Not Lost for Words!

I handed in my months notice at work a couple of weeks ago (it is only three weeks to go!). My colleagues asked me what my plans were now – I’d been expecting this question, and planned to be straightforward about it, but wasn’t prepared how difficult it would be!

Me: Well, you’ve heard of Lord Caitanya?

Colleagues: No. Who? What?

Me: Oh, well He’s famous for having started the sankirtana movement of chanting the names of Krishna as the quickest and best way of becoming self-realised.

Colleagues: (politely) I see. Oh yes? Hmm!

Me: He lived about five hundred years ago in Bengal and you must have heard of Hare Krishna?

Colleagues: Oh yes – the bald ones in the bedsheets?

Me: Ha! Yes, well it’s a very ancient spiritual tradition and the chanting makes you very peaceful and happy.

Colleague: Is that why you’re always so cheerful and sort of serene? Not always moaning like the rest of us.

Me: Um err, well I don’t know about that!

Another Colleague: True though. But what’s it got to do with your plans now?

Me: Well, I’m going to take a sankirtana training course, where I’ll learn all the philosophy and theology of this tradition and hopefully become skilled at playing the musical instruments – they play these cool drums made of clay – and at presenting these teachings about how you can live in the best way possible for your own happiness and that of others.

Colleagues: You mean you’re going to be a Hare Krishna?

Me: I already am!

Colleague: Oh you never told us that!

Me: You never asked.

General laughter.

And that was it. Only my hands were all hot and sweaty afterwards and my legs felt like cottonwool!

Still I was glad I did it, whatever they may think. I thought this is going to be my job in the future, to explain to people about Lord Caitamya and His teachings, so I might as well begin now. I’m not sure I did it very well, but it was a start!

The Beauty of Lord Caitanya

My friend Rowan sent me this picture from Ireland.  I’ve become devoted to it!  At the time it arrived, I’d just been reading in Caitanya-caritamrta how Jiva Goswami described Lord Caitanya’s beauty as being His main weapon for subduing the sinful tendencies of the fallen souls.  When Krsna appears in the world, He always appears with His weapons, for slaying demons to rid the world of their disturbing presence, but when He comes as Lord Caitanya, His beauty is His weapon.  I found that very moving.

The picture also reminds me of Rowan, because she is always wearing something red, the colour of Rowanberries.

Caitanya-caritamrta

It was my birthday in June, and I was joyfully amazed when my father presented me with a full set of volumes of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.  I still cry whenever I think of it, it sort of hurts in my heart!  I’m closer to my Dad than to anyone else on earth, and I wish more than anything that he would become a devotee, but he remains an atheist in his views.   I feel sure that Lord Caitanya will benedict him generously for having giving me such a wonderful, transcendental gift. Every time I read it I first say a prayer for my father.

It was an expensive gift, but my Dad said he wanted to give something really nice before I leave home (I swear he thinks he’s losing me to a convent!) and that it’s been a real pleasure having me around and he’ll miss me very much when I go.  I take this as a compliment to Krsna-consciousness and not to myself; I wasn’t nice at all before I met  Prue – my spiritual director – and she trained me up in devotional service.  I was sulky and lazy and selfish and always miserable!  But maybe my father’s heart has particularly been softened by prasadam, which I cook for my parents every evening.  Fortunately they are both vegetarian, and I’ve taken pains to cook really nice, tasty dishes for them (well for Krishna first, of course!).

Before bed, evenings, I go to my quiet spot at the end of the garden and sit and read CC for three-quarters of an hour and that stays in my mind as I go to sleep.  Though I’ve read the Teachings of Lord Caitanya twice, which is the most beautiful of Srila Prabhupada’s writings I’ve yet encountered, I hadn’t had the opportunity to read Caitanya-caritamrta; it surpasses even my high expectations!

Aindra das

I’m very shocked to have discovered, just now, that Aindra das has passed away, in what looks like some kind of accident in his room.  When I was at university I had his Vrindavan Mellow recordings and used to listen to them practically constantly.  I loved them and they helped me through the rather lonely days, being with other students, but not of them, as it were.  He’ll be badly missed, but now the baton must be handed on to the younger kirtaniyas who have been so inspired by him and are now carrying on the mission of spreading the pure chanting of the holy names to every corner of the world.  I pray that I may be able to do my tiny part for this mission and do it with a heart and a half, as Aindra did in a bigger way.  He must surely have gone straight back to Godhead.

Apologies!

Apologies, my vast readership, for such a long absence.  My father’s computer broke down, so haven’t been able to blog.   Which is a shame as I had wanted to tell all about the latest Best Experience of My Life, which was the London Ratha-yatra a few weeks ago.  It was astonishing;  there were over 10,000 people chanting and dancing throught the streets of central London- Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, those really famous bits of London.  We made a tumultuous sound and I stayed close to the Mayapuris who led very energetic kirtan, with great enthusiasm; it was blissful alright.

And the icing on the cake was that I met Bhaktin Rowan there, aka Rowan Berry, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned her before;  she is the devotee who encouraged me to apply for the sankirtana training course I will be starting in September.  She and her whole ladies sankirtana team of twelve, were at the Ratha-yatra.  We had a good talk, and I asked her advice about how to prepare for the training and how to get the best out of the course.  She’s just lovely, and said why don’t we write to each other, but after two letter exchanges, now her team is off camping around Ireland and attending various festivals in every town and village, so it’ll be a bit more difficult to keep in touch.  She invited me to come with them for the summer, but I have to work a bit more to pay for my college fees and for the books and clothes and things I’ll need.   What a shame!  Still, maybe next year, Krishna will arrange that I be with them as a permanent member of their team.

Since Ratha-yatra it has been general run-of-the-mill routine, still managing to get up at four o’clock in the morning – will I ever get used to it though!  Going to work, milking Molly, cooking, reading etc.  But all very nice and I am content with it.  And that’s all for now!

Krishna Balarama

Vrajendra-nandana yei, shaci-suta hoilo sei, balaram hoilo nitai…

I saw these  beautiful photos on Facebook.  These Krishna Balarama deities were installed in Florida last week in an elaborate and joyful ceremony.

Krishna’s mercy is spreading all over the world in such extraordinary ways.  I also found photos of the Nrsimhadeva festival in Bavaria, which I hope to post tomorrow.  I think Mother Earth must be very happy to have Krishna and Balarama once more placing Their footprints upon her!

I want to do my bit, also, to help establish Krishna consciousness.  At the moment it doesn’t seem like I’m doing much, but I reckon if I can just keep faithful to my daily chanting and reading until I start my course in September that will be some contribution at least.  And so, bedwards, so I can get up early in the morning!

Kirtan Takes Over the World

Just came across this;  I love the headline!