Houston, Texas
The Train and a Time
The timing couldn’t be more precise. Running alongside our meeting room is this railway line; a train goes by periodically with a routine whistle blowing off. It seems to strike at a critical moment, just when something profound is being said or a major item is being voted on, there blows the whistle.
I got somewhat familiar with those tracks of the train at predawn when I was ambling on the trail right next to it.
I’ve always liked trains. Since knowing that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, spent ample time on this mode of transportation in his years as a family man (prior to being a monk), the locomotive reminds me of him. India, where he did his travels, mainly to earn his family’s keep, have the most complex and active passenger train system in the world.
For me the sound of a train represents optimism in a certain way. They are ancient relics of the past. They are powerful. Of course, there is a dark side – products of a residual industrial revolution. They made a major change in the culture of our indigenous people. Their construction killed many labourers . In Hope, British Columbia, I recalled through my travels through there, a plaque reads that for every mile of constructed track, three Chinese labourers fell to their death.
When my colleagues and I have our meetings in India, a small lizard, what they call a tik-tik, crawls along the walls and often makes a sound at a point of affirmation. Here, in Houston, we hear the toot of a choo-choo, at a moment when it’s so on queue. It just appears to be such perfect timing. It is beyond declaring that it’s a coincidence.
May the Source be with you!
3 KM
B L O G S P O T
Friday, 10 January 2014
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
Houston, Texas
Shuno Shepa
Walking today constituted zealous steps, the circle fashion, both inside the Radha Nilamadhava Temple and outside it’s expansive parking lot.
I also ventured around the neighbourhood here off of 34th Street. It’s a mix of residential bungalow homes, plazas, doughnut and pizza shops and churches. It is a place of many automobiles zooming by. I see more dogs in people’s yards than people. It’s not a criticism, but an observation.
Regarding dogs, I was asked to speak today from the book, Bhagavatam. And what sticks out in the message delivered this morning, had to do with a dog’s tail. Shuno shepa. In the verse from Canto 7, the very cultured child, Prahlad, was being tortured by his father. The father observed his son’s undivided attention to Vishnu, a name for the Absolute. Prahlad’s father was agitated with the focus of his son, considered it the utmost distraction, and compelled him to put the boy under intense duress. He likened the boy’s mind to that of a dog’s tail. Prahlad was unswerved in his fixation on Vishnu, and it was this focus in purity that could not be changed, like trying to make straight the curve in a dog’s tail.
There’s a whole language to a dog’s tail, whether it waggles or not. The dog may be aroused or feel defeated, humbled or loved, and there’s movements to demonstrate such swaying moods by the way of the tail. Whatever is the emotion, the tail always has a curve.
The reason for my visit to Houston was to attend our North American AGM. I’m not the greatest meetings person. Topics are fine, mission oriented, socially sensitive, and are necessary. But, it all becomes a little too sedentary for me. Once I go for those evening drama practices (when meetings are over) my tail starts waggling with joy.
We are all wired differently. The tail of the dog waggles on its own time. You just want to make sure that you are in the position of shuno shepa, be unflinching in your devotion.
May the Source be with you!
4 KM
Shuno Shepa
Walking today constituted zealous steps, the circle fashion, both inside the Radha Nilamadhava Temple and outside it’s expansive parking lot.
I also ventured around the neighbourhood here off of 34th Street. It’s a mix of residential bungalow homes, plazas, doughnut and pizza shops and churches. It is a place of many automobiles zooming by. I see more dogs in people’s yards than people. It’s not a criticism, but an observation.
Regarding dogs, I was asked to speak today from the book, Bhagavatam. And what sticks out in the message delivered this morning, had to do with a dog’s tail. Shuno shepa. In the verse from Canto 7, the very cultured child, Prahlad, was being tortured by his father. The father observed his son’s undivided attention to Vishnu, a name for the Absolute. Prahlad’s father was agitated with the focus of his son, considered it the utmost distraction, and compelled him to put the boy under intense duress. He likened the boy’s mind to that of a dog’s tail. Prahlad was unswerved in his fixation on Vishnu, and it was this focus in purity that could not be changed, like trying to make straight the curve in a dog’s tail.
There’s a whole language to a dog’s tail, whether it waggles or not. The dog may be aroused or feel defeated, humbled or loved, and there’s movements to demonstrate such swaying moods by the way of the tail. Whatever is the emotion, the tail always has a curve.
The reason for my visit to Houston was to attend our North American AGM. I’m not the greatest meetings person. Topics are fine, mission oriented, socially sensitive, and are necessary. But, it all becomes a little too sedentary for me. Once I go for those evening drama practices (when meetings are over) my tail starts waggling with joy.
We are all wired differently. The tail of the dog waggles on its own time. You just want to make sure that you are in the position of shuno shepa, be unflinching in your devotion.
May the Source be with you!
4 KM
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Monday, January 6th, 2014
Houston, Texas
At the US Customs
At the Toronto Airport, US Customs, station number 9, I was asked by an officer, a woman, “Where are you flying to?”
“To Houston.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a monk.”
“You don’t mind being asked questioned by a woman, because I had two monks here last week who refused to deal with me.” (She wasn’t defiant, just relaying her experience…)
“Well, ma’am, that must be a different order. I’m a Hare Krishna monk, we love everyone.”
She smiled, which is a rarity, coming from a customs officer. She had a few more brief questions and was content with my answers.
Yes, we do love everyone, at least, try to. No one is your friend and no one is your enemy. We are all spirits, but with different attitudes. I have to be concerned with my own.
In the evening, it was preplanned that I meet with a cast of potentials, youth who would audition for parts for the weekend drama, “Little Big Ramayan”. The volunteers that showed up were both young men and women, average age in their teens. The story calls for male and female characters. Sorry, Shakespeare, I usually don’t have an all male cast; I use both genders. I try to love everyone.
As our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had done, he accepted all, and for those who consented to the Vaishnava principles, he turned them into ladies and gentlemen.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
At the US Customs
At the Toronto Airport, US Customs, station number 9, I was asked by an officer, a woman, “Where are you flying to?”
“To Houston.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a monk.”
“You don’t mind being asked questioned by a woman, because I had two monks here last week who refused to deal with me.” (She wasn’t defiant, just relaying her experience…)
“Well, ma’am, that must be a different order. I’m a Hare Krishna monk, we love everyone.”
She smiled, which is a rarity, coming from a customs officer. She had a few more brief questions and was content with my answers.
Yes, we do love everyone, at least, try to. No one is your friend and no one is your enemy. We are all spirits, but with different attitudes. I have to be concerned with my own.
In the evening, it was preplanned that I meet with a cast of potentials, youth who would audition for parts for the weekend drama, “Little Big Ramayan”. The volunteers that showed up were both young men and women, average age in their teens. The story calls for male and female characters. Sorry, Shakespeare, I usually don’t have an all male cast; I use both genders. I try to love everyone.
As our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had done, he accepted all, and for those who consented to the Vaishnava principles, he turned them into ladies and gentlemen.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Sunday, January 5th, 2014
Toronto, Ontario
Warm Up When Cold
It is so very possible to work up a sweat while in the snow. Myself, and so many other people took advantage of the tranquility in the ravine that runs near Bayview Avenue. You walk at a good speed and beads of perspiration will form and get absorbed in the clothes you wear. Sweat is a sign that the machinery is in motion. Motion can make you wet. Motion is also the best for toning down emotion.
Our Inuit people knew the art of keeping warm in the igloo. For southerners who aren’t aware, snow is a remarkable insulator from chilly winds. A small fire inside combined with body heat emits enough warmth to make life pleasant in the white domed home. You keep bundled up and you are fine. In our childhood, we constructed snow tunnels. Inside you felt very protected.
I embarked on this trail, bidding all other walkers with a, “Have a good one!” And, one by one, they, in good spirits, offered their brief greeting to one another and to me. In one way life in terms of pleasure doesn’t get better than this meeting of people in a winter setting.
I reflected on the day prior on a visit to a young couple, Yogendra and Rasa and their newborn daughter, Audharya. Warmth was demonstrated, particularly by daddy to daughter, during my short visit there. Not so long ago, Yogendra was a cheerful young monastic living the life of learning, simplicity and devotion. Those three items are dream catchers in a monk’s life. They are just precious and they set the stage for the challenging life of parenting, home making and community contributing.
I’ve watched Yogendra personally grow, and I can see life for him is becoming fulfilled.
My last touch of warmth for the day came during the famous open house at the Hare Krishna Centre, what in hippie days was called The Love Feast. The temple managers arranged a gorgeous lit flower petaled staged for the local bhajan band, Gaura Shakti. A seat with similar décor was set for me to use before the Sunday crowd to explain the power of hearing mantra and a further enhanced power from reciting it. The mantra presentation by Gaura Shakti warmed so many hearts that night.
I think that if hearts can sweat in devotion, that happened tonight.
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
Warm Up When Cold
It is so very possible to work up a sweat while in the snow. Myself, and so many other people took advantage of the tranquility in the ravine that runs near Bayview Avenue. You walk at a good speed and beads of perspiration will form and get absorbed in the clothes you wear. Sweat is a sign that the machinery is in motion. Motion can make you wet. Motion is also the best for toning down emotion.
Our Inuit people knew the art of keeping warm in the igloo. For southerners who aren’t aware, snow is a remarkable insulator from chilly winds. A small fire inside combined with body heat emits enough warmth to make life pleasant in the white domed home. You keep bundled up and you are fine. In our childhood, we constructed snow tunnels. Inside you felt very protected.
I embarked on this trail, bidding all other walkers with a, “Have a good one!” And, one by one, they, in good spirits, offered their brief greeting to one another and to me. In one way life in terms of pleasure doesn’t get better than this meeting of people in a winter setting.
I reflected on the day prior on a visit to a young couple, Yogendra and Rasa and their newborn daughter, Audharya. Warmth was demonstrated, particularly by daddy to daughter, during my short visit there. Not so long ago, Yogendra was a cheerful young monastic living the life of learning, simplicity and devotion. Those three items are dream catchers in a monk’s life. They are just precious and they set the stage for the challenging life of parenting, home making and community contributing.
I’ve watched Yogendra personally grow, and I can see life for him is becoming fulfilled.
My last touch of warmth for the day came during the famous open house at the Hare Krishna Centre, what in hippie days was called The Love Feast. The temple managers arranged a gorgeous lit flower petaled staged for the local bhajan band, Gaura Shakti. A seat with similar décor was set for me to use before the Sunday crowd to explain the power of hearing mantra and a further enhanced power from reciting it. The mantra presentation by Gaura Shakti warmed so many hearts that night.
I think that if hearts can sweat in devotion, that happened tonight.
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
Saturday, January 4th, 2014
THE WALKING MONK SEES BEAUTY DESPITE DEVASTATION...
Toronto, Ontario
Gorgeous After All
From a plane or bird’s eye view, 17% of the city is tree, bush, or grass covered (now snow). The recent ice storm pulled down and disturbed much of this natural wealth. It’s unsettling to see this at first glance.
I caught a personal glimpse of the damage done while walking a...long what was the ancient aboriginal trail on Davenport Avenue. Currently, it’s a curvy road situated by a modest escarpment. Whatever still remains of many trees stripped of substantial branches appears barren. Someone will say that it will make way for new growth. I suppose it’s true.
I decided, in the course of the trek, to just sit on a bench by a park, to lean back and absorb the brightness of the day with sun and reflector snow combined to bathe the face. I then dwelt on the Gita’s words, bhuta grama sa evayam bhutva bhutva praliyate, “vice is invoked and then put to rest repeatedly.”
Under direction, nature will recycle, replenish, it tends to demonstrate defeat with one season and then show hope in another. With a white blanket she puts all that’s visible to sleep, and it’s often done with a soft gesture. She’s not always stormy. Then, with time, which is the most powerful demo of the deva (God), everything awakens.
Near my bench, a jet black squirrel scurried about over the snow cover, checking out lunch possibilities. Maybe he was hoping I was giving handouts. Others have probably done the favour before, but I admit to being a meagre donor. My pocket was empty. I decided to give a mantra.
Here goes, “Hare Krishna. Can you hear me little fellow? Does it excite you? And stir up a Saturday night fever?”
He wasn’t listening I suppose, but I appreciated his presence anyway as he dashed off. He seemed resilient over an apparent devastation by nature. Granted, we are not talking of the aftermath of a war zone, quite. We are just looking at a physical transition of nature, as branches had fallen in different directions. This park will take on a new face before long at springtime. There was actually some beauty in what I saw and I didn’t have to strain to see it when understanding the purpose of the transition. Here you have it, black-barren trees, upright and strewn, and then a bushy tailed black is beautiful little guy poking around against a pure white backdrop. It’s all downright gorgeous.
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Friday, January 3rd, 2014
Toronto, Ontario
Before I Hit the Street
Before I hit the street for a stroll through Little Greece on Danforth Ave., I conducted, for a third time in Toronto, a Kirtan Standard Seminar. With two helpers, Keshava and Rukmini, in a too rushed two-and-a-half hour presentation we covered the topic dear to all.
Chanting, or kirtan, is the life-line for those who take to the lineage of Chaitanya. Chaitanya was a walker as well as a chanter. In the sweet medium of Sanskrit, mantras were disseminated to the public. Then additional masters of kirtan set bhajans (devotional songs) to the Bengali medium. Results were life-changing for people. Hearts were moved.
With time, initial intent got lost and various diversions from the mood of surrender to Krishna became compromised. To redeem such occurrences, God does give another chance.
Through the effort of our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and some predecessors, the integrity behind kirtan was restored. Westerners, as well as eastern counterparts embraced the ancient practice as the world saw a Diaspora of sacred sound.
In order to hold to tradition and intent, there is a need to watchdog over various influences that may attempt to cheapen the process. Staging a seminar for kirtan standards is an effort to preserve particularly what our guru delivered.
Some feedback remarks:
1) It was awesome.
2) Practical demonstration with integration of dancers, instruments, etc. Course was great.
3) Time was short for presentation.
4) Informative and useful. There is a need for training for aspiring kirtaneers.
5) The presentation clarified what's cool, what to kill, and what you might get away with.
6) I thought the beginning of the class was nice, establishing the importance of kirtan and Prabhupada's quotes. Very focused.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Thursday, January 2nd, 2014
Toronto, Ontario
Today's
Today's most common phrase: It's cold! My remark: Try Siberia! Be happy! You're not that body!
Today's unique encounter: Meeting a couple. He, with origins form Sicily, she with origins from Greece, we sat and talked about the concept of, "monk/nun for a day", a six-hour experience of life in the ashram - to include mantra meditation, explanation of deities , a class on philosophy, some yoga, a discovery walk in the trails nearby, eating at Govinda's, some work in the kitchen, nine devotions workshop - charge a fee and open to the public.
Today's greatest moment: Walking and chanting in the snow and feeling no cold.
Today's best food: Curd, tomatoes, peppers, lightly spiced and offered to Krishna.
Today's greatest comfort: Sitting with two brahmacharis and brain-storming/ second to that - a much needed massage with hot oils and essence by Shyamasundara das - I only remember a minute of it, I fell asleep so fast.
Today's greatest challenge: Fighting of the drowsiness.
Today's greatest agitation: Behaviour of a congregant.
Today's greatest hope: The service ahead.
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
Today's
Today's most common phrase: It's cold! My remark: Try Siberia! Be happy! You're not that body!
Today's unique encounter: Meeting a couple. He, with origins form Sicily, she with origins from Greece, we sat and talked about the concept of, "monk/nun for a day", a six-hour experience of life in the ashram - to include mantra meditation, explanation of deities , a class on philosophy, some yoga, a discovery walk in the trails nearby, eating at Govinda's, some work in the kitchen, nine devotions workshop - charge a fee and open to the public.
Today's greatest moment: Walking and chanting in the snow and feeling no cold.
Today's best food: Curd, tomatoes, peppers, lightly spiced and offered to Krishna.
Today's greatest comfort: Sitting with two brahmacharis and brain-storming/ second to that - a much needed massage with hot oils and essence by Shyamasundara das - I only remember a minute of it, I fell asleep so fast.
Today's greatest challenge: Fighting of the drowsiness.
Today's greatest agitation: Behaviour of a congregant.
Today's greatest hope: The service ahead.
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
Wednesday, January 1st, 2014
Brampton, Ontario
2013 Rolled Over
2013 rolled over. 2014 like a morning lotus opened up. The midnight blast! The New Year's countdown, Old City Hall, excited many who immersed themselves at the Krishna corner. By 1 am the sound of the drum and the voices terminated while co-chanters headed back for the ashram by subway train, and I decided to trek it back. With snow boots on I found it somewhat cumbersome. This footwear is made for snow. Walking on cleared sidewalks with a pair of snow boots is like dragging your feet in clay-bound corn fields. As kids, this we used to do. Each step you took appeared to accumulate more muck. And while it was fun it also tended to put you into panic mode. "I'm stuck! How do I get out? Papa, help me!" is what we wanted to cry. The other fear was if Papa knew we were parading around in the neighbour's farm. He would give us a piece of his mind. We were kids. I gravitated this night (rather morning) to streets with snow edges. What a difference!
Our guru Srila Prabhupada used to say that in order to succeed in reaching another planet such as the moon, you require the attire suitable for the environment. His message to us was that we adjust our sails to different circumstances. The wind will always blow in some different directions so we must move in co-operation with the wind. So far, with the page of a new year turning over it's been a brrr... of a winter. Still, considering the recent big freeze and the ice storm which put power out for days in the Toronto area, life has to go on.
In Brampton, a sweet South Indian couple came forward for their diksas, a traditional initiation. They adjusted their old habits for new ones in order to make a progress that is granted in human life. Dharondev's name is Dharma das and Madhumati is now Manasi Ganga. We wish them well.
May the Source be with you!
2 KM
2013 Rolled Over
2013 rolled over. 2014 like a morning lotus opened up. The midnight blast! The New Year's countdown, Old City Hall, excited many who immersed themselves at the Krishna corner. By 1 am the sound of the drum and the voices terminated while co-chanters headed back for the ashram by subway train, and I decided to trek it back. With snow boots on I found it somewhat cumbersome. This footwear is made for snow. Walking on cleared sidewalks with a pair of snow boots is like dragging your feet in clay-bound corn fields. As kids, this we used to do. Each step you took appeared to accumulate more muck. And while it was fun it also tended to put you into panic mode. "I'm stuck! How do I get out? Papa, help me!" is what we wanted to cry. The other fear was if Papa knew we were parading around in the neighbour's farm. He would give us a piece of his mind. We were kids. I gravitated this night (rather morning) to streets with snow edges. What a difference!
Our guru Srila Prabhupada used to say that in order to succeed in reaching another planet such as the moon, you require the attire suitable for the environment. His message to us was that we adjust our sails to different circumstances. The wind will always blow in some different directions so we must move in co-operation with the wind. So far, with the page of a new year turning over it's been a brrr... of a winter. Still, considering the recent big freeze and the ice storm which put power out for days in the Toronto area, life has to go on.
In Brampton, a sweet South Indian couple came forward for their diksas, a traditional initiation. They adjusted their old habits for new ones in order to make a progress that is granted in human life. Dharondev's name is Dharma das and Madhumati is now Manasi Ganga. We wish them well.
May the Source be with you!
2 KM
Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
Toronto, Ontario
Two Monks at New Year
I sat down with two of our young guys who have been treading the path of renunciation for some time. Brihat Mrdanga (formerly Jeff) has been with the mission for five years now and has traveled across Canada and India more than once since taking up the life of the cloth. He’s a great soul with a healthy spirit pushing on in his free celibate life.
Maha Mantra (formerly Matt) is our second Ontario chap to join within a short span of a golden period when a nice group of young men trickled in to become monks. Like Brihat Mrdanga he was looking at the New Year with openness.
The interesting thing about Brihat Mrdanga and Maha Mantra is that they reach a crossroads, not about being single and serving in a spiritual capacity like they have been doing, but instead of travelling throughout the Maritimes in a small bus together, with a third monk, Hayagriva of Quebec, or grounding themselves in our Montreal chapter, he expressed a small adjustment. Hayagriva likes to commit himself to sharing the Bhagavat philosophy in French Canada. Maha Mantra expressed a desire to be reaching out to youth based in Toronto and working within the parameters of the downtown Bhakti Lounge. And Brihat Mrdanga conveyed a passion for backpacking and cycling from city to city in the Maritimes, in the eastern most part of the country with another chosen renuonciant. Of course, this cycling around sounds quite adventurous, I mean, moving around with no particular fixed address, sounds a little like “the walking monk” genre of life.
The three men, actually, did not mean to say they were sick of each other traveling together. They had reached a point of exploratory horizons. “Let’s do something different” was the theme and take responsibly for different turfs.
As usual the very tail-end of a year hits a high point in a Krishna monk’s life in Canada. Perhaps the most explosive kirtan of the year finds its way to a public venue. For the New Year’s countdown Maha Mantra, Brihat Mrdanga, myself and hordes of other Krishna chanters converged in front of Old City Hall for the most outrageous time. While the temperature was an easy eighteen degrees Celsius below, the fire of kirtan to the beat of different drums lifted even higher the spirit of those two fine monks that I sat with in the afternoon.
It looks as though there is strategy and ecstasy that are embracing the minds of these two monks.
May the Source be with you!
9 KM
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Monday, December 30th, 2013
Vancouver/ Toronto
Guidelines For Humans
Due to the time taken in air travel I found no opportunity to stretch either leg in the form of walking. My eyes did stumble, during a read, on the instructions on Bhismadev. Bhishmadev was the wise warrior whom we learn of in “The Mahabharata” epic and in the details of his passing from the book “Bhagavatam” wherein he offered his last words of guidelines for humans. This is an excerpt from 1.2.26 purport:
“The varnashrama-dharma is prescribed for the civilized human being just to train him to successfully terminate human life. Self-realization is distinguished from the life of the lower animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. Bhismaedev advised for all human beings nine qualifications:
1) not to become angry
2) not to lie
3) to equally distribute wealth
4) to forgive
5) to beget children only buy ones legitimate wife
6) to be pure in mind and hygiene in body
7) not to be inimical toward anyone
8) to be simple and
9) to support subordinates.
One cannot be called a civilized person without acquiring the above mentioned preliminary qualities”
May the Source be with you!
0 KM
Guidelines For Humans
Due to the time taken in air travel I found no opportunity to stretch either leg in the form of walking. My eyes did stumble, during a read, on the instructions on Bhismadev. Bhishmadev was the wise warrior whom we learn of in “The Mahabharata” epic and in the details of his passing from the book “Bhagavatam” wherein he offered his last words of guidelines for humans. This is an excerpt from 1.2.26 purport:
“The varnashrama-dharma is prescribed for the civilized human being just to train him to successfully terminate human life. Self-realization is distinguished from the life of the lower animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. Bhismaedev advised for all human beings nine qualifications:
1) not to become angry
2) not to lie
3) to equally distribute wealth
4) to forgive
5) to beget children only buy ones legitimate wife
6) to be pure in mind and hygiene in body
7) not to be inimical toward anyone
8) to be simple and
9) to support subordinates.
One cannot be called a civilized person without acquiring the above mentioned preliminary qualities”
May the Source be with you!
0 KM
Sunday, December 29th, 2013
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Nelson Mandela Etc.
“Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein all got impacted by this book.” I was listening very carefully to these words, a selling point for the Bhagavad-gita. Banka Bihari, a woman that I have known for thirty years since she first discovered the powerful message of Krishna, was relaying to a small group of us how she gets people to stop and hear her spiel at the mall. She was young at the time, hailed from Brantford, Ontario, and she was so eager to know about life. Now years later, she reigns supreme in the Gita distribution category for the greater Vancouver area. Around the dining room table, with her husband Ramanuja to my side and Hadai, a family friend and a student of mine, we heard Banka Bihari tell of her success and challenges with sharing the knowledge of the Gita to the Christmas shoppers. Every year a marathon is held world-wide for a pleasant push to acquaint the public with this treasure of knowledge. The marathon referred to is the Prabhupada marathon, an initiative by ISKCON which has been running since the early seventies. We were intrigued with Banka Bihari’s magic, what she says and how she says it when approaching pedestrians to or from the shop. “They take the Gita,” she said, “and often come back for a second book related to bhakti.” She sometimes mentions that this book influenced Gandhi, but there are mixed feelings as people then relate to the book as some religion.
On that note she defends it by saying the information is about life challenges and how to overcome them. It’s not for any particular denomination.
Banka Bihari volunteers her time and as a sacrifice. She has a young handicapped son, Nicholas. Between Nicholas’s father and mother they juggle time between home and work in the most co-operative spirit. It is quite commendable that she extends herself to share the science of the self in the form of the Gita.
The family served me in their Langley home a grainless meal honoured every two weeks on what is a Vaisnava tradition called ekadasi. The quinoa with veggies mixed in was mouth-gratifying. My second visit to a household was in Port Coquitlam. The family, who run a security business, have been in Canada from their native India for a decade. They are taking to bhakti yoga so naturally. They had so many questions on how to apply self-realization in their lives. Naturally I obliged.
A final victory for the day was staging “The Little Big Ramayana” at Vancouver’s ISKCON centre. The youth I worked with on this project did a bang on job as an offering to Krishna. All in His service.
May the Source be with you!
8 KM
Nelson Mandela Etc.
“Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein all got impacted by this book.” I was listening very carefully to these words, a selling point for the Bhagavad-gita. Banka Bihari, a woman that I have known for thirty years since she first discovered the powerful message of Krishna, was relaying to a small group of us how she gets people to stop and hear her spiel at the mall. She was young at the time, hailed from Brantford, Ontario, and she was so eager to know about life. Now years later, she reigns supreme in the Gita distribution category for the greater Vancouver area. Around the dining room table, with her husband Ramanuja to my side and Hadai, a family friend and a student of mine, we heard Banka Bihari tell of her success and challenges with sharing the knowledge of the Gita to the Christmas shoppers. Every year a marathon is held world-wide for a pleasant push to acquaint the public with this treasure of knowledge. The marathon referred to is the Prabhupada marathon, an initiative by ISKCON which has been running since the early seventies. We were intrigued with Banka Bihari’s magic, what she says and how she says it when approaching pedestrians to or from the shop. “They take the Gita,” she said, “and often come back for a second book related to bhakti.” She sometimes mentions that this book influenced Gandhi, but there are mixed feelings as people then relate to the book as some religion.
On that note she defends it by saying the information is about life challenges and how to overcome them. It’s not for any particular denomination.
Banka Bihari volunteers her time and as a sacrifice. She has a young handicapped son, Nicholas. Between Nicholas’s father and mother they juggle time between home and work in the most co-operative spirit. It is quite commendable that she extends herself to share the science of the self in the form of the Gita.
The family served me in their Langley home a grainless meal honoured every two weeks on what is a Vaisnava tradition called ekadasi. The quinoa with veggies mixed in was mouth-gratifying. My second visit to a household was in Port Coquitlam. The family, who run a security business, have been in Canada from their native India for a decade. They are taking to bhakti yoga so naturally. They had so many questions on how to apply self-realization in their lives. Naturally I obliged.
A final victory for the day was staging “The Little Big Ramayana” at Vancouver’s ISKCON centre. The youth I worked with on this project did a bang on job as an offering to Krishna. All in His service.
May the Source be with you!
8 KM
Saturday, December 28th, 2013
Surrey, British Columbia
The Great Past
Some of the members of the youth who volunteered themselves in the drama project of this weekend, have this unstoppable passion for kirtan. One of our girls in Vancouver organized a twelve hour, uninterrupted kirtan, a chanting session, which has become very commonplace in bhakti-yoga communities.
I had mentioned to Radharani, the coordinator, in order to accomplish a traditional edge in a multi-houred chanting kirtan, you have no pauses, no breaks whatsoever. “When one chanting group
completes their slot the next group to shuffle in, acts as a continuum. There is a flow that should not be broken. It needs to be the smoothest transition.”
Secondly, I suggested that since tradition has some merit then have the chanters stick to the maha-mantra. I learned of these ways from my Bangladeshi and Oriyan friends. This is their approach for
generations and is the method of showcasing “the mantra” Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare /Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, nothing else. They call this kirtan “Ashta Prahar” an eight hour times three chanting period. Chanting is purging. It generates camaraderie. It is an opportunity to present one’s talent but more importantly it is a place and time for collective hearts to offer themselves to the one who leaves sound as a way to transform. I did indeed put in some walking after leading the final kirtan, at which time the grand finale group got off their butts to dance in the course of chanting. If we are at all to value antiquity, especially in the line of Chaitanya, then we might look to old levitation techniques, where you rise on your feet, then sway back and forth, raise arms and hands at times. Tradition has it that you surrender not just your voice and hands (as in playing an instrument) but to engage the entire body, the entire being. Whatever is great that the past holds let it be sustained for future benefits.
May the Source be with you!
5 Km
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