Got Name?

On the morning of April 16, 2008, prep work in the Athens, Ohio ISKCON center started up as usual. However, the scheduled evening program was not going to be the typical Wednesday night program.
Garlands needed to be strung and hung in anticipation of a very special ceremony. Mahalaxmi dd is the garland acarya and I am very thankful that she offered her services and expertise. Luckily, the magnolia trees were in full bloom and the daffodils were plentiful.
As 7:30pm rolled near, the auspicious guests began to arrive.
His Holiness Hrdayananda das Goswami took to the throne and the initiation ceremony officially commenced. Click here to listen to the full lecture.My prayers are being answered. How fortunate I am to have taken shelter of a bona fide spiritual teacher who has formally agreed to personally guide my spiritual life and development and, thereby, maximize my full potential in this human body. What more could a girl ask for?At this very moment I received Nama Initiation into the Madhva-Gaudiya ISKCON sampradaya. Following tradition, just before I received my japa mala, I made a public vow to chant at least 16 rounds (1728 mantras in total) of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra every day and to uphold the four regulative principles of freedom for the rest of my life. The four regulative principles are as follows:

1. No Intoxication
2. No Gambling
3. No Illicit Sex
4. No Meat-Eating (no carne, no fish, no eggs)

Traditionally, one is also given a new name with initiation. As Srila Acaryadev puts it, Vaisnava initiation is like a "Vedic barmitzvah." I am thrilled to announce that my new spiritual name is Ali Krsna devi dasi. Ali literally means "girlfriend of the girlfriends" and Krsna means "all-attractive". Together the name signifies that I am the loving servant of Krsna who is the center of the lives of all women. My godbrother from Australia also received initiation. He was given the name Arka das. Click here to see the ecstatic kirtan that followed the ceremony.
HH Hrdayanada das Goswami (more commonly known as Srila Acaryadev) is the most magnificent personality I have ever met. Having had the opportunity to personally serve him these last two weeks, I have an even greater understanding of his magnanimous personality. He brings out the very best in all who surround him. To know him is to love him. His knowledge of Sanskrit & sastra is unparalleled, and his understanding of Srila Prabhupada's mood and the mission of Lord Caitanya is perfectly complete. Please pray that I may follow in Srila Acaryadev's footsteps and serve Lord Caitanya and His mission to reestablish spiritual principles throughout the universe by chanting the Holy Names and, thereby, personally seeing to the spiritual upliftment and evolution of mankind and all living entities.

It's official. There's no turning back now. Ali Krsna dd is at your service!

On Pilgrimage.

After completing the bhakti-sastri examinations and finishing the course, I decided to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and attend the annual Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama (pilgrimage) sponsored by ISKCON Mayapur every year. On March 9 we ventured out by boat, early in the auspicious hours of pre-dawn while the fog was still hovering above Mother Ganga. The parikrama was one week long and consisted of walking, boating, and camping throughout all nine islands that make up the region known as Navadvipa-dhama, "the crest jewel of all holy places". Over 1000 pilgrims from all around the world, including Sweden, Russia, Australia, Brazil, and China, were in attendance. The spiritual potency of traveling, praying, and serving with so many devotees was literally an out-of-this-world experience.
Hours and hours of walking and chanting afforded incredible opportunities to see the natural landscape of West Bengal and observe the simple life and culture of her inhabitants. His Holiness Jayapataka Swami led the pilgrimage and personally saw to it that everyone was well taken care of, well-fed, well-rested, healthy and happy. Guru Maharaj is the best friend anyone could ask for. His attention and focus on pleasing the devotees is pure inspiration. At each stop we would gather and listen to him speak about the significance of each holy tirtha and listen to the various pastimes of great personalities who had come before us, sometimes thousands of years previous.
Over the years, how many millions of pilgrims have walked these well worn paths?

"For those who walk throughout Navadvipa, the benefit of millions of asvamedha yajnas are accrued with each step, and the bonds of maya are cut along with the cycle of repeated birth and death."

-Gauradesa by Manjari devi dasi "In three nights in Navadvipa-dhama, one gets the results of ten years of practices performed in other tirthas."

-Gauradesa by Manjari devi dasi

"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur once said that dhama means nama. One might ask why: The explanation is that the holy name will purify us so that we can see the dhama not with our material eyes but with our spiritualized eyes."

-Dhama Sevamrta

"When someone calls out the names of Nitai and Caitanya, krsna-prema comes looking for him." -Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura

"The act of going on pilgrimage represents the search of the soul for God."

-Dhama Sevamrta

"If one visits a tirtha and only does some shopping and takes a ritual bath there, without inquiring from saintly persons his visit is useless."

-Narada bhakti-sutra

"When we arrive at a holy place we must be ready for some serious work: We must uncover the layer of illusion which is covering the dhama to reach the spiritual essence, That is the spiritual place where Lord Krsna manifests. It is said that the holy dhama is not visible to the eyes of mundane people."

-Dhama Sevamrta

"What is it that covers the soul: False ego, which is the subtlest and finest and all the other elements grosser and grosser unto the physical manifestations. And those are the coverings of the heart which are also the coverings of the holy dhama. Because the heart is also the dhama. Dhama means residence of the Lord. So when that manifestation from the false ego down to the most solid concrete physical manifestation earth is reversed from service to ego, then the spiritual elements which are eternity, knowledge and bliss manifest. And the key to all loving relationships is keeping Krsna in the center. And that is the holy dhama, where Krsna is in the center." -His Holiness Varsana Swami

May the dhama be with you!

No ordinary school.

The best part of the last 4 months in Sridhama Mayapur has been attending early morning Srimad Bhagavatam class given by His Holiness Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami at the boys' gurukula (school). The long path that goes from temple and stretches across the opulent marigold fields and rice paddies is the most beautiful path on campus. The ground is soft and squeezes between your toes, making it practically intolerable to walk with shoes on.

The boys' gurukula was built a few years ago and is currently occupied by 20 or so young boys. The older boys live here while the younger boys go back home in the evenings. However, this no ordinary boarding school. This gurukula is exclusively reserved for exceptional young boys who exhibit the qualities of brahmanas. Krishna tells us in the Bhagavad Gita that peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty,wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness are the qualities by which the brahmanas work (18.42). Thus, brahmanas are recognized and determined by one's character and not by one's birth (although commonly misunderstood as such). The purpose of this school is to provide an education to young boys in order to ensure their further development into spiritually, mentally, and physically strong brahminical men and genuinely qualified spiritual leaders of today's world.No ordinary school, no ordinary architecture. The building itself is a work of art. The amount of detail in the gardens and walkways is simply amazing.No ordinary classroom. Here is the main classroom that Srimad Bhagavatam class is given in every morning. Imagine the sun just rising and smoke billowing from small clay pots where cow dung paddies are burned to purify the air and ward off mosquitoes. The dew begins to evaporate as Maharaja begins class with a soft kirtan and the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra. The atmosphere is surcharged with beauty, wisdom, and virtue.No ordinary hallways, no ordinary hall pass. The walkways here remind me of Swiss Family Robinson meets Never Never Land. Although a new building, there is an undeniable sense of antiquity and a feeling of ancient knowledge and technology in every structure.No ordinary bedroom. Yes, here is a small hut where some of the boys will sleep at night. The way the structure is designed and with the cow dung floors and straw roof, the enclosure makes for warm nights and transcendental dreams.

No ordinary kitchen. The entire school is immaculate. The boys are instructed in first-class cleanliness standards and the teachers demand nothing less. The boys are also trained to cook and all take turns preparing breakfast and lunch. Everything is made from scratch and, of course, 100% vegetarian.
No ordinary stove top. These are wood-fired stoves made out of clay and cow dung. Every day the boys must collect enough wood to fire the cooking stoves. The boys learn not only the art of traditional Indian cooking but other styles as well.No ordinary shower. Here is the bathing faucet and communal shower stall. The water is pumped from a well which supposedly keeps the water warm in the winter and cool in the summer. No ordinary shoes. No ordinary deities. The gurukula altar and temple room is full of Lord Nrsimhadeva deities. The boys are instructed in deity worship and primarily worship Lord Nrsimhadeva, the half man/half lion form of Lord Krishna who bestows protection unto all who take shelter of Him. This young student and pujari carefully introduces all of the deities and lovingly explains their histories and pastimes. His name is Caitanya das and he is one of the oldest students. His maturity and character astonishes me for a boy his age. Move over Harry Potter, your magic school got nothing on this gurukula.

A typical Saturday night in Sri Mayapur.

Every Saturday night since December, the small Radha-Madhava deities come out of the temple and are royally treated to a ride around the complex on their bull-driven chariot. The atmosphere is surcharged with excitement, the air filled with incense, and flower petals are showered from the rooftops. Everything about the procession is beautiful. Yet, despite drums, bells, cymbals, and kirtan, the bulls remain calm and composed. They are gentle giants and embody the self-realized quality of tolerance. The deities are offered opulent foodstuffs along the way and occasionally we are treated to their remnants (prasadam). Reach, reach, reach!One maha cherry and one maha grape! My life is complete (at least my Saturday night)!The kids are stoked.Before the procession, many devotees draw and design elaborate chalk and sand paintings on the pavement throughout the streets.And thus goes by another surreal Saturday night in Sridhama Mayapur.

All and all, it's just another book on the shelf.

We all need some education...
We all need some sense control...Unfortunately the world is lacking qualified teachers...But Srila Prabhupada is the best one I know!Hey! Kids...Tad viddhi pranipatena! Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master (Bhagavad Gita 4.34).All and all, it's just another book on the shelf.

A Glimpse of the Holy Dhama

Living in Sridhama Mayapur is like living in another dimension. Life revolves around Sri Nama and the maha mantra oozes from the pores of all the living entities. The island itself exhibits the finest in bike culture, cow culture, temple culture, and brief glimpses of Vedic culture. But no fear, the technological advances of the modern world are no stranger to Mayapur.
The island of Mayapur is most significant because it is the birthplace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus, this spiritually potent tirtha is covered with temples. On the weekends, I try to visit some of the temples and take darshan of the deities. The actual neem tree where Lord Caitanya was born under is less than one mile from the ISKCON mandir! It is an eventful walk, full of colorful, local characters. The water buffalo are my favorite. They are so well-mannered and work like anything. They are massive and their strength is incomprehensible.
This is rural living. Most of the island is under cultivation. The brilliant green of youthful rice paddies stretches far into the distance.

A day in the life of a MIHET (Mayapur Institute for Higher Education & Training) student... Here are some shots from my classroom. You can imagine how intense it is to study Vedic philosophy. Yet, the teachers are expert and engage us in various interactive exercises that make the philosophy come to life. My classmates are awesome. We are around 30 women from over 15 countries including Sweden, Greece, China, South Africa, Slovenia, Russia, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, England, Spain, Germany, etc. The diversity is amazing and makes everything so much sweeter.

There is a core group of hardcore Hari Namsters who go out on Hari Nam every single day. Often times they will leave Mayapur and travel by boat to neighboring islands. The accordion always comes along. Whenever I hear it, my heart skips a beat and I get excited the way a little girl feels when she goes to the circus. Accordion plus the maha mantra equals bliss. Unfortunately, I am not able to accompany the Hari Nam during the week, being so busy with class and all, but on the weekends I try to represent. I have always been a sucker for fancy dance moves, and, most of the time, the locals so us how its really done.