Sweet Farewell.

23 March was a very bad day for me. Though it was the birthday of my husband and called for celebration, I was sad that my friend of 2 years became a victim of anger and left me forever. My friend with whom I shared my deepest secrets, without fear of being judged or reproached decided to leave me. My friend was quite healthy and not sick and the departure was quite shocking to me. My friend was very intelligent, had the answers to all my questions. Now every morning, when I wake up and hastily try to reach out to my friend I have to remind myself that it is no more. My Dell Vostro died of a monitor attack. The monitor is broken and all I can see are colorful lines on a bright white screen.

Now, I have the desktop to work with, but it is not the same, I cannot carry it into my kitchen and look up recipes, I cannot play the bhajans and kirtans of HH Niranjana Maharaj or Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Maharaj while performing Arotik to my Jagannath. Jagannath has to contend with my off key singing. I cannot have undisturbed access to my favorite speakers and lectures within the comfort of my room. I have to hear from a teeny tiny Samsung mp3 player. But before I complain further I just realized that I asked for all of this to happen.

I was noticing that I am developing an OCD for browsing the net at the cost of my sadhana and as I mentioned in my earlier post, I prayed to Gurudev, to please take away this unhealthy habit and replace it with a habit of reading Srila Prabhupada's books. So there it was, my desire fulfilled. I guess it was an indication of what was bound to happen, because just a week back, my good friend presented me with a bookmark. Bookmarks are used to mark pages, not to gather dust and what better way to use it than reading Srila Prabhupada's books. As the saying goes, be careful what you ask for and you might just get it!

I still feel sad though, and I tend to eat more sweets when sad, so I decided to make Tiramisu, pretended that it was for my husband's birthday. I did not have Cafix on hand, but I was prepared to go to any lengths, so I stole, I mean borrowed some barley with husk and all from my husband's yajna bag, a bag that contains his yajna paraphernalia and stuff and once again with the help of Cintia Stammers made this rich dessert.

Tiramisu: translated as pick-me-up, prepared as an expression of my gratitude to my husband for having picked me and putting me on the path of devotional service.

Now after being stuffed with Tiramisu and carob eclairs (it will be described more in detail in my forthcoming post Windbeutel Samskara) I don't want to follow the path taken by my friend. I want to serve Krishna to best of my capability and my next prayer is to help me get rid of this sweet tooth. I hope my tooth doesn't get literally knocked off, I'm realizing I have to be careful what I ask for. I cannot go on as is, feeling the blood rush to my face every time I pay obeisances, All Glories to the assembled devotees..puff, groan "Oh no! when will the prema dhvani prayers end?" I groan and scream out jaya louder than anyone else knowing that the end is near.

So with a heavy heart (with all the cholesterol deposit it sure is heavy), I'm bidding sweet farewell to my Vostro and all the sweets, so please no one tempt me with sweets.. Whether it is manna from heaven ricotta cheese barfi, windbeutel, halava and custard or the most delicious cheese cake I bid you goodbye! So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen!

As each day unfolds I am learning the power of prayers when uttered with sincerity.

Desire Tree.

Have you ever felt that you were around a Kalpavriksha tree. In my few years as a devotee, many a time I have had this feeling that I am sitting beneath a Kalpavriksha tree because my desires get fulfilled so easily when I am around devotees. Just the other day, on Ekadasi at prasadam time, someone at the temple commented about us devotees who were on complete fast, even from water, saying "You are all Mahatmas!" Feeling a tad uneasy that I was forcing someone to focus their attention on me and my actions, I was wondering why do I fast on Ekadasi? The very next day I found my answer in the newly updated audio section of iskcondesiretree. This place is my one stop shop for all nectar.
Eagerly I scanned the tattva Darshan series of HH Mahanidhi Swami and there I found an entire class on Ekadasi- Why fast on Ekadasi? I am attempting to share here a few points that I heard.
Fasting on ekadasis is prescribed in the Sastras. But as Vaisnavas we are interested in Devotion to Krishna. Fasting on Ekadasi is favorable to Saranagati or surrender to Krishna. Since it pleases Krishna and since He resides in this day-Harivasra, we get a chance to reside with Krishna. When the Lord is pleased He gives us His mercy.

Speaking on points from Surya Siddhanta, a book on astrology, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sraswati Thakura, Maharaj was mentioning how 11 days after Amavasya and 11 days after Purnima, the position of the moon and sun affect the tide in the oceans and creates some disturbance in the atmosphere. Likewise they affect the human body too, because 75 per cent of the human body is made of water. The fluids become agitated and the digestion is weak and the person is also disturbed in mind especially on the ekadasi before the full moon-Shukla Paksha. So fasting on ekadasi increases the fire or heat in the body due to the performance of this tapasya. This heat of tapasya evaporates the water of lust in the body, and burns up the sins. The kama Bhija, Krodha, lobha bija are fried in the heat of tapasya and cannot fructify when sown in the soil. Fasting and following the 9 fold processes of devotional service is not only beneficial for the body but pleases Lord Hari and that is our only aim.
Ekadasi is said to represent the 11 senses (working + knowledge acquiring senses) and on the day of Ekadasi Krishna's senses get agitated. He demands more attention. Wants more seva, more bhoga and more puja.

We had the birthday of a 1 year old devotee that day at the temple. I had not heard this class then but looks like our Silas wanted something special that day and wanted to have an Ekadasi cake. Being in charge of co-ordinating birthday cakes for the temple, out came my copy of the Book of Eggfree cakes, and out of the oven came this cake. Anyone who has tasted this cake knows that it is really delicious, much more than the regular cakes. Haripriya requested for this recipe and here it is. I want to continue the tradition of wishing under the desiretree by passing on this recipe and fulfilling her desire. After all our only aim is to please Lord Hari and serve Him together.

Ekadasi Coconut Cake.

1 1/4 cups milk powder 1 1/4 cups potato flour 1 cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon bicarb 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup grated coconut 2 mashed bananas 1/2 cup yogurt Finely grated rind of one lemon and one orange 1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts Butter and flour 10-inch cake tin, or for a deeper cake, an 8-inch tin. Set oven to 330 F. Sift together the milk powder, potato flour, sugar and bicarb.Melt the butter and toast the coconut in it. Mash the bananas and mix in the yogurt, rind and butter-toasted coconut. Add the dry ingredients and nuts and beat with a spoon.Pour into tin and bake 20 to 30 mins. Test with toothpick, rest ten minutes and turn out onto rack. When cool, split and fill with whipped cream and fresh fruit, and/or jam. You can also ice it and cover with fresh soft grated coconut for dramatic effect

A small note: If potato flour is hard to come by one can replace it with Rajgira flour/Amaranth flour.

Then and Now.

Bhaja-Just this one word sums up everything. The starting word of my favorite song, 'Bhaja Hu Re Mana." Bhaja means “Be engaged in devotional service’’ says Srila Prabhupada. Why then is it so difficult for me to take up this process sincerely. Why do I seek adoration and appreciation when I should just be concerned about performing my service. The past few weeks have been weeks of intense soul searching for me. With so many birthdays this month, studying for Bhakti Shastri assessments on Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita, I have been forced to meditate on the most prominent event at the other extreme of the spectrum of life viz. death. A month ago, a close friend of mine was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. Alarmed at the news I looked for solace in the prayers and meditations of my Guru Maharaj. Musing about a poem I had written almost 8 years ago praising death, I was viewing my mind as a separate entity and seeing how it has transformed in these 8 years.

The Long Awaited Tryst

Opening the doors to my house,

I wait for you in quiet repose

Tracing my dreams of yester years

Not for long though,

only till to claim me you come

Give me the strength to rise in your welcome

Cause I have been waiting for you

They say you are cruel

With fingers icy and cold

They know not you are my angel

Whom I long to behold

For, in your arms I can sleep

The tranquil sleep that's everlasting,

Filled with dreams a plenty

With no morning bells ringing

With no chores to complete, no promises to keep.

I wait for you with bated breath,

I wait for you in stealth

Come, to embrace me in your snow white shroud,

Against your chest I will ever be proud

Pray! Come, to complete the long awaited Tryst!

This was written by me when I was known as Nandini. But then, I was born again, almost 5 years ago, with my initiation and connection to Srila Prabhupada.Now that I am learning to take my first steps, I know I will erase the lines and rewrite this poem again. This was written with a very immature understanding of life an escapists view. Now, I am able to understand that my life belongs to Krishna, it is His property. Death doesn't liberate one, devotional service does. Unless one is engaged in the loving devotional service of Krishna one has to come back to this material world again and again. Will I welcome death the same way? Probably not.

Bhagavad Gita 5.3: Knowledge that one is one in quality yet different in quantity is correct transcendental knowledge leading one to become full in himself, having nothing to aspire to or lament over. There is no duality in his mind because whatever he does, he does for Krsna. Being thus freed from the platform of dualities, he is liberated--even in this material world.

But mere knowledge is not enough. The bad news is that we have to live with our senses as long as there is life in this body and the good news is that we can train ourselves to tolerate their urges. Even after knowing this why do I participate in the sources of misery? I wish developing seriousness was as easy as wearing a pair of gold rimmed scholarly looking glasses.

Kamala dala jala jivana talamala

Bhaja Hu hari pada niti re.

This life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal; therefore you should always serve and worship the divine feet of Lord Hari.

While a lot has changed a lot still needs to be changed, hope is what keeps me going.

Something's Lost and has to be found.

It is said that the reward for service is more service and there can be no better way to spend the day, especially your birthday, raking up the yard in the pleasant pre-spring sun. So there I was trying to clean and did not realize that one earring of mine had fallen off, until my friend spotted it. I really liked that one so I searched around for a while and then decided to take a break and search after sometime. In the meantime my friend said she would pray to St. Anthony and light a candle so that I might find it. Not sure if I must put so much effort into something so inconsequential and being skeptical, I thanked her and took a break. Later I went to the garage to store my bag of leaves and sure enough, lying there was the upturned earring, the exact same spot where my daughter and her friend were searching for it a little while ago. Curious, I read about St. Anthony and found that he is said to intercede with the Lord for return of things lost or stolen.

This afternoon I told my friend about the found earring and said to her to light the candle again and pray to St. Anthony saying "St. Anthony, St. Anthony please turn around, something is lost and has to be found,"so that I might find something which I have lost. I have lost my way back home to Krishna and I am not desperate to find it. Comfortable in this prison suit I wander around aimlessly gratifying my senses. I cannot find the way back on my own, because I lack the willingness and determination. I need someone to intercede on my behalf. I believe in the power of sincere prayers and learnt a wonderful lesson through this little incident yesterday.

St. Anthony of Padua with infant Jesus.

The lessons that I learnt are:

• We must make an effort to find our way back
• Look for lost things in the right place
• Pray for help because you cannot accomplish things on your own and
• Ultimately only divine interception and mercy can help us find our way

Trying to view my day in perspective, in the night, the words of Guru Maharaja's class titled Attitude of Gratitude came into my mind. He was saying how the characteristic feature of Kala or time is that it takes away everything, deteriorates everything. How human life is the perfection for ending this kala. How we we are extremely old and have been going through this samsara for many many lifetimes trying to engage in the perfect escape in the most ridiculous way! Time belongs to Krishna and the best way offering it back to Him is using it diligently in the pursuit of self realization. We can enter the spiritual world only when we are invited back and choose to accept the invitation. Which means;not getting too comfortable in our prison outfit. Having gratitude for the present while having healthy appreciation of the past is the key to remaining undisturbed when the future or present doesn't seem so good.

Thank you Guru Maharaj, for all the wonderful devotees, for being the wonderful link to Srila Prabhupada and the Parampara and for helping me find my way back home.

Au Naturel!

Ever since I saw the Abhay Charan series and how the devotees in the early days took Jagannath out for a day at the park, I have been envisioning taking my Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra out in our garden during summer. Have Them rest on a charpai, while we fan them gently with chamaras and peacock feather fans, feed Them natural, homemade mango ice cream, topped with golden yellow slices of mango. The surprising thing (well actually not so surprising, I guess my desire was strong) is that one of our local grcocery stores has in stock this very cute looking miniature charpai, just the right size for our deities. Will get it this summer...

Charpai- its a bed woven with jute ropes, found in the Indian villages, where they rest mid-day after a hard morning's labor.

Anyway, much before the arrival of summer, to honor Guru maharaj, on his Vyasapuja I decided to make some ice cream. Anyone who has served him knows how child like his tastes are. I still remember his words when he visited our home. The two of us, not even inititated then, were so excited that we did not even know how to serve him properly. We served him the focaccia and forgot the fork and the knife. While speaking to him about our then 18 month old daughter who liked to have a cup of ice cream every single day my husband was mentioning how she would gravitate towards the kitchen with bowl in hand, exactly at 3 PM asking for 'aakeesh.' Guru Maharaj heard us out patiently and after he was done with his dessert of lemon cake and apple pie, he turned around and said " If someone asks for ice cream at 10:30 in the night, will it be available ?" I felt as if I were Cassie of Dragon tales, slowly shrinking in size and as if I had turned into some microscopic entity, because on that day I had NO ice cream. Apologizing for the bad planning we bid him farewell with a heavy heart that summer night in 2004.

I like to meditate on the pastimes of the Lord in relation to the preparation, just my own small endeavor to replace my own lusty desire and bring Krishna into the picture. Jagannath loves jackfruit, so meditating on a pastime of His that I had heard, I decided to try out a tropical flavor of mango and jackfruit. Slicing some jackfruit, pureeing some I mixed up the mango pulp and added the cream, milk and sugar and fed it it all in my ice cream maker. Not so much a fan of ice cream myself I was happy with the resulting creamy rich and exotic flavor.

Anyone who has lived in Bombay or Bangalore knows that the best tasting ice cream in not Baskin robins but Natural. They have amazingly unique flavors including tender coconut- the best, watermelon, custard apple or sitaphal, sapodilla etc...Its eggless and Au Naturel! and what we made at home was one scoop better being prasadam.

Raghu Dasa:There was once a great devotee of Lord Ramachandra named Raghu Dasa. He lived in Puri under a big umbrella near the Lion Gate of the Jagannath temple. He was very famous and known among the people as the friend of Lord Jagannath. Once Jagannath came to Raghu and told him to go with Him to steal jackfruit from the Kings garden. Raghu said, "Why do You want to steal jackfruit? If You have a desire to eat jackfruit, then let me know and I will get a nice jackfruit for You." Lord Jagannath replied, "In this way I am getting everything from My devotee. In fact, I have everything. Mother Yasoda would feed Me so much butter and give Me pleasure. But still I go to the homes of others for the purpose of stealing butter. There is a special pleasure in eating stolen things. Today I want you to experience that pleasure of stealing. Please come with Me!" Helpless, Raghu agreed to the Lord's proposal and accompanied Him. Both of them entered the King's garden. Jagannath told Raghu, "You should climb the tree. I will stand on the ground. You will pluck the best and biggest jackfruit and throw it down. I will stand here and catch it. Then both of us will run away." Raghu followed the order of the Lord exactly as He had in¬structed. He climbed the jackfruit tree and located the best and biggest jackfruit and plucked it. "Jagannath!" he called out. "Are You ready?" Jagannath replied, "Yes! I am ready, throw it!" Raghu threw the jackfruit down, expecting Jagannath to catch it. But where was Jagannath? He had run away. No one was there to catch the jackfruit. It crashed to the ground, making a big sound and split open. When the King's gardener heard the sound, he understood that someone had entered the garden to steal jackfruit. He immediately ran to the spot and found the big jackfruit lying split open on the ground, yet he didn't see anyone around. When he looked up he saw Raghu Dasa sitting in the tree. The gardener immediately ran to the King and told him that Raghu Dasa was stealing jackfruit from his garden. "He is still there sitting on the top of the tree!" he told the King excitedly. The King could not believe that Raghu had entered his garden to steal jackfruit. So the King gathered his ministers and went to the spot where the gardener in¬dicated. He was surprised to see Raghu Dasa sitting in the tree and the jackfruit lying on the ground. On the request of the King, Raghu came down from the tree. The King asked Raghu, "My dear . Prabhu, if you desired to eat jackfruit, why have you gone to the trouble of coming to my garden in the middle of the night and climbing a tree? You could have told me. I would have picked the jackfruit and sent it to your house." Raghu told the King the whole story about how he was cheated by Lord Jagannath. Everyone enjoyed hearing the pastime of the Lord, and they all laughed. They glorified Raghu for his greatness. In this way, Raghu would have pastimes with Lord Jagannath in the mood of friendship. A devotee gave an eye witness account of one lila of Raghu Dasa with Lord Jagannath. Once during the Ratha-yatra, the Lords had taken Their seats on the chariot. After the King swept the road, everything was ready for the chariot to move. Thousands of people pulled the rope, but the chariot would not move. Seeing the situation, the British Saheva arranged for a powerful elephant to pull the chariot. Still the chariot would not move. The Saheva told Raghu Dasa, "Raghu Dasji, what kind of Lord is this? I have engaged elephants, yet this chariot will not move." Hearing this, Raghu climbed the chariot and went close to Lord Jagannath. He spoke into the Lord's ear. Immediately the chariot started to move. Saheva was surprised to see this. He told Raghu Dasa, "You are perfect and your Lord is also perfect." Wherever Raghu Dasa lived he would leave a pot full of prasada outside for anyone to take. He would take prasada from the same pot the animals and birds took from. This was his wonderful nature. He was very dear to Lord Jagannath.

For those who want to try this tropical flavor you need:

3/4 cup of whole milk

3/4 cup of sugar

1 can of jackfruit-

slice half the contents and puree half with some milk

1/4 cup of mango puree

2 cups of heavy cream.

whisk them all to together and feed it into your cuisinart ice-cream maker.
Highly fattening, try it- Remember we are not this body ;-)

The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Gaura Purnima in pictures

I love festivals!

Festivals are such times of inspiration where all devotees work together for the pleasure of the Lord. We get a lot more association with devotees, during festivals and this acts as a gauge on how far we have progressed in our own spiritual life. Association with devotees who are pure at heart, coupled with service and chanting gradually cleanses the mirror of our heart 'Ceto darpana Marjanam.' Festival times call for team work, clashing egos, sacrifice, selflessness and passing the test of endurance and tolerance. The ultimate result is sweet like rock candy, but only when the focal point of this circle is occupied by Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada:

SB 4.24.59 : Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Siva Simply by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes wonderfully advanced in Krsna consciousness. Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krsna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra... but he whose heart is contaminated sees things differently. Therefore by sat-sanga, or association with devotees, one becomes perfectly pure in heart. Here are some pictures on slide.com

Our congregation Deities

Thats my False Ego deflater- my daughter,who kept reminding me not to feel proud on my first effort at home made fondant frosting and decoration. The cake theme is based on Sadhbhuja form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You can see the danda, kamandalu, flute, buffalo horn, bow and arrow. The opened lotus flower represents the birth of Lord Caitanya and since we cannot physically cut the cake with nimai there, the holy names in the lotus are a representation of Nimai. 'Abhinnatvan nama naminoh.'

Bitter melon badi Shukta / Shukto-"He savoured the bitter taste of shukta even over the aromatic nectar drink panchamrita." It is kind of addictive once you aquire a taste for it.I am hooked to this, had only this for lunch today.Vrinda played the role of Nimai, actually ate the brahmin's offering, had her mouth stuffed and could not say her lines..She was good though.

I am sad that I could not get pictures of the shiksha program and much of the drama, but captured it in my mind. "CLICK."

Holi Celebrations.

Moonstruck?

Seeing the rose bushes in the morning, with green leafy buds ready to spring open with the touch of the sun's rays filled my heart with an assurance that spring is not far away. Seeing the full moon in the night sky also filled me with an assurance, that Nimai has appeared. The full moon in the sky is visible to all, but few are affected by it to the point of lunacy. Likewise Nimai has risen in the sky of Nawadvip and is visible to all in the form of His mercy of the holy names. Lucky are those who are struck by this moon and become lunatics in the ocean of love of Krishna.

Though it was Gaura Purnima I did not feel impelled to visit a temple, partly because, it would mean a late night and upsetting the schedule for the next day. I was just happy to serve our own Nimai-Nitai, by cooking for Them, bathing Them with pancamrta and reading about Their childhood pastimes. Since I was a child I have heard the pastimes of Krishna and so the childhood pastimes of Nimai were something new for me. I always like reading about Nimai and this is one of my favorites:

Nimai wants the moon.
In this way a blissful day turned into a full moon night. After engaging the servants in their evening duties, Sacidevi took Nimai into the courtyard for some fresh air. The full moon was climbing the sky. Acting like an innocent boy, the clever Nimai cried, "Mother! Mother!"
Sacidevi said, "Don’t cry. I will give You whatever You want." The Lord replied, "Mother, please give Me the moon." Saci said, "Can anyone catch the moon in the sky?"

Nimai said, "Then why did you say that you would give Me whatever I wanted? For this reason, I asked for the moon." Then Nimai began wailing. Holding the comer of Sacidevi's sari, He kept crying while rubbing His eyes with His free hand and kicking the dirt with His feet. Nimai was insistent; He wanted the moon. Gaura Raya clutched His mother's sari and yanked her hair. The next moment He hit her in the head with His hand. Still unsuccessful, He rolled on the ground and cried.
Sacimata said, "O Nimai, You are incorrigible and Your behavior is most unusual. How can I possibly catch the moon in the sky? There are already so many moons on Your body. Look how the moon has become ashamed before You. Out of shyness, he is now hiding himself behind the clouds. O my son, please listen."
Then Sacimata placed Nimai on her lap and showered Him with kisses. Obsessed with parental love, Sacidevi forgot herself in transcendental bliss. Her voice became choked up in ecstasy. Locana Dasa joyfully sings the glories of Lord Gauranga. Moonstruck yet?

Not yet, then this should do the trick!

Vraja Vocabulary

Compromise is not a bad word when spelt as Balance. This was the key line in an advertisement, can't remember which one...Apparently the Vrajavasis are expert in wording things. While looking for something else, I found these beautiful verses from Vraja Riti Cintamani-by Viswanath Chakravarti Thakura, translated by HG Kushakratha Prabhu and was just trying to absorb the sweet simplicity of these lines. Step back webster's, dictionary.com, Random house etc., make way for the Vraja dictionary. I surely would like to replace my dictionary with this one.

Here are the translations for the verses 33-39

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘matsara: they do not mean ‘envy’, but ‘my lake’. When they say ‘khala’, they do not mean ‘demon’, but ‘a woman’s sash’. When they say ‘mala’, they do not mean ‘defect’, but ‘gentle and delicate’. In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘pradosa’ they do not mean ‘fault’, they do not mean ‘rascal’, but ‘moon’. When they say ‘rosa’, they do not mean anger, but ‘love’. When they say ‘mosa’ they do not mean a cruel thief, but Krishna’s playfully stealing the gopis’ yoghurt. In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘danda’, they do not mean ‘the king’s rod of chastisement’, but rather, ‘the handle of a parasol, camara fan, or other similar article’. When they say ‘nivi’, they do not mean ‘handcuffs’, but ‘a ribbon for tying the hair’. When they say ‘adhi’ they do not mean ‘headache’, but ‘ecstatic meditation on the Personality of Godhead’. In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘panka’ they do not mean ‘mud’, but aromatic ointments such as musk, kunkuma, and sandalwood paste. When they say ‘crookedness’ they do not mean the crookedness of a thief, but the beautiful shape of spiral earrings or some other ornament. When they say ‘hardness’ they do not mean the hard-heartedness of a cruel person, but the hardness of a gem or stone. In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘rajah’ they do not mean ‘material passion’, but ‘the pollen of flowers’. When they say ‘tamah’ they do not mean ‘ignorance’, but ‘the pleasant darkness of night’. When they say ‘dvandvam’ they do not mean ‘the material dualities of happiness and distress’, but ‘a happy couple’. When they say ‘slowness’ they do not refer to the intellect, but the wind. When they say ‘restlessness’ they do not mean anything inauspicious, but rather ‘great eagerness to see Lord Hari’, or else ‘the charming restless glances of the Lord’. In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘smallness’ they do not refer to the lack of anything good, but rather to a slender waist. When they say ‘nicagatvam’ they do not mean ‘faith in rascals’ but ‘a stream that can be easily crossed’. When they say the words ‘lamentation, humility, fatigue, bewilderment, sleep and laziness’ they do not mean any inauspicious material traits, but rather the various symptoms of ecstatic love of God.
In this way they never speak anything unpleasant, but everything they say is pleasing and auspicious.

When the vrajavasis say the word ‘cows’ they refer to the celestial kamadhenu cows. When they say ‘trees’ they mean kalpa-vrksa trees that fulfil all desires. When they say ‘rocks’ they mean cintamani gems. How is it possible to describe the limitless opulences of Vraja?

Preeti Bhojanam- Part 2 - The Faces behind the Feast

The Faces behind the Feast.

Southward bound: Last Sunday, we decided to travel south and offer the culinary specialities of South India to the Lord and the devotees. The menu included Idli, Sambar, Tamarind rice, Coconut chutney, Papad and the dessert ...Rava Kesari or Semolina halva with saffron,from which it takes on the name Kesari (for the Ramayan fans, please do not mistake this with the monkey king). We don't have a temple yet and use the kitchen of another temple to make our bhoga every Sunday, so the pictures are not of a typical ISKCON kitchen. Here is the long and short of it.

Our Head Cook for the day-Meenakshi Mata.

The sidekicks oops, I mean side-cooks

Prema Prada dd, Sudevi dd and Saahithya, We don't like cutting boards as you can see.

Manu Bhai and Madhu kaki- The temple's resident's cooks, doing their (Gujarati) cooking for Dwarakadeesh.

Our local Aindra Prabhu (of Kirtan fame)- Sravanananda Prabhu.

Sauna in motion

Too many cooks ...

Sundarananda Prabhu, Gaurav Prabhu and Gayatri Mata.

IDDLI- filling in the moulds

Our Make shift altar.

Maha prasade Govinde....

Nothing tastes like Prasadam!

"The chanting of the holy name," Srila Prabhupada recommended, "should be heard as far as possible from the lips of a pure devotee." One might ask a similar question to yours re. the chanting of the pure Holy Name of the Lord, as with prasadam.
When an offering is made to the Supreme Lord, He accepts the offering due to the love and devotion that has gone into the offering. As He states in the Bhagavad-gita, ye yatha mam prapadyante (Bg 4.11): "As one approaches Me, I reciprocate proportionately." To the degree of devotion and care with which an offering is prepared, and and then brings the offering to Him with sincere devotion, to that degree Krishna relishes that offering. Thus, when a qualified and pure devotee cooks in a thoroughly clean atmosphere and cleansed consciousness, the prasadam correspondingly becomes that much more transcendentally enjoyed by Krishna. Conversely to the degree one is not purified, Krishna does not accept the offering. Inquiries into the absolute- Digest 46 B HH Romapada Swami

Beggar

Dear Gurudev.

On your 59 Vyasa Puja, I wished to make an offering and express my gratitude, but words fail me, and all I can say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
You said that we could talk to your picture and you would reciprocate and I can feel the reciprocation every time I do that. Today as I stand before your picture with a begging bowl, begging you that I can make my life itself an offering at your lotus feet, where my actions speak for me. Begging you to always let me meditate on the very same prayer that you wrote to your spiritual master so that I become worthy of meeting you again; I know my begging and pleas are not in vain. I'll save my stories of faith for another day.

I also beg you to give me the intelligence to meditate on these lines of Sri Guru Vandana by Narottama Das Thakura every day, internalize it and make it the very core of my existence.

(1) The lotus feet of the spiritual master are the abode of pure devotional service. I bow down to those lotus feet with great care and attention. My dear brother (my dear mind)! It is through the grace of the spiritual master that we cross over this material existence and obtain Krsna.
(2) Make the teachings from the lotus mouth of the spiritual master one with your heart, and do not desire anything else. Attachment to the lotus feet of the spiritual master is the best means of spiritual advancement. By his mercy all desires for spiritual perfection are fulfilled.
(3) He who has given me the gift of transcendental vision is my lord, birth after birth. By his mercy divine knowledge is revealed within the heart, bestowing prema-bhakti and destroying ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.
(4) O spiritual master, ocean of mercy, and friend of the fallen souls, you are the teacher of everyone and the life of all people. O master! Be merciful unto me, and give me the shade of your lotus feet. May your glories now be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.

Preeti bhojanam- Part 1

Common sense tells us that adding too much of any ingredient in cooking is a surefire recipe for disaster. But there is one ingredient which we cannot get enough of. That, which makes the world go around. Nope, its not anything material that I am talking of here. It is LOVE! We cannot buy it from the wholesale club and there is no limit to the number of tablespoons that we can add. This same love is distributed worldwide,free of charge, at all our temples' Sunday feast program. The famed Sunday Love Feasts!

Last January I received a beautifully printed invitation card for my nephew's Upanayanam' (Sacred Thread Ceremony), to be held in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. As with any other Samskara, this was accompanied by an invitation for lunch or Preeti Bhojan. "Preeti Bhojan", I thought "Isn't that the same as Love Feast?"

Turns out this term is widely in use amongst the North Indian community and dictionary.com also endorses the term as follows:
love feast 
–noun
1.(among the early Christians) a meal eaten in token of brotherly love and charity; agape.

2.a rite in imitation of this, practiced by a number of modern denominations; a fellowship meal.
3.a banquet or gathering of persons to promote good feeling, restore friendly relations, honor a special guest, etc.
Origin: 1570–80

I sighed at my misfortune for being so far away from my family, envisioning the types of pithas, rasagollas and other Oriyan delicacies that would be served at the feast. But wait is that really a love feast? Has the food been offered to the ultimate beneficiary? not the new brahmachari, but to Lord Jagannath. Had I been there would I really have eaten at the restaurant the event was taking place?

A wonderful article that I read once on Back to Godhead (BTG), by HH Sivarama Swami beautifully sums up the transformation of matter to spirit. Here is the link http://btg.krishna.com/main.php?id=929

So, this Sunday as we cooked for the temple Sunday feast I mulled over the questions that I have been asked,"Why is it that prasadam tastes so good? How do we know how much salt to add to a certain prep without tasting?"

The short answer is prasadam is the Lord's mercy and that is why it tastes good and the paramatma within the heart guides us on quantity of salt and spices based on our consciousness at the time of service. My own tiny realization is that Lord Krishna is happy when devotees are satisfied and unless one craves salt due to hormonal or mineral deficiencies devotees can handle only the normal salt content. Thus in order to please the devotees, who accept only Krishna Prasadam, the paramatma within, guides the conscious cook. Moreover, the Lord Himself has promised to accept the offering and will not settle for something unpalatable (of course He can eat by just glancing). Likewise in deity worship Srila Prabhupada mentions in response to a mataji's query that "the deities dress Themselves," being the meticulous dressers that they are. As someone once said Pujaris and deity cooks must hang their false egos outside the kitchen/Altar.

I guess once that rule is followed, paramatma will direct us suitably. So hang out the false egos before tying those apron strings.

Mahaprasadam Ki Jaya.

Check back for pictures of our fun cooking session past Sunday:-)

Rare opportunity.

Last year around this time, when my daughter suffered with pneumonia, I was grounded and having nothing much to do, I started listening to classes (with more seriousness),by HH Bhakticharu Swami. The very first class that I chose was the Brhad Bhagavatamrta and I got hooked to hearing about the Lord and His devotee, Gopa Kumar. Today, again I was hearing about the rarity of human life and made this collage as a reminder to myself when faced with taking appropriate actions (karma) in the crossroads of life. The times when transcendence or Krishna takes a backseat and the modes take over the reins.

SB 5.13.21:King Rahugana said: This birth as a human being is the best of all. Even birth among the demigods in the heavenly planets is not as glorious as birth as a human being on this earth. What is the use of the exalted position of a demigod? In the heavenly planets, due to profuse material comforts, there is no possibility of associating with devotees.

INI MINI MAINI MO: WHICH WAY SHOULD I GO?

I have 4 choices:

• Take birth as an animal

• Go back to Goloka Vrindavan, Spiritual World

• Take birth as a human being again

• Go to the higher planets and enjoy a higher level of sense gratification.
  

I vote for devotional service in this transit lounge of life, trying to make myself qualified or deserving before I can desire to reach my final destination.

The basic principle of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord.(Bhagavad Gita As it Is 15.1 purport).
http://www.asitis.com/15/1.html

Lessons from Bhaktin Hima.

She had visited us many times this year, but I knew we would get private time with her this time round. So, after a hectic weekend of mixed feelings of happiness, anger and sadness, I was ready to meet with Bhaktin Hima come Monday Morning. The brightness seeping in from the windows signalled that she had arrived. My daughter and I welcomed her with Maha Flowers, a woollen scarf to protect her from the wind and made her feel at home. After all she had met Srila Prabhupada, here in 1965-1966 and again, in the subsequent years and would definitely have memories to share. I hastily proceeded to the kitchen, leaving my daughter to regale her with her childish banter. Grinding the soaked urad dal, I peeked from the kitchen to see that they were having darshan of the deities. Knowing that time was of the essence I moved quickly, adding the spices and frying the vadas. Yes, Hima would get to taste some authentic South Indian Rasam Vada prasadam. The soupy, spiced Rasam would provide her succour from her long and arduous journey, and comfort food that it is soothe us all.

Though she has been around from a long time, she looked no older than a little girl with shiny black eyes and a cheery smile. Wearing a white gown dotted with flowers and with the Mahaprasadam flowers tucked in her hair, she polished off the vadas with gusto and then narrated the following story of how she had the chance to obtain the dust of Srila Prabhupada on her head and how she was humbled by this pure devotee of the Lord, in a conversation with his disciples.

" Srila Prabhupada was walking in St. James’s Park, tapping his cane on the ice that had formed overnight. At one point he asked, “What does this mean?” We looked at each other and wondered what we should say. Prabhupada asked again, “What does this mean?” We couldn’t fathom what Prabhupada meant. Suddenly he said, “Ice is maya. The original constitution of water is liquid, but when it comes in contact with freezing weather it becomes hard ice. And when there is ice, there is the possibility that you may slip.” Prabhupada may have been breaking the ice because he didn’t want anyone to slip. He continued the analogy, explaining that the heart becomes hard, but just as the sun rises and melts the ice, in the same way the continued chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra softens the heart and reinstates the individual in his natural constitutional position."

Finishing her narration she smiled at us, a kindly wise smile full of compassion and knowing. Waving us goodbye, she continued on with her journey, leaving us wiser and enriched.

"Goodbye Hima (Snow), hope you bring us many more valuable lessons next year".

I hate the prospect of shoveling piles of snow, but what started off as a drudgery became something therapeutic, the nature of devotional service, through the mercy of Srila Prabhupada's analogy. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!