Art by Dee Smith in This Issue Editor’S Note International Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder Acharya: His Divine Grace A
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Art by Dee Smith In this Issue Editor’s Note International Society For Krishna Consciousness Living with Srila Prabhupada This issue of Hare Krishna News is our invitation Wheels of Unity 4 to spend time with us — at the Durban Festival of Chariots held over the Easter weekend (19-22 Durban Festival of Chariots Highlights April) and to celebrate the appearance of Lord Parade Routes 5 Rama, the weekend before (13-14 April). Bhaktimarg Swami’s 20th Year 6 Bhakti Cloud 7 Festival Highlights 8 I haven’t met a child or an adult in the last A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Acharya: His Divine Grace Founder twelve months who didn’t say they were busy. Oh Govinda And I’m guessing I’m not alone. What is going Undisguised 9 on? Is time moving faster or has life become so Creatures in Bhakti hectic that we can’t say where the time went. I Distractions 11 think it’s a little of both and something else. For the Kids Krishna declares that He is time. So the question Spot the Difference 12 must be raised: has God become more elusive to us? Never having enough time means never Marriage Matters having enough Krishna in a sense. Isn’t it time Art of Sailing 13 to rethink Time. Time is the single most valuable The Vaishnava Chef commodity. Therefore when time is spent in His Rocky Road Bites 14 service, in giving (volunteering) or receiving (like attending a festival), is time gained. The On The Cover 15 result of that time spent exponentially increases. Time spent on Krishna is, as Krishna assures, Temple Directory “no loss or diminution.” Now, that’s a good Communications Krishangi Radhe 083 254 8339 investment! Facilities Manager Deepak 076 541 6661 Festival Manager Balaram 082 881 4521 Finance Nityananda 083 557 9140 And yes, we have to spend on survival. BUT has Youth Officer Sudhir 079 144 0003 the picture moved into focus? Everything is all General Queries 031 403 3328 o/h 9am – 5pm Contact the Temple directly for the following related to Krishna. He is never separate from any departments: aspect of our lives yet we try with an uncommon Back to Godhead Queries(Wednesdays only 9am – 2pm) determination, to drive Him out of the equation. Book Table (10am – 8pm) And the result? Breakfast/Lunch Sponsorships – Bhakti Devi 031 403 4600 Govinda’s Restaurant (9:30am – 6:30pm. Direct line 031 There is just not enough Time! 403 4600) Radhanath’s Gifts (10am – 6pm) Take Care of Krishna – Bhakti Devi (Retail Manager) So let's pray to the Lord who can expand and Departments contract time to help us align to His rhythm. Book Distribution Krishna Baladev 082 551 8047 Deity Department Deva Deva 076 178 6850 Funerals Ananta Sesh 084 686 2618 I look forward to celebrating Rama Naumi and Guest Accommodation [email protected] the Durban Festival of Chariots with you. 031 403 3328 House Programmes Radha Giridhari 076 190 8485 Patita Pavan Nitai 078 455 7594 Warmest wishes Outreach Programmes Alanath 083 775 2760 Street Chanting Virabadra 071 870 0588 Rasa-sthali Dasi Temple Room Coordinator I would love to hear from you. Send your Arjuna Acharya 031 403 3328 University Programmes Rukmini 084 579 1080 feedback, realizations, or art submissions to Smart Box Queries Vrajanath 081 5405176 [email protected] Men’s Ashram Radhika Jivan 064 851 6282 Ladies’ Ashram Radha Radhanath 071 473 3355 Quotes from the Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and pictures Email Subscription: [email protected] on pages 3, 4, 14 &16 are © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust WhatsApp/SMS Subscription: International, Inc. www.Krishna.com. Used with permission. WhatsApp or SMS “Subscribe” to +27 81 759 0191. Save the number as SSRRT News. Child Protection Office - www.childprotectionoffice.org Note this is a no reply service. [email protected] | 076 719 6461 Design and Layout by Lashika Ravjee - 082 309 2396 A Beautiful Monster king and the lessons of gratitude he had received Meditations on Gratitude through the compassion of the sages Anghira and Narada. Having now being endowed with the gift of All he wanted was a son. The king sat there in self gratitude, he accepted the curse to become a demon pity at the foot of his throne thinking about nothing as part of a natural reaction of life and as part of his else except having a son. Palace guards in gleaming service to the Lord. armour standing in attention lined either side of the throne room. The ankle bells of his many beautiful When a great battle between the demons and wives, daughters, and their maidservants chimed demigods ensued, Vritrasura led the demon army as they walked through the marbled palace with against the demigods. He smashed, grabbed, kicked, their gleeful laughter accompanying the sweet crushed, and bit the demigods. He spared no single perfumes that filled the air. A cool breeze graced the ounce of his energy terrorizing them, discharging leaves of the palms making them rustle and dance his duty as a demon, whilst he internally meditated rhythmically to the on the beautiful form angelic voices chanting We find that the real of Mukunda. He was Vedic hymns. And yet, a beautiful monster, despite the serenity treasure of life consists not a devotee demon, of the atmosphere, deeply absorbed in the King Chitraketu's in having great possessions gratitude of carrying insufferable disposition out his mission to serve remained. but in having few wants. the Lord. Like a cracked earthen pot, Chitraketu's heart could When Vritrasura was finally subdued by the king of not be filled. He was the sovereign ruler of the earth heaven, Indra, he spoke the following words to him, planet, owning every patch of land as far as the revealing his meditation on gratitude: horizon stretched, and had chambers laden with “Since everything is dependent on the supreme gold, jewels, and precious ornaments. Although he will of the Personality of Godhead, one should be had immense wealth, he couldn't afford the price equipoised in fame and defamation, victory and to mend his broken heart because he was poverty- defeat, life and death. In their effects, represented as stricken in gratitude. happiness and distress, one should maintain oneself Peace and internal satisfaction can only be carried in equilibrium, without anxiety.” by the vessel of gratitude. Gratitude is the condition — Srimad Bhagavatam 6.12.14 of the heart that allows us to see Krishna (God) in We find that the real treasure of life consists not in everything. Just as nature wastes nothing, so too a having great possessions but in having few wants. grateful heart wastes no experience that life may If we always desire happiness from things outside present. All circumstances in life, whether perceived ourselves then we will forever remain poor. The as good or bad, are transformed into nourishment single most important virtue to nurturing the when met with a grateful heart. It is only in a heart qualities of peace, happiness, and love within our made fertile and soft by gratitude where the flowers hearts is gratitude. of humility, spiritual wisdom, and love can grow. “My dear Lord, one who Gratitude, however, is often earnestly waits for You forged in the crucible of pain to bestow Your causeless and sorrow. King Chitraketu mercy upon him, all the was fatefully cursed to take while patiently suffering the shape of a gruesome the reactions of his past monster in his next life. His misdeeds and offering You name was Vritrasura. respectful obeisances with Vritrasura was hideous his heart, words and body, is in his physical features, surely eligible for liberation, gigantic in size, and had for it has become his rightful flaming red hair that scared claim.” even the most seasoned — Brahma's Prayers to Lord demons. In spite of the Krishna, Srimad Bhagavatam stark reversal of fortunes, 10.14.8 Vritrasura carried with him the blessing of remembering By Mukundanghri Dasa his previous life as a devotee 14 March 2019 Wheels of Unity Living With Srila Prabhupada Srila Prabhupada introduced Ratha-yatra to the By Gaura Bhumi Devi Dasi West to show that spiritual activities are the only way to achieve true and everlasting unity among Abhay was awestruck. Accompanied by a festive people. In spite of advanced education, economic atmosphere and uproarious kirtan, three large development, and philosophy, the world is still chariots rumbled past him down the street, from plagued by an atmosphere of suffering and the Radha Govinda Temple; along Harrison unhappiness. This is because we do not know Road and returned to the temple. A large prasad who we truly are and what our actual purpose feast would soon follow. The largest Ratha-yatra is. This frustration will plague us as long as we festival in Calcutta was hosted by the Mullik identify with our bodily designations. Practicing family in honour of a centuries-old festival held spiritual life, as evangelised by Lord Chaitanya in Jagannath Puri, celebrating the Lord of the would clean the dusty mirror of the heart and Universe. Abhay’s yearly attendance gave rise to eradicate the misconception of taking the a burning desire to host his own festival within material body to be the self. Srila Prabhupada his neighbourhood. Abhay’s Ratha-yatra ran for concludes in a lecture given in New York City eight consecutive days, with much pomp and (July 19th, 1976), “Here is unity, when you fair. More than sixty-five years later, he brought accept Jagannath. There is unity. So, actually if Ratha-yatra to the Western World.