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One day, during our mid year marathon in Sydney, bhakta Josh, bhakta Sean and I all went to Cronulla Beach for some sandy sankirtan nectar!
Unfortunately I was not distributing many books at all so I took the opportunity to just try and relish the taste of duty to the spiritual master.
My weapons, my stopping lines were all futile. I tried all the different styles.
Funny ones like "Are you together or just trying to keep warm?" (its winter in Sydney) or "Are you an umbrella salesman?"
Serious ones like "Are you an undercover policeman?"
Or even intellectual ones like "Are you a professor or a scientist?"
In my desperate struggle to impress Krsna by being the doer I was stopping anyone whom entered my arms reach.
But all day nothing was working.
I thought to myself "hhhhhmmmm I'll bet that in this vulnerable position Maya is about to send me a knock out blow with one of her finest agents."
Then suddenly...... she appeared. She had all the qualifications to bewildered a wounded soldier.
I said to Josh "Look out here comes Maya Devi."
As she got closer I said "Excuse me. Did Maya send you?" she looked at me perplexed and said, "What?" "Maya sent you right?" I said. She was intrigued. She stopped. She was confused.
"Don't worry" I said, "We are monks. Check this out (I handed her a book), meditation, yoga, etc. etc."
And..... she took a book. With full enthusiasm! I couldn't believe the only person interested taking a book about Krsna was the personification of maya.
Although, to be safe I kept it very short and formal.
I learnt from this experience that Maya is actually a devotee and it is I that is the deviant.
Your impudent servant, Dhruvananda Dasa (Text D:2945669) -------------------------------------------
------- End of Forwarded Message ------
An article on Ayurveda in Polish is available for download. Ajurweda 101 (Polish) – Ayurveda
A New edition of “Hope This Meets You in Good Health” is available for download in Lithuanian. Lithuanian Vol. 2 Health and Welfare Magazine 2010
www.sdgonline.org. 
3:47 A.M.
I woke with a headache around 9:30 P.M. and took medicine. I went back to sleep and woke with the alarm at 2:30 A.M. without a headache. I began my chanting, and it went alright.
read more from SDGonline - daily updates from The Yellow Submarine: My Bhajana Kutir journal
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Prabhupada Smaranam
It is the occasion of the appearance day of Bhakisiddhanta Sarasvati, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master and the grand spiritual master of Prabhupada’s disciples. He is simultaneously earnestly worshipping his Guru Maharaja and setting an example for his disciples. He is demonstrating the parampara to them. They should not think he comes to them in all his sanctity unconnected to the chain of spiritual masters. He has told his disciples that his qualification is that he has one hundred percent faith in his spiritual master and that his strength comes from strictly following the orders of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He has come to the west, to America, because his spiritual master ordered him to do so. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati requested him to speak to western people on their very first meeting and then again in a letter he received just two weeks before he passed away from the world. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati also told him, “If ever you get money, print books,” and he is doing that in grand and faithful style. On the occasion of the observation of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s appearance, Prabhupada performed arati before a picture of his spiritual master and he spoke a lecture, outlining some of the highpoints and milestones in his relationship with his Guru Maharaja. Near the end of the lecture Prabhupada’s voice cracked, and he was overcome with emotion as he thanked his disciples for helping him to carry out his spiritual master’s orders. This demonstration, and the worship of Srila Prabhupada unto Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati drew his disciples closer to him and convinced them of his bona fide nature and his unique position. It renewed and increased their devotion to Srila Prabhupada and helped them to understand the true process of guru-parampara and Prabhupada’s position as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s most empowered preacher.
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1.
I can tell of Krishna to a world
that does not know Him.
Stand before a college class
or a group of yogis or adults
and gradually introduce them to the
transcendental realm. Beyond
the material modes there is a
meditation on all the planets
and space as parts of a universal
form. Then liberate yourself and
concentrate on the personality
of God expanded in small size
within your heart. You are
guided by Sukadeva Gosvami
who says He is eight inches
tall and four-armed and
most beautiful in form.
Finally, come by bhakti-yoga,
to perceive a human-like youth
blackish and yet effulgent
like the sun. This is
Syamasundara, and He is
never alone.
Gradually try to lead them
to His lotus feet, using
sastra and logic—tell them
there must be a person
to lead the dance.
There must be a person
with supreme intelligence
who is the manager but
in His original form He
has nothing to do and
nothing is greater than
Him.
He simply engages with
His pure devotees in exchanges
of union and separation.
You can’t understand if
you are attached to your
ego and material covering,
if your mind is too
tired and flickering.
2.
I’m a preacher for the Lord
but I tire and struggle
to keep awake. I don’t
deserve to show the jewel
within my heart and vision.
From ingrained faith I
speak the truth of Krishna
even while I fade and fail.
From ingrained devotion given
to me by my spiritual master
and innately in my soul,
the bhakti-lata-bija craves
for rain shower to make it
grow. I want my plant
of bhakti to grow through
the seven layers of the universe
and reach the spiritual world.
But I’m so feeble.
I pray for strength,
like Popeye eating spinach,
I want to grow my power
free of binding weakness
and entanglement. O Lord,
please let me do it.
Let me tell the classrooms
and let it start with my own
conviction and strength.
Everything is possible.
I just need a drink of water.
I just need a little nap.
I just need Your hand
to lift me up.
The fatigue is only to my
material body, my soul
is ever fresh and ready,
even in old age and death,
to make the leap from
matter to spirit—
and reach You.
And dance with You
forever.
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Free write
Trees remind me of childhood. You used to lie on your back in the grass and look up at the tall trees above you. These tree trunks are very thick. If they weren’t too thick and you were very limber and athletic you could hug onto the trunk and shimmy your way up to the first thick branch. Then you could climb out onto that branch and sit on it. If you were daring you could climb up to the next branch but you have to be careful or you could slip and fall and break your neck and back. Aborigine human beings climb up tree trunks as easily as monkeys do. Sometimes boys or their fathers build tree huts on thick branches and they serve as confidential club houses for “boys only”. In the material world Srila Prabhupada has written that trees should not be cut down except for printing ISKCON books. And sometimes they maybe cleared to make space for agricultural development.
In his Siksastakam verse Lord Caitanya advises that a devotee should be “as tolerant as a tree”. Prabhupada explains that people cut their initials in trees or cut of branches and the tree never complains. A devotee who always chants the Hare Krishna mantra may meet many obstacles—people may complain or arrest him for disturbing the peace, but he has to go on chanting and be as tolerant as a tree. The trees’ non-complaining attitude is a virtue but it is also a sign of lower consciousness. Trees are low on the scale of living species. A person who is very lusty may be forced to take his next birth as a tree where he can indulge in standing naked. But standing naked in the freezing weather is a form of punishment. (The demigod brothers Nalakuvara and Manigriva were punished for their drunken nakedness by having to take birth as trees)
Trees have long lives. Some giant trees like the Sequoias live thousands of years. But Srimad-Bhagavatam states it is better to have a moment of full consciousness, than to live a long life like that of a tree in which there is no opportunity for self realization.
The trees in the spiritual world are liberated and can live eternally and have blissful exchanges and service to Krishna and His friends. Krishna and the gopas like to pick fruits from the trees and use them as balls in games or eat them and find them wonderfully delicious. There is a great difference between spiritual and material trees but even material trees should be respected and for the most part allowed to live out their duration of live so that they may evolve in the progressive process of transmigration.
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 6, No. 9b
By Krishna-kripa das
(May 2010, part one, section two)
Belgium and Holland
(Sent from Munich, Germany, on June 1, 2010)
Highlights
Harinama in Namur
Harinama in Leuven
Harinamas in Amsterdam
Unexpected Adventure in Den Haag and Delft
Insights from Prahladananda Swami, Dhananjaya Prabhu, Lilasuka Prabhu, and Others
Where I Was and What I Did
While at Sacinandana Swami’s wonderful holy name retreat at Radhadesh, which I described in a previous issue, I met Janmastami Prabhu, who I had done harinama with Belgium and Holland, and Krishna Vidhi Prabhu, who I had done harinama with in London. By Krishna’s mercy, I was able to schedule two harinamas with their help. These were in Namur and Leuven, Belgium, new cities for me, on the last day of the retreat and the day after, respectively. Then I stayed with Janmastami at our Antwerp temple, doing three harinamas, and the Tuesday nama-hatta program at Krishna-priya’s house. In Antwerp, Sunday morning is market day and many, many shoppers heard the holy name, some quite happily. There were just a few grumbling vendors in the beginning. Next I went to Amsterdam, and did harinama there three days, and on to Den Haag for the Sunday feast, where I did harinama there after the feast with three feast goers, and the next day in Delft, both new cities for me in Holland. The whole visit to Den Haag and Delft was just dreamed up at the last minute, and it was an unexpected success for me. I spent another day doing harinama at Amsterdam, and went to Germany for the upcoming Munich Ratha-yatra and Nrsimha festival at our Bavarian farm, Simhachalam.
Harinama in Namur
The afternoon after Sacinandana Swami’s Holy Name retreat, twelve devotees chanted in Namur, a city of about 100,000 about 60 km from Radhadesh in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It seemed at first like the people were unfamiliar with the devotees, and some were even afraid to look at them. We walked through the city to a busy street corner, just across from the main train station and near a bus stop, where we chanted most of the time. I let a variety of devotees lead the chanting, because I like to encourage people in chanting, only reminding them, from time to time, to focus on the Hare Krishna mantra. One devotee lady complained I should just let the best singers chant. Of course, if only the best singers chant, then the others do not get any practice and consequently do not improve, and sometimes they even feel discouraged. It is a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
Although in the beginning it looked like there was very little interest in Namur, as time passed, the devotees became more and more enthusiastic, and the onlookers became more attracted. We even distributed all our invitations in one hour of the two-hour event. After all, we just spent a week glorifying the holy name, and so we really believed in what we were doing, and we were really fired up. It was a very positive experience for me, and I was happy to see that so many devotees wanted to take part.
Harinama in Leuven
Leuven is a college town a little more than midway between Radhadesh and Antwerp, in the Flemish part of Belgium. We had five devotees initially, and then a party of three book distributor joined. Many tourists took pictures of our party, including a man from Egpyt, a lady from Spain, and a girl scout from another part of Belgium. The girls scouts had a great time dancing with us. I asked the three photographers to send me their pictures, but none of them did. It is not such a surprise. Only 10 to 20% of the time do people send me pictures when I ask them to. Once a man did, and one of his pictures was ultimately used on the mantra page of Back to Godhead. Thus I often ask when I do not have a camera or see any devotees with a camera.
I like to do three hours of harinama a day, but Janmastami Prabhu was so enthusiastic we stayed out another hour.
Harinamas in Amsterdam
The devotees in Amsterdam headed by temple president, Dhananjaya Prabhu, go on harinama in the crowded area between the Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Dam Square, each Thursday and Saturday. One devotee couple, Sandor and Laksmi, comes from Rotterdam each week to join. Sandor likes to take videos of the party. So here we have the Thursday harinama led by Dhananjaya Prabhu:
http://www.youtube.com/user/harekrishnarotterdam#p/u/18/LdVW9q3x4yw
And the Saturday harinama led by me:
http://www.youtube.com/user/harekrishnarotterdam#p/a/u/0/XNuj3-JX_l4
For unscheduled harinamas on Friday and Tuesday, we took the bike with its box on the front, filled with instruments, books, and one time, prasadam. On Friday, Bhaktas Alexander and Ric joined me. A group of girls visited our book table, and one of them convinced her friends to buy two books, because she liked them herself. One homeless guy joined and played the tambourine for half an hour. Later a man came by with a stringed instrument that you pluck, and played with us for twenty minutes quite happily. On Tuesday, I made some fried potato balls with ingredients left over from the Sunday feast, which we served with chutney, also from the feast. One lady offered to sell us a new unused harmonium for 130 euros. One young man, who had several books, wanted aBhagavad-gita, but the devotee in charge of bringing books only had Srimad-Bhagavatams. I hope he learned from the incident that one should always bring out Bhagavad-gita. If I had brought the books out, I would have included the Gita because it is our main book for the general populace. It is also the most famous of our books.
Unexpected Adventure in Den Haag and Delft
I was hoping to give the Sunday Feast lecture in Amsterdam, but I lost track of the temple president’s email address and couldn’t inform him of my visit in time, and so he advertised another speaker and did not want to change. I am familiar with the idea of not wanting to change an advertised speaker, as I generally feel the same way. Since Bhakta Ric was very familiar with Den Hagg, having lived there, and was even asked to give the lecture himself, I asked if he could arrange that I speak there. So he did, and we both went to Den Haag for the Sunday feast. I had given a lecture in Amsterdam and Rotterdam but never Den Haag, so I saw it as a good opportunity. I gave different references from Bhagavad-gita about the existence of a higher transcendental pleasure. I explained the difference between material consciousness and spiritual consciousness and between material pleasure and spiritual pleasure and told how to attain spiritual pleasure through c connecting the Lord by practicing bhakti-yoga. After the class, I mentioned I would like to go on harinama the next day. By the end of the evening, six devotees told me they wanted to go on the harinama. We settled on Delft, a small city nearby, where one of the devotees lived. Except for me, all the devotees were relatively new, and I was impressed to see their enthusiasm. One couple, Tim and Rose, even stayed after the Sunday feast to do more chanting for forty minutes, and then when I suggested we do a harinama around the block, Rose joyfully and immediately agreed, and so we did.
Delft is a pretty town with lots of historic buildings and some waterways. The cobblestone streets reminded me of Albany, NY, where I lived in my youth, also originally founded by the Dutch. All six devotees who promised they would come on harinama did, which was itself rare. Beyond that even Sandor and Laksmi from Rotterdam came as well.
http://www.youtube.com/user/harekrishnarotterdam#p/u/14/NNezq87zVUo
Many of us took turns leading the chanting, and we all were in a joyful mood, although we did not experience many especially positive interactions with people. One young man I talked was not at all interested in religion; he just liked to see people singing in the streets. Nonetheless, one devotee, Jeanette, talked to several people and ended up selling a book. We chanted a little over two hours, and I encouraged the devotees to do harinama more regularly in the Den Haag/Delft area. Although Amsterdam has two days of harinama each week and Rotterdam has one, the Den Haag devotees do not have a regular weekly harinama despite the fact that many of them love to chant.
On top of reciprocating my desire to harinama in a very exemplary way, a couple devotees gave me enough money to cover the costs of coming to the Netherlands during my European trip, and I feel grateful the devotees there for both kinds of assistance. So my visit to Den Haag, and then to Delft, with a feast lecture, feast kirtana, post-feast bhajanas, and two harinamas, all within 26 hours, was an unexpected success, a smiling glance from Krishna on me.
Insights from Lectures
Prahladananda Swami:
Here we find a glorification of old age. This is rare. Why is this? It is an impetus for spiritual life.
Some say reason comes with old age, but for some, old age comes by itself.
As new devotees we thought we were transcendental, so we did not worry what we ate or how much we ate. Then at age forty, we realized the importance of our body, and we started taking care of our health, and for some, it became a fulltime service.
On the way back from a doctor’s appointment, Srila Prabhupada saw a movie theatre with a film entitled, “Is There Sex After Death?” Srila Prabhupada spoke about it in his morning class. “Tell them they do not have to worry. There is sex in 8,400,000 species of life. If they know that, they would not have to worry.”
Researchers fed rats a breakfast cereal to test its nutrition value. The rats, however, ate the box and not the cereal.
People are eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, and in the past, they were eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, and I can predict, as an ISKCON astrologer, that in five billion years, people will be eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.
Srila Prabhupada said, “Do you see that tree?” I said, “Yes.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Do you see the bird in the tree?” I didn’t, but I took his word for it. He then continued, “The bird knows tomorrow there will be worms to eat, and he has his female bird, so he has no anxiety. He knows everything will be taken care of. Why then are you in anxiety?”
Old age makes us more serious.
Srila Prabhupada said that there is a television in our heart whereby we can see the activities of the spiritual world. But unfortunately it is broken. Our movement is a transcendental TV repair movement.
Q (by Sacinandana Swami): I am intrigued by how Srila Prabhupada says the bird was carefree. I find as I age, I have more anxiety. Tell me about how the devotee is free from anxiety.
A: We are confident that we are going back to Godhead, so for us there is no anxiety. Without that transcendental realization, we can try to be peaceful, but that will not be substantial.
Dhananjaya Prabhu:
One vending machine, which accepts credit cards, located in a seven star hotel in a Gulf state sells bars of gold. American Express has a black card above the platinum card, which you can use to buy an airplane or a yacht. But the heavenly planets offer thousands of times the sense enjoyment than the rich people on earth can experience. Still all this is a phantasmagoria for the liberated souls.
When someone gave Srila Prabhupada a piece of clothing as a gift, Srila Prabhupada would give some of his clothing to that person.
My name means winner of wealth. Srila Prabhupada said better than wealth is devotees, and he assigned me the task of making devotees the day after my initiation.
When I was in London we gave Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, maha garlands from Radha-Londonesvara in Great Children’s Party in Hyde Park in 1979. We also engaged one young girl named Yamuna, who was dressed up as Krishna to be in a play, to give a garland to Margaret Thatcher, the first lady prime minister.
Srila Prabhupada said objects like comets, asteroids, and meteor were debris from the fights between the demons and demigods. The metallic meteorites were debris from objects like Salva’s amazing flying city of iron, which had many paranormal abilities.
Lilasuka Prabhu:
Maha-Vishnu Goswami told us in Vrndavana that one must study each verse of the Bhagavatam in light of its catur-sloki (SB 2.9.33–36), the four verses that summarize the text. Similarly, one must study each verse of the Bhagavad-gita in light of its catur-sloki (Bg. 10.8–11).
From the point of view of Krishna, all his energies are spiritual. Material does not exist for Him. For us, the material vision exists in our consciousness when we see things separately from Krishna, and we imagine things being for our own enjoyment.
Krishna explains to Uddhava that the liberated soul sees the material world as a dream.
The Buddhists say everything is zero, the Sankarites say everything is one, and then Madhvacarya said everything is two. Lord Caitanya later explained how we and our Lord are one and two simultaneously.
This knowledge of sambandha removes the covering of our consciousness in the form of lust, greed, and anger, the doors to hell, which led to degradation of the soul.
Krishna is the embodiment of rasa, or happiness, but we are looking to enjoy the rasa of the material world.
We are doing guru puja. That is the most important part of the morning program because by the mercy of the guru one gets Krishna.
If we have a slump in our spiritual life, it is due lack of hearing properly. Either we do not hear, or we do not hear with attention.
During the British rule in India, two Britishers had an argument, and one brahmana witnessed the whole thing and so he was brought before the judge. He did not know English, so he had to have a translator. The judge asked if he had heard the argument, and he replied that he heard every word. The judge found it hard to believe because the brahmana did not know English, so he asked thebrahmana to speak what he heard. The brahmana recited both side of the argument that he had heard. That is hearing with attention!
Hearing from Srila Prabhupada personally, Prahladananda Swami realized that what Srila Prabhupada spoke and what he wrote in his books is the same.
In the beginning of spiritual life, we must reject our identity with the mind. We are an eternal part of Krishna. That is our identity. Because of our conditioning, this is hard to understand.
Once a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada to summarize his philosophy, and Srila Prabhupada explained that a human being without religion is an animal, and our mission is to bring everyone to the human platform.
This sounds like strong language, but when we analyze we can see the animal is simply concerned his sense gratification, and therefore a human being who has that same mentality is not better than an animal. We can explain spiritual ideas to an animal very nicely, but it is of no use, for the animal cannot understand.
Chanting on the daily harinama is important because it gives people a chance to hear the holy name and thus be purified.
Krishna-kripa das:
Here old age (jara) is called Kalakanya, the daughter (kanya) of time (kala).
Krishna identifies Himself with time at least three places in Bhagavad-gita:
10.30 kalah kalayatam aham–Of subduers I am time.
10.33 aham evaksayah kala–I am inexhaustible time.
11.32 kalo ’smi …–Time, I am, …
I see the influence of time and old age in my life. Since 2000, I knew one devotee who left his or her body each year, four in 2007, and five in 2008. So many, Gopa-gopisvara Prabhu, Sunita Prabhu, Param Brahma Prabhu, Tapana Misra HDG Prabhu, even Nirguna Prabhu, who taught yoga, and Sadaputa Prabhu, who I worked with for seventeen years. When you are young your friends are young and rarely die. So now I see all these people ten years older than me leaving their bodies one after another.
I see symptoms of old age in my own body. I saw when I ran up the library stairs, two at a time, after two flights, I felt like I would have a heart attack, so I had to add an exercise program to my life. I couldn’t see a combination on lock at night without getting bifocals. My hair is become gray. I can’t eat so much. In Lvov, Ukraine, while running to catch a train, I blacked out and hit my head on the steps of the train station.
What should to do? Increase my bhakti (devotion) so I am sure to attain Krishna at the end of life.
When asked by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami about how to take spiritual life more seriously, Srila Prabhupada told him to keep death in front in his mind. It is our final exam.
Sacinandana Swami told us he increased by chanting one more round each year. Each year, I chant one more on each Ekadasi.
Before we find out about Krishna consciousness, we are doing 0% devotional service and 100% material activities, and now our goal is 100% devotional service and 0% material activities, and so we must always be increasing our devotional service and decreasing our material activities.
In chapter eight of Bhagavad-gita, when Krishna talks about remembering Him at the time of death in the verse, Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to chant Hare Krishna. In the purport to verse five, he puts the entire Hare Krishna mantra twice just, emphasize it.
Vasudeva KKS Prabhu:
By service, our knowledge matures from theoretical knowledge to realized knowledge.
When we go to the morning program and try our best to pay attention, even if it is difficult, we feel pleased because Krishna is pleased with our austerity.
Unless we read Srila Prabhupada’s books regularly, we will not have the vision to motivate us to perform the austerities that will purify us from the material conception of life.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.28–29, Srila Prabhupada says in the purport that both the workers in the prison and the prisoners are controlled by the laws of the king, but if the king enters the prison he is not subjected to any such control. Krishna’s position is like that.
We can only really preach if we are absorbed in devotional service, just like Srila Prabhupada’s analogy of the iron rod in the fire. If the iron rod is steadily in the fire, it will become burning hot, and other things can become hot by its association.
The Dutch have a saying, “Mopping while the tap is open.” It refers to the same kind of foolishness as “starting a fire while pouring water on it.”
-----
keha gadagadi yaya, keha ta’ hunkara
dekhi’ anandita hana hase malakara
“When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great gardener [of the tree of love of God], sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 9.50)
Stories of Jesus in India date back to the 19th century, and today find mention in a plethora of texts by scholars of varied persuasions — Islamic, Buddhist and Christian.
Hints of this subject came to me during my late teenage years, around the ages of 16 or 17. A friend of my mother, a clairvoyant Dutch lady named Lha (who had lived for years in Tibet) introduced me to many concepts and ideas of things paranormal, mystical, and spiritual. She proclaimed to my parents that their son was a gifted soul that would soon have his real spiritual path revealed to him. I recall this very clearly.
Not long after this pronouncement, I met the Hare Krishna devotees, through a number of encounters that defied co-incidence. My mother, working in an Indian handicrafts boutique in late 1970, sold a shaven-headed man whom she described as 'a saffron clad monk' a set of enamel-inlaid brass vases. This was Upananda, and the altar-ware was for the very first tiny Hare Krishna Temple in Sydney's inner-city Potts Point.
Not long after, another early missionary named Upendra stopped my father in rush-hour after-work pedestrian traffic and sold him a pamphlet describing the ancient science of Bhakti that had just taken root in Sydney. My father came home and handed the single-sided document to me. The rest is history.
But I digress. Scholar and prolific author Steven Knapp has published a fascinating account of the missing years of Jesus. Have a read...
O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful [by speaking of Your activities] just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.
SB 3.15.49 text
No, its not Sydney harbour in Australia, even though there’s an Opera House there too, its Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the north of England. (Picture by Matthew Roberts)
I spent a few days in Newcastle-upon-Tyne last week. Its a city in England’s north-east where the inhabitants have a unique and immediately recognizable dialect, historic connections with monasteries, mining and industry, and a fondness for racing pigeons and thin greyhound-like dogs known as whippets They also like growing leeks.
Alright, so the last three are stereotypes belonging to my father’s generation, but you’ll still find old men in Newcastle who fit that description. My father grew up in Forest Hall, a district out towards the coast, some ten miles from the city. I was there to join the local Krishna devotees in their celebration of the Narasimha festival.
The temple is inside a former bank, and is of a very strong construction. The maha-mantra has been chiselled in the stone of the building by a local stonemason who is also a devotee. Nicely decorated inside, it is a warm and bright place, with a group of friendly devotees to welcome visitors.
The day before the festival saw me out on harinam sankirtan for a couple of hours. The Saturday shoppers seemed very friendly and many of them waved or came to speak with the devotees. We have had a presence in Newcastle for more than 20 years now, so people have grown to accept the Krishna consciousness people as a part of the local scene.
Sunday was the day of the weekly Feast and Festival and this week’s theme was the Appearance of Lord Narasimhadeva. Two dances were followed by a very enjoyable 50-minute play with dramatic ending. Narasimha made His appearance from an unexpected part of the temple ‘wall.’ I gave a talk and led the arati kirtan afterwards, and the whole event was topped by a feast, the like of which I had not seen since the early days of ISKCON in England. Dhananjaya das was the chief cook. The altar was beautiful with the five flower-decorated forms of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates.
If you are ever in the north of England, please do go and visit this gem of a temple. Here are some pictures taken by local photographer Trevor Smith:
Researchers from the Sage Colleges in Troy, NY, reported today their findings that specific bacteria common to our environment may increase learning behavior. Dorothy Matthews and Susan Jenks, who conducted the study, shared their findings with those in attendance at the meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. The bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, is [...]
I felt a bit sleepy but chanted at a regular pace. I have now done eight rounds. I took shelter of the holy names as I passed the words quietly through my mind.
From
Bhajan Kutir #452
This is your invitation to experience a sweet time with
Lord Jagannath
in the hills of West Virginia
New Vrindaban’s
Annual
Rathyatra
A MILE OF BLISS!
Saturday July 10
Begins 12:00 Noon
(Across from brown artificial log house–one mile before the temple)
Sri Sri Garua- Nitai will lead the procession
Continuous Kirtans
His Holiness Candramauli Swami will dance into your hearts
Fabulous American Picnic Style Prasad
Vendors of devotional goods welcomed!
Special Evening Feature: Jagannath Swan Boat & Fireworks
Dedicated to His Divine Grace, A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON Founder Acharya
Contact: 304-845-9591 for information
Accommodation: 304-843-1600 ext. 111
Here are some pictures of the newly installed Krishna Balarama deities, and a couple of the ever beautiful Radha Syamasundara, here in New Ramen Reti, Alachua Florida. I was planning to take a bunch of pictures myself but forgot my camera so I just stole these from someone's facebook album. Anyhow, the festival was really wonderful. So many devotees, amazing kirtans by Indradyumna Swami, Lokanath Swami, Radhanath Swami and many others. And of course the deities themselves are stunning. To top of the incredible weekend of festivities there was a very sweet initiation on Monday morning by Radhanath Swami where many second generation devotees got initiated. The whole event was very beautiful
Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Ki Jaya!!!
The cowherd girls said: O friends, those eyes that see the beautiful faces of the sons of Mahārāja Nanda are certainly fortunate. As these two sons enter the forest, surrounded by Their friends, driving the cows before Them, They hold Their flutes to Their mouths and glance lovingly upon the residents of Vṛndāvana. For those who have eyes, we think there is no greater object of vision. Dressed in a charming variety of garments, upon which Their garlands rest, and decorating Themselves with peacock feathers, lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts and clusters of flower buds, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma shine forth magnificently among the assembly of cowherd boys. They look just like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage, and sometimes They sing. (SB 10.21.7-8)
1962 June 1: "Yesterday evening I have come to Vrindaban for a flying visit and shall return to Delhi on Monday to attend the Jayal meeting on Tuesday morning. I am glad to see that my Thursday lectures have brought some changes in the mind of the young offenders. If the lectures are continued I am sure to turn these offenders into saintly characters."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1947-64
1966 June 1: "Trayodasi. Today Immigration and Naturalization Office gave me one extension up to 17th September 1966. In the evening there was meeting about 16 heads. Bob came with some flour. I required some flour and Krishna sent it.
N.B. Today's lecture was very interesting."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1966
1967 June 1: "I came here with a great mission to execute my Spiritual Master's order. I'm not afraid of Maya, I know Maya cannot touch me, but still if I die in this condition, my mission will remain unfulfilled. Please pray to Prabhu Lord Caitanya and Vrindaban Bihar. I wish to live for a few days more."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967
1968 June 1: "Your humbleness is very much appreciated by me. A Krishna Conscious person is never puffed-up. A Krishna Consciousness person thinks always about himself as the lowest and the more one thinks like that the more one becomes elevated."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968
1969 June 1: "This Krishna Consciousness Movement is actually an attempt to make all people happy and become liberated in this life from material contamination so they'll be eligible to enter into the Kingdom of God after quitting this body."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1969 June 1: "As soon as one's service is recognized by Krishna, one is immediately called, 'Please come here.' So we should work in such a nice way that we can draw the attention of Krishna to call us. Live for hundred years and execute this Krishna consciousness Movement so that in this very life you shall enter into the abode of Krishna."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1972 June 1: "Push on vigorously distributing our literatures widely and showing always a good example of real Krishna Consciousness way of life. I am making many Sannyasis here in America and I am convinced our movement must run on this extensive traveling and preaching system."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972
1973 June 1: "The demolition of our temple by the municipality has strengthened our position. Immediately reconstruct the Deity shed and put up barbed wire fencing. And in front of the Deity shed, a temporary pandal should immediately be constructed. This is my desire."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973
Dr Prayag Narayan Misra: To quote from Wikipedia," the Vishnu Schist was named by geologist Charles Walcott in the 1880s after Vishnu Temple, a prominent rock formation on the north side of the canyon near Cape Royale
(out of reviews) 
