Wednesday, March 30, 2005
A lovely new day
I have had a wonderful day today. The temperature got up around 70. The sun was out. I got my flute back from the shop where it was completely overhauled. I got a shipment from Vedic Resources which included [I]Bhajan Rahasya[/I] by Srila Bhaktivinoda, "The Divine Couple" by Jadurani, and "Ocean of Mercy" by jaya laksmi. I am just enchanted by "The Divine Couple." It is one of the most beautiful depictions of Radha and Krishna I have ever seen. It practically took my breath away when I first saw it on line.
"Ocean of Mercy" is one of the best devotional CDs I have ever heard. jaya laksmi is a beautiful young woman with a beautiful voice and a lot of musical talent. Her singing also shows her beautiful soul and love for Krishna. I had to grab my flute and play along. My wife also has the CD "Krishna Wah" which I also enjoy a lot and have danced and played along on mridanga. This is the way to spread love of Krishna. Beautiful, sensuous women's voices which evoke the sound of the gopis are so much more appealing than the strident male voices of ascetics. Let women be the main teachers of love. The men have certainly failed miserably in our generation. Our line from Bhaktivinode Thakur started with a woman, Sri Jahnava Devi.
Listening to "Krishna Wah" one day, I thought how great it would be if I could have a place in Hawaii, where I'm moving, with that kind of music playing on a good sound system (or better, a group performing live), people dancing and singing along like a techno, trance dance rave, serving smoothies and other healthy soft drinks, offering classes and individual instruction to those who want to learn more. A general atmosphere of openness, no presure, friendly inviting atmosphere, what a way to adapt to Western culture with pure spiritual energy.
I have had a wonderful day today. The temperature got up around 70. The sun was out. I got my flute back from the shop where it was completely overhauled. I got a shipment from Vedic Resources which included [I]Bhajan Rahasya[/I] by Srila Bhaktivinoda, "The Divine Couple" by Jadurani, and "Ocean of Mercy" by jaya laksmi. I am just enchanted by "The Divine Couple." It is one of the most beautiful depictions of Radha and Krishna I have ever seen. It practically took my breath away when I first saw it on line.
"Ocean of Mercy" is one of the best devotional CDs I have ever heard. jaya laksmi is a beautiful young woman with a beautiful voice and a lot of musical talent. Her singing also shows her beautiful soul and love for Krishna. I had to grab my flute and play along. My wife also has the CD "Krishna Wah" which I also enjoy a lot and have danced and played along on mridanga. This is the way to spread love of Krishna. Beautiful, sensuous women's voices which evoke the sound of the gopis are so much more appealing than the strident male voices of ascetics. Let women be the main teachers of love. The men have certainly failed miserably in our generation. Our line from Bhaktivinode Thakur started with a woman, Sri Jahnava Devi.
Listening to "Krishna Wah" one day, I thought how great it would be if I could have a place in Hawaii, where I'm moving, with that kind of music playing on a good sound system (or better, a group performing live), people dancing and singing along like a techno, trance dance rave, serving smoothies and other healthy soft drinks, offering classes and individual instruction to those who want to learn more. A general atmosphere of openness, no presure, friendly inviting atmosphere, what a way to adapt to Western culture with pure spiritual energy.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Gaudiya Repercussions
I previously refered to the website "Gaudiya Discussions" as a site where I was active in posting on various forums. In the past several weeks, Gaudiya Discussions has tightened its criteria for posting and I don't feel included in the "traditional" Gaudiya Vaishnava group they consider to be their target audience. Therefore, I will not be posting there any longer. In fact, they have closed down their site for the past month or so. I am now taking part in various topics at Gaudiya Repercussions (Powered by Invision Power Board). This is much more of an interfaith, no faith, less restricted forum that I invite you to check out. I post there as Subal.
I previously refered to the website "Gaudiya Discussions" as a site where I was active in posting on various forums. In the past several weeks, Gaudiya Discussions has tightened its criteria for posting and I don't feel included in the "traditional" Gaudiya Vaishnava group they consider to be their target audience. Therefore, I will not be posting there any longer. In fact, they have closed down their site for the past month or so. I am now taking part in various topics at Gaudiya Repercussions (Powered by Invision Power Board). This is much more of an interfaith, no faith, less restricted forum that I invite you to check out. I post there as Subal.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Which came first?
The question is are we made in God's image or is God made in our image? I still subscribe to the theory that this material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world and the things that exist here also exist in the spiritual world in their perfect transcendental nature. Of course the way we describe them is limited by our material mind, body, senses etc. Therefore we cannot fully grasp the unlimited spiritual nature, but we can intuit, imagine, visualize or have a revelation of it. Therefore, we imagine Radha and Krishna to be persons because they are persons.
The question is are we made in God's image or is God made in our image? I still subscribe to the theory that this material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world and the things that exist here also exist in the spiritual world in their perfect transcendental nature. Of course the way we describe them is limited by our material mind, body, senses etc. Therefore we cannot fully grasp the unlimited spiritual nature, but we can intuit, imagine, visualize or have a revelation of it. Therefore, we imagine Radha and Krishna to be persons because they are persons.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
How do you understand scripture when you don't take it literally?
When I was studying Old Testament my first semester in seminary, a student asked, "After what we've done to the Old Testament how can I ever preach on it again?" Prof. Marv Chaney answered that it is possible to attain a second naivete in relation to the scriptures even after dissecting the Books of Moses into the several literary strands that make them up and seeing how they were compiled at different times by different authors and editors. One technique is to understand the concept of a narrative world which is true to itself within the boundaries of that narrative world. While something may not be true in a literal sense, it may be true in a mythological, spiritual sense. Therefore the scriptures are full of spiritual meaning portrayed in symbolic manner because it is all so far beyond words any way. It's more like poetry than literal history. It's a window/doorway into another dimension.
When I was studying Old Testament my first semester in seminary, a student asked, "After what we've done to the Old Testament how can I ever preach on it again?" Prof. Marv Chaney answered that it is possible to attain a second naivete in relation to the scriptures even after dissecting the Books of Moses into the several literary strands that make them up and seeing how they were compiled at different times by different authors and editors. One technique is to understand the concept of a narrative world which is true to itself within the boundaries of that narrative world. While something may not be true in a literal sense, it may be true in a mythological, spiritual sense. Therefore the scriptures are full of spiritual meaning portrayed in symbolic manner because it is all so far beyond words any way. It's more like poetry than literal history. It's a window/doorway into another dimension.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Modernizing devotion to Radha Krishna
I received the following questions in response to my blog of February 11th:
"How should it be modernized?"
By being open to critical thinking, by dressing in a modern way, by accepting pluralism, by accepting bhakti, service, love as the basis of all religion, by replacing outmoded ideas e.g. the sun revolves around the earth with more modern understandings of the universe, by understanding it as a myth and knowing that myth builds world and living a mythological life, by being present to the reality that exists now, ...
"What parts of it are relevant, and what parts belong to cultures of the past?"
The whole myth of Radha and Krishna portraying the loving pastimes of God in a most attractive way which causes one to fall in love with them and aspire to serve them eternally is of course relevant. As is the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, etc., but they should be understood from a modern perspective. Chanting of mantras, engaging in devotional practices, living simply, enjoying life without attachment, surrendering one's life to Sri Radha, etc. are relevant.
Indian dress, accents, mannerisms, tilaka, diet, purity rules, emphasis on renunciation, authoritarianism, organized religion, self deprecation, poverty, superiority, exclusivity, etc. belong to the past.
"How can we extract or distill its essence and adapt it to our culture and lives?"
By accepting that we are Westerners and that's OK. We need to be true to ourselves. We need to study and practice devotion as it's been handed down to us and see what works and what doesn't. We don't have to do everything. We need to trust our intuition and intellect. This is a time of transition and adaptation that holds no clear final answers. We need to work it out ourselves trusting in grace more than our own endeavors to bring us to the final goal because on our own we are helpless. By Radha's grace, all things are possible and can be revealed to the aspiring soul.
"I'd be curious to know more about how you have done so."
When I gave up my life as a renunciate, I deconstructed and deprogramed myself breaking rules and regulations that were considered essential, engaging in sensual pleasures and exploring other spiritual paths. I stopped the constant mental japa of Hare Krishna and replaced it with Om which is the essence of Radha Krishna and the living entity. It's a bit less obsessive and allowed me to be more present. I constructed a new identity for myself that gives me freedom to relate to many kinds of people. I gave up the cultural externals that were products of the tradition and figured the essentials would stick. They did. I am still a practicing vaishnava thirty years later. I also combined Christian, Taoist, Zen, Sufi and other practices into my life and spiritual gestalt.
I received the following questions in response to my blog of February 11th:
"How should it be modernized?"
By being open to critical thinking, by dressing in a modern way, by accepting pluralism, by accepting bhakti, service, love as the basis of all religion, by replacing outmoded ideas e.g. the sun revolves around the earth with more modern understandings of the universe, by understanding it as a myth and knowing that myth builds world and living a mythological life, by being present to the reality that exists now, ...
"What parts of it are relevant, and what parts belong to cultures of the past?"
The whole myth of Radha and Krishna portraying the loving pastimes of God in a most attractive way which causes one to fall in love with them and aspire to serve them eternally is of course relevant. As is the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, etc., but they should be understood from a modern perspective. Chanting of mantras, engaging in devotional practices, living simply, enjoying life without attachment, surrendering one's life to Sri Radha, etc. are relevant.
Indian dress, accents, mannerisms, tilaka, diet, purity rules, emphasis on renunciation, authoritarianism, organized religion, self deprecation, poverty, superiority, exclusivity, etc. belong to the past.
"How can we extract or distill its essence and adapt it to our culture and lives?"
By accepting that we are Westerners and that's OK. We need to be true to ourselves. We need to study and practice devotion as it's been handed down to us and see what works and what doesn't. We don't have to do everything. We need to trust our intuition and intellect. This is a time of transition and adaptation that holds no clear final answers. We need to work it out ourselves trusting in grace more than our own endeavors to bring us to the final goal because on our own we are helpless. By Radha's grace, all things are possible and can be revealed to the aspiring soul.
"I'd be curious to know more about how you have done so."
When I gave up my life as a renunciate, I deconstructed and deprogramed myself breaking rules and regulations that were considered essential, engaging in sensual pleasures and exploring other spiritual paths. I stopped the constant mental japa of Hare Krishna and replaced it with Om which is the essence of Radha Krishna and the living entity. It's a bit less obsessive and allowed me to be more present. I constructed a new identity for myself that gives me freedom to relate to many kinds of people. I gave up the cultural externals that were products of the tradition and figured the essentials would stick. They did. I am still a practicing vaishnava thirty years later. I also combined Christian, Taoist, Zen, Sufi and other practices into my life and spiritual gestalt.
