Namaste
Yesterday I moved to a community called New Varshan.
So far I have experienced nothing but peace. This peace has lent itself to some pretty awesome reflection.
The reflection I want to share is about doing nothing.
I made a prayer about what I should focus on and what I heard was “don’t just do something. Stand there.
I took that to mean I should absorb the environment before trying to transform it. Listening is key to making a contribution. In maori the principle is whakarango or deep listening.
This is what I’m up to today.
Listen to the sounds of New Varshan in this episode.
Hare Kṛṣṇa
Art in Progress
Sankirtan Stories
It was a warm summer night in Melbourne in 2013. Harinamananda and I were sitting in a talk at Urban Yoga. It was a program for new people wanting an introduction to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We looked at each other and knew would we were thinking. We got up, went down to level 2 where Crossways was and got back into our Rhobes. We were addicted to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on the street. We grabbed the mrdanga and karatallas and hit Swanston Street. Immediately the familiar buzz of foot traffic hit us like a drug and the high resulted in singing the maha mantra.
We both knew Occupy had just begun and they had a tent city just down towards Flinders Street. So without words I suggested we go there. We approached with sensitivity. We wanted to co create something rather than gate crash, to interact rather than interupt.
The guy playing guitar started playing chords that matched our melody. The drummers played in time.
The people without engagement became engaged in our kirtan.
Before we knew it 80 or so people where dancing and chanting with us in a big circle. We didn’t try for that. We just showed up where we might be received with zero certainty. That’s what happens when you follow your gut in Kṛṣṇa's service. He uses you.
Then I started going there every day bringing buckets of prasadam (blessed food). Some would come and help me bring it from Crossways.
We earned their trust and they made me a book table to show and sell Prabhupadas books. Friends were made and people became lovers of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Some came to our programs and others did not but whenever we did harinam we’d always stop at their site and they would chant with us.
Graffiti
Books I’m Reading
Every day I read a minute or a verse of each of these books. Each book is read aloud with different friends or people who subscribe to this zine.
I read to cultivate knowledge, sharpen my saw, develop integrity and associate with cool people. Reading is also one of the potent bhakti practices that purify the mind of noise and material clutter.
My main reading diet is Prabhupada and I'm also reading these. There are so many parallels. Especially the one below. One line I particularly liked was “atheism is weak"
Videos
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CT_EeF6B1k-/?utm_medium=copy_link
So proud of my princess for owning this presentation to her class mates about Bhakti.
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