These fortunate souls trying to wake up
from their forgetful dream of being the center
of life and the universe, by taking up the chisel
of the holy name, to the shapeless, ever-changing,
plastic stone slab they thought defined them.
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Reflections at the Japa Retreat 2
Offering respects to Prabhupada,
Sacinandana Swami, Giriraja Swami (who are teaching)
and all the Vaishavas who have
taken up the holy name as their life,
joining together for a...
How can I describe the beauty of the day? It was warm, though not too hot or muggy, with a gentle to strong breeze. We sat outside on the guestroom deck, shaded by a large oak tree. As we look around we are surrounded by the beauty of the forest--the nourishing green of the trees and plants, plus the intense, pleasing variety of blooming flowers. Straight ahead is a long distance view of a number of ridges clothed in trees. Krishna's artistry....
Beauty has been written about since the beginning of writing, and thought about since the beginning of time. It is one of the six opulences of Krishna which make him all-attractive and irresistible. In fact Krishna's beauty is so powerfully charming and gorgeous, that it distinguishes him from even his form of Vishnu, who is inconceivably beautiful compared to our worldly standards.
I began thinking of this topic yesterday when I appreciated the beauty of a devotee. Beauty is a shakti or energy...
The successive generations of devotees are standing on the pioneer work of Shrila Bhaktivinode Thakur, so ISKCON is really an offshoot of his work. He was the first Gaudiya to preach outside of India. His son and the spiritual master of Prabhupada, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakur, and our Prabhupada, further developed his vision by putting it into a practical shape. Therefore reading his books are important, though one should have a good understanding of Prahupada's books to benefit (and...
Today I thought of this fact
observing a father with his two
small daughters, as the main word
he uttered, and not kindly, was "NO!"
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We are "cheta" or consciousness--
marginal energy of Krishna,
which means we are a
product of our association.
We have freedom to choose how
to be influenced--who to cooperate with,
but the choice to be in matter
restricts and hides our nature.
We rebellious souls
in a virtual world of make
believe, born repeatedly...
We have to really think about what we read, and ask, "what does that mean---to me". How can I apply what I have read in my life practically. We have to apply our intelligence to that, and inquire from others devotees what their understanding is. Sometimes devotees may disagree, but if the center is seva or service to Guru and Krishna, and trying to understand and apply their teachings, then we can live with that. An important observation in any religion or spiritual path is how its' members...
Before enlightenment
stacking wood,
After enlightenment
stacking wood (with Prema).
That time of year--still hot,
though change is in the air,
whispered by Krishna’s Nature
thru the plants and living things.
We try to order wood early
so it can stand and “cure”,
though sometimes our wood guy
lives up to the slow country image.
Still, it is cooler now to stack
the wood, and this time my wife
is helping, to motivate me
(the procrastinator) to get the job done.
This is the first year she
has...
Hare Krishna so last night we had a very nice program in Amarillo Texas, a town that is only really known for the their consumption of cows. Our host Rakesh Shah and his wife and family kindly invited us from the Dallas temple to do a Janmastami program at the Hindu temple that they helped develop. Rakesh Prabhu, a radiologist whose parents became initiated disciples of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami when he was just a young boy, works with the Hindu community of Amarillo and regularly invites...
If the ideals of Krishna consciousness are to be successfully applied we have to keep the idealism and faith of a devotee, while being thoughtful enough to be adaptable in various situations, or types of mentalities. We have to understand the spirit of the teachings rather than just their external practices. All the rules of Krishna consciousness—Bhakti yoga or Krishna’s devotional service—are meant to serve 2 ideas: to always remember Krishna, and never forget him. In serving those ideals the...
I was invited last Saturday on Salaam Namaste 104.9, which reaches the thousands of Indian/Pakastani locals, to speak about the significance of Janmastami and our local festival in Dallas.
There is a kids section in the early part of the program, so the youth were also invited to do a live bhajan. Parents did not think that the kids would be up to it, being that they would have to up and ready to meet me to leave at the temple at 6am sharp. But the kids, Sakshi Gopal (10), Giri (10), and...
4 years 34 weeks agoThese fortunate souls trying to wake up from their forgetful dream of being the center of life and the universe, by taking up the chisel of the holy name, to the shapeless, ever-changing, plastic stone slab they thought defined them. _________________________________________________ Reflections at the Japa Retreat 2 Offering respects to Prabhupada, Sacinandana Swami, Giriraja Swami (who are teaching) and all the Vaishavas who have taken up the holy name as their life, joining together for a...1 Comment(s)213 Reads
4 years 37 weeks agoHare Krishna so last night we had a very nice program in Amarillo Texas, a town that is only really known for the their consumption of cows. Our host Rakesh Shah and his wife and family kindly invited us from the Dallas temple to do a Janmastami program at the Hindu temple that they helped develop. Rakesh Prabhu, a radiologist whose parents became initiated disciples of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami when he was just a young boy, works with the Hindu community of Amarillo and regularly invites...0 Comment(s)268 Reads