An Internal Meditation During the Season of Advent and Christmas
My husband and I have spent the last several days in Chennai, India hosting our fifth annual Vaisnava Christian Dialogue. Amidst so much religiously and politically motivated strife in other parts of India (and the world), we were blessed to share this time together with dear kindred friends who are Protestants, Catholics, Sri Vaisnavas and Caitanya or Gaudiyas Vaisnavas.
Our topic was Loving Surrender and Social Engagement. Dr. Ravi Gupta led us in Vaisnava worship and Father Vincent Shekar led our Christian worship. He then spoke to us about the significance of this Advent season, which ends on Christmas day.Allegra Wiprud here so beautifully explains the internal meditation of Christians during this Advent time. Please read her words and be inspired to also long for the Divine in your own way and in your own words!I wish a most joyous Advent and Christmas season to all of our Christian friends! All the best, Rukmini Walker
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in the Lord alone I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
More than watchmen for the morning.
– Adapted from Psalm 130
This time, like so many other times, is a time of waiting. Waiting for light; waiting for spring; waiting for political change; waiting for God’s presence. Many spiritual cultures have calendars that go beyond worldly time to recognize deep time. These periods of recognition of the Divine, present in time beyond all our worldly ways of knowing, are times of yearning to connect at that profound level with our source and the Source of Life.In this time – December, 2019 – many of us in Western countries are in the time of waiting traditionally known as Advent. In traditional Christian culture, Lent and Advent are both times of waiting. These sacred months of waiting, yearning, and prayer lead up to holy days of celebration for God’s presence in our lives and in our world. While contemporary culture often celebrates just the holiday, without a whole month of prayer – a month! – there is great richness in reconnecting with the practice of waiting.In Vaisnava tradition, waiting and yearning is central to our spiritual orientation. Vaisnava practice is often all about longing and separation and crying out for the Divine. The longing and waiting and crying out of the holy Advaita Acharya led to the Divine incarnation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The parents of Sri Krishna prayed for not only years, but many lifetimes, to be His parents. The long suffering of Prahlad led to the incarnation of Nrsimhadev. The birth of Lord Rama came after long prayers by his parents to conceive children, as did the arrival of Sita Devi. When Vaisnavas celebrate holidays like Gaura Purnima, Sri Krishna Janmastami, Nrsimha Chaturdasi, and Rama Navami, we, too, remember the deep longing and prayers from the depths of the heart that preceded these Divine incarnations. In our chanting, our austerities, and our celebrations, we long for and cry out for God’s presence – Krishna’s presence – in our hearts, in our lives, and in our world.I think that we might all find that we have something to wait for; to long for. Something in which we really need God. Whether we are longing for transformation of a personal conflict; resolution of an untenable situation; for forgiveness; for political change; for a deeply long-awaited end to racial oppression; for world peace; or for God’s presence in our lives, in our hearts, there is something in which we need God.Whether inspired by Advent, the Solstice, the approaching New Year, or by any non-temporal inspiration, I deeply encourage and beg everyone to admit what you long for, and call out to God to be present in it. Whether you say Veni, sanctus spiritus or Krishna, Krishna, Maha-Baho! or Adonai, Adonai, there is always something to wait for; always something for which to call out.
Allegra Lovejoy WiprudYale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School, Masters StudentCofounder, Sacred Ecology ForumNew Haven, CT / New York, NY
The Essence of Srimad Bhagavatam
On December 20, 2019, Rukmini Walker gave this inspiring lecture on the Essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam the ISKCON Temple in Chennai, India.
To listen to the audio, please click on the play button below:
[audio m4a="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chennai-SB-11.2.40.m4a"][/audio]
Walking the World
by Rukmini Walker
Be an invisible guide, like the scent of roses that shows where the inner garden is. ~ Rumi
To travel through the world in a mood of detachment carrying within ourselves the inner knowledge and identity that, I am spirit. I am not of this world. My home is elsewhere. I belong to Krsna.
When we travel, sometimes we stay in a place that’s comfortable, sometimes not so much. Sometimes the bed is too hard or too soft, or the water in the shower doesn’t really get hot. Or the toilet, well, the toilet can be another whole story…
But what is my purpose? Have I come here to learn and to give? How can I be of service to this place and to the people here?
Flying through most airports in the world these days, one needs to walk through at least an acre of Duty Free shops selling every brand of liquor, cigarettes, perfume and chocolate. Will a simple ordinary person think, ‘What’s wrong with me that I think I don’t want or need these things? Maybe I need to try these things that seem to make so many people happy…’
But what is my purpose in this world? Am I meant to be a commodity to be bought and sold by the manipulations of others? Have I come to this world to exploit and be exploited by others? Or can I live and walk this world with detachment, knowing that I am meant for a much higher life, that my identity is way beyond this world, in a relationship of love and service to the eternal beloved Lord of my heart?
Can I walk the world in grace, in anonymous humility, offering myself to selflessly give, as an invisible guide, like the scent of roses?
All the best,
Rukmini
Never Leave this Path....
Taken from Sacinandana Swami's "Saranagati ~ Teachings, Realizations and Inspirations"
Contagious Compassion?
~by Rukmini Walker
During the month of December, as the weather turns chilly, we can almost feel a sort of warming of the heart. People in the West feel a generosity of Christmas spirit, and people in India think of Gita Jayanti, the time when the Bhagavad Gita was spoken.
If your life has been blessed, or changed for the better by a gift of spiritual knowledge, consider paying it forward during this magical time when people’s hearts are a bit more open than usual.
Sharing compassion has a domino effect - others will want to share it too. Gratefulness for a gift, impels us to share it as well.
Lord Caitanya garlanded the whole world with the Holy Name of Krsna, strung on a thread of Prema Bhakti (pure devotional love). How can I help Him? How can I also serve?
All the best for you in this season of joy,
Rukmini Walker
Why We Hide
~by Rambhoru Brinkmann
“Human beings above all, are relational creatures. They seek connection and they experience anxiety, terror, and depression when isolated.” (Jean Baker Miller).
Central to Relational Cultural Theory is the notion that despite our yearning for deep, meaningful, growth-fostering relationships, we develop behaviors that push people away, sabotaging the very interpersonal connections we desire. Although “we desperately seek and desire profound connections, we are terrified of being rejected and isolated” (Miller). And so, we withhold essential parts of ourselves that we have learned to view as “unacceptable”, “bad”, or “shameful,” e.g., our thoughts, needs, desires, and emotions, etc. In an attempt to keep these unacceptable parts of ourselves hidden from others, we develop “strategies of disconnection”. Although we want to connect with others and be seen and heard, we are unable to reveal large aspects of ourselves in order to protect us from rejection. This fear of rejection prevents us from acquiring the interpersonal connection with others that we so desperately yearn for.Srila Prabhupada explains that although “the human being is a social animal,” s/he is not honest due to being very much embarrassed by the material nature. (SB 3.12.28 purport & SB 6.1.15). Moreover, the people of the world are embarrassed by all kinds of material anxieties due to trying to protect their bodies and minds under the influence of notions such as “my” and “mine”. As long as people “do not take shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet, they will always be filled with such anxieties.” (SB 3.9.6).As mentioned above, the means of overcoming the “relational paradox” through Bhakti is unconditional love for God who resides in the heart of all living beings. “For one who has unflinching devotional faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is engaged in His service, all good qualities become manifest in his/her person.” (SB 5.18.12).Lord Chaitanya perfectly exemplified how to transparently disclose our so-called “shameful” hidden parts and stop pretending to be more than who we are when He said;
“I feel shameful to disclose the activities of My heart. Nonetheless, I shall be done with all formalities and speak form the heart. Please hear. My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. Whatever I do is actually an exhibition of pseudo love of Godhead. (CC 2.44-2.46).
In today’s culture we are often praised for having a “stiff upper lip” when it comes to feeling vulnerable. We believe that to bare our hearts unnecessarily invites hurt and humiliation. In fact, the opposite is true. Vulnerability is really about the willingness to truly be ourselves – to expose our tender side that is not hidden behind our defenses. And when we let our defenses down, it is an invitation for others to do the same. Authentic love can be cultivated “when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection” (Brene’ Brown).
Rambhoru Brinkmann, M.Div., MS, BCCACPE Certified EducatorWhat is Love?
~Presented by Rukmini Walker
This is a part of a series of lectures I gave on the six values of the Bhagavad Gita according to a Bhakti perspective at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas this November. In the talk we explore the context of the Bhagavad Gita and Krishna as the source and foundation of everything. Please click below to listen to the talk:[audio mp3="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/What-is-Love__cut.mp3"][/audio]
"What is the greatest need or desire in this world? To love and be loved for who we really are."
~ Rukmini Walker
Equal Vision and Choice
~Presented by Rukmini Walker
This is a part of a series of lectures I gave on the six values of the Bhagavad Gita according to a Bhakti perspective at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas this November. In the talk we explore the context of the Bhagavad Gita and Krishna as the source and foundation of everything.Please click below to listen to the talk:[audio mp3="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Equal-Vision-and-Choice-Rukmini_cut.mp3"][/audio]-We can choose to hear voices of the holy sadhus and get out of the cycle of repeated rebirth and death or continue in the up and down...suffering and enjoying, suffering and enjoying....-We are response+able...we are always able to choose our response.-In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Emotions are Information
~by Rambhoru Brinkmann
“Being a truly well and self-satisfied individual rests on the ability to understand the information that emotions give you and be able to skillfully utilize and respond to that information…Emotions are not negative or extraneous, but rather an important aspect of being human.” (Hannah Curtis, LCSW)
Sometimes, in the interests of spiritual development, practitioners avoid, suppress, or disconnect from their feelings viewing them as taboo. They may even be self-critical or judgmental of themselves or others for having “negative” emotions. The trouble with these attitudes is that they prevent us from perceiving the valuable information our emotions carry with them.Our emotions help us know whether we can trust our environment or other people. They help us discern our personal nature, inclinations and preferences. They can rouse us into action, inspire us to pause to reflect or get us to notice a potential problem and resolve it before it manifests.Emotional cognizance or awareness means to be able to identify what we are feeling in any given moment. For example, when we start a sentence with “I feel….” and there’s no feeling word in the sentence, pause and become curious. What is the feeling word that captures the essence of your experience? Then ask, “What does my feeling mean? Is it inviting me to change my behavior or attitude in some way?”One of the qualities of the Supreme Lord is that He is All-cognizant. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “cognizance” as “knowledge, awareness or noticing”.Srila Prabhupada explains, “We are also cognizant (aware), and God is also cognizant (aware)... He is also a person. I am also a person.” (purport, BG, 3.17). As individual persons we each have our unique natures and preferences. Being truly aware of ourselves requires us to be able to grasp the information our emotions bring and to skillfully respond to that information in ways that transform our attitude and behavior to align with our essential spiritual nature; sat (eternal), chit (knowledge or awareness) and ananda (bliss or joy). When we keep in view our goal of loving the Lord unconditionally within the hearts of all living beings, we can utilize the information provided by our emotions to guide our transformation towards realizing our true Selves. Self-Realization literally means the “fulfillment of oneself by the possibilities of one’s character or personality” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). To that end, “The mind should be fixed in the self. We are self, and Kṛṣṇa is also Self.” (BG 6.25-29-purport). The closer we align with our essential spiritual nature, the more we will experience ourselves as whole and undivided. That’s called integrity.
Rambhoru Brinkmann, M.Div., MS, BCCACPE Certified EducatorPause for Thought: From humility, all good things grow
I'd like to share with you this sweet offering by Jahnavi Harrison. May it be a delightful part of your Thanksgiving Day. Take just a few minutes to hear her inspiring words about a "Pause for Thought: From humility, all good things grow." ~ All the best, Rukmini Walker
Click here to listen in ~ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07w32fs
When Fame Falls Flat on its Face
From the Sanskrit translations of Hari Sauri
Krishna says that he is the ability in all humans (Bhagavad-gītā 7.8). For this reason, we find many gifted individuals in the material world. These individuals often strive hard to reach the pinnacle of excellence in their respective fields of interest in their lives. However, once they do reach the top there is often only one way left to go, and that is the way down. Those who are at the top have a great responsibility upon them. That responsibility is to lift others to the same heights that they have achieved. If instead of lifting others up they start looking down upon others, then such an attitude marks the beginning of their downward journey. In our devotional lives too this can happen very easily. Some of us wish to achieve Krishna and become recognized as an empowered devotee. However, in the process we often end up neglecting Krishna's devotees, and this leads to a downfall. This happened with a personality named Tṛṇāvarta, whose downfall is described by a devotee poet Mahākavi Ḍhuṇḍhirāja Śāstrī as follows:
. धृताजितोऽप्यधिहृदयं तदाश्रिता- वहेलनादुपरिगतोऽप्यधः पतेत् । इति ब्रुवन्निव रजसार्दितव्रज- स्तृणभ्रमः सहरिरिहापतद्दिवः ॥ [रुचिरा] .
[Meter: rucirā] dhṛtājito'py adhi-hṛdayaṁ tadāśritāv- ahelanād upari-gato'py adhaḥ patet iti bruvann iva rajasārdita-vrajas tṛṇa-bhramaḥ sa-harir ihāpatad divaḥ .
Translation: Even though one may attain great heights in life and even though one may hold the Lord very close to one's heart, one will certainly fall if one disregards and hurts the devotees who are surrendered to the Lord. As if demonstrating this fact through his personal example, the demon Tṛṇāvarta who had (literally) risen to great heights in the sky and who was carrying the Lord very close to his heart fell down and died after he gave immense pain to the devotee residents of Gokula. — Bhāgavata-vyañjanam (1.44) of Mahākavi Ḍhuṇḍhirāja Śāstrī.
Translation by Hari Parshad Das
What is Humility?
~Presented by Rukmini Walker
This is a part of a series of lectures I gave on the six values of the Bhagavad Gita from the Bhakti perspective at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas this November. In the talk we explore the context of the Bhagavad Gita and Krishna as the source and foundation of everything.Please click below to listen to the talk.[audio mp3="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/What-is-Humility__cut.mp3"][/audio]
- Humility is to come down where we ought to be.
- With an investment in humility we will reap joy.
- Humility is the avenue to the true freedom of the human spirit and can transform weakness into strength.
- Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less and thinking of others more.
Rethinking the Holidays
As we approach yet another holiday season in the United States, I invite readers to consider a new approach to celebration and the creation and perpetuation of family traditions. Currently cultural norms dictate celebrating by engaging in excess, extravagance and often glutinous behaviors. While these traditions may be wrapped up with feelings of honor and respect for past generations, with childhood memories and sometimes even offerings to the Divine, the result of such actions on the body only has one outcome- they contribute to imbalance and ultimately sow the seeds of disease.I would like to offer some thoughts and suggestions to change the way we hold these festivals and celebrations, not by taking away the sweetest part of them - the sharing food and gifts with loved ones - but by making them even more sweet with an additional offering of compassion and respect for body, mind and spirit.I was never very big on overeating at the holidays or using any one such day in particular as an excuse to indulge. I did, however, grow up in families where it was typical to make, serve and eat an enormous amount of food in one sitting and over the course of the day. These holidays and festivities were looked forward to, cherished, and enjoyed, until after the meal when inevitably people would be full to the point of physical discomfort, exhausted, and sometimes even ill. Often, relatives would encourage me to eat more or take seconds. “Manga! Manga!” would be heard throughout the day. When you would comply with this request to eat more, it was seen as affectionate and loyal. If you choose to refuse, it was seen as an insult, and I often felt isolated when I would do so.When I was fourteen I became a vegetarian, and much of the food I ate previously was not part of my diet anymore, so that when I attended family gatherings, I chose to abstain from many of the dishes because they either contained meat or were prepared with animal products. This further contributed to my feelings of isolation, as well as made me feel like I was odd and unaccepted for not wanting to partake in the eating of animals.Then, as an older teen, I joined a spiritual community where vegetarian food is actually a central part of worship. It was a big attraction for me, of course, and every gathering culminated with a delicious feast of many preparations, and again, I was faced with regular opportunities to eat more than I needed.By my early 20s I had gained enough weight to be considered obese, and my mother, realizing I was headed down a road that she herself had gone, decided to help me early on and buy me a membership to weight watchers. I had success on the diet, which to me was just learning awareness around how much food I ate and adding more regular activity. Within a year I had reached a healthy weight, and have been able to maintain it, for the most part, ever since.Even within the weight watchers program and mentality celebrations and overeating were still accepted, and people regularly talked about how they would step away from their healthy habits to indulge or cheat at those times. All one had to do was to get back on the program after the fact and try and undo the damage that had been done. I, also, had this mindset, so continued to have periods of overeating. It was not until my mid-thirties when I discovered that by doing so I wasn’t only contributing to short term and potential long term weight gain and the possibility of a food hangover, I was actually contributing to dis-ease in my body.According to Ayurveda, the body can only digest a certain amount of food, and once that food is ingested, it needs to complete the digestive process before it can go on to nourish the tissues and systems of the body. If that process is disrupted, the result is malnourishment at the minimum, but also the creation of toxins that can build up and cause disease in the body.I also learned about something we call “the first burp”, a subtle burp the body gives you to signal that it has had enough, and about eating habits that would assist the digestive process rather than interrupt it. All of the teachers of Ayurveda I have encountered put a great deal of emphasis on these eating practices as being key to maintaining good health and preventing disease.That leads me rethinking the holidays. In previous years, I would collect my kid’s Halloween candy after allowing them a few pieces so that they wouldn’t have too much sugar, only to enjoy the rest of it myself as a treat throughout the following weeks. Now, I still collect most of the candy, but now instead of keeping it as a stash for myself, I give it away to an organization or donate it to local collections. For the kids, the fun is in going out with friends and dressing up. They couldn’t really care less about the candy.At Thanksgivings in the past I would always eat a big meal of whatever preparations were available at relatives houses or gatherings. Now, my family and I prepare a special meal of some of our favorite healthy foods, arrange the table beautifully, sit down together and eat with gratitude. We eat the same amount that we would on any other day, but we take extra time to prepare the meal together, say prayers of offering and thanks, and sometimes to share it with friends.A typical meal at my home around Thanksgiving will have carrot ginger soup, homemade bread, vegetarian stuffing, roasted vegetables and sometimes a dessert with apples or pumpkin. It might only take a spoon full of each to create a full meal, but that is ok. Having a small amount makes it cherished and appreciated all the more.During Christmas, usually I celebrate with more extended family, and will eat with relatives and friends, but it is not about the food for me. It is about coming together with people I rarely see, sharing stories and making memories, all the while nourishing the body in a way that will facilitate my staying healthy and strong in order that I might celebrate many more.I don’t drink alcohol, but this is another way that one can honor and celebrate the holidays in a way that doesn’t have negative consequences for body, mind and spirit. Alcohol of any kind, even a glass or red wine, will contribute to imbalance and digestive upset. Better to leave the alcohol out, and in doing so support wellness, and be fully present in the jubilations rather than dulled by intoxication. I know this isn’t the way of western culture, and it often can mean being feeling left out of the crowd, but in the end, the person who abstains and respects and honors their body through the holidays will reap the benefits - not only on that day, but on all of the days and weeks that follow.I invite you to take pause and meditate on the real treasures the holidays have to offer, whether or not they are the holidays coming up in the United States, or holidays you celebrate in your own country or tradition. Consider ways in which that treasure can be experienced in a way that allows you to create wellness in yourself, without taking out the sweetness that exists in the sharing and honoring of food together as a family, as a community, or anywhere.
ABOUT LISA
Six Exchanges of Love
Krishnanandini is a dear god-sister who grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Cleveland, Ohio. Now she is in Vrndavan receiving Ayurvedic treatment for advanced cancer, and HH Radhanatha Swami Maharaj came to visit her. Below, Mother Krishnanandini shares a very important insight on "six exchanges of love". Please keep her in your prayers! All the best, Rukmini Walker
~by Krishnanandini
Hare Krsna!Yesterday, On Gopastami, my dear godbrother, Radhnatha Swami came to pay a visit. He spent some quality time with us, my son, Mohan-Madhuri and I. We shared pastimes, laughed and reminisced about some of our past Cleveland experiences with Bhaktirtha Swami and Kamagiri devi dasi and others like the “Lord Have Mercy Festival” that we (the Cleveland Nama Hatta Program) held annually for 10 years, bringing servants of God together for a day of gratitude for the mercy of the sweet Lord. In the festivals, that gratitude was expressed artistically through music, dance, poetry, chess competitions, brief but powerful workshops, wonderful association and prasadam feasting.
And Maharaja heard, with gentle compassion, about my journey with the cancer diagnosis and the intense Ayur-Vedic health treatment I am undergoing here in the holy and blessed land of Vrndavan. We gave Maharaja a couple of small gifts and he, in addition to giving the gift of his time, gave a profound blessing: “Be happy to be in Vrndavan,” he told me. Overall, the visit was touching and reinforced the value of loving exchanges between devotees. After he left I was appreciating how this very busy spiritual teacher took the time to show concern and care for his godsister. And I remembered how when another god-brother, HH Bhaktitirtha Swami was departing this world, Radhanatha Swami had dropped everything to come and spend weeks with Bhaktitirtha Swami, making that a beautiful example of prioritizing support for devotees who are undergoing intense life experiences.As servants of God, being personal and interacting with affection is sometimes made a secondary or not very important activity. But when we actually understand that the Supreme Lord is a person, The unequalled, unrivalled, eternal, all-knowing person, we can appreciate that personal dealings between the Lord and His servants and between the servants of the Lord themselves -- are actually the highest expression of love and spiritual realization. For this reason, one of the greatest acharyas (spiritual teachers who lead by example) in our line, Srila Rupa Goswami, identified six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees of the sweet Lord:
- Giving gifts with affection and thoughtfulness
- Accepting gifts with appreciation
- Sharing food prepared and offered with love
- Accepting food with love and gratitude
- Revealing one’s mind in confidence
- Hearing and honoring what has been shared in confidence
Every sincere servant of the Lord should periodically take inventory and see just how much he or she is partaking of these six loving exchanges between one devotee and another. On a daily basis, we should have some loving exchanges with other servants of God. This is most pleasing to the Lord and makes our own hearts engladdened.
Krishnanandini Devi Dasi was brought to Krsna consciousness by her mother as a young teenager along with her other siblings. Her mother was a simple woman and a devout Christian who deeply resonated with the Bhakti perspectives given by Srila Prabhupada in his writings. But when she came to the local temple along with her children, ready to join the community there, she faced bigotry and racism. She was treated as a troublemaker and was turned away.She took her children and put them in the car. She didn't know where to turn, but somehow by the grace of God she was given the intuition to drive all the way to Dallas, Texas. When they arrived there, to their surprise, Srila Prabhupada himself was there visiting. She explained her situation to the temple president there, that she and her children were not welcome at the temple in their hometown of Cleveland. Srila Prabhupada out of his great compassion, that very day gave initiation to her and her children as well. I've always called Krishnanandini's Mom the 'Rosa Parks of ISKCON'.
A Weed is a Flower in the Wrong Pot
by Rukmini Walker
~Part 2 of a series on Gardening of the Soul~
Click here to listen to the audio recording of this blog, read by the author:[audio m4a="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AUDIO-2019-10-20-16-19-18.m4a"][/audio]
Blog text begins here.....
To cultivate bhakti, is to cultivate the inner garden of your heart. This cultivation is compared to a tender, wish - fulfilling creeper - a vine that leans in, to wind around our Source, Sri Krsna, the tree of all life.
What does it mean to cultivate a sustainable internal garden in your heart? What qualities are you trying to harvest to grow in your heart?
A connected leaf is green, is full of chlorophyll, but one disconnected from the branch turns brown and dry.
A fruit that’s fallen to the ground, being disconnected from its source of life, shrivels and dries up.
When we are separated from our Source, when we are isolated, we feel existential loneliness and often alienation.
In Bhakti, we use the metaphor of planting a seed of devotion within our heart. The tender creeper of devotion is described as a wish - fulfilling creeper that grows in the field of our hearts. It’s a vine, it leans in - on what?
Sri Radha, the sacred feminine, is the vine that wraps around the Tree of Life, Sri Krsna, the original divine masculine…
Bhakti Devi, the goddess of devotion, is expanded from Sri Radha…
In Bhakti, our hearts are meant to bloom, to fructify in joy into delicious tasty fruits and fragrant flowers — the cultivation of Bhakti is the greening or awakening of the soul.
Giving pleasure to our Source, Sri Krsna, but also feeling the pleasure of that connectedness, and interconnectedness to all other living beings, experiencing that joy ourselves.
When we are separated from our Source, when we are isolated, we feel existential loneliness and often alienation.
According to the Bhakti tradition, as jiva souls, eternal sparks or parts, we lean in… we are the leaves and flowers of that Bhakti creeper of devotion, that lovingly wraps around our Source, the tree of life, Who is Sri Krsna.
What does it mean to cultivate a sustainable internal garden in our hearts?
First of all, let’s look at weeds. A weed is a flower in the wrong pot. If you are trying to grow zucchini, then something else in that zucchini patch is a weed. What is your ultimate goal?
What qualities are you trying to grow in your heart? What is your ultimate goal?
If we want a successful harvest, best to begin with a clear vision of the end in mind.
If I’m trying to grow zucchini, then if something else is growing there, I may want to pull it up as a weed… but it might have value in a different place, a different season, a different time - a different context…
Remember the story of the Ugly Duckling? She was a misfit. She was being judged as ugly. But actually, she was a swan. She was meant for a much higher life, a higher destiny that others couldn’t see.
What are you hoping to grow in your heart?
Do you have a purpose that others may not see? Is it love, compassion? Selfless service to Lord Krsna?
Do you aspire to be the change you wish to see in the world? Are you wishing for more authentic relationships?
Do you want to teach, maybe teach yoga? Do you seek realizations in knowledge?
But if you don’t know, maybe just by the practice of cultivating this garden of the heart - you’ll get a sweet surprise!
Even on the high path of Bhakti our ultimate goals may vary…What inspires me - even in the realm of devotion - might be very different from what inspires you…
Each of us is as unique as a snowflake. We are all individuals, with our own sacred individuality…
As seeds, we have different potentials, different gifts, different capabilities in our hearts.
But all of our many thirsts can be quenched by the sweet taste of the fruits of Bhakti.
Like pebbles thrown into the center of a garden pond create harmonious concentric circles generating outward.
Being centered on the actual center of all existence, we can find harmony in the many circles of our lives that generate out from that center.
As we look off into the future of our lives, as we look off at the distant horizon - we can aspire to see the material and spiritual tracks of our lives coming together and meeting at the horizon like two sides of a railroad track. Harmonized at the horizon. Harmonized in Bhakti.
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Damodarastakam prayers
Click below to listen to a beautiful recording of Gaura Vani and Sri Vani Devi Dasi together singing the Damodarastakam prayers. Every year for one month we offer a special 8 verse prayer to Krishna called Damodarastakam. It is sung either in the morning or the evening along with the offering of a ghee lamp.This year, the month of Damodar ends on November 11 and the last five days from November 7 until the 11th are called Bhisma Pancaka and they are the most important of all. I hope you enjoy the recording.All the best,Rukmini [embed]https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/sri-damodarastakam-gaura-vani-and-srivani-devi-dasi[/embed]
Why Does Srimati Radharani Give Us Darshan Of Her Divine Lotus Feet On Gopastami?
~Pastimes from Vrindavan~
Today Special Gopastami Darshan of Radharani’s Lotus Feet!
WHY DOES SRIMATI RADHARANI GIVE US DARSAN OF HER DIVINE LOTUS FEET ON GOPASTAMI?
The eighth day of Kartika’s bright fortnight marks an important day in Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes, his initiation as a full-fledged cow-herder. This day, known as Gopastami, is the day Krishna graduated from spending his days herding calves to herding the cows. Srila Jiva Goswami’s Gopala Campu describes the occasion of Krishna’s initiation as a cow-herder, marking his passage from boyhood to youth.On this day, many temples in Vrindavana, and now throughout the world, show the Deity form of Srimati Radharani with her lotus feet visible. On all other days of the year, Radharani, the supremely chaste Goddess of devotion to Krishna, keeps her feet covered. So how is it that she shows her lotus feet on this one day of the year? She does so almost inadvertently, by indirection, disguised as Krishna’s bosom friend Subala.Among all of Krishna’s friends, Subala is perhaps the most intimate. He is the leader of the priyanarma sakhas, who act as accomplices in Krishna’s loving dealings with Radharani and the other cowherd girls of Vraja. Subala has a very fair complexion, like Radharani’s; in fact, his countenance very closely resembles Radharani’s.One day Krishna felt so deeply the pangs of love for Radha that he was inconsolable in his separation from her. He called his dear friend Subala and said, “I can’t stand being away from Radha. You have to get her and bring her here to me!”Subala, perplexed, replied, “How can I bring her out to the forest in broad daylight?” Radharani was kept from meeting with Krishna by vigilant elders, especially Jatila, the mother of her so-called husband. Jatila kept a close watch on Radharani day and night, and Subala worried about how he would be able to manage to spirit her away from her home.
Krishna was insistent: “You’ll figure it out. You have to manage it somehow or other!” Determined to satisfy his friend, Subala hatched a plan. He approached Radha’s home with one of his calves under his arm. As he got near the house, he set the calf down on the ground and gave its tail a quick twist, so it would run off. Then he approached Radha’s home.Ever watchful and ever suspicious, Jatila called to Subala: “Say, what are you doing here? You’re that boy who is always hanging out with that rascal Krishna. You boys are undoubtedly up to no good. You get out of here right now!”“No, no—you’re mistaken, dear mother,” Subala protested. “I’ve lost one of my calves. His mother is causing quite a stir, moaning in separation from her baby, and I just want to bring him back, like a good cowherd.”Jatila, despite her suspicion, was persuaded. “Well, I don’t see you your calf could find its way all the way here from Nandagram, but have a look anyway. You’ll see that he’s not here.”Subala took advantage of the situation, went into Radharani’s home, and told her the situation. They exchanged clothes, and, while Subala remained in Radha’s room disguised as her, she, dressed in Subala’s clothes, took the small calf in her arms and headed for the forest, nodding farewell to the unsuspecting Jatila and smiling to herself in anticipation of meting Krishna.She approached Krishna at the appointed rendezvous. She looked so much like Subala that Krishna didn’t recognize her and feared that Subala had failed in his mission.At last, when Radharani saw Krishna, She approached Him in the garb of Subala. Krishna was mad. He could not detect that Radharani had come, but mistook Her for Subala. He said, “Oh, Subala, you have come back without Radharani! Couldn’t you bring Her?”Radharani began cutting jokes: “No”, She said, “lt was impossible for me to bring Her in the daytime.”Krishna said, “Then what am I to do? I can’t tolerate My life any longer.”Radharani said, “If You say so, I can go to Candravali and bring her.”“No, no,” Krishna said, “Curd cannot satisfy the thirst for milk. It is not possible!” Krishna was faint with disappointment.Then Radharani embraced Him, saying, “My Lord, can’t You recognize Your maidservant? You failed to recognize Me!” Then Krishna was again full of joy.[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]We may understand, then, that the rare opportunity to see Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet is due to a sort of trick and is connected with an intimate pastime that is certainly difficult for ordinary people to fathom. We may be able to appreciate this to the extent that we have taken shelter of the process of bhakti as taught by our spiritual masters coming in the line of disciplic succession, the guru parampara. During the month of Kartika, known as Radha’s own month, devotees pray to her for greater devotion to Krishna. This month affords a special occasion each day to gain the favor of Bhakti Devi, Radharani, by deepening our commitment to the processes of devotional service such as hearing, chanting, and remembering the glories of Krishna’s divine names, beauty, character, and pastimes. As the end of the month approaches, Radharani’s accepting Subala vesa is one of the sweetest such occasions.[/perfectpullquote]
To Be Or Not To Be
Presented by ~ Urmila Devi Dasi & Radhika Raman Das, at the ISKCON of DC, Potomac Temple
In this lecture Urmila Devi Dasi and Radhika Raman Das, members of a visiting group of Vaishnava scholars dialogue, explore the personal and impersonal understanding of God, and how it is resolved in the Bhakti practice and philosophy. Please click here or on the image below to listen to their lecture. [embed]https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/to-be-or-not-to-be-urmila-devi-dasi-radhika-raman-das?in=iskconofdc/sets/sunday-open-house-talks-2019[/embed]
12 Truths I Learned from Life and Writing
Anne Lamott is one of my favorite Christian writers. She’s so humble, real, irreverent, funny and down-to-earth. I think we can all learn a lot from her about not taking ourselves and our walking of the spiritual path so seriously - I mean in a glum sort of way. I think a serious spiritual practitioner is also someone who can laugh at herself and her own foibles and at the absurdities of living in the material world. Take a listen and see if you like her TED talk as much as I did --> Click here or on the image below -- 12 truths I learned from life and writing (Anne Lamott | TED2017)All the best,Rukmini Walker[embed]https://www.ted.com/talks/anne_lamott_12_truths_i_learned_from_life_and_writing?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread#t-903072[/embed]
Grateful Changemakers: TreeSisters
-by the Gratefulness Team
TreeSisters invites everyone to be in a relationship of radical generosity with the Earth and to assume leadership in ways that inspire others to do the same.Here in our feature “Grateful Changemakers”, we celebrate programs and projects that serve as beacons of gratefulness. These efforts elevate the values of grateful living and illuminate their potential to transform both individuals and communities. Join us in appreciating the inspiring and catalyzing contribution these Changemakers offer to shaping a more grateful world.
TreeSisters envisions a world in which it is normal for everyone to protect and restore themselves and their world. The non-profit’s global network of women funds the acceleration of tropical reforestation as an expression of collective planetary care, and in doing so elicits shared responsibility for restoration at the grassroots level. As of September 2019, TreeSisters has funded over six million trees across its projects in Kenya, Madagascar, Brazil, Cameroon, Nepal, and India.Empowering women to step into their feminine Nature-based leadership, TreeSisters supports humanity’s identity shift from a consumer species to a restorer species. The organization’s approach focuses on the creation of resources and experiences that balance inner and outer, spiritual and practical, and behavioral and ecological pathways towards that shift. Founder Clare Dubois shares more about how TreeSisters engages, nourishes, inspires, and activates women through their unique gifts and generosity for the benefit of themselves, each other, and the forests that we love and need.Click here to read more about TreeSistersClick here to read more about Grateful Changemakers