A while back I had mentioned in one of my blogs that my Spiritual Master, His Grace Sriman Sankarshan das Adhikari said in one lecture that, “anyone who thinks he can be Krishna conscious outside of ISKCON is simply hallucinating”. If you look to other lectures given by my Guru Maharaj namely one seminar entitled, [...]

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ISKCON Mayapur celebrated Cida Dahi Mahotsav at Panihati, where this special festival took place 500 years ago.From Mayapur, devotees started early in the morning by buses to Panihati. Around 1 ton and 12 Kg of Chipped rice, 412 kg of Yoghurt, 10 kgof Milk, 8000 pomegrantes furits, 550 Kg mangoes, 27 big jack fruits, 101 kg of sugar, 250 kg of molasses or gur and bananas were used to make special Cida Dahi preparation and offered to Sri Sri Gaura- Nitai.

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We know Nahdi from the Bhakti Immersion Retreat with Sharon Gannon, and she invited us to play some soothing instrumental music during one of her yoga classes at Jivamukti Yoga in NYC.  Before the performance, Nahdi was kind enough to run some of us up to the Jivamukti Cafe for a tasty lunch, while the rest of us set up the equipment in “The Krishna Room.” Then, a nice slow, soothing kirtan during an hour and a half long yoga class.

Listen to the entire Kirtan!

To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.

• 01 Gaura Vani - Siksastakam (32)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Sita Ram (34)
• 03 Gaura Vani and Ray Ippolito (27)
• Acyuta Gopi - Hare Krishna (62)

"Gradually it has become clear to me what every great philosophy so far has been: namely, the personal confession of its author and a kind of involuntary and unconscious memoir; also that the moral (or immoral) intentions in every philosophy constituted the real germ of life from which the whole plant has grown."

Friedrich Nietzsche

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 10
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2009, part two)
Paris, New Mayapur, Orleans
(Sent from Amsterdam, Holland, on 6/7/09)

Highlights
Insights from Lokanatha Swami
Harinamas in France

Where I Am and What I Am Doing

I met Param Gati Swami in Gainesville in February, and told him I spent a week last year in Paris doing metroyoga, congregational chanting of the holy name on the Paris metros. As GBC for France, He encouraged me to come for two weeks this year, and so I did.

Amidst my journey there from Zurich, I played accordion and chanted on the train station platform in Mulhouse, France. I wondered what the customs officers, who had let me into the country, were thinking as they walked passed me, but they did not protest. I did harinama in Paris for a week. Then Gadadhara Priya Prabhu, our Paris harinama leader, became Lokanath Swami’s driver to New Mayapur, where Maharaja was going to work on a book on padayatra, so our party also went there for several days, adding three new cities to the list of places I have done harinama. While in New Mayapur Lokanath Swami gave a great class on cow protection and narrated a slideshow on the Aravade temple opening.

Harinamas in France

I described the metroyoga program in this journal last year (click here for the description, which appears near the bottom of the page). This year it changed a little in that Gadadhara Priya Prabhu speaks when Chandrashekhara Acarya Prabhu is traveling and his style is a little different. One thing he does is asks the people if they believe in reincarnation. Most say “No.” or “I don't know.” but some say “Yes.” Then Gadadhara Priya continues, saying that hearing the chanting is beneficial in any case.

Last year a Paris TV news station did a story on the program. (If you don't speak French, it is helpful to watch the video below with a French interpreter.)

This year, the first day I went on metroyoga, two masters degree students filmed our Paris harinama party for their final project.

In Paris, especially at the Eiffel tower, where the devotees chant on Saturday night, but also elsewhere, people enjoyed interacting with the devotees on harinama.

A couple of young ladies, one decorated like a clown, as well as a couple little black girls with a lot of energy, danced with our party underneath the Eiffel Tower. The little girls must have danced for at least half an hour.

At the Bastille, a couple musicians joined our party for ten or fifteen minutes. One played his own guitar, and the other, with his guitar strapped to his back, played the mrdanga in time.

After visiting New Mayapur, we stopped midway to Paris at Orleans, home of the famed Joan of Arc (depicted in the statue above), where we did harinama for two and a half hours. There I met a man from Kolkata, who told me his relatives play mrdanga and do kirtana, when I advised him “Pratidin Krishna kirtan korun!" [Every day chant Krishna kirtana!] I invited him to the Paris Ratha-yatra and he said he would come. One of the devotees in our party distributed 40 euros of books during the harinama. Gadadhara Priya realized from the experience that he should always break up his monthly trips between Paris and New Mayapur with a harinama in the middle and thus not let a day go by without the public chanting of the holy name!

Insights from Lectures

Lokanath Swami:

You have so many flowers here, you should do puspa-abhiseka [bathing of the Deity with flowers].

Krishna’s beauty [as the Deity] is increasing every day. Our beauty is not increasing every day, at least as far as the body is concerned, but our beauty as souls does not diminish.

As man has a form like the Lord similarly the cows of this material world have a form like that of the surabhi cows of the spiritual world.

Cow protection is part of the peace formula.

Lokanath Swami very much appreciated the bulls and bullock cart that came to greet him when he arrived in New Mayapur.

Raja (the king) takes care of his praja (citizens) like they are his children as Lord Rama demonstrated. It is not that the cows should not be protected because they have no passport. Prabhupada said the government should prohibit the cutting of trees unless the paper was used for spiritual publications.

It was brought to the attention of the Indian parliament the blades on the devices for slaughtering animals caused them unnecessary suffering. No one thought of proposing the closing of the slaughterhouses, instead they decided to import more modern equipment from the West.

Now the Middle East supplies petrol to India in exchange for Indian meat. It is hard to imagine that India has become so degraded. Even in Indian media you hear that milk is bad for your heart and wine is good for it.

One famous personality was going to speak on American TV in favor of vegetarianism, but the meat industry was powerful enough to keep him from speaking, worried that their sales would go down.

In Prague, there was an ecology fair where chemical fertilizer was condemned for destroying the natural fertility of the earth. Cow dung has been used for thousands of years but no negative side effects have been reported.

A global survey concluded that America is the most unhealthy country. This is no surprise to me. From bhoga [sense enjoyment] comes roga [disease], and America is famous for teaching the world how to enjoy.

If you deal with the cow and bulls who have feelings, it is good for you. By dealing with machines you become machinelike, and your heart becomes like steel.

Factories cannot solve our basic needs. We cannot eat deep-fried nuts and bolts or rubber tube salad.

If use bullock carts, there will be no accidents. Beyond that, the bulls know well the way home, so the driver can sleep on the cart and wake up when he arrives.

The economic problems existing now are because we have more of an industrial economy and did not exist when there was an agrarian economy.

When the cow stops giving milk, she is not useless. Cow urine is always curative for many diseases. Cow dung is always good for fertilizer.

The cow is so dear to Krishna. It’s not that He hired someone to take care of the cows, He did it Himself. Not that just spoke about cows in the microphone. Less speaking, more service. Krishna cared more for the cows than Himself. His mother wanted to give Krishna shoes, but He would not accept him unless the cows all had shoes too. The same was true with an umbrella. Krishna had names for all his cows, and He counted them. Two of the eight daily pastimes periods, Krishna focused on caring for the cows.

One devotee lady said she read of an island off of Africa where there is a country where the cows and bulls are protected. The people eat vegetables and fish. One who kills cows there can even get the death penalty.

The vegetation is like the clothing of Mother Earth, and the demoniac, who are attempting to disrobe her by their deforestration programs, will be subject to their own destruction. Forests benefit by providing oxygen and preventing both drought and flooding.

Lokanath Swami picnic at Govardhan Hill replica:

Govardhan Hill was sixteen miles (two yojanas) high during Krishna’s time but is slowing sinking according to a curse. It is expected to completely flatten in 10,000 years.

Lokanath Swami, Slideshow on the Aravade temple opening

In the villages, people would name their animals. There is a group of devotees traveling around to Indian villages and doing name-giving ceremonies for villagers’ animals. The idea being to change the attitude they have toward the animals by making them more a part of the family.

Several countries have padayatras. It is a useful thing for the bulls to do.

Aravade, Lokanath Swami’s place of appearance and one of 500,000 villages in India, has a population 4,000, but they hosted 100,000 for their temple opening, including 10,000 ISKCON devotees. They used to get 100 visitors on Sundays and now they have 4,000 at the new temple. The senior guests were offered turbans at the opening ceremony. The fireworks were so extensive they impressed the American and European devotees. They had a horse dancing on its hind legs. There was one devotee from Africa who balanced a chair on one leg on a stick he held in his mouth. Pune devotees did an expert one-and-a-half hour Ramayana. In addition to the Radha Gopala Deities, were Garuda, Jaya Vijaya, Sita Rama Laksmana Hanuman, and Vitthala Rukmini. They had a rasa dance diorama with mirrors to show many Krishnas and gopis.

Lokanath Swami, 5/28, SB 1.17.12, New Mayapur

When the king sees even one citizen unhappy, he becomes unhappy.

By promising to follow the four rules we help the Lord establish the principles of religion. By not eating meat, we help establish mercy. Eating meat makes us very hard hearted and without higher sentiments. By not taking intoxication we help establish austerity. By not engaging in illicit sex, we establish purity. By not gambling, we help to establish truthfulness.

During Prabhupada’s time, one woman was upset wondering why her son was killed in Vietnam, but Prabhupada was not sympathetic. He observed that so many cows are mercilessly killed in America that it is only natural some Americans might be killed.

The pastime of Mrgari the hunter shows how the most merciless person can become the most merciful simply by chanting the glories of God.

When we perform austerity, by the mercy of the Lord, we attain an inner happiness, and this happiness is not contaminated by distress. This differs from the material happiness, which is mixed with inevitable distress. Better to enjoy less in this world in terms of material pleasure, for then you will experience less suffering.

“Daiva netrena” literally means the “by the eyes of the Supreme.”

Lust sits in the senses, mind, and intelligence. If the lust is just in the senses, it is not so bad as when the lust is in the mind, and when the lust is in the mind, it is not as bad as when the lust affects the intelligence, because then you are finished.

These principles of religion are for the whole world to follow. They are not just for “Hindus.” There is one group who is trying to convert followers from Hinduism to their own group, arguing that then they will not have to worry about the law of karma.

To encourage the devotees, he reminded them that at Kurukshetra on the winning side there were just the five brothers, while on the other side there were a hundred.

Devotee whose name I did not know:

Those who are not punished for killing on the spot will have to suffer greatly in the next life. We can understand this by hearing submissively from scripture.

When a human being gives in to lust, envy, etc. , he becomes worse than a beast, as Jagai and Madhai exemplify. But harinama we can purify people from their lower motives.

Prasadam has six benefits:

1) one is not in anxiety because he is not stealing from God, the source of all foodstuffs.

2) the devotee feels connected with God

3) the immediate karma of killing animals and future karma of meat industry on environment is avoided

4) prasadam frees one of previous karma

5) the devotees purify their consciousness from material effects

6) the devotees awaken love of God

Raja Dharma Prabhu:

One hospital worker shared her realization that life is just hanging on very thin string. Recently Anon, a 61-year old sitar player, who was part of the congregation, was seen by the devotees one evening, but then the next day died of a stroke. He was not so much attached to this world, and when he left his body, his son was reading Brahma-samhita to him has he looked at his home Deities.

Srila Prabhupada stresses that people do not take spiritual life seriously until they realize the life is actually full of miseries.

Without being detached, you cannot you give proper guidance. Therefore, the brahmanas were meant to be detached.

Tapana Misra and Candrasekhara Acarya were considered kanistha adhikaris or on the neophyte stage because they could not defeat the blaspheme of the Mayavadi sannyasis against Lord Caitanya.

We are grabbing toys that give us a little temporary satisfaction but when the body is diseased we come to understand that these little adjustments will not satisfy us.

Krishna, love of Krishna, and service to Krishna is real wealth.

Some say the story that Narada told Valmiki to say to “Mara” because he couldn’t say “Rama” is erroneous because “Mara” is a Bengali word not a Sanskrit one and that perhaps a Bengali translator concocted it.

Nrsimhananda IDS Prabhu:

In history, those who have been famous for centuries, all have some connection with religion.

Krishna out of kindness curbs the pride of devotees who are proud of becoming famous by putting them in a condition where they are treated as less than ordinary people.

To be enthusiastic in the material world, we have to run toward some goal. Two classes of people exist. The materialistic class, in modern times, exalt sex life as the highest enjoyment, but it is not difficult to see dedicating one’s life to chase it results in frustration. The spiritualist instead runs toward God. To discover who I am and what is my relationship with God is a lofty goal that the animal has no access to. The spiritual path is exciting to follow even before the goal is reached, just as we are excited to go on vacation, even before we get to our destination. All religions are based on scriptures which teach us how to behave properly, so we can become free from the limitations of material existence, and return to the kingdom of God. The Kali-yuga tends to drag us down and thus we must be dedicated to protecting the four pillars of religion in our own life. When we are negligent in that, we lose enthusiasm, and wander on the mental platform. It is easy to find oneself meditating on money instead of meditating on Krishna. We think we need all these different things to be Krishna conscious which are not actually necessary.

In reality we have nothing we really possess. All we have to offer Krishna is our feelings. Without meditating on Krishna, we cannot offer our feelings to Krishna. We cannot give our attention fully to two things at once. For example, if your mouth is full of food, you cannot chant Hare Krishna. Krishna can concentrate on everyone at once, but we cannot.

When we chant japa, we are not in the center. It a personal offering to one person, Krishna. Imagine you have a friend who is sick and you go to him and perform service for him for two hours a day, just think how that will enhance your relationship with them! It is like that with Krishna, when we concentrate attentively on japa.

RadhamadhavaHari das: After taking prasadam, Brahmani Jannah Scott handed over a paper towel soaked with warm water, and asked me to clean the table.

Kuli Mela Organizers: Plese see the KulimeLA 2009 posters with schedule of events, registration info etc

Nrsimhananda das: David spent occassional time with me at the Pyramid House. At first, he was reluctant to enter the house. We would meet outside. Gradually, he became comfortable enough to come in and hang out in the presence of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

In the purport to 1.12.24 Srila Prabhupada expertly and poetically states the importance of association. He writes: "foolish people do not know that association is the cause of acquiring qualities. Association with fire makes an object hot, even in the material sense. Therefore, association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes one qualified like the Lord?To follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord."

Pariksit Dasa: Please attend this auspicious event, shower your mercy on the city of Harrisburg, and make this event a very memorable beginning

By Ekalavya Das

World Holy Name Week 2009 begins on September 2nd and concludes on September 11th. This year, our theme is: “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's Sannyasa”

By Madhava Smullen

Shyama Priya Dasi, the driving force behind ISKCON’s Prison Ministry, passed away on April 16, 2009 in Gainesville, Florida, after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

1968 June 7: "Your 'SWAMIJI' book may be interesting only to admirers and disciples. There are so many tape records of my speeches, you can select some of them. I think that will be better for attracting the general public."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

By Basu Ghosh Das

Kaviraj Prabhu was a responsible grihasta. He had imbibed the philosophy of "Krishna Consciousness" and vedic culture, he was quite intelligent and intellectual, and we developed some camaraderie.

1968 June 7: "Don't mind about the visa. It is Krishna's desire and blessings; as a Sannyasin, I should not fix up at a certain place and take your service comfortably. Krishna wants me traveling throughout the whole Western world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 June 7: "We are all eternal family members of the Lord. We are all gathering together in families of Krishna. In this Krishna Consciousness Movement we are trying to establish a replica of Krishna's family in this material world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 7: "The ocean is the father-in-law of Visnu, because Laksmi was born by the churning of the ocean. So Laksmi, being the daughter of the ocean, the ocean will help in spreading the glories of the ocean's daughter and son-in-law."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 7: "So the roar of your Sankirtana in Hawaii will soon be heard in the neighboring places, including Japan and Hong Kong. Concentrate your energies now in Hawaii and in the future we shall establish a center in Japan."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1968 June 7: "Your 'SWAMIJI' book may be interesting only to admirers and disciples. There are so many tape records of my speeches, you can select some of them. I think that will be better for attracting the general public."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 June 7: "Don't mind about the visa. It is Krishna's desire and blessings; as a Sannyasin, I should not fix up at a certain place and take your service comfortably. Krishna wants me traveling throughout the whole Western world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1969 June 7: "We are all eternal family members of the Lord. We are all gathering together in families of Krishna. In this Krishna Consciousness Movement we are trying to establish a replica of Krishna's family in this material world."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 7: "The ocean is the father-in-law of Visnu, because Laksmi was born by the churning of the ocean. So Laksmi, being the daughter of the ocean, the ocean will help in spreading the glories of the ocean's daughter and son-in-law."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 7: "So the roar of your Sankirtana in Hawaii will soon be heard in the neighboring places, including Japan and Hong Kong. Concentrate your energies now in Hawaii and in the future we shall establish a center in Japan."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1971June 7: "All my senior disciples are requesting me to revive my translating work and I would like to do so for the remaining days of my life. So you have to help me to get Srimad-Bhagavatam done as quickly as possible."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1974 June 7: "Do not worry about past fall downs. There is nothing to worry about, simply yourself be ideal to all the devotees there by chanting as much as possible and following carefully all the regulative principles."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 June 7: "So let him go on as he is doing; Krsna is giving him all facility and without question he is doing more than any sannyasi by his personally distributing hundreds of books day after day and inspiring others to follow."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1971June 7: "All my senior disciples are requesting me to revive my translating work and I would like to do so for the remaining days of my life. So you have to help me to get Srimad-Bhagavatam done as quickly as possible."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1974 June 7: "Do not worry about past fall downs. There is nothing to worry about, simply yourself be ideal to all the devotees there by chanting as much as possible and following carefully all the regulative principles."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 June 7: "So let him go on as he is doing; Krsna is giving him all facility and without question he is doing more than any sannyasi by his personally distributing hundreds of books day after day and inspiring others to follow."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Bhajan in Budapest, 30 May 2009

I was just thinking how lucky we are to have the holy names, we maybe don't give the real and necessary value to Harinam sankirtan but this is so necessary nowadays. There are always some catastrophes happening around us and we, as devotees, feel compassionate towards other people, but we can't do much....maybe the level of our advancement is not so high that every living entity we see we talk about Krsna and preach His glories, if we could do it then maybe we could help relieve the distress some people feel in this material world.
We have the holy names and we are happy just to know we depend on these names, we can take shelter anytime and we will always see our relationship with the Lord increasing. Each day we take our beads we give the first step to this connection and if we insist on making this relationship serious by avoiding offenses...we easily can come into the namabhasa stage and by constant practice, our taste for japa will go deeper and offenseless stage can be achieved.
The Lord is there waiting for us and He is eager to establish this connection with us, He is ready to share His love and have a heart to heart association with us.
One day someone asked me what love is and how can we perceive when we feel love, then I said that love is when we have the great desire to serve the other, so we become humble towards that person and we just want to please through our activities - just like mother Yasoda, Srimate Radharani, and even Srila Prabhupada who dedicated his time to serve us all by giving us Krsna consciouness, what can we do to pay this debit to him...maybe just by following his instructions of chanting the holy names, following the 4 regulative principles and being in association of devotees. Krsna is our only shelter and He can come from Vrindavan to your room just to give you His association, the only thing you have to do is to welcome Him with love and devotion, by opening the door of your heart and letting Him enter to stay....paying attention on every syllable of His name and by doing this He will never leave and will remain in your place.

I wish you a very nice weekend and hope that you can establish your connection with Krsna through chanting today and that you can be able to feel Him at your side. He is attracted by your devotion, always remember that.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Here in Govinda Valley, Australia during the Benediction Moon Retreat we are blessed with the most wonderful opportunity to fully absorb ourselves for an entire weekend in doing nothing but hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is truly no sweeter nectar than this. Even Krishna, to increase His own happiness,...

Another successful cookery class took place yesterday at Govinda's Restaurant in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Here's our crew all poised and ready for action.

One of the highlights of the day was cooking chapatis. These delectable, warm comfort food breads were wrapped around lashings of matar panir, lemon rice, toor dal with sweet potato and okra, spinach and yogurt raita, and a fiery "too hot to bear but too sweet to resist" apple chutney.

More photos taken by students are expected to arrive in my email in-box today, so I'll share them with you soon. In the meantime, here's the recipe for chapatis.

Tender Griddle-baked Wholewheat Flatbreads (Chapatis)

Chapatis are one of India's most popular breads. They are enjoyed especially in the northern and central regions of India. They are partially cooked on a hot griddle and finished over an open-heat source. Chapatis are made from special wholemeal flour called atta, available from Indian grocers. If unavailable, substitute sifted wholemeal flour. You can spread melted butter or ghee on the chapatis after they are cooked.

Chapatis are usually served at lunch or dinner and are great whether served with a 5-course dinner or just with a simple dal and salad. Makes 12 chapatis.

2 cups sifted atta flour ½ teaspoon salt (optional) water extra flour for dusting melted butter or ghee for serving

Combine the chapati flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add up to 2/3 cup of water, slowly pouring in just enough to form a soft, kneadable dough. Turn the dough onto a clean working surface and knead for about 8 minutes or until silky-smooth. Cover with an overturned bowl and leave for ½ - 3 hours.

Knead the dough again for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 1 dozen portions. Roll them into smooth balls and cover with a damp cloth.

Preheat a griddle or non-stick heavy frying pan over moderately low heat for 3 - 4 minutes. Flatten a ball of dough, dredge it in flour, and carefully roll out the ball into a thin, perfectly even, smooth disk of dough about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter.

Pick up the chapati and slap it between your hands to remove the excess flour. Slip it onto the hot plate, avoiding any wrinkles. Cook for about 1 minute on the first side. The top of the chapati should start to show small bubbles. Turn the chapati over with tongs. Cook it until small brown spots appear on the underside (about minute).

Turn on a gas jet, pick up the chapati with your tongs, and hold it about 5 cm (2 inches) over the flame. It will swell into a puffy balloon. Continue to cook the chapati until it is speckled with black flecks. Place the cooked chapati in a bowl or basket, cover with a clean tea towel or cloth, and continue cooking the rest of the chapatis.

Serve: when they're all cooked and stacked, you might like to butter them. Serve chapatis hot for best results or cover and keep warm in a preheated warm oven for up to ½ hour.

I had five days with no headaches, and was ready to declare myself completely healthy and ready for a life of traveling and lecturing. That’s premature optimism. But I do want to serve You, and a way to do that is by remaining active. The way to do that is to start with an active “card.” A desire to be active and permission from our doctor or health-care specialist. Surely I can get some kind of “card.” If not a fulltime one, then a parttime one. They get issued if you just have the desire and enthusiasm. “I’d like a service card.” I just ask You, Lord, and You give me one.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami - June 6, 2:27 A.M.

I woke up at 11:30 P.M. last night, and then woke up again at 12:30 and at 1:30. I finally got up a little after 2:00 A.M. So there were interruptions. Now I’m ready to go. I’m going to call Narayana and try to start a good morning’s japa.

3:36 A.M.

Early-morning japa log

I finished eight rounds. My mind was not fixed on the chanting of the holy names. I was diverted to thinking of a news item. I was thinking of President Obama’s change of policy in his decision not to release torture pictures of detainees. He had formerly decided to release them, but after talking with generals, he changed his policy. The paper said that this was a pragmatic decision, and they prasied him for changing his stance from his usual policy of admitting wrongs and asking forgiveness, which he has been doing. I mulled over this in my mind for four rounds. There was even a picture of the torture in one of the newsmagazines. This was unusual for me because I usually stay fixed on just the sound vibration and accumulating the numbers. I did mostly do that. I kept track of my timing and the numerical strength. I chanted at a rate of under seven rounds per minute. I was chanting in my mind with barely audible sounds. I got up early this morning, and so I’ll be able to do more than eight rounds before Narayana comes up at 5:00 A.M. I hope to do better rounds than the first eight. Get that extraneous stuff off your mind and “just hear.”

Japa essay

Japa is meant to be concentration on the syllables of the Hare Krishna mantra, hearing the words “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama” and thinking of Radha and Krishna. An errant chanter allows his mind to drift off into worldly topics and to wander all over the universe. This is offensive chanting. When you chant the mantras side by side with worldly thoughts, you still get the benefit of the chanting, as Ajamila got the benefit of chanting the name of his son, Narayana. You can be cleansed from your sinful reactions even with offensive chanting. But you cannot gain love of Krishna by that kind of chanting. Love of Krishna comes in the offenseless stage when your mind is fixed on Radha and Krishna and is free of worldly dross. The more you read news magazines or watch television, the more likely you’ll be to think of those things when it’s time to chant. A good japa chanter keeps his mind chaste without indulging in worldly activities and worldly topics. But do we need to keep informed of the world we live in? Isn’t it important to know of the emergencies and catastrophes and political topics? The answer is no. Prabhupada was once browsing through a Time magazine when his servant came into the room. Prabhupada pushed the magazine aside and said, “They make the illusion seem so real.” All the pictures and expertly written articles make you think that this is the reality, whereas actually, it is not. Reality is that we are Krishna’s servants, but that by misuse of free will, we have been put into this world, which is like a prison. All the prisoners are interacting on a false platform. Nationalistic propaganda and wars are fought in the realm of maya. They have a reality, but they are temporary and therefore false. The plane of true reality is the eternal soul’s attempt to get free of temporary history, which takes place in the cycle of repeated birth and death. Freedom from the temporary “reality” is gained by turning to Krishna, our eternal master, and engaging in spiritual servitorship. In the age of Kali, the only way to do this is by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Chanting Hare Krishna while engaging in material activities is like pouring water while trying to light a fire. Pure devotees teach the world that political affairs are maya and that we should engage our energy strictly in the service of the Lord. Those who have been informed of the reality and are convinced of it from Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic texts should preach Krishna consciousness and keep aloof of material news while concentrating on their chanting.

What is real?

The daily news, as reported on TV,

or the news of the spiritual world?

Devotees avoid the temporary news

and pay attention to the eternal.

The daily news is a shifting phantasmagoria,

a world of names and Maya’s puppets.

They read the news as Srimad-Bhagavatam

where the truth personified

frees us from the shadows

Of the temporary show.

They chant God’s names

and release themselves from material bondage

by the transcendental sound of Truth. The few who know this

should stay true to the process

and tell everyone they meet the difference between the shadow and the light.

6:14 A.M.

The sky is completely overcast. We went for a walk, and there were light sprinkles of mist. A woman just pulled up on a bicycle that Narayana said cost $2,000, a Cannondale with shock absorbers. She is sitting on the white beach bench with her legs crossed, looking out at the sea. A few cars are parked with the drivers sitting inside. A policeman was here in his car drinking coffee. Chanting while walking was good, but it’s harder for me when we sit inside the car. I have just one more round to chant for my minimum quota of sixteen. It’s good to chant over sixteen, and I’ll do that later today. The woman with the $2,000 bicycle just locked the bicycle to a post and is going for a walk. She has gathered with some other friends, and they are doing exercises.

I can’t think of anything to say. I’d like to say something Krishna conscious, but the group of exercisers is distracting me. A man is demonstrating positions, but only one woman is watching him, and she is drinking a cup of coffee and not exercising. Now two little boys have come out of the man’s truck, and he has given them soccer balls to play with. They are really too small to play with the balls and are more occupied with sand pails.

I’d really like to preach. Krishna consciousness is more important than beach play or exercise. If I were bolder, I’d go out and tell the man something about Krishna. But he is so occupied with showing exercises to the women and overseeing his two little boys that I don’t think I’d make much progress. Now another woman cyclist has joined them, and about six of them are doing exercises. It’s a complete distraction, all right in front of our van. He’s leading them in deep knee bends now, and his two little boys are wandering off. It’s not a good day for me to make Krishna conscious reflections in my journal. The Saturday exercise group has stolen the show. Let’s get out of here.

8:00 A.M.

“My Funny Valentine.” The girl isn’t so pretty, but he doesn’t want her to change. He likes her the way she is. Miles Davis plays it without a mute. Our lover doesn’t have to be ideal. We like her just the way she is. This is romantic. So he’s calling her his funny valentine. In the spiritual world, the valentines are all very pretty, and so this song doesn’t apply. In the material world, you have to settle for imperfection. But if she’s a nice girl and virtuous in other ways, you love her just the way she is. Radha’s no funny valentine. When She speaks, it’s perfect. Her features are perfect. But this song is very nice, the way Miles is playing it with such style. He’s a great stylist, and the meaning of the song kind of fades away. You just think of his lyrical playing, and that’s what’s spiritual. He takes it at a mid-tempo and then slows it down. In this world, we should accept each other with our imperfections and not expect that we’re like Radha and Krishna or that we’re in the spiritual world. Take devotees as they are, with their physical lack of beauty and their lack of spiritual perfection. You can’t expect them to be like Krishna and the gopis. But there is a world where everything is perfect and the valentines are not funny. There is such a world where the beauty is unexcelled and you don’t have to settle for less. In this world, we have to be compassionate. Miles has got a great tenor saxophonist playing behind him. I think it’s Wayne Shorter, and he’s swinging, too, taking the music to perfection. The jazz piece is not a funny valentine. It’s an ideal piece of music, executed to perfection, about a girl who’s not so pretty but whom he loves just the way she is. Is that realistic? Yes, it can be. And people shouldn’t expect material perfection in the material world. They should be compassionate and love for virtuous qualities. Recognizing our homely imperfections, we can worship the all-beautiful ones in Krishna Loka.

My Funny Valentine

by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

My funny Valentine
Sweet comic Valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable
Yet you're my favorite work of art.

Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little Valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine's Day

“Reincarnation of a Love Bird.” Transmigration of the soul. You may be born next time as a love bird. What’s a love bird? It could be a bird in the spiritual world. One of those birds that looks down from the trees in meditation at Radha and Krishna. They close their eyes. Charlie Mingus playing, thumping on his bass, and an alto sax in lively jazz. Jazz has a bad reputation. But it’s lovely music. The word “reincarnation” is intriguing. It’s a Krishna conscious concept. And here it is in Charlie Mingus’ piece. What’s he thinking of? We’ll tell you what we’re thinking of, how we interpret it. We interpret it that it’s a spirit soul being reborn in the spiritual world as a love bird there. That’s how we want to think of it. Not as a scroungy bird in this world who drops turds on your car. But a love bird. The piano is so nice. The musicians have bad habits, but they don’t play with bad habits. They play impeccably. The spirit soul was reincarnated. It took another birth. It perfected itself and went to the spiritual world. It became a love bird. Sukadeva Goswami was Radharani’s parrot. It plays nice and smooth. The music makes you think of elevated things. Makes you want to make that interpretation about the spiritual world. That’s your Krishna conscious creativity at work. Charlie Mingus takes his bass solo, and the piano tinkles softly behind him. It makes you think nice thoughts. What more could you ask than that? They’re playing it for themselves and for us. They’re giving us a great gift.

“A Piece,” by Charlie Mingus. Here he’s playing it with his bow, and the horns are playing hauntingly behind him. The piano is lovely. All the instrumentalists are combining together to make a nice sound. There’s a trumpet, too. Charlie Mingus has nice groups. They play with a spirit of the church. Blues and roots. Get a little in your soul. They stretch out a nice ballad, and we go along with it, letting it take us to a spiritual place, where we like to meditate. For us, that means Krishna. He’s our worshipable Deity. So when we hear nice music, we think of Him. We thank the musicians for bringing us here. They may not know where they’re taking us, but in our hearts, we want to go to Krishna, and so we say they’re taking us there. That bow on the bass is like Bach. It’s like Brahms. It’s like something holy. It’s quiet and soft and makes us relax. When we relax, we think of Krishna. We chant the Hare Krishna mantra. We thank Charlie Mingus for leading us to think of Krishna in this way. We thank him for this piece of music, which he and his band play so well together. It makes us feel so happy and sublime. We sit back in our chair. The bass is thumping quietly, relaxedly, and the alto also is taking it at a relaxed pace. It makes us feel fine. It’s a transforming state. Music can do that for you, especially this music. It’s “Reincarnation of the Love Bird” again. Just relax, Prabhu, and don’t worry about matter or spirit. Just take it for what you want to take it for and don’t worry about critics or criticisms. You love it in your way, and no one can take that from you. Charles Mingus is a fine musician. He gave us this piece, and we’re grateful.

10:30 A.M.

My Dear Lord Krishna...

I’m not doing so well physically, Lord. The doctor says the shoulder may take months to heal, and I started a new pattern of headaches two days ago. Narayana warns me that I’m working too hard and spending the day with too-early japa and too much repertoire of writing without enough rest during the day. He warns me I’m fragile and can’t take the pushing. He says I’ll just push myself into headaches and fatigue.

Maybe he’s right. I had five days with no headaches, and was ready to declare myself completely healthy and ready for a life of traveling and lecturing. That’s premature optimism. But I do want to serve You, and a way to do that is by remaining active. The way to do that is to start with an active “card.” A desire to be active and permission from our doctor or health-care specialist. Surely I can get some kind of “card.” If not a fulltime one, then a parttime one. They get issued if you just have the desire and enthusiasm. “I’d like a service card.” I just ask You, Lord, and You give me one.

Now I have to use it with some restraint and discrimination. I see so many handicapped people remaining active. Some even have to do it from a wheelchair, or even a bed. They do what they can. One way You test us, Lord, is to restrict us and see if we still take on some service according to our capability. Even injured athletes with not so much religion perform exercises to get themselves back into shape, and by determination, they regain their capacity. Why shouldn’t a devotee have even more determination to return to his service?

You sometimes give us service that doesn’t really require so much physical capability. Chanting japa can be done by an invalid, even a paraplegic. Making and offering requires spirit and can be performed with limited physical abilities. One should not get depressed and give up attempts at devotional service just because one is physically limited.

And You, Lord, accept the services of the handicapped person just as happily as You accept the service of the healthy person. There is no difference whatsoever in Your good will in acceping the service of a well or sick devotee. So physically (or mentally) ill devotees should never think they are at a disadvantage in advancing in pure devotional service.

But we are naturally more glad to serve You with full health because we can work harder and longer. It is not wrong, therefore, to pray for health, as long as we add the condition to the prayer, “Please make me well, if You desire.” You are always taking care of us, in sickness or in health. You always have Your reasons for treating us as You desire, and it is always for our own good.

As I write this page (in my own handwriting), I am feeling the onset of a headache. I will take a medication and rest. I pray to You, not primarily to remove my pain but in gratitude that You keep me mentally sound to remain Your servant. You are my worshipable Lord, and my strongest emotion toward You is gratitude. Thank You for allowing me to worship You and serve You. Thank You for being who You are, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the friend and well-wisher of all living entities, especially Your devotees.

from #94→

We will be webcasting live from our special Sacred Sounds program tonight. Watch it right here! Program Starts at 6:30pm EDT until 11:30pm EDT.

Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 6, Texts 16-19 by Guruprasad Swami.

Dallas, TX
2009-04-17

16 - TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: When the Lord was thus offered prayers by the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, He understood the purpose for which they had approached Him. Therefore, in a deep voice that resembled the rumbling of clouds, the Lord replied to the demigods, who all stood there attentively with folded hands.

17 - TRANSLATION

Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the demigods, was capable of performing the activities of the demigods by Himself, He wanted to enjoy pastimes in churning the ocean. Therefore He spoke as follows.

18 - TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other demigods, please hear Me with great attention, for what I say will bring good fortune for all of you.

19 - TRANSLATION

As long as you are not flourishing, you should make a truce with the demons and asuras, who are now being favored by time.

PURPORT

One word in this verse has two readings -- kalena and kavyena. Kalena means "favored by time," and kavyena means "favored by Sukracarya," Sukracarya being the spiritual master of the Daityas. The demons and Daityas were favored in both ways, and therefore the demigods were advised by the Supreme Lord to execute a truce for the time being, until time favored them.

Download: 2009-04-17 - Guruprasad Swami - SB 8.6.16-19.mp3

“Vrndavana life means attachment to Krsna. So if you can create that central attachment to Krsna…then you can create Vrndavana anywhere” (Lecture, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6,8, 10 Dec 1975) The other day I was feeling a little morose and so was trying to motivate myself which when you do not have any devotees close by can be [...]

Japa should be done in a composed way, without being frantic or losing track of your count. If you lose track of your count, then you have to arbitrarily set a new count and just go on with that. Make the best of the bad situation. Try to do your best, giving the benefit of the doubt to the count rather than to cheat. It’s always best not to cheat Krishna in your japa.

Taken from Bhajana Kutir #93

The Gospel of the Nazarenes

For more info click here

Imagine if there is someone to whom your life is so important that he or she:

- Prays for your success and protection every single day
- Listens to you for hours with a genuine interest
- Believes in your sincerity, talents and abilities
- Gives you as many material resources as he can
- Often thinks about how you can succeed in various areas
- Is always there for you as much as possible
- Will never reject you
- Is open to learn from your realizations and experience
- Is ready to do for you everything he can without expecting anything in return
- Sees you as a precious soul who is very dear to Krsna (God)

Would it be nice to have someone like this in your life?

Such people might be around you.

Our next live broadcast, with HG Brhat Mrdanga das will be tomorrow, Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 1:00pm EST for Seminar 2! We look forward to seeing you there!

Sometimes people mistake the kindness of devotees to mean that they are out to get something from the persons they are preaching to. Perhaps a conversion bonus: “For every convert you bring in you will get a $20 dollar gift card or a free toaster oven or what have you” or more commonly people sometimes [...]

EDITORS NOTE: Sunday June 7th CBS will premiere “Faith, Culture and Music” which features As Kindred Spirits. Click here to find you local show time.

CBS contacted us to find out if they would include a segment about our band in their upcoming show on religious music. We invited them to follow us around on one of our typical show days, which, as usual, was atypical. We gave a kirtan workshop and performance as part of the yoga teacher training course our friends, Raghunath and Sondra, were offering in beautiful Hudson, NY. During the day, Gaura taught Raghunath and Sondra’s students the lyrics to “Krishna Murari,” while Yamuna showed them some garba steps to a rocking kirtan.

In the afternoon, the CBS crew interviewed Gaura, Acyuta, Janaki and Ananta, as sixty people stood in the tiny hall of Sandana Yoga waiting to claim a spot for the evening kirtan show. Whew! Talk about crunch time!

All the guests eventually squeezed on through, the kirtan was roaring, and CBS got some great footage for their show. The show is called “Faith, Music and Culture” and will be broadcast Sunday, June 7 on the CBS Television Network nationwide.

Listen to the entire Kirtan!

To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.

• 01 Raghunath - Hey Govinda Hari Murari (45)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (31)
• 03 Acyuta Gopi - Hare Krishna (56)

Astottara-sata Dasa (Alexander Petroff) is an American second generation devotee of Krishna who spent his childhood at the rural ISKCON farm community, Gita-nagari nestled in the beautiful countryside of Port Royal, Pennsylvania, USA. These days Astottara-sata, son of Hare Krsna Dasi, spends a lot of his time in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he is the founder and President of Working Villages International (WVI). Working Villages International is a non-profit organization dedicated to building self-sufficient, environmentally sustainable villages.

Living For Yesterday
by SriKalachandra Das

For more, click here to check out Matchless Gifts Conscious Arts (MGCA)

Her eyes seem so transparent
where have you gone
lost in a network of thoughts
thinking so long

swimming in an ocean of flaunts
the same old song
and your proclamation staunch
to budge you would be wrong

Some stay in the dark
living for yesterday

Some take movement
with direction
with great care
to make ends meet
but to reject
your reflection
and plug your ears
when eternity speaks

To what
do we give our attention
to what
do we sleep
so much gain to mention
but what do you keep
what do you keep

Some stay in the dark
living for yesterday

The time is now
use your plow
and sow them seeds
grow them trees
that reach the clouds

Its the art of allowing
a satisfied battle cry
so alive
when you're devout

And the flute will lead you to a land
where every walk is a dance
and every word is a song

What students have been learning in MI's Bhakti-Sastri course is real knowledge for the soul. The Bhakti-Sastri degree, originally conceived by ISKCON's founder Srila Prabhupada, is a course where students systematically study key literature in the Gaudiya Vasihnava tradition. It is a metaphorical “Bhakti Bank” in that it's an investment of time and energy.The interest that accumulates is bhakti or love.

On April 22-25, 2009, at a convention center just outside Washington, D.C., members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) met for their annual national convention and trade show. Amid the booths of vendors of furniture, ice machines, accounting software, and just about everything else related to the hospitality industry, stood a booth of a different kind, in which a group of earnest volunteers passed out copies of Bhagavad-Gita and made a humble request to the assembled hotel and motel owners: “Please let us provide copies of Bhagavad-Gita to place in your rooms alongside the Gideons Bibles.”

Things have been so busy at Toronto's Hare Krishna Community that it's almost too much to keep track of. This Sunday, June 7th, 2009 we have a special surprise up our sleeves for you!

A surprise festival, which has never been celebrated at ISKCON Toronto (at least not for a long time), will be celebrated in grand fashion this Sunday! The only hint we will give is the picture in this post! Can you guess the surprise festival based on the picture?

Also, just as an exciting heads-up, we have some very special guests who will be joining us this Sunday for this festival, including: HH Bhaktimarga Swami, HG Kratu das, HG Brhat Mrdanga das and HG Atmarama das (known for his enchanting kirtan, which you can sample below!).

Leave a comment and guess the festival which will be celebrated this Sunday! We will put up a post later on today with full details! (Hint: The festival is being celebrated this weekend somewhere in the United States this weekend. This city is located in a state famous for its peaches).

Recently, Food For Life Slovenia was present at 'Škisova tržnica' the biggest Slovenian students' clubs festival with more than 3o.ooo students in attendance. Twenty volunteers prepared and distributed thousands of cookies, sandwichs, puris and papadams to students and participants.

The Council for the Indian Secondary Certificate of Education (CISCE) released their final exam results recently and ISKCON Vrindavana's Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and International School (BGIS) students in the 10th and 12th grade had a 100% pass rate.

ISKCON's Krishna Valley self-sufficient rural project in Hungary now attracts 30,000 tourists per year. Why did these young people turn to a natural and simple life? What is the mission of their community? Gaura-Sakti Dasa, the president of Krishna Valley ISKCON community, answers these questions for Krishna Valley Magazine (published by Manorama Dasa, Hungarian Society for Krishna Consciousness).

On May 21, 2009 the Board of Directors of Prabhupada Village (Sandy Ridge, North Carolina) decided to affiliate with ISKCON, thereby joining the greater communities of ISKCON temples throughout the world. Tamohara Dasa was selected as the GBC representative.

Something old or something new, this question lies at the center of a friendly rivalry between me and my friends from England. Americans loves firsts. The first automobile, the first airplane flight, the first man on the moon, America is a nation built on firsts. England on the other hand is a country that revels in maintaining the old. St. Michael’s Tower in Oxford dates from 1040.

Social networking is a big thing but is also a way of keeping in touch with devotees, one of the leaders is Indradyumna Swami with his diaries and posting: But it is also nice to see him on the Facebook, at the moment he is in Baku, Azerbaijan and has posted 80+ photos from his visit [...]

The topics of samadhi, constant remembrance, and meditation are often used as alternative terms for "Krsna consciousness." This non-stop awareness of Krsna is nicely referred to by Srila Prabhupada in this way: "To follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord. The Lord is not a material object whose presence one has to feel for such association. The Lord is present everywhere and at all times.

read more

A number of Sanskrit words familiar to all Kṛṣṇa devotees have become incorporated into Standard English. “Karma,” “mantra,” “yoga,” “avatar”—all grace the pages of current dictionaries, and show up in contemporary writings innocent of any italics, the ID statutorily pinned on foreign words. These words belong. Among them, “avatar” shines most radiantly in the spotlights of popular attention. Just last week The New York Times took note: “Fan Fever is Rising for Debut of ‘Avatar.’”

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

Hare Krishna chanters…

Mathura: It could be a page from history, but it turns out to be a lesson in civics. As an NGO embarks upon restoring water bodies in the area of land known as Brajbhoomi, folklore and legend form the route to some serious green activity. Centred in Mathura-Agra, Brajbhoomi, or Lord Krishna’s land, stretches to the north till Gurgaon in Haryana and Bharatpur in Rajasthan to the west.

The appointment of renowned "anti-cultists" and controversial scholars of Islam to a government body allocated sweeping powers to investigate religious organisations has provoked an unprecedented outcry from many religious representatives and human rights defenders, Forum 18 News Service notes. Particularly striking opposition to the Justice Ministry's Expert Council for Conducting State Religious-Studies Expert Analysis has come from the Union of Old Believer Theologians, a group not directly threatened.

Reporting from Cairo -- President Obama's sweeping call Thursday for a "new beginning" between the United States and the Islamic world was greeted by Muslims of many countries as a conciliatory gesture aimed at setting aside suspicion and moving ahead on problems that include terrorism and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The following is a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 06 June 2009 at ISKCON Ujjain.

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

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Canto 3: The Status Quo - Chapter 12: Creation of the Kumāras and Others The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa - Verse 47

The following is a Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 06 June 2009 at ISKCON Ujjain. To download the lecture, right click on the download link and choose either ldquo;Save link asrdquo; or ldquo;Save target asrdquo; Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Canto 3: The Status Quo - Chapter 12: Creation of the Kumāras and Others The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa - Verse 47

We all tell ourselves stories. We build an elaborate story that encompasses the whole universe and our place within the universe, and this story gives our life a sense of meaning and purpose which protects us from the terror of isolation, meaninglessness, and ultimately death.

The stories we tell ourselves help us to makes sense out of an apparently senseless world. A cold an uncaring world, full of misery and death. Even the stories about the meaningless of the world are a kind of explanation that provide some degree of comfort.

We spend the majority of lives trying escape the brute realities of existence. Nothing is more terrifying than coming face to face with these existential issues. When we are confronted with death it often times forces us face our own mortality, if only for a very brief time.

Another way that we are often forced to deal with existential issues is when our story is no longer adequate, when it no longer works as an explanation for the universe and our place in it. Often times when this happens one will succumb to an existential despair. If our story doesn't work, then we are forced to confront that fact that there may not be any ultimate meaning in the world, that it is a chaotic mess of suffering. Usually what happens is we quickly find a new story, or modify the old one.

Stories, like most illusions, provide some pleasure or comfort but they are a double edged sword. If our sense of meaning, fulfillment, and happiness are based on a story of how our life is supposed to be then we are on shaky ground, and we run the risk of finding ourselves in a very difficult situation.

My recent life change has forced me to re-evaluate the story I've been telling myself for quite a while now. At times I've experienced that ultimate existential terror, that there is no meaning to life, that all the stories we tell ourselves are just illusions and at other times I've been tempted to tell myself a new story to make sense of new situation in life.

The truth lies in between these extremes. There is an ultimate meaning and purpose to the universe, but that much of the meaning and purpose that we ascribe to our life is illusory.

Krishna consciousness is a little different from Western religions in that it acknowledges the true nature of material existence. The Bhagavad gita says that knowledge is to see the suffering caused by birth death, old age, and disease. It sums up the whole material world as temporary and miserable.

It tells us that calamities will come, and they will come often. The major epics that most influenced India culture for thousands of years are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. These are books full of tragedy. The main characters undergo one difficulty after another. A culture based on these stories would not have a rosy view of life.

The Vedic literature gives us a perspective of the suffering of the material world and of transcendence. Although the world is full of suffering there is an ultimate meaning and purpose. They honestly address existential issues without succumbing to the despair of atheism.

Atheism is what happens when a person fails to find meaning in the world. When someone says "I don't believe in God." What they are really saying is "I can't see how there is any ultimate purpose to creation." When someone says "I believe in God." What they are really saying is that I trust there is an ultimate meaning and purpose in the world."

If you talk to most atheists eventually it always comes to the fact of suffering.

Friday 5 June 2009--Tonight we are heading out to beautiful Govinda Valley south of Sydney for a two day retreat to focus on the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The retreat organizers have titled the retreat "Benediction Moon" and have asked me to come to be the speaker. I am accepting this as the greatest blessing to laser focus my consciousness...

1966 June 6:
"Tritiya. In the evening there was meeting. About more than 16 men & women attended. The meeting was very interesting one gentleman has taken a set of book. Altogether five sets distributed out of 16."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1967 June 6: "The difficulties of life come as seasonal changes but we should not be disturbed. Our process is to chant and that process will gradually clear everything in due course. There is nothing to be disrupted - go on with your work."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 June 6: "Receive one and all as our Master, and serve them with prasadam as diet and Krishna Kirtana as medicine for being free from materially disease. Follow this principle and Krishna will help us on our onward march."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1969 June 6: "The devotees there are very sincere, and upon your joining them, they will be very much encouraged. So please read our books very carefully, and as soon as there is some question you can ask me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 6: "I have seen in the gas station that there are two rooms, so if one room could be used for kitchen, then the other could be utilized as temple room, and the house would serve as an asrama for devotees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1972 June 6: "I am very grateful to you for your kind article, 'Prabhupada: India's National Hero.' Anyone who is rendering service by preaching is to be considered as hero. So you are all heroes of your country and of humanity."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1975 June 6: "I am writing to find out what has happened with the Fiji affair. What has happened to the registration of the society? When I left it was settled up but I have not heard from you and I am anxious to know what is the situation there."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

1972 June 6: "So you all become perfect examples of Krishna Consciousness heroes and heroines, and preach the message exactly as I have taught it. We shall all be like one great army of heroes for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

A Full Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today held that courts could enter into “religious thicket” in case of a conflict. Comprising Justice JS Khehar, Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal, the Bench also concluded that “maintaining hair unshorn was an essential component of the Sikh religion”; and that admissions under the Sikh minority community quota could be restricted to candidates maintaining “Sikhi swarup” or keeping their hair unshorn.

1966 June 6:
"Tritiya. In the evening there was meeting. About more than 16 men & women attended. The meeting was very interesting one gentleman has taken a set of book. Altogether five sets distributed out of 16."
Prabhupada Journal :: 1966

1967 June 6: "The difficulties of life come as seasonal changes but we should not be disturbed. Our process is to chant and that process will gradually clear everything in due course. There is nothing to be disrupted - go on with your work."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 June 6: "Receive one and all as our Master, and serve them with prasadam as diet and Krishna Kirtana as medicine for being free from materially disease. Follow this principle and Krishna will help us on our onward march."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1969 June 6: "The devotees there are very sincere, and upon your joining them, they will be very much encouraged. So please read our books very carefully, and as soon as there is some question you can ask me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1969 June 6: "I have seen in the gas station that there are two rooms, so if one room could be used for kitchen, then the other could be utilized as temple room, and the house would serve as an asrama for devotees."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969

1972 June 6: "I am very grateful to you for your kind article, 'Prabhupada: India's National Hero.' Anyone who is rendering service by preaching is to be considered as hero. So you are all heroes of your country and of humanity."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 June 6: "So you all become perfect examples of Krishna Consciousness heroes and heroines, and preach the message exactly as I have taught it. We shall all be like one great army of heroes for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1975 June 6: "I am writing to find out what has happened with the Fiji affair. What has happened to the registration of the society? When I left it was settled up but I have not heard from you and I am anxious to know what is the situation there."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975

A New Punjabi Lady

North York, Ontario

The last surviving Titanic victim, Millvinia Dean, of Southampton, England, recently passed away at age 96. Such was the news as sent by "The Associated Press." At two months old she was placed in a bag and put onto a life-boat while her father passed away into the icy water back in April of 1912.

Today i attended along with my assistant monk Bhakta Dustin, a funeral for a dear, dear Punjabi lady. If anyone knows this communitythey are tightly bonded and come together in great numbers to support each other. The lady's name was Amrita Prasher and four generations of family participated. As preists of their community we were invited to conduct the chanting portion of the ceremony. I was asked to lead the chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" in front of the coffin which was carried by Amrita's surviving sons.

What was unique about the procession was that along the way to the crematorium fireworks were let off. This display was a way of saying that Amrita led a happy and full life. Her departure was glorius. Even the funeral director found the fireworks as a rarity- a first.

Naturally there were tears and wailing went on, but for the most part a happy closure was put to the life of a very nice Punjabi lady.

Toronto, Ontario

It has been my custom whenever someone new comes to the city to introduce them to one of the ravines of the city. It is always with beads in hand that we take on a trek through the tranquil greenery of urban madness. Today I took with me Dustin and Nitai Priya through one of the more challenging trails. Since they are my kind (nature buffs) I saw that they were fit for this very "physical" path.

It is the season of Ratha Yatra, the Chariot Festival. It has been my thirty-sixth year of the majestic wheels turning. The endeavor to host such a program requires funds. Part of the portfolio of a monk might be to fund raise but actually it is more like friend-raising. With a small car load of devotees we took to the suburban streets of Markham and made visitations to three prearranged homes. Our obligation was to sing and speak Bhagavat philosophy for a few brief moments. We also offered as gifts to those homeowners devotional subject matter and each place refreshments were given out of mutual love. Oh, yes, their donations would come and to deal with the practical aspect of things, a charitable donation receipt was given to the donor on the spot.

I thoroughly enjoy the making-friends part. The greatest difficulty always is being in a stuffy car en route somewhere. Foot travel is always superior.

5 Km

Old Woman Bay, Ontario

Etched on the edge of a large cliff on the bay of Lake Superior is the image of an old woman's face. That's how the bay east of the lake got its name. The long drive from Thunder Bay lead us to a much needed break at the vista of natural elements- rock, water, sky, mist, and sun. Our troop of eight decided to experience a trail taking us through a woodsy terrain. Two of us opted for extra rest. On went the rest.

We came upon an ancient man-made depression in a section of well-worn boulders. It was formerly a site for vision-questing. While chanting softly on our beads we admired the diversity of green vegetation. The sweet smells of the forest excited our nostrils. We were also curious to see if we could spot a moose on the loose. At least one foot-print revealed that one of these largest of the deer had recently roamed this quiet trail. We were out of luck to spot one on this challenging path but there were no regrets. The beauty of sites and each other's sanga or company, compensated for it. We had to be content to have seen a fox, a bear, a beaver and ravens on this trip. After two hours of trekking over jagged and smooth rocks, roots, twigs, carpets of moss, dry and soggy soil we headed south via our van.

We had secured a copy of the Chronicle Journal and cheered upon seeing Krishna on the front page. Our actor/dancer Nitai Priya captured the attention of the photographer as he clicked and digitally framed Gopal, the walking deity from the play "The Witness." We cheered again to see more photos on page three with a supporting article. We relished in the thought of the great response from participants in the Yoga fest the night before. During this moment of happiness, lo and behold, a robust-looking bull moose dodged our vehicle and as if in a dance, dashed his way into the safety of trees.

6 Km

"In the spiritual world, they don’t have dismal, cold, rainy days like this. Maybe it rains sometimes, but it is always pleasant, relieving a hot spell or producing beautiful rainbows. And there are no broken bones and rude secretaries. We want to go there. The material world is tolerable because we have devotee association, chanting of Hare Krishna, and hearing about Krishna’s pastimes. People who don’t have this drag along through unhappy lives with no knowledge of where they are going in the next life."

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami -June 5, 4:16 A.M.

I had a peaceful night, Woke up at 2:00 A.M. but stayed in bed until 4:00 A.M. Now I’m on the run. I called for Narayana, and he’s on his way up. I started my chanting, but we’ll leave a little late for the beach.

Early-morning japa log

I’ve been chanting fast, but I’ve lost the count of what round I’m on. I haven’t been playing attention so well either. This is all due to the lateness of my start. But I’m pushing on and figure I’m not really so far behind. I’ll have to arbitrarily assign the round that I’m on. I think I’ve finished four rounds. I’m chanting with a barely audible sound, but I’m hearing the mantras. I’m keeping awake and alert. Narayana has been kind to me. We decided that he’ll come up at 5:30 A.M., and I’ll take my shower then. We’ll leave for the beach late.

5:05 A.M.

Japa essay

Japa should be done in a composed way, without being frantic or losing track of your count. If you lose track of your count, then you have to arbitrarily set a new count and just go on with that. Make the best of the bad situation. Try to do your best, giving the benefit of the doubt to the count rather than to cheat. It’s always best not to cheat Krishna in your japa. When you don’t know the count, you’ll have to do it with a guess. The exact count is really not the most important thing. The important thing is chanting sincerely and with dedication. You can make up your count eventually later in the day, to make sure you’ve done your sixteen. My shoulder hurts, and that’s a distraction. But the most important thing is to move on sincerely. I’m doing the best I can. I beg that Krishna will forgive me for my discrepancies.

Old man, chant as you can

not as you can’t.

Hold the beads and keep alert.

Try to think of Radha and Krishna.

Remember, it’s not a mechanical act.

It’s a deep attempt at prayer.

This is your most important time, so give your all.

Don’t feel sorry that you got a bad start.

Make up for it

and push on with vigor,

making the middle part make up for the bad start,

finishing strong, without confusion.

6:48 A.M.

It rained hard during the night, and it was still raining when we arrived at the beach. The tractor man was out and gave us a hearty wave. After ten minutes, the rain lightened up a bit, and we decided to go for a walk. We got wet but kept walking for two laps and then retired to the car.

Yesterday’s visit to the orthopedist was a little disappointing. The bones still haven’t fused. He was kind of casual about it and said it may take months to heal. He said the good news was that the bones haven’t moved. I’m not exactly sure what that means. He asked me to start a therapy of raising my right arm up and down five times in a row once a day. We made another appointment for a month from now to take new x-rays. He said if it doesn’t eventually heal, he will have to resort to using a machine that stimulates healing. He said I could use my hand for writing as long as I braced it with the forearm, but I couldn’t put pressure on the shoulder (that means I can’t paint yet). The secretarial help treated Narayana rudely, and that disturbed me. So the broken collarbone saga continues, with only a little relief.

In the spiritual world, they don’t have dismal, cold, rainy days like this. Maybe it rains sometimes, but it is always pleasant, relieving a hot spell or producing beautiful rainbows. And there are no broken bones and rude secretaries. We want to go there. The material world is tolerable because we have devotee association, chanting of Hare Krishna, and hearing about Krishna’s pastimes. People who don’t have this drag along through unhappy lives with no knowledge of where they are going in the next life.

If it keeps raining today, we’ll continue with our satisfying Krishna conscious activities indoors. We are very fortunate that Krishna has given us life-fulfilling duties to keep ourselves occupied without boredom or ennui. Yesterday in those afternoon hours when I felt threatened by boredom, I started a new diary. I’m writing from the gut, not for publication but facing my problems and trying to work through them by a therapeutic kind of head-on facing of myself. I wrote almost unconsciously and with complete frankness. I found it very satisfying, and it brought me relief from specific issues. I intend to keep it up in a special bound notebook. I like the freedom of writing just for myself without the need to show it to others.

I’m far behind in my rounds today, but I’m sure I will make it up. I like living in the house with Narayana and Dattatreya, how we share friendship and yet give each other space to be alone.

8:45 A.M.

“I Thought About You.” I thought about You, Krishna. I thought about what I’ve read in Bhagavad-gita. Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is is such a great book. It proves conclusively that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that bhakti is the only path to reach You. When I read that book, I think about You. Miles Davis plays it tenderly, like a lover thinking of the beloved. I want to think about You like that. The way You and Radha think about each other. I want to think about You as my beloved, as my protector, as my God. I’ve thought about You in my loneliness. The nonbelievers deride You in Your personal form. I thought about them and dismissed them. I thought about You as a devotee thinks of God. Miles Davis’ rendering is thinking about someone, and it could be thinking of You. Even if he’s thinking of someone else, I’m thinking of You. He’s helping me think of You by his own tender thinking.

“Bess, You Is My Woman Now.” This is a piece by the Glen Evans band, taken from Porgy and Bess. It’s the love between Porgy and Bess. It’s very tender and romantic. It could be Krishna thinking of Radha. The lyrics stand out clearly, Bess, you is my woman now. He doesn’t speak it with correct grammar, but his heart is in the right place. Miles plays against the rich orchestration of the Glen Evans orchestra. It’s faithful and true, one for one. He loves no other. It’s pure love, prema, where the lover just wants to please the beloved.

“Blue in Green.” This is another ballad, a timeless feeling. Feelings of love. Beautiful music. Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Bill Evans on piano. They each play with quiet mastery, and the quietness makes you think of the spirit. Freedom from the noise of the material world. Miles’ muted trumpet is lonely and lovely.

“I Loves You, Porgy.” The Glen Evans Orchestra introduces a quiet mood, and Miles comes in over it with his muted trumpet. Bess loves Porgy. Radha loves Krishna. She states it openly, without embarrassment, without compromise. This is the pure open heart of which Radharani speaks in Samaputta, The Love Locket, by Rupa Goswami. Although sometimes She quarrels with Krishna, in Her heart is pure, unalloyed devotion to Him, without any frivolity. Krishna can do whatever He likes, but Radha loves Him absolutely. “He may handle me too roughly in His embrace or make me brokenhearted by not being presence before Me, but He is always My Lord absolutely, unconditionally.”

“Invitation.” This is a piece featuring the vibraphonist Milt Jackson, along with Kenny Durham on trumpet and Jimmy Heath on tenor sax. Warren Keepnews says, “It’s a fine example of the superior results you can get when skill is combined with joy.” We all have been given the invitation by Krishna to join him in the spiritual world. But most people have put that invitation in the back drawer and are not interested in responding. They think they have to give up too much pleasure of the material world by austerities in order to gain the higher pleasure of the spiritual world to which they are invited. Milt Jackson seems to be inviting us with joy and skill to the spiritual world. It is an open invitation warmly given. He wants us to join him in the joy he is feeling making this music. Enjoying music with top jazz musicians is accepting the invitation from Krishna. It is a short piece, but the message is clear: “Please come and join us. You are warmly invited.” The vibration of the vibraphone is a very inviting sound, resonant and mellow. The horns back it up with similar mild pleasure sounds. Keepnews has said that the musicians are playing with joy, and that is significant. They should not just play out of business or out of duty but invite us with joy.

11:00 A.M.

My Dear Lord Krishna...

I’m writing to You on a rainy, gray Friday. We’re reading Brhad-bhagavatamrta, and it’s almost amusing how the cowherd boy Gopa-kumara travels to see You in Your different Vishnu forms on different planets. He’s initially ecstatically satisfied to associate with You in Your form as Jagannatha in Nilacala, as Upendra in Svargaloka, and then in Maharloka. But each time, for various reasons, he becomes dissatisfied and wants to be with You somewhere else, in another form and situation of worship. I am satisfied to worship You as Govinda in Vraja, in Your Deity form, and in accounts of Your pastimes in that form. But I do not have the fortune of Gopa-kumara to come so close to You and render direct service. In other words, I am fixed in my choice of You as Govinda, my istha-devata (worshipable Deity), but I am far away from You in advanced, loving service.

How can I get closer to You? By my desire. My desire willb e shown by my actions. As I preach on Your behalf, praise You, serve You in the nine processes of devotional service, You will show me Your mercy. I do desire to know You better. I want to think about You more, talk about You more, and gain greed to be with You. Gopa-kumara could gain Your audience on a particular planet just by desiring it and chanting his mantra in private. A chariot would appear before him and take him to the place of his desires. I chant, but no chariot comes. My desires are not so strong.

I wish to make them stronger. All I can think of practically is to remain steady. I can’t think of spectacular increase. By steady service, with time, I may improve, just as the orthopedist said my shoulder would heal with time. But how much time do I have, and how much am I capable of healing in my old age? They say an old person cannot expect to heal quickly like a young person. It may take him years before his bones join again.

Steadiness—and increase? Now I have my confrontation diary, where I try to face myself more directly and work through my issues. I overcome time-wasting boredom. I have my time in the morning to improve my japa and make it steady. I have Lewes Beach, where I go with a buddy and try to complete my rounds without falling asleep. I have my Yellow Submarine, where I reach out to people with the story of my attempts. And mealtimes, where I hear the sastras read to me. These are the ways in which I try to increase my desire to be with You. My daily prayer is a particular enunciation of that desire. Words may be cheap, but they may also be paid-for utterances. It all depends on You and whether You consider me a sincere candidate for closer association. I believe You are real. I believe You are the greatest. My dear Lord Krishna, my dear Srimati Radharani, if You desire, please bring me closer to You.

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Antardwip das: At 7:00 pm every Friday night tune in to www.iskconlife.tv for live bhajans from the world famous Bhaktivedanta Manor. Starting today (June 5th)!

The 8th Annual Himalayan Performing Arts Festival will be held Saturday June 6th. at the Krishna Temple one mile south of Spanish Fork on Main St. Performing artists will take the stage, and present a menu of folk dance, classical Indian dance, drama, music and songs, according to the following stage schedule.

This is the cover of the second issue of the 16Rounds to Samadhi paper, a free publication sponsored, compiled, and distributed all over the San Diego and Los Angeles areas by Sastra Dana. To see it in a larger dimension click on it.

The first issue of the paper was quite successful. It brought people to the temple and generally created significant interest in Krishna consciousness and Srila Prabhupada.

Now we are ready to print the second issue. We have just received the best bit from a printer in San Diego who is willing to print 20,000 copies for only $1,983.10. This is an amazing price! It is less then what we paid last time. We expected to pay not less then $0.11 per copy, but we are ending up with a price of under $0.10 per copy. So exciting!

To sponsor printing of the paper, partially or in full, click this icon:
 

$1,983.10 for 20,000 copies

 

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Saturday, June 6th - 10:30am to 2pm

Panihati is located on the banks of the Ganges 10 miles North of Calcutta, in West Bengal India. It is the site of many wonderful spiritual pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His close personal associates. In this region at this time of year June, pre-monsoon it is so hot, often up in the mid-to-high 40 C. The most cooling of foods in such a temperature is yogurt, cool yogurt (dahi).  This pastime of the Lord is about how the devotees pleased Lord Chaitanya and how the Lord reciprocated with the devotees in a very wonderful and pleasing festival called the Panihati Cida-Dadhi Mahotsav. (you can read more about the festival by clicking here)