Disappearance

Sadness abounds

Ironic

Today, on the appearance day of Srila Vaman Maharaja, Uma didi's diksa guru, we held the very first Srila Narayana Maharaja Gurudeva Disappearance Day programme at Paramanda Puri and Braja Kishori's house in Murwillumbah, where Uma didi was preparing to celebrate the appearance of her dear Gurudeva, after receiving news that our beloved Srila Gurudeva, Srila Narayana Maharaja, left us at about 3am Puri time.


Tears abound



There was hardly a dry eye to be seen and about 40 devotees somehow dropped whatever they were doing and came to attend. A 24 hour kirtana will be held at Mahaprabhu's house following tonight's Uma didi programme at Dina and Braja's. Be there if you can.


Must go ... time to sweep the kunja ...

Joy to all beings

RedCrossHall

Brilliant

Last night's programme at the Red Cross Hall was fabulous. We had a pretty good turnout even if the devotees possibly outnumbered the guests merely because so many devotees attended.

Raghulekha's singing was superb, as was Chandramukhi's and Mehkala didi's. Chandramukhi encouraging a positive mood in my approach to bhakti really set things in motion for me; aw fanks mate.

Uma didi's message was (in a nutshell) that since all material endeavour merely ends in death and misery no matter how much you might be enjoying right now, better to focus on spiritual life because that's where the real love and joy is found. I couldn't agree more.

Despite the fact that my material body is well and truly on the way out with problems that severely limit the amount that I can do, I DO feel more fortunate than ordinary people that may be "blessed" with good health and energy levels, ample wealth, etc, because I get the love of my Srila Gurudeva and the sweet association of all the devotees.

Like I said to one dear friend as we sat nibbling on some yummy caramel sweets, "Krishna is our well-wishing friend, Srila Gurudeva loves us, we are on this bhakti-margha chanting the holy name of the Lord. How good is THAT? BRILLIANT!

Joy to all beings

Uma Didi

Come hear beautiful wisdom

After surviving the quasi-vertical swamp at Gopali's we now get to hear Uma Didi's wisdom right in the centre of town with a special programme at the Red Cross Hall on Monday evening.



Joy to all beings

Merry Christmas

What a week.

With Uma Didi visiting from India (more on that in another post, later), our local hare krishna community has been caught up in a flurry of activity rather than a flurry of snowflakes.

Although I didn't attend Uma Didi's programme yesterday (Chrissy day) there was still much to do and I didn't get to wish everyone a Merry Christmas on this here blog, except for the "tongue in cheeky" Happy Christmas greetings of Christmas eve; anyway I'm taking the opportunity now to wish everyone a Merry Christmas even though it's boxing day.

Is that Marquis De Queensbury rules boxing, Thai kick boxing, shadow boxing or just plain putting things in boxes, perhaps the carcasses of those who didn't survive the excesses of Christmas day? The mind often boggles, especially on boxing day.

For hare krishna devotees, there is little in the way of excess and even Christmas, which, although a western tradition that is difficult to eradicate in my somewhat otherworldly mind, is more of a time to catch up with family rather than to imbibe and indulge.

As I recently pointed out to my Aunty who has been a Catholic nun for most of her 85 years on Earth, Christmas is a time of loving and giving so for hare krishna devotees everyday is Christmas day.

wuv ya

Joy to all beings

Hexmas

Happy Christmas to the Christians
Happy Hexmas to the witches
Happy Krsnamas to the Krishna devotees
Happy Xmas to the extraterrestrials

And a big thank you to all the beautiful people who populate my life. You make life beautiful. Without you I'd probably be posting something along the lines of:

The next person to call me a crazy psycho maniac gets chopped up with my new axe!


You think I'd do that?

Joy to all beings
warv

Pain

What a pain in the button hole

Some people find the suffering in their lives to be too much to bear and so they suicide, others, reluctant to take such a drastic step wait patiently for their impending death. Some hide in an alcoholic daze or a quasi-comatose state induced by some or other drug of ignorance, awaiting death within this "cocoon" of ignorance.

The shelves of the "supermarket of life" are lined with arrays of objects and methods of, at least temporarily, ignoring the pain, drudgery, conflict, and sheer misery of this disappointing material life.

Pain is caused

Many of these things, such as parties and street parades, fairs, music, films, fashion, family, status including beauty, fame and knowledge, travel and sightseeing, as well as shopping, even eating, etc are considered to be the happiness of life; alas, they are merely a way of ignoring the unhappiness that material life creates. In most cases they are actually the cause of more suffering.

Stealing is a crime

If one walks into a department store and assumes that nobody owns the merchandise displayed therein and decides to help his or herself to the "goodies", that person will be apprehended and punished for said crime.

This world does not belong to us. It is here so that we may experience the joy of utilising it in the service of God, krsna, who owns it and Who indeed, owns us. Do not assume that it is for your enjoyment. That is an error and errors cause suffering.

To understand how to utilise one's life in the service of the Lord, chant

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This way you can commence relishing the joy that is meant to be yours. Service to the will of God is real happiness, all else is folly.

Thus, those who look forward to an end to suffering at, and after, the time of death, having spent their lives ignoring the true possibilities of having taken human birth will surely be disappointed.

Human intelligence

It is extremely difficult for animals to realise anything about their existence, but humans are blessed with a finer intelligence and can easily understand the purpose of life with guidance from a bona fide spiritual guide.

Pain does not cease at death

Pain does not stop at death, in most cases pain increases at, and after, death. Only those who have spent a large portion of their life engaged in the pursuit of a pure heart and in favourably serving the Lord of all life will experience any permanent lessening of their pain at death.

Most others will experience a dramatic increase in pain.

How are you spending your life?

Joy to all beings

Wasted daze

The Great Wealth of the Vaisnavas

It is a great waste for a spirit soul to act like a material body.

When one realizes one's own self it is natural to stop acting like an animal and to act like a servant of Sri Sri Radha Krsna.

Joy to all beings

Just Ignore It

The Perks of Ignorance





Ignorance allows you to commit the most abominable actions and still go on thinking that you're a good person.

Joy to all beings

Karma

How does karma work?

Last night, after a rather hectic and somewhat frustrating day, followed by a late night, I lay my body down to sleep, but sleep remained, for the most part, elusive and, following a brief shallow catnap I awoke; then, in a moment of lucid and alarming alacrity, my mind thunk thus:

Nothing but the best for my friends the little chickens says Colonel Sanders as they dip him in egg and breadcrumbs and commence frying his sorry ass.

Joy to all beings

The Africkinstan War

It's putting up the price of petrol

There's a war in Africkinstan
It's drivin' me mad
Had to sell my dog
To buy some fuel
So I could go for a drive
But I still
and I will
got my momma to sell

But now it's alright
I'm feelin' so fine
Cos I'm drivin' in my caddilac
Cos I'm drivin' in my caddilac

It cost me my puppy
but that's alright
Feels fine in my mind
Cos I'm not a bad person
like those crazy terrorist fools
out there
in their
Africkinstan hell

But now it's alright
I'm feelin' so fine
Cos I'm drivin' in my caddilac
Cos I'm drivin' in my caddilac

Prompted by the lively discussions on Raghava Pandit's Backtobhakti Bhakti Sangha Development article I wrote this "silly" poem to highlight the problems that can occur when we, ourselves create conflict, and then when others, feeling oppressed and abused, retaliate in kind, and we blame them as the source of the conflict, never once realising that we, ourselves, created the conflict.
A little introspection can go a long way towards seeing the truth.

Joy to all beings
ys

Life Without Love

Hmmm.

Life without love is like a pie without sauce (it won't kill you, well not immediately) but it isn't nearly as nice.

Joy to all beings
tkd

The Supreme Personal Personality

Yesterday's Post

Yesterday I wrote: "If, lacking love for our brothers and sisters, we strive to attain love of God, we are bound to meet will the same level of success."

During the latter part of the day I began to have second thoughts thinking that it couldn't actually be right because if one chants, that person will attain all auspiciousness.

At one stage I said to krsna, "What I wrote isn't actually true, is it? I should change it". Lacking the time, I never actually got to it.

Last night, however, during reading time, I was reading from Venu Gita by my gurudeva Srila Narayana Maharaja, and what I read was quite remarkable.

Quote
"Randran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan - Dressed in enchanting garments suitable for roaming in the forest, the topmost dancer Syamasundara enters Vrndavana in the autumn, playing the flute. His facial expressions at the time of the venu-nada seem to indicate that He is trying to fill the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips. As the flute is His eternal companion, it is only befitting that he should be without any holes. If anyone, even after attaining Krsna's association, still has some holes, or defects, it is a matter of great distress. But for this eternal associate of Krsna, the venu, it is impossible to be without holes. Therefore, Krsna Himself tries to fill up those holes with the nectar of His lips.

Sri Krsna rests His fingers on the holes of the flute, and puts him to His soft bud-like lips which outshine the beauty of a ripe crimson bimba fruit. Then, when He dispatches His breath through the flute, sweet alluring sounds flow from the holes of the venu, attracting all moving and non-moving beings. But alas! Still the flute cannot be without holes. Actually, Krsna's adharamrta, the nectar of His lips, comes out through the holes of the flute as nadamrta, the nectar of sweet sound. This exquisite music causes dry trees to become green and lush, flowers to bloom, and stones to melt. The venu himself, however, undergoes no changes; his dryness never comes to an end. Although the music melts all other moving and non-moving beings, the venu's hard, stuff body does not soften even slightly."

In this world there are many objects with numerous holes, but Krsna does not try to fill their holes. It is impossible for all to receive Krsna's association, but the venu has taken birth in a sad-vamsa, a virtuous dynasty (or alternatively meaning "good bamboo"), so by nature he is simple (or straight, thus fit to be used for a flute). Because of this, he easily gets to be with Krsna, who tries to fill his holes. But as the flute is devoid of inner essence, being heartless or hollow inside, he can never become 'holeless', despite having Krsna's association and mercy. From this we learn that those who get good association due to their simple nature or birth in a high-class family, but who have no love and affection in their hearts, still remain deprived of all benefits of good fortune."
Unquote

So whaddayathinkathat?

Not only was my initial statement correct but Krsna in His own sweet personal way, let me know that I should not change it. Man, He's so amazing and beautiful. Ya just gotta love Him.

Joy to all beings
tkd

It's a love thing

What's love got to do with it?

If, lacking love for our brothers and sisters, we strive to attain love of God, we are bound to meet will the same level of success.

Joy to all beings
tkd

Him good fella

In the days of yore

In 1979 my family and I lived on a little farm on one of those roads that run off Booralong Road, Armidale. We had wonderful neighbours, all very helpful to each other, the man across the road was a geophysicist who spent every summer in Antarctica. Fascinating bloke. We'd often travel up to the University in his Mini Moke, me freezing my butt off whilst he seemed impervious to the cold. Armidale winter must have been like summertime to him.

The most interesting neighbour by far was Herb who lived across Redgum Lane. Herb and his family were a group of Aboriginals who squatted in some old buildings down the lower end of a sheep station, no electricity, gas, nuffin'; the grazier seemed content with them being there.

Herb's family often walked across our farm on the way to town. Didn't worry me, they weren't doing any harm, thus I got to know them. Herb was in his sixties then and became a kinda father figure to me, his family were like my family and many a lazy day was spent in front of the fire with Herb and Ira "busy drinking tea" as Ira used to say.

Humble belongings

Herb taught me many things, not the least of which was that we belonged to each other. He was my kind of people. Simple hearted, good natured, friendly and honest (well, to his friends), there are some people you just can't trust.

I belonged to those people and they belonged to me. Still do. Like I said, they're my kind of people, that won't change.

GGGM AGM

At a recent AGM of the GGGM, presumably to appease the government, the agenda dealt with continuing the temple building project. Yet somehow I think that the whole temple building project has been misunderstood.

Firstly it should be noted that the management committee governing the community is doing a fine job of managing the affairs of building a temple building for the community's use. I recommend that the same committee members be permitted continuity to facilitate their work in this regard.

I am, however, not pleased by some managerial choices that have occurred outside of the actual temple construction execution.

Kicking goals

Srila Gurudeva so often says "Know your goal". I have my doubts that some of the Moo Baa yatra actually think about such things.

So often we need to question the purpose of our activities and our actions.

Back in the days of Herb and his people, I was studying Agricultural Economics. After three years of study of making economic decisions, the goal of which being, effectively, to maximise wellbeing, I discontinued my discipline and went to live on a hippie farm because I felt that didn't fit in with the exploitative mentality of the faculty of economics.

That's not to say that I didn't learn anything of value, I did. In fact the decision to discontinue was, ironically, a cost-benefit analysis exercise in itself, because, as one professor taught me, "The value of anything is in it's utility". I simply couldn't see myself fitting into a community of exploiters for the rest of my working life. Ultimately I didn't fit in at the hippie farm either because people came from the city and brought their dog eat dog city mentality with them.

Can't take nonsense back to Godhead.

Something similar is happening in our spiritual life. If we are to achieve our goal, we first have to understand what our goal is, and why it is that we want to build a temple. To please Srila Gurudeva? Somehow I think that an empty temple will not please Srila Gurudeva.

Whatever happened to the days when people were so enthusiastic that they'd take a day off work to attend a temple meeting and go to work when sick because we'd used up all of our sick pay going to important temple events, hearing from visiting Maharaja's, feasts, etc?

What's the point of pointlessness.

Which brings me to the point of this blog entry. Only 12 persons were in attendance at the AGM, many who didn't attend didn't have pressing business, they simply didn't have any other reason for non-attendance other that the fact that they felt dis-empowered and uncomfortable by the events of the preceding AGM.

My own humble opinion of this is that it really is such an offence to feel that it's more important to build a temple than a community. Why build a temple at all if you've never understood the purpose of the building?

Reconciliation is not just for Aborigines.

Before I begin in earnest, let it be said that I am apolitical, I belong to neither group and have no interest in associating with politically minded persons other than occasionally to chant and hear hari katha to please Srila Gurudeva, as appropriate. Mostly I keep to myself as I wonder if I fit into this community, less disturbing that way. I have my faults, and may well be criticised for them, but criticism is never recommended by intelligent persons.

Herein, I have no desire to criticise anyone, SB 1.17.22 describes what happens to those who criticise. I merely wish for those involved to reconsider their choices in this matter of alienation within the community.

I strongly urge you to change the mood of the direction in which our community is heading.

The "governing" of our community should always proceed in a Vaisnavaly fashion. Again, further along, SB 1. 17. 32 describes leadership by those who lack brahminical qualities. Indeed the Mahabharata, the story in the background of the Bhagavad Gita focuses on irresponsible government.

In other places within Srimad Bhagavatam the results of inappropriate social management are reported. See for example the story of King Venu. Acceptance of power over the affairs of our Srila Gurudeva's children carries a huge responsibility.

In true vaisnava fashion, the most important item on the AGM agenda once it was revealed why some people didn't attend, should have been "How to reconcile with our brothers and sisters". This whole affair is madness. Nothing sets people apart more than those with political power ignoring the needs of those within their constituency.

Spiritual life is NOT dog eat dog.

Every time I read Srila Gurudeva's books or lecture transcriptions or when I personally hear his divine wisdom, he speaks about loving and kindness. I feel so attracted by this. Gurudeva you are my kind of people. And by default Sri Sri Radha Krsna, Srimati Tulasi devi, all of our guru varga and so many of the wonderful devotees I have had the great fortune to share part of my life with ... you are my kind of people.

How we can even think of entertaining the thought of a temple project while alienating our own brethren is tantamount to madness. Again the old economics principles of yore make me wonder who can benefit from such an evil anartha? In short, nobody. Not the offenders and not the offended.

Amanina manidena.

Whilst I recognise that we shouldn't demand respect for ourselves, I can understand the need for people to give respect. What I mean here is: nobody needs your respect, but YOU NEED TO GIVE RESPECT. Without it any devotee's spiritual life is in tatters. It becomes a pointless exercise.

Meet my mad family.

After preaching to people we have met, we now have the opportunity to say, "Now that you know a little about krsna and the purpose of life would you like to come back to our temple and meet a whole bunch of people who intensely dislike each other but carry on the facade of being devotees, being more interested in politics than krsna?".

I am aware that there are many very good people within our community, some of whom I even think of as siksa gurus and spiritual mentors, so I apologise if I sound a little disgruntled; it's because of those who don't care about the alienation of the current members of our community. They certainly won't attract loving people into the yatra. I know that these really aren't my kind of people.

Back to Herb and Ira

We need a sense of belonging to each other within our yatra, otherwise it will be many, many lifetimes before we get to the lotus feet of krsna (if at all, think of the risk involved here, my prabhus and didis), at least not until we begin to get off the mental platform and begin to think with our hearts instead of following the jaded old defunct ideas within the stupid mind.

Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is not the same as doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Think about that and you'll soon understand who is who within our yatra.

We need to think this whole thing through and know the goal of our endeavors and make decisions accordingly; life is not about us, it's about krsna, so please soften your heart and leave any dog eat dog mentality at the door as you come in. It has no place in krsna's samsara.

Joy to all beings
tkd

bhakta web design

Evil-ution

In line with the nature of my blogs which so often begin with one intention and end up somewhere else, the reinvention of this Webtide blog seems to be veering off towards a Web-bhakti flavour. OK, no problem, let Krsna decide what happens.

Nevertheless, Webtide was originally a web design and web development blog yet so much is changing in the world of the web professional, for a start I've retired from the game of web designer, closed down Tweed Web Design, taken down the website, dot com dot au bye bye, and "put my feet up".

Well, actually, as a labour of love, I have begun redesigning Sevamrta dot com as a completely Srila Gour Govinda Swami website with a totally new design and much new content, and also have a few other projects up my sleeve, as well as my work on good old Ananda Samvada which I do for my friend Janeshwarji.

I'll probably bail out on the MCC site soon as it's not quite my mood these days.

What you didn't want you'll get in the end

Because so much is now "fast tracked" in the world of web design, I mean, why reinvent the wheel when resources are a dime a dozen (and a good thing I might add, I mean wasn't there so much garish trash gracing the annals of the www?).

There's little need to create xhtml/css designs from the ground up, so now, as I was saying to my friend Tim the other day, it's all the stuff from the web diploma course that I thought I didn't need to know that has become the most valuable.

Houston we have access

Stuff like accessibility, usability and information architecture. In the days of the "off the shelf CMS" these skills, especially the latter are invaluable.

Of course you'll still need your xhtml/css knowledge (plus some solid scripting skills wouldn't go astray) if you want anything other than the "out of the box" results, but I guess it's your hand coding ability combined with skills like accessibility and info arch that make all the difference between the ordinary Joe in the street, with a copy of "Joomla for Dummies", and a true web professional.

Oh, and a good debugger.

Whaddayareckon?

Joy to all beings
tkd

the BODY politik

Politix

Politics is essentially about saying to krsna, "I don't believe that You can protect me so I have to organise things for myself, rely on myself, because I can't rely on You. I'm short, I'm better than You krsna".

Whatalottarot

If you're interested in politics then you're not really interested in what Srila Gurudeva and Sri Sri Radha Krsna want, you are interested in what you want, no matter how pure you view your intentions.

We are useless without krsna. Without krsna we are merely streams of karma imagining that we are ourselves when nothing could be further from the truth.

Let krsna do the organising

Krsna CAN be relied upon, karma cannot be relied upon. More than once I heard Srila Gour Govinda Swami allude to the popular saying "Trust no future, no matter how bright".

Spiritual life is the only life that can be trusted because spiritual life is right NOW, not at some time in the future. "SURRENDER JUST NOW!!!" Srila Gour Govinda Swami often said. When you are ready to surrender, you surrender.

It was necessary for Arjuna to eliminate those of mean hearted spirit

By surrendering we let krsna pull the strings and we, the puppets, dance.

Accepting everything as krsna's mercy isn't about lying down. We can still advise others, perhaps not quite the way that Arjuna "advised" others during the Kuruksetra war, but not as part of any group or party opposed to and bearing any tinge of ill will towards any other group or party, for as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur advised us "Party spirit is the killer of bhakti" and bhakti is personal, which means doing what krsna wants in as sweet a way as possible.

Yet still krsna's will must prevail.

Any prevail it will, especially if we stop our stupid, political meddling in His affairs.

Trust Radha Krsna ... sure can!

Joy to all beings
tkd

The Arrival of Summer

Summertime & the Livin' Should Be So Easy

Spring has come and gone and all in the blink of an eye. That's how your whole life goes by. You think that life lasts a long time but actually it's just a speck in an ocean of infinite time. So many sorry lives have already come and gone in this eternal parade of distress and happiness. Just as summer follows spring, death follows birth, distress follows happiness, around and around.

Why live for that person who is not even you? You are not this temporary body, you are a beautiful eternal loving servant of God, you don't even belong in this earthly realm. Happiness is your nature but you have forsaken you own true being to try to enjoy independently; not working out very well, is it? So sad.

The Winter of our Disconnect

The saddest possible loss for the servant of the Supreme Lord is to lose the nectar of service to the divine feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Any wonder life can seem so dry and empty. And millions upon millions of spirit souls are suffering here in this useless world, trying to deny their own nature simply to appease their stupid pride. Pretend happiness, that's all the life of pride can ever be.

Humility is actually more enjoyable than pride, pride is a lose-lose situation, humility is win-win. The nectar of humbly serving our wonderful friends Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga Mahaprabhu is millions of times sweeter than any pride.

Live only for that nectar, drown in the ocean of divine nectar and forget the sad miserliness of being disconnected from pure love. Chant

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

as often as you can and in a humble mood and you'll definitely find out how to be real, for you actually are the cherished friend and servant of He who is the ocean of divine joy. Believe it, it's true.

Your suffering is caused by denying your true nature. Find out how you can come to your eternal home where every word is a song and every step is a dance. An eternal realm wherein there is no suffering nor death.

Try it and see, chant the Holy Names of Krishna and you can experience the nectar of devotional happiness here, even in this world, but please be ever so humble when you chant.

Come Dance with Me

You could be bubbling with mirth, dancing with tears of happiness flowing from your eyes from the joy of giving with an intense love within every fibre of your being; so why are you wasting your life suffering here?

Joy to all beings

tkd

Ekadasi 2nd December 2010

And don't forget to chant.