“HIS PEN HAS IN IT FIRE WHICH WILL BURN THE IGNORANCE OF THE WHOLE WORLD.”
Govinda dasi found some old Indian newspapers from the 1970s in her attic, in boxes, and one had an article about Srila Prabhupada written by an astrologer:“Nobody can read this chart; if they say they can they are simply lying. This personality comes and goes at his own sweet will; he is not bound by anybody or anything. The stars are lined up perfectly—there is no question of karma. He is working directly under the will of God. And when he writes, his pen does not have in it ink. His pen has in it fire which will burn the ignorance of the whole world.”
May this be an inspiration to us all.All the best,Rukmini Walker
A Letter To Our Future Selves
This piece is being featured in "The Emergence of Women's Voices in ISKCON" a written documentary of the voices of the first-generation pioneer women of ISKCON. Thirty-three authors speak about their relationships with Srila Prabhupada, what women bring to Krishna consciousness, and the importance of women's voices in ISKCON. My "Letter to our Future Selves" is featured in this book and book launch. Please scroll to bottom of this posting to learn more about this effort. Here is the link to the event on Facebook August 22-23: https://www.facebook.com/
A Letter to our Future Selves
by Rukmini Walker
written on June 20th, 2020
Click here to listen to the audio version of this piece.
[audio m4a="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/A-Letter-to-Our-Future-Selves.m4a"][/audio]
Dear Vaisnavis of the future,
My deepest respects to you all. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Several years ago I attended a conference in Geneva, sponsored by the Global Peace Initiative of Women. A woman who was a high court judge in India spoke and explained a powerful metaphor.
She said that traditionally in India, most people lived in a joint family home. There was usually a courtyard space in the center facing inward, and a veranda around the perimeter facing out. The men would usually be on the veranda, talking about finance, politics, science, and the problems and affairs of the outside world.
The women would be in the courtyard cooking together, talking together, dealing with domestic problems, and healing the family’s illnesses with herbal remedies.
Some are trying to lead by facing out, looking for solutions from outside; and some are looking to lead, and heal community by facing in…
Of course, today, there are many women in leadership - in government, in finance, in science, and many other fields as well. In ISKCON, in the US today, there are six women temple presidents. In other countries, there are also women leading in different capacities, in different services. It seems that often women and also men who are spiritually advanced, have an ability to lead in a supportive, empathic way, rather than a controlling or domineering way.
It seems to me that this sort of introspective leadership would mean to lead as a sort of path smoother, or servant leader, trying to truly hear others and deeply appreciate each and everyone’s unique and diverse contribution to the whole. This inward-facing community-centered leadership seems to be a formula for developing what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr called, “the beloved community”.
He defined that beloved community, first of all, as one that offers radical hospitality to everyone; an inclusive family rather than an exclusive club; recognizing and honoring the image of God in every human being. Of course, we would extend that to include every living being.
I’m fond of a certain story about Srila Prabhupada. In the early days, a new devotee, who was also very young at the time, had a chance to serve Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada was staying for a few days in a house near New Vrindavan, and this young man was given the task of guarding the house from outside at night. It began to rain outside and the young man came into the attached garage to do his guarding service from there.
In a few moments, he felt a presence behind him in the garage. He turned around, and there was Srila Prabhupada standing behind him. He fell down and offered his obeisances. Then he rose and asked, “Is there any service I can do for you, Srila Prabhupada?”
Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes. You can go where I will not go!” The young man was bewildered. Srila Prabhupada had just come from Chicago; Dallas; Caracas, Venezuela; San Francisco, and before that Tokyo; soon he would be going on to New York, London, Paris, and Germany…
He asked, “But where is it that you will not go, Srila Prabhupada? You are going everywhere!”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “To the future! And by the way you treat the people there, they will know how much Krsna loves them.”
In other words, Krsna cares for us, for all living beings. He patiently travels with us as the Supersoul in our lost wanderings as we try to fulfill our separatist desires in so many species of life. When we feel distress, Krsna feels compassion for our suffering. "Tat te 'nukampam...", "anukampam" means “to tremble with” (SB 10.14.8). And He gives us the understanding by which we can come to Him.
As His aspiring devotees, how can we make our consciousness more like His, in the sense of loving and caring for others? What will enhance our Krsna consciousness and help us go deeper in experience and realization? What parts of ourselves do we want to carry into the future?
What kinds of interactions in our communities and beyond can grow into deep loving exchanges that sustain and build faith and trust?
On the path of Bhakti, we learn that at the center of all existence, there is a love affair, a dance between Radha and Krsna. The divine masculine - Sri Krsna, loving the divine feminine - Sri Radha, who is expanded from Him. She is His own pleasure potency. In effect, this is God loving God. And we are being invited to join that dance, to live and dance in harmony along with Them in eternity. To live in Bhakti, means to live in harmony with this “Rta,” or divine cosmic order.
Once, Srila Prabhupada gave an example: If you’re sitting on the bank of a still lake and you throw a pebble into the center of the lake, then harmonious concentric circles will radiate outward from that center where you threw your pebble. If you throw another pebble, and another one, and yet another one into that same center, they will all create harmonious circles generating out from that center. But if I throw a pebble to this side or that side, and you throw your pebble here or there, then so many interference patterns will form and begin to clash with each other.
In other words, if we act in this world, loving Krsna and serving Him in the core of our hearts, and at the center of our lives, then as many interests, goals or pursuits as we may have, can all be harmonized in peace and sustainability in Krsna. We can have community, family, art, music, intellectual pursuits, environmentalism, or so many other “isms” all offered into the center point of loving Krsna. And if we act out of self-centered ego, then we will clash - within ourselves, between ourselves and others, and in the world.
How does Srila Prabhupada describe the formula for peace? To understand that everything is owned and controlled by Krsna, that everything is meant for His pleasure, and that He is our dearest friend. (BG 5.29)
In his purport to Bhagavad Gita 4.24, Srila Prabhupada explains that,
Everything that exists is situated in the brahmajyoti, but when that jyoti is covered by illusion (maya) or sense gratification, it is called material. The material veil can be removed at once by Krsna consciousness… the Absolute Truth covered by maya is called matter. Matter dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth regains its spiritual quality. Krsna consciousness is the process of converting the illusory consciousness into Brahman, or the Supreme. When the mind is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, it is said to be in samadhi, or trance.
How can we bring this mood of harmony into our hearts, into our communities, and into the world? We are eager to preach, but are we eager to appreciate and to truly hear others?
We are members of an institution meant for giving compassion to others, but are we each individually acting with compassion in our personal dealings? Or are we remaining on the neophyte platform judging and criticizing others? Offending others and becoming offended by petty things, making assumptions, taking things personally, and acting out of false ego? Are we trying to grow the seeds of Bhakti but instead getting tangled up in the weeds?
I was recently listening to a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada where he was comparing the practice of beginning or sadhana, vaidhi Bhakti to jumpstarting the engine of a car. We try to give our internal battery a jump by our daily practice. But real Bhakti begins when we develop a spontaneous taste for the practice, or when the car engine kicks in and begins to run on its own power.
If we want to carry these sacred teachings into the future, we must ourselves develop the taste for authentic Krsna consciousness. So many religious communities of different traditions exist on a kanistha, or beginner’s platform… judging or criticizing others over petty differences of understanding, or class or race or practice.
If we remain on this beginner’s platform, how are we any different? Perhaps we have an extraordinary theology, but if we don’t practice it with realization, how are we any better? How will we communicate to them how much Krsna loves them if we are not living and showing that love between ourselves and others?
Recently, we attended a funeral ceremony for a beloved devotee who had taken his own life. It has been a tragedy in this community. In the first days after the suicide, there were naturally many unanswered questions: “Why? How could this happen?” As well as much blame and finger pointing to others in leadership that, sadly, also extended out onto social media.
I feared that this mood of negativity would continue at his memorial ceremony. And yet after those first painful days, there seemed to be a shift. At his ceremony, each person spoke of him with such appreciation, telling stories of how kind, selfless, and lovingly serving he had always been. How he treated everyone of every community, both Indian and Western, young and old, new and seasoned members with such affection.
After the ceremony, there was such a sense of peace, of the community having come together. Afterwards, one older god brother of mine, said to me, “Why did we have to wait until after his death to appreciate him so much? Why didn’t we let him know while he was alive, how much we all loved him? Maybe this tragedy could have been averted, if we had let him know…”
We so often speak about higher levels of rasa, of brava and prema. But this kind of love is impossible to realize without first learning to act with appreciation and gratitude in this world. Our acarya, Srila Prabhupada was always so grateful. Even Lord Krsna is so grateful for any tiny service rendered.
In conclusion, dear Vaisnavis, I suggest that gratitude and appreciation are the two doors to the palace of Bhakti… and there is no back door. Can we be the change that creates the future and show the people there how much Krsna loves them?
Hare Krsna,
Your sister in service,
Rukmini Devi Dasi
The Emergence of Women's Voices in ISKCON is a written documentary of the voices of the first-generation pioneer women of ISKCON. In this anthology they pass the torch of wisdom and lessons learned to future generations. Thirty-three authors speak about their relationships with Srila Prabhupada, what women bring to Krishna consciousness, and the importance of women's voices in ISKCON. They tackle difficult issues with philosophy, reason, common sense, decades of personal experience, and Krishna consciousness.
The essays in this anthology will bring light to ISKCON members around the world. They are as applicable today as they were yesterday and can be used as a road map to move into the future. Many senior devotees have poured out their wise hearts here, having thought deeply about this topic. They knew Srila Prabhupada and lived under his roof."A must-read. Emergence opened a floodgate of emotion and gave me solace and wisdom." --Mathura Mandala devi dasi
Troubleshooting relationships
~a special talk with Uttama devi dasi
This month's Urban Devi sanga featured special guest, Uttama devi dasi discussing how to troubleshoot relationships. Good relationships are essential for our mental, emotional and spiritual well being. Navigating conflict is inevitable. Utamma talks about how we can learn to do it respectfully.To listen to this inspiring talk, please click here or on the image below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZOZVLLZMM&feature=youtu.be[/embed]Uttama devi dasi is a member of the Grihastha Vision Team. She and her husband of 49 years, were initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1973. They both serve as marriage mentors and relationship trainers. They travel extensively facilitating seminars on relationship dynamics. While at home they help new couples via video conferencing, using a systematic premarital education program. They also train other mature happily married couples to do the same. They live in Saranagati Dhama, Canada, and have 3 children and 6 fun grandchildren
How to Fight and Win the Relationship
~a talk with Rukmini and Anuttama Walker
In this special session presented by Vaishnavi Ministry of North America, Rukmini Walker Devi and her husband Anuttama Das speak to us on the topic of how to fight and win the relationship.In any relationship sometimes things are smooth sailing and sometimes there can be friction. Sometimes a benchmark in a relationship is seen by how we are able to pass over those difficult times. Am I able to state my position without descending into shame and blame? Am I able to choose my battles and avoid fighting over petty things?Please click here or on the image below to listen to the talk.[embed]https://youtu.be/XtZ0ecfp_VQ[/embed]
Flourishing in Your Dharma
~presented by Rukmini Walker
Last week, Rukmini gave a talk on the Srimad Bhagavatam First Canto, 9th Chapter, 5th Verse in New Vrindaban, WV. In this talk, Rukmini reflects on how to appreciate and forgive ourselves and others, and give our lives to supporting the flourishing of dharma.To listen to the audio recording of this talk, please click on the audio play button below:[playlist ids="3534"]
Living in the Season: Summer
~by Susan Weiser Mason and George Mason
Here in Damariscotta Mills the Summer is full on. Flowers are blooming profusely and veggies are exploding out of what once were neat rows. Life is abundant, and a bit over the top! Before Covid, this was the season when I used to walk to the swimming hole to get refreshed and to hang out with neighbors and new found friends. What I always found there was an ease and informality that was satisfying and fun. The free flowing and relaxed communal atmosphere of the swimming hole is, in fact, a great example of what the energy of Summer is all about.Using the lessons and practice of Five Element Acupuncture, I follow what is a seamless flow of change throughout the year. By drawing attention to how every season has an energetic texture that presents opportunities and tasks, we may be reminded how we can live in harmony with this, our very own Summer, unfolding right here, right now.Summer is the time of maximum expansion and fullness. We see it in the garden, and we feel it under the luxuriant shade of trees. There is energy and there is appetite. The days are long, and we have capacity, and we want to embrace it all.Energetically, Summer has us opening doors and enjoying what makes us happy. Summer joy is ephemeral and radiant. It excites us, and encourages laughter. We may even gather some of that magic and hold it close to sustain us through the depths of Winter. But as we play, visit, and throw ourselves into the bright pageant of the season, we often overextend, and there is exhaustion. This is not so much the problem of Summer, as it is the issue of our compulsively living the whole year as though it were Summer. If we run just as hard in February with no allowance for Winter’s requirement to rest and rejuvenate, we may simply not have the reserves to successfully get through August. Summer madness relies on the rest of the year for preparation. There needs to be a season to replenish the reservoir. Going non-stop all year long is not realistic, if health is a consideration.Under pre-pandemic conditions, there were those who found the wonderful prospect of hanging out with friends and family overtaken by the reality of hosting too many guests, and being worn out by facilitating summer experiences for others, rather than having adventures themselves. Normally, this season is one of increased social interaction, and while this is natural, it can be relentless. Finding balance in a time of excess is essential.In this regard, Nature is the perfect companion and antidote for the delights and challenges of Summer, especially with the constraints of social distancing. To be out in it; to be awed by the proliferation of life, the fullness of green, the ocean’s expanse, is to be held by it’s quiet authority. The natural world embodies and perfectly moderates the lessons of Summer in ways that we can integrate.This season confronts us with how our ‘wanting’ is almost unquenchable. The deep and inclusive refrain of Summer is, ‘Live and let live’. It’s not sentimental, and it’s not always safe. Some may even feel a bit too exposed. There can be a quiet voice wishing for a little less wildness, please; a little more containment! For those folks, its like staying too long at the fair, and they will not regret that Summer is brief.In closing, eat fresh while you can! The water beckons. The trails invite, but so does a book, or a nap. Enjoy!
Dear sister to Rukmini Walker, Susan Weiser Mason is a Traditional Acupuncturist located in Damariscotta Mills, Nobleboro. She has been in practice since 1986. For more information, go to susanacupuncture.com or call 563-1571.) Her husband George Mason is an artist and acupuncturist. www.georgemasonart.com.
Engaged Bhakti podcast with Rukmini Walker
featuring Rukmini Walker in an interview with Krishna Kishore Dasa
In this Engaged Bhakti podcast episode, Krishna Kishore Dasa (Dr. Christopher Fici) holds an enlivening discussion with Rukmini Walker on the meaning of women's empowerment in spiritual life and how we can understand and express the ideal balance of the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine in our everyday lives.
Please click on this link or on the image below to listen to the talk.
You can follow Rukmini on: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker/; https://www.patreon.com/RukminiWalker, and Instagram under Rukmini Walker
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bdqk2JfN4Q[/embed]
The Engaged Bhakti podcast is hosted by Krishna Kishore Dasa (Dr. Christopher Fici). Krishna Kishore is a lapsed Catholic kid from Detroit turned Vaishnava/ambigious Hindu. Krishna Kishore spent five years studying and living as a monk in the New Vrindavan community in West Virginia and in the Bhaktivedanta Ashram in New York City, where he remains associated with The Bhakti Center community. At the Bhakti Center he helps to facilitate the Sacred Ecology Forum.
Journeying Beyond the Festival
an interview with Rukmini devi dasi
This year, ISKCON Toronto turned its biggest festival of the year in to a virtual one -- Festival of India. Celebrations took place over twelve days. Rukmini Walker gave the last spiritual seminar of the festival on the last day called, Journeying Beyond the Festival. She shared reflections about the mood of Ratha Yatra and the importance of "pulling the Lord back to Vrindavan by the ropes of our love."
To watch this inspiring seminar, please click here or on the image below:
“Reflections” with Brother David Steindl-Rast
Br. David Steindl-Rast's celebrated his 94th birthday on Sunday, July 12th. Please follow this link to view a special video called, "Reflections", which features Br. David's reflections on gratefulness, death, joy and many other themes.I hope you find this video and his reflections inspiring.All the best,Rukmini Walker[embed]https://gratefulness.org/reflections/?utm_source=A+Network+for+Grateful+Living&utm_campaign=c096349b2c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_07_05_43_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c606570b82-c096349b2c-114264829&mc_cid=c096349b2c&mc_eid=c933e59af9[/embed]
When Great Trees Fall: Animated Video
The other day, after hearing of the passing of our beloved Bhakti Caru Maharaj, we posted this poem called, When Great Trees Fall, by Maya Angelou.My dear friends: the artist, Rukmini Poddar, created this beautiful and poignant video animation, with kirtaneer, Jahnavi Harrison reading the poem, along with music by Night Squall, Bowspirit, and Balmorhea.I hope you find it as beautiful and moving as I did.All the best,Rukmini Walker[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu2pki6owJg[/embed]
Petals of Grace
by Debra Sue LynnLord, I come to You this nightoffering a humble prayer of gratitude…Creator of all the worlds!Cause of all causes!For Your glory,Lord, hear this heart’s song:You are my Rock, my Fortress. Guarded.Protected. Sheltered, but not hidden.You are the Changeless Now, the Absolute Truth.It doesn’t matter how difficult the journey seems,how exposed the heart must be;for until You come to the doorstep of one’s heart,knocking, waiting, breaking down all walls of resistance,melting all obstacles to peace,we circle,suffering endlessly while we wait, wait for…redemption, redemption that never seems to come.When our hearts, our minds surrender,beckon and, bid You stay, then Lord, in receptive silenceYou arise.When the seeds of Faith germinateinto racemes of Friendship, then on the stem of patienceYour petals of grace embrace me.You awaken all my centersreleasing Eternal Springs of Bliss within this soul.Though love resides within, peace must be earned.When no one and nothing comforts me,Only Your Word, written upon ancient scrolls,bold text of Sacred Scripture unfold to grant me peace.You, Supreme Benefactor, source of all that IS,only Your mellifluous song stills this restless heart.You are Love’s celestial rhapsody,the longest and the shortest step,the most narrow and straight way to freedom.Your pure essence,Your ineffable Spirit resides at the core,in the fiber of my soul‘s eternal quest.With unquenchable thirst, unsatisfied hunger,I come, surrendered,kneeling at Your feet to the Altar of Holy Silence,in Absolute Knowing.Holding fast to Your Word,and in Your Name, I proclaim:This Journey, this Quest WILL… ISleading me on the only, true, Pathway Home.
*From the book, Bhakti Blossoms, a Collection of Contemporary Vaishnavi Poetry | Golden Dragonfly Press | 2017 | from page 176 | Printed with permission.
Life out of Balance
by Ananda Vrindavan Devi
There is a great verse in the Bhagavad-gita that speaks to balance. “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” [Ch.6.17]
And we know from practical experience that when things are out of balance they don’t function well - a car on empty won’t budge, an unclean filter causes the heating system to shut down, a top heavy building will collapse. We are surrounded by the need to keep things in balance for basic functionality.
And so too for our human body. When we get out of balance at one point it just becomes too hard to maintain. We eventually collapse. We become overloaded in one part of our life and drained in the other. We begin to feel pain, we push on - ignoring, masking, keeping up with our roles and goals. But eventually the unbalance will erupt and we will be forced to stop.
Pain, in this way, is a good thing. It’s a message to say - ‘you are way off balance and need to reset.’ If we are honest with ourselves, we mostly know why we are suffering. We have a sense of where the unbalance is. We may have put off dealing with it, hoping to get away with it, until now. The pause, the pain, the sudden stop is the immediate invitation to change.
The current Covid-19 has brought collective pain, fear, and unexpected difficulties. We have to ask - what is out of balance? We have to ask - where can we as human citizens take a good look at how we live, how we treat the earth upon which we live, and the animals with whom we live? We have to hope that we can make the needed changes, not only to contain the virus, but to stay in balance as individuals and as a global community as we go back to a more normal everyday life.
We are limited as living beings - in terms of our time on earth, our capacity to understand, our ability to work together. But we need to be more conscious of who we are, more grateful for what we have, and we need to learn how to take care of it better. To keep it all in balance we need to work with Krishna and his teachings - so that when it’s time for us to leave this body we now have, we can do so fearlessly, having done our best to honor and care for this temporary world and all that’s in it, and that we haven’t lost our soul, and our sweet and deep relationship with Krishna, in the process.
When Great Trees Fall
by Maya Angelou
-----
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by the radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of
dark, cold
caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
In Remembrance of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaj
Today, on this day of Guru Purnima, the day that traditionally the guru is honored, our world has lost the presence of a rare and holy teacher and sadhu. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami has left this world, and so many are weeping, feeling his loss.
He was gentle and kind, and always most ardent in his dedication to our guru, Srila Prabhupada. And he begged us all to follow that mood of service.
Before leaving India, a few weeks ago, remembering his dedication to the service of Srila Prabhupada, he quoted this stanza from Rabindranath Tagore to our dear friend, Radhasundari Devi Dasi, who had loved and admired him since her childhood:
‘Who is there to take up my duties?’ asked the setting sun. ‘I shall do what I can, my Master,’ said the earthen lamp.
We will all miss you, and cherish your example, Bhakti Charu Maharaj. And we pray to imbibe your mood of selfless service,
Your servant,
Rukmini
**Following is a letter from the ISKCON Governing Body Commission that highlights the extraordinary lifelong service of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.
--------
Dear Devotees,Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.It is with overwhelming heartache that we announce to you the departure of our beloved godbrother and a dearmost servant of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.From his earliest days as a young devotee, Maharaja had the extraordinary privilege of serving as one of Srila Prabhupada's confidential, personal servants. And ever since, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja's life has been an offering of love at the lotus feet of his spiritual master.Indeed, there was not a service that Maharaja did not perform for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. As instructed in their very first meeting, Maharaja translated every one of Srila Prabhupada's written works into Bengali, the language of Srila Prabhupada's own birth. To fulfill this cherished order, Maharaja took on years of austerity, rising at midnight to carefully translate his spiritual master's divine words.Maharaja served as one of the most active members of the GBC Body, he was an initiating spiritual master with many dedicated disciples all over the world, and he shared Krishna consciousness in every segment of society from simple Bangladeshi villages to the British parliament. Maharaja encouraged and advised ISKCON leaders in management and spiritual topics, he saved more than one ISKCON project in times of despair, and did his utmost to contribute to the welfare of the most vulnerable members of society.One of Maharaja's unique contributions was the "Abhay Charan" television series that brought the glorious life and pastimes of Srila Prabhupada to the world on an unprecedented scale. And most recently, Maharaja again heightened the glory of his spiritual master by building a marvelous temple and devotee community in the holy city of Ujjain.Maharaja's voice, sweeter than honey, has immortalised many of our acaryas' prayers, and most famously, Maharaja's heartfelt rendition of the gopis' song of seperation from the 10th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam rings in our ears.Despite his position and many qualifications, both material and spiritual, Maharaja was a humble and loving gentleman who took pleasure in serving devotees. Indeed, one of Maharaja's favorite pastimes was to personally cook and serve prasadam for the devotees. As in all aspects of his service and gentle and cultured nature, Maharaja's cooking was highly refined and infused with bhakti.There are no words that provide solace when facing separation from such a glorious Vaisnava, but we can take some comfort in the fact that His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja lived constantly in meditation on how to serve Srila Prabhupada and his mission. Undoubtedly, he now continues that service under the direction of His Divine Grace.Let us offer true homage to Maharaja by continuing his legacy of service in our own lives. Let us commit ourselves, mind, body, and soul, to the service of Srila Prabhupada, following in the footsteps of his beloved servant, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.One of Maharaja's most cherished instructions from His Divine Grace was, "Your love for me will be show by how you cooperate together after I am gone." Now, in Maharaja's absence, we are reminded to take that instruction to heart and reaffirm our dedication to ISKCON, and to each other.We also commit ourselves, as Maharaja's servants, to assist and care for his loving disciples in his absence. It was very important to Maharaja that we operate as one family in Srila Prabhupada's service and we remind you today that although Maharaja is no longer physically present, you are protected by the shelter of many devotees who are ready to offer you the support you may require at this difficult time and in the future.As Maharaja often glorified Srila Prabhupada with the beautiful words of the gopis, let us also remember Maharaja as that most munificent Vaisnava who will eternally inspire the followers of Srila Prabhupada to share the glories of Lord Krishna:tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanamkavibhir iditam kalmasapahamsravana-mangalam srimad atatambhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah"The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent."His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami ki jaya!Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!Hare Krsna,Your servants,Ramai SwamiBhakti Caitanya SwamiBhanu Swami,GBC Executive Committee
"Exploring Faith, An Essential Aspect of the Spiritual Path", with HG Visakha Devi Dasi
Last Sunday, June 28, the Bhakti Center held its monthly Urban Devi Sanga with special guest Visakha Devi Dasi. In this sanga, Visakha discussed "Exploring Faith, An Essential Aspect of the Spiritual Path". What is faith and why does it sometimes wax and wane? What can we do to enhance it and make it steady even in the midst of a society that often doesn’t value faith?
Please click here or on the image below to watch a recording of this class!
Urban Devi is a monthly interactive women’s discussion circle that seeks to make spirituality accessible to women in the 21st century. Each session focuses on a theme based on topics that are of importance to women and will offer insight and practical applications from the practice of Bhakti Yoga.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUUg51fOaik&feature=youtu.be[/embed]
Color
*This poem is taken from the award winning book Prema Mala
Women of Bhakti
Please click here or on the video link below to watch this inspiring film:
[embed]https://youtu.be/Gn-iAms_Wlo[/embed]
Happy 85th Birthday, Dear Kenneth!
What I have to offer never belonged to me
Presented by Jahnavi Harrison
Here's one of those tiny jewellike meditations by Jahnavi Harrison. Just right to center and focus your day. We live by the wisdom of realized devotees, like Jahnavi, on the path of Bhakti. We can try to imbibe her mood of offering to Krsna, so that we can come to find our own.
Click here to listen in to this BBC Sounds episode, Pause For Thought:
'What I have to offer never belonged to me'
Disappearance Day of His Holiness Bhaktitirtha Swami
~ by Rukmini Walker
Today is the Disappearance Day of His Holiness Bhaktitirtha Swami, the world's first African American Vaisnava (that is, the Bhakti path...) swami. Disappearance Day means the day he passed away from this world, in full consciousness of divinity, in full consciousness of Krsna. Someone in the full consciousness that he possessed does not leave this world the way ordinary people or animals leave this world, in ignorance of who they are.Here is a most moving dialogue about racism, Black Lives Matter, and the Krishna Consciousness Movement with two of his dearmost disciples and caretakers until the end. They are joined by two other devotees, one that grew up in the movement and one that came to Krishna Consciousness later in life.
Please click on this link to listen to the discussion, and allow your heart to be melted with a desire to make a change in our troubled world.
All the best,