1969 April 30: "So far as the songs that you have written, you may send me a copy of them and I shall see them. In Montreal also they are writing songs in the popular Western style of music and it is coming very nicely."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 April 30: "If your house can develop into a students home, preaching our philosophy to the residents, it will be a great service. If the occupants take part in kirtana and hear our philosophy, certainly they will take it up."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 30: "Parivrajakacarya is ordered not to stay more than three days at a place, but at the Paramahamsa stage, one can stop moving. So I have made my headquarters here, still I may go outside."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 April 30: "It is published that four Hare Krishna Movement Missionaries were killed in Dacca by soldiers. I had advised not to go after the civil war began but I am afraid they were very daring and might have gone against my instruction."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1973 April 30: "To err is human, so in the neophyte stage some discrepancies are there. Kindly forgive their small mistakes. The big thing is they have given everything to Krishna - that is never a mistake."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1966
April 30: "At present I am staying in New York city and holding my classes on the culture of musical kirtana as well as discourses on the cult of devotion (Bhakti) which are participated by the American Youths, Ladies and Gentlemen."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966

1969 April 30: "So far as the songs that you have written, you may send me a copy of them and I shall see them. In Montreal also they are writing songs in the popular Western style of music and it is coming very nicely."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 April 30: "If your house can develop into a students home, preaching our philosophy to the residents, it will be a great service. If the occupants take part in kirtana and hear our philosophy, certainly they will take it up."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 30: "Parivrajakacarya is ordered not to stay more than three days at a place, but at the Paramahamsa stage, one can stop moving. So I have made my headquarters here, still I may go outside."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1971 April 30: "It is published that four Hare Krishna Movement Missionaries were killed in Dacca by soldiers. I had advised not to go after the civil war began but I am afraid they were very daring and might have gone against my instruction."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1973 April 30: "To err is human, so in the neophyte stage some discrepancies are there. Kindly forgive their small mistakes. The big thing is they have given everything to Krishna - that is never a mistake."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 April 30: "Forget your relationship with him. Now you become mixed up in Krsna business and live like a chaste Hindu widow woman, wear white sari and engage 24 hours a day in chanting Hare Krsna Mantra."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 30: "They sit separately in the temple and then outside mix again. Therefore I get the boys and girls married. But nature is so strong that in spite of being married they are attracted to the opposite sex."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 5, Text 24 by Giriraj Swami.

2009-03-20
Dallas, TX

TRANSLATION

O Maharaja Parikshit, subduer of all enemies, after Lord Brahma finished speaking to the demigods, he took them with him to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is beyond this material world. The Lord's abode is on an island called Svetadvipa, which is situated in the ocean of milk.

PURPORT

Maharaja Parikshit is addressed here as arindama, "subduer of all enemies." Not only do we have enemies outside of our bodies, but within our bodies there are many enemies, such as lusty desires, anger and greed. Maharaja Parikshit is specifically addressed as arindama because in his political life he was able to subdue all kinds of enemies, and even though he was a young king, as soon as he heard that he was going to die within seven days, he immediately left his kingdom. He did not follow the dictates of enemies within his body, such as lust, greed and anger. He was not at all angry with the muni's son who had cursed him. Rather, he accepted the curse and prepared for his death in the association of Sukadeva Gosvami. Death is inevitable; no one can surpass the force of death. Therefore Maharaja Parikshit, while fully alive, wanted to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. He is consequently addressed here as arindama.

Another word, sura-priya, is also significant. Although Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is equal toward everyone, He is especially inclined toward His devotees (ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te teshu capy aham). The devotees are all demigods. There are two kinds of men within this world. One is called the deva, and the other is called the asura. The Padma Purana states:

dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
vishnu-bhaktah smrito daiva
asuras tad-viparyayah

Anyone who is a devotee of Lord Krishna is called a deva, and others, even though they may be devotees of demigods, are called asuras. Ravana, for example, was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but he is described as an asura. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu is described as a great devotee of Lord Brahma, yet he was also an asura. Therefore, only the devotee of Lord Vishnu is called sura, not asura. Lord Krishna is very much pleased with His devotees, even if they are not on the topmost stage of devotional service. Even on the lower stages of devotional service one is transcendental, and if one continues with devotional life, he continues to be a deva or sura. If one continues in this way, Krishna will always be pleased with him and will give him all instructions so that he may very easily return home, back to Godhead.

Concerning ajitasya padam, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the milk ocean of this material world, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says: padam kshirodadhi-stha-svetadvipam tamasah prakriteh param. The island known as Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is transcendental. It has nothing to do with this material world. A city government may have a rest house where the governor and important government officers stay. Such a rest house is not an ordinary house. Similarly, although Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is in this material world, it is param padam, transcendental.

Download: 2009-03-20 - Giriraj Swami - SB 8.5.24.mp3

Gargamuni Prabhu from Slovenia wrote:

I've just come from two harinams, in which we sit and perform bhajan-style chanting. In one small city in the north of Slovenia (near Dravograd), I talked to the most (or one of the most) popular singers in Slovenia. He writes good, sometimes funny lyrics that carry strong points about the stupid lifestyles people live. He accompanies himself with a guitar. He has been a vegetarian for many years and has some of Srila Prabhupada's books. He told me that "Life Comes from Life" changed many things in his thinking. He bought three more books from me.

Many great Vaisnavas like Vrindavana dasa Thakura have talked about the heart as side of the brain which deals with psychology and emotions, feelings, and inspiration -- the irrational element of life. We tend to ask, "What do you think?" rather than "What's in your heart?" But in many ways the heart is the true measure, vision and worth of any human being -- where he or she is at, so to speak. So in this sense the heart is more than just a bodily organ that pumps blood throughout the body.

The great brâhmana Jada Bharata said: My dear King and hero, whatever you have spoken sarcastically is certainly true. Actually these are not simply words of chastisement, for the body is the carrier. The load carried by the body does not belong to me, for I am the spirit soul. There is no contradiction in your statements because I am different from the body. I am not the carrier of the palanquin; the body is the carrier. Certainly, as you have hinted, I have not labored carrying the palanquin, for I am detached from the body. You have said that I am not stout and strong, and these words are befitting a person who does not know the distinction between the body and the soul. The body may be fat or thin, but no learned man would say such things of the spirit soul. As far as the spirit soul is concerned, I am neither fat nor skinny; therefore you are correct when you say that I am not very stout. Also, if the object of this journey and the path leading there were mine, there would be many troubles for me, but because they relate not to me but to my body, there is no trouble at all.

Srimad Bhagavatam - Canto 5 Chapter 10 Verse 9

Harinam with BB Govinda Swami in Brussels Belgium part2

The Hare Krishna Temple is very excited to announce that HG Brhat Mrdanga das will be visiting ISKCON Toronto next week and will be in the GTA for close to two weeks!  Arriving on Tuesday, May 5th, Brhat Mrdanga prabhu will be spending time at both the Toronto and Brampton centres. 

When I realized how unlimitedly merciful Srila Prabhupada is in bestowing the unlimited bliss of Krishna consciousness upon those who take shelter of him, I naturally wanted to reciprocate with his inconceivably sublime mercy by becoming his disciple. In this connection I have composed the following verse:................ ================================================================== Thought...

This year, once again Jagattarini Mataji and Bhurijan Prabhu will lead a sadhana retreat at Hare Krishna Valley.

Join them from Friday June the 5th. evening until Monday June the 8th afternoon. You can book by phoning Keshava das on 0405-577-453 or emailing keshava.tkg@pamho.net.

Places are limited, so don't delay.

Your costs will be as follows:

Singles        $155
Couples       $205
Concessions $105
Per child       $25
Day visit       $40

ISKCON Toronto's Pujari Department began a Deity Worship Seminar on April 19th, 2009. Originally, this seminar was only for second initiated devotees. However, due to many people expressing an interest in learning more about deity worship the seminar has been opened up to everyone! This seminar is ideal for anyone who would like to learn about deity worship in the temple or would like to improve the standards of their home worship.

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8.5 - Qualities of a saintly person.

By JANE E. BRODY April 27, 2009

"There was a time when red meat was a luxury for ordinary Americans, or was at least something special: cooking a roast for Sunday dinner, ordering a steak at a restaurant. Not anymore. Meat consumption has more than doubled in the United States in the last 50 years.

Now a new study of more than 500,000 Americans has provided the best evidence yet that our affinity for red meat has exacted a hefty price on our health and limited our longevity..."

Read the full article...

It’s an interesting analogue of Krishna Consciousness centers and temples being like a hospital, this is for me fascinating but said with little insight at to what a hospital is or how they function. If we are a hospital then that brings with it great responsibility, it is also an open access hospital with no one [...]

Balaramkrishnadas.jps: Predominating will there be in the coliseum, the arena of man's fight with illusion. for millennium after millennium, the sweet reverberation of sounds: "Bhaktivedanta Swami", "Srila Prabhupada". - the intellectual Iskcon- bullet bangs?

Candrasekhara dasa: Mother Syama-priya devi dasi, affectionately known as Mama Syama to her friends and others, has departed. She was the mother of ISKCON Prison Ministry; a vartmapradarsaka guru to hundreds of bhaktas and a siksa guru to thousands over the last twenty years.

Campakalata Dasi: Beautiful 1 bedroom log cabin for rent in Hillsborough, North Carolina $675 per month 2 min drive/10 min walk to New Goloka temple. Wooded area with creek. Near Eno River. Hardwood floors. Paved driveway. Screened in porch...

Amaraprabhu dasa: We arranged for a 32 Maha Kalasha Abhisheka, and YOU and your whole family can also take part and be blessed by the function.

Aprakrita Dasa: We are always working to find good prices for the devotees and friends of Lord Krishna. Sometimes we receive a donation and thus want to share a part of this donation with you.

By Bhakti-lata Dasi

Shyama Priya not only left me the most valuable inheritance I could ever dream of in the form of her service, but she taught me very important life lessons while she was alive, as she was dying, and even after she died.

By Simhesvara dasa

Kavicandra Maharaj, an ISKCON GBC, had once remarked that on each of his planned or unplanned visits to Malaysia he is either at a Ground Breaking event, Nama Hatta opening or a convention.

By Antony Brennan

Reportedly the kidnappers can receive up to 10,000 rupees for a single cow. According to villagers the kidnappers are becoming more brazen and better organised.

By Taruna dasa

All around, the Himalayan beautiful peaks were visible and I was imagining the Yogis meditating and performing tapasya in caves and secluded areas of Himalayas. After a couple of hours we reached suitable place at Devprayag where we could assemble our boats and start this most incredible journey.

April 29, 2:11 A.M.

My evening was interrupted by waking up from dreaming. I finally woke for the last time at 11:00 P.M. and couldn’t get back to sleep. I got up from bed at 2:00 A.M. with a foggy head. My thoughts were wrapped up in a dream where some devotees wanted to change the text of the Bhagavad-gita, but I was arguing against it. I washed my face and called Baladeva to put my sling on. Baladeva gave me medication for my aching shoulder. I began my japa at 2:30 A.M.

3:30 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

Because of my shoulder, I did not chant out loud but chanted in the mind. My chanting was very rapid, mostly under six minutes a round. In a quiet way, I was attentive to the syllables and the names, without being distracted by other themes. I occasionally glanced in the direction of Radha-Govinda and felt comfort. They are a very sweet couple. I did not have any particular japa thoughts but just the driving force of the accumulation of beads and rounds. I took satisfaction in the accumulation. My head remained clear. The best part of the session was the rapidity of it. The weakest part was the lack of deeper meditation upon Radha and Krishna and Vrndavana.

Japa essay

Time to get off this page and go to japa. (You are worried that this ink will smear with moisture before you can get it typed. If you really mean this, then use a ballpoint pen. But I like these better—they flow—and so far we haven’t lost material because of smeared pages. So many fears and insecurities. It’s a good plan to avoid them. But in the end, you can’t protect yourself and your work from erasure by time. The soul, however, does not get moistened or dried out or shredded; it doesn’t lapse, expire, or go out of print. It doesn’t need money or food. It needs love—but it already has that—Krishna loves us. You don’t need to look for love or work or prepare. As Srila Prabhupada said, "Everything is there." Just discover it.)

“Now go and discover your own japa-yajna. Have a good time. See you later.

A japa man

makes little pies in the oven,

at the rate of under six minutes per round.

His cherry tarts are delicious to taste

and he offers them to the Lord.

They’re done in haste, but with diligent devotion.

He’ll chant some more.

Because he’s worked so fast,

he reached the quota.

He’ll chant some more

As the sun rises at the beach.

Please pity the japa man, self-pity for his shoulder,

but he will keep making those pies

and be content with that.

From Forgetting the Audience (1993): “So you had no subject or theme. Still you sat by the fire,and M. massaged your back and head and arms. That’s new. I relaxed. Oh, and I slept an hour earlier, making up for the sleeplessness of night.

“You stumble on a path. Those with you ask, ‘Where are we?’

“You frankly say, ‘I don’t know. This is just a wandering.’

“‘Okay,’ someone says, ‘but can we at least discuss some krsna-kath? Are you averse to it?’

“‘No,’ I say. Madhavendra Puri was wandering in ecstasy in Vraja. He didn’t beg for food but only accepted what anyone brought him. A beautiful, young cowherd boy came and gave him milk, asking what tapasya and meditation he was performing. Madhavendra Purî accepted the milk from the boy and went on chanting all night. At the end of night, he dreamed (svapna) that the same village boy came to him. ‘I reside in a bush,’ Gopala said—for indeed that boy was Gopala Krishna Himself, and He had been waiting a long time for His pure devotee, Madhavendra Purî, to come and visit Him in Vraja.

“Please take Me out of the jungle. Establish worship of My Deity form, which was first begun by Vraja but has now been neglected. Mådhavendra Purî did it.

“They worshipped Gopala in a wonderful manner with abhiseka, a temple opening, and then regular, daily puja.

“Foam at sea. Somewhere, a vast ocean of milk. Ksîrodaksayî Vishnu lies there on the ‘surf board’ of Ananta Sesa. It is pleasant and inconceivable (acintya).

“Even better is the Lord in Vraja playing in the Yamuna.

“When you chant on your beads, can you think of these things? Why don’t you surround yourself with books and insert their sayings into these sessions?”

6:02 A.M.

Yesterday, a monstrous tractor leveled the sand on the beach. It had a huge plow and gargantuan wheels. It moved big dunes and flattened them. It reminded me of Maharaja Prthu’s leveling the earth for agricultural purposes. Trees should be preserved, but Maharaja Prthu knocked down acres of trees for the purpose of farming. He had no tractor but just bullocks. Yesterday’s tractor as a monstrosity of the modern age. As they say, the difference between men and boys is the size of their toys. Now the beach looks neat and inviting for summer bathing. The sun ball is just coming up over the horizon, but it’s shrouded temporarily by a piece of cloud. It is bright orange, and it is breaking free of the cloud. But there are heavy banks of clouds high in the sky. The sun looks like a fluorescent pumpkin.

We are down here to chant, but we are drowsy. Maybe if we walk it will be better, but I don’t know how long my ankle will last. Except for the sun in the corner of the sky, Krishna’s picture is overcast, and the water is a little choppy. Every day He paints a different picture, which no artist can imitate. Or they can imitate, but they cannot imitate the fresh presence of His new morning. Their pictures are wonderful, but they are always stagnant and immobile.

8:00 A.M.

“Bemsha Swing.” This is a song composed by Thelonious Monk and played by Cecil Taylor on Piano and Steve Lacy on soprano saxophone. It’s on a CD called Jazz Advance. Cecil Taylor plays very different from Monk, more complex. He mixes in elements of classical music. And lots of dissonance and his own stuff. He is one of the most advanced pianists. I don’t know what “Bemsha” means. We can only guess. Maybe it’s a town in Alabama. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is connecting it to Krishna. It connects because Taylor is so artistic and sublime. He’s so original, he makes you think of Krishna. Really, I’m not kidding. He makes you think of Krishna swinging in the trees. He makes you think of Krishna doing crazy, mischievous things, like stealing the butter from the gopis’ homes or stealing the clothes of the gopis when they were in the water. He’s choppy and eccentric. Monk is much simpler, though he’s original in his own way. We can connect together Krishna’s pasties to “Bemsha Swing” and see, like dioramas in motion.

“Charge ‘Em Blues.” “Charge” means like a military brigade or a football offensive. Steve Lacy’s soprano sax is on this one. A little like Krishna’s flute? These are very original players. Krishna’s also not a staid academic player. They play something you’ve never heard before. It turns your head. I won’t say Steve Lacy’s soprano melts the stones of Govardhana or makes the Yamuna stop flowing. Krishna’s flute does that. But Steve is very swinging. Cecil Taylor plays choppy chords, choppy notes. Charge ‘em blues. He reminds you of Krishna too because he’s so totally originally. He comes out of his own genius, not borrowed secondhand from someone else. He’s charging down the field with the cowherd boys streaming behind Him at a fast pace. Bing bing bing—his notes are esoteric, played in odd time.

“Azure.” This is a tune by Duke Ellington. Cecil Taylor plays it softly. Azure is the color of Krishna’s body. “Azure” can mean the blues, the struggles devotees have to go through to reach the epitome. There are so many troubles on the path of bhakti that they sometimes fall down. But when they can see the azure Krishna, then they’re relieved. As usual, Taylor is playing it in a different way from the way Duke Ellington play sit. He’s jumping around the keyboard in choppy measures. My shoulder is azure, black and blue. But that’s not the meaning. It’s a mood by the Duke, transformed by Taylor into something not so moody and smooth but eclectic and clectic. There’s no one like him, except Krishna. Boy, if Krishna played the piano, wouldn’t that be something? The Azure playing “Azure.”

“You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To.” Cole Porter song. This song usually means he’s met a girl he’d like to marry, and she’d be so nice to come home to, so nice to have her there. But it can also be taken to mean that Krishna is home, and He’d be so nice to come home to. The queens could come home, and Krishna would be there, or the gopis. But Krishna is so restless, He doesn’t stay at home. He would be so nice to come home to because He’s all-attractive and He’s always ready for sports. But the difficulty is He doesn’t stay home. Cecil Taylor is playing it eccentrically, and I guess that’s how it would be with Krishna, too. You’d come home and expect Him to be there, but He wouldn’t be there. Or He’d be there just for a while, and then He’d say He has to go. He has to go and kill some demons, or He has to go to Mathura. But it’s a fact that Krishna does stay home in Vrndavana always, and it’s so nice to go there and know that He’s always there with all His charming features.

“Sweet and Lovely.” This describes the gopis. They are sweet to look at, and they are lovely in their characters. The sweetest thing about them is that they have all love for Krishna. Krishna is their whole life. They are the most beautiful women in the worlds. They attract Krishna. Krishna Himself is sweet and lovely, and so there’s a mutual attraction. Cecil Taylor isn’t playing it so sweet and lovely. He’s too eccentric. But the gopis and Krishna are actually sweet and lovely, And it’s accessible. Right away when you see them or hear them, it’s not strange, it’s lovely. Their faces are lovely, their smiles are lovely, their bodies are lovely, their speech is lovely. Krishna is sweet, sweet, sweet, madhuram, madhuram, madhuram. That’s the best kind of love of God, madhurya, or sweet. There’s no room for awe and reverence, it’s just sweet and lovely exchanges of the most intimate kind. How nice it would be to go there where there’s no kuntha, or anxiety. It’s not sentimental, it’s not sticky-gooey. It’s actually sweet, like the lilacs, like the call or the cardinal. Sweet like things we know in this world that are actually lovely—the lotus. In the spiritual world, it’s beyond comparison. We can only sing a song of sweet and lovely thinking of this world, but if you let me, I’ll transform it to the spiritual world, where you can think of it in that way.

My dear Lord Krishna...

I was just calling out for You in distress. I was stuck in the La-Z-Boy chair and couldn’t get out. I couldn’t move my right shoulder because it’s too much pain, and so I couldn’t get out of the chair. Baladeva was not in the house, so I couldn’t reach him by the radio. Dattatreya is down one floor below, but his door is shut and my door is shut. I started crying out his name, “Dattatreya! Dattatreya!” I was actually calling for You, Krishna, but I couldn’t expect You to come into my room and pick me out of my chair, so I was calling for Dattatreya. It was like Ajamila calling for his son Narayana. I felt such great pain in my shoulder and cried, “Dattatreya!” Finally, I pushed my buttocks forward and was able to squeeze out of the chair, but it took about ten minutes of agony.

Is this what it’s like to be in this body and to be without You? To call for You and not have You answer. You can’t answer because something’s not right. You can’t hear me.

My dear Lord Krishna and my dear Srimati Radharani, it’s good that I call for You like that in distress. Calling to get out of this material world, but you don’t seem to answer. I call louder and louder, but there’s no relief. I’ll have to do it with more devotion if I expect You to respond. It was a crazy little episode, but I’m making an analogy out of it. My shoulder still aches. My heart still aches because I call for You, and You cannot come. I do not deserve that You come. It is premature for me to call for You. I am calling to You for relief from my own distress. I should call to You for service. “Please let me serve You!” My shoulder is throbbing. Why isn’t my heart throbbing? Why aren’t I distressed in mind because You cannot hear me when I call for service? I’m certainly like Ajamila, calling for his son, calling for the right thing. I do call Your names, and so Your visnudutas will come and at least ensure that the yamadutas will not take me away. My dear Lord Krishna, You’re the only one who can save me from pain and danger. You are the only ones who love me, You and Your devotees. I pray for relief. I pray to serve You. I pray to understand that that’s what I need. I can be stuck in a chair for ten minutes, but that’s nothing compared to being stuck in hell for eternity. And if I am not nice, my cries will go in vain. Please teach me to cry in the right way, and please teach me to behave so I will not be stuck. This is not much of a prayer, but it is a genuine cry for You from my need. At least I see You are the one I have to call to, the only one who can save me. Hare Krishna.

the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #56→

Religion often turns people away because of this humongous guilt trip sitting in the back seat somewhere, backseat driving one to deep alleys of all the bad bad things done in the past, and all the bad bad punishment awaiting in the future. Krishna Consciousness take a more radical approach that sends debates and arguments pouring out like shaken up 7 UP.
In the Bhagavad Gita, 9th Chapter, 30th Verse, amongst a few others, Krishna declares:
Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.
This verse seemingly gives a go-head to any devotee to commit as many abominable actions as possible as long as he stays in devotional service. Kind of a turn off too. Just because I'm a Krishna devotee I can do what I want? Hmm... Elsewhere we find that people who commit abominable actions on the strength of chanting, or raising the "but I'm a devotee" flag, are committing a bigger blunder- one against God Himself!
As I grow up daily, with decisions to make, not just for myself, but now for three new monks travelling with me, I begin to understand a little better and with a little more humility, the nature of the supreme being.
These new devotees, as enthusiastic as they may be, can also be deep cutting with uncultured words and actions and sometimes, more often than not, I'd no sooner opt for a log upside the head than a ready-to-forgive attitude. But as I reflect on what actions to take, the above mentioned verse comes close to home; I was once new too, and also very uncultured. Learning how to act in human society is one of the most amazing challenges I've ever faced and I'm also beginning to broaden that as a matter of fact for most people.
As monks, we live in very close proximity of each other, and often, being individuals, we may not always get along. The Spiritual world, far form Utopian is a realm of individuals with opinions, likes and dislikes, etc etc. This philosophy of spiritual individuality makes the spiritual realm a more amazing place each day.
When in my ready-to-tear-you-apart pre-rage, Bhagavad Gita 9:30 points me out with the greatest question: are you also without sin? Were you not in that same shoe before?
At such times, when called out by God himself, I can only then show that I'm still in the showers heading towards a cleaner me. Forgiving, especially from one in a so called position of authority can lighten the burden we're all struggling to carry- misidentifying with the body. The more we practice excusing, even the most abominable actions of others, the closer we come to Krishna. And often too, subordinates may expect to be led by Superman and Robin Hood. When a younger person forgives an elder, the law of Karma lightens up on us erasing that point in the future when student today may on the morrow have to be teacher.

We know not what the future holds, of marvel or surprise, assured alone that life or death, His mercy underlies.
Just a little thought on healing, there's plenty more.

Everyone please check out Radhanathswami.com.

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 dasa

1970 April 29: "On page 13 of Three Essays, manasinah is the correct word. And regarding KRSNA chapter 31, page 4, top, the word Hrdaya is correct. You must always ask the Lord's grace to make you in the right position."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1968 April 29: "Try to talk about Krishna Consciousness to whomever you may meet. It doesn't matter whether a man is convinced or not, but by your sincere attempts to convince others you will get superior strength and knowledge."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 April 29: "Do not be worried that there is only yourself. You will get more doubtlessly. Don't be agitated. If you have got a nice place and a Sankirtana Party, then success is assured."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 29: "I think it will be best if you come here sometime soon at your convenience and we can discuss together our future plans for India. I will be very glad to see you both at that time."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1973 April 29: "Why divert your attention in this way? There are so many books I have presented already, so whatever you have got, just become expert in that. There are many things still yet to be learned."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1973 April 29: "Regarding purchasing the Washington D.C. Temple, yes, we can do it. So you negotiate, and we shall purchase in name of M-V Trust."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

1974 April 29: "So I am very much encouraged by this political field in America. But our political devotees must always stay firmly fixed up in the regulative principles so they will be actually brahmanas."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 29: "I want to come to Stockholm. If possible schedule a meeting with some important men or if some of the leading citizens want to meet with me. Please fix up a time when I can come."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

“THE SCIENCE OF MEDITATION”

Lecture by Matsya Avatara Dasa

Naples, Castello Angioino, 20th December 2008

Conference “The Science of Meditation”

YOGA: THE SCIENCE OF UNION

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, literally meaning "to unite, to connect". In fact Yoga is the science for the reintegration of the individual self with the supreme Self, of the infinitesimal consciousness with the cosmic Consciousness.

Bhagavad-gita describes various types of Yoga and in his very famous treatise on the Yogasutras constituting one of the foremost and most important Psychology Schools created by mankind, Patanjali defines eight stages of development of the Yogic discipline (Ashtanga Yoga) where meditation, dhyana, only constitutes the second-last stage.

Before entering a meditative state, the aspirant yogi must purify his mind and heart, abstaining from those activities that are contrary to the spiritual evolution (yama) and engaging in the activities that favor it (niyama). Next, one should become expert in keeping postures, or asanas, that enable us to become less disturbed by our body, and then learn the art of breathing, pranayama. By turning within and withdrawing the senses from their objects (pratyahara) and trying to focus our attention resources towards one direction (dharana) the yogi prepares for meditation proper, called dhyana, where the flow of one's attention is not distracted any more by external interference. This meditation will enable him to attain a stage of complete inner absorption, defined as samadhi. The stages that precede samadhi are required to solve the conflicts between the various psychic structures and functions, through the harmonization of personality, before aspiring to a complete absorption in the meditation seed, the bija, what to speak of the self. 

The approach to meditation must be gradual, because first we need to develop some knowledge derived from the attainment of the awareness of small truths, without the recurring presumption of having conquered Reality, Truth, and final enlightenment. What happens during meditation is a continued and progressive realization of Reality that is slowly revealed until it becomes apparent, manifest, clear and natural, so natural that it is impossible to conceive something different from it.

For example, regarding the awareness of our being different from the body, it can come all of a sudden, as in the case of a diagnosed terminal disease, an irreversible degenerative pathology that forces the patient to concentrate not on the physical structure that is subject to that devastation, but on his real self. In this perspective, as reported in many ECM works in various Italian hospitals and health assistance centers, death should not be seen as a physical event, as something concrete, but rather as an abstract concept, because there is not a real end of something, but rather a transformation in something else. On the other hand, de-identification can happen as a progressive goal of an introspective process that enables us to understand the body as something that is external to us, with which we are not identifying. However, in this realization we see the body as a valuable instrument, useful and treasured, we can employ for further knowledge and experience. 

THE SPIRITUAL BEING AND HIS BODIES

The human body and the human personality are not the all-in-all of the person, but they are merely aspects of the person. The eminently divine part of ourselves considers such aspects, and thus the human dimension in general, as a limitation, a stricture, a sort of prison - the soul's cage in Plato's metaphor. However, we should not see it as something obsessive and oppressive, because it is a structure evolved by matter and its degree of evolution is comparable to the degree of elevation of the consciousness that lives in it. Therefore every person inhabits a particular body and, with it, carries a particular pathology or state of health. 

The science of health or Ayurveda (the Sanskrit word ayur means life, strength, health) studies in details the nature of the human being and his relationship with a vast array of energies. It expands the scenario of interaction between body, psyche and intra-individual consciousness to an inter-individual level, therefore the behavior, as the sum of the actions of the individual, is considered as the result not only of one's individual apparatus, but also as the result of its interaction with the body, psyche and consciousness of others. This factor is very important because it is the basis of many conflicts that afflict man at present both at an individual level and at the collective level; often conflicts that we cannot solve internally are projected externally, on the people around us, both near and far.

The connection between the various elements of creation cannot simply be reduced to relationships but it permeates the entire Universe: just think of Bell's Theorem, enunciating that two particles in contact, sharing the same experience, remain in resonance and synchrony even when they are separated, and by activating a modification on one of them this variation also simultaneously extended to the other, in no time.

Thus in the Universe there is nothing that is separated from something else: everything is inside the network and, as on the micro level we can identify networks and neural circuits, on the macro level we can see much greater webs, that extend beyond the single individual.

In Vedas, in Gita, in the Upanishads, in the Yogasutras and in other texts of the Indo-Vedic tradition we can find descriptions of these concepts expressed in an incredibly specialized language and in general we find the vision of man as a creature that is composed by many "bodies" or layers, that go from the grossest to the subtlest and are not limited only to the material and psychic bodies. 

Rising toward increasingly subtle levels, after the energy level we find the mind level, manomaya kosha, therefore the energy sheath depends on the mind. Thus pranamaya kosha directly depends on our mind, on our state of mind, and therefore it is not possible to develop ecological energies to support the body if we do not take care of the rehabilitation of the mind first. This is the message transmitted by the rishis, the Spiritual Masters that belong to the Indo-Vedic Tradition, a basic teaching on which we need to work immediately, because as explained by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita, the mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy. It can be the vehicle for the healing process or the cause for disease, infirmity or paralysis. Thus the mind is the priority in the search for health, even before the physical body, because the physical body depends on it, as in Juvenal's motto, “mens sana in corpore sano”. In general, mind and body are so inter-dependent and so interacting, that some damage in either of them is almost immediately transmitted to the other, therefore they must be treated at the same time. For this reason, Patanjali teaches that the first step on the path of spiritual realization, codified in his Yogasutras, some fundamental ethical norms (yama and niyama) for the harmonization of the psycho-physical structure. The mind sheath is supported by the intellectual sheath, vijnanamaya kosha. At the level of the psychic dimension intellect (buddhi) is constituted by deep beliefs on which people built their lives, consciously or unconsciously. Such deep beliefs lie in the intellect and are the support of the mental structure. Ananda means inexhaustible happiness, bliss. It cannot be compared to sense pleasure, as sense pleasure does not even constitute the shadow of such happiness. Euphoria, excitement, orgasm: they all have a beginning and an end, and therefore the wise people consider them as illusory products of human life. When the living being is completely satisfied in the self he does not have any other aspiration; one who feels ananda experiences a sense of communion with all creatures, wants to be a friend for everyone and becomes benevolent towards all living beings. In fact, conflicts are a symptom of dissatisfaction and suffering. Ananda is essential in order to remain healthy: a popular Neapolitan saying goes, "God helps the merry hearts". The intellectual sheath is thus supported by a sheath of bliss or essential joy, anandamaya kosha, fundamental for our physical well being, because inner satisfaction guarantees the harmonization and the balance of all the other structures - physical, energetic, psychic, while a depressed mood and negative emotions affect the immune system by depressing it through hormonal de-synchronization, as it was also explained in the lecture of Professor Genovesi.

Ananda belongs to atman: the real source of energy of the person is of spiritual nature. It is neither physical nor psychic, but spiritual energy, and besides ananda, its characteristics are eternity, sat, and consciousness, cit. We are spiritual entities, we are atman and sat, cit, ananda are characteristics that we cannot possibly lose, no matter what happens, because they are intrinsic, they cannot be separated from what we objectively and intimately are, although they may become more or less veiled by ignorance, neglected or atrophied.

As is intimated in Christian theology, the name of God and God are non-different. At a lecture in Paris at the Salle Playel on 14 June 1974 Srila Prabhupada said this: "Here it is said that 'In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.' "

Vaisnavas understand that Krishna's Name and Krishna are non-different, especially in Kali-yuga. "The actual fact is that the Lord is non-different from His name." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.25/purport.)

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8.4 - Action in inaction, and inaction in action.

Harinam with BB Govinda Swami in Brussels Belgium part1

April 28, 2:00 A.M.

It has now become a regular habit that I wake up in the middle of the night from a dream and take some time to get back to sleep. Last night, it was better. I didn’t wake until 11:00 P.M. After that, I didn’t sleep much. I got up at 2:00 A.M. with a clear head. My thoughts were on my shoulder, which was aching. I called Baladeva to put on my sling so I could have a minimum of comfort.

4:36 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

I have been falling into the habit of being drowsy during my rounds, perhaps from lack of sleep. This morning, I was better. I had a problem with moving the beads. I would move the same bead twice and take longer to chant my rounds. I tried to pay attention to the syllables of the mantra without distraction. I chanted loudly enough to hear, but at a low whisper. I was not able to time the rounds with the stopwatch. My speed was slow but steady. From time to time, I glanced at Radha-Govinda and tried to feel Their special presence. My chanting was mostly mechanical, with no deep, appreciative feelings about the holy name. I was satisfied, however, with the accumulation of the rounds within the hour. My head remained clear. The best part of the session was that I got it done within the allotted time. The worst part was that it was not a calling out to Krishna.

Japa essay

Oh, the world’s a fine place. Grab a little chaos on a couch. Eat what you can and enjoy your woman. It’s a good place if you’re a rich human being; in that species, you can go farthest to hell. And after that, you’re reduced to misery as a sheep in the rain who awaits his slaughter. Or if you’re lucky, in human life you can turn it all around and become Krishna conscious. But that takes work. You have to be willing to perform tapo-divyam. There is no other way; nasty eva nasty eva in Kali. Just chant, harer nama harer nama eva kevalam.

Handicapped and moving the beads,

my shoulder is still a pain.

My chanting was mechanical,

but it is the best mechanics’ work.

I don’t feel self-pity, I push on,

like a coal miner

doing his dirty work.

I hope in a few weeks

my fingering will clear up

and my mind will concentrate

on nama instead of shoulder.

From Forgetting the Audience (1993): “I thought about the few meaningful relationships I have with Godbrothers. Even those whose examples and friendship are important to me are rarely in the same place as I am. If we happen to cross paths, that’s all right, but I don’t make special attempts to meet them, phone them, or write them. I’m not on any managerial committees, so I don’t get to meet with brothers in a working relationship. This is what I want. I hate such committees, and I hope I’m done with them for good.

“As I write, I see two fishing boats close to each other, both splashing through the water, foam breaking off their bows. It’s a brisk day.

“My relationships are with disciples—that has its rewards and also its dangers. Disciples make for intimate friends. They will share with you whatever you want. They will trust you, for example, in your writing attempts (although some of them are confused by it and would prefer I write only straight sastric commentaries like Mukunda-mala- stotra). But if your only friends are disciples, there’s the danger of not getting critical feedback, which could help you form an objective viewpoint of your own activities. This is obvious and has subtle ramifications I won’t go into right now. I mean the lacking isn’t easily rectified. I take the position that it is good for me to go on my own. I have been excessively impressionable, and most of my Godbrothers tend to be conservative about what constitutes duty. I feel this has stunted me in some ways, and has also led me to lose my own conscience and integrity. Thus I went along with whatever the GBC and ISKCON acaryas decided and wound up as a leader in the mistakes of the nine-year period following Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance.

“Also, I do receive critical feedback. It comes unsolicited, and sometimes savagely, in letters or newsletters. I don’t exist in an ivory tower where I never hear any opinion but my own.”

8:24 A.M.

“Jumpin’ Punkins.” Cecil Taylor playing a song by Mercer and Ellington. What does it mean? Pumpkins on farms, big ones, jumping up out of the ground? Those pumpkins are wonderful. The soprano sax is played eccentrically, not regular. The devotees are jumpin’ in sankirtana, like this melody. Joyful. This is jazz. There’s a trumpet, too, and all the pumpkins are jumping. The pumpkins are devotees in the sankirtana hall, and they’re celebrating harinama. It’s mellow and happy. It’s for free and has perky rhythms. Here comes Cecil Taylor. The pianist plays in his own way. This is a group effort, and it’s got a melancholic air, too. All those pumpkins, rows and rows of them, growing in the garden. All those devotees dancing in the hall. It’s got an old-fashioned air because it’s written by Duke Ellington, and so we go back to old times.

“OP” What does it mean, “OP”? Oh Prahlada? Old times in the Puranas? Old times before I was a devotee? Please, don’t bring up my past. Oh please, give me Krishna’s mercy, Krishna’s prasada. Oh please, I’m not a good patient. Baladeva just told me I’m not a good patient. I keep moving my right arm. It’s going to make the pain last longer. Oh pain, Oh Cecil Taylor, plays avant-garde, trinkles down the higher notes and then comes back to pound the lower ones. He jumps from left to right. He was uncompromising. He played when there was no money. He played his own way. Ocular Perimeters. Obermeyer Pancakes. Over-the-Rainbow People. What is the mystery of “OP”? Maybe it’s the initials of his girlfriend, Ophelia Parkland. Oh please don’t be frivolous. Give us some Krishna consciousness in this song. Please be polite. Oh Polite. Ohhhh, peace. Oh peace. It’s a nice song with Cecil Taylor’s planking and plunking and plocking. It could have any title in the world, and it would be the same. Cecil Taylor is a unique pianist. He played his own way. People couldn’t figure him out, but he played on, and finally they came around. Oh people, learn the truth. Open pantries. Old-time pancakes. Officer Pediford. The bassist plays a nice melody, one polite, one pounding, good beat.

“I Forgot.” This is a tune written by Cecil Taylor. It starts off very far-out and moody and slow. Two lost horns, like playing in a fog. Cecil Taylor is playing in the background something of his own. How nice to be your own man and offer it to Krishna. It’s exciting. It’s creative. What did he forget? He forgot to be a good boy. He forgot the notes that were written down. He purposely forgot. I forgot to chant my rounds as best I could, I settled for less. I forgot to obey Prabhupada and defied him. I forgot how bad it would hurt. I forgot not to take the chance. They say it’s good to take chances, but I forgot you shouldn’t risk. I forgot my Lord, even for an instant, so what good am I? I forgot that I was raised a Catholic, but that’s all right now, I’m a Krishna conscious man. I didn’t forget to answer your letter. I forgot to be afraid of the ISKCON authorities. I’m doing what I can, so they should accept it. I’m not going to be in anxiety about it. I’m going to forget my fears. I won’t forget Prabhupada. I won’t forget the people. I won’t forget to write my journal.

“Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.” This is a song written by Duke Ellington. We used to be young and get together for parties and festivities. We used to laugh and sing. Boy, did we laugh! And we danced! We danced back and forth the whole length of the hall, wild. We gave a lecture. We packed it full of Sanskrit verses. People applauded after the lecture and complimented us. We were attractive. We thought we would take over the world. We were one union. Prabhupada was the pure devotee living on the earth, so nothing could go wrong. Things ain’t what they used to be. He’s gone now. A lot of devotees have passed away. In America, the temples are deserted. At least they’re deserted of Americans. Only Indian immigrants come to the Sunday feast. Hippies aren’t our best customers. It’s not like it used to be. But we’ve still got Krishna. We’ve still got the mahamantra. Lots of Russian devotees. Lots of Indian devotees. Creative things. The Internet is going wild. Seminars on japa. Bhaktivedanta College. But Duke says things ain’t what they used to be. They’re not as lively. They’re just not as young. At least not for the old timers. The young ones can say it’s better than it was, but for the old-timers, things ain’t what they used to be. They’ve got too many diseases and problems. They’re aware that time is running out, and they don’t have that old optimism that they’ll be pure devotees tomorrow. Oh well, Krishna’s still Krishna, Radha’s still Radha. We’ve got nothing to lament. Things are the same, we just have to look at it in the right way. It’s all a matter of consciousness.

11:30 A.M.

My dear Lord Krishna...

My relationship with You has many aspects. Some aspects are sadness and indifference. It is sad that I do not love You more, and You do not reveal Yourself to me. It’s sad that I do not have the desire to work harder for the sankirtana movement to spread Krishna consciousness. It is sad that I do not love and mix more with Your devotees. And there is a general indifference. I do not care for You one way or another. I occupy myself with other things. Just today in Brhad Bhagavatamrta, we read the definition of tapa not as austerity but as concentration. Concentration on the beloved. That makes more sense than austerity, because when Lord Brahma meditated on You after hearing the syllables ta pa, he concentrated on You in deep meditation. The important thing was not physical inconvenience but concentration. My relationship with You is not concentrated. There’s an aspect of indifference to it, a lack of burning desire to attain You. Nowadays I am more concenred with my broken collarbone than with You. Another aspect is my lack of enthusiasm (utsaha) in the execution of my sadhana. I chant with regulation, and I hear about Your activities and instructions, but not with great enthusiasm.

Of course, there are positive aspects to my relationship with You. And in my petitional prayers to You, I ask that these be increased. I just said that I do not have enthusiasm in my sadhana, and yet I also do have a modicum of utsaha in pursuing You. There’s nothing I do with more attention than my prayers to You and my chanting of Hare Krishna. They may not be with great enthusiasm, but they are my highest priority.

My relationship with You is the most important thing in my life. The other thing I love to do, such as writing, is dovetailed with my desire to have a relationship with You. I would not write unless it could be used in Your service. I want to be creative, but I want to be Krishna consciously creative. My relationship with You is the deepest thing in my life. Other things are superficial, and I know them to be so. My relationship with You is not always on the surface, is not always sensationally present, but it is the bedrock of my life. My lackings in relationship to You are my sadness, and my positive attraction to You is my happiness. Everything revolves around You for me.

I do not know You very well, but what I know is the most important thing to me. I am not strongly attracted to Your holy dhamas in India, but I try to think of them while I am away from them. I try to live in Vrndavana consciousness.

As is stated in the Catholic act of Contrition, “I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell.” My destination in the next life is of the most importance to me. I want it to be closer to You. It’s most important to me that I continue devotional service to You. I know that life without Krishna is hellish. I once wrote that in an essay which was published in a Boston magazine, and Prabhupada wrote me a letter complimenting on the expression. I truly mean it. Life without You is hellish. So when I think of the end of my life and the beginning of my next life, it is of utmost importance that I make a good transfer. It is beyond my hope to go to You in this one lifetime (although I maintain a hope against hope), but I aspire for devotional service, birth after birth. To be born without connection to You is hell. I want to be a devotee of Yours, or at least a devotee of a devotee of Yours. I treasure my relationship with Srila Prabhupada, even though it may have waned from its highest point. I want to admit that. I want to be strong. It’s natural that I loved Prabhupada when he was here, and I saw him often, and he was like a friend. And it’s natural that I suffer in separation. His relationship with me is still the most important personal one. He is the most important person to me, aside from You. He saved me from a life without Krishna consciousness and has therefore given me the greatest gift. In my small way, I’m trying to repay him. My life is guru daksina. I just heard that a horse that was a favorite to win the Kentucky Derby will not be running because he hurt his foot. My life is something like that. I was favored, but due to “spiritual injuries,” I may not be able to run to victory in this lifetime. My spiritual injuries are Vaisnava aparadhas. They are very damaging to the devotional creeper, and one cannot cure oneself of them easily. So my relationship with You has an aspect of regret.

I pray that all the negative aspects of my relationship with You may somehow be overcome. I know this is possible because You are very compassionate. And it is possible because of my connection with Your pure devotee, Srila Prabhupada, who may speak up for me at the time of my judgment. My relationship with You is complex, but I wish it could be simple. Simply love. Simply wonderful. Please help me in my horizontal and vertical relationships with You so that I can simplify my bond to one like a little child for his parent. Let me simply love You and put all my trust in You. May You please take care of me as one who is totally dependent on You.

the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #55→

The following is a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 28 April 2009 at Towaca, USA.

To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.31 - Chapter 2: Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb

The following is a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 28 April 2009 at Towaca, USA. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo; Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.31 - Chapter 2: Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb

Here's a few shots of my sons taken on last weekend's teaching trip to Perth.

That's Nitai aged 12 and Caitanya aged 23.

Nitai wagered me that I couldn't grow a beard (perhaps he thought I was like a 'Mexican Hairless' or something), so I proved him wrong. (I shaved it all off straight after he told me I looked like Abraham Lincoln).

Auditioning for the "The Itchy and Scratchy Show".

The whole world is out there waiting to be inundated by the sublime mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's nama sankirtana movement. People are beginning to wake up more and more and realize that the old stereotypical answers to questions regarding reality, the universe, our purpose of existence, etc. are not sufficient any more because they do not satisfy...

Over the Pacific, USA

It’s hard to part and leave a spiritual community after bonding with members over a few short days. Like all places, whether tropical like Hawaii or facing the frigid elements like Canada half of the year there is something that is constant regardless of the place. After exchanging hugs with god brother, Suresvara, I would put a finger on that something. It’s the ambient flavour that Krishna delivers in all His homes. And as I walked a final trek on this Hawaiian trip along one of those world-class beaches while Surya, the sungod, peaked over the glimmering liquid line, it was Krishna’s flavour in the form of sound that provided the Bhakti touch.

At the Houston airport one employee I had approached for inquiry mistook my question for saying something about the Midas touch. The Midas touch refers to a repair company that offers excellent services for your car. I actually didn’t say anything about the Midas touch as she, the employee, was perhaps thrown off because of my non-existent southern droll. She did blush a bit when the question was repeated.

The mistake, however, triggered a thought about the Bhakti Touch. Wherever I travel I get the experience of the Bhakti Touch. To describe it, well, it’s warm. It conjures up the experience of sound referred to earlier, the food we call prasadam, the sound of bells and drums, the smell of champaka flower incense, images of flowing robes, a euphoric guru, books of ancient message and people of devotion who smile, hug and touch the heart.

The Bhakti Touch has nothing to do with anything mushy. It’s for real and it’s not mundane.

4 Km

Beauty and Blood

Honolulu, Hawaii

Mark Twain called it the most beautiful place in the world. Ramananda, the local temple co-ordinator, and I walked to a cliff in Nanaii State Park situated next to Old Pali Road over looking the oceanside beyond green valleys. It was red volcanic rock sprinkled one time by more red.

The top and the base of the cliff were blood stained when at the turn of the eighteenth century warring tribes muscled for power and sovereignty over the Hawaiian Islands. Spears, muskets and more formidable canons caused the defeated tribe to take a forced leap off the cliff. Warriors in the hundreds were laid to rest after the fatal jump. The history made at this cliff flavoured this destination with colour tainting the beauty of the place.

We learned that red was a favourite colour in those times and a symbol of monarchy expressed through attire. Coats for the royalty were made from feathers plucked from live trapped birds which were then released. A tourist interpreter also informed a group of tourists while we browsed that brothers and sisters would marry and any children born deformed would be eliminated.

History has so many shades.

Meanwhile, our own little devotional group at the Iskcon Temple made preparations to present “The Gita” drama preceded by talks about walks. I am referring in particular to the cross Canada ventures. The chanting session was an electrifying experience before the sacred images of Panca Tattva, an angelic looking group of divinity who epitomized ‘perfect balance’ just by their mere symmetrical setting. The super feast topped off the Sunday open house program attended by an ecstatic group of happy faces. With all of this, our modest devotional community added a small something to Hawaiian history.

7 Km

Habits Hold On

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

The public at Waikiki are accustomed to the chanting party coming through on the streets. At least shop owners are. The tourists turn over constantly and they are from all over the world.

With some seniority on my side, I tried to implement some standard of orderliness to the party of chanters, which seemed to have some positive effect.

My preference as a venue would be to a quieter park area where you might find more sober humans and hence more thoughtfulness.

Of course, people have slipped into bad habits. Perhaps you have heard it- a habit is like a cozy warm bed, easy to move into but hard to get out of.

Here’s another one. Habits are like a thread. You keep adding and they turn into a rope.

How about this one. Habits start by being too weak to be ‘felt’ and then end up being too strong to be ‘left.”

Whether booze or drugs they consume a person and then spit him or her out.

Here’s a last one. Before you realize that you have got the habit, the habit has got you.

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, most empathically encouraged abstinence and to explore a pleasure within. Encounter a higher (spiritual) taste and all else appears so secondary.

Hawaii is an interesting place. It harbours natural beauty parallel to high end habits of humans. I see lots of spiritual facilities in Honolulu. Waikiki on the weekend at dusk isn’t much of a place for a monk.

7 Km

Kings and Chameleons

Honolulu, Hawaii

It’s my first trip to this chain of islands and I’m enjoying nature’s ventilation like anything. I am housed in a small cabin beneath a massive banyan tree situated in the backyard of the Iskcon House. Krsna Prema, my host, treated me to the staple food for the Hawaiian Islands, taro, a root crop given the Indian touch as a pakora with chickpea batter. A second treat was a ride to Old Pali Highway, an overgrown road- turned - trail at a marvelous panoramic lookout for ocean and mountain vistas.

A local chap discovered chameleon mates, a horned male which was carried on his hat, and female rested on top of his index finger on this scenic trail. The lizards who were very docile, donned the most beautiful green blends I have ever seen. The chap was not intent on taking them on as pets. “they are high maintenance,” he remarked. He was just taking them for a ride before releasing them back to their habitat.

A memorable moment to capture my mind about today was not just the outdoors but the book “Bhagavatam” discussed indoors. It was the story of a king, Citraketu, who lost his only son to the heinous act of poison. So our discussion with peers led to losing loved ones. I contemplate the loss of good souls in my life, personalities such as Bhakti Tirtha and Sridhar Swamis who passed away while in their fifties. What they did was leave good memories. There has to be something positive to relish and to dwell on that is stored in our memory banks. The past is not all bad. Some inspiration does come from probing into the past. When I think of the contribution our guru made for me personally, I get emotional.

The only thing to be in anxiety about when looking in reverse is when we wallow in the excess sense pleasures of our bygone times. We may be temped to visit our darker past.

5 Km

A Real Teacher is Always a Student

Over Choclate mountains USA

A man off to a diving exploration via air travel identified himself as Mark and with a smile asked if he could sit next to me. He is a teacher at a university in the engineering field. While waiting for our flight I asked him how he found his year of teaching.

“Pretty flat,” he said, referring to very quiet students. “Not every entertaining.” Although he measured this year’s student crop as ‘reserved’ he admitted to them “we are here to learn from each other.” I found it rather unique for a teacher to say that. Perhaps I was quite programmed under the old British school system in my childhood and had the exposure to authoritarian rule for the most part.

There were those teachers that you could get very close to and they would share their world with you. They would be “one of the boys” practically. I recall one of my teachers, who would play football with us outside of school hours and tell us how much he liked the Mamas and the Papas as much as we liked them. He was cool and we learned from him while at the same time we (his students) met with the usual formal protocol.

My new made friend, Mark, a professor seemed to exude that kind of vibration of warmth and humility and command a respect simultaneously. It is like the mountains I look at below me during the flight. They look beautiful with their peaks and valleys. It’s a great texture.

Someone can be a top executive, top in his field, be a king or a queen or a guru but if you can't be a little human, can’t share or express some friendship you can be as flat as a prairie.

Mark admitted that his students although a little non- responsive, were people he respected and loved. He struck me as being a real teacher and not just a cash earner who passed some exams some years back. I spoke to him of dharma and karma and of after-life. He was thoroughly interested which is one of my main points. He was a teacher who is still a student. Once you give up inquisitiveness you are a dead man.
Happy diving, Mark!

4 Km

Monks Supporting Each Other

Toronto, Ontario

Some Montreal monks have come to check out our Toronto ashram, test out their new van and come to see visitor Devamrta Swami. Our visitors, Anubhava, Jagannatha and Veda Vyasa accompany me on my favourite monk trails. First of all, there was a promenade to Casa Loma, a palatial castle stop on a hill, as we softly chanted with the aid of our meditational beads. That was at the crack of dawn. By mid-afternoon, the boys were set for some real grassroots Hare Krishna activity teaming up with three monks form Halifax drumming on mrdanga and djembe drums while singing the maha mantra at popular Kensington Market. Shoppers and shopkeepers took well to the monks having fun doing what people often expect of us.

I had also introduced the boys to a Rosedale ravine, a real treat- a trail that takes you in the midst of nature within the centre of the bustling city. There was also time taken to address issues with Anubhava, the Montreal temples co-coordinator, to discuss individual concerns of discontent. As much as you find there are triumphs on the spiritual path, you find challenges.

One time a person asked me abut troubles in spiritual communities. I responded with a candid “wherever there are humans there will be human nature that leads us to complications.”

In the sacred Gita, Krishna speaks about this mundane world as a troubled place of misery and struggle.

There is always fewer struggles in the company of supportive peers who
tread the spiritual path

4 Km

The Loose and the Stiff

Toronto, Ontario

Devamrta Swami asked me over breakfast how I felt the world is doing. What immediately came to mind was that the sandwiches we were eating were great. Naturally, he anticipated that I push beyond the horizon of the condominium corner where we were seated. So I tried to say something.
“The liberals and conservatives are constantly in an arm wrestle.”
“Dialogue is always a welcome sign. If the arms are held together holding equal power I see a balance. The arms need a chance to rest though. We can’t always be arguing. My dear swami friend nodded. I did not reciprocated with the same question. We just moved into different directions in our conversation.

When I thought about the arm-wrestle after the quick breakfast and a quick tooth brushing session before the dentist would spot and pick at food particles at my appointment, I really had in mind that amongst spiritualists there are the free spirited and the tight wads. It seems to go across the board whether secular or religious, that you will find loose and stiff opinions, on matters of all sorts and kinds.

Devamrta held his own charm as usual in our brief communication. “A passive warrior “is the title I would give him. He has a day off from speaking engagements but is poised to prepare and speak to a group of people in the corporate community the next day. He gloriously breaks ground with the stretchy yoga community and now with the stiffer ‘white collar” groups. He can very expertly raise the consciousness of people from the two extreme backgrounds.

5 Km

Assess/Rate

Toronto, Ontario

We all get rated for what we do. The moon and sun observe us. Stars and other luminary objects watch us. Crows in trees and squirrels as well keep a watchfulness over our movements. People too. We get judged by them.
The newspaper media in Canada is looking at Barack Obama, U.S. President, and giving him a rating after one hundred days in office. They gave him a score B. It’s an opinion of course based on right or left wing subjectivity. The President is accountable to his citizens and not just Canadians but most certainly, the U.S. and the world all over make assessment on his work. Then there is ME. “I” need to be assessed. Perhaps the worst opinion makers on our own selves is our selves. We do need assessment for our own performance level if we hope to improve and impact the world favorably.

We need to know “How am I as a citizen of the earth? How do I fare with peers? Am I a good husband, wife, parent, peer, student, teacher, employer and employee? “We need to know more than just what we project about ourselves.

I know that I must chum with my peers, fellow monks, for instance, to wish or hope for messages from them to offer some advice even a small hint. I must ask, “How was I (on the speech delivery for instance) or what do you think about…? I know I don’t do enough of this type of probing with peers.

It’s unhealthy to take an Absolutist stance on things and to carry Holier Than Thou attitude. Conversely, asking everyone’s opinion for everything or asking for permission to cough or sneeze is an unwholesome extreme. That would lay a case for paralysis.

Today the weather was extreme. Rain poured. Wind whipped. My passion to walk was extreme for a solution I chose to walk the underground shopping concourse. I didn’t have to fight the extreme elements. I just came to a compromise (even though I love the out-of-doors)
Always shoot for a balance. Assess but, beware, not to over-assess. Who has the time? Life is short!

5 Km

Parasurama das: Ganga Prabhu left his body Friday 24 April 2009, in Belfast hospital surrounded by chanting devotees. Ganga joined the Dublin temple in 1983.

Candana Yatra starts on Akshaya Tritiya, the third lunar day of the waxing moon of Vaisakha month and continues for twenty days. Lord Jagannatha gave direct instructions to King Indradyumna to perform this festival at this time. Smearing the body of the Lord with ointments is an act of devotion, and the best of ointments is sandalwood paste. Since the month of Vaisakha is very hot in India, the cooling effect of the sandalwood is very pleasing to the body of the Lord. Source:http://www.salagram.net/parishad67.htm

Bhajan sung by Amala Kirtan during the Gaura Purnima festival.

Dallas, TX
2009-03-10

Download: 2009-03-10 - Gaura Purnima - 3 - Amala Kirtan das - Bhajan.mp3

April 28 2009

This is just in from Daria prabhu, who has just taken up the service of being my new translator on Krishna.ru

“My son Ganesha das and I have met with you in Mayapur last year in November, you even wrote  my son’s name “Ganesha prabhu” in the book “Diary” that you wrote and published. My son is 11 years old and you wrote him “prabhu” - it was first time in his life

Answer:

“Certainly he is our prabhu. These great souls are the future hope of the Krsna consciousness movement, and the fact that they have been given the opportunity to take up Krsna consciousness right from the very beginning of their lives is an indication that they were advanced devotees in their last lives. So they may well be far more advanced than we are and are thus worthy of being addressed as prabhu.”

October 28 1976 - Vrindavana

[TD5-SB class]

Prabhupada’s attempt to provide the best possible opportunity to those pious souls who have been given the connection to Krsna through birth is displayed in his ongoing concern for the development of the gurukula. Surveying the young boys sitting attentively before him, he explained: “[They are] ringing the karatalas, chanting, dancing, offering obeisances to the Lord–temple atmosphere. Don’t think it is ordinary opportunity. It is very great opportunity. From the very beginning of life they are getting impression, bhakti yoga. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti yoga. These are not going in vain. Even a child is playing karatala, imitation. Not imitation. He’s given the chance. He was previously Vaisnava. Somehow or other, he could not make his life perfect. Therefore he is given again chance. So naturally he has got tendency to play the karatala, to offer flower here, to offer obeisances. They take pleasure. It is due to previous life, yoga. But it was not perfectly done, so somehow or other they are getting chance from the very beginning of life.”

OK, I digress. Here’s the actual question:
Daria: I consider it an honour to try and translate your answers and questions of our people to you.

Here is the first question. It’s from Seva (male).

“Usually the sense of love and thankfulness rises within me towards people who give from their heart freely. For example if I see some devotees who sacrifices their own wishes to Krishna or to other beings, I feel sympathy for these devotees and I really wish to give something good to them. How can I love Krishna if all He is doing is always taking pleasure and nothing more?”

Answer:

I think Seva prabhu has yet to understand the real nature of love. It is apparent that he is setting conditions on the activities of those he wants to give his love to, and if those persons do not meet his personal requirements or standards, he does not feel inclined to love them. This is not love, this is Seva prabhu’s sense gratification. He wants everyone to be subordinate to his so-called love.

As far as Krsna goes, what can we say about the statement “How can I love Krishna if all He is doing is always taking pleasure and nothing more?” Does Seva prabhu seriously think this is all Krsna is doing?

Krsna’s position is perfectly described in Bhagavad Gita Bg 5.29:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

TRANSLATION
“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

Krsna is described as the bhokta, the ultimate enjoyer. Why? Because He alone is the source of all the lokas, or planets and universes. He pervades the creation in his form as Supersoul, supplying all the necessities of life to every living being (not just humans). He provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we eat in the form of foodstuffs, the rainfall, the sunshine and every other aspect of our lives. The entire creation is simply a transformation of Krsna’s energies. Krsna is quite literally everything.

Everything and everyone is subordinate to Krsna’s will. He is second to none, the creator, maintainer and destroyer of all things, and He is the master of time. We are simply insignificant, infinitesimal particles of His existence. Without Krsna, we do not exist.

Even in ordinary logic we see that one who owns something, controls it. If you don’t own something, how can you control it? And one who controls something, has the right to enjoy it. If you don’t own something, and if you have no control over it, how can you enjoy it?

(more…)

The devotees at Krsna Village (New Vraja Dham) in Hungary are glorified again for their positive, transcendent example, in a report on the clear link between the habit of meat consumption and the negative effects of climate change.

Read all about it here.

Better quality, better quantity, that’s my private prayer-mantra. Today I feel patient with myself, assuring it will come. Adding times when I chant. But I rarely chant except with the beads in hand, counting it as my quota. I have a tape of Srila Prabhupada holding kîrtana at Dr. Mishra’s asrama. When I play that, I sing along, and I continue singing when it stops.

Not eating too much, but I have a hearty appetite for what Baladeva gives me (as he lovingly cooks it). The walk at the beach is devoted to japa.

From Bhajana Kutir #53

I get a lot of amazing e-mails from a devotee in South Africa, Mother Cheron. Sometimes I don't have the time to read them, and many of them remain unopened, or half read, as I go off to study or chant my rounds or cook etc. But the heading of this e-mail 'Attract Krsna's mercy!!!" really got my attention, and not just because of the three exclamation points (although that certainly contributed!) After all, isn't that one of our important goals in Krsna Consciousness, to attract Krsna's attention and mercy? I have heard Bhakti Caitanya Swami say several times in class that when we go before the deities, it is not so that we can see Krsna, it is so that Krsna can see us, and see what we have done to increase our love and devotion for Him. In this excerpt from Kadamba Kanana Swami's class, he tells us how we can attract Krsna's mercy, and when we next stand before Krsna and Srimati Radharani, maybe Krsna will take special notice of us because we have made an extra endeavour to do things with more love and devotion.

Here are some experiments I've been doing with MIDI drums.

This is a Roland TD-04 MIDI drum kit [demo on youtube] controlling an old school Yamaha QY-70 sequencer (pictured above) that I've had kicking around for a couple of years.

I recorded three tracks - the first is a rhythmic/melodic part using a Thai Bell patch. That was fun, and relative easy because it was all arms, not this whole "four limbs doing wildly different things" that I'm currently struggling with. The second is a drum track using a Rock Kit patch. The third is a single snare roll overdub using a Analog Kit patch.

The tracks were recorded at 115 bpm, and you can hear that my live performance is so many kinds of suck - give me a break though, I've only been playing three weeks. The spirit is willing, but thus far the body is completely un-co, as in "unco-operative" and "unco-ordinated".

Here's the track:

Original Track (.wma, 2.8MB)

[Apologies for the wma, but that's the format that my iRiver E100 encodes in, and I don't have a machine handy to transcode to mp3 or ogg right now. Leave a comment if you want to listen to it but don't have enough evil installed on your machine to play it.]

Fixing it in the mix - the miracle of MIDI

Now, if that had been an analog performance on a real kit, captured as sound, rather than captured as digital performance data, there would be nothing that could be done to make that better except to keep practicing for the next two years (which I'll do anyway...)

However, with MIDI, we can do a few things.

Here's what I did:

• Quantize the drum track to eighth notes
• Switch the kit from Rock to Jungle (yeah boyee!)
• Copy the last measures before it all falls apart and turn them into a loop, copying that over the crash and burn

Quantizing magically makes your out-of-time performance "on the one". Or in my case, "mostly on the one accompanied by a few real funky fills that sound awesome, but are actually me playing so far off the one that the computer can't tell one from three and a half".

Here's the remixed track, after about 5 minutes of digital magic:

MIDI Magic! Track (.wma, 2.8MB)

More MIDI options

The other thing I could have done (and which I only thought of later), is to simply reduce the bpm of the "melody" track from 115bpm to something that I'm more comfortable playing at (like 50-60bpm right now), record the drum track performance at that speed, then speed it up again - kind of like Dragonforce do (they do not!).

If you capture live performances (vocals, harmonium, tabla, mrdanga) using a click track or sampled drum beat for timing, then you can add MIDI instrument performances such as this, and use quantize to "fix it in the mix".

You can even record those parts at a slower bpm, then just crank up the tempo when you add them with the live tracks.

Got any more ideas or experience with MIDI? Let me know.

Rock on!

Often people ask devotees about the saffron color. What is its significance? Why that color? The reply is often that it is the traditional color of (eastern) renunciation. Both Hindu and Buddhist monks wear it. But is there more? What is said about saffron?

read more

Even though one is in the renounced order, one who is advanced certainly feels compassion for suffering living entities. One should certainly neglect his own personal interests, although they may be very important, to protect one who has surrendered.

Srimad Bhagavatam - Canto 5 Chapter 8 Verse 10

Kirtan w/ Kripamoya pr, Sacinandana & Kadamba K. Swamis. Ecstatic kirtan in Simhachalam, Germany, on May 15th 2008 at the beginning of the Nrsimha Caturdasi Festival after Gaura arati with Kripamoya prabhu, Sacinandana Maharaj and Kadamba Kanana Maharaj

Whoa! It's been way too long since I blogged. Remember those good ol' obsessive/compulsive days when I published at least once every twenty-four hours? Life is a bit too busy lately to stick to that intense writing schedule, though I do plan to get back to that happy place some day soon.

What's new in my world? I spent a great weekend back in Perth teaching two back-to-back cookery classes. The photo report will be coming to a computer screen near you soon.

Oh, and this morning I received a nice letter from a happy client who has published fond memories of our class together on her new blog:

Meet The Happy Dacks.

1966 April 28:
"Navami. Today I brought all things from 72nd Street to Paul's loft.
Expenses Paul paid $1.00. Sun Rise 5/05. Sunset 6/51. Moonset 1/52."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1969 April 28: "I shall arrive in Columbus on flight 485, United Airlines, at 10:47 on May 9, 1969. I am pleased to learn of your nice Krishna Conscious activities in Columbus, and I shall be happy to see you there soon."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 April 28: "You must occupy that house. If George Harrison's letter of guarantee is not sufficient, then I am also prepared to guarantee. Let them know that we are not paupers."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1970 April 28: "Let them follow Lord Jesus Christ. If one is not prepared to advance more, it is better to avoid. If one is limited by some formulas only, he is bound by a chain. So we are concerned only with persons who are not chained by anything."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970

1974 April 28: "This early rising, holding classes, going out regularly for sankirtana, worshiping the deity are the very substance of devotional life. By your sincere devotional example you will attract more and more sincere boys and girls to Krsna Consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 April 28: "The regulative principles are designed to take us gradually. Those who think they have already attained perfection are called sahajiya, or those who take things cheaply and simply imitate."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

http://srimadbhagavatam.com/1/1/17/en

Here is the recording of 28 April 2009 satsanga.

Please click below links….

download (Downloads 14)

Servant of Servants.

The Vedic civilization flourished on this planet for 3,888,000 years. This is the time span from the beginning of the Satya yuga up until the end of the Dvapara yuga when the Kali yuga began 5,000 years ago. Especially since the beginning of the Kali yuga the human society has been becoming more and more godless. The result of such godlessness is ever-increasing...

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.8.2-3 - Become dependent on Krishna's plan.

April 27, 2:00 A.M.

The evening was fairly peaceful. I only woke up once, from a dream. I got up at 2;00 A.M. with a clear head. I called Baladeva on the walkie-talking to put my sling on and set up the Deities.

4:16 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

Because I got enough sleep, I was not drowsy. I was attentive to the syllables and the names, without distraction. I did not chant loud enough to hear. I did not keep track of the speed. I missed one round, I think. I enjoyed the presence of Radha-Govinda, glancing at Them as I chanted. I was wearing my sling, but it didn’t give me much relief. It was a foggy session. I took satisfaction in the accumulation of the rounds. Because of the pain in the shoulder, I took a medication. The best part of the session was that I was up early, so I got the eight rounds done on time. The weakest part of the session was that I was not sharply attentive or devotional.

Japa essay

Although the interior speaks of frustrations—facing myself as a drowsy chanter—the overall purpose is one that seems right and brings fulfillment. I only gradually attempt to become acquainted with the workings of the mind and to gain control over it in bhajana. One devotee who has done vratas of 108 rounds daily in retreat settings told me he discovered that “the mind is an organ.” He got to see that it works in the same way any other part of the body works. It can be pushed to perform, and it has certain limits and behaviors. Rather than think the mind is “you,” or be helpless to the mind’s dictation, we control it. Vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam.

I want to be able to place the mind on hearing harinama and thinking favorably of Krishna during bhajana—and take the mind away from distractions.

Also I want to feel devotion. Or pray to Krishna to allow me to feel devotion, to feel remorse over my lack of devotion and my inability to purge out anarthas and aparadhas. This is the general work. I don’t have a vigorous program for it. Years ago, I read St. Ignatius Loyola’s retreat program. I don’t have some process like that—daily meditations upon one’s sins, turning to God or Christ. . . I have japa and writing. I’m moving more toward reflective statements about my life, where I am and where I’m going.

A groggy session is not so good,

your shoulder pain prevents a poem.

But early rising is a boon:

you know you’ll reach your quota.

I pray to Lord Krishna for alert

mahamantras, but they do not come.

I am saddened but ever hopeful.

From Forgetting the Audience (1993): “Keep writing. This is a japa retreat. Or more simply, a hearing retreat. You calm down and see where your emotions have led you. In the USA, I became alarmed at the difficulties Gîta-nagarî dhama is going through. Sometimes it’s presented because someone wants me to feel guilty for having left my GBC duties there—as if I should go back and help the fight for survival. But I won’t be swallowed up. I gave $3,000.00 to help bail them out, but I can’t stick my finger in the dike for that one project.

“And then the four or five attacks in the mail stating that I am a bogus offender, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta is offensive, my writing is out to lunch, etc.

“I’m distancing myself from these issues. I realize I have to stay involved to some degree, but it’s good to be able to step out of them for awhile and see who I am aside from those pressures. Do I have an existence aside from the bouncing off of interrelations with friends, coworkers, and critics of ISKCON? Do I have my own opinions? Do I have a relationship with harinama aside from the one we all claim to have as followers? Do I have a relationship with Srîla Prabhupada? What is it now? Seeking integrity alone.”

6:30 A.M.

Drowsing at the beach. The sun is up, but in contrast to yesterday, not a single person is here. It’s Monday. I finished my japa quota. The beach and sea and sky are all calm on the eastern front. The sand is rippled with yesterday’s footprints. Only the seagulls are active. I wish I were more awake to take in the morning calm. Calm places for contemplating Krishna, not falling asleep.

9:11 A.M.

“Yet Nee’er Broken.” I’ve gone through a lot of troubles, but my heart’s not broken yet. I’m not broken. My collarbone’s broken. But I’m still alive and still kicking. That’s Krishna’s mercy. Yet nee’er broken. Well, what have you been through that’s been so difficult. Oh, a lot of things. Had my heels broken, had my head broken, had my heart broken, and innumerable headaches. But I am not broken. I’m an eternal spirit soul, and I can’t be cut or dried or wetted or sliced into pieces. I can’t be killed. As long as I stay near my spiritual master and Krishna, then I’ll be in one piece, and I won’t have to descend into the lower species. You always keep going. You’re not a loser. It may get worse—there may be financial troubles, psychic troubles, diseases—but I’m not broken yet. Survive through the end of this life, and then even after that. Those men on the battlefield, they always existed in the past, they exist now, and they’ll always exist in the future. That’s the second chapter of Bhagavad-gita. You’re never broken. So please be cheerful and don’t think you’re lost. They can’t harm you, or at least they can’t break you.

“Knit for Mary F.” I’m not sure what this means. I think of someone knitting, knitting for a baby. Or someone in old age passing their last times by knitting. There was a lady who was caught down in the rubble of a volcano for twelve hours. She spent her time knitting. It’s a favorite occupation for some ladies, and even men do it. You can knit an outfit for the Deity of Krishna. You can knit a scarf for your favorite devotee. It’s an art. It can be done with devotion and offered to Krishna. Knit a nice shawl for the Deity. Knit a sweater for your guru, even though it’s too big for him. It takes a lot of time, and it’s painstaking, but patient people like to do it. It’s a real act of devotion. It’s not like going out and buying something in the store. Sometimes people knit poorly, and it’s embarrassing. But an expert knitter can make an expert devotional offering. Bill Evans is playing the high notes as if he’s knitting, too. He’s playing it very patiently, knitting a piece of music. So knit a sweater for Mary for her birthday. Devotees exchange gifts. That’s one of their intimate devotional exchanges. Take the time and knit a sweater for Mary. Make it nice, and offer it to Krishna before you offer it to her.

“The Touch of Your Lips.” The gopis were envious of the flute. They said he was taking all the nectar from Krishna’s lips and leaving none for them. They said they were the rightful inheritors of that nectar because they knew Krishna from their birth, whereas the flute—a dry piece of bamboo—had become acquainted with Krishna only since his taking the cows into the fields. Nevertheless, Krishna gave the touch of His lips to His flute. He has several flutes, a venu, and a murali, and others, too. He puts the beautiful touch of His lips to the holes of His flute and fingers it, and out comes music that enchants the whole world. The parents of the flute—the trees and the ponds—are proud of their offspring. But the gopis remain piqued. They say it’s better to take birth as a flute than to take birth as a gopi. Evans is playing it fast, with lots of notes. It’s not a soft kiss. It sounds like Krishna’s fingers running up and down the flute. It’s certainly got a rapid touch. And the drum is kicking. The touch of His lips causes intoxication and craziness, madness and dancing. Here it’s caused a hard-driving jazz number.

“My Man’s Gone Now.” This is a song from Porgy and Bess. It’s sad that Porgy’s gone. Life is empty now. What is there to do when your man’s gone? This is how the gopis feel when Krishna departs for Mathura. A moment seems like a millennium. Radharani is so faint, Her sakhis have to lie Her down on a cool bed of flowers to keep Her alive, and they give Her assurances that Krishna is coming. She decides not to die because if Krishna comes back and sees that She’s gone, that would cause Him great pain. But otherwise, what’s the sense of living? Radha is meant for Krishna, and without Him, She is not whole. Krishna’s meant for Radha, too. So why are They apart? The universe is wrong. Providence is cruel. He should come back, and soon. And He shouldn’t just send a messenger, like Uddhava, or a philosophical message about jnana yoga. He should come back in person. The gopis have a right to be angry and brokenhearted, but Krishna is so attractive that they can’t forget Him or remain angry with Him. And as soon as He shows up again, they’re entranced by Him. But while He’s gone, it’s like burning in fire, and She can hardly endure it. “My man’s gone now,” Radha laments.

“Your Story.” You were born in Queens, New York City, and your first years were without your father, who was in World War II. At eight years of age, you moved to your own house in Great Kills, Staten Island, on the GI plan. A family of four—an older sister, Madeline; mom; and dad—in the 1950s. It was a nice neighborhood, without much violence. I had to wrestle once with George Kochmann before all the other boys, and I beat him. But that was the only fight. I fooled around in school. Mother and Father were our unquestioned authorities, and we did what they said. That’s until we grew up. In high school, we started getting rowdy. I didn’t get good marks. My father no longer seemed to be the greatest man, and then in college, in the first year, it all crashed. The generation gap appeared. My teachers were Marxists and atheists, and I lost my faith in the Catholic Church. Then I was introduced to marijuana and Brooklyn College and poetry and a girlfriend. Then I fell low—didn’t even have enough to eat—after the navy, the horrible navy. I won’t even mention it. (I don’t have to tell my whole story.) My story really begins on the Lower East Side, when I met the Swami and took to spiritual life at twenty-six years of age. And then it begins. And I won’t tell you now, but it’s been satisfactory ever since. despite some bumps on the road, I’m heading back to Godhead, one of these lifetimes. That’s my story. Bill Evans plays a somber background to it, and I hardly noticed what he said.

11:33 A.M.

My dear Lord Krishna...

I want to send a message to You. My message is to ask You for help. Please help me to love You. You are the most worthy person deserving my love. Somehow I am lagging and have not reached the higher stages of Krishna conscious love for You. This is because I am selfish and egotistical. I’m more concerned about myself than I am for You. Constitutionally, I am your servant, built to love You. So it is a great shame that I am lacking in that regard. I don’t even know You very well. I should make all effort to know You and love You in the remaining years of my life. You have not made it easy to get out of this material world. Once we come in here, there are chains that bind us. But the goal is to serve You for Your pleasure. You want to see us making an effort to render You loving service, and then You will reciprocate with us. Why can’t I do it more vigorously? You know I want to love You, and You want to help me. For many lifetimes, I have maintained a selfish attitude and tried to enjoy myself as the master rather than as the servant. In this lifetime, I have got the right understanding, by the grace of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. But it is a struggle to overcome the mountain of dirt, the mountain of false ego. It is not wrong if I ask You to help me. I know of no alternative but to frankly ask for Your help. On my own, I do not seem to be able to surmount the difficulties—my own reluctance, my laziness, my selfishness. It gives me pain to see my condition, and I am struggling to get out of it. But it is like struggling to get out of a straightjacket, and I am no master escape artist like Houdini. I’m just a poor jiva soul who has the seeds of bhakti implanted in him and who has been waiting for them to grow for too long. I have done things to prevent my growth of love for You. I have committed offenses, Vaisnava aparadhas, and I am paying for that. I try to right myself, but I see that my progress is slow. I do not have much more time left in this life and don’t see how I can make the complete course to get my “Ph.D.” for going back to Godhead. In fact, I am slowing down.

Please give me a clue so I can get out of this entanglement and feel the blessedness of loving You. Let me increase my hearing about You and my chanting of Your holy names. Let me stop doing frivolous things and stop being a weakling. Give me strength and courage to fight. Because I have an old body does not mean I cannot be a warrior still in the battle against Maya, but I need Your help and Your special consideration. There is a prayer in the Isopanisad that says, “Please remember all that I have done for You, and let there be no hindrance in my progress.” I make that prayer to You now, in paraphrase. Please count the service I have done to Srila Prabhupada, and please do not count the aparadhas. Please give me faith in Your reality, and love for Your personhood. Let me be kinder toward Your devotees and stauncher in my own practice of sadhana. This prayer is made up of all petitions I know, and that may not be the best form of prayer. I should be praising You and accepting whatever You give me. That is true love. I do praise You for all Your wonderful pastimes and all Your wonderful deeds, which You did in Gokula when You came to this earth and which You are doing now in Goloka Vrndavana. But I cannot help but beg from You for advancement to the point where my love flourishes and I become happy in Krishna consciousness. I am Your servant, by the grace of my spiritual master, who has allowed me to render many acts in the sankirtana movement. Now I ask You for a little push in my remaining days so that I can retain some of that vigor I had in my youth when I was doing better. You are my Lord and master, and You will take my prayer however You wish, and I shall be satisfied with it.

the yellow submarine, my bhajana kutir #54 →

People often come up to me and ask, "How do you feel now that you've finished your Masters?" I typically give the answer, "I'm SOOO happy! No more school." Which is often followed by a long pause and then, "Well, at least for now!"

But thinking about it, we never actually finish school. At least not if one is an aspiring spiritual seeker. We may think of school as a physical building with desks, computers, exams and stressed out students. While that maybe true, that misconception can lead us to forget that our sojourn through material existence is actually the true "SCHOOL" so to speak.

We are always in school, every moment of every day. The question is are we looking at every situation and circumstance as an opportunity to learn or, as it so happens so many times when we are physically in school, just try to get by without learning the true lesson.

This rings true for me. In school I would always get by, trying to cram at the last minute just so I could do well in the exam. See, the way schools here in the material world assess us are completely different than Krsna's way. There is no way to cram for the lessons Krsna is hoping we will learn and implement. It comes only by becoming conscious that we are having an exam at every moment. And what is that exam? The result is measured by our reaction. Is it Krsna conscious or is it self-centred?

I pray that I can develop this vision and get rid of my tendency to simply cram and hope for the best.

When the spiritual master gives the disciple his prescribed duty the disciple must embrace that duty accepting it as very his life and soul. By doing so, within the execution of that duty he will gradually fully realize God. The constant danger for the disciple is that the voracious senses are always there screaming that the disciple should abandon...

The following is a Sunday lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 26 April 2009 at Towaca, USA.

To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either “Save link as” or “Save target as”

The following is a Sunday lecture given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 26 April 2009 at Towaca, USA. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo;