Cross-pollination

Ben Reist, my Reformed Theology professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, told the class, “If a little bit of Jesus rubs off on the Buddha, that’s good, and if a little bit of Buddha rubs off on Jesus, that’s good too.” In the liberal reformed tradition, I was a part of, my background as a Radha Krishna devotee was welcomed as an asset, and I was able to see my Christian service as a Western version of my Radha Krishna devotion.

Now that I am no longer ministering in the Christian church and have returned to my Radha Krishna devotional practices, I find that most Radha Krishna devotees are fundamentalist, literalists who think they have the ultimate answers to Truth and that their answers are superior to anyone else’s. When I interned at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, California, Pastor Larry Peterson said, “Remember, your truth is truth with a small “t” just like everyone else’s.” I live in a relativistic, pluralistic world that is open to truth in all forms. I feel it is our unique opportunity at this time to be able to take the best teachings and practices of all paths and integrate them into a multi-faceted whole which gives a more complete picture of Truth than any one path could do alone.

I happen to find the eternal service of Radha Krishna in their spiritual realm of Goloka to be the most attractive vision for eternity. Yet, I feel a need to update it, give it a new look and adjust for life in the West. In this way, I wish to present a non-sectarian version of Radha Krishna devotion which I feel would be pleasing to my param-guru, the 19th century visionary, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.

Here I stand

In the early 1970s, I lived in India for three years as a renounced devotee of Radha Krishna living in the holy places such as Vrindaban. I got to experience this spiritual path in its homeland from a variety of reputable sources, most importantly Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor and Lalita Prasad Thakur. I became very Indianized and an initiate into the most advanced spiritual traditions among followers of Sri Chaitanya.

I resumed my American beat/hippie lifestyle in 1974, got involved with the New Age Movement, Sufism, Taoism, Zen, etc. while continuing my devotion to Radha Krishna internally. Then, I got involved with the United Church of Christ so much so that I went to seminary, got ordained and served as a Mid-west church pastor for eleven years, all the while maintaining an inner devotion to Radha Krishna from the perspective that Love is the eternal religion of all and just manifested differently through Jesus and Chaitanya. Thus, I was very much re-Americanized, and my seminary education gave me new intellectual tools with which to re-examine the writings of Sri Chaitanya’s followers and the beliefs I formerly held.

Since leaving the church in 2002, I have returned to Radha Krishna devotion as my primary spiritual practice both internally and externally. However, I have definitely developed my own devotional style based on my cross-cultural, interfaith background. Thus, the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna is my own personal take on spirituality based on a wish by Bhaktivinode Thakur that Radha Krishna devotion be indigenized in the West. To do this, I have even had to break with the Thakur and other previous teachers where I felt the teachings were not relevant or not core essential teachings.

I take full responsibility, with the help of the many teachers of all faiths I encountered along the way, for who I am and my teachings. Making an ancient, foreign religion relevant to a new time and setting requires radical departures from the past which I suppose entails a degree of audaciousness that few seem to possess. So, here I stand.

My path at this time

It’s mid-November in South Puna. We’ve been having a heat wave and dry weather. Yet, the past couple of weeks, we put much energy into installing a tile-hearth, woodstove and chimney for our yurt. Last night and this morning, the temperature seemed cooler than it has been. When I got up early this morning, the sky was clear, but I could see clouds to the NE where the trades come from. Rather than lighting a fire, I said, “Why don’t we just wait until the sun comes up and warms things up.” because that’s the way it been lately. It’s pouring now and quite chilly for here (we’re at about 1,000’ elevation, so it is a little cooler). Now, we’re both thinking of starting a fire at 9:00 am when yesterday, it was hot in here by then from the sun. I guess we got the stove in just in time. Still, it’s not bad for mid-November.

Some weeks ago, I asked the I Ching, “What is my path at this time?” It told me to meditate on that question while focusing on the here and now. I have been doing that, and I have come to a conclusion. My path is to cut back on different roles I have played in my life, such as life-coaching and astrology, and focus more on my personal spiritual growth and writing.

That is really why we moved to Hawaii. I am situated in a sustainable lifestyle—I literally chop wood and carry water—which allows me to be semi-retired, living a reclusive life of spiritual practices and writing. I have wanted this for a long time, and I am very grateful, that with the help of my wife, Jahnava, this is now a reality. Our home is a temple where Radha and Krishna are worshipped and we see this as Braja, their land. Our love is a reflection of their love. Jai Radhe!