tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86196727716648636372024-03-14T08:16:09.738-07:00Seeking SpiritualityA collection of some of my realizations, musings, thoughts and recipes on my spiritual journey to understanding bhakti - the love of God...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-49271066289902894902011-01-05T00:18:00.000-08:002011-01-05T00:22:22.606-08:00New Year Resolutions"Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits." (Author Unknown)<br /><br />Indeed, this is the time when we get the chance to introspect and think about all the things that we used to do. Sometimes, in that introspection, a realization dawns and makes one question, "what made me stop something which is actually a good habit?".<br /><br />In that state of introspection, I was trying to understand why I wrote like 2 posts in the past 2 years! I realized that somewhere between the spaghetti of material and spiritual life, the blog just got forgotten.<br /><br />Its a few days after New Yrs day but I finally decided to brush off some dust from the blog and hopefully I can stay firm this time around =)!<br /><br />Wishing every one a very happy and a spiritual new year 2011!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-16683056793651316862009-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:002009-08-11T11:30:08.377-07:00Blackish like a dense cloud...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hAa0djkroF0/SLSy3YuhNfI/AAAAAAAAEgs/tiH1AdEJrCk/s640/P8250354.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 182px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hAa0djkroF0/SLSy3YuhNfI/AAAAAAAAEgs/tiH1AdEJrCk/s640/P8250354.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean's waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/v/visnu">Viṣṇu</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, who is situated in the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/c/core">core</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> of everyone's heart, appeared from the heart of </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/d/devaki">Devakī</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/d/devaki">Devakī</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> was of the same category as </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/s/sri">Śrī</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ww.vedabase.net/k/krsna">Kṛṣṇa</a><span style="font-style: italic;">."<br />(SB 10.3.7-8)<br /><br /></span>With Krishna Janmashtami just around the corner, and with loud thunder and lightening outside, can't help but get more excited thinking about Janmashtami!<br /><br />We hope to see you there :-)!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-44016550794410271892009-08-04T19:15:00.001-07:002009-08-04T19:32:48.998-07:00Washing away our anarthasYes, it has been LONG since I last blogged! A lot has happened in my life since the last time I blogged, which incidentally was just over a year ago, graduating from university, getting initiated into this movement under the shelter of HH Jayapataka Swami, a brilliant 2009 Ratha-Yatra etc etc etc..<br /><br />I wasn't taking a blog hiatus because I didn't know what to write about as there was so much happening! But most often, it is the smallest thing that can result in a realization that I would like to share with you all.. like rain...<br /><br />For those of you who were in Toronto for the Ratha-Yatra a few weekends ago would remember that the City of Toronto was on strike resulting in piles and piles of garbage. A few days ago, the protestors and the government reached a conclusion and work began for the clearing of the streets. Lord Indradev decided that he should also take matters into hand and today was one of the strongest rainfall I had ever seen in Toronto this year!<br /><br />After over an hour of torrential downpour, the rain subsided and I thought that this was probably the best time to for a japa walk. As I walked down the familiar roads which till very recently were infested with garbage seemed unexceptionally clean today. The fresh smell of rain hitting the earth was in the air and everything seemed so bright, clean and beautiful.<br /><br />On my way back I was meditating on Lord Balarama as it is his glorious appearance day tomorrow and I couldn't help but remember our last years celebrations at the temple where we had a really fascinating presentation about "Destroying our Anarthas" and how each of the demons Lord Balarama destroyed represented an anartha and by medidating on Lord Balarama, we can help to destroy those anarthas.<br /><br />As my thoughts wandered back to the rain and dirt, I realized that just as the rain washed away the dirt accumulated in the city, the only way to wash away the anarthas and the dirt accumulated in our hearts is the rain of the holy name. As Vinodini mentioned in one of our conversations with respect to Lord Balarama, "We should pray that the plough of the holy name will bring the river of our consciousness to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna". Indeed, this holy name, that has so wonderfully present in form of japa and kirtan is the only solution to purify our hearts.<br /><br />No wonder Caitanya Mahaprabhu stresses - "there is no other way..there is no other way.. there is no other way..."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-56229027570485890242008-07-21T07:38:00.000-07:002008-07-21T08:01:47.816-07:00My top 15 memorable moments of Toronto RY 2008Sitting in my office cubicle, I feel so weird - very weird. My cell phone isn't ringing constantly, my MSN isn't going on an overload due to last minute messages and my inbox has not a single email in the last 56 hours from the <span style="font-style: italic;">ratha-yatra2008</span> google group. 7 months of planning and working hard daily to make sure that we can present Srila Prabhupad this humble offering, the Toronto Ratha-Yatra.<br /><br />Before going on forever about how fantastic this years festival was, I just thought of sharing my top 15 moments of the past festival week and here they go, in no particular order...<br /><br />1) Watching the deities being carried into the cars and taken to the raths. Seeing Jagannath after 2 weeks felt good!!<br />2) Assembling the altar for the deities the night before the festival with the girls at Centre Island and giving Maduha Prabhu a very pleasant surprise..and also taking down the altar in crazy rainfall.<br />3) Seeing Jayapataka Swami after months and getting chastised by Maharaj for running around too much during the parade.<br />4) The Tunnel - 'Nuff Said<br />5) Bus Tour singing at Yonge and Dundas square - Toronto's equivalent of Times Square on Wednesday before the festival and random by standers dancing to the kirtan!<br />6) Anapayini getting a standing ovation from the 700+ people seated in the huge entertainment tent on Saturday after her Jagannathashtakam performance<br />7) Watching Devadatta Prabhu lead yoga classes amidst the pouring rain and people doing Yoga literally on the mud!!!<br />8) Pyari Mohan Prabhu's magic shows - made me want to become 7 again!!<br />9) Mahatma Prabhu's kirtan in the Bhajan Kutir..unbelievably soothing<br />10) Watching devotees from the Ganesh Mandir come at 10 am amidst the rain and storm to stand in front of Jagannath and read Visnu Sahasranaam, proving that rain or shine, devotees will come to sing the glories of Lord Jagannath.<br />11) Loading the pickup truck before the festival and being a part of Jaya Radhe's famous Monkey chain<br />12) Bus Tour kids leading the Saturday finale kirtan at the Festival site and having people dance in ecstasy!<br />13) The ENTIRE Ratha-Yatra committee and more trying to lift the kids jumping castle onto the U-Haul<br />14) Kirtan on the ferry back to the temple after the festival.<br />15) A huge smile on the face of every single person who attended the festival -devotees, vendors, performers and the general public.<br /><br />Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi ki Jai!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-28645864876303782702008-06-29T07:19:00.000-07:002008-07-09T20:44:22.515-07:00Why you must be in Toronto on July 19th and 20th<span>The 36th Annual Festival of India, presented by Toronto's famous Hare Krishna Centre, has its roots in ancient India and is coming to Toronto on July 19-20, 2008. The festival has been celebrated for thousands of years in India, and is replicated annually around the world. The same festival takes place in Europe, Australia, Africa, the United States, Asia, and elsewhere, but few rival the beauty and blissful mood of Toronto's. Over 35,000 people participate every year in this two day festival which provides a feast for your mind, body and soul!<br /><br />But who cares?!?! Come for the mind-blowing sound in the Toronto Tunnel.... 'nuff said!</span><embed id="VideoPlayback" style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2738051772742208461&hl=en&fs=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-43778155760223236242008-05-14T19:23:00.000-07:002008-05-15T05:00:18.066-07:00Why you should be in Toronto on July 19th and 20th...<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dynKOJERnO2j4MsHdrS1H4fVgwpoWxuNAwwnshRl6DQS4HHXtt_sdO-8Va-ExFP7CucJcfkikcaV438EhZvYA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstxJzy9NHPcwIgaE5crnNNm7TdmVGEQQqhxK1EAMac94b_lXmaSNQDONkjzGxrMopzT8iiSwZWHu3jz9VYyCw9GL-IGqZ2M7cKwMlULlRB98sSuZkgWZdY5cgmX98skrkUrZ7IyR2nmc/s1600-h/tunnel03-small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstxJzy9NHPcwIgaE5crnNNm7TdmVGEQQqhxK1EAMac94b_lXmaSNQDONkjzGxrMopzT8iiSwZWHu3jz9VYyCw9GL-IGqZ2M7cKwMlULlRB98sSuZkgWZdY5cgmX98skrkUrZ7IyR2nmc/s400/tunnel03-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200430914284162738" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-19192411318338208112008-04-21T11:26:00.001-07:002008-04-21T14:58:29.953-07:00InSpired by InSpiritSaturday marked the finale of the grand ten day out-reach festival, "<a href="http://www.urbanedgeyoga.com/index.php?p=inSpirit">InSpirit</a>" organized by couple of the local Toronto Devotees as a forum to do active preaching to the Yoga and the Student Community.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanedgeyoga.com/index.php?p=teachers#devamrita">His Holiness Devamrita Swami</a> was the guest speaker for this festival and it was organized by the Bhakti Yoga Club and the Urban Edge Yoga, two outreach projects undertaken by the Toronto temple devotees.<br /><br />Needle less to say, I am yet to come down for the whirlwind of the past ten days. It was an amazing experience, watching how powerful the Holy name and the teachings from Srila Prabhupad's books and see it being understood and experienced by a completely different audience.<br /><br />To me, that is where InSpirit inspired. Every evening Maharaj gave interesting classes which were food for thought on different areas ranging from understanding "real" relationships, to spiritual economics to understanding environmental issues from an ecological stand point to understanding power of sound and Mantra meditation. Each of these talks were interspersed with unbelievable kirtan, led for the first few days by HG Bada Hari Prabhu and after he left for the <a href="http://www.bhagavatlife.com/retreats/newyork1.php">Japa Retreat</a>, Vinodini led the kirtans.<br /><br />During these times of kirtan, I would look around the room, and often along with the foot tapping and clapping sounds coming from people who have never heard the maha mantra, I would see people totally moving into ecstasy at hearing the holy names.<br /><br />At one particular program during InSpirit held at a popular Yoga studio in Toronto, the JivaMukta studio, I realized that this new generation of Yoga enthusiasts are not interested in Yoga because of Lulu Lemon, but because they are looking for something more. And this was evident during the kirtan session. As Bada Hari Prabhu started off with mellow chanting of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, the holy name echoed in the main meditation hall and it seemed like one very powerful voice was chanting these names in harmony. And as Bada Hari Prabhu picked up pace as Keshav and Vinodini gave the beat and rhythm with the Mrdanga and Kartal respectively, one by one people stood up and joined us in dancing! By the end of Prabhu's kirtan, close to 30 of the attending 70 people stood up with arms high in the air, dancing and singing with us.<br /><br />Speaking to a few of them during Prasad, they all expressed their joy and happiness and excitement saying that they have never experienced Yoga like this. They wanted to come back and do kirtan with us! After the program got over, while we were clearing up, so many of them stayed back to ask us questions and see how the instruments are played. And they were all so good at playing our traditional instruments!<br /><br />As we were done cleaning up, I had rounds to finish, so I walked around the room and as I did my rounds, I could still feel the energy that had been created in that space due to the chanting of the holy name.<br /><br />As I saw the smiling faces of the guests who had come for the Mantra meditation workshop, a smile crossed my face, as i clutched my japa bead harder, realizing how lucky I was to be given the chance to chant the holy names of the Lord.<br /><br />InSpirit was named such that we are able to tap into that very being of our existence and try to understand our relationship with the supreme. It was truly an InSpirational ten days and I am really looking forward to more inspiration to come in the following days!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-6832299200757994782008-03-27T06:40:00.000-07:002008-03-27T07:40:55.868-07:00Backstage Drama"<span style="font-style: italic;">Have the lights been checked, double checked and backed up?</span>"<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Where are those barricades ?? People are piling up and walking in different directions</span>"<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Aaahhhh.... where is XYZ Prabhu and WHY isn't he picking up his phone? Doesn't he know that he has to help us out with lifting these chairs"<br /></span><br />If any devotees have ever been involved in planning any festival at the temple, be it in-temple festivals like Gaur Purnima or the large outdoor festivals like Rath Yatra, I am sure they can totally relate to the mayhem that happens before the festival, after the festival and most importantly during the backstage of the festival.<br /><br />Lets picture a festival, Gaur Purnima. Picture that on a Friday. Now throw in the fact that the friday is Good Friday, a holiday. Perfect situation? Maybe also throw in the fact that after what can ONLY be defined as the longest winter in History, its a day with sun and good weather. Now that is what I call the ideal festival weather - good news for all the devotees who are coming for the festival to the temple! Great news for us organizers :-)!<br /><br />Running around with Drama Rehersals, Organizing logistics, Preparing the wonderful Exhibit in the dining hall was all what I did pretty much of the week leading to Gaur Purnima. Balancing that with work and other things going in, it was more often I would feel tired and exhausted. On one such day of absolute exhaustion, as I opened my inbox, I read this wonderful quote by His Holiness Tamal Krsna Maharaj.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">As I stated in my short talk before leaving Dallas, Krsna is now blessing our zone with many nice new souls who are offering their lives in His devotional service. I am therefore counting on you, my senior disciples, to train these new devotees properly. One of the best ways to get the mercy of Krsna is to take the responsibility for helping His devotees. So whatever service you can do for these new souls who have come to surrender to Krsna will be very much appreciated.</span>"<br /><br />That quote made me appreciate whatever little running around I am doing! It made me appreciate the fact that how awesome and cool it is to be a devotee. Its something I probably never would want to trade :-)!!<br /><br />Today, nearly a week after the Gaur Purnima festivities ended, I still get a smile on my face as I fondly remember tears in devotees eyes as they saw the 8 ft tall Caitanaya Mahaprabhu in the forest with the animals, the huge <span style="font-style: italic;">Hari Bols </span>that greeted the extremely beautifully decorated Dieties, the thunderous applause as Pancha Tattva took stage in the shadows during the drama, the smiles on appreciating the fantastic prasad and the bliss on their faces as the kirtan faded into wee hours of night.<br /><br />Who would ever want to give up such high?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-85475678661883351962008-02-25T06:22:00.000-08:002008-02-25T06:38:16.162-08:00Never thought SmallI was just hearing a lecture of HH Devamrita Swami and one line stood out. Maharaj talks about Srila Prabhupad and quotes Srila Prabhupad saying, "My disease is that I can never think small".<br /><br />The more I meditate on this line, I realise how true that line is. ISKCON or the Hare Krishna Movement was literally a spiritual revolution and it made such an important impact into the world we see today.<br /><br />One sitting through the entire 45 minutes of the Darshan DVD is clear for one to know about the magnitude of Srila Prabhupad's ISKCON. From the southern most tip of New Zealand to the beautiful Saranagti Farm Community in the hills of British Columbia in Canada, its possible to find an ISKCON center in every major city around the world. And that is a very powerful feeling.<br /><br />Srila Prabhupad has built this house, and has opened the doors for every one around the world. Its so big and bountiless, like his mercy that it can accomodate every body. The beauty of this is that we always find ourselves at home wherever we go! Its almost like going from one home to another.<br /><br />Where else can you find the warmth of delicious <span style="font-style: italic;">khicari</span> in almost every corner of the world? Where else can we feel the peace and inner calm as the first sounds of the <span style="font-style: italic;">shankh</span> (conch shell) echo through the morning calm of Mangala Arati?<br />Where else do we find people whom we never met to treat us with so much love, affection, care that makes us truly believe that we are one family?<br /><br />As the age of Kali keeps moving on, I see the prophecy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu slowly heading to reality. Over the past 3 years, the number of temples that have opened in smaller villages in India is truly a marvel and goes to show how powerful the message of Srila Prabhupad was.<br /><br />For me, being raised in this movement and trying to practice it for a considerable long time, ISKCON is my family. Its is in this movement where I've formed friends, strengthened relationships and discovered a new meaning to life. It is impossible for me to imagine my life without this wonderful movement as this is my life itself.<br /><br />As I step back and look at Srila Prabhupad's ISKCON, it reminds me of something I read in my history textbook in middle school. While learning about the era of Imperialism and Colonialism, I read a line which set that at the peak of the British Empire's Imperialism, it was said that "The Sun never set on the British Empire".<br /><br />I see the same parallel for this wonderful family called the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. My family.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-10021771708743207242008-01-31T06:24:00.000-08:002008-01-31T06:28:24.547-08:00Intoxication = Constant TragedyToday morning I got an email forward by a devotee about a <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080130.wsaskgirl0130/BNStory/National/home">tragic event</a> that took place in a province in Canada today.<br /><br />Read the article below or by clicking <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080130.wsaskgirl0130/BNStory/National/home">here.</a><br /><br />The news event brings into light the ill effects of drinking alcohol and what it can do to your mental stability. Its high time people, media and governments around the world realize what drinking can do to you.<br /><br />More about this later.<br /><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">TRAGEDY AT YELLOW QUILL</span> <br /><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:180%;">Infant sisters freeze to death during father's midnight stupor</span></b> <br /><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">Bodies of girls clad in T-shirts and diapers found on Saskatchewan reserve after dad got lost</span></b> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">JOE FRIESEN </span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">January 31, 2008</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It was just after midnight on the Yellow Quill reserve when Christopher Pauchay hoisted his two small children in his arms and staggered into a howling white winter storm.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The winds sent temperatures careening toward -50 degrees that night, but Mr. Pauchay didn't even put on a jacket. His 15-month-old daughter, Santana, and his three-year-old daughter, Kaydence, wore only diapers and T-shirts, so he swaddled one in his own winter coat and wrapped the other in a thin blanket. They were heading for his sister's house, 400 metres away across barren dunes of drifting snow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">But Mr. Pauchay, 24, had been drinking heavily Monday night, his elder sister, Bernita Pauchay, said yesterday. His wife Tracey, 21, had stormed out after a fight earlier that evening, and Mr. Pauchay was left home alone with the children. The day before, he had taken a ride to the local liquor store, where he bought a case of beer and two bottles of whisky.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"My brother was so intoxicated," Bernita, 35, said. "I don't know how big the bottles were, but when he drank whisky he would get real loaded."</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Late that night, something happened with Santana that frightened Mr. Pauchay. She may have been sick, Bernita said, or something else may have gone wrong. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"I'm not sure what happened with the baby but he said something was wrong with her," she said.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It prompted Mr. Pauchay to try to run headlong through the snow to his sister's house, possibly because he wanted to get a ride down to the nearby hospital in Kelvington, and he had no phone in his house to call for help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">What's clear is that he never reached his destination.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The tracks he left in the snow cut a twisting, haphazard path that fits with the alcoholic haze he later described from his hospital bed, his sister said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"You could tell he couldn't see where he was running because he was running right through high snowbanks. You could see the times that he fell," she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"He remembers carrying both of the babies, but he was so intoxicated he doesn't really remember anything else," she said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"He remembers holding both of the babies in his arms and falling all over in the snow. At some point he must have fallen so hard that he dropped one of them and he kept running with the other one, and he was just so scared that he just kept going. He didn't realize that he had dropped one of the girls."</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Eventually, he dropped the other girl as well. Four hours later, just before 5 a.m. Tuesday, Mr. Pauchay crawled through the snow to a neighbour's front step. His hand frozen in a claw, he banged on the door, waking someone inside. He was incoherent, the neighbours told his family, suffering from hypothermia and frostbite and still under the influence of alcohol. They called an ambulance, whose crew in turn called the RCMP, and Mr. Pauchay was brought to Kelvington's hospital by 5:30 a.m.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It wasn't until eight hours later that anyone noticed his daughters were missing. At 1:30 p.m., Mr. Pauchay asked hospital staff if his children were all right, which finally set alarm bells ringing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Later that afternoon, a tuft of dark, curly hair was spotted in a snowbank on the reserve. The RCMP recovered the body of little Santana that day. With the cold and blowing snow it took another 24 hours to recover Kaydence's body, which lay about 50 metres from the spot where her sister was found.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The entire reserve was in mourning yesterday, Yellow Quill Chief Robert Whitehead said.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The officers of the RCMP search-and-rescue team have now been replaced by investigators from the force's major-crimes units. No charges have been laid, and an official cause of death has still to be determined at autopsy, but at this point it appears the two girls froze to death.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"They were cute, pretty girls. They were always happy all the time, when they weren't fighting with each other," their aunt Bernita said. "Everybody is going to miss their curly-headed little smiles."</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">They belonged to a large family on the reserve, which is located about three hours east of Saskatoon. Christopher is one of nine siblings in the Pauchay family, and his daughters were two of 26 grandchildren.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">He and Tracey, his childhood sweetheart, had been together for about eight years, but their fighting had escalated recently, Bernita said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"Alcohol is a problem," she said. "It's the only time they really fought was when they were drunk."</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The couple moved back to the reserve last fall after spending three years in Regina, where Christopher worked at a tire shop. They were hoping for a quieter life, surrounded by the comfort of family.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"You could say [there were] personal problems between them. Tracey would get up and leave and go out and be gone for days, leaving Chris with the girls. That's why I say he was the primary caregiver," Bernita said. "Yesterday we were looking for [Tracey] all over the place and we couldn't find her. We figured she was hiding some place, but my mom found her at my brother Gary's place. She was drinking there the night before."</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Tracey had no idea anything was amiss until it was far too late. She's devastated by the news, Bernita said.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"She's taking it real hard. We're all taking it real hard."</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Tracey went to visit her husband in hospital yesterday, and spent much of the day being comforted by her mother and aunts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Christopher will have to remain in hospital for at least a few days, and it's not known whether he'll lose any fingers or toes. His hands are heavily bandaged, and he suffered frostbite on his torso. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"Physically he's getting better but emotionally he's taking it very hard," Bernita said.</span> <br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Choking back tears, she remembered the happiness the family shared this Christmas as everyone gathered at her house to open gifts. Santana and Kaydence ran around creating havoc, opening their presents when they weren't supposed to, and then opening other people's presents once theirs were done.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"It's sad," she said. "I just want to know what led up to him leaving the house with his kids not dressed properly. What led up to him running with them across the road, especially when it's so cold out? That's what I want to know, and I know he wasn't in his right mind, because he would never put his kids through that."</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-15965644637894131052008-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:002008-01-21T09:31:42.663-08:00Missing the train..Today is Monday, the first day of the week. It can be a week full of spiritual ecstasy or a week full of mundane material work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8r69L06MqaCXYNRDyS2NgTNU2VpNJsXMID_P3LUBcx4t-NKqRBxtLGstl7Kwsffr6iHQ6BFrBGOU1oAMgREIH_X3RRtoJvyYd076mbp2B57fgDWVpnlarZuJNh30OBZwirj-Thte8xc/s1600-h/7045-001-142-1069.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8r69L06MqaCXYNRDyS2NgTNU2VpNJsXMID_P3LUBcx4t-NKqRBxtLGstl7Kwsffr6iHQ6BFrBGOU1oAMgREIH_X3RRtoJvyYd076mbp2B57fgDWVpnlarZuJNh30OBZwirj-Thte8xc/s320/7045-001-142-1069.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157980302013088610" border="0" /></a><br />Irrespective of how the outcome of the week is, its always nice to get a fresh start. So after a wonderful ecstatic weekend of kirtans, birthday bashes, mind blowing prasad, some unforgettable conversations, hanging out with the coolest devotee friends (or peeps as I call them) and ofcourse Radha Kscirachora Gopinath, I decided to get to work a bit earlier today just so that I can leave early to catch Mother Laxmimoni's program here in Toronto.<br /><br />However, being the person I am, i went through my morning duties at a regular pace but when I went to the subway station and swiped in my card, I heard the train. Usually I run to catch the train and it always seems silly because by the time I am in the train, I am so tired and considering that the train comes ever 3 minutes, I am not really saving anything. So I just walked normally and when I got to the platform, the train JUST left.<br /><br />I had no reaction to this as it happens always. But then, 2 minutes became 4 minutes.. 4 minutes became 8 minutes and so on. The crowd grew on the platform and was slowing becoming restless. I was doing my rounds and in a different world with my iPod. But in a while, I realised that I was waiting for 20 minutes and NO train! Then we heard the annoucement that due to some technical delays, it would take another 10 minutes. Eventually after waiting for a total of 35 minutes instead of the regular 3 minutes, the train arrived.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsm-xijRfZ0_QtiR9w-R0BMcuskmhWuYj6SdSez6pf53w4_xJJFR-XulFqbEStK1dWSq2CLhVkfxis8oLTBEaOHmOGIdT11QG79f-CW270IWneOVUzWtYhcZirgjDxZ8Y9C9CItJ51R0/s1600-h/ttc24.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsm-xijRfZ0_QtiR9w-R0BMcuskmhWuYj6SdSez6pf53w4_xJJFR-XulFqbEStK1dWSq2CLhVkfxis8oLTBEaOHmOGIdT11QG79f-CW270IWneOVUzWtYhcZirgjDxZ8Y9C9CItJ51R0/s320/ttc24.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157983780936598386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sitting in the train, I felt like slapping myself for not taking the train that I just missed. Its not the train that I missed, but my laziness costed me a good 35 minutes.<br /><br />Now as I write this blog, I can't help but realise that so many people out there are missing the train, the train of oppurtunity, the train that leads to us the final destination of understanding the Love towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<br /><br />We are missing the train simply because of our laziness to understand that this is a once in a lifetime oppurtunity. Who knows? You might have to wait 3500 years to be able to catch that train again.<br /><br />Srila Prabhupad and the various acharyas, our Guru Parampara is driving this train and is slowing down waiting for us to catch it. Our devotee friends are like those passengers who hold the doors of maya and help us enter the train but giving us their hand.<br /><br />Let us try to grab that hand and never let go, else we will be forever left on the platform of this material world!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-10667629947869026862008-01-14T09:39:00.000-08:002008-01-16T07:39:03.313-08:00Glories of Andal Alwar, Sri SampradayaToday is Pongal, a famous harvest festival celebrated across South India and it falls four days from the last day of the Tamil month <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_calendar" title="Tamil calendar">Maargazhi </a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>or Dhanurmasa. What makes Dhanurmas or Maargazhi (pronounced as Maar-galli) is that is the month dedicated to the worship or Goddess Andal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5XaHo1LWYUYKLWmQUm0M9Umc68rgTBQ2JIi9LSd9oOPDvXCwWCZ4zn_wqLuIF4HbNjvCgd4J9w5Z74XEMeaL9OyyQv491OK9artj9P8AvQA1GHli2j2LV0D4mKMO3-tGKbO6tAP6zzI/s1600-h/IMG+099+%28Large%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5XaHo1LWYUYKLWmQUm0M9Umc68rgTBQ2JIi9LSd9oOPDvXCwWCZ4zn_wqLuIF4HbNjvCgd4J9w5Z74XEMeaL9OyyQv491OK9artj9P8AvQA1GHli2j2LV0D4mKMO3-tGKbO6tAP6zzI/s320/IMG+099+%28Large%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155389444596155186" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Diety of Andal in the temple in my Mom's village in Andhra Pradesh, India </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I was inspired to write about Andal and my relationship with her after reading a blog entry by <a href="http://ridewithin.blogspot.com/2007/12/somethings-in-life-are-useful.html">Balaram Chandra</a> on a similar topic. Andal is revered in the Sri Sampradaya (one of the 4 Vaishnava Sampradaya's which was led by Sri Ramanuja Acharya) as an incarnation of Bhumi Devi, the consort of Lord Narayana. Andal Devi took birth on this earth to exhibit loving exchanges with Lord Rangannath in the form of his pure devotee.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> The story of Andal goes that she appeared as a baby girl under a <i>tulsi</i> plant, in the garden of the Vatapatrasayi temple in Srivilliputtur, southwest of Madurai. A great devotee of Krishna named Vishnuchittar (Periyazhwar/Peri Alwar) found her, named her Kodhai/Goda and raised her as his daughter.</span><span style="font-size:100%;">She sang 30 sweet songs during this month of Dhanurmaas or Maargazhi which contain the principles and ideals of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. Though born in Southern India, she assumes the guise of the Gopis and reflects their feeling of seperation from Krishna. She years for everlasting happiness and eternal service of the Lord.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, at her request to marry Lord Ranganatha, and as suggested by Lord Ranganatha himself in the dream of Vishnuchittar, her father took her to the Sri Ranganatha temple in Sri Rangam where she climbed into the <i>sanctum</i> and married Lord Ranganath.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Since time and memorial, Sri Vaishnavites all around the world sing these songs knows as the <a href="http://namperumal.tripod.com/TPMain.htm">Thirrupavai </a>every day to glorify the Lord and it gets a special flavour during the month of Maargazhi. Its interesting to note that each day of the month gets its name from each of the songs known as Pasurams.<br /><br />In her songs, Andal invites all her friends to join her by waking up early in the month before the Bramha Muhurta and singing the glories of the Lord and then preparing delicious Pongal (a preparation made with Rice and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dahl</span>, ). Andal prays to be granted the service of the Lord for all eternity and symbolizes the soul's inner craving to serve the Lord.<br /><br />Andal Devi's story is very personal to me as my middle name is Goda! My Grandparents are ardent devotees of Andal and I grew up to love her. She is so approachable and its like having the best girl friend whom you can talk to about anything. She is so merciful and is always smiling and holding her hands out to comfort you and forgive you.<br /><br />Her message is so beautiful and powerful that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parashara_Bhattar">Sri Parasara Bhattar</a> said that "Just as the mother cow gives milk even in the presence of its dead and stuffed calf, so also the Lord will bless us even though we are absolutely devoid of the supreme devotion of Andal, merely because we are repeating her words."<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">All Glories to Sri Sri Andal Devi !!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-79457001857774048252008-01-13T19:56:00.000-08:002008-01-13T20:28:53.382-08:00Jammin' it up...Its been over 24 hours since the our last PSena Toronto Jammin at the Koffler Institute at the University of Toronto Campus.. and I can't help but reflect on how awesome it was.<br /><br />I love the Jamming sessions just because they are a great place for us to talk, relax, unwind with some fantastic <span style="font-style: italic;">kirtans</span> and then have a great conversation over <span style="font-style: italic;">prasad</span> and hot tea. But this Jamming was so special.<br /><br />It started off with Vinodhini giving us the presentation on "Power of Sound Vibration", which was very powerful. Her opening ice breaker of taking us to the middle of Spadina Crescent and make us not talk but listen was so introspective as it made me realize how much of noise is there in silence, that it was jarring. Wonderful day to realize the power of Sounds and mostly the sound of the Holy Name. Beautiful.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BG9tDOawyRHJj9ufC5oOsUAq-Q8SR_8rtQlpxg-6-1dv9O-2huzx35zHpxOSPRQE1uOCq7VgDqNih7YJymsW2b6pB0qlN-28ShPzFKXWASC2muIIivzGXpZTnjdoutn0XWDqrZ3JFFU/s1600-h/IMG+018+%28Large%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BG9tDOawyRHJj9ufC5oOsUAq-Q8SR_8rtQlpxg-6-1dv9O-2huzx35zHpxOSPRQE1uOCq7VgDqNih7YJymsW2b6pB0qlN-28ShPzFKXWASC2muIIivzGXpZTnjdoutn0XWDqrZ3JFFU/s320/IMG+018+%28Large%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155180163724722962" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is from the last Jamming. I didn't take pictures this time but the crowd was the same..well almost!</span></span><br /><br /><br />After the presentation, we had such a delicious feast of Pasta by Bobby and Salad by Madhava which was just a perfect way. As we were munching on the cookies experimented by Vraja and myself, and with Jettu, Vinodhini and Keshav fighting over the harmonium, Keshav won and he started playing a new tune he learned on the Harmonium recently. Just as we all joined in with our instruments and hands, it slowly picked up pace to become a rocking Kirtan.<br /><br />Now here comes the cool part. There was a Hatha Yoga program happening in the hall in front of ours. They were a group of mostly middle aged adults and it so happened that our impromptu Kirtan happened right in between their break. So they were outside strolling around and we didn't realise but our Kirtan drew them into our hall and as the Maha mantra made the atmosphere blissful, around 45 people were outside clapping, tapping their feet and in some cases even singing with us!! As their break got over, we just picked up pace and people didn't want to go back to their session !!! We didn't waste any time in giving them Prasad, Sunday Feast Cards and told them what we were doing. People were so impressed and more than a dozen people asked us to keep doing this ! That was so cool :-) !<br /><br />After doing Kirtan, we cleared up and went into this Medidation Room on Campus. After doing a round of some potent Japa, I went out for a stroll and bumped into those people again. They asked me more information, brought books and even promised to come out for our Sunday feast. And they came today !<br /><br />Before we wound up, Ateet Prabhu called Shotgun at the Harmonium and sang Sri Guru Carana Padma. I felt it was befitting to finish with prayers to Srila Prabhupad. It is nothing other than his mercy that facilitated so many people to come and join us. It made me realise the power of the Holy Name and how much responsibility we have to keep spreading it.<br /><br />I am still high on that kirtan.. and don't want to come down and even if I do end up coming down, I want to experience that high...always....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl0E2CQyttiDQ3nod93ymiXK7eMsuOUdfvajLPEHOCtEWIfz5rdQYgY9Yob8jyLXmSK_aJw3jbYFptpCDigzjA-HJpj-WKShuoYlKGgJbrULon594PWJn4P3qMpHA_Dfn4Fnr9i2Jel0/s1600-h/IMG+398+%28Large%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl0E2CQyttiDQ3nod93ymiXK7eMsuOUdfvajLPEHOCtEWIfz5rdQYgY9Yob8jyLXmSK_aJw3jbYFptpCDigzjA-HJpj-WKShuoYlKGgJbrULon594PWJn4P3qMpHA_Dfn4Fnr9i2Jel0/s320/IMG+398+%28Large%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155184441512149794" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-86436196434346401272008-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:002008-01-10T11:52:03.362-08:00Srila Prabhupad Reminiscent...Just as I was about to get back to work after my lunch break, I got this wonderful emails from a mailing group I subscribe too, thought I would share it:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trip to the US</span><br /><br />Trivikrama Maharaja came in the afternoon to report that he will be flying to Hong Kong to begin his China preaching right after Srila Prabhupada leaves Los Angeles. He also brought what he said was the very first newsclipping of Prabhupada in America, printed in the Butler Eagle in 1965 just a few days after Srila Prabhupada had first landed in America. It had a wonderful photo of him looking innocent and humble, a saintly, scholarly person holding his Srimad-Bhagavatam. It was accompanied by a brief description of his activities and intentions, describing him as an "ambassador of bhakti-yoga."<br /><br />Prabhupada was surprised and happy to see it and fondly recalled how he was first sponsored to come here through a chance meeting. He was full of smiles as he recalled the events. "So I did not say anything seriously, but perhaps he took it very seriously, Gopala's father. So he might have written to Gopala that 'Swami Bhaktivedanta wants to go to America. If you sponsor, then he can go.' So whatever the correspondence was there between the father and son, I did not know. I simply asked him, 'Why don't you ask your son Gopala to sponsor so that I can go there? I want to preach there.' So after some months, three, four months, the No-Objection Certificate from the Indian embassy in New York, Gopala sent to me, yes, that he had already sponsored my arrival there for one month. So all of a sudden I got the paper, No-Objection Certificate by the Indian embassy. After so much inquiry, I learned that so much inquiry was done and so on, so on. Then I tried to take a passport and paper process. So I got the passport. Then I approached that Sumati Morarji. She once gave me five hundred rupees in exchange of my Bhagavata book, so I approached her, that 'Give me one ticket.' They have got their shipping company, Scindia Navigation. So she said, 'Svamiji, you are so old, you are taking this so responsibility. Do you think it is right?' 'No, it is all right.' At that time, I was seventy years old. So all the secretary, they thought that 'Svamiji is going to die there.' Anyway, they gave me the ticket, one return free ticket by their ship. Then arrangement was going on. So there is another process to get a P-form sanctioned by the state government. So it was applied for. No sanction was coming. Then I went to the State Bank of India, the officer Mr. Bhattacari. So he told me: 'Svamiji, you are sponsored by private man. So we cannot accept it. If you are invited by some institution, then we could consider, but you are invited by a private man for one month, and, after one month, if you are in difficulty, and there will be so much obstacles and so on.' 'Well, I have already prepared everything to go.' So I said that 'You, what you have done?' 'No, I have decided not to sanction your P-form.' 'No, no, don't do this. You better send to your superior. It should not be done like that.' So he took my request and he sent the file to Chief Officer of Foreign Exchange, something like that. Anyway, he is the supreme man in the State Bank of India. So I went to see him. So I asked his secretary that 'You have got such file? You kindly put to Mr. Rao, 'I want to see him.' So the secretary agreed, and he put the file and put my slip that I wanted to see him. I was waiting. So Mr. Rao came personally. He said, 'Svamiji, I have passed your case. Don't worry.' In this way."<br /><br />"So it is a great history. There was two days I was attacked in heart on the ship. So hardship."<br /><br />Not wanting to miss any drop of the nectar of Srila Prabhupada's recollections of the momentous events, Trivikrama Maharaja prompted him to go on. "Then you had a dream?"<br /><br />"Hmm," Prabhupada said thoughtfully, but a little reluctant to reveal anything further. I hadn't heard this kind of detail so I also wanted him to continue. "What was that, Srila Prabhupada?"<br /><br />Prabhupada smiled bashfully. "That is... The dream was I must come here."<br /><br />"It was some instruction that you got?" I asked, eager to delve but trying not to demand.<br /><br />"The dream was that Krsna in His many forms was, bowing the row-what is called?"<br /><br />"Rowing the boat?" I offered.<br /><br />"Yes. And when I arrived in Boston I wrote that poetry." He continued for a few minutes describing his first year in brief, how he kept extending his visa and how another heart attack forced him to return to India because he thought he was going to die. When he boarded the plane he said that Brahmananda and the others were all crying, thinking he would not return. But six months later he did come back. And shortly after that this Los Angeles center was started in earnest.<br /><br />It was wonderful to sit and hear him recall his efforts to spread Krsna consciousness, and again it drove home the great personal sacrifice he made, ultimately just for our benefit.<br /><br />- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 2" by HG Hari Sauri dasa</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-27905016514095256472007-12-10T11:01:00.000-08:002007-12-10T11:37:59.951-08:00Spiritual Lessons from Salt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuagFJQ9zDhrIIOs4QdXvbxWG-IvyhVk70ysG_-z0r_V4g49Q549-DYn7l13u850I-Z7ih__HRV9Cp6V46h_MGt3y2Kiph37n3Qw_vtSf3TqosPSoZFBp5l41891XKoSdk3dAwV7pqsQ/s1600-h/bowl_of_salt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuagFJQ9zDhrIIOs4QdXvbxWG-IvyhVk70ysG_-z0r_V4g49Q549-DYn7l13u850I-Z7ih__HRV9Cp6V46h_MGt3y2Kiph37n3Qw_vtSf3TqosPSoZFBp5l41891XKoSdk3dAwV7pqsQ/s320/bowl_of_salt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142421986768606738" /></a><br /><br />Today I was listening to a lecture by HH Radhanath Swami given during the South Indian Yatra of 2005 - 2006 spoken at Tirupati. In the lecture titled "Qualities of a True Vaishnava", he talks about a past time of devotees in the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya where he describes the conversation between Parasara Bhatt and a Devotee at Sri Rangam. <br /><br />(<span style="font-style:italic;">I am writing the intro to the story based on Maharaj's lecture.<br /><br />The Devotee asks Parasara Bhatt what are the true qualities of a Vaishnava. Parasara Bhatt advices him to go to Tirupati and fall at the feet of Ananta Acharya. When he asks Ananta Acharya the question, he doesn't reply. When the devotee sees that Ananta Acharya doesn't reply, the devotee feels that he is qualified and thinks that he needs to become more humble. Sometime later at a festival, when a lot of devotee were present and Ananta Acharya asks this devotee to serve. And he keeps asking till all the other devotees are fed. The devotee humbly agrees and doesn't complain and does his service enthusiastically.<br /><br />After the festival, Ananta Acharya reveals to him the answer to the question of the symptoms of a True Vaishnava. He says:<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight:bold;">A true Vaishnava is like a crane, is like a cock, is like salt and is like you</span>"<br /><br />Now the devotee gets more confused and goes back to Parasara Bhatt and asks for the explanation of what Ananta Acharya said. Parasara Bhatt understood what Ananta Acharya said and proceeded to explain:<br /><br />Crane: White is the color of the crane and it is also the symbol for purity and pure goodness. In the same way the heart of a Vaishnava is always completely pure and his actions are always for the good of others. Another quality of the crane is that they stand on one leg for hours and keep looking in the water. If they see a small fish, they let it pass by, but when they see a big fish, they feast on it Similarly a Vaishnava does not want to hear the talk of mundane people who are like little fish but they are eager to feast on the wisdom of great devotees who are like Big Fish. Another quality is that during the rain it leaves the flooding sea to a lake. Similarly when a Vaishnava sees that a place in which he is living is full of Material dealings, he will leave that place and seek the association of true devotees.<br /><br />Cock: A cock goes to garbage bins which are full of rubbish and picks out some very wholesome seeds, it eats them and feeds them to the kids. Similarly, a Vaishnava is only concerned with the essence not with other things. </span>)<br /><br />One of the things I really took from this lecture was when Maharaj describes what Parasara Bhatt tells the devotee about why is a Vaishnava like salt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Salt: Although it is the Salt that brings out the element in any preparation, it is hidden. When you taste a very delicious preparation, do you glorify "The salt is so nice"? It is the salt that brings out the flavour but it remains hidden. Similarly the devotee, a true Vaishnava is ever willing to do great service and yet doesn't want any glory and wants to remain hidden. Inspite of doing great service, they don't consider themselves significant. Such is the humility. Similarly, in order to give flavor to the preparation, the salt is willing to melt and completely willing to give up its identity. Similarly, a Vaishnva is willing to give up everything just to serve the devotees.<br /></span><br /><br />I thought this was beautiful. All of us use salt in our preparations and it is probably the most essential part of our food preparations. However, we never acknowledge it. Similarly, so many devotees are out there, who have been so instrumental in making this already perfectly tasting message of Chanting the Holy Name taste even more perfect.<br /><br />This is a dedication to all the devotees around the world, who like salt continue to do glorious service to Srila Prabhupad and help him to spread the message and humbly shy away from glory.<br /><br />I offer my humble obeisances to you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-68857836074560722812007-12-01T21:31:00.000-08:002007-12-01T21:36:55.354-08:00Hare Krishna WorldFor a long time, I've been trying to find my copy of the "New Hare Krishna World" CD(not so new anymore because a LOT more has happened after the 10 years of that video being made: More Rath Yatras, more Centers, Panch Tattva Dieities, Ujjian Temple, etc etc.!).<br /><br />And being the "google fan" I am, I googled it and I found a Google Video link to it!<br /><br />Part 1:<br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1664445873963777002&hl=en-CA" flashvars=""> </embed><br /><br />Part 2:<br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=8884350104389539932&hl=en-CA" flashvars=""> </embed><br /><br />The reason I really liked this video presentation other than the fact that it highlighted some of the amazing aspects of our movement, it is one of the best videos to show to people who have no idea what this movement is, to show them how HUGE our family is!<br /><br />I remember my parents playing this video at one of our initial Bhakti Vriksha classes at home in late 90s and we had a room full of new devotees. People have it such a thundering applause at the end of it!<br /><br />Old memories rekindled of this presentation!<br /><br />Hope it rekindles some memories for you all too!<br /><br />Hari HariUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-23385709173390453112007-11-13T09:12:00.001-08:002007-11-13T21:06:45.065-08:00Remembering Srila Prabhupad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdngjIRmfGLBV26B5BWvKGxBCGef6RNgilvDvSsI9cXKCYXf1rUd0ivGGAgu5g4naxSvnlQvArOFzZMhzKafZVHS1aPIZA-aWw6H0p5h_tB5NFYOYmk9DPC_gFYT4JH7VyjFXcOWnYhQ/s1600-h/Scan123a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdngjIRmfGLBV26B5BWvKGxBCGef6RNgilvDvSsI9cXKCYXf1rUd0ivGGAgu5g4naxSvnlQvArOFzZMhzKafZVHS1aPIZA-aWw6H0p5h_tB5NFYOYmk9DPC_gFYT4JH7VyjFXcOWnYhQ/s320/Scan123a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132553172805351042" border="0" /></a><br />Today, being Srila Prabhupad's disappearance day from the material world, I dropped a quick visit at the temple before heading out for a program at the University Campus. The temple room was silent, except for the low humming sound coming from a Prabhupad chanting machine and dimly lit with the candles after the Damodara prayers.<br /><br />I sat before Srila Prabhupad and tried to chant a round so that he would continue to shower the mercy he has been showering on me for the past few months. On my way as I waited for the cab to take me to the University, I was feeling sad that on this occasion, a lot of us couldn't be there in the temple due to other preaching commitments.<br /><br />Now home from the University Program, as I sorted through my computer, I came across this one picture:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu0ghyphenhyphen9fgEFXNECBsSzwhraLoZ51f1DbKw_CJ3DaLJGkeoC95SxcJO5y8TaWW6f60Yca942SPDWCucH-dkmad_bulE_9uf-azGYenboaxwU7KPAz_sCbwfShr0X-FzOm9pYslg5jkpJo/s1600-h/DSC00674+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu0ghyphenhyphen9fgEFXNECBsSzwhraLoZ51f1DbKw_CJ3DaLJGkeoC95SxcJO5y8TaWW6f60Yca942SPDWCucH-dkmad_bulE_9uf-azGYenboaxwU7KPAz_sCbwfShr0X-FzOm9pYslg5jkpJo/s320/DSC00674+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132554491360310930" border="0" /></a>This was taken outside 26th 2nd Avenue on September 15th at a P-Sena Vyasa Puja Celebration there. Here, Amul being hoisted by a few of the other youth devotees opened the shutter that had closed the sign "Matchless Gifts".<br /><br />This was the place where it all began; the store front from where the seed was planted for one of the biggest, fastest and most prominent spiritual revolution in the 20th century. The reason why I felt this picture was special was because of a very cool underlying meaning to this picture.<br /><br />As a 2nd generation devotee (well almost!), I always wonder what it could have been to meet Srila Prabhupad. Offlate, I have been watching Yadubar Prabhu and Visaka Mtjs Following Srila Prabhupad collection and each remembrance and memory there makes me want to go back to the 60s and be with Srila Prabhupad, serve him, learn from him, get chastised by him. In Philly recently, hearing Mother Rukmini share some personal memories of Srila Prabhupad, it made me want to go back in time even more.<br /><br />But then, when I saw this picture, I realised that Srila Prabhupad is still here, very much. He is there in his spiritual sons and daughters, he is there in the books he wrote, he is there in the recordings of lectures, he is there in every page of the Back to Godhead, he is there in every single temple room and he is definitely present in that Matchless Gift Storefront.<br /><br />The picture to me symbolizes the future. Srila Prabhupad's mission rests on our hands, our shoulders and to revive and keep this glorious teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to go on, we need to re-open those shutters which we have put over the matchless gift which Srila Prabhupad has given us. The only way to reach those shutters is with the help and association of devotee friends, who like you aspire to do that. They say that a picture speaks a 1000 words. Well this picture does.<br /><br />My first visit to 26th 2nd Av., made me realise how fortunate I was to be given an oppurtunity to be a part of the movement. It also got me closer to trying to fathom the mercy of Srila Prabhupad. It made me value his sacrifises and it showed me my responsibility.<br /><br />Today, on the occasion of his disappearance day, as I think more; yes a lot of us weren't at the temple, because we were trying our level best to get the message of Bhakti out, to either Yoga enthusiasts at a Yoga Studio, or curious students at the University.<br /><br />As I try to discover my responsibilty towards the mission and towards serving Srila Prabhupad, I sincerely hope I can do justice to everything and will be able to play a significant role in helping him, Guru Maharaj and other exhalted devotees take the chanting of the Maha Mantra to every town and village.<br /><br />And I know that every youth in ISKCON desires that and we will strive together to make it possible.<br /><br />I hope Srila Prabhupad is smiling at all this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bDrH5_HkBzw5beCVc24oTI_Wn41cHVjTiK1eEURdy0XbadMy9KN_7Beb4XrLoMLPAIzguD_6UuBw1SgRef5Q3KMZDDVe_0krAJkbqzyRm6waUevprmr4pvjBGTxgyMo1uA_SYpWwilA/s1600-h/Laughing+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bDrH5_HkBzw5beCVc24oTI_Wn41cHVjTiK1eEURdy0XbadMy9KN_7Beb4XrLoMLPAIzguD_6UuBw1SgRef5Q3KMZDDVe_0krAJkbqzyRm6waUevprmr4pvjBGTxgyMo1uA_SYpWwilA/s320/Laughing+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132557390463235746" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-77753469081966297972007-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:002007-11-12T15:24:40.828-08:00Remembrance Day Prayers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosuGTJAcLst4Qz2yBw3Ww9p3tOSZ8zvPLFH5QXtzgVjnCleI4euIUyW5r8Hoyi4rlsBM5JIVrFACfc9uzQ0ZcpNnN-7g7BsaosG0gJ0FWDVtOzhvKYwak-wNAb3ThvhtZAc3WBQYjfZw/s1600-h/777px-11-11_poppy_lapel_pin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosuGTJAcLst4Qz2yBw3Ww9p3tOSZ8zvPLFH5QXtzgVjnCleI4euIUyW5r8Hoyi4rlsBM5JIVrFACfc9uzQ0ZcpNnN-7g7BsaosG0gJ0FWDVtOzhvKYwak-wNAb3ThvhtZAc3WBQYjfZw/s320/777px-11-11_poppy_lapel_pin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132090081455351346" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, November 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> was the Remembrance day, a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, especially since the First World War, which ended on this date 89 years back.<br /><br />Around Canada and many other nations around the world, this day is marked with tributes to the great warriors who have given up their lives for the betterment of their fellow country men. A part of this remembrance is to mark a 2-minute silence in memory of these martyrs.<br /><br />We were all at one of the devotee's house in the morning for a small prep talk on Leadership for some of the youth at our temple. On our way back at the elevator, one of the devotees mentioned, that today is Remembrance day and we should observe a moment of silence to pray for those souls.<br /><br />When he said that, my mind first went to the first verse from the Nectar of Instruction:<br /><br /><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" class="c">vāco vegaḿ manasaḥ krodha-vegaḿ</p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" class="c">jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam</p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" class="c">etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ</p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" class="c">sarvām apīmāḿ pṛthivīḿ sa śiṣyāt</p><p style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;" class="c"><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world."</p>In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupad comments on "the urges of the tongue" when he says:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Controlling speech, however, does not mean self-imposed silence (the external process of mauna), as Māyāvādī philosophers think. Silence may appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a failure. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The meaning of controlled speech conveyed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advocates the positive process of kṛṣṇa-kathā, engaging the speaking process in glorifying the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.</span>"</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Keeping Srila Rupa Gosvami's teachings in mind, I wondered, is 2 minutes of silence really what will give respect to these Martyrs? Again, this 2 minute of silence, is our method of identifying with their body, not with their soul. What good will this 2 minutes of silence do for the soul, whose eternal nature is <span style="font-style: italic;">sat-chit-ananda</span> : eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.<br /><br />If it is the souls eternal nature to be happy, we need to reconnect the it with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternally blissful and who is the primal cause of all causes as described by Lord Bramha in the first verse of the Bramha Samhita.<br /><br />In order for us to really give respect to these compassionate "souls", who like the <span style="font-style: italic;">kshatriyas, </span>fought to defend their land (maybe not for the right reasons, maybe not even in the right way, but none they less, they are warriors, not spiritual sadly, but warriors), we need to pray to Lord Krishna to help these souls to understand that in their past life they were warriors who saved the land and by doing a good deed, they should new become spiritual warriors, so that they can help together combat the forces of <span style="font-style: italic;">maya </span>in this battlefield of the material world.<br /><br />And what is the best way to pray for them in this age of Kali?<br /><br />At a lecture giv<span style="font-family:georgia;">en</span> in London in 73, Srila Prabhupad speaks about the verse in the 12th Canto:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">"</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in another chapter, Twelfth Canto, it is said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">kaler dosa-nidhe rajan.</span> These instructions were given by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit. So he addressed the king, "My dear king, <span style="font-weight: bold;">in this age the faults are like the ocean</span>," kaler dosa-nidhe rajan. Dosa-nidhe. Nidhi means ocean. "There are so many faults in this age that it c</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >an be accepted as the ocean of faults." <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kaler dosa-nidhe rajan asti hy eko mahan gunah. "There is one great opportunity. Although it is full of faulty things, still there is one hope. That hope is," kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet, "if one simply chants the holy name of Krsna, Hare Krsna, then gradually he becomes purified from the contamination of this age.</span>" Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah: "He becomes free from the contamination of this age."<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievHrel0W4klNL_xIBolVTBNyB9UrvqW1eE_99OxuRXHBT8gT57ks25fXj3U5JmrANLgwFyOF1HYukfFOVNDVYpJnP8mI2MWxOjS5cGCaV5A5EeuMUNLK0hMsq16KPghXEazD-IcFX8_U/s1600-h/PrabhupadaSittingHandinBeadBag3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievHrel0W4klNL_xIBolVTBNyB9UrvqW1eE_99OxuRXHBT8gT57ks25fXj3U5JmrANLgwFyOF1HYukfFOVNDVYpJnP8mI2MWxOjS5cGCaV5A5EeuMUNLK0hMsq16KPghXEazD-IcFX8_U/s320/PrabhupadaSittingHandinBeadBag3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132097735087072834" border="0" /></a><br />Hence, the recommended way for us in this age is by glorifying the Lord, by surrendering unto him. And this is the best form of purification for all of us fallen souls.<br /><br />Back to my story of Remembrance day, as couple of us walked back home, we took a detour to another devotees house and spent around 2 hours just jamming by singing some beautiful bhajans and the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NEL13YDTdx1pF_-jrQkPctD3Bk7ZQDfZVb1VVfqx-YtvK_CLtEP8V0KULleixJNs-XDwWgkqWIjvRx1qplWgoqt8RhmGTKSdciJcaB5zrQsQggMpC1I3y_oZGtYEnqXSg2GwzhZbEn4/s1600-h/GRYC+Kirtan+July06+Pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NEL13YDTdx1pF_-jrQkPctD3Bk7ZQDfZVb1VVfqx-YtvK_CLtEP8V0KULleixJNs-XDwWgkqWIjvRx1qplWgoqt8RhmGTKSdciJcaB5zrQsQggMpC1I3y_oZGtYEnqXSg2GwzhZbEn4/s320/GRYC+Kirtan+July06+Pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132098568310728274" border="0" /></a><br />I think that was the most powerful silence and the most powerful prayer we could offer to the soldiers of the wars.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-48409303378878651402007-11-06T10:41:00.000-08:002007-11-07T16:32:32.408-08:00Man is an amazing animal<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Isn't a man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife by the millions in</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> order to protect his domestic animal and their feed. Then he kills</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> domestic animals by the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> - and fatal - health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> being used to fatten domestic animals.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">man, who kills so easily and so violently, and once a year sends out</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">cards praying for "Peace on Earth."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">-Preface from Old MacDonalds Factory Farm, by C. David Coates</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-17967171154259324772007-11-02T10:03:00.001-07:002007-11-02T10:12:45.493-07:00Greetings from New Remuna DhamBeen in New Remuna Dham (Toronto) for the past 3 years, I have grown and indescribable attachment to Radha Kschira Chora Gopinath :-) ! He is really my Homeboy ;-) !<br /><br />The following video is a 2-part presentation couple of us devotees put up for Janmashtami to showcase the activities happening at the Radha KschiraChora Gopinath Temple at ISKCON Toronto. Hope you all find the videos enlightening.<br /><br />Its our humble offering to HDG Srila Prabhupad, who gave our dieties that wonderful name, HH Bhakti Marg Maharaj, our "cool" GBC who has always encouraged us in every endevour, Mother Subuddhi, our temple President who is more of our mother/grand mother taking care of our every single need, whims and fancies.<br /><br />This is also our offering and dedication to all the fantastic devotees of ISKCON Toronto who have put in hours and hours into conducting all the events that take place here. Its because of their selfless and humble attitude, was this presentation able to be made.<br /><br />Please enjoy this presentation/s and feel free to drop a line!<br /><br />Part 1:<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mC4kvq2Ofmw&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mC4kvq2Ofmw&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 2:<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d5N61uyrEwM&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d5N61uyrEwM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Hare Krishna !!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-11866742845202687452007-10-30T09:40:00.000-07:002007-10-31T06:20:08.838-07:00Reflections on Connecting with the Holy NameEvery weekend I get to spend with the devotees is so special and leaves me with such a wonderful high that I just don't want to ever get down !<br /><br />Add to devotee association, some gorgeous kirtan with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.gauravani.com">Gaura Vani Prabhu</a>, morning group japa with Yajna Purusha Prabhu, Prabhupad memories you can never get tired off by Mother Rukmini, fun filled activities with Yadunath Prabhu, the most fantastic Prasadam cooking with love by the devotees of the Philadelphia temple, Damodar prayers in front of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Sharadbihari, great loved filled tight hugs from Krsangi, debates and discussions about future of ISKCON with <a href="vineetchander.blogspot.com">Vyenkatta[VBD]</a> and not to forget, fantastic sandwiches and Prasad at Govindas and GTG.. that weekend becomes precious as the Cintamani Touchstone itself!<br /><br />I am just back from the Cintamani Youth Retreat and I started to actually pen these down sitting in the airport as I waited for my flight to arrive.. I wanted to share some of my reflections about the retreat.<br /><br />But as I sat down, I felt that I am really at the lack of words to describe what happened in those 48 hours in Philadelphia, where for the 47 hours it felt like time had no meaning, but at the 48th hour, it struck how fast the time flew. In those 2 days, all of us present there could experience sheer power, beauty, bliss, love and the personification associated with the Holy Name.<br /><br />Personally, I understood what it meant to "Connect with the Holy Name" there. Its been around 10 years since I've been chanting and a few years since I've been chanting seriously, a few months since I've been chanting regularly and giving it top most priority. But first time, I realized that the Holy Name is LITERALLY the personification of the Lord. Else, why would our tears well up when we heard the blissful Kirtans, or why would hair rise in the ends during Morning Japa? It felt like Srila Prabhupad was smiling at us, and Radha Sharadbihari were enjoying the atmosphere in the temple room.<br /><br />Two incidents I'd like to share happened which proved to me the power of the Holy Name and the effects of chanting it with devotees..<br /><br />1. When I leave leaving Toronto, my room mate said, Are you sure you want to go this weekend, there is a forecast that it is going to rain all wknd in Philly. My relatives in Pittsburg whom I stayed with before the retreat told me the same thing. Infact, even on Friday, the first day of the weekend, it was a DOWNPOUR !! Every one predicted an overcast and a wet weekend and we were a bit disappointed as it would result in cancelling Hari Naam and all that jazz !! Saturday dawned with heavy rain, but by the time our morning japa was over, the clouds parted, the sun shine blazed through!! It was a perfect day, clear, a bit chilly, but nonetheless completely devoid of rain ! Who would have ever believed? THAT is the power of the Holy Name.<br /><br />2. So finally the Sunday dawned, and I had to leave. I called my cab but as usual I hadn't finished packing till he came! He actually came earlier and said he'd go back to fill air in his tire and get back in 10 minutes. Though I wanted to stay with every one and not leave the wonderful atmosphere, I had to get back to Toronto to carry on my material commitments. I was a bit frantic so I called the cab company again and they said the cab would be there shortly. As the cab drove into the driveway, I had this urge to say bye to every one again, so I ran back in to give a one big hug to Krsangi and the rest and my Cab driver came out smiling. As I wiped the tears from my eyes and got back into the cab, my Cab driver asked, what was going on there? I said it was a Mantra Meditation Retreat. He was like, were you guys doing this together? I said Yes. He said, can I share with you something. I usually pick up people from religious gatherings, but the minute I stepped out, I felt something so positive, so powerful that I felt instantly happy. What do you guys meditate on?<br /><br />Now I usually don't talk much in Cabs and not in a new place, but I felt this was such an oppurtunity to preach, so I tore out a paper and wrote the temple address and hte Hare Krishna Maha Mantra telling him thats what we meditate on. He started to chant the Mantra in the car! And then when dropping me off, he said, I was thinking when I saw you crying that you were in a hurry for me to come, but when I came you didn't want to leave. After hearing what you have and after feeling the power in the courtyard, I can safely say that true love and friendship still does exist.<br /><br />To me, That was a clear proof of what happened during the Cintamani Retreat weekend, it was magical and unique, an experience one had to be there to experience. At the end of the retreat, it was almost as if the nectar of the Holy Name was so lovingly poured down our throats, the sweet after taste is being felt now. I wish this taste never dies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-14624554463714722222007-10-24T08:35:00.000-07:002007-10-24T09:26:27.954-07:00Harry Potter or Hari Putr (Son of Lord Hari) ??<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11J1o4ndDUvF-qAmsfSGyCx64FyNgWqbBDrjTA7dKCdG7-80c0YllA52OCkYDaVkqPMsUypq7tyOUz-mVgxJy93cUtcsfqv3lOdiOQu_Z5kKYxvV7sQAzqTUpL5QuuC60eXw9f2r0V7o/s1600-h/Harry-Potter-0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11J1o4ndDUvF-qAmsfSGyCx64FyNgWqbBDrjTA7dKCdG7-80c0YllA52OCkYDaVkqPMsUypq7tyOUz-mVgxJy93cUtcsfqv3lOdiOQu_Z5kKYxvV7sQAzqTUpL5QuuC60eXw9f2r0V7o/s320/Harry-Potter-0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124927641094802962" border="0" /></a>I confess, I am a HUGE fan of Harry Potter !! But unlike the 1000s and millions around the world who have a fascination for this bespectacled young wizard, I see it very differently. After reading the books very carefully, I conclude that there is a good underlying message of KC principles in this book.<br /><br />Maybe I am just beating around the bush here and trying to say that reading Harry Potter is a good thing, but nonetheless, its always good to learn things from around our surroundings !!<br /><br />So here I present 3 interesting principles I think what can be learned and implemented from Harry Potter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1. Idea of Dementors</span>: Dementors (forgive me HP buffs that I am going into detail here), are basically creatures that embody all sadness in life. They breed in the fithiest conditions and the purpose of their sole existence is to suck happiness away from human beings. Isn't that the whole point of all the qualities like Envy, Greed, Lust, False Ego, Pride etc. ? They breed in the deepest, darkest corner of our hearts and wage a constant battle with the "goodness" in ourselves and try to conquer our minds.<br /><br />In Harry Potter, dementors are fought by thinking of good thoughts which produces a shield around you. Similarly, in KC, thinking about Sri Sri Hari, Sri Gaura Nitai, Lord Jagannath, Srila Prabhupad and all those devotees around the world and in history who give us true happiness, we can produce a shield around us. Most of all, chanting the Holy Name produces the strongest Patronus (Shield in Harry Potter lingo) to take care of us us and save us from the thoughts that induce happiness and keep us eternally happy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">2. Instructions vs Physically Presence</span>: </span>In the book preceding the final book, Harry Potters mentor and guide, Professor Dumbledore (my FAVE character from that book, has so many shades) dies. In the final book however, what saves Harry's life is his instructions showing that as important and as pure physical association is, it is non different from the instructions.<br /><br />So many of us younger people keep thinking how wonderful it would have been to be present during Srila Prabhupad's time in this material manifestation. But we often forget that He is always there with us, in his books, in the Temples he established, in his wonderful disciples and in every single instruction he gave. If we want to conquer the evil, we need to take shelter of his instructions and try to follow them sincerely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">3. Concentration is the Key: </span></span>The series end with the death of Voldermort (The most evil Dark Wizard in HISTORY !) by Harry Potter with the uttering of the unforgivable curse "Avada Kedavara" with utmost concentration and with the sole purpose to kill some one, only then will the curse be effective.<br /><br />Similarly, if we want to kill the evil in our hearts and <a href="http://vineetchander.blogspot.com/2007/10/killing-ravana-within.html">Destroy the Ravana within </a>we need to sincerely chant, with concentration, focus and love for the holy names of Lord Krishna.<br /><br />In the <i>Kalisantarana Upanisad</i> it is stated that: <i><p align="center">hare krsna hare krsna<br />krsna krsna hare hare<br />hare rama hare rama<br />rama rama hare hare</p> <p align="center">iti sodasakam namnam<br />kali-kalmasa-nasanam<br />natah parataropayah<br />sarva-vedesu drsyate</p> </i><p>"The sixteen words--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--are especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of Kali, there is no alternative but the chanting of these sixteen words."</p>So inorder to destroy the evil and fight our inhibitions, we need to Chant the glores of Sri Hari.<br /><br />There are a lot more lessons that can be learnt from the books, but I will stop at these three at the time being. Maybe next time, more lessons to be learnt ?!<br /><br />On a closing note, from a sole marketing of the book perspective, the way these books became a revolution is interesting. Written by a single mother on scrap paper in a remote coffee shop in London to one of the most selling books in the world, its the stuff fairytales are made up off. What is there for us to learn from this is how to market out material better. What content we have in our books, in the ancient vedic texts beats the lessons which kids derive from Harry Potter ANY day! The action and drama seen in texts like Ramayan and Mahabharat are far more interesting and exciting than the countless fights Harry has and ofcourse, The Bhagavad Gita gives so much more crucial and critical knowledge about Good vs Evil, about Right vs Wrong and about how to achieve "success", all which HP fails to deliver! Yet, people are reading this and not our books. So, something for all of us to try to analyze.<br /><br />How can we make this wonderful knowledge Srila Prabhupad has presented us in such a way that one day, at 4 00 am all around the world, millions of people wait, in front of the ISKCON temples, for the diety doors to unravel, for the arati bells to go off..<br /><br /><i><i><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-UOsBq8O5TaAVNM0d1CUeZU6fO77UKTocX1UgGFREnaM65D2G0zmKIxvS8zO2xra9I6QhpcuyPMKpK04wVd7Qz2SLKUyGdlXBBp-e2CMHepYybHD5shqe1biLyvsiKnY4zYRGx7rbFA/s1600-h/comp-radha-krishna-gemalt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-UOsBq8O5TaAVNM0d1CUeZU6fO77UKTocX1UgGFREnaM65D2G0zmKIxvS8zO2xra9I6QhpcuyPMKpK04wVd7Qz2SLKUyGdlXBBp-e2CMHepYybHD5shqe1biLyvsiKnY4zYRGx7rbFA/s400/comp-radha-krishna-gemalt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124939503794474530" border="0" /></a></i></i>To get darshan of Lord Sri Hari !!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-38137697679550427602007-10-16T15:43:00.001-07:002007-10-23T19:50:29.244-07:00Real Beauty<object height="350" width="425"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYhCn0jf46U"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYhCn0jf46U" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />When a friend of mine sent me this ad, my respect for Dove products increased immensely !! I still don't like that line of products as I don't think they work for my skin, but this ad had so much of Krishna Consciousness in it that I felt it had to be posted here.<br /><br />From a broader perspective, the term "beauty" is often misunderstood. This point has been stressed since time and millennium and by various sources, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCpikpIu1cYLtNLK6T3qZJeFRzgUqIP70E9ZjIIUK6L_9jj0oIlGLYJrrjaBLIcb-DsqLSFVO-Q-C0vZf7n28h7KZntWbaI797IoTs_G41d_3njaF2wl8qdUEOtW8U-SO9os_prrJAZw/s1600-h/UglyBetty_300x300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCpikpIu1cYLtNLK6T3qZJeFRzgUqIP70E9ZjIIUK6L_9jj0oIlGLYJrrjaBLIcb-DsqLSFVO-Q-C0vZf7n28h7KZntWbaI797IoTs_G41d_3njaF2wl8qdUEOtW8U-SO9os_prrJAZw/s400/UglyBetty_300x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122440094821207090" border="0" /></a>by quotes that say "Beauty isn't skin deep", by TV shows like Ugly Betty, where the main protagonist is an unattractive yet brilliant young girl who gets a job with a fashion house where she proves her worth with her brain power.<br /><br /><br />Still, STILL, billions of dollars is spent every year in cosmetic industry, thousands of women go for botox and other surgeries and toxic methods to enhance their looks, teenage girls all around the world idolize Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez for their perfect 10 figures and not for the struggle they underwent to become successful. Looks, in particular, Good Looks still play a great role in peoples life.<br /><br />Saying this, I will not deny the importance of looking good. But I do object to the hours and money spent on "looks" when it can be used for so many other purposes.<br /><br />But what I object to the most is the fakeness in the obtainment of these good looks. As shown in the Dove ad, what is real beauty? Who are we to define real beauty? And what we see in todays "most beautiful women", is that real beauty?<br /><br />On a more deeper level, this advertisement tells a lot about our "real" identity and gives a better perspective to answering the often questioned "Who am I". The girl stayed the same. Her real identity (soul) stayed the same through out the makeover (transition from childhood to youth to adult to old age) and though it was the same person, she looked so different. Can any one say that she is different from what she was before the makeover? No, because "she" is the same.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WnD_9qnSYM5P9mnIpgMIx2Txp-W0HBMQFbrrKyqDvC_5o1a2_Z2VFTZBJzeTtg8HYqck84ijFZPki5aJqWOVVAl3KesRqCihh_xsAMVUlj6j3ESqUMx9F1J117g_o1imf-1F_NFbUxk/s1600-h/karma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WnD_9qnSYM5P9mnIpgMIx2Txp-W0HBMQFbrrKyqDvC_5o1a2_Z2VFTZBJzeTtg8HYqck84ijFZPki5aJqWOVVAl3KesRqCihh_xsAMVUlj6j3ESqUMx9F1J117g_o1imf-1F_NFbUxk/s320/karma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122440644577020994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />People are running all over to try to find the "real beauty" or the "real knowledge" in this case, but no one wants to stop and really look around. Just as the way people after seeing the ad would be searching all over for the "beautiful" girl but that girl was always there!<br /><br />Besides, what beauty are people running behind? What is "Real Beauty" ?<br /><br />In the Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupad describes that All beauty is one the opulences of Lord Krishna. Seeing Lord Krishna in such a ultimately beautiful form, makes me wonder, why are people running around for true beauty, when the real beauty is found in abundance?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4zMilDCvVyGsW37-S3D8G-HLnyBorjkuv2YdaecKp0fm76Ovklh5YsKFpLBImzVt_kK2nmlG9HN4sc04hdxlrcueAoiD-9vvVsXMh80g-ja5jdVIMmvXwhtbe911dkYbBVP8LleOsiY/s1600-h/KrsnaInVrndavan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4zMilDCvVyGsW37-S3D8G-HLnyBorjkuv2YdaecKp0fm76Ovklh5YsKFpLBImzVt_kK2nmlG9HN4sc04hdxlrcueAoiD-9vvVsXMh80g-ja5jdVIMmvXwhtbe911dkYbBVP8LleOsiY/s400/KrsnaInVrndavan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124729467008798210" border="0" /></a><br />The name Krishna means All Attractive. If we need to be searching for anything, it should be searching to acquire the taste of the Holy Name that will inturn help us to increase our attraction for the all attractive.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-91970724908165121172007-10-12T15:58:00.000-07:002007-10-12T16:11:19.295-07:00Vege..what ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFMaj_ryQ7ja1nyaobMhyphenhyphenQ6ZplplY6yj03tycy5lddS6at9wsEtR_2pUuOnSP2UEzVhIv-JWDqUunSW25ibk56wBA1TGhJO6Lx3D7HwE3O5y4hRYYRPIFNhDBwx7SCiHqGbnLwFh7EUo/s1600-h/vegie.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFMaj_ryQ7ja1nyaobMhyphenhyphenQ6ZplplY6yj03tycy5lddS6at9wsEtR_2pUuOnSP2UEzVhIv-JWDqUunSW25ibk56wBA1TGhJO6Lx3D7HwE3O5y4hRYYRPIFNhDBwx7SCiHqGbnLwFh7EUo/s400/vegie.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120588920966958082" border="0" /></a>When Payal sent me this cartoon to think of a caption for yesterday, I was remembering another cartoon I had seen recently about cruelty to animals.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dyb426nLakPSHOTpWiYqnbybD9bHvomQp2w-CWmt3H9ykx-tb0gmYOyGUyyPfEOON8Z7kv1h64gz_tJIVHUczpy6sn0UE1rpPGHy0fljmGLEU82q1-g9y1mcO-JXVUqYGIP8BXG5w9Y/s1600-h/Veggie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dyb426nLakPSHOTpWiYqnbybD9bHvomQp2w-CWmt3H9ykx-tb0gmYOyGUyyPfEOON8Z7kv1h64gz_tJIVHUczpy6sn0UE1rpPGHy0fljmGLEU82q1-g9y1mcO-JXVUqYGIP8BXG5w9Y/s400/Veggie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120589247384472594" border="0" /></a><br />This was sent to me by a co-worker, who was just adopting a vegetarian diet. His journey was very interesting. A few months ago when I met him, he used to eat meat and he felt that his life was incomplete without it. Over lunch one day, he noticed that all I was eating was salad and he asked. So when I told him I was a vegetarian. He said, "vege...what?"<br /><br />Giving a smirk, he continued, "I don't get it, why are people vegetarian? I am sure you are one because your parents are Vegetarian too".<br /><br />His taunt reminded me of all the times I had to tell people that I was a Vegetarian even without understanding what that word meant! Yes, maybe I was born a Vegetarian, but today, I believe in it strongly!<br /><br />Back to my co-worker, after we spoke about the pros of a vegetarian diet and all the positive effect it has on you emotionally, physically, mentally and most important, spiritually. He listened, but I don't think I made an impact.<br /><br />People say Love is a strong thing and he fell in love with a Thai girl who was a vegetarian, Vegan infact! She tried to talk to him, but of no avail, so she made him see a video which I am guessing is similar to the famous "Meet your Meat" production. After seeing it for 10 minutes, he stopped the TV and has become a devout Vegetarian since then.<br /><br />A 180 degree change? You bet!! [Maybe I should try to get him to chant Hare Krishna next =) ]<br /><br />After his transformation, we were talking about how much better it makes him feel and he brought up a beautiful point, which leads to my first cartoon posting, he said "I was such a hypocrite when I was a meat eater. I would sit and relish the carcus of a poor animal but if a kid were so close to even patting my dog too hard I would get angry. I would join organizations like K9 and other animal welfare organizations, but didn't realize that the biggest welfare we can do them is by treating them good and keeping them alive!"<br /><br />How true!<br /><br />So many people are hypocritical about Animal Welfare.<br /><br />Want to see real Animal Welfare ?<br /><br />- Become a Vegetarian<br />- Love ALL Animals<br />- Engage them in the service of the Lord, they enjoy it =)<br /><br />Mostly, treat them with respect as you would another living being.<br /><br /> I am glad my co-worker had that transformation. If only more people owned videos like Meet your Meat....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619672771664863637.post-21601624769438929012007-10-11T19:19:00.000-07:002007-10-11T21:43:45.778-07:00Step Away from Death...People often talk about near - death experiences or times, when they felt their world crashing and everything just seemed void. Its these experiences that often force people to become more God Conscious because it is that point when they realize how volatile this life and in particular this body is, which in a minute can become useless.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sU5vRdk87sHUM-3qBNgH-XNwaTen0ZH_p9KnTEAfjlIIecHBWRZsRV3RK-q0jZXuEAJcwYasQyBrMJ-mbvRT_gEqazrTOOELKcgugYe8_wb4IvOhSHq3FW3uicC8gB7-4uZwSoGMrlc/s1600-h/German-Soldiers-salute-Sgt-Day-G.-Turners-grave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sU5vRdk87sHUM-3qBNgH-XNwaTen0ZH_p9KnTEAfjlIIecHBWRZsRV3RK-q0jZXuEAJcwYasQyBrMJ-mbvRT_gEqazrTOOELKcgugYe8_wb4IvOhSHq3FW3uicC8gB7-4uZwSoGMrlc/s320/German-Soldiers-salute-Sgt-Day-G.-Turners-grave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120305302801566690" border="0" /></a><br />Today, I had such an experience. Not once, twice.<br /><br />I wish I was a more serious devotee that at the point it happened, I thought of the Lord. To be honest, the first time today, my mind just went blank. It happened at one of the busy intersections here, an intersection I cross almost a billion times each day. It was my right of way, and I was running to catch the street car. Suddenly, in a few mins, all I hear is LOUD horns, a screeching sound, a woman's voice screaming "what the h**l are you doing ??" and I am on the ground, not hurt, not flat on my back, but kinda squatted and my mind blank. All I remember was the driver of the street car getting out to see if I was fine. When I regained some sense, I tried to see if the driver of the car that almost ran over me was around, and to my extremely annoyance, I found out that the car just drove past me after seeing that I wasn't dead. At that point, I was just mad. Before that, my mind was blank.<br /><br />As I sat in the street car, thinking of why people drive so silly and trying to chant to calm myself down, I realised that my round wasn't at all effective. Just then, my stop came and as I was about to step out, I was held back by someone and thankfully so, because another car, for no rhyme or reason, sped the way through the free lane where he was supposed to stop to wait for us to get off the street car.<br /><br />Again, saved, just by an inch.<br /><br />After such an adventurous 10 minutes of my life, I crossed the road and sat on the stair case of the University building, closed my eyes, trying to clear my head which had completely shut down and I felt cold. After a few minutes, as I slowly opened my eyes, the reality hit me that both times I was just a step away from "death", but both times, my mind just blanked out, didn't think even once about Lord Krishna.<br /><br />Is that how its going to be when the final moment actually arrives?<br /><br />Its a very scary thought. After hearing so many lectures, reading so many books, its surprising how in such a situation, our mind so covered by conditioning of this material world refuses to still go towards Lord Krishna. Even at such a pinnacle and brink of suffering, does it seek to enjoy.<br /><br />To me today, it wasn't the fact that I was almost hit was shocking, it was more shocking to realize that I am not able to think of the Lord when I need him the most.<br /><br />However, the most beautiful thing, which made today bring about a major spiritual realization is that He REALLY does have your back!! I mean, I was just a step away and even inspite of me not thinking about him, he cared so much that he ensured that I was all alive to be able to blog at this unearthly hour. He gave me a small slap on the head to tell me not to be proud of my spiritual life but to be happy and consider myself fortunate to be even worth of getting something so special.<br /><br />I was indeed a step away from death, but today, I have taken a step towards trying to become more Krishna Conscious!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWcku5dqPQEbt6HmyzbzDanvoqKWohBmjA278BytrSN1TENIhF8LpZ2-JCwpND61agc8_XA0pyHRohdIEWz0GiIZupd8U0wDUWgr4CA5YTbqPO5oNYoBHZiWttH4MeTqMtT61EiAKNBY/s1600-h/Krsna+epiphany.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWcku5dqPQEbt6HmyzbzDanvoqKWohBmjA278BytrSN1TENIhF8LpZ2-JCwpND61agc8_XA0pyHRohdIEWz0GiIZupd8U0wDUWgr4CA5YTbqPO5oNYoBHZiWttH4MeTqMtT61EiAKNBY/s400/Krsna+epiphany.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120306131730254834" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2