What we read is real.

Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur Samadhi


Unbelievable Beauty of TotaGopinath


Dinner Prasadam


Krsna! Krsna! Cleaning my heart at Gundica temple

surya samskar

When I arrived to Bhubenesvar I was looking at the giant wheel carvings outside of the airport to be very surprised that the intricate carvings were of various sexual positions. Not thinking about it again, i didnt connect things til a month later in Mumbai. The wheels were duplictes of those at the sun temple. Mukunda Charan Prabhu was showing me pictures and when he came to the photos of the Sun temple outside of Puri he said, " this place is not for brahmacaris- the whole temple is shaped like a giant chariot and there are thousands of intricate carvings of the Kamasutra." When we went a few weeks before meeting him, they wanted 250 ruppees fro westerners to enter so we opted to not pay and simply walk around the temple and view it from afar. I guess I was saved from a few more samskaras. Some times not being allowed into temples may be a good thing.

Arrival in Puri was dream come true. Immediately i headed out to the beach to chant japa and remember everything i ever heard about its glories from my spiritual master.

red dawn

When i was younger I used to watch a movie called "Red Dawn" which used to scare the hell out of me and give me night mares. It was a movie about the Russians parachuting into an American town and taking over. I always feared that day when I would see a Russian soldiers gliding down through the frame of my school window armed and ready to take over our American society.

I have only met a few Russian devotees over the years in America, but once I entered the Orissa area i began to understand the glories of Srila Prabhupada. He made a short few day trip to Moscow and planted a seed which has grown beyond belief. There were thousands of devotees everywhere! They were climbing over walls, getting chased by gaurds and eating all the prasadam in sight!

Tara was again and again disturbed when each temple refused Jason and I from entering, while he on the other hand could enter without a problem.

Bhubenesvar

This is the Magazine which revealed the Dhama! All Glories to HDG Gour Govinda Maharaja

http://www.gopaljiu.org/Publications/MagazinesIndividual/7_Shiva1.htm

First you bath in Bindu Sarovar. Then you take darshan of Ananta Vijay. The devotees of Ananta vijay temple were very nice to our group. They allowed us to take darshan as long as we liked and we allowed to take as many pictures as we liked all around the complex. Then we feasted on the Lords prasadam! Wow! what kitchens! Just watching them make one offering was a great experience. I pray that our service to Sri Sri RadhaVrindaban Chandra can be so intense.

returned to sender

When William and I joined the ashram in Tucson we immediately ordered passports. We had the idea that we would fly to India and not return being on the path of perfection and in a perfect place, India. A place where we can be free from all anxiety and attractions of this most disturbing place of America. Now I go to India and return knowing there is service here. I do feel I live in Mayapur, it is all of our home. I leave to serve where it is most needed and where Ive been directed to, New Vrindaban. So I am back after a short 7 weeks of pilgrimage. I hope all the prayers spoken in the past weeks will be answered as we need the strength, guidance and over all assistance while here in the USA. Its a scary place. The land of all my material desires. A place where I can fulfill each and everyone of my long cultivated sinful contemplations within moments. How fortunate we are that we have obtained service to the Lotus feet of Sri Guru, Lord Chaitanya, and Sri Sri Radha Vrindabancandra. I have faith that They are protecting and will continue to protect us. Being back in New Vrindaban I see how Thier Lordships are in control of everything here. Its a peaceful place, a whole five of us at Mangal arati. Four of us on the alter, three of us in class and all the Mahaprasadam you can eat for each meal. Let's see how Spring and Summer evolve. Maharaja lives in India and prays for us. That is our only hope.

more than meets the eye...

During Day three in Vrindaban we bowed down to Goverdhan Hill and began our Parikrama. Today Tara and Palu joined us. They have become increasingly devotional and made the commitment to go all the way around Goverdhan. We started out at Kusum Sarovar and met HG Nityanada prabhu who cares for Kusum Sarovar and Bana Bihari temple. Kusum Sarovar is like new. They have placed new floors in the ghat and have removed the forest behind between the castle and Udhava kund. They are in plans of planting beautiful flowers as previously. Now that the forest is gone the monkey population has also dispersed. We started and ended here.

After a few hours Tara and Palu rented a Riksha and had the driver meet us later in the day. Tara peddled the riksha and his wife rode on the back and carried our bags and water. It was an intelligent move. After half of the parikrama, because of my flat feet and two days of intense barefooted walking, my ankles swelled up and brought great pain to every step. I was grateful because it made the parikrama a true endeavor and forced me to intensify my prayer. For two weeks after my feet remained swollen and I was still praying.

Mid way near Surabhikunj as we were dying in the heat of Goverdhan a most pleasant and innovative cloud of mercy approached. Puffing big black smoke behind it, a sugar cane walla drove up next to us. He had converted his sugar cane engine into a car slash sugar cane press. After three four cups we went on our way. There is nothing like a ten cent cup of fresh sugar cane juice. We finished by after noon and headed back to Iskcon.

As I exited our taxi I saw a sannyasi enter Prabhupadas quarters followed by a group of twenty people. I thought it was Dhanudhar maharaja but i couldnt tell so i followed them in. To my great pleasure it was HH Tripurari maharaja. Chaitanya, Blake and I spent Janmastami with him at his ranch in california. We took great inspiration from him and for the past two months I have been reading his Gita edition. His Gita has revolutionized my appreciaton for and has clarified so many questions i have had. I have become inspired in my devotional life by his most expert endeavor. After an hour long class i had the opportunity to thank him. I was beat but being our last day in the dhama I had to take advantage of Radha Shyama and Aindras Kirtan. I bought many garlands and a box of sanpapari(sp?) from Goverdhan and offered them to Radhe Shyama on behalf of various devotees and friends.

After Kirtan i was standing around and I saw Nisha from DC. Soon after Manish, and Vinay showed up and we went to dinner at MVT. It was my first time. Thanks guys. I had the veggie burger and half a pizza and a lime soda. All my austerieties became fruitful. It was so nice to see them in the dhama. Seeing such good friends in Vrindaban only increased our love for eachother. As we exited the restaurant we met HG Baladeva Vidya Bushan prabhu. For the next two hours we lounged in the hall way sharing many stories of our teachers and service to them. He's a great guy and a little wild. I mentioned I was going to Puri the next day and he became eager to get me a copy of Satsvarup Maharaj's book about Puri. As we walked out of MVT. I got attacked by a six and a half foot devotee. He wrestled me to the ground and Baladeva grabbed me in tagg team and they forced me to yell and scream as they molested my feet. I cant believe it. It was Gaura vani Prabhu. After the hearing so much of his past months adventures in India I was happy to see him at 11pm in Vrindaban. Baladeva coaxed him into roaming with us like mad men in search of that Puri book. First we headed to Aindras room. No one had it there and He was busy with his computer and writing his book. His preaching book is to come out soon! we roamed the alley ways for an hour or more and after waking up many deovtees in such a quest we left with as baladeva calls it" a Satsvarup knock off" it was Mahanidhi's Puri book. It was nice nonethe less to obtain a book, but the best was finishing off the trip in the wild companionship of Gaura Vani Prabhu and my new friend Baladeva Prabhu. I sold my alarm clock to GV went back to my room. Krsna's mercy i foooled aroud for enough time for the pizza to digest!I fell asleep at 1:30am and woke up at 2:30am to catch our Qualis to Dheli. 3 am is the best time to drive. No one is up yet and the roads are clear. Fill your cabbie up with chai and hell drive anywhere you have to go. We caught our plane and flew to Bhubenesvar.

you cant buy a ticket and get there...

Vrindaban

Realization:
Jiva Soul(atleast me): Similar to Satan qualitatively but different quantitativly.
Even in the most holy places one's mind can ruin everything.

Vrindaban is paradise. Each visit springs forth the question, Why leave, you have so much to see and learn? It is home. An austere home. It was freezing. We had Three days to pack with activity and attempts at purification.

The Travel from dheli to Vrindaban was filled with the enjoyment of watching the bicycle riders hold onto the trucks, rikshas, cars, motorcycles, and ox carts in order to travel faster and with ease. I noted this and will later apply such intelligent acts.

Upon arrival to vrindaban we Checked into our guest house facility within Iskcons complex. Showering and washing clothes is always our first priority. One thing to remember, check to see if there is water before you tie your thread around your ear and use the toilet.

With great surprise We met up with Rupanuga Siddhanta Prabhu an old friend who I owe much of my early days of Krsna Conscious guidance. Among thousands I remember he told me a most illustrative example that has always inspired me. He said Grhasta ashrama is like an ox cart. If any difficulties fall on your path, you safely stop and either remove the obstacle or go around it and continue on. Then he compared a life or renunciation with driving a sports car. It is quick and fun, but if an obstacle falls on your path when you are driving 100 miles perhour it is very dangerous situation. When I was younger I used to read many books about rally car and formula one race car drivers.

Rupanuga arranged for us to be guided to the Gosvami temples that evening. Six Gosvami's Ki Jaya! It was so wonderful making it in perfect timing to see the various aratis and darshans of the most beloved Lords of Vrindaban. One shocker, as i entered the courtyard or Sri Sri Radha Damodar the center of the universe, as i was praying to Rupa gosvami and awaiting to see his most beautiful diety, i saw his samadhi in shambles, completely destroyed. I was left open jawed and disturbed. Another Indian inconvenience regretted. I guess they are building a new Samadhi in glorification of Srila Rupa Gosvami. At that time too Srila Prabhupadas quarters were locked up and closed to all. This week all court cases have come out in Iskcons favor and it has been reopened. The rest of the Darshans were sweet and filled with prayer. Oh Radha Raman when will we see you again?

The next morning Jason and I hit the parikram path barefooted with bead bags in hand. No one else was on the path. It was freezing. The ground made your feet go numb. I told Jason this is Vrindaban's mercy, your feet go numb so you dont feel the cuts from the rocks and then you step in cow dung so you dont get an infection. Jason turned back but i continued in the darkness.

This is one of my favorite activities while in Vrindaban. It really allows you to absorb the brahma murhurta energy of the city, the people and nature such as the moon over the Yamuna. I love being wrapped up in a chaddar, bare footed and walking in Vrindaban chanting Hare Krishna. It is a special feeling which is most priceless. You feel natural and accepted, being in Krishna's land with his associates.

Upon returning to the temple Jason, Rupanuga and I jumped into an ambassador and went to Varshana. We spent the morning roaming about with our Brijbasis pandit to Varsana, Terra Kadamba, and Nandagram. Actually we didnt go to Kanai Balai's temple because the Pandas have been quite rough and we didnt want to spoil our sweet morning of roaming about the dhama. Last year when I wen there it was Kartik. I was taking darshan and I saw i huge rat climb all over the dieties. In my mind i said “ oh sick, how can they let a rat climb all around llike that etec etc etc” then at that very moment i saw smoke coming from below my waist and my dhoti had caught fire from one of the arati lamps! Instantly I knew it was due to my offense so I bowed down and left immedieatly.

The evening we spent in awe of Aindras kirtan performance. When i was in high schol i spent much of my time going to all types of indie punk rock and hip hop shows. It was so exciting to see certain bands perform and get to meet them and support their lifestyle. Buy silk screened patches and 7 inches. Aindra and his 24 kirtan band is a trancendental example of such an aspect of youth needing to be satisfied. We can see that he is inspiring thousands of Krsna conscious youth around the world by steadily chanting for Sri Sri Radhe Shyama Sundar in most creative and energetic ways. Aindra Prabhu Ki Jaya! 24 hour kirtan band Ki Jaya!

Three days since I wrote this nonsense...

Self Realized Chapattis

Catching up....
Sorry Sorry Sorry.
Its hard writing in India. Its hard writing anywhere. Some one told me this evening that they felt they have kept in touch with me and my mental state through reading the blogs over the past year. I hope that my mental state is not accurately revealed via these blog entrys. Maybe it is. Either way i am a fool.

I am definetly a person used to good technology. Either it has to be the best or its worthless. Even New V internet defeats India. I m not so tolerant of slow tech. It actually quite comforting to touch a Macintosh again. Actually when i was a wee boy my first computer was a mac II. On it I learned to type, program legotronics and do mathematics. Tonight Ive borrowed Nitai's computer so i could type up a few emails and blogs so when I get to the ole internet cafe i can be quick and to the point. atleast as quick as the computers can go. Over the past month it has been almost gauranteed that the computer I use will some how or another shut down mid email or the connection will die and the computer guy will try and try again while never admitting that it wont work. So usually I leave with the idea that maybe i shouldnt be using the computer in the holy dhama and should be chanting or reading rather than waiting for my login page to load. Waste of my life. I also figured out why they are called internet cafe's-because you can smoke as many cigarettes as you like while checking your emails or using up all the band with with a video conference to your girl friend back in europe.

Right now we have reached the last leg of our trip. We are in Mumbai and have just experienced the whirlwind festival of Gaura Purnima with HH Radhanath Maharaja, HH Kavicandra Maharaja, HH Devamrita Maharaja and HH Chaundramauli Maharaja and the Chowpatty congregation. Check their site for photos. www.radhagopinath.com

Before being here we flew five times and took ten trains twenty taxis or more... what to speak of rikshas or walking up and down or around hills or bowing down again and again and again and again and again. I think my forehead has developed a callous. Sick days-zero!!!!! but now the Mumbai cough has hit me. Im mobile but filled with mucus. Another notable experience, I made it the whole month without losing my shoes, until i arrrived Mumbai, on day two the shoes have gone awol. Ill be here for a week and a half more learning from and associatiing with Maharaja's servants. And of course eating a few self realized Chapattis. (this is a recently learned term for -Pizzas, a chapatti at full potential, coined by HH HDG)

Our previous schedule looked like this and I will give over view of each:
Vrindaban, Dheli, Bhubenesvar, Puri, Bhubeneshvar, Kolkata, Mayapur, Kolkata, Dheli, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dheli, Kolkata, Mayapur, Kolkata, Varanasi, and Mumbai.

ready to here what happened? Lets see what I can remember...