In search of fertile ground.

I have read that in the spiritual abode of Krishna, the cows move slowly due to the weight of their milk-laden udders. But when Krishna calls them each by name, with overwhelming affection, they come running towards Him with milk overflowing and spilling on the ground. My understanding is that spiritual life means living a lifestyle that revives this natural affection of the living beings to please the Lord.Here in Gainesville, one of the responsibilities I've taken on as a resident of Krishna House is beautifying the grounds. With four houses in the Krishna House complex, there is a lot of space and gardens to engage in Krishna's service.

First thing first, build the soil by adding manure from some local cows at Adi Karta and Mother Rucira's farm in Alachua.Armed with shovels, my godbrothers Saranga, Jai Hari, and I took to the field with great enthusiasm and determination for the early afternoon cow dung hunt.The hunt was a success and we drove back to the city with contended hearts and two recycle bins full of freshies. Now it's time for cleanup.What's up with the toxic waste?
Decades of leaves needing to be raked.Gardens to be planted.
A rare combination- spiritual advancement with saw in hand.

"Who is that person who will not agree to worship the land of Mathura? How wonderful is it that simply by residing in Mathura even for one day, one can achieve a transcendental loving attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead!"

-Nectar of Devotion, chapter 12

"But to the eyes imbued with proper devotional faith, the
spiritual glory of the dhama is ever visible, her portals ever wide
open to receive all weary pilgrims who have abandoned all reliance on their own
power and, with unflinching faith, placed their destiny in the hands of the Lord."
-HH Varsana Swami

Into the fire, into the sea.

In the Vaishnava tradition, spiritual rites of passage are commemorated by performing different types of fire ceremonies called fire yajna. On October 2, 2008, my godbrother, Saranga das, received Brahman initiation and Yaitza received Nama initiation. Having not yet performed a fire yajna to consecrate my Nama initiation this past April, I was invited to participate in the ceremony. The fire yajna begins with the building of the arena. A small pit is made with bricks then filled in with sand. The pit is decorated with various fruits, flowers, and herbs. Mantras are chanted to purify the arena and glorify the Lord, a small fire is lit, and the ceremony begins.

Throughout the ceremony, mantras are chanted and repeated and the participants throw a mixture of barley, rice, and sesame seeds into the fire. The fire is understood to be the mouth of Vishnu.Nama initiation celebrates one's acceptance as a disciple from a bona-fide spiritual teacher in the Vaishnava tradition. Brahman initiation, also referred to as second initiation, celebrates one's increased commitment to guru by increasing their vows and responsibilities by becoming spiritual leaders and teachers for the welfare of all of society.The ceremony is concluded by the placing of bananas into the fire. It is understood that at this point, all of one's karma, good and bad, is destroyed, thereby allowing one to advance rapidly with clarity and without obstacles in the process of self-realization and spiritual life.Jaya Sita devi dasi ki jaya!

To listen to the initiation speech given by HH Hridayananda das Goswami, please go here.Two days later, we celebrated by godbrother's marriage. The humble couple, Giridhari and Carana Renu, have dedicated the last 15 years of their lives to teaching others the tenets of bhakti yoga throughout Europe, New Zealand, and Brazil.During the fire ceremony, garlands are exchanged and the marriage is consecrated.There are some couples who are painful to be around. And then there are other couples whose love and respect for one another inspires everyone around them to be better people. Giridhari and Carana Renu are like that and together they will uplift all of society.After a short speech on the significance of marriage in spiritual life, we watched the Vedic cake exchange. Classic.Unfortunately, I was in the kitchen for most of the ceremony, finishing up the 8-course feast I was asked to prepare. The Italian menu was completely vegan and featured: white bean & kale soup, angel hair past with sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper pesto, rosemary focaccia, grilled eggplant, avocado mousse, and locally-grown mixed greens with mint lemonade and lemon-poppyseed cake for desert. A feast is best be measured by the laughter of its takers.

After organizing two major ceremonies in two weeks and cooking two major feasts in three days, everyone was exhausted, so we went to the beach to recharge. "Of bodies of water I am the ocean."- Bhagavad Gita 10.24After four hours of beach blanket kirtan, we felt ourselves again.Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.Kirtan has a way of bringing out the best in the unique characters, personalities, and qualities of the Lord's devotees.