SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 15 Text 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; urdhva-mulam--with roots above; adhah--downwards; sakham--branches; asvattham--a banyan tree; prahuh--is said; avyayam--eternal; chandamsi--the Vedic hymns; yasya--of which; parnani--the leaves; yah--anyone who; tam--that; veda--knows; sah--he; veda-vit--the knower of the Vedas.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

JOURNAL:

Last night I met up with the devotees at a street fair in NE Portland for an hour or so of sankirtan. The fair itself was a wild affair with all sorts of counter-culture folks selling all sorts of stuff. There were musicians on every corner, topless women wearing body paint, and maya everywhere. In my youth these were rare things to see and one had to go to a Grateful Dead show to experience them. Now days that culture has become common place.

The devotees were at the beginning of the thirty block area and caught much of the crowd as it came into the fair. I am always amazed at how happy people are to see us. ISKCON may have had a bad reputation in the past but it seems those days are over.

I was asked to play kartales and I performed this service happily, freeing the devotees to go into the street and talk to the people, many being induced to dance for the Lord. I look forward to the next time I can associate with Krishna and His followers in this joyful way.

All glories to Sri Krishna Caitanya's sankirtan movement!