Interview With KKS at Leicester, UK April2008

INTERVIEW WITH KKS AT THE ISKCON LEICESTER TEMPLE 27/04/08
VC: Please don’t shoot the messenger – but we have some
interesting questions here for you today.
KKS: OK.
VC: First, can being forced to follow a restrictive diet for health
reasons be transformed into voluntary devotional activity?
KKS: Well, we must be healthy for Krishna’s service, so therefore
sometimes we follow some diets so that we can be healthy. For
instance if you stuff yourself with pizza, pasta for a long time, you
will get high cholesterol and you can’t function, you can’t do any
more service because of blood pressure. And Krishna’s looking -
“Look at that guy – all fat and pudgy” – what’s the use? We need
to be fit for Krishna.
VC: Question two. How come you are initiating disciples when
your spiritual master (His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami) is still
around?
KKS: Because he ordered me to do it. And although generally
there is a principle called “mariadivyatikrama” that one should not
accept disciples in front of a senior, when the order of the guru is
there, that supersedes all other etiquette.
VC: Does that mean you are a ritvik guru?
KKS: No, no, fu lly -fledged guru - I am initiating disciples on my
own behalf.
VC: Third question – what really irritates you – apart from these
questions?
KKS: There are material things that irritate me like disturbing
noises, disturbing smells and all these things. They don’t REALLY
irritate me. What REALLY irritates me is when people are cruel. I
remember that once there was someone in Vrindavan who was the
Temple Commander, and he used to chase out dogs and beat them
in such a way that it was too much. I remember that one night I
took the stick from this guy’s hand and said that if you ever do this
again I am going to beat the daylights out of you with this stick.
Cruelty in people can really irritate me. Really. Then I can – tricky
– you had better watch out.
VC: If you were stranded on a desert island armed with antiscorpion
and anti-shark spray so you don’t have to worry about
them, and you have your essential copy of the Vaishnava
Connection magazine – what one book and CD would you take
with you?
KKS:My one book is the Chaitanya Charitamrita – when can I
go?! The CD – so I have a CD player as well? Well, if I have to
listen to it all the while, then it had better be Prabhupada.
VC: Any particular bhajan?
KKS: Well, if I have to listen to it all the time I would be
best off with the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Srila Prabhupada
chanting maybe a Hare Krishna dhun or something. I dunno,
because it’s – Because it is so – eternal. It never ends. I mean
Prabhupada just “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare – Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare.” There is no end to it, it just goes on and on and on. It
has no beginning and no end. It is really very eternal. So I guess
that if I had to live there, I guess I would have to choose that.
VC: Final question. If Krishna agreed to change one thing about
you that you didn’t like, what would you choose?
KKS: The toughest question so far. What would I
choose? I would have to learn to say no. That’s the one thing I am
not good at is saying no.
VC: Can you recall any incident where…
KKS: …Where I can’t say no? My whole life is just a
matter of not saying no. I wouldn’t come to Leicester if I could say
no . I wouldn’t have agreed to this interview! I am not
good at saying no, that’s the one thing. The one thing that
has caused a lot of stress in my life is that I don’t say no.
Everywhere.
VC: Like this big harinam that you are planning to do in the
Queen’s Parade.
KKS: I should definitely say no.
VC: When is that coming?
KKS: Wednesday in Amsterdam. Last year there was this
guy – instead of wearing a garland he was wearing the seat of
a toilet around his neck – just to give you an idea of what’s
coming.
VC:We came up with the ritvik question as we once
published an article on the ritviks.
KKS: Ritvik would mean that the disciples would not be my
disciples, but would be Jayadvaita Maharaja’s disciples, and
that I would initiate on his behalf – something like that. He is
the great spiritual master. Therefore he doesn’t take any
active responsibility or anything like that – he’s friendly, he’s
merciful, but he doesn’t manage my disciples’ lives. And
some of my disciples, they have some sort of relationship
with Jayadvaita Maharaj and some don’t, some know him,
some don’t. Some are afraid of him, and some are very
attracted to him.
VC: That’s our five questions over. Just one personal
question – I didn’t know how long you’ve been part of
ISKCON, or when did you…
KKS: 1978. And I went first to Vrindavan and I stayed in
Vrindavan for some time – a short time. And then I went
back to Europe and then I moved into the Amsterdam temple.
It was quite dynamic at that time – it was something like
Soho Street – a very dynamic city temple in those days. I
stayed there for almost a year and then I went back to India. I
stayed in India for a long time. In the mid ‘80’s I was one
year in Australia for a break. In total I was 12 years in
Vrindavan, 6 years in Mayapura. Since then I left Vrindavan
‘95 and have been travelling ever since pretty much, no
home, constant travel.
VC: Just because you travel so much, what do you think of
the general preaching in the UK, England.
KKS: Well in the UK there is a lot of facility – it has very
good facility with the Manor, Soho Street. These are
powerful places. With the large Indian community in
England, obviously Krishna Consciousness took to a
different level. I think England has many challenges also. It
has to go beyond socialising. It is so easy to get bogged
down in just a nice Hare Krishna social life. We have to get
really to the core of things and change and become pure
devotees.
Our preaching in South Africa in many ways is very similar
to England, because of the same thing – in Durban we have
this huge Indian congregation, we have this very big temple.
There’s about 40 nama-hattas connected to Durban temple. A
big congregation and therefore there is always a programme
somewhere at someone’s house and everyone’s there and
devotees are just meeting each other at different gatherings.
But sometimes we become a little insulated in our own
community of devotees and we really have to go out of our
comfort zone and just do something to bring Krishna
Consciousness to others. Because England has the same
dynamics and I can see that.
But obviously England is an important place because here
you can really do things that can affect all of ISKCON.
England is a place that has its influence everywhere. Like
now with the cow campaign for example, you can try and
change legislation – that would be a great achievement
because it is a fact that the laws are not supporting cow
protection. It’s a big drama – is that tape recorder still on?
VC: It’s still on because we don’t know how to stop it.
KKS: OK? Well you can use whatever you like…
VC: Thank you, haribol.
KKS: Haribol!

From Bhaktisiddhanta Swami...

At 10:45 am Bhakti Caru Swami, Kavicandra Swami, Braja Hari and myself went to see him and GM was awake chanting. He looked at each of us and Bhakti Caru Swami said, placing his hand on GM's chest.. "Wow you look great, just look at your fighting spirit...you really had us worried...we need you so much to guide us in service to Srila Prabhupada" Kavicandra Maharaja said "There are 24 hour kirtans going around the world for you".

GM was choked up with tears in his eyes and he tried to speak, Bhakti Caru Swami said "Don't try to exert your self please relax... And we all chanted Hare Krnsa out loud to calm him. Kavicandra at the foot of the bed yelled out "Gauranga" and then GM had to shift his attention to the end of the bed. Then BCS asked him would you like to hear from the CC?... how about the chapter "Talks between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Caitanya?" Gm made a slight affirmation. During the reading Kavicandra Maharaja was giving him reiki around the leg area and noticed that when the description of Mahaprabhu dancing GM's right leg gave a small kick. He then was able to feebly lift his left hand over his chest to hold Bhakti Caru Swami's hand.

For the first time he was moving his head from right to left, up and down to take in all the persons that were there...sometimes he would look over head as we spoke.

Doctor Madhavanada, the director of the Bhaktivedanta hospital arrived and GM recognized him motioning with his left hand and pointing at the ventilator system that is a plastic pipe that goes into his throat. The doctor said "that we have to keep that in for a while to help you clear the mucus...just some more days. You are doing very very well, we are very happy at your progress".

Last night the doctor had a dream and he was with GM at his hospital bed and he was pulling the ventilator pipes from his chest saying "I don't need them any more". The DM was amazed to see that he was pointing to the very pipes he pulled out in the dream. Again GM tried to talk and the doctor said you are doing fine in a few days you can write to us. A large card with the alphabet was brought over and he tried to point to a few letters but it was too strenuous...DM said don't worry you can do this later"

At the same time the local doctors had arrived and were watching, I think Doctor Ashok, the nuerologist, was there for the first time to see GM active, we were going to clear out but he motioned for us to stay saying "This is the best thing for him now".

Again we began to chant together and you could see how GM was trying to speak the mahamantra and say Gauranga...One could easily perceive that GM appeared to be restless...wanting to do more...Kavicandra jokingly quipped "He is probably thinking of an unused plane ticket that he hasn't used up yet" As we were leaving it was clear that GM, looking at Bhakti Caru Swami, silently formed the words 'Thank you'.

Out in the hall DM said things are going well, he is stable and his platelets are up to 70,000 in my opinion we should not move him until he is completely off the ventilator. Two days ago I saw him and today I am amazed to see this. Kavicandra added "I could really see he has taking the reiki...I have not seen him like this since he arrived"

In conclusion...a strong indication has been made: This is such good news but we are still in the critical stage...all of the prayers and yajnas are being felt, and now we have to only increase and not let up. Kavicandra mentioned(because today is Ekadasi) that if everyone in the movement did nirjala just think how powerful that could be? Krsna is reciprocating with the desires of his devotees...this is the most important cure. Now we have a lot of work to do to try to bring GM back to 100%...please please please continue....

Best wishes
Your servant
Bhaktisiddhanta Swami

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika das

CAMP: ISKCON; 7, Bury Place; London, W.C.1; ENGLAND

27th August, 1971

My Dear Shama Dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknow­ledge receipt of your letter dated 20th August, 1971 and have noted the contents. When I received the letter the envelope had been opened and then stapled closed and some portion of the letter was missing; it came in two parts. I don’t know what happened or what part of your letter is missing.

Anyway, please be happy with the newly installed Dieties there in New Vrindaban and take very greatest of care for them. Dress them nicely, clothe them nicely with garlands and offer very nice foodstuffs. And be happy with your son Samba and good husband and engage him fully in editing work. His work has suffered so much; I don’t know why Hayagriva has become so slack. Anyways please encourage him. I haven’t heard from him in some time. Where is he?

So now Their Lordships have arrived there in New Vrindaban. So you should see to it that New Vrindaban is developed so nicely and meets up to its name. Satya bhama and Paramananda and Ranadhir and others are there and your son is also growing strong. So please build up New Vrindaban very nicely And I am soon coming there so don’t be worried.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

At the present moment we are the slaves of our senses. When our senses dictate, "Give me this or give me that", we dutifully accommodate them. What we fail to realize is that the senses are not us and that satisfying them therefore does not satisfy us. If we want actual happiness, we should limit the senses to what they actually need not giving them...

Padmalochan Das gives Gopastami talk about Krishna's pastimes with cows:

Sanjaya, a disciple of Vyasadeva, had spiritual vision. He could see
the events on the battlefield even though the engagement took place far
beyond the range of normal eyesight. This is another type of material
mystic power, which is obtainable now via live television, so Srila
Prabhupada has told us.

By Caru das

Article in the Salt Lake Tribune, "Governor Keeps the Lights on for Diwali."

By Madhava Smullen

The spiritual path can be a rewarding yet difficult one. There comes a time when all of us need a shoulder to lean on, a friendly push in the right direction, or a few strong words of encouragement.

We streamed the Global Kartik Kirtan from ISKCON Toronto live on the web and are happy to announce that things went relatively smoothly. The ISKCON Toronto Blog will try to regularly host streaming events in the near future, so stay tuned! Hare Krsna!

1967 November 9: "Kirtanananda is a crazy man. That is proved. He says he has become equal to the Spiritual Master but he is such a fool that he does not understand even the principle of disciple."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 November 9: "But we should not be angry with these poor souls. Try to convince them by argument and reason but do not become angry with them. It is my incapability that I could not save these two souls."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1970 November 9: "As President, you should see that everyone stays engaged 24 hours a day in Krishna's service. Any breakage in the performance of one's duties will surely be a hindrance to one's advancement."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1970 November 9: "The Universities are very important. When you speak in the classroom, just quote my books and explain the meaning in your own words. The students will appreciate it very much."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1973 November 9: "At present I am in Delhi. For the time being I am keeping my health fairly well. After all, this is an old body. I am 78 years, and still by the grace of Krsna it is going on."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1975 November 9: "The jewelry business should not be encouraged. Their endeavor should be utilized for selling books. We are after preaching, not money. Our principle is tyaga, or renunciation."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 November 9: "If there is any discrepancy, we have to request our men to correct, sometimes falling down on the feet and flattering - not changing or dismissing them."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 November 9: "Now we have got so many books, we have enough material to qualify a person in Doctor of Divinity by affliating ourselves with a recognized university. Let the students get their Bachelor and Post Graduates degrees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

yesturday here in the Welsh Valleys a special evening program was held which included prays and kirtan for HH jaypataka Swami. I was only a small group but was a very peacful and blisful night which we all enjoyed I am sure that our thoughts and prays will continue not only for HH but for those [...]

They say a picture is worth a thousands words. In Vrindavan it's worth more than that. And faces are worth even more. The faces of Brijbasis, those souls who by coincidence, choice or sukriti, reside in Vrindavan, offers blessings to visitors. They are not sages and saints, the vast majority of dham residents, but i would rather look at the face of the lowest Brijbasi than the most glamorous actors of Hollywood or Bollywood. Eye candy can tease the mind but it gives no nourishment for the soul. It actually distracts the soul, while Brijbasis do not always look nice, but their faces somehow nourish my soul.

For me, the faces of Brijbasis offer a sense of wonder, piety, intuition, spiritual fortune and dignity in distress. I don't see (and cannot judge) who is a sadhu or not. I discount most of the westerners like myself who are more or less spiritual "tourists" in Vrindavan. Sometimes i appreciate the western devotees in Vrindavan and sometimes i find them disturbing, out of sync with its reality. The Delhi wallas who come and go are more upsetting, creating traffic jams with their middle class cars, trying to enjoy a pious outing, like customers at a spiritual disneyland. But the Brijbasis who are born there or who have adopted Vrindavan as their home, offer me something i have not found elsewhere: a sense of home comfort-- despite the fact that i will always remain a foreigner to them and Vrindavan will always remain an exotic, exalted and challenging place for me.

I wander around Vrindavan with an improvised purpose. Sometimes to have darshan of the beautiful, powerful and historic deities who are enshrined all over town, sometimes to shop for particular needs, sometimes to meet with an old friend. Often, these purposes merge as i meet someone or run into a transcendental event quite by chance on my way somewhere. One day i was looking for silver and gold items. I wanted to purchase gifts for a few relatives and friends. I always go to a very reliable silver walla who has a small shop on Atkambar Road, which intersects the road to Loi Bazaar near Banki Behari temple. The shopkeeper's name is Ram Niwas. His late father, who started the shop, was named Gopal Das. Thus the shop's name: Gopal Das Ram Niwas. It's one of my favorite places to shop in Vrindavan and Ram Niwas is as nice a Brijbasi as i know. Many evenings i have seen him attending arotik at Radha Raman Mandir, about one kilometer from his shop. He is always polite, warm and gracious, and in his shop, he is never pushy, condescending or tricky. He is someone i like to meet with every visit, even if i don't have anything to purchase.

I am in his shop looking at gold and silver items. He sits cross legged behind a glass counter on a raised platform covered with white sheets. I sit on bench overlooking the counter. Although there are tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver jewelry in the shop, there are no alarms and no guards in the small store. (Can you imagine that in the West?) Hopefully it can remain that way. Today i notice a huge commotion on the narrow Atkambar Road in front of the shop. I ask Ram Niwas what is happening. He explains that there is a feast today for Hanuman, who has the smallest of temples-- a deity of the great monkey devotee is inlaid on a wall, covered by an iron grating-- just opposite the silver shop. It is Govardhan puja today, and the priests of the wall temple have arranged an opulent feast for Hanumanji, who once offered his respects and blessings to Govardhan Hill. Hanuman is covered, except for his eyes, in silver foil. Tables are set up right in front of him on the street filled with hundreds of different varieties of savories and sweets. Passerbys carry on as an arotik starts, gongs and bells ring out, foot traffic becomes jammed (rickshaws are temporarily banned from this section of the road), as i sit just 10 feet away, looking at silver items inside the shop.

Now i understand how Ram Niwas got his name. His father, a devotee of Krishna, named him in honor of Lord Ram and Hanuman, whose auspicious presence is just opposite their shop. Business and worship are not necessarily in conflict in Vrindavan. Days later, when i return to the shop to pay my bill, Ram Niwas offers me this as a farewell: "I hope you return to Vrindavan soon." Coming from his lips, i don't take it as business but as a blessing.

I walk down to Loi Bazaar from the silver shop, a short 8 minute walk. I am having a set of japa beads restrung at one of the bead shops. In the West, no one knows how to string tulasi beads, and my japa beads have been broken for 6 months. My friend and godbrother, Ananda Swarup from Amsterdam, who preached in India during Prabhupada's Iskcon days, advised me to ask for "parachute thread" to restring my beads. I tell the bead walla, another familiar face whose hair has turned white over the years, to use parachute thread, and he immediately understands my request. I repeat it once or twice, until i hear him say "parachute thread" just to make sure he really hears me and will do it correctly. The regular thread breaks easily but parachute thread is nylon and lasts a long time. The bead walla tells me the cost will be 40 rupees (less than $1) and my mala will be ready tomorrow. I happily agree. A nice japa mala is worth more than its weight in gold, if one actually chants Hari Nama on it. When i come to collect the beads the next day, the mala is perfect. He has also replaced four beads that were cracked (meaning they could fall off anytime) and has carefully counted the mala to make sure it has 108 beads. He charges an extra 10 rupees for the four new beads, a discount from the current price, he says. Even tulasi beads have become expensive by Indian standards. Inflation must be in double digits in India now.

When i ask the bead merchant if he will guarantee the restrung beads, he gives me an answer i don't expect. "Only God can guarantee," he says. "But they should be good for 3-4 years." An interesting mix of philosophy and Indian business tactics that makes me laugh out loud.

It's common sense wrapped up with brahminical wisdom wrapped up with a little good'ol get-ahead-in-your-business acumen.

It's The Ten Signs Of Intellectual Honesty!

Use them freely, use them for the Lord!

Click here to check them out

Gopinath (Part Three)

1.
gopinath, amara upaya nai
tumi krpa kori’, amare loile,
samsare uddhara pai

Gopinath, there is no other hope for me,
but that by your mercy, your servant I may be,
from birth and death forever free.

2.
gopinath, porechi mayara phere
dhana, dara, suta, ghireche amare,
kamete rekheche jere

Gopinath, I’m fallen in a worldly whirlpool.
With wealth and family, ever entangling me,
I’m under lust’s complete control.

3.
gopinath, mana je pagala mora
na mane sasana, sada acetana,
visaye ro ‘yeche ghora

Gopinath, my mind is seized with insanity.
It sees itself as free, from all authority,
absorbed in sensuality.

4.
gopinath, hara je menechi ami
aneka jatana, hoilo bifala,
ekhano bharasa tumi

Gopinath, I must at last accept defeat.
My every endeavour, has found only failure.
My only hope your lotus feet.

5.
gopinath, kemone hoibe gati
prabala indriya, bosi-bhuta mana,
na chare visaya-rati

Gopinath, how can I attain perfection?
My senses are so strong, they drag my mind along,
always to worldly attraction.

6.
gopinath, hrdoye bosiya mora
manake samiya, laho nija pane,
ghucibe vipada ghora

Gopinath, within my heart forever stay.
And thus my mind subdue, to bring me unto you,
and drive all danger far away.

7.
gopinath, anatha dekhiya more
tumi hrsikesa, hrsika damiya,
taro ‘he samsrti-ghore

Gopinath, seeing me to be so helpless.
You are the Hrisikesh, take hold of my senses.
Oh, save me from this dark abyss.

8.
gopinath, galaya legeche phasa
krpa-asi dhori’, bandhana chediya,
vinode koroho dasa

Gopinath, I’m wrapped in ropes of worldliness.
With the sword of your mercy, please quickly cut me free,
and place me in your loving service.

by Dr Madhavananda das, Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital...

Today mornings' Srila Jayapataka Maharaja is evidence of the power of prayers of all the devotees all over the world. By Srila Prabhupada’s and Krishna’s mercy Maharaja is completely conscious, recognizing everyone, trying to speak and chant (of course he can’t do that because of the tracheostomy tube) and moves all his limbs.  HH Bhakti Caru Maharaja, HH Kavicandra Maharaja, HH Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja were all reading from Caitanya Caritamrta and Maharaja could understand everything.

Maharaja wants to come out of the ventilator. His blood pressure and other parameters are stable. We are hoping that very soon he will be out of the ventilator as well but that remains unpredictable even at this moment.

Maharaja is also getting acupuncture. Yesterday the first sitting of acupuncture was done and it will continue as long as the hospital authorities allow us.

Please continue to pray very sincerely and enthusiastically.

I have been continuing my read of Tamal Krishna Goswami” diary it is a very moving and inspirational book with many fine points and quotes form Srila Prabhupada One made me think how we put so much faith into our imperfect senses. It’s a small quote from July 6: The London devotees had sent Srila Prabhupada [...]

Spotkanie półotwarte u Radka

By Kavicandra Swami

The devotees who are with HH Jayapataka Swami, including doctors from BHAKTIVEDANTA HOSPITAL, notice that he is hearing very nicely. Sometimes he opens his eyes for a while. This morning for 20 minutes.

Ananta Purusottama das: We are having the first years evening of memories on honor of Sanjaya Prabhu (Srila Prabhupadas disciple), I would be most grateful if anyone can share with us any stories or memories to read out, or any other photos, those of you who knew him in particular.

Tough times in Bali...

Balinese survivors and relatives of victims were expected to gather this morning at the Kuta headquarters of a local Hare Krishna group to pray, sing and dance for peace.

"After their executions, we will pray together at the Bali bombing monument at 9am," Sayoga, the executive director of the National Integration Movement, told AAP last night.

He said the aim of the prayers was to cut the bonds of hatred and anger that had consumed the bombers.

"If someone is dead, it is only their body that is dead, their spirit lives on. So the bombers' spirits are still spreading hatred, anger and violence. Our prayers are to make this anger and hatred disappear," he said.

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3.26 - Pastimes of Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji.

1965 November 8: "I have no ambition for becoming the proprietor of any Matha or Mandir but I am working day and night for my Bhagavatam publication and I need centres in the western countries."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1965

1965 November 8: "Srila Prabhupada had a strong desire to open our preaching centres in the Western countries and both Bon Maharaja and Goswami Maharaja were deputed for this purpose without any tangible result."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1965

1965 November 8: "Every camp of our god brothers should supply a man good for this purpose and they must agree to work under my direction. Then you will see how our beloved Srila Prabhupada will be satisfied on all of us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1965

1968 November 8: "There are 42,000 students in your university, and if 5% of them purchase our Gita, then we can sell at least 2,000 copies there. So I hope you will try for this and it will be both propaganda as well as income."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1970 November 8: "Here I am working in Bombay to establish one Krishna Consciousness Headquarters for India. So it Krishna desires, we will have a temple here."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1974 November 8: "He has done much service. He cannot be removed whimsically. The local members must agree for him to be removed by you, according to the Direction of Management."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1975 November 8: "We haven't got to invent something by our fertile brain for preaching. Study my books and reproduce the purports in your own language. Everything is there. Instruct your temple presidents to preach like this."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1975 November 8: "So any one of my godbrothers cannot help me in this way of book writing because they are unfortunate in the matter of preaching work. They are simply trying to infiltrate our society to do something harmful."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

At the present moment we are the slaves of our senses. When our senses dictate, "Give me this or give me that", we dutifully accommodate them. What we fail to realize is that the senses are not us and that satisfying them therefore does not satisfy us. If we want actual happiness, we should limit the senses to what they actually need not giving them...

Grace
dedicated to Radhanath Swami
on the occasion of his Vyasa Puja, 2008

swimming
gasping
burning for air

For millions of years
I was swimming
gasping
burning
drowning.
I was desperate
for refuge.

One day
Somehow
by grace
someone saw me.

He reached out
and clasped my hand.
He pulled me to shore.
And when I could breathe
he placed
a seed
in my trembling hand.

Never
ever
let go
of this seed
of devotion,
he told me.
Tend to it
with love.

He began
to walk
and I began
to follow
in his footsteps.


brahmana brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru krsna prasade bhai bhakti lata bija

I am chanting at the campuses in Florida, specifically in Gainesville and Tallahassee, and next week, in Orlando. I was happy to meet the Hare Krishna devotees when I was in college, and hope to give others the same opportunity. Special this month were a creation/evolution debate and a Halloween harinama.

Devotional Meditations

Notes on Kalakantha Prabhu’s class:

There is a difference between discriminating who we should associate with and making a judgment as to how advanced someone is in spiritual life. We cannot always tell how advanced someone in Krishna conscious is, and so it is offensive to verbalize judgements of devotees.

As long as the people are making spiritual advancement, they should be allowed to live in the temple.

Notes on Adi-karta Prabhu’s class:

This age is very demoniac. In England, a study showed 85% think religion does more harm than good.

Notes on Jayananda Prabhu’s class:

We should develop the vision of eternity. Our tiny ten-year plans are insignificant compared to the age of the earth what to speak of eternal time.

This is the age of Kali, the iron age. Iron has been the most profit commodity for the last ten years. Down the street they have electronic implants for your dog for $30 so you won’t loose it.

Notes on Kalakantha Prabhu’s class:

In response to material setbacks, devotees should:
1) patiently continue with their duties,
2) offer obeisances to Krishna, and
3) await Krishna’s mercy.

Q: Can we help our friends and relatives with their setbacks?
A: If we try as far as it is possible then that is Krishna’s desire, but if the endeavor to do so is so great that blocks our spiritual progress, then that is not Krishna’s desire.

Florida State University at Tallahassee

I chanted at the FSU campus three days from 11:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and was pleased with the response. I brought a harmonium, and a book table with prasadam, invitations to the temple and to the lunch program, and books. Some people were attracted by the harmonium. Some of these knew of the instrument but had never seen one. Other people asked, "What kind of Buddhist are you?" I had made carob coconut burfi and told the people who came by that everyone who
tried them had liked them. The first day a bus of high school sophomores from Panama City came, and many of the students were interested in the instruments and the prasadam. The first FSU student who stopped by had heard of our lunch program but did not know its location. Another student had Krishna food at the First Friday art festival but didn’t know we served lunch weekdays on campus too. One girl told me her boyfriend at University of Florida went to our lunch program there. I told her that we started an all-you-can-eat dinner for $8 on Saturday nights at our place in Gainesville quite near that University. Later she said she told her boyfriend on the phone about the new dinner program, and she promised they would go together next time she was in Gainesville. Some students I told about our mantra meditation at our temple in Tallahassee. One young student named Marie offered me a small New Testament Bible. I declined because I already had one. [I heard later of one devotee who would accept them and then sell them to people who did not want the Bhagavad-gitas he was distributing.] Marie offered to help carry my table back to the van, and I let her. I wondered if she was the kind of Christian who seems really curious about what we believe but at heart just wants to convert us. Thinking in this way, I told her, "You know, so many Christians have tried to convert me to Christianity, but they have all failed, so I highly doubt you will succeed." I gave her another sweet for helping with the table. Amazing me, she came back the last day and again helped me carry my table to the van. She took two sweets that day as well.

Daru Brahman Prabhu also teaches vegetarian cooking classes occasionally in addition to his cooking five days a week for 150 students. All the participants were really friendly. One mother whose daughter goes to the Krishna lunch in Gainesville took a list of our German centers from me so her daughter could visit the Sunday feasts when she travels to Germany in the summer.

The devotees in the Gainesville temple went to see the debate between a Christian creationist, Dr. Jacobi, and an evolutionist, Dr. Schermer, of Skeptic magazine. The creationist argued that evolution was God’s way of creating and therefore you could be both a creationist and evolutionist. The evolutionist, who was formerly a born-again Christian, considered God as an unnecessary element that should not be introduced. The creationist lost my sympathy when he said that the Bible was the best scripture on earth. He must not know all the additional information about God, the soul, their relationship, and the spiritual world where they live eternally which abounds in the Vedic literature. The evolutionist did not touch the many gaps in the explanation of how a human being arises from chemicals, and I sensed that he had as much blind faith that God does not exist as the creationist did that God does exist. I think he just went from being a fanatical Christian to be a fanatical agnostic. I tried to sell some of Sadaputa Prabhu’s God and Science books to the people after the lecture. Two people said they would look it up at the college library, where I had placed it soon after publication. I talked to the evolutionist after the talk about if he heard of Forbidden Archeology. He said Michael Cremo (Drutakarma Prabhu) visited him in his office once. He did not think cases in the book were very sound. [The fact is that if one of the many cases is true, everything they have been teaching about the evolution of man from apes is completely wrong.] I asked if they seriously looked at
them, and he said he would email the review of the book in Skeptic magazine. I imagine it will be incomplete. To refute all the cases in the book would take more than a years’ worth of magazines to do, if it could be done at all!

Halloween Harinama in Gainesville

Halloween weekend in Gainesville is special time when many punk rock bands play at different venues, and their admirers crowd the streets.

Mother Akuti decided to take advantage of the situation and distribute prasadam on Halloween night with the assistance Mothers Vrindavanesvari and Parijata. Although the Orlando devotees invited us to the big city that night, we worried we would be too wiped out to properly observe Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival, so we elected to assist with the kirtana in Gainesville.

The devotees themselves dressed in various ways:

devotee clothes, street clothes, as blue grass bhajana singers,

as Dvivida gorilla, and as a more traditional Halloween goblin.

The smells of paneer pakora and stuffed okra filled the Governor's Mansion on Friday night as Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. invited many from Utah's Indian community to celebrate Diwali with himself and his family. Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of good over evil in people, and is recognized by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists worldwide.

A colourful display of light marked the festival of Diwali at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Aldenham this weekend. Thousands gathered to pray and celebrate at the Hare Krishna temple, in Hilfield Lane on Sunday.

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, who suffered two brain hemorrhages on October 23, is still in a stable yet critical condition at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. "Improvement is slow, and we can only play a waiting game at this point", reported fellow GBC member Bhakti Purusottama Swami.

The Janmastami festival is the biggest event of the year for Krishna.com, the BBT’s website all about Krishna. Over 11,000 people from 118 countries visited Krishna.com’s special Janmastami edition between Friday, August 22nd and Monday, August 25th.

Hundreds of devotees belonging to the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) took out a procession of Lord Jagannath in New Delhi on Monday. The procession or yatra was similar to the famous traditional Ratha Yatra (chariot festival) of Lord Jagannath, held in Puri District of Orissa every year.

Caru Das, a priest at Sri Sri Radha KrishnaTemple in Spanish Fork, chanted part of the ritual blessing for the goddess Lakshmi and translated religious verses into English. He also led the group in a chant of "Om shanti," which is meant to bring peace to the chanters.

The 2nd of November marked the disappearance of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The ISKCON temple in Ludhiana, India observed the occasion, known in sanskrit as tirobhava tithi maha-mahotsava, with great pomp and affection.

It’s the question on everyone’s minds, and one with an increasingly elusive answer in today’s world. The society we live in seems determined to convince us that we should be dissatisfied with what we have, and that if we get something else – something “better” – we’ll be happy.

Wouldn't it be nice if I had something really blog-worthy to write about...like supple croissant dough that rose with the lightness of a helium balloon? There is no cooking going on in the Sabjimata kitchen, save for the hunk of paneer being pressed on my countertop in anticipation of a little pre-Thanksgiving experiment. Sorry to gross you out, but I am going to try flaky buttery brushed phyllo dough to give it a "skin" effect. Honestly, I don't even like using that word in reference to fruits and vegetable, preferring the less life alluding term "peel." But when trying to effect a faux-ish bird, "skin" is the word. So pornographic, I know : (

But what I am really here to blog about is my personal statement. Did the post title give that away? I am really trying to get this thing done, but...well...I am having some difficulty. For creative stimulation I bought a memoir, so my brain would work in ways that are appropriate for someone trying to exude that "I have an education" je ne sais quoi. To get an idea of what people write about for their personal statements, I bought a book called "Law School Essays." The memoir was an enjoyable purchase. The essay book was a stupid waste of money. But still, I think it is helping me. In some way. I am almost sure of it.

For editing support I enlisted Carl Herzig, professor of English at St. Ambrose University and the editor of Reason and Belief: Problem Solving in the Philosophy of Religion and A Hare Krishna at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Herzig is a gem of a person and is full of love, helpfulness and editorial insight. I have submitted two personal statements for his review and, well, am going to be working on a third.

The first essay I wrote was, in the opinion of my husband and Dr. Herzig, a little overflowing with me. I liked it a lot, but it did not present me as the best candidate for law school "unless maybe in the woods of Humboldt County or someplace cool like that" as Dr. Herzig wrote. Point taken.

My second essay was so very boring. It was like "Hi, I'm a mom. I bake cookies, make jam and promise to bake cookies and make jam for all the children I want to advocate for in family court." It was, ummm, not exactly me. Or me, but in heels. Like, heels and an apron and a string of pearls and a really clean linen dish cloth. Squeaky clean with lipstick on and some Aqua Net sprayed hair. But not in a tongue in cheek kind of way. Oh no. My tongue and cheek would never touch. That would be, like, dirty or something.

Thankfully, Dr. Herzig is full of really good feedback. I wish I was his student because he always takes the time to write such thoughtful and lengthy feedback to everything. Even a quick email about Santa (just trust me on this one). He is deeeeep. I wonder if he actually has to sit back and think about stuff before he writes it or if it all just comes to him, fully logical and rational, in the moment. I would totally recommend Dr. Herzig for law school.

So now I have to try and find a balance between my initial essay about pesimmons and being married to a Bengali village man for a year and my second essay about time travel from the 1950's (not exactly). Oh, to have begun planning this application stuff months ago. Lamentation probably isn't a good theme for a personal statement.

Hmmm.

What fruit says, "I'm mature, confident, capable and dammit, I enjoy tort reform?"

Although multimedia and the Internet are no longer new to preachers, the continued development and increased availability of digital communications is giving rise to a new surge in electronic religion.

These videos feature recollections of Srila Prabhupada's students about his transcendental activities and the impact they had on their lives.

They are presented here courtesy of Siddhanta Dasa of Illumination Television.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

Problem: Leather head mrdanga has lost its "black stuff" - it dried up, cracked, and fell off.

Solution: Plan A: Initially I proactively took off the remaining black stuff, and Prahlad and I were going to boil up some rice and make a paste out of the black stuff and the rice syrup. I heard that the black stuff is boiled rice water mixed with burnt bricks - I haven't confirmed that. Anyway, Param Satya threw the black stuff out when she was cleaning up, so we lost that option.

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

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Saturday's cookery class at Govinda's in Darlinghurst was our last for the year. The attendance was intimate (meaning not a huge attendance) but 16 students meant a lot of room to move and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Margaret commuted down from Sydney's Blue Mountains for the class. She made short work of our delectable soy and sweet-chili seared fresh panir steaks.

Kim did a professional job of the barbecued asparagus. Definitely a bloke's job. Chuck another veg on the barbie, mate!

Carrie-Ann is an engineer and really got a huge buzz out of cooking the poories, especially since all of them puffed up and stayed puffed up. Every one a winner!

As always, the best part was lunch. Mighty filling!

Here it all is, minus the dessert. See you next year, Govinda's!

If the selection above is hosted by YouTube then after the video plays there will be several links presented to other videos. ISKCON News Weekly has no control over the selections presented and is not responsible for their contents.

Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of pudding vary depending on preparation methods and the ingredients selected. The following ingredients are regularly found in rice puddings. rice - long/short grain white rice, brown rice, black rice, basmati, or jasmine rice milk - whole milk, coconut milk, cream or evaporated spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger etc. flavourings - vanilla, orange, lemon, pistachio, rose water etc. sweetener - sugar, brown sugar, honey, sweetened condensed milk, fruit or syrups

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When somebody asked Einstein what question he would ask God if he could ask one, he replied,

"How did the universe start? Because everything after that is just math."

And after thinking for a while, he changed his mind. He said,

"Instead I would ask, 'Why was the universe created?' Because then I would know the meaning of my own life."

A prominent U.S. based human rights group, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), today joined a growing chorus demanding restoration of civil rights in Malaysia after the recent banning of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF).

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