PICTURE OF THE WEEK (from The Sampradaya Sun):

This wonderful handbill was created by Allen Ginsberg and friends, encouraging everyone to meet Srila Prabhuapda at the Kennedy Airport in New York. The 8 ½" x 11" handbill says: Chant Hare Krishna and dance in everlasting ecstasy & bliss. Bring flutes drums harps cymbals sitars washboards etc. Sunday April 9 [1968], 4 pm Kennedy Airport United Airline Term. Area 3 Flight 22. Won't you come join us in the ocean of Krishna's divine love. Greet Swami Bhaktivedanta on his return from the San Francisco temple. Sponsored by Allen Ginsberg and Krishna Consciousness.

Sanatorium by SDG

The adult Boy Scout master said, "Does this sanatorium belong to a certain religion?"

The county dormitory chief hesitated and said, "Yes, this was built by the Hare Krsna religion." Some of the Boy Scouts began to titter and sing the Hare Krsna Mantra. The inmates joined in with them and sustained a kirtana for about one minute.

Satsvarupa das Goswami - Sanatorium

JOURNAL:

This scene in the book reminds me of how my friends and I would act when we would see the Hare Krishnas on the street. The devotees always smiled at us even though we would be teasing them. At the time I thought they were just humoring us kids but now I realize that at eight or nine years old I was chanting Hare Krishna and enjoying!

extra Picture of the Week (from news.iskcon.com):

For three years in a row, the Hare Krishna devotees from around London have been participating in the St. Patricks Day parade. Although it may not necessarily be a Vaishnava festival, it is a great opportunity to share the Holy Name with the thousands of people who participate or watch the parade.

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!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK (from Lajjarani dd):

JOURNAL:

Yesterday's Ratha Yatra was a great success! By noon the sun was shinning and at four, when we had finally finished the preparations, it was warm with just a touch of high clouds in the sky. I saw some of the old devotees that I used to hang out with in the late nineties and found out that they are holding a program here in Portland on Sunday afternoons. The location is such that I will be able to attend.

I started the walk pushing a cart full of bananas to be distributed as prasadam. I was happy to do this service. After being relieved I distributed some of them myself, picking groups of homeless people that others were unsure of approaching. Living on the road as I am made this a perfect service for me to do. During the return trip I was allowed to carry the palanquin and was overjoyed at the opportunity!

We finished the afternoon with an hour and a half kirtan. Ecstatically dancing and singing in front of Lord Jaganatha and His brother and sister was so good! I left tired and satisfied.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada for bringing this tradition to America! All glories to the devotees who have continued it! Ki Jai Jaganatha!

SLOKA OF THE WEEK:

Caitanya Caritamrita
Antya Lila 3.69
tumi ye kariyacha ei ucca sankirtana
sthavara-jangamera sei hayata' sravana

TRANSLATION

You have loudly chanted the Hare Krsna mantra, and everyone, moving or not moving, has benefited by hearing it.

JOURNAL:

I just finished sankirtan with about a dozen devotees. It was so good! Chanting the Holy Names in public with a group energizes me in such a way that all I want is to do more. If this is something that you have never tried I urge you to seek out of group of devotees and go for it. You will find joy and your japa will be much better also.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK (from flicker.com):

Devotees in the Haight Ashbury District
by Raspberry_Beret, 2007

How to be a Friend

SLOKA OF THE WEEK:

Upadesamrta, Text Four
daditi pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

TRANSLATION

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.

JOURNAL:

Every morning my mind wanders during the first round of japa. This morning it landed first on the thought of friends I had to touch base with. Next it went to this blog and how I didn't want to do the reading involved with the next chapter of "Teachings of Queen Kunti". Then the above sloka came to mind, I decided to write on it and things quieted down up there so I could concentrate on the names of Krishna.

After my japa, while looking for a picture to use here, I ran across the above photo on my "local temple's" web site (http://www.iskconportland.com/iskconpdx/chant.php ). I knew then that this was the topic I was suppose to write about. You see, the photo not only shows a devotee smiling and reaching out to his friend but, in the foreground on mrdanga, is my friend that I met on sankirtan.

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With the rule of thumb; if it's good for a devotee, it's good for the rest of the humans, the above sloka shows us the steps to being the best of friends.

1) Give and accept gifts that mean something. If you find someone you want to be friends with look for a small need they might have and try to fill it.

2) Share your problems and success's with each other. Remember, this is step two, not step one.

3) Feed each other! Inviting someone over to your home for dinner is a sign of friendship that shows your desire to be transparent with your friend at an intimate level.

When I first met the mrdanga player in the photo there were two devotees and myself standing on a busy downtown street corner. I had come for sankirtan and they were thinking that they should sell books instead. Then this devotee came walking up with with his drum and it was decided in favor of sankirtan. Happy, I asked him if he minded me playing a shaker with him since no one else had brought an instrument. He said it would be great and thanked me for joining them.

When we took a short break he asked me how far I lived from the temple and, when I told him, he sympathized. When we finished up he invited me to dinner at the temple and I gave a donation and thanked them all for a great evening.

And that's how it worked for me. I don't remember the devotee's name but I will always think of him as my friend.

All glories to the devotees! Hari Bol!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

Harenaam Sankirtan in England

TEACHINGS OF QUEEN KUNTI
Chapter four:

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.21
krishnaya vasudevaya
devaki-nandanaya ca
nanda-gopa-kumaraya
govindaya namo namah

TRANSLATION

Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devaki, the boy of Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vrindavana, and the enlivener of the cows and the senses.

JOURNAL:

This chapter is a long one and Srila Prabhupada makes many good points. What stood out for me was his explanation of Krishna's title Govinda. Srila Prabhupada writes; His pastimes with Nanda and Yasoda and His pastimes with the cowherd men and especially with the cowherd boys and the cows have caused Him to be known as Govinda.

Later on in the chapter he writes; Krishna is always happy, and whoever associates with Him is also happy. Therefore He is known as Govinda. The word go means "senses." We are looking for sense gratification, and if we associate with Krishna we shall enjoy our senses abundantly, just like the gopis who are dancing with Krishna. Thus there is no scarcity of sense gratification, but this sense gratification in association with Krishna is not gross sense gratification; rather, it is the spiritual sense gratification enjoyed in the spiritual world. Ananda-cin-maya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya [Bs. 5.32].

Last night I went downtown and met up with three other devotees for harenaam sankirtan. It was Blissful! A beautiful evening with lots of people sitting around waiting for a movie to start in the city square. For an hour and a half we chanted Hare Krishna while walking around a three block area. I was amazed at how folks responded. Almost everyone was happy to see us. Street musicians would join in when we passed them. People smiled, children stared and everything felt right to me.

So, when I read the words of Srila Prabhupada here I cannot agree more with him. Association with the devotees and the public chanting of Hare Krishna was the most fun I have had in a long time!

Hare Bol Prabhus!

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 7 Text 5
apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat

apara--inferior; iyam--this; itah--besides this; tu--but; anyam--another; prakrtim--energy; viddhi--just try to understand; me--My; param--superior; jiva-bhutam- -comprising the living entities; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; yaya--by whom; idam--this; dharyate--is utilized or exploited; jagat--the material world.

TRANSLATION

Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.

JOURNAL:

Yesterday I found out that the devotees are coming into town for Harinaam Sankirtan tonight. I rarely get an opportunity like this. The temple is almost thirty miles from where I live and tonight I will only have to travel ten.

I wonder if I will know anyone? It has been some time since the devotees moved away from Portland and into Hillsboro. Of course, it doesn't really matter. I just want to hang out and sing the Lord's names with them. It sounds like a great way to spend a Friday night!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK (from Krishna.com):

Lord Chaitanya Dances With The Animals

by Haridasa and Jadurani Dasi