Merry Christmas!

A blessed and happy Christmas to all our Christian readers.

Kirtans in Oxford.

And you can hear more of Gopal-hari's kirtans on the Kirtans in Oxford blog. In fact there are many sweet kirtans to be heard there, by various singers. There's a podcast thingy at the side where you can subscribe and get to hear all the latest ones.

vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtana!

Gopal Hari's YouTube

We get so many people searching for Gopal-hari, that I'm reposting this YouTube Kirtan, at your service! Also I have tagged all Gopal-hari's kirtans on this blog, so you can find them easily if you click his name in the tag box.

Shakespeare, Winter and Kirtan.

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold;
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. - Shakespeare.

I came across these desolate lines of poetry last week, as winter was setting in. Some scholars think the line "bare ruin'd choirs ..." may refer to Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, where the monks used to sing their prayers (like this, maybe). The sonnet may describe not only the winter season, but also hint at the Winter of the Ages - Kali-yuga -when spiritual principles lose favour and devotees of God are often hassled and disturbed. When, instead of being the most natural thing to sing thanks and praises to God, that is seen as something odd and even embarrasing. And worst of all, when many religions spring up, each thinking they are the only ones who know the Truth. Instead of recognising and honouring saintly persons of all traditions by their rare qualities of surrender to God, they quarrel with each other over dogma sounding more like crows than 'sweet birds' singing.

But Shakespeare's lines are too bleak. You can't keep a good bird down. Thanks to Lord Chaitanya's sankirtana movement, sweet birds are still singing, all over the world, for Krishna. Kirtan is the way to keep our hearts blazing in the wintry cold of Kali-yuga, and on a dreary winter's day, there is nothing more uplifting than to gather with friends and chant for an hour or so; nothing more warming to the cockles of the heart; and certainly, nothing more pleasing to Krishna.

And here's a nice one led by Ranchor, for the times inbetween.

Festival of Kirtan and Sacred Song.

Inish Rath 1st - 2nd December.

As one of our august predecessors stated: "The only scarcity in this world is that there is not enough kirtan". To help remedy this, the temple at Inish Rath is hosting a weekend of chanting and bhajans on the 1st and 2nd December, to which we are all invited; an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries and taste that nectar for which we are always anxious - in a very beautiful setting.

His Holiness Sivarama Swami and well-known kirtaniya, Madhava das will lead us in kirtan and devotional songs from 10.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. on both days. There is a charge of £10 or 15 euros per day ( which includes prasadam lunch and ferrying across the lake). And if you'd like to stay overnight, that will be £15 or 20 euros. You can get a taste of Madhava's singing here .

For directions to the lake isle of Inish Rath please click here. And for further enquiries, please contact Manu das at 00353868582392.

By the way, there are some wonderful pictures of Inish Rath here. I hope you can come and join the throng for this very special event.



ISKCON Belfast.

The Little Conch.

I've just come across such a nice blog - The Little Conch - written by Jahnavi devi (pictured above). When we mentioned Kripamoya's blog a little while ago, we had no idea that his estimable daughter Jahnavi writes one too.

Jahnavi's 'boring details' (as she puts it!) are as follows: "I live in England, near the wonderful Bhaktivedanta Manor. I am studying for a BA in English Language and Communication with Creative Writing, at Middlesex University (just finished first year). I also study South Indian Bharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music (singing and violin) which I love."

And the blog itself is filled with the more interesting details of Jahnavi's life - her own poems, pictures, reflections -tastefully presented and refreshingly chaste. Jahnavi has just come back from a Kartik trip to Vrindavana and there are some posts and pictures up about that, right now.

It's also interesting that Jahnavi is one of a first generation of Vaishnavas born into 'Western' families in the British Isles; her blog shows how Krishna consciousness is a very natural way of life for her, yet that she appreciates the richness and privilege of her cultural heritage.

I hope you'll like The Little Conch as much as I do! And I like it very much indeed.

P.S. When you're on bare-foot pilgrimage in Vrindavana, your feet do get dirty...

House For Sale.

St. Hubert's Stables.

News just in from our dear friends Radhanatha and Sukhada, that they are selling their beautiful house on the shores of Loch Erne, Eniskillen. Sad news from our point of view; we were hoping they would return sometime, from Vermont, to live here again, but they feel they are best situated where they are and doing well.

This is no ordinary house! Radhanatha, artist and glass-blower, has created a unique interior, including many fine, imaginative features such as the spiral mosaic at the foot of the staircase here:

And these Gothic-style windows, four hundred years old, rescued from a Dublin church:

You can see some more of them here.

Not only is the house attractive in itself; it's also situated in the heart of the devotee community near the temple at Inish Rath and surrounded by glorious countryside and lake. I remember several occasions when Satsvarupa Maharaja held sangas in this house and the pleasing decor contributed to the wonderful atmosphere of these events.

I wonder who will be the lucky future owner of St. Hubert's Stables? Could it be you??

Link to Sales Information: http://www.radmacdaddy.com/St.Huberts/The_Building.html

Govardhana Hill.

"O Govardhana, like an umbrella, you rested upon the hand of your Lord Krishna, for seven days, to curb the pride of Indra, king of the demigods. O vast hill of large rocks, so dear to me, kindly allow me to reside close to you.

O Govardhana, you are the tilak on the forehead of Vraja-dhama and are described as the best of Lord Krishna's servants, by the nectarine words emanating from Sri Radhika's moon-like mouth. Kindly allow me to reside close to you." - Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami.

These photos of Govardhana Hill are by a talented Croatian photographer who has a whole gallery of Govardhana pictures here.

Sri Damodarastakam.

As the evenings draw in and Kartik begins, there is nothing nicer in all the world than gathering together around the altar, to offer lights to Sri Damodara. In our temple we offer little candles, but I wish we could offer ghee lamps like this one. The holder is made of clay and the wick is soaked in clarified butter, so it's both Earth friendly and an offering from the cow; Krishna especially likes that.

But it's the devotion which counts and which makes the daily Kartik ceremony so special. Singing the Damodarastaka song as we offer our lamps, surely can't help but increase our devotion to our divine Lord. When I first heard the Damodarastaka, I mostly liked the lilting three-beats-to-the-bar melody, but over the years of singing and studying the words, I've come to appreciate the deep devotion expressed in Damodarastaka and how, distracted though we may be, this song attracts our minds strongly towards Krishna, fanning our desire to serve Him more purely.

This year, Kartik came upon me unawares! I hadn't really prepared my mind; but fortunately, just singing the Damodarastakam every day, has drawn me into the Kartik mood. It's strong. There's a fine rendition of the first four verses here, by Gopal hari das: Sri Damodarastakam.

Kartik Begins With Joyful Kirtan.

The special month of Kartik began on Friday: a month of heightened spiritual practise and rich in festivals such as Govardhana-puja. It is understood that in the month of Kartik, we can make more progress towards God than at any other time, as every effort we make to approach Him is magnified a hundred times.

I found this film on YouTube of a kirtan in ISKCON's Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrindavana, showing devotees in blissful Kartik spirits! Towards the end you can see them offering lights to Krishna - a daily feature of Kartik.

A very happy and devotional Kartik to you all!

A Vaishnava Friendship.

By Shyama devi dasi

I don't remember exactly where I met Krishna Premavati the first time; either in the Dublin centre or the temple at Inis Rath, I met her along with Monty her husband. It was unusual to see this elderly couple coming to Krishna Consciousness, as most of the devotees I knew were young, in their twenties or, at the most, late thirties. They were both from accomplished backgrounds; Monty beginning as an accountant, had then trained people in theatre how to project their voices and was also an Alexander Technique teacher. Krishna Premavati had been a nurse and then later ran an agency, recruiting nurses from different parts of the world. She had also been a follower of Buddhism and was head of a Buddhist organisation for Ireland. They were both well-travelled and had lived in Knightsbridge London, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Gozo, Malta.

An unusual story of how they were introduced to Krishna Consciousness: ISKCON had owned a building in Belvedere Place, Dublin, which the devotees used as an ashram and temple. Looking for a place to live in Dublin, Krishna Premavati bought this house, not knowing it had been the temple previously. As she and Monty first looked around the house, they came across a room which struck them as having a special, very peaceful atmosphere - they decided to keep this room for meditation. Then when KPV moved in, she used to receive mail addressed to the Hare Krishna Temple and didn't know what to do with it, just kept it aside, until one day Monty said he knew one of the Hare Krishna people, having met Prabhupada dasa distributing books on O'Connell street. So he took the mail to Prabhupada dasa who in turn took Monty to the temple on Dame Street and introduced him to the devotees there. Monty started reading books about Krishna consciousness and visiting the temple regularly. Eventually he gave Krishna Premavati a copy of the Bhagavad-gita and brought her along to the temple. They found out that the 'special' room in their house had been the Temple Room, where the devotees had worshipped Krishna daily.

I remember KPV next coming to Belfast when Monty had come to stay at the temple; she would visit for weekends. I was impressed at how she would come and take part in the early-morning devotions at the temple and was keen and inquisitive to learn the practices of Krishna Consciousness, even though she was seventy years of age. After a while Christine, as she was then, moved up to Belfast and became part of the community. I'd have some friendly little exchanges with her, we'd do shopping together for the temple or some other service over the years.

Then in Christmas 1997, she approached me and asked me if I would help her in her spiritual life and if we could meet regularly and talk about these things. I felt it showed her great humility in coming to me, younger than her own daughter, to give her guidance. I felt quite taken aback that she would ask me and also privileged that she would consider me worthy enough to give her advice. Here was someone who had been a very successful businesswoman and knew her way around the world, and then there was I who had come straight out of college and into the temple ashrama.

We would meet on a regular basis, and KPV would talk to me about her doubts and difficulties in spiritual life and also the good things that she was experiencing in her practice of Krishna Consciousness. Over the years I came to learn about her great faith in chanting the holy name of Krishna and in prayer. How determined she was to take to Krishna Consciousness as best she could! I could see at times, it was difficult for her to accept things, especially cultural aspects, having taken up this new tradition late in her life. It wasn't so easy for her to adapt and change, but she always tried her best in these matters.

KPV would do things in a thoughtful way. Always wanting to please her guru and Lord Krishna, she would do her different services with utmost care and attention; I especially saw that in her care of Monty when he became ill with Alzheimers disease and was taken into a nursing home and how she cared for him with devotion, making sure everything was done nicely for his comfort and also that he regularly heard the holy name and received prasadam . KPV always felt extremely grateful to Monty for having introduced her to KC and expressed that gratitude by taking care of him through ten years of illness until his passing away in 2004.

Being an intelligent person, KPV would often ask me challenging questions. I had to learn to be tactful in my answers, as she was older than me and it is difficult to accept things from a younger person. She wouldn't accept pat answers, so I would have to think deeply about the essence of Krishna Consciousness and how to express it in a way which would help her to understand certain points. In this way I feel she helped me in my Krishna consciousness, and I learned that the relationship of teacher and student benefits both parties.

Even though she often had difficulties in her relationships with the devotees KPV would say that the devotees were by far the best people she had met in her life. I learned to see that devotees may sometimes have awkward personality traits, but that these are really superficial and that I have to see beyond them to their efforts to overcome these difficulties, and to the sincere desires in their hearts.

Last July, KPV was diagnosed with lung cancer. Immediately she started making enquiries about the possibility of going to Vrindavana (Lord Krishna's birthplace) to pass away and that was always on her mind; even she had booked her ticket to go and the plans fell through. Because at this time in one's life it is easy to become distracted from spiritual practises due to weakness and illness in the body, I tried to help her by fixing up her mp3 player so that it would play continuously in her bedroom and she would be able to hear the chanting of the maha mantra or lectures by her spiritual master; so there would always be some spiritual atmosphere in her home she could easily focus in on. She would like to have Krishna book and Bhagavad-gita read to her and the devotees to chant with her. I would print out relevant verses from the scriptures that would help her to face this most difficult time, to give her some solace. At times she would be very fearful but she said to me that when she would think of Krishna and chant, the fearfulness would subside.

It was, of course, very intense for Krishna Premavati, but also for those who were trying to care for her, as understandably she could become irritable and demanding, as her health deteriorated, and she could be sharp when things were not done quite to her liking. I found this hard at times, but it made me realise that we have to overlook such things and that it was important to set aside my bruised ego and continue to help that person who is crying out for Krishna. I also had to overlook my own health difficulties, which seemed insignificant in comparison to what KPV was facing.

At times KPV felt quite hopeless and abandoned by Krishna, she spent some time in the hospice and it seemed like she might have to go into a nursing home, which was her worst nightmare, but then she received a phone call from her good friend Kalyani in Carrick-on-Shannon saying that she and the devotees there would be willing to take care of her in Carrick and could make all the necessary arrangements with getting proper medical care and assistance.

It all happened quite suddenly, her move to Carrick and it was a bit of a shock for me that someone who had been an important part of my life and service was gone. It seemed like she had been whipped out of my life; I felt empty for quite a while and emotional whenever I thought of KPV. I managed to make a trip up to Carrick to see her. She looked so bright and happy even though her body was disintegrating and couldn't do much for herself. She was so glad that I had come to see her. The devotees were taking such good care of her and it seemed like the right place for her to be. Her room was filled with fresh flowers and pictures of Krishna and Radha Madhava from Belfast temple.; and there was a Prabhupada lecture playing on the MP3 player.

KPV passed away a couple of weeks later on 14 April while her son and daughter were visiting her from Italy and USA. She was surrounded by the love and care she received from the devotees in Carrick. She revealed to a friend, a few days before she passed away, how she had previously not believed Krishna would take care of her at this time in her life but now she said 'Krishna is here' 'Krishna is here', she was feeling Krishna's presence at the end of her life.

My realisation from the whole experience was how Lord Krishna is so expert and how He achieves so many things in one situation. Through Krishna Premavati's illness He brought out the love and care between devotees and KPV, and showed us how Krishna personally takes care of everything and attends to the desires of His devotees. KPV really did not want to die alone; her great desire was to have the devotees there at that time to help her think of Krishna until the very end. And Krishna arranged it all for her.

Her daughter remarked to me that her Mum was so bright, alert and radiant, even though she was in a lot of pain and discomfort and she hoped that her own death would be like that. If you get the opportunity to care for someone with a terminal illness I would say you should take it, as you learn so much from the experience, especially if we try and give them Krishna which is the greatest gift.

Photographs: Top - Krishna premavati and UTV presenter Kate Little, working together on a programme about life as a devotee of Krishna.

Middle: Shyama and Krishna premavati at a temple study-group.

Janmastami Photo Gallery - A Treat!

Krishan, a devotee from Newcastle, took some beautiful photos of Radha-Madhava, while he was with us for Janmastami.

It's a real treat to watch them as a slide-show here: Krishna Mistry's Slideshow , whilst listening to this Kirtan: Ranchor Leads Kirtan. It's a bit tricky to get them both together - but it's worth it.

You can see Sri Sri Radha-Madhava all bedecked in silken garments and flower garlands, for this special festival, and enjoy Their extraordinary bathing ceremony. After all, why do we have eyes, but for to gaze upon the beauty of God! And, come to think of it, what use are our ears, unless we use them for hearing the sublime sound of His sacred names?

How Attractive is Krishna!

From a devotee friend in Oxford:

"We've been holding monthly kirtan sessions at the Quaker Meeting House in Oxford for just over a year. Last Sunday, we started up again after a summer break and were pleased to see several new faces there, including three young school-girls.

We all chanted with gusto, and after the session, I sat next to one of the girls and asked how she came to be there. "Well" she said; "I went to see the Mahabharata in June, and became extremely attracted to Krishna."

That was interesting; extremely attracted! After chatting for a bit, I went and spoke to an older lady, also there for the first time. As we talked, it came out that she too was there because of the Mahabharata production, which played in Oxford in June. "I went to see it and had an overwhelming experience; I had to go and see it again the next night! Then I took down the unread Bhagavad-Gita which had been on my shelf for years, and read it; I went to the Soho St. temple in London, and bought lots of books in their bookshop; and I found out about the kirtan here, and came along".

That was astonishing!

I had just been reading a chapter of Krishna Book in which some of Krishna's queens described how they came to their good fortune to have such an intimate relationship with Krishna. Rukmini had never seen Krishna, but became attracted to Him as she heard about Him, from sages who visited her father's palace. Another had heard about Krishna from Narada Muni and decided that she would marry no-one but Him.

And here, now, in 21st century Oxford the same process is at work. Eternally it will be so: people attracted to Krishna just by hearing about Him. We already know Krishna; we've merely temporarily forgotten Him - and by seeing a play, or reading a book, or hearing a kirtan - it will set off a spark of remembrance, which will blaze into pure love of God, if we fan it carefully.

The dance-drama production of the Mahabharata which toured England in the summer was conceived by Gaura-lila from Switzerland. The result of eight years work. I bet he'd be pleased to know what an impact it is having!

You can read about it here: Mahabharata at Sadlers Wells.

Jubilation!

A rare and very welcome visit from Gopi-manjari and her family is expected this weekend.

Gopi was one of the 'pillars' of the Belfast temple for several years, before ruthlessly deserting us to live in America. She's still badly missed. So it will be a happy reunion on Sunday, also with her husband, Lalita-madhava and baby son, Madhava.

Gopi will give the talk at the Sunday Feast, this Sunday. As you might expect from the photo, her talk will be on the subject of Yoga - the relationships between the different kinds of yoga, and how they can be used to support the topmost jewel of Yoga - bhakti. Gopi will sit in a normal cross-legged position while giving her class.

Gopi teaches yoga in Washington DC and introduces her students to the teachings of Bhagavad-Gita and the practise of kirtan as an important part of their yoga practise. If you happen to live in Washington you can find her here: Hot Yoga.

So, come along, if you can, to hear Gopi speak. Lalita-madhava, will lead us in kirtan afterwards, for the refreshment of our inner selves. We look forward, as always, to seeing you!

Sunday, 17th June.

Class - 4.00 p.m.
Kirtan -4.45 p.m.
Vegetarian Feast - 5.20 p.m.

Krishna the Chiropracter.

Even a visit to the chiropracter can lead to thoughts of Krishna! On Monday I went to have the atlas-bone at the top of my spine 'fixed'. The atlas-bone is the very topmost bone of the spine, which supports the head; when it becomes out of alignment with the head, it can cause the whole spine to become crooked, which had happened in my case, making walking and sitting painful.

The treatment took only ten minutes, but I walked out of the treatment room feeling straight and walking with ease. And then I remembered the story of Krishna, meeting the hunchback, Kubja, in Mathura. She had offered Krishna some freshly made sandal-wood paste to cool Him down in the heat of the sun. Krishna was pleased with her loving attention and to reciprocate with her, He pressed her feet with His toes, caught her by the cheeks and gave a quick jerk which straightened her out. Well just see! Krishna was the first chiropracter!

And while waiting for my appointment, I read that the atlas-bone is so called because it holds the whole weight of the head, just as Atlas, in Greek mythology, held the heavens on his shoulders. I thought of Atlas, muscles straining with effort, oppressed by that great burden and compared the image with that of Sri Ananta-Shesha, the form of God as a many-headed serpent, who holds the Universes on the top of His heads. And does this so effortlessly, that it's described that the universe feels to Him like a mere mustard seed - He barely notices that it is there, only as a slight tickle on top of His head.

The contrast was amusing. I appreciated the understanding of God offered by the Vedas. God is mighty hard to fathom, but these images help us get an inkling of His wonders.

(Photos:top, of Atlas; below, of Vishnu reclining on Ananta-shesha.)

Growing Up With Bhagavad-Gita.

Gopi-manjari devi dasi wrote this piece. Gopi grew up in England and actually met Srila Prabhupada when she was a baby. Although she went through turbulent times as a teenager, she landed on her feet as a very fine devotee and served in the Belfast Temple for several years. A power-house of energy, she pulled off quite amazing feats for the pleasure of Radha-Madhava, including Their beautiful new altar, and new kitchen. It was a sad day for Belfast when she left with her American husband to live in America...

Photos show Gopi's son Madhava das enjoying the pictures in Bhagavad-Gita.

My mother's words echoed within my mind, as the kids in school bulled and teased me for being Indian. The timeless teaching from the Bhagavad-Gita, spoken through my mother gave me solace, “you are not this body’ she said, “you are an eternal spirit soul, no one can hurt you within”. I remember repeating those same words when my brother and sisters would pick on me at home, “I don’t care, you can’t hurt me,” I would shout back, “I am not this body”!

As teenage years crept up, the suffering I faced either it be due to hormones, taking drugs, or sheer loneliness became thick. I would question, why is there so much suffering, what is the purpose of life, why is there so much external show and falseness in this world. Again the ancient teaching from the Bhagavad-Gita that my mother taught me surfaced to my consciousness. Karma—every action has an equal and opposite reaction, if you cause pain to another then it will come back to you, and vice versa if you do good, it will also come back in a reward. One's suffering is a reaction to ones past activities, if not in this life then in one's next life.

Reincarnation—Knowing that there was life after death, and that the activities that I carried out in this life, would predestine my next life as well as the happiness and distress I would face. Having this knowledge empowered me to take responsibility for my present life, instead of trying to escape my suffering through intoxication and other external means, I discovered that the Bhagavad- Gita became a source of great comfort and solace for me. It's contents being one of deep philosophy and theology satisfied my questions and search for the truth. It's literal meaning, “the song of God”, is a conversation between Lord Krishna (God), and Arjuna (his devotee), it takes place by a battlefield on the onset of a fratricidal war. The challenges and dilemmas that Arjuna faces is similar to the challenges we face in our lives. I like to see that the Bhagavad-Gita is a song of God sung to me, to help me through my difficulties and struggles.

The Bhagavad-Gita is a book of theology; it discusses God and our relationship with Him. The different processes of connecting with God are delineated in different paths of yoga which conclude in bhakti or love and devotion to the Divine. That pure spiritual love gives one peace and satisfaction and is the love that we all seek in life. In this journey of life I have become a seeker of that Pure Love, I would like to end by sharing one of my favorite verses from the BG. “ To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with Love, I give them the understanding by which they can come to Me”. (BG 10.10)"

Don't Miss the Bus!

Congregational member Bhakta Pat, wrote this piece describing how service to Krishna has it's own special, internal dynamic.

Funny how things work out. I remember waiting for a bus one morning whilst I was on my way to work. We were waiting, the usual crowd, for about ten minutes. Along came a blind man who was trying to cross the road about twenty yards from where we were standing. We all looked on as he tried to step out gingerly,then came back, and tried putting his other foot out. This went on for a few minutes. Then one good Samaritan in our bus queue went up to him and said, I know not what, but he took the blind man by the arm, and together they went across, a bit like the game 'frogger', and the blind guy got to the other side. I was thinking to myself. “Wow, why couldn’t I have done that? That guy has some good karma coming.” Just then the bus came, and we all got on. I was looking out the window at “our” Samaritan, now stranded by the traffic on the other side of the road. The bus left with me looking out the window at him. I never forgot that lesson!

“Never volunteer for anything”, is the advice that most raw recruits get on their way to join up. And yeah, I can see the logic in that. And mostly I’ve lived my life like that. But there is another type of logic which turns everything on its head. Logicians, mathematicians, and all sorts of brainy guys cannot fathom it out, because it just doesn’t make “sense”. They tell you that if you have a certain amount of something, and you give some away, you’ll have less of it. They do not know that this world is a reflection, and that some things run completely contrary to our rules, in the true realm. Devotees all know, for example, that if we give some understanding of Krishna consciousness to someone else, that somehow or other we have more than what we started out with. Usually when we do something for somebody we expect to get some return for it. But with Krishna, the payment is….to do more for Him.

Take my own case. I haven’t done anything for years. Gaura purnima was coming up, so I decided that I would get some yellow balloons to decorate the temple, and maybe make some Krishna badges to give to the guests. So that’s what I did. People seemed pleased with them, and that was reward enough as far as I was concerned. The next day I got it into my head to look up Lord Jagganatha on the internet, and I found what I thought was some interesting stuff. “Hey,” I thought, “the devotees at the temple might be interested in this.” So I printed it out, and the following Sunday I brought it along. Yep! Everyone was interested. So much so that I got orders from people who each wanted a copy for themselves. I was pleased (my reward?), and the following Sunday I brought along several copies of the print-out, which were well received. A couple of days later I get a telephone call from a devotee I haven’t heard from in ten years or so. Can I do something for him?.. it so happens that I can.. so I do. The next thing I know is that I get an e-mail from another person whom I haven’t seen for a long time, asking how I am, and sort of passing the time of day. The upshot of which is that I am now engaged in writing this!….. Will I take the hint? This time if I get on the bus and look out the window, I could miss the bus! And what would the mathematicians make of that? Eh!

Special Feast and Kirtan This Sunday.

There's to be a special feast and kirtan, in the temple, this Sunday, in honour of our dear friend Krishna premavati, who passed away a few weeks ago. Madri and Shyama will be cooking the feast and including some of Krishna premavati's favourite prasadam dishes. As Madri and Syama were both very close to KPV, they are glad to be doing this on her behalf and would like to invite anyone who knew her to come and take part.

I'm sure anyone who knows Madri and her cooking will be there anyway! It's a while since Madri cooked in the temple, but her feasts are unforgettable.

This picture shows Krishna-premavati at last year's Ratha-yatra festival, shading Srila Prabhupada from the sun.

Praghosa das will also be visiting the temple on Sunday, and speaking on Bhagavad-Gita. So please, one and all, feel welcome to join us.

Letter From Anuttama.

We've just received this very nice letter from Anuttama das, in Washington, sympathising with the loss of our Krishna-premavati. Anuttama is a senior member of ISKCON and Communications minister on the Governing Board Committee. Thank you Anuttama!

Dear Devotees in Belfast,

I am saddened to hear of the departure of Krishna Premavati devi dasi. I was fortunate to have met her during a short visit to Belfast several years ago. Although brief, my time with her was memorable. We had several conversations, I visited her home, and she took me to visit herhusband, who was living in a care facility.I was deeply impressed by her aristocratic mannerisms, her sharp intellect,her composure, her beautiful Krishna conscious home, her compassion, and her enthusiasm for her spiritual practice.She was a devotee who exuded confidence in Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. She made me feel I was in the presence of a woman who was highly educated, confident, well-connected, artistic, and, to put it in a brief American term, "classy".

Although I only knew her for a few short days, I will miss Krishna Premavati devi dasi. Certainly, you will all feel her loss very acutely. She was an important part of your community and she brought life and energy to the temple and sanga. While you will miss her, you are blessed to know that through your friendship, love, and shared services you were able to bring each other closer to Krishna, our Supreme Friend and shelter. The time you shared together was based on Krishna, and thus was built on love and mutual care. That love undoubtedly helped her be steady on the path of bhakti. By connecting each other to Krishna you gave her--and she gave you--the greatest gift. There is no better way to show love...there is no better way to bless a friend...there is no better way to find solace in a loss...than to know that while we were together we brought each other closer to home and to our Supreme Beloved Lord.

Your servant,
Anuttama dasa

Prayer to Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Here's a prayer to Lord Nrsimhadeva, written by one of Radha-Madhava's devotees in Oxford. I'm sure we can all relate to the sentiments expressed therein!

Dear Lord today once more I pray
Hiranyakasipu you’ll slay;
For though to save Prahlad he died,
He lives within my heart as Pride.

His lusty greed for name and fame
Is my sad search for just the same;
Like him I long for words that flatter,
Not truths that leave this ego shattered.

And just like him I think I’m king,
Of mice and men and Oxford kin.
I wince in pain and loudly moan
When others would usurp my throne .

This demon Pride destroys true sight
And turns all truth to darkest night.
Instead of seeing myself as Thine,
I think this world should all be mine.

Although my name ends in ‘das'
I act more like a stubborn ‘ass' .
When someone pleases not my will,
I deem them fools and rascals ‘till…

They come to share my view and see -
The world’s best ‘know-it-all’ is me .
I fail to see how life’s an act,
Of practising one of two true facts:

‘You are Lord and I am servant’.
My role is overdue and urgent,
But Pride likes not this deep insight:
‘How dare these fools deny my right.

To be the one upon the throne
And have servants all of my own!’
So Dearest Lord today I pray,
(With heart contrite for going astray)

"Please help me serve, that’s all that matters
And rip Pride out once more in tatters. "

Spiritual Retreat.

We've just had a festive few days with our guest Jiva-doya das from Bhaktivedanta Manor, in England. Jiva-doya is a teacher at the Manor, teaching courses in Bhagavad-Gita and taking charge of the new bhaktas in the temple there - a sort of novice master. We have really enjoyed his classes and kirtans.

I can't remember where J-D is originally from - Croatia, I think, or maybe Czech. Shame on me for forgetting!

On Sunday, Jiva-doya led a spiritual retreat at the temple, for our extended community. That was an especially nice day.

We gathered at 7.15 a.m. in the temple-room for kirtan, after which Jiva-doya began with a class on the theme of the retreat "Living Vaishnava Culture". Beginning with his definition of 'culture' as; 'an appropriate and supportive environment for transformation', he led us to discuss how to create such an environment for the transformation of our selves in love of Krishna.

In the following classes, we discussed the importance of shravanam - hearing and reading about topics connected with Krishna and examined the obstacles we experience in attempting this. Kirtanam - chanting the sacred names of Krishna, naturally followed on, as the most important ingredient for cultivating the heart.

As well as being a boost for the spiritual "batteries", it was good just being together all day, with the other retreat members. It brought us closer together; deepened our friendship and helped us appreciate each other more as devotees. In a community, it's easy to get annoyed with each other and notice the glaring faults of our fellows, but here in the retreat, it was clear to see the sincerity of each devotee and their true motivation of wanting to please Krishna.

By the time the Sunday Feast guests had all assembled, the temple was overflowing; it was a tight squeeze for the final tumultuous kirtan, but we danced anyway!

Jiva-doya was an excellent retreat-leader; well-prepared and personable, he brought out many interesting and thoughtful points from our workshops and was concerned to help each of is in our spiritual development. Many thanks JD!

Sweet!

Baby Yatin celebrated his first birthday at the Temple on Sunday. His parents sponsored a sumptuous prasadam-feast in his honour, including birthday cake (below).

A few months ago, Yatin had his "first-grain" ceremony here. This ancient Indian custom is one of the 'samskaras' or significant events in a person's life. His parents wanted that the first grains he ate would be prasadam; so his first proper meal was sweet-rice, which he ate with great enthusiasm! We noticed him enjoying sweet-rice again on his birthday.

This cultured and charming family is from Chenai in S. India, we're pleased to have them as members of our congregation, and to know that our temple helps them feel more at home here.

Eulogy for Krishna premavati.

His Grace Ravindra-svarupa das, Krishna premavati's spiritual master, sent this eulogy to be read at her funeral, which took place in Dublin earlier this afternoon. It very nicely sums up KPV's personality, which we are all going to miss.

I am much saddened by the passing away of Krishna Premavati. I did not expect it to come so soon; I had hoped that somehow I would get a chance to see her at least one more time. My wife Saudamani had been planning to fly to Ireland this week.

I always looked forward with pleasure to being with Krishna Premavati: I found her to be an exceptional interesting and remarkable devotee. She had come to Krishna consciousness late in her life, and I was impressed by how completely she committed herself to the process. She was already a person of notable achievements. She knew how to pursue a project with great resolve,and she applied a sharp and inquisitive mind to the task. As she studied Krishna consciousness, she would write down her doubts and her questions, and then bring them to me for discussions and resolution- sometimes long discussions.

She had a deep attachment to the Deities at the Belfast temple and to the temple itself. She had strong convictions and a strong sense of right and wrong. I understood that she on occasion stepped on toes in her desire to see that things were done correctly as she saw it, but in any case her motive was always a determination to see that Krishna was served nicely. Those who knew her heart saw that she did everything out of love for Krishna and Prabhupada.

She was generous and a loyal friend to devotees. And she always dressed with care and a simple elegance that was a testimony to her concern to always represent Krishna nicely.

Even though she had been separated from her husband Monty, out of gratitude for his introducing her to Krishna consciousness, she gave him dedicated care during his long illness with Alzheimer's disease, often expressing her concern to keep him in contact, someway or another, with Krishna. Somehow she persistently accomplished this with prasadam and the Holy Name.

Krishna Premavati had wanted to go to Vrindaban to leave her body, but circumstance did not permit it. No matter: she left this world with the care, comfort, and association of devotees, and her future is very bright indeed.

I want to express my gratitude to the devotees in Ireland who have shown so much concern for her and who have cared for her. I am everlasting indebted to you. You manifest the mercy of Krishna.

The manifestation of such devotional association in this world gives full assurance of Srila Prabhuapda's statement that we are eternal associates. In that case, for now we shall feel the absence of Krishna Premavati, but we may look forward in confidence to our eventual reunion at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.

May Lord Krishna give all blessing to Krishna Premavati-devi dasi. All glories to Krishna Premavati! All glories to the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord!

Ravindra Svarupa dasa

Krishna-prema-vati devi dasi Passes Away.

Just to let our congregation know that our dear god-sister, Krishna-prema-vati left her body early this morning at about 1.30 a.m. She was being well cared for by devotee friends in Carrick and they were with her as she passed away.

KPV was in her early eighties and found out that she had lung cancer several months ago. This picture of her was taken not long after she had been told she would not have much longer to live. KPV's friends have all been impressed at her calm and Krishna-conscious preparing for death; she loved to have devotees come and chant with her or read to her and even when it was a struggle for her, she would still try to chant Krishna's holy Names.

I'm sure she would appreciate your prayers on her behalf.

Hare Krishna!

Radha-Madhava's Birthday.

(photo courtesy of Yamuna dasi of Austria - click to enlarge)

I had planned to post about this on Tuesday the 10th April, which was the twenty-fourth anniversary of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava's installation. But Krishna had other plans! But as we are celebrating Their birthday on Sunday, there is still time.

A very nice devotee from Riga, Latvia wrote through the blog, asking if we could tell something of how Radha-Madhava come to be in Belfast, so we'll tell the story here and in the post below.

Sri Sri Radha-Madhava were installed in Dublin in 1983 in what then became the first Radha-Krishna temple in the whole of Ireland - ever! Radha-Madhava are brass deities, about thirty-six inches tall, wrought in Vrindavana - the original birth-place of Krishna. Deities are made according to special rituals and scriptural descriptions, by expert murti-makers. Often this is a family concern passed down through many generations and those who made Radha-Madhava are a renowned family in Vrindavana. They liked the design of these deities so much that they made themselves a pair from the same mould, for their own worship.

Establishing a temple with worshipable deities is not a light undertaking. There must be a responsible team of brahmana pujaris to perform the worship, which includes many services and several cooked offerings of dainty dishes for the Lord throughout the day. The Lord is bathed and dressed early every morning, and in the evening changes into night clothes and there are high standards of purity for the pujaris who perform these activities. There must also be dress-makers to make new outfits and a large congregation to come and see Him, and provide for His worship.

But when a community is fortunate enough to centre around Radha-Krishna deities, They provide a powerful focus for worship, service and meditation on God. Everyone can perform some service to please Them, by just bringing a flower, or singing for Their pleasure and in this way develop a strong relationship with Krishna through that particular form.

Radha-Madhava's Installation.

Shaunaka Rishi Das, the (21 year old) temple-president of Dublin at this time, remembers how Radha-Madhava's installation came about.

SRD: "The Deities had been brought from India over a month before and had been standing in my office covered in cloth. One day, I suddenly got a phone-call from our leader Prithu das in India, he said that His Holiness Satsvarupa Maharaja would be visiting Ireland at the end of the week, and we would install the Deities then. This was completely unexpected! We had less than a week to prepare for this momentous event and were immediately plunged into intense activity, to get everything together in time. There was so much to do: There were no clothes for the deities to wear, so we brought expert seamstress Bhakti-lata dasi over from England and a team of sewers worked day and night. There were also curtains and backdrops to be made. The deities were unpainted and Saksi-Gopala carefully and painstakingly painted Their features, hands and feet. He and Aniruddha also did carpentry work, preparing the altar where the Deities would reside. We had quickly to send out invitations to guests and the media, order a marquis, scrub the temple from top to bottom, prepare a menu and shop for a huge feast and many other things."

The installation ceremoney took place in a big marquis in the grounds of the temple. Installing a deity means that Radha and Krishna are personally invited to enter the deity form, so that They are actually present before the worshipper. It's not a statue that we are seeing and serving, but God Himself, who has kindly come there to enable us to develop our intimate relationship with Him.

A large crowd gathered to witness the event. His Holiness Satsvarupa Maharaja performed the ceremony gravely and with devotion, to the accompaniment of enthusiastic kirtan. Nitai-sachinandana remembers:

"I had spent several hours shining up the brass paraphernalia for the occasion - brass pots to hold milk, honey, water and other ingredients, lamps, bells and trays. It had been glorious weather for the previous few days, but on the day of the installation it poured with rain. My strongest memory is of seeing Radha-Madhava being carried into the marquis with umbrellas held above Them. They looked very beautiful; Saksi-gopal had painted Them exquisitely and it was hard to take your eyes off Them!

After the ceremony, Radha-Madhava were brought from the marquis to Their altar in the temple, where they were dressed in a rich-looking red velvet outfit and adorned with flower garlands. When the curtains opened, Satsvarupa Maharaja offered Them Their first arti and there was a really ecstatic kirtan. Everyone was swept up by the chanting and the atmosphere was spiritually charged. Everyone remarked on it, even people who had only come to a temple for the first time. It was tremendous." The occasion wound up with a sumptuous prasadam feast - the first cooked offering to Their Lordships.

Sri Sri Radha-Madhava presided over the Dublin Temple for over a year, until circumstances became difficult for the devotees in Ireland and arrangements were made for Them to move to Belfast. Here They stayed temporarily in Wellington Park, until we found a suitable place for Them. In 1985, They came here to Their temple, "Brooklands" in Dunmurry on the outskirts of Belfast, where They are the joy of the Vaishnava community in Belfast. All glories to Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava!

The pictures here are sketches by Padma-malini from photos of the actual event. They show Satsvarupa Maharaja installing Radha-Madhava.

Happy Easter!

A very Happy Easter to all our Christian friends and readers.

"Rise, heart, thy lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand,
that thou likewise
With him may’st rise: "

(From Easter Poem by George Herbert.)

Gardening Update.

We had a successful gardening day on Wednesday and renovated the rose-garden, lugging a ton of topsoil from the gate to the rose-beds to replenish them. All the new roses have now been planted, so come and visit in June, when their first blooms will be out!

Many thanks once again to all the good souls who paid for them... and thanks to the equally good souls who came and planted them!

P.S. Don't wait 'til June - come anytime...

Letter from Gopal.

Gopal-hari who visited us at Gaura-Purnima sent us this very nice letter. We are embarrassed, as it is we who so much appreciated his visit!

Respected Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you very much for your wonderful association and kind hospitality. I felt like I was at home. Your temple has a very personal and devotional atmosphere. I think this is because beautiful Sri Sri Radha-Madhava are the centre of everyone’s attention. Their beautiful golden forms seem to enchant everyone who lives there, and everyone who visits. They pleasantly and patiently smile, giving blessings with their hands raised high, waiting for the whole of Belfast to come and visit them. Somehow, standing before them feels like standing in a historic temple in Vrindavana.

I was so happy to come to Belfast and I think what made it very special was the friendship I was able to have with the devotees there.

Your humble servant,

Gopal-hari das

Don't Be a Fool!

On this April Fool's Day - we reveal our simple three-step programme "How Not to be a Fool".

Foolishness is a matter for growing concern in our world today, as a quick glance at any newspaper will show; everyday there are new reports of outbreaks of foolishness, often quite close to home. Most worrying of all, many of our government-leaders, scientists and other prominent figures have become severely infected.

Doctors have no cure for this embarassing condition; as soon as it is brought under control in one area, it breaks out into a more virulent form somewhere else. Researchers suspect that many more people have the disease than previously thought, but being afraid even to admit it to themselves, they don't seek help.

If you worry about picking up this infection, or suspect you may already show symptoms - fear not! Help is at hand in our simple three-step programme. The best way to deal with any disease is to strike at the root rather than the symptoms and our programme is designed to completely eradicate the causes of foolishness and to provide immunity to re-infection.

Step One: Know thyself! The greatest folly is thinking you are something you aren't, so: Understand that you are not the body, but spirit-soul. Extend this knowledge also to all other living creatures and respect them accordingly.

Step Two: Read Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. This will give you a clear understanding of the nature of the illness and will strengthen the immune-system.

Step Three: Chant the maha-mantra daily. There is no more effective way of removing every trace of foolishness than this very simple remedy. It works rapidly and protects one from re-infection.

If followed carefully, this programme will restore us all to a healthy and natural state of wisdom. We recommend combining this programme with Humility and Compassion, for extra good results. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Gopal's Kirtan

I just saw that Gopal Hari's Kirtan from a previous post has mysteriously disappeared, so I'm posting it again here. Sorry to all of you who were looking for it... you should have let me know!

An Old Friend Passes On.

We were sad to hear that Samba, an old friend of ours, passed away last week. Actually, Samba was everyone's friend; a gentle and jolly devotee. At Belfast temple we used to see him when he came to visit his mother who worked for the Archbishop of Armagh. He would always pop in to see us too. He will be very much missed.

But as we all have to depart this world at some time, I don't think Samba would have wished for a better transition. He was surrounded by his family, by devotees and by the sublime sound of the chanting of Krishna's sacred names. Srutakirti from Bhaktivedanta Manor wrote a moving account of the final moments, which you can read here. The following is an excerpt:

"Everyone, including family members and hospital employees, remarked what a wonderful passing it was. Samba was very peaceful throughout. When we were getting ready to leave the room Samba’s sister came up to Amekhala and me, to tell us that a man in the far corner of the room had been sitting all day with his dying wife. He wanted to thank us for the chanting. I walked over and sat next to him. He said the chanting was so beautiful, ‘just like the singing of angels’."

We send our condolences to Samba's family and to his dearmost friends.

Bengali Hymn.

Hoorah for podcasts! Well, maybe "hoorah" is a bit too enthusiastic in this case, as the quality isn't perfect; but they're still very good to listen to. These two are from our recent Gaura-Purnima festival; Gopal hari sings a song by Narottama das Thakura. "Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Sri Gauranga" and comments on it afterwards (there's the tail end of a previous kirtan just before this song begins.) Gopal is a very good kirtaniyah - as I'm sure you will agree!

The second is Gopal's talk "From Bengal to Belfast" - the spreading of Lord Chaitanya's sankirtan movement. Many thanks to Lal-krishna for his technical help with these. And I hope you enjoy listening to them.

Rama-chandra's Festival Day.

This is a beautiful image of Lord Rama-chandra from Thailand. Traditional Thai art is always so exquisite, whether it is dancing, architecture, paintings or sculpture; I don't think I've ever heard any Thai music, but imagine it must be similarly so.

Anyway, here is Lord Rama-chandra for His appearance day, today. And as it is the perfect day for dipping into the great classic The Ramayana, I wonder if you've seen the version by Ranchor Prime - "Ramayana; a Journey"? (You can see it here.) It's an abridged version, telling the basic story very well, with beautiful accompanying pictures; good for both adults and children -these stories are so good for children!

Here's an amusing tale of how Sri Valmiki came to write the Ramayana:

"Millions of years ago, according to the Vedic sources, the Supreme Lord appeared on this planet as the Warrior, Rama-chandra, in order to execute His will and display the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As is stated in the Bhagavad-Gita, "From time to time I come, in order to vanquish the demons and rescue the devotees."

The pastimes of Lord Rama are revealed in the famous Vedic scripture, The Ramayana, written by Sri Valmiki. Before being empowered to write the Ramayana, Valmiki had been a plunderer; but by the grace of the great saint Narada, he became a Vaishnava - a worshipper of the Personality of Godhead. Narada had first asked Valmiki to please chant the name of the Lord, but Valmiki replied that he would not. He was a murderer, so what had he to do with the chanting of God's names? Narada then asked him to meditate on his murders, by saying the name of "Mara" which means Death. Valmiki agreed to this and meditated on Mara. By rapid repetition of the word "Mara, Mara, Mara", he found himself saying "Rama, Rama,Rama" and by the power of reciting the holy name of God, his heart became purified".

From A Handbook of Krishna consciousness, by Satsvarupa das Goswami.

A Happy Rama-navami to you all! And may you not have to be tricked into chanting the holy names on this day!

St. Patrick's Day Offering.

It's a bit late to be sure, but not for want of trying!

We thought St. Patrick would like this. Our temple-musician, Vrajesvari devi, has rendered Lord Chaitanya's eight poems - the Shikshastakam - into verse and sung them to a stirring Irish tune, accompanied by guitar.

"Because love of country means wanting the best for one's country-folk, and Lord Chaitanya has put the essence of all happiness and love of God into these verses. By chanting the sacred names of God, as he advises, we can overcome unhappiness and frustration and learn to respect and live peacefully with everyone."

You can listen to it here: Vrajesvari Sings Shikshastakam. And the words are below.

All glories to Sri Sankirtana, the benediction moon
The blissful transcendental chant will cleanse the heart right soon
Samsara's wheel of birth and death, this shackle let us burn
And fully taste the nectar chant for which our hearts do yearn

O transcendental Lord, rain down Your mercy and Your grace.
The Name of Krishna and Govinda saves this human race
The gateway to the Lord of Lords is the chanting of His Name
T'is the only blessing of this age, thus let me chant the same.

With humble mind and lowly heart, as the Holy Name you speak
More tolerant than the sheltering tree, or the straw upon the street.
And full respect we're offering to the people that we see,
So in this way, we'll chant the Name of Krishna constantly.

Almighty Lord, life after life,Your servant would I be.
No wealth do I desire, likewise no female company.
I ask for no material boon, nor to grant me liberty
To this devotional cause I pledge as your servant endlessly.

O son of Nanda Maharaja! eternally I will serve
You are my only happiness, how will I deserve
Oh rescue me from this deep sea, from bondage set me free,
And at your lotus feet, dear Lord, an atom let me be.

Oh when, on chanting Krishna's names will tears flow from my eyes.
Oh when on chanting Names of God, will ecstasies arise.
Oh universal Lord, when will You pour Your grace on me?
At recitation of Your name Your bliss will nectar be.

At separation from Govinda, how my tears do pour,
And every moment we're apart is like ten years or more.
I feel all vacant in this world, which is not home to me.
Govinda, O Govinda, let your Name my watchword be.

No-one but Krishna do I know, Him unconditionally,
And ever so shall He remain, though He treat me carelessly,
And even if He break my heart by vanishing from me,
It's Krishna first and Krishna last, and Him eternally.

Gaura's Trumpets and Radha-dendrons.

Daffodils? No, no - they're Gaura's trumpets!

A few years ago, at one of our temple gardening-days, we sat around at lunch-time, musing about the names of flowers and trees. There are many flowers and plants named after Christian saints, or biblical scenes, such as Jacob's Ladder and Solomon's Seal or St. John's wort. And several after Our Lady, the mother of Christ, such as marigolds (Mary-golds) and the Madonna lily. There's also a Pasque flower which blooms at Easter, a Christmas rose and a Passion flower.

In our country, centuries ago, the Bible was the only book which most people knew of, and hearing, or reading only stories from the Bible, they naturally saw the world around them in terms of those stories.

This seemed to us such a nice thing to do - to name things around us in such a way that our thoughts will always be led back to God. It would help our meditation on Krishna, to see everything connected with Him in this way; Why not be inventive, and rename the world? Well, maybe not all of it, but we could start with a few flowers: daffodils immediately became 'Gaura's trumpets', because they always bloom around the time of Lord Chaitanya's feast-day and look like golden trumpets heralding His arrival. The Rhododenrons became 'Radha-dendrons'; and the marigolds we grow for making garlands for Radha-Madhava we call 'gopi-golds' after the cowherd girls of Vraja - who love Krishna the most. And the idea works; these flowers now seem more intimately a part of Krishna's world.

One thought, dear to our hearts, was to have a rose named after Srila Prabhupada. It's possible to ask a rose-breeder to do that, but you have to pay several thousand pounds for it. Maybe one day! We think it should be of a delicate saffron colour, with a strong, sweet fragrance.

I wonder if any of our readers from more distant places would tell us of similar traditions in their own countries. We'd be very interested to know. I've heard of an Arjuna tree in India, and there must be many more such folk-names relating flowers to Krishna and His friends.

Photos: " Radha-dendrons" and "Gaura's Trumpets" blooming now in the temple garden.

Was Beethoven a Devotee?

Who can say? But he was certainly on to something when he said:

"Only the pure in heart can make good soup"!

He would surely have appreciated

prasadam.

Beethoven also read Sri Ishopanishad and Bhagavad-Gita , quoting from them, often, in his diaries; there were excerpts from both these works found amongst his papers after his death; conclusive evidence of a thoughtful, well-educated man, as if his sublime music wasn't enough!

Final BBC Prayer for the Day.

And here's the final transcript of the BBC Prayers for the Day. Nice one, Shaunaka!

Friday 9th March 07 - Peace.

"Good morning. The news can be an odd phenomenon – for many of us it is a 24-hour, all-pervasive obsession.
We pick up stories from all over the world and practically spontaneously begin to comment on them. In some countries our ability to openly discuss any subject we wish on the planet is a great freedom, even a luxury.

But I suppose what disappoints many of us is the nature of the beast itself: the unfortunate fact that bad news travels so much faster than good news. To our shame we seem to have a distasteful appetite for the horror and conflict in the news. We can’t blame our journalists for feeding us the platter we have ordered. We can’t even blame our politicians if they sound lame or scandalous. We elected them. We have even elected the reality TV celebrities we love to hate.

But we do have a desirable aspiration for peace, harmony and love. I meet the only person I can blame for the lack of these attractive qualities every morning – when I look in the mirror. As much as we get our daily dose of world news, we should also take some time to feed our aspiration for the spiritual, and grow in goodness. Here is a beautiful prayer from the Bhagavat Purana, an ancient Hindu scripture that can help nurture this aspiration:

“May the entire universe be blessed with peace and hope. May everyone driven by envy and enmity become pacified and reconciled. May all living beings develop a biding concern for the welfare of others. May our own hearts and minds be filled with purity and serenity. May all these blessings flow naturally from this supreme benediction: May our attention become detached from the mundane and absorbed in the rapture of pure love of God.” Hare Krishna. "

Another Prayer for the Day Broadcast.

Here's the next BBC Prayer for the Day broadcast, by Shaunaka Rishi, which went out on Wednesday 7^th March. I hope you are enjoying them!

Purity.

"Good morning. The dentist has become an indispensable person in most of our lives, and indeed, for some of us an inspiration for prayer. It’s a sad fact that the dreaded whirr of the drill and the clinical smells of the surgery has caused much anxiety.

But the course of dental hygiene is running more smoothly and improvements have been made to the extent that even a reformed dental coward, such as myself, can relax under the glare of those big lights.

And dental hygiene is a serious business. We can bleach our teeth until we look celebrity-esque, we brush and we floss and we massage our gums with an array of implements never before available to mankind.

In Hindu culture, as in many religions, purification is considered important, but more important than dental hygiene, for a Hindu, is mental hygiene. How clean are our thoughts? How pure is our intention? How pure is our heart, our feelings or our motivations? The bad breath of selfishness is certainly pungent but what can we do about such subtle impurities?

Among Hindus prayer, or “vandanam”, is considered a very powerful method of self-purification. And prayer is available to all of us, as much as, in fact even more than our local dentist is.

This leads me to a beautiful and very ancient prayer originally spoken in Sanskrit but translated it goes: “Whether we are pure or impure; if we are beginning our spiritual path or are the most qualified; if we simply remember the Supreme Lord, whose beauty is without comparison, we will become purified both inwardly and outwardly.” Hare Krishna."