My Krishna is Blue

Yesterday was my birthday.  Two guests from India, living in the US, stayed with us two nights ago.  We had kirtan and prasadam together and shared stories; it was enlivening and inspiring.  In the afternoon yesterday I went to the University and met some students and distributed some transcendental literatures to people.  And, it was really, really blissful.  The best part was that I ran into a young lady named Claire whom I had met last Summer when I was essentially doing the same thing.  She was really happy to see me and I asked her if I could come over and put on a kirtan program at her house (like I had done last Summer), and she said that would be great!  So I am eagerly awaiting to do that, hopefully this weekend.  She explained that one young man who was at the kirtan program last Summer, Ryan, had been very inspired by the whole event.  This was a relief to hear, as I had not heard from him in almost a year and I had been concerned.
 The afternoon was so perfectly orchestrated, how I felt compelled to go to the school right at that moment and then "just happened" to run into Claire, as well as meeting so many nice students who were interested in the path of Bhakti.  It was great.  Afterwards I went on a picnic in the park and of course foraged for pawpaws.  

Here's something to seriously brighten your day:
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/video/russia-kirtan

" Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me- and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.  


All of them-as they surrender unto Me- I reward them accordingly.  Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha (Arjuna).  "  Bhagavad Gita 4:10-11


This has been my personal experience.  Going to the college to meet students is a bit challenging of a thing to do.  But I felt so confident yesterday I just had to go do it.  And Krishna "rewarded" me with a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness that I had not felt for some time, because I took a risk for Him and got out of my comfort zone.  Also, I feel that meeting Claire again was such a fantastic thing to have happen.  Overall, i felt yesterday was an incredible success.  I feel encouraged to go out more, now that school has started.  chant Hare Krishna and be happy!


  

Thankfulness

 It's been a dynamic week.  There was a lot of abundant foraging this week.  The garden continues to grow exceptionally well and trouble-free:

Fresh Pawpaws

Butternut Squash developing

New bed is growing nicely and another is in the works

Yard-Long beans are starting to produce

The Squash bed is flourishing

Towering Black Walnut next door

The new fig tree is growing well

His Grace Adikarta Prabhu, a practitioner of Bhakti for about 40 years, is going to be visiting soon for a few days.  That will be really enlivening and inspiring!  He's considering buying some land in KY to develop a farm-based community.  He's an incredibly active spiritual advisor, traveling literally all over Europe and India on a yearly basis.  

I've been feeling really thankful for this Bhakti lifestyle.  It's brought so much peace and profound spiritual wisdom into my life.  Here's a great lecture on the importance of spiritual life by His Holiness Radhanath Swami:    http://audio.iskcondesiretree.info/02_-_ISKCON_Swamis/ISKCON_Swamis_-_R_to_Y/His_Holiness_Radhanath_Swami/Lectures/01_-_Theme_wise/Bhakti/1994-147_Priorities_Of_Bhakti_BG-03-08_Mumbai_-_1994-09-13_IDesireTree.mp3

BLESSED APPEARANCE OF SRILA PRABHUPADA

Today is the most blessed appearance day of His Divine Grace Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  Out of his inconceivable strength and mercy he has brought the teachings of Bhakti Yoga, pure Bhakti, unconditional loving surrender to God, all over the world.  The spiritual revolution he has begun is having huge impacts all over the world, and it's only increasing.  He risked and sacrificed everything; life, body, soul, all sense of happiness, all sense of peace....just to enlighten the world of our ultimate spiritual reality and give us this spiritual path of peace, pure love, and devotion.

Actually, what Srila Prabhupada, as we call him, has given us and the world, that gift we cannot totally fathom.  Personally in my life I have to continually remind myself of how much mercy I've been causelessly given.  I remember a few years ago, before I dedicated to Krishna Consciousness, I had reached a low point in my life where I was literally bewildered about life.  Nothing made sense, nothing had any reality, nothing had purpose....it was all very stressful and disconcerting.
So, I just prayed and prayed that I would be guided to the truth and to the light.  Very soon after that I started investigating Krishna Consciousness on a deeper, more detailed level (I was aware it existed already), and it started to resonate more and more.  Now, several years into my practice I have to offer so much respect to this path which has answered all my questions and obliterated so much fear and ignorance in my heart with the shining lamp of knowledge.  "Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance." Bhagavad Gita 10:11.  Krishna guides the sincere person from within his or her heart.  I am simply amazed when I compare how I lived and experienced life 3 years ago and how I live and experience life now, and how much more satisfied and at peace I am on a daily basis.  How much less scared and worried I am.  How much more I can give to others now.  And how what I am able to give to others now is so much more than I ever dreamed possible.  And it's all thanks to Srila Prabhupada.  The mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is truly inconceivable.  All I can do is try to remain humble and honor them by teaching others and following them as closely as I have the strength and good karma to do.

Here's an interesting breakdown of Srila Prabhupada's full name.  His Divine Grace (Krishna's Grace) Abhay Charan (Free of all fear at the Lotus Feet) Bhaktivedanta (Devotional service is the conclusion of all knowledge) Swami (controller of his senses) Prabhupada (the master of all masters).

Below are some very powerful prayers/poems by Srila Prabhupada, as he toiled on the edge of death aboard the steamship Jaladuta, as a poverty-stricken surrendered soul on his way to America to spread the teachings of Krishna, on the order of his guru.  If you are at all interested in Krishna Consciousness, please take the time to read this prayer and witness a glimpse into the heart of a true spiritual master:


JD 8.1: Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krsna
on board the ship Jaladuta, September 13, 1965 

I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.

Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur (Srila Prabhupada's guru), who is very dear to Lord Gauranga (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu), the son of mother Saci, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intensedevotion to Krsna at different places throughout the world.By his strong desire, the holy name of Lord Gauranga will spread throughout allthe countries of the Western world. In all the cities, towns, and villages onthe earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and streams, everyone will chantthe holy name of Krsna. As the vast mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu conquersall directions, a flood of transcendental ecstasy will certainly cover theland. When all the sinful, miserable living entities become happy, theVaishnava's desire is then fulfilled.

Although my Guru Mahäräja ordered me to accomplish this mission, I am not

worthy or fit to do it. I am very fallen and insignificant. Therefore, O Lord,now I am begging for Your mercy so that I may become worthy, for You are the wisest and most experienced of all. If You bestow Your power, by serving the spiritual master one attains the Absolute Truth-one's life becomes successful.If that service is obtained, then one becomes happy and gets Your association due to good fortune. 


My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because ofmy association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. ButYour servant Närada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed mehow to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is toserve him. How could I leave his service? (Prahläda Mahäräja to Lord Nrsinghadeva, Bhäg. 7.9.28)


O Lord Krsna, You are my eternal companion. Forgetting You, I have sufferedthe kicks of mäyä birth after birth. If today the chance to meet You occursagain, then I will surely be able to rejoin You. 


O dear friend, in Your companyI will experience great joy once again. In the early morning I will wanderabout the cowherd pastures and fields. Running and frolicking in the manyforests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual ecstasy. Oh when willthat day be mine? 


Today that remembrance of You came to me in a very nice way.Because I have a great longing I called to You. I am Your eternal servant andtherefore I desire Your association so much. O Lord Krsna, except for You thereis no other means of success.


JD 8.2: Märkine Bhägavata-dharma 
Markine Bhägavata-dharma at Boston Harbor, September 18, 1965


My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. But Iguess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to thisterrible place? Most of the population here is covered by the material modes ofignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Väsudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it. ButI know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.  How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? 


O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message. All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message. 


The words of Srimad-Bhägavatam are Your incarnation,and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.It is said in the Srimad-Bhägavatam (1.2.17-21):"Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramätmä [Supersoul] ineveryone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desirefor material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urgeto hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard andchanted. By regular attendance in classes on the Bhägavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, whois praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects ofnature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering,disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness,the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to theLord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in thestage of liberation from all material association. Thus the knot in the heartis pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actionsis terminated when one sees the self as master."He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance andpassion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heartwill disappear.How will I make them understand this message of Krsnaconsciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I ampowerless to do so on my own. Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought mehere to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like. O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable fortheir understanding.Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feelengladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life. OLord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here todance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like. I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedänta, and now, if Youlike, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedänta.


Signed-the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar


A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,

on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
dated 18th of September, 1965

Jai Srila Prabhupada!!!

SRI KRISHNA JANAMASTAMI

Today is Janamastami, which is the most Holy Day of Krishna's birth.  Happy birthday Krishna!  The date changes each year because it's based on the lunar calendar.  

Krishna is the embodiment of Sat-Chit-Ananda

Jai Sri Sri RadhaKrishna

Krishna got His pawpaws!!!

The effulgent Lotus Feet

I was hoping to make it to a temple for Janmastami but I guess it wasn't Krishna's plan.  Which is fine.  I actually had some pretty radical realizations this morning and who knows if I would have come to that somewhere else.  Krishna is in the heart and so I'm never alone.

Vax's Nature Adventure

      Haha, wow, tomorrow is Janmastami, Krishna's birthday!!!!!!  And don't tell naughty Krishna, but I found Him something special today for His birthday....I can't wait to give it to Him!!!!!!!

And then Monday is Srila Prabhupada's birthday!!!!  Far out....All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

And now for a little pictorial nature adventure with Vakreshvara:

This is my little foray into one of my favorite trees on the planet and one I find endlessly interesting:  The noble pawpaw, Asimina Triloba (Yes, I knew that latin name and yes I'm a bit of a plant geek).

Look at them buggers!!!!

So beautiful....it's like a Buddha's hand

Nice

The trees grow in thick groves that are very lovely

Exquisite

I wonder when they'll be ripe?

Maybe now!!!!!!

Look what I found under the trees!

I wonder if he's looking for pawpaws?

Is this a giant pawpaw?!!?

No!! It's a crazy giant lima bean.... no, wait I think it's a Kentucky Coffeetree pod actually.  They're useful.  

How'd a seashell end up in the forest?  Must be hippies.... this is Cherokee park after all.  The other hippie artifacts I found was a digital pocket scale....that works!

This is called jewelweed and it heals poison ivy.  When dried up, the seed pods explode when touched.

This is called greenbrier and the young shoots and leaves are edible.  It stays green all Winter.

Beautiful forest meadow.

Wild phlox, so lovely

This is called porcelain berry.  It's a grape look-alike but poisonous.  

Beautiful creek

Kentucky meadow-what your backyard would look like if you didn't mow it for a couple months.  There's a large hedge of wild "jerusalem artichokes" growing in there.

Beautiful, exotic plants

Huge nettle bushes in the forest...I kind of enjoy being stung by them

Wild mushrooms

The wild sunchoke hedge

Now entering....the pawpaw cathedral...I've found the motherload

There were pawpaws everywhere.  

This is called wild ginger, it smells and tastes like ginger and grows as a ground vine.

The mother pawpaw tree

I could almost hear Krishna's flute....

Nice ferns and moss near the creek

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little nature trip with me.  It was a very nice time.  And....the pawpaws are Krishna's birthday present, but DON'T TELL HIM!!!!!!  He has no idea they're ripe yet....
So, if you'd like to go on a nature adventure with me and hear about all the wild stuff out there, just let me know.  Chant Hare Krishna and be happy, and stay in tune with the natural flow for good balance and health.

Abundance

It's that wonderful time of year when everything that has been growing and swelling with the abundant rains and sun of the Kentucky Summer....is about to go off.  I've been scoping around Louisville for what is harvestable, as urban foraging is something I seriously love doing, and have done for at least 10 years.  I found this big old apple tree down the road and asked the person owning the lot if I could come harvest and they said sure, so, I hauled this little wagon and ladder down the road and voila!  Two bushels of great organic apples with no work!  Nice.  I'm trading apples to the local old-timers for their homegrown tomatoes, which I've been cooking into amazingly good subjis.  I'm also keeping my eyes on these babies:

Local Black Walnuts ( I watched this tree grow from the ground up!)

I'm seriously looking forward to the walnut drop this year.  Walnuts are so good, nutritious, and EXPENSIVE!  But these are FREE and EVERYWHERE!  In the fall you literally see these green balls all over the place around Louisville, and the only harvesters are squirrels and a few old-timers.  I'm going to attempt to get huge quantities of them for saving all winter long and making walnut butter and stuff like that.  And speaking of saving food for winter:

I'm gonna be a butternut!

   

The Butternut squash are really thriving!!!!  Sweet.  The vines are starting to seriously ramble and are getting loaded with baby squash.  These should be great for storing and offering all winter long.  They're one of my favorite vegetables.  In fact, the whole garden is looking great.  I just finished the 3rd bed and am already thinking of doing one more...The new brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc) are looking good and the asian veggies are up and growing.  I planted a patch of Swiss Chard the other day as well.

Happy organic garden

Not only is the garden organic, it's veganic!  I'm all about the cow dung though, but went veganic on this one.  I've been using kelp meal, ground limestone, cottonseed meal, mushroom compost, and am experimenting with local alfalfa meal, which is said to be a great fertilizer.  Everything has been looking great.  The yellow squash will be pickable in about 2 days.
The best part about it is that it's all going towards Krishna's gratification and not mine.  But the service sure is blissful.  If only I had people to share the mercy with!  I've become such a loner, I don't know anyone in Louisville anymore.  It's pretty much me and Radhanath Swami, Aindra Prabhu, and Srila Prabhupada all day.  Well, that's pretty great.  But friends are nice too.  Krishna's always with His friends.  Krishna's ways are mysterious.