The Power of Observation

I was taking a long japa walk today and realized something. I've stopped noticing or looking at anything. In my "busy and chaotic" life, I've turned into a numb robot. LOL! The irony of it all is that my academic background is Science and I've spent more than five years of my life doing research which is all about observing things! :P

For example, think about the last time you went to the temple. Pop quiz: what colour were the Deties wearing? I'm lucky because for once in my life I actually remember. Sri Sri Radha Kscira Cora Gopinatha were wearing orange and red this past Sunday. For those of you who live in Toronto, no cheating! (I say that because the pictures of the Deities on Sunday are always posted on www.torontokrishna.com)

But all jokes aside, think about it even in your day to day life. Seemingly inane things like the colour of your neighbor's hair or the name of the florist shop by your house do come in handy. How? Well if you are an aspiring bhakti yogi, it helps you practice seeing the power and beauty of God in everything you see.

Krishna's beauty is everywhere to behold and becoming more attuned to his opulence's and becoming more observant actually allows us to experience Krishna at all times.

Also with respect to relationships, it helps us to become more compassionate and selfless individuals. Observing others reactions to the things we do helps us to improve our relationships and makes them flourish.

So, next time you are walking in your neighborhood, look around. You'll be surprised at how much you've never noticed and find that Krishna is everywhere you look.

Simply Sing

It has been way too long since I've written anything and I can feel my fingers itching to transfer everything that has been locked up in the recesses of my mind. However, it seems that time has been my number one enemy. With so many thing going on including the upcoming Toronto Ratha Yatra/Yoga Meltdown, traveling, various other services and looking for a job, there just aren't enough hours in a day!

But that being said, I remember a promise I made to myself that I would try to write at least something everyday. So this is my humble attempt to keep that promise.

Today I got a glimpse of how wonderful it is to simply sing for the Lord without any pretense, show or any motivation. I had the great fortune to sing during mangala aarti for Sri Sri Radha Gopivallabha, who are the keepers to my beloved Guru Maharaja's heart. It was very simple. With almost nobody else in the room with me and just keeping a basic beat on a pair of kartalas, it was a magical moment. It was a moment to simply be there, not ask their most beautiful Lordships for anything, but simply sing the praises of their dearmost devotees.

The Power of Sankirtan!

This past weekend ISKCON Toronto was blessed to have the association of HG Vaisesika Prabhu. Prabhu came from ISKCON Silicon Valley to give a small seminar on book distribution.

For those who haven't had the fortune of hearing Vaisesika prabhu, please find a way without delay! He is so inspirational and so humble. He is truly a role model for both the younger generation of aspiring devotees and the advanced senior ones.

After a Friday night presentation talking about how we should all become "Ambassadors of Good Will" and techniques on how to distribute books, devotees left the temple feeling exhilarated and inspired! The following day, over 30 devotees came for the second part of the mini-seminar....to hit the road!

After a training exercise on how to approach individuals and present the books, devotees were divided into teams and headed to four different spots in the city for a day of book distribution.

The day was so INCREDIBLE! Vaisesika prabhu spent approximately 1 hour at each location and would then head to the next one and so all the devotees got to see the Master in action! In fact many devotees would just stand and watch, wanting to see how Prabhu would speak and enthrall the passer-by's!

Prabhu's incredible compassion and enthusiasm to give Krsna to everyone was so palpable. Everyone was overwhelmed by how people would reciprocate as Prabhu established heart-heart connections with the people walking by.

Book distribution is so dear to Srila Prabhupada and it was truly a privilege to learn the art of sharing this transcendental knowledge from a devotee who has made this their life's mission: to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's greatest desire of making sure everyone in this material world come in contact with his books and get an opportunity to re-develop their relationship with Krsna.

Thank you Vaisesika prabhu for giving us all a glimpse into how nectarean sankirtan actually is! Sankirtana yajna ki JAI!

Check out the pics below of the happy devotees out on the streets!