Welcome to Krishna Temple

"Carrot halava, dhokla, and paneer subji on a Monday! What's the occasion?"
"Oh, it's the 68th wedding anniversary of a couple from the congregation," replied my monk friend.
"And they personally came?"
"Of course."

This year also marks the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip too. Such examples of long-time fidelity are certainly rare, but what touched me wasn't this but that our local couple came all the way, through Mumbai traffic, to celebrate this important day with us. That means they see me and all the residents of our ashram as family. Being witness to such love and loyalty is truly a priceless gift.

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on" Robert Frost

The accompanying picture of a plant coming out of a wall bordering our front court yard is a fine example of this. Due to a presence of a powerful force - called the soul, or spirit, or energy - soft plant matter can penetrate solid concrete and persevere or 'go-on.' And without that presence, a man who once was effecting millions, is not even able to shoo away the flies hovering around his face.

2 weeks back, on March 17th we celebrated Holi. Colored powder is thrown or mixed with water and sprayed.

Holi is a festival that symbolizes the beginning of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and Krishna's loving dealings with his friends in Vrindavan when growing up.

This year, Maharashtra was hit hard by drought. So our temple decided to conserve water and just celebrate with colored powder. One may challenge, "this is not how we have been doing it for soo many years, why are you changing things?!"

Now, watching the holy men, an idea sprang into my mind. I kneeled down at one smoldering pit where a sacrificial fire had burned and sunk both my hands deep into the warm, powdery ashes, shifting out the lumps of glowing coals. Shuddering, I plastered the ashes across my skinny body from my matted hair to my calloused bare feet. The musty powder burned into my nostrils, choking my throat and parching my mouth. I wrapped two river-stained cotton sheets over my upper and lower body for robes and crept again toward the gate, my heart beating heavily in my chest.

Recently a couple came to visit our temple. I asked how their first experience in India was and they responded that they didn't think they would ever come back.

Is this how we should deal with bitter tasting experiences?

I remember the first time I had bitter melon. I had never eaten bitter food before so my immediate response was to never eat the sfuff again! The irony is that years later I ended up working for that same restaurant and relishing a particular version of that same item :)

On Tuesday December 15th Yash Birla invited our community to his nearby home. The first talk was given by Radhanath Swami. He mentioned how he would be going to South India, and how one saint by the name of Parasara who lived there used to observe cranes. He would see that they would stand very still in the water, letting small fish swim by. But when a large fish would unsuspectingly come into range - SNAAAAAAAAAAAP!

Recently Kevin Le from California came to visit. He followed up by sending an email of appreciation and thanks. He wrote, "I wanted to thank you for showing me the beautiful Krishna temple the other day. I am more and more fascinated in the teachings that International Society for Krishna Consciousness offers. I am travelling to Juhu tomorrow and will check out the evening 'aarti'. Attached is a picture I took; I believe it is you. Thank you again for your time and explanation."

Today we set up a table of books and brochures - mostly in German - in the front courtyard. We erected special dividers, layed out chairs, and informed crowd control.

Every 2 weeks a cruise ship, mostly with German folks, docks at the Colaba port. They then make the effort to visit special spots like Gandhi's house, hanging gardens, our temple - to name a few. It usually takes 4-5 hours!

Nag Champa musk permeates the ether. Above bare heads of the enlightened hovers an ivory smoke, gently expanding to form a collective halo. A dark river of exotic faces dances along the village banks. Sublimely entranced, they approach the setting sun. Love flooding their hearts, they roar a euphonic anthem; propelling vibrant life into the approaching darkness. Shockwaves of energy pulse steadily to mridanga drum explosions.

Hero in the dictionary is defined as “one who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”

One of the purposes of this website is an attempt to introduce you to such heroes. I want you to get a glimpse into a brighter world within this one.

I don’t recall where or when I read those words, but I've decided they are the essence of this past chapter. Since returning to the West I feel I've been unable to effectively communicate what I did in Asia and express its meaning, even to those closest to me. As a fellow traveler once suggested, it is often not until after a trip that you can determine the important moments and learnings.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy.