Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 - Moundsville, West Virginia

It is the meeting of the monks that brings me here. At a splendid rural retreat called New Vrndavana you have all the elements of a piece of heaven. Doves coo and so do peacocks make their sound. The air is perfumed with powerful emissions of lilac scent. After a two hour circumambulation of a small man made lake, a swan's habitat, it was time to enter the rustic temple for the 5 am arati (offering to images of Krishna and Radha, male and female aspects of the Divine).

Our subsequent gathering or meeting of the monks (nuns included - we call them 'matajis') held as its objective, "What are our own operational improvements in order to enhance the world situation.” One monastic friend of mine recently told me that the new religion in the world is environmentalism. There is an unequivocable passion about it and I am personally elated that we, as a group, are addressing the spiritual economics behind this passion.

In the writings of Srila Prabhupada, the notion of simple living and high thinking surfaces again and again. For many social reasons floundering endeavors at rural rustic life have embarrassed us in the past, however, a steering to this familiar road is definitely warranted. We need to revisit self sufficiency like we have never done before and perhaps dialogue and learn some ways from those who have success stories by which they live.

Is anyone willing to step forward to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty?

10 km