showing, there is no need of this. That's self-deceiving.
Sometimes when I meet important person outside Tibet, with lots of formality. I feel like laughing. Internally they are like myself, emotionally, but outside they make big show, with clothes and expensive ornaments. But open the door and inside so many dirty things are there. So too much formality, very silly.
(Lots of laughter and applause during this one)
So, next question.
Question: Your Holiness, on Tibet, how can you be in peace when China has annihilated your country?
Answer: If you are realistic person, then there is no other choice, isn't it? Of course there are a lot of problems, lot of causes for worry and suffering, but if you worry, then suffer more.
There was 8th century one famous Buddhist master - he mentioned: problem or tragedy, if there is solution then no need to worry, because there is way out. If there is no way out, then no use to worry.
As I mentioned earlier, we are practicing deliberately cultivating compassion, respect, forgiveness. As far as their action is concerned, we oppose it.
As a result, many Chinese they show us real appreciation. And they show us a sense of solidarity. So there are also reasons to feel happy, isn't it.
I think also it is important holistic view. If you pick up one negative thing, then your worry, sadness increase. If you understand bigger picture then happiness comes.
So we lost our country, as I said, one sad thing. But so many opportunities have come, so many encouraging things are also there.
So whenever you face some problems, and also some good things, you should look more holistically. Then, towards ups and downs, not overjoyed, overwhelmed with sadness.
Not realistically. In reality there are positive things, negative things. What do you think?
Question: Your Holiness, will Queensland win the State of Origin?
Answer: In that field, my knowledge is very, very limited. And actually, I am not much interested in these things.
(Laughter and applause)
Question: For non-Buddhists who want to incorporate Buddhist teachings into our lives, can you give us some strategies to eliminate negative emotions such as anger and hatred from our lives.
Answer: Of course, practice of compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, love. These things. (Here he mentions a book whose name I didn't catch)
I think worthwhile read the sixth chapter of that book.
I think there is a lot of argument or reasoning from different angles. But many argument or reasoning is common to everybody.
Ninth chapter is serious debate on soul, God, creator, so don't look at that chapter. Only sixth chapter, eighth chapter, finished.
(Applause)
By Citraka dasaInstead of browsing page after page of photos in the big online community of photo sharing "Flickr", just insert the username or user id in the follow page and it will fetch all the photos of that album, saving your and Krishna's time.
Marken called early this morning to wish his mother Happy Birthday, but she was out on her morning walk so missed it. He said he would try to call later but didn’t know if he would be able to as they are keeping him busy.
He was happy because he ran into a gurukuli from LA who is also in his division. His name is Tulasi, which amused Marken as that is his own brother’s name.
Although Tulasi has remained a vegetarian he is now a practicing Roman Catholic, so they got a chance to discuss his reasons for that and about a lot of their shared experiences with the Hare Krishna movement.
Marken never went to the gurukula, as just when he was old enough to go it was closed, so although these two Army National Guardsmen were both associated with ISKCON growing up, they did have different experiences.
Marken would be considered a Vaisnava Youth rather than a Kuli. Gurukuli was coined by the gurukulis themselves, but time moves on and they have become a minority of young people involved with Krishna.
Technically, most of them aren’t even young anymore. Tulasi is 35 and there are Kulis in their 40s. I am still waiting to hear which gurukuli becomes the first grandparent; perhaps it has already happened.
Another sign that time marches on is the linguistic shift that is occurring with the term “gurukuli”. It is starting to be used as a synonym for Vaisnava Youth, and no longer specifically applied to gurukula veterans. This was really noticeable at the Kulimela and thereafter.
This bothers some gurukulis as it dilutes their identity, and has an unintended consequence of minimizing the struggles they went through, both in the gurukulas themselves, and then getting recognition that there was some widespread abuse.
The problem is, “Kuli” is such a great term, I think they may have to resign themselves to the idea that imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Read about the New Vrindaban GBC Meetings at these sites:
Gauranga Kishore Das (June 3-8th)
SB classes from the GBC meeting in NV
GBC Gathering in New Vrndavana (Praghosa)
Re-starting this blog has been a lot of fun - over the past few months my love for writing has greatly increased and it has been nice to know that some people are reading it also. Like anything internet related though, I think blogging can become a little bit addictive. I saw a funny cartoon recently in a great article I found called ‘How to be Creative’.
Yeah. So with my recent craze of blogging, my trusty diary has been somewhat neglected. I have loved diary writing for a long time now. I started when I was about twelve - a bit of a patchy beginning, but by fifteen I was writing quite regularly. Over the years I have come to rely on my diary to see me through everything, both good and bad. In reading it back I remember wonderful things, learn about my nature and how to become a better person, by anticipating default patterns of behaviour that I tend to fall into. Sometimes my entries are just ‘brain dumps’; essential for mentally overactive people like me. Sometimes I write entries slowly and carefully, choosing every word carefully, as if writing a poem.
I’m looking forward to getting back to my diary again this summer. Travel diaries are always the most fun to write - normally bulging by the end of the trip with leaves, tickets, receipts, flowers, random bits of cloth and paper, postcards, feathers - on last year’s bus tour I even stuck in bits of rock (interesting bits of course).
I hope I have the same enthusiasm this year, although a part of me worries that my computer reliant writing is slowly replacing that of my humble pen and paper. I guess writing is writing - it’s the same worry everyone has I suppose, about our increasing reliance on technology. The more friends I have around the world, the more heavily I rely on email to keep in touch with people. The other day I wondered what it would feel like if all of these things had never been invented. Skype, email, telephones, digital cameras. I used to love letter writing, and I used to have a handful of people that I regularly wrote to. Now a box of writing paper and envelopes gathers dust under my bed - I really wish people still wrote letters.
So this is goodbye little blog - I’ll be back in two months with many stories to tell I’m sure. For now, it’s back to pen and paper…
Prabhupäda: Crossing by ferry, one hour. Then waiting for bus, another hour. Then going to the office. Then after office, they’re coming back. Again going. Whole day, they’re dependent on everything. That is the condition in New York. It is to be supposed: the most advanced city. The same thing is everywhere. People are becoming dependent, sudra, just like dogs. A dog, unless he gets a nice master, he’s not happy. So at the present moment, all the population, just like the cats and dogs, they’re dependent. They are not intelligent. Intelligence means he must be independent. That is intelligence. And people are struggling for independence. That is their motive. Everyone is struggling hard for independence. Because that is the culmination of intelligence. So our problem is that we do not know what we are. Neither we know how to get out of the miserable condition of life. Therefore we have no intelligence. We are like cats and dogs. This is the conclusion. What do you think? Am I right or wrong?
Room Conversation
with Educationists
—
July 11, 1973, London
I'm going to see the Dalai Lama this afternoon. He's giving a talk in Brisbane and my yoga teacher, Kate Pell, had some tickets for front row seats. So we got four and Param, Prahlad, and I are going to see him and hear him speak.
Interesting that he is also speaking to Business Leaders, as you can see from the image above.
According to his website: "Starting with the Sydney Business Luncheon at the Wentworth Sofitel Hotel, where Ray Martin will host the proceedings, the Dalai Lama will address an audience that includes the who's who in business in Australia as he delivers ‘Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders’."
Srila Prabhupada wanted to speak to the leaders of society, and many times he spoke with political leaders. As I shared previously here, 51 of the top 100 economic entities in the world are now corporations, displacing nation-states. So business leadership is well on its way to eclipsing political leadership as the primary influential force shaping human society.
So speaking to business leaders is a good idea if you want to influence that. It's something that His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami was very good at, and it's also a strategy adopted by Dr John C. Maxwell, Christian pastor and founder of Maximum Impact. (Check out a video promo (wmv, 63MB) that explains the program).
As one critic said when a few of us went to meet Dr Maxwell - "Why are they going to non-devotees to hear about leadership?"
My reply: "That is the not the question. The question is - Why are they not coming to you?"
Honestly asking that question and answering it will empower you to become the change, rather than just being a complainer. Don't run other people down. Try building yourself up, and let that speak for itself.
How did York accomplish such a feat? A conversation between Sergeant York and his Division Commander, General Lindsey, in January 1919 when they toured the site where York captured 132 Germans three months earlier reveals Alvin's thought about this:
General Lindsey: "York, how did you do it?"
Alvin York: "Sir, it is not man power. A higher power than man power guided and watched over me and told me what to do." And the general bowed his head and put his hand on my shoulder and solemnly said”
General Lindsay: "York, you are right."
Alvin York: “There can be no doubt in the world of the fact of the divine power being in that. No other power under heaven could bring a man out of a place like that. Men were killed on both sides of me; and I was the biggest and the most exposed of all. Over thirty machine guns were maintaining rapid fire at me, point-blank from a range of about twenty-five yards. When you have God behind you, you can come out on top every time.”
From Sergeant York's Wikipedia entry. Also check out the German account of the incident, which gives a more detailed and accurate recounting.
Reggeli lecke Budapesten a SB.4.8.42. versbôl.
Letöltés (31:06) 14.2 MB
Madhuvana
Download (9:37) 4.4 MB
Mohana dasa (24), a sankirtana warrior in Budapest
Prema from Singapore writes:
"I made the Chapatis with Palak Panir yesterday, both following the recipes in your 'Great Vegetarian Dishes' book. They turned out well. Great recipes.
I actually softened the finely chopped spinach in boiling water for 5 minutes and ground it slightly first before adding it to the spice paste. Is there a reason why the recipe does not suggest grinding the spinach as that is how they seem to serve in restaurants?"
Kurma replies:
It is a matter of taste whether you puree the spinach or not. Although you are right that many cooks blend the spinach, I have also tried it where the spinach has just been chopped, leaving it textured.
Also, it's a matter of taste whether the panir is left raw, or whether it is fried a little before adding to the spinach. The amount of cream is also really optional.
In my recipe, I suggest to chop the spinach rather than puree it. I leave the panir cheese fresh and raw, and I add a decent amount of cream. But it is certainly open to adjustment, although I don't suggest you fiddle around with the spice paste, since that is what gives it a very special flavour.
For all those readers now salivating over this entry, here's my simple recipe:
Creamed Spinach with Fresh Curd Cheese (Palak Panir)
Spinach with home-made curd cheese and cream is one of North India's favourite vegetable dishes. There are dozens of regional varieties. Here's a simple, quick-cooking version. Serve with rice or hot buttered chapatis. Serves 5-6
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger 1 fresh hot green chili, seeded and minced 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon sweet paprika ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon ghee or oil 2 large bunches of spinach, washed, trimmed steamed, drained and finely chopped 4 tablespoons cream fresh homemade curd cheese (panir) made from 2 litres milk, cut into 1.25 cm cubes ½ teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon salt
Combine the ginger and chili in a food processor or blender and process with a few spoons of cold water. Add the coriander, paprika, cumin, and turmeric and blend to form a smooth spice paste. Scrape the paste into a bowl.
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over moderate heat. When the ghee is hot, add the spice paste , and fry it for 1 or 2 minutes or until very fragrant. Fold in the spinach, combining it with the spices.
Cook over moderate heat for about 5 more minutes, or until the spinach reduces a little more in volume.
Fold in the cream; add the cubes of panir, the garam masala, and the salt. Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes and serve hot.
Srila Prabhupada:
So this is the essence of Krishna consciousness movement, this verse spoken by Krishna Himself:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Partha, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.
SRS: People have money to burn. Somehow we should encourage them to give it to Krsna…
A gold-encrusted sword used by Napoleon has been sold at auction in France for 4.8m euros (£3.3m; $6.5m).
Auctioneers said the sword, used in battle some 200 years ago, achieved a world record for Napoleon memorabilia.
The sword, which belonged to eight of the emperor’s descendants, was believed to be the last of Napoleon’s blades in private hands.
The intricately decorated blade is just under 100cm (40in) in length and has a distinctive gentle curve, which made it more effective for beheading.
(from June, 1981 Issue of the Brijabasi Spirit)
(left to right: Lokamangala dasa, Sankirtana dasa and Ganendra dasa)
“The Transcendental Actor Thinks, Feels and Relates to Krsna”
Last week, the Brijabasi Players journeyed to New York City to participate in the First North American Asian Indian Drama Festival. The festival was held at Columbia University in the School of International Affairs. The Players were awarded first place for their performance of “The Pandavas Retire Timely.” The “Brijabasi Spirit” interviews Sankirtana Dasa and Ganendra Dasa after their triumphant return from the Big Apple. Lokamangala Dasa was still in New York at the time of the interview.
SPIRIT: Sankirtana Prabhu, did you have an active background in the theater?
SANKIRTANA: Well, in college I majored in Drama. After graduation, I conducted theater workshops in Soho, New York, then in Canada and Madison, Wisconsin.
SPIRIT: What school did you go to?
SANKIRTANA: CCNY. There I was involved in several college productions. We also performed a series of children’s plays in the elementary schools.
SPIRIT: Ganendra, did you have a background in theater?
GANENDRA: Just in high school. I joined the movement when I was seventeen. SPIRIT: How has Krishna consciousness helped develop your acting?
GANENDRA: It provides a real purpose for acting-to glorify Krishna and His devotees. The materialists have so many TV shows, movies, plays, and in this way they are glorifying so many mundane people, so many Willy Lomans. What are they all based on? They are based on the bodily conception of life. Krishna consciousness not only gives you the opportunity to act, but it also gives you the proper channel for expression. We did “The Pandavas” play, about the devotees relationship with Krishna, whereas the other plays at the festival were basically about the Indians adjusting to the Western way of life.
SPIRIT: How many plays were there?
GANENDRA: There were six plays.
SPIRIT: Who sponsored the competition?
SANKIRTANA: The Federation of Indian Associations. We found out about it from Deva Deva
in Washington, D.C. He heard that I had developed a one man play about Krishnadas Kaviraja. Acyutananda Swami suggested I enter that piece. Then we called up the coordinator of the program.
SPIRIT; An Indian gentleman?
SANKIRTANA: Yes. Ram Gadhavi. He didn’t want a one man show. He wanted a one act drama with a minimum of three characters and a maximum of twenty minutes.
SPIRIT: Sounds like it was right up your alley.
SANKIRTANA: Well, we have three men; Ganendra, myself, and Lokamangala, who also directed the play. Pavana is our sound man. So, we did “The Pandavas” even though earlier we had decided not to include it in our repertoire this year. Krishna had His plan.
SPIRIT: That’s the first time you did it?
GANENDRA: Yes. A full length version had previously been done by Govinda’s American Theater Company with a larger cast.
SANKIRTANA: We only did the concluding act which Lokamangala and I revised. SPIRIT: What takes place in this act?
SANKIRTANA: It’s from the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam where Maharaja Yudhisthira and Bhima are observing different omens.
GANENDRA: The inauspicious signs at the dawn of the age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. They were noticing so many things that were amiss in their kingdom. Things they had never witnessed before.
SANKIRTANA: Irregularity in the seasons, people becoming prone to cheating, anger, and strain in family affairs. Observing the symptoms of this age, they became very fearful, thinking that Krishna had left the planet. In the course of the drama, Arjuna returns from Dwaraka and informs his brothers, “Yes, Krishna has left.”
SPIRIT: Who played who?
GANENDRA: I played Bhima. Sankirtana played Arjuna. Lokamangala played Yudhisthira. It’s amazing that we take these things as so ordinary today. The quarreling, stealing, ecological disturbances, terrible weather conditions—they are all every day occurences. We are amazed to hear that in the previous ages these things hardly existed, but the Pandava brothers were amazed from the opposite point of view, because these symptoms had never occurred in their kingdom before.
SPIRIT: Were the other plays done by Indians?
GANENDRA: Yes.
SPIRIT: I’m amazed. It’s like white people going into Harlem..,
GANENDRA: And doing a play on black culture.
SANKIRTANA: But we are not presenting it as outsiders. We are living this Vedic culture which Srila Prabhupada has spread all over the world.
GANENDRA: And the people in the other plays are trying to get into Western culture.
SPIRIT: How many people attended the drama festival?
GANENDRA: About four hundred.
SPIRIT: Were you nervous before you went on?
SANKIRTANA: Yes. That’s always there before a performance, but you can use it to help you.
GANENDRA: I wasn’t nervous.
SPIRIT: Will you be traveling to other temples to perform?
GANENDRA: It’s possible. We performed at the New York temple during our stay. The response was very good. Tosan Krishna wants to line up some engagements and invite us back in the fall.
SPIRIT: What’s your favorite type of play? Scriptural pastimes or contemporary?
GANENDRA: The pastimes are the best.
SANKIRTANA: Yes, the scriptural plays are the best. Look at the karmi (materialist) theater. The plays deal with people who have powerful emotions, strong feelings about something, and definite goals. People in general don’t understand spiritual life. In Krishna consciousness, the devotee also has very strong feelings. He has goals, aspirations, and desires. They are not mundane feelings or desires, but fully transcendental. We want to present this —that spiritual life is not dry, void, or impersonal, but it is very dynamic. There is individuality, feelings, thoughts. Everything is there on the spiritual platform.
GANENDRA: But even to a greater degree.
SANKIRTANA: In the plays we are presenting genuine people. The Kazi and Lord Caitanya, Sanatana Goswami, the Pandavas. That’s what we go for. Not something vague or stereotype. When people talk, they want to communicate their thoughts and feelings. In our rehearsals, we are working for the characters to be alive, to communicate. It’s not just a matter of learning a bunch of words. I say my lines, and then he says his lines. No. It’s a matter of staying connected with what your character is trying to achieve, what he’s trying to communicate.
GANENDRA: it’s wonderful for the audience to see the Bhagavatam on stage, to see it come alive. The characters are feeling, thinking, and relating to Krishna. One guest who saw the play at the Palace, a student from Ohio, commented on how inspiring it was.
SANKIRTANA: Lokamangala told us that when Srila Prabhupada saw the play some years ago, he was very pleased. Prabhupada said, “You can take this everywhere, and everyone will appreciate.”
GANENDRA: “Even on the professional stage.”
SANKIRTANA: He said it would be successful wherever it was presented. So, Prabhupada benedicted the play.
SPIRIT: I heard a drunk caused some commotion.
GANENDRA: He was a little upset that we won. He was backstage before we performed. He didn’t object to our going up and doing it, but when we won, he came up to protest.
SPIRIT: What was the prize?
GANENDRA: Two hundred fifty dollars. Not anything big. The main thing is that we are being recognized as a viable theater group that is serious and going somewhere.
SANKIRTANA: Like Prabhupada said, everyone is appreciating. We had the same response with “The Age of Kali,” and of course, with “The Ramayana.”
GANENDRA: This award will help us get engagements. The Brijabasi Players is another aspect of the preaching here at New Vrindaban. We’re also hoping to travel to India this winter. The temple in Bombay has a very nice theater where we can perform.
SPIRIT: We’ll miss you then.
SANKIRTANA: It is Prabhupada’s desire, and it is also Srila Bhaktipada’s desire.
SPIRIT: Let’s get back to the drama festival.
SANKIRTANA: After the program was over, one of the judges came backstage. Mr. Malik. He is an actor himself, star of “Indian Wants The Bronx.” He said the performance was very moving, “Every word was dripping with devotion.”
SPIRIT: Jai, very good. What about the other man —when did he start up?
SANKIRTANA: When they announced that we 1 won first place, we came up on stage. Then there was the commotion. This man was yelling, “Why are they getting the prize”
GANENDRA: He kept yelling, “They are not Indian, they are not Indian,” but everyone was telling him to sit down and be quiet.
SANKIRTANA: He was like Sisupala. That same envious mentality.
GANENDRA: Sisupala became very envious when Krishna was chosen at the rajasuya ceremony as the most worshipable personality. Everyone was pleased, but Sisupala started to create a disturbance, and Krishna cut off his head.
SPIRIT: What happened to this other fellow?
GANENDRA: He was restrained by three or four men. Then, as he was being dragged off, Sankirtana said a few words of thanks. He especially thanked Srila Prabhupada.
SPIRIT: Had they heard of Prabhupada?
GANENDRA: Yes. He went on to say, “We are not American, Russian, or Indian. We’re not black nor white. We are not any of these material designations. We are spirit soul, atma, servant of Krishna.” The other man was still yelling, “Don’t you talk.” Afterwards, many people came to congratulate us. They said, “Yes, you are right. We are all atma. We are not these bodies.” They apologized for the disturbance. They are appreciating. The Indians grew up with this culture, and though they have come to the West and given it up more or less, when they see it again, it moves them. Their dormant Krishna consciousness is awakened.
SANKIRTANA: The plays bring out their devotional sentiments immediately. Even before the play was over, the audience began to applaud.
SPIRIT: Is there anything about being at New Vrindaban, as opposed to another temple, that enhances your activities as Brijabasi Players?
GANENDRA: Srila Bhaktipada.
SANKIRTANA: Yes, that is the main thing, because of his purity, his guiding force, his patience. All the devotees here are fixed and steady. This is enlivening to see. We are also trying, so that through the medium of the theater, we can present Krishna consciousness.
GANENDRA: In the different departments, so many devotees have learned their skills from the ground, so to speak. The devotees have learned so much after coming to the movement, and particularly after coming to New Vrindaban. Why not with the theater? None of us were professional, but by Krishna’s grace, we can become expert in this field also.
SANKIRTANA: In the Bhagavatam, Prabhupada writes that expert players in drama are “required for the spiritual enlightenment of the common man.”
GANENDRA: We’d like to have a full-length production this summer, keep developing our repertoire, have evening performances, and have a theater where people can come.
SANKIRTANA: We’ll have the amphitheater with one thousand seat capacity.
GANENDRA: This is Bhaktipada’s plan.
SPIRIT: One thousand! You’ll be nervous then
SANKIRTANAN: We played to that many last year at the Rainbow Festival.
SPIRIT: How long have you been performing together?
GANENDRA: For over four years.
SANKIRTANA: Yes, Lokamangala came here last summer. He’s been working with us, directing. He’s helped us grow. We are performing at festivals, at people’s homes, at colleges, and of course, here at the Palace.
SPIRIT: Thank you. Hare Krishna.
By Parvati devi dasiThis leap year, we observe Purushottama Adika Mas, or the auspicious leap month. In Vrndavana, it runs along the same benefits as Kartika Month, with benefits of one's austerities thousands of times more than usual.
(BB Govinda Swami on left, Indradyumna Swami on right) 
Having Govinda Swami here helps to deal with the sadness of not seeing Radhanath Swami at New York Ratha Yatra this year. It has become a little unspoken tradition that on NY Ratha Yatra day, Krsangi prepares Radhanath Maharaj's lunch and I usually get to assist in serving him the prasadam at the park. This year, of course, we missed that opportunity. Krishna is kind however, and allowed us to serve BB Govinda Maharaj. Its funny, but somehow while serving Govinda Swami, we felt very connected to Radhanath Maharaj this weekend as well. We could actually feel, from within the heart, that Radhanath Swami is pleased that we are trying our best to serve the devotees and especially his dear godbrothers and godsisters nicely.Surprisingly, earlier than expected, the hardware tech guy showed up last night and replaced my motherboard. Less surprisingly, it didn’t fix the problem. Typical. After two hours of doing all this and that, a lot of it while on the phone with headquarters, they came to the conclusion that it was a Windows problem and I need to get software tech support.
At one point he was trying something and the computer was giving off a continous beeping sound whenever he rebooted, which he said he had never heard before. AT another point the BIOS wasn’t recognizing the hard drive, but fixing that just got us back to the original problem.
I was too fatigued to mess with it last night, so that will go to the top of the list of things I am struggling to accomplish. Not feeling too bad today so hopefully I can get it resolved.
Even if it is routinue, it still takes a while. When I got this computer, the dialup connection was much slower than my old one. The old uses Windows 98 and the new one XP. Someone finally gave me the clue it was background processes running, so I looked every one up and ended up disabling almost half of them. This made a significant difference in the speed.
At least I took notes so doing it again would be a chore but not as time consuming as the original pass through.
This time of year, Vidya has been stockpiling gourds she has crafted over the winter and spring in anticipation of shows. The hardest part of setting my old computer back up was moving the stacks of them it was behind and remembering which stacks to look behind. Vidya had to pull that off.
So besides having an old Bookmarks list I am having to update as I go, the only thing that isn’t working is I can’t get my camera to talk to the computer. I installed the correct driver for Win 98 a couple of times, and it says it was successful, but it still won’t recognize the camera.
I can’t see putting a lot of energy into solving that problem if it is a temporary situation, but since Dell didn’t send a Windows XP CD with the system, maybe reinstalling XP is going to be a trip.
“Give me the strength that waits upon You in silence and peace. Give me humility in which alone is rest, and deliver me from pride which is the heaviest of burdens. And possess my whole heart and soul with the simplicity of love. Occupy my whole life with the one thought and the one desire of love, that I may love not for the sake of merit, not for the sake of perfection, not for the sake of virtue, not for the sake of sanctity, but for You alone.
“For there is only one thing that can satisfy love and reward it, and that is You alone.”
Thomas Merton. New Seeds of Contemplation. New York: New Directions Press, 1961: 45.
2 dances by the Kazakhstan devotees traveling with BB Govinda Maharaj.
Laguna Beach, CA
June 20, 2004
More kirtana with Indradyumna Swami
This group performed for the ISKCON Rathayatra festival in Durban, South Africa, April 2007.
Parampara has returned home, after being hospitalized for almost a week. He had suffered a mild stroke, tha left him a little numb on the left side.
He speaks clearly and his face and arm are okay now, but he is still slightly numb in the left leg. He is prescribed bed rest and no stress for 45 days. He is used to working hard, so this will be difficult for him.
He was given a shot that cleared up the blockage. The doctors told him this shot had only a 30% chance of working but he was one of the lucky ones so he avoided surgery.
Please send him positive energy.
You can access the links below to see more than 350 wonderful pictures of this important festival, celebrated last weekend, June 9th on 5th Avenue in New York City."Ignorance means misfortune. The unfortunate persons are those who are ignorant, uneducated. Therefore you have to take education to become fortunate. And that education is being imparted by Krishna, but you don't take it. That is misfortune. If you take education from Krishna, you become fortunate. So why don't you take it?"
- Srila Prabhupada - Evening Darshan - 10/8/76
by ekendra@gopala.org (Ekendra das) at June 12, 2007 09:36 AM
The writing says, “morning” “lunch” “dinner”
I am in New York. Saturday was Ratha Yatra. PIctures can be fond on Dandavats. Sunday over two thousand devotees were at the temple for the RAMAYANA drama and kirtan until midnight.
This morning I leave for the BANAROO rock festival book distribution mela. That is in Tenesee. I will travel iwth the sankirtan devotees and I hope to get there mercy. Devotees are coming from as far away as Los Angeles. It is a camping out program so I do not expect to get on line until Monday.
BOOK DISTRIBUTION KI JAY
This week the topic for my talk was 'What happens after we die?'. I discussed medical definitions of death, near death experiences and the eternality of consciousness. From this basis I examined re-incarnation and karma with reference to the Gita. Finally I briefly mentioned the method by which one can be relieved of the repeated cycle of birth and death.
MP3 recording available here
Nice story this... Check out more information at http://www.alvincyork.org.
Alvin C. York was a god-fearing Bible believin' Southern gentleman who was called up during World War I. He trained at Camp Gordon, Georgia where his commanding officer, Captain Danford, recognized him as perfect officer material, and wanted to make him a sergeant. However, York told him that he could not in good conscience kill enemy soldiers, due to his religious beliefs.
Captain Danford spoke with his commander, Major Buxton, also a deeply religious man who knew the Bible as well as York did. Major Buxton told York to go home for two weeks, pray, and examine his heart. If he couldn't find it in his conscience to kill enemy soldiers after that, Buxton would see to it that he was discharged.
York returned after two weeks, and announced that he had prayed and reflected, and that his realization was that his moral duty was to go to war with his unit.
In Argonne Forest, France in 1918, Sergeant York's company was ordered to capture a German railpoint. As they advanced on the point at 0610, a German machine gun opened up on the company, killing most of the forward ranks. As the only surviving noncom York took command and ordered an advance. They advanced and succeeded in overcoming the machine gun, taking the crew prisoner. Ordering a escort to take the prisoners to the rear, York continued to lead the advance. He had only gone a few yards when 35 German machine guns opened up on him, pinning him down.
Only 25 yards from the enemy position, York began to return fire, drawing a bead on a German gunner each time one showed his head to take an aimed shot at him. After shooting more than a dozen gunners in this way, six German soldiers with fixed bayonets rushed at him. Coolly lining them up, York shot the last man, then the second to last, and so on, until he had dropped all six.
York then returned his attention to the machine gun nests and continued to shoot German gunners, calling out between each one for the Germans to surrender. It might have seemed like a joke at first, but after the Tennessean had claimed his 22nd victim, a German officer advanced under a white flag with an offer of surrender. York demanded the complete surrender of the remaining Germans, and took 132 prisoners, an entire machine gun battalion, armed only with a rifle and a pistol.
Válaszok kérdésekre a torontói reptérrôl.
Letöltés (5:47) 5.3 MB
Answers to questions from the Toronto airport.
Download (7:39) 3.5 MB
Sorry, I am having trouble uploading the photo and cannot spend any more time on it. It is a restaurant add that reads “EATING IS ALL”.
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura gave us the wonderful prasadam prayer.
O Lord, this material body is a place of ignorance, and the senses are a network of paths to death. Somehow, we have fallen into this ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue is most voracious and uncontrollable; it is very difficult to conquer the tongue in this world. But You, dear Krsna, are very kind to us and have given us such nice prasada, just to control the tongue. Now we take this prasada to our full satisfaction and glorify You Lord-Radha and Krsna-and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda.
SVA 2: Prasada-sevaya II
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SVA 2: Prasada-sevaya II
From the picture above we can see how correct he was and how the conditioned souls are happy(?) to be controlled by their tongues. Taking prasadam is most satisfying to the tongue, but it is not simply eating. It is the mercy of the Lord that even while maintainig our bodies, we can make spiritual advancement.
By Srila Jiva Goswami dasa
This article presents practical experiences of a member of the racial minority community in Krsna Consciousness. Instead of revealing shocking narrations of racism and discrimination, you may see instead here documentation of the opposite. There is no actual racism in Krsna Consciousness because of the fundamental truth: We are not our bodies.
On one hand, as an African American, I’d read in Srila Prabhupada’s “The Bhagavada Gita As It Is,” how we are not our bodies. On the other, many times before, I’d come across both latent and overt racism in several large, ostensibly non-racial institutions. For example, the United States Military has been officially integrated since 1948, yet I found plenty of racism in our Air Force during the years I served there.
Another instance of racism where I’d not expected it had been witnessed before approaching the Hare Krsna Movement. Then I’d been Spiritual Shopping and I’d become interested in the Faith of the Mormons. Suddenly I learned their doctrine included discrimination against members of races other than white. On its face, that practice seemed un-religious to me. The fact that the Church of Latter Day Saints later modified this aspect of their philosophy did nothing to allay my trepidation about their professed belief system. The Absolute Truth is by definition, totally impervious to what ever and every political current; each temporal definition.
And from the other side, going to the temples of The Honorable Elijah Mohammed quickly showed me the religion of the Black Muslims in the late sixties, was more a political movement, based on race than True Religious practice.
What then, I wondered, would Hare Krsna Devotees, boys and girls raised in America, be like, with regard to race?
Here I offer you, Dear Reader, a few personal observations on race based incidents experienced by me, during my experience in the Krsna Conscious Movement.
Sometimes, in the fresh company of Devotees, I asked questions, already knowing the perfect answer. For example, I asked my friend Kuladri Prabhu one day, “Why, do you call a full grown man ‘boy?’” In the Air Force, if you called a Black Man “Boy,” there was a good chance your target of communication would square off and put up his hands.
Personally in those times, I’d preferred the lighter rejoinder: “Boy plays with Tarzan.” The point is no Black Man who is a black man accepts being called “boy.”
Key here to me is all that is implied by the embrace of the concept “I am a Black Man.” (Correct light of realization is founded on the Truth that we are not our bodies.) Kuladri kept it simple for me. “We call everyone ‘boy,’ or ‘girl,’” he explained. He let me have that serious smile of his. It was true. I’d known that. I’d heard so called “white people” referred to as “boys,” or “girls.” It was good to hear it nonetheless. Based on my ugly earlier State Side encounters, I’d just wanted the reassurance.
Indeed in Srila Prabhupada’s letters, it may be seen how often reference is made to followers as “girls” and “boys.”
Another, better example of racism in Krsna Consciousness occurred on my watch when early on, as a Bhakta in Columbus Ohio, I was packed in a van with a bunch of Devotees, and we sailed off West on a Sankirtan Marathon Party. Pixielike Sundakhar was among our number. Sundakhar Prabhu had every reason to empathize with the position of those who are physically different: years earlier, he’d been flipped head over heels in a disfiguring, horrendous biking accident. When he’d been Humpty Dumptied together again, there had been little attention paid to matching the edges of the sewn up planes and plates of his visage. It was freely said the heavy scars and stitching back and forth across the face of this young angel from New England resembled nothing more than what you see on an old baseball. Sundakhar typically reacted to that citation by giggling and waving his fingers back and forth in the air. He stated that he did not care, and that he was not this body.
As we rolled down the interstate away from Columbus, our vehicle passed through a squalid area. “Bahookaville,” Sundakhar said. Everyone chuckled.
“Bahookaville?” I didn’t get it. “What’s Bahookaville?”
Sundakhar got an “ulps” look on his disfigured face. He turned away, muttering “Nothing, nothing.” He waved his palms at me and sat in the Lotus position, but he seemed nervous. He avoided my gaze.
“No, what is it?” I wanted to know. I craved the openness.
Jai Mauari was leaning against the steel ribbed wall under the window of the driver’s side when he chimed in. “You said it,” he said with a laugh to Sundakhar. “Now you explain it.”
Sundakhar turned to me and related the past time in which Brahmins end up saying “Bahooka …” (Sit down) to the personification of impurities which appeared upon the churning of legs … this personification is referred to as the template for subsequent stereotypical black people. Of course, Sundakhar’s relating of the original incident was eloquent and fascinating. He included, as always, the chanting of the Maha Mantra, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” and we all chanted rights along, as Devotees do.
So, he’d been referring to the black neighborhood as “Bahookaville” and laughing? I had to laugh too. It was funny. Among non devotees, the terms might be a lot worse. Here there was a meaning and a use, in a cosmic sense. And Sundakhar had brought humor to it.
I can not help but be struck by the fact that in addition to Everything Else, Krsna Himself is black. I once asked my Guru why Krsna is white on the altar at New Vrindabana. “That is an ecstatic symptom,” he explained before the assembled Devotees. “When He touches Radharani, He flushes white.”
“Racism in Krsna Consciousness” is an oxymoron. In Krsna Consciousness what is racism in the Karmi World is instead a revelation of love, a step towards understanding, a lesson. In the following instance, I see a combination of all those wonderful things, with the addition of me, practicing and learning how to impersonate what I could of the wholesome acts and behaviors of Devotees I admired.
It happened that once, at a Sunday feast in Columbus, I was serving out and a guest loudly inquired as to my race. To me, my ethnicity when I consider it was more than partially forged by my experiences in the South in the early sixties. I would be one of those Black Men, though a lot of people look at my light complexion and assume otherwise. There are those who assume that my body is of African American heritage. Others don’t give the matter a thought, and tend to disregard race perception. There is another flavor of interaction I am used to however. This one is based on a need to ask. If you are the target, you learn by experience to feel the question coming.
At this feast, I’d felt a guest’s inquisitive eyes, and recognized the flavor. I was not surprised when he finally and abruptly broadcast his loud question, “What race are you?” There was a general swing of focus upon me, like at tennis match.
“I am human,” I returned crisply. “I am a member of the human race.” To this, other guests clapped lightly. I heard mummers of “good for you.” To me, this was, however, not even an accurate reply: I’m not any race at all, of course, but purely, underneath it all, simply Spirit Soul.
Our guest was abashed by my reply. I’d been waiting for the chance to speak that one since I’d first heard it, back when I was about six. And Krsna had let me have that opportunity under the most optimal of circumstance. I went to our chagrined guest almost immediately and apologized. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ve been waiting for the chance to say that since I was about six. To answer your question, I am a Black Man.” I saw surprise and gratitude in the look our guest gave me.
I was trying to emulate the open directness and kindness with which I’d been treated as a Bhakta.
There can only be racism when we identify with our bodies. To the extent that we embrace Krsna Consciousness, there is no racism.
Finally this one has to do with part of my daughter’s experience in the Girl’s Ashram at Old New Vrindabana. What stands out for me, in any of these incidents is the root of the problem; our environment while we developed, and the immediate dissipation of the issue when washed with the light of the Maha Mantra and Krsna Consciousness. Here Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!
For me, hey that Maha Mantra represents the True Most Golden Philosophy, complete with fundamentals beyond the Ten Commandments. We are not our bodies. “Learn the difference between Spiritual and Material!” my Guru always says.
To relate what happened with my daughter, I should first report to you, Dear Reader, that as a kid growing up in New York City, I was totally shielded from aspects of racism. Then when I joined the military, the racism I encountered was a virtual brick wall.
My daughter, “Vimala,” at the time, told me she was receiving racial epithets in the Ashram. I believed her, of course. We bring so much luggage along with us when we come to Krsna Consciousness. Vimala told me how her fellow students referred to her as “Nigger.” “What do you expect? She’s just a Nigger,” some kids were saying, according to my daughter.
This seemed a problem to me. For myself, I did not care what anyone called me. For my daughter, I cared very much. I went to one of my dearmost friends, also a fellow ex-New Yorker, Advaita Prabhu, and I asked his advice and counsel.
Advaita told me that I should be grateful. I wondered about that. “You should be glad,” he advised me, “because you are getting this in a sheltered environment. You don’t want your daughter growing up thinking everything is more fluffy than it is.”
Because of my prior experience in the so called protected environment, stepping into the world of the Deep South in the early ‘60’s had been for me like walking into an airplane propeller. I absolutely understood and embraced Advaita’s counsel on that matter. I did not miss the dear fact that Advaita felt perfectly comfortable in sharing his view with me. Advaita did not spring at all from the same culture … but then, but now, and the point of this article is that we all actually absolutely are of the very same eternal culture. We need each other’s help to get back There.
In each of these matters, the source of the participant’s experiences mix with the ultimate reality which is Krsna Consciousness. Then those same flavors which under ordinary circumstances become places of conflict, in Krsna Consciousness very literally become pathways of love and understanding. This then is a matter of Absolute Truth about Racism in Krsna Consciousness.
Dear devotees. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Here are a couple of drops from the fathomless nectar ocean of sankirtana.
Last Nrsimha marathon our sankirtana-group was travelling in the Eastern parts of Finland. Since we wanted to have full concentration on the marathon we did not go to the temple for the weekend. On Monday I had to deposit the previous week's collections in bank.
We ended up in a small town, Kotka, where the distribution had been quite difficult in teh past. I was praying to Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai to somehow help and take me as Their instrument. Still it was so hard. I decided to visit the bank and deliver the laksmi from the previous week.
I was speaking to the attendant, who was a lady in her fifties. Although usually there are no problems in making the deposit, this time it became difficult. She phoned upstairs, and another attendant came from there and she was also not aware about what to do. Then she went back upstairs, leaving me with the first attendant.
"It seems it will take some time."
I was a bit anxious about it all, after all it was the marathon time and we were supposed to not waste any time. Somehow I thought it must be the Lord's arrangement that everything is so mixed up. So I took out the books, asking the lady, "By the way, did you already get one of these?" Showing her a copy of Teachings of Queen Kunti.
"Did I get one of those?" She asked, surprised, "No, but let me see."
I handed her the book, and she was looking at it interested. "This is a book about the teachings of India's greatest philosopher woman." Then I explained to her who I was and what we were doing in that town that day. She seemed interested. Then the phone rang.
"It will take some time more", she said.
I thought "no problem with that", and went on giving a small presentation about simple life and high thinking, which are very important for everyone living in this age of stress and anxiety.
She was listening intently and said her son was just over twenty and had returned from India some time ago. Hearing this I took out the Bhagavad-gita and said, "this is just the right book for your son. This is the spiritual science of the ancient India."
The conversation went on for a while and it ended up in the lady taking both the books for a nice donation. Also the difficulty about depositing the laksmi was then solved.
Sankirtana is such a blessing. It forces us to see Krsna everywhere.
Hoping to become your insignificant servant, Avadhutacandra das
Veda Narayana Prabhu and I went to waterfront with our families. Kids wanted a ride on water taxi and then a horse cart.
We used the opportunity to distribute books while on the water taxi as well as the water front area. We distributed more than 20 books (most of them BGs in a very short time.)
When we got down from the water taxi, I met a man standing in front of a horse cart with 2 white horses. He is the driver of the cart and is inviting people for a tour on his cart.
I introduced myself, "Hello. I'm Madhava from India"
He responded saying "Are you from India? Great. I heard that Indian bridegrooms go on horse ride procession for their marriage. Did you also go on a horse during your marriage?"
I answered his questions and told him "The Supreme God Himself rides the horse chariot for the pleasure of his devotee Arjun and the most perfect knowledge was spoken by the Lord on a horse chariot"..
I showed him the cover page of Bhagavad Gita with white horses. He happily took the book and thanked me multiple times and gave a nice donation
Your servant
Madhava Gopinatha DAS
In the fading light
I found my parents picking
Evening raspberries
In other fascinating news - no really, it is! June is blooming - our strawberries and cherries are coming now, and everywhere I see poppies, elderflower, pink and white wild roses, and sweet smelling mock orange-
and this funny buddleia, which I always call orange blossom to myself, just because they’re round and orange and I’m trying to economise on cerebral storage space-
Ah. I love nature.
Ekendra prabhu, I read your recent post on Leadership, and you're tilting at strawmen.
I'll take you up on your statement:
"Agree to disagree" discussions always let me down a bit. I always hope for the TKO or, even better, the white flag where one participant surrenders their concepts the higher idea (if available).
So let's do it. ;-)
First of all, you said:
Lately there has been a lot of talk amongst some devotees on the subject of leadership development.
Do you want to be more specific about this? Anything that we can refer to for context?
There are many testimonials that support the value of such expositions and, indeed, there is an entire industry that revolves around self-improvement that presupposes its potency to make leaders out of those who would otherwise remain peasants.
Hang on.... is this about "leadership" or "self-improvement"? These are two different things, and you've combined two different ideas here.
First of all, no disagreement that there are testimonials that leadership literature has value. In fact, here's one for you: "Sita-pati das says: It has value (if you actually read it, and correlate it with scripture)".
However, for the second idea: this idea that leadership literature is about getting people to change their nature and become something they're not - this is contrary to everything that I've read on the subject. Are you commenting on something that someone has actually said or written, or this is just your idea of what it's about?
Reading the rest of the article I'm left with the question: "have you actually read any of the material that you are supposedly commenting on here?"
If you want to discuss specific books we might be able to find some that both of us have read. I think it's better to be specific, rather than making broad generalizations with no supporting quotes or examples. What you're commenting on here - "the leadership industry" as you call it, seems to be the entire corpus of leadership literature. This is not homogenous, any more than ISKCON is, much less so in fact. There are a lot of different books by different authors, with different philosophies and different motivations.
I've read a number of books on leadership by both secular and religious (Christian, Vaisnava) authors. The first book I read on the subject was Bhakti Tirtha Swami's "Leadership for an Age of Higher Consciousness" Volumes 1 & 2. From there I just started working my way through the source material that he quoted in there. Really the most prominent, authoritative authors are Christian and their realizations are intimately connected with their faith. Others have value in asmuch as they have understood principles (dharma) through experience or instruction.
"Why read a book on leadership?" you ask. I guess that's the other half of the question: "Why would Bhakti Tirtha Swami write a book on the subject"?
The answer is that somebody has to lead (actually everyone has to, even if it's just leading themselves), and they should know how to do it. The best way to learn is, as you have said, from a combination of personal experience and the experience and wisdom of others.
Playing on the underlying assumption that there are two categories of people, leaders or followers, a consumer frenzy emerges to catch the latest trend in self-advancement.
Where are you getting this stuff from? That might be your assumption, but this doesn't match any leadership literature that I've read, starting from Bhakti Tirtha Swami's books and going on from there.
The last statement you made: "Do genuine leaders need to read books on how to manipulate people into following them?" is a sort of parody of misperceptions of leadership literature.
I think that this one statement really reveals where your presentation is coming from. Rather than commenting on leadership literature, you seem to be commenting on your own ideas, including that leadership literature is about "manipulating people to follow you".
We can switch to openly talking about your idea of what it's about, in which case we need to discuss "What is leadership?". Or we could actually start talking about existing leadership literature, but if we're going to do that, we need to start citing real examples, rather than raising strawmen to tilt at.
By Parasurama dasa Watch Anand, the "Raging Bull" devotailing his activities for the service of Shri Krishna in Vrindavana
Some hare krishnas dancing at Leicester Square, London.
The Rainbow Gathering Preaching and Food Distribution
By The Times Of India The festival, the 31st held here on Saturday, is modelled after the Ratha Yatra organised every year in Puri, Orissa, by the famed Jagannath temple there. During the festival, the temple deity is taken out in a procession on a decorated chariot. Worshippers come and pull the chariot to express their devotion.
A bonkers promo film made to promote ‘Hare Krishna’ in the UK. Presumably sanctioned by George who can be heard chanting loudly at the end of the clip.
by Ekendra das (ekendra@gopala.org) at June 11, 2007 03:48 AM
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Last updated:
June 13, 2007 06:14 PM
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