Wednesday 7 October 2009

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Talk or Entertainment

Venables Valley, British Columbia

When life is devoid of television like it is at Saranagati you are not likely to stay up late at night. You will happily rise to occasions such as experiencing early full moon glow. This mornings’ clouds scudded by leaving toned down slow, no strobe light effect. The backdrop of mountain and lake were perfect for the eye entertainment. It was the ideal curtain for camera shots of our group. Click! Click! Flash! Flash!

Reps from our various centers delivered reports on what they are experiencing. Our modest monastery in Halifax appeared to get the most attention with a short film, “Big Bliss, Little City”. And Bala Krishna, the most progressive agriculturist in the valley with his own organic “Bhumi” mother earth produce, took our minds through, “Sacred Cows, Sacred cars”.

I give a bravo to this notion having meager love for the automobile.

Our evening session was an entrancement at the home of Dian and Yamuna who is the famous singer behind the song, “Govinda”. With old time friends like Kripa Nidhi and Jagadisha in our midst you make the most of endearing company. With no TV’s in your life you figure out very quickly the best substitute- you have each other, and you communicate.

Yamuna was telling me of her early days in the Hare Krishna movement. I asked her about Mukunda Goswami, one of my favorite monks amongst god-brothers, and of those times. “Mookhi”, she referred to him affectionately , ‘was a great pianist in jazz circles. “ She mentioned that he had played in a group and for people like Miles Davis. When Mookhi came to his guru, Srila Prabhupada, to give his life to a higher consciousness, he discontinued his playing the keyboard. Not that all artistic expression needs to be renounced as you enter monastic life. It appeared to be the mood and not the policy at the time. I enjoyed hearing Yamuna about her experiences at the infancy of her spiritual life. She and Dina have regular frank spiritual talks at their straw bail home on the north end of the Valley. It’s just about the best place in the world for deep conversation.

If you have that, who needs TV?

8 Km

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