Wed. Nov.24/07 - Buenos Aries, Argentina
By the solar calendar it would be calculated as thirty years since the departure of our beloved teacher, Srila Prabhupada. It is a day of serious contemplation. The most significant part of the hour and a half flight to Buenos Aries from Miami was reading some of our master’s correspondences to his students. It struck a humorous cord when in a letter of the 4th of March, 1973 to one disciple in regards to dressing deities or icons in the temple, and the dressing habits of people. “The more you can decorate the deities soberly and not fanatically, the more you become decorated with all honors. At the present moment, civilized man has forgotten how to decorate, therefore this mini-skirt …..Human being means to be decorated, not naked.” He also one time wrote that we live in a topless-bottomless world. He was expressing that he did not approve of revealing too much flesh. In support of the culture where covering yourself and looking good was in vogue a friend once said, “ I remember the times when people used to dress.”
It was interesting when I cleared at customs and was received warmly by the local monks. One of them said to me, “ On your flight there is a famous porn star so a lot of people are out here waiting to greet her. When one person saw us (monks) waiting he joked with us…..Are you guys here to see the porn star as well?”
Of course, I had to chuckle but inside I wondered if anyone had any interest in the motherly types of women who don’t mind dressing, and dressing not to kill.
The reception at Centro Bhaktivedanta on Andonaequi in Buenos Aries was warm like at any latino grouping of people. The drums resounded and all chanted,” Hare Krishna” before they had me take the lead.
0 kms today and that’s the “plane“ truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment