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TOKYO - Yone Minagawa, who became the world's oldest person earlier this year, has died at a nursing home in southwestern Japan, an official said Tuesday. She was 114. Born on Jan. 4, 1893, Minagawa was named the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of World Records in January.
Temporary, temporary. Miserable, miserable. Yet we still don't get it.
We project, defend, judge and posture.
Crazy Rascals.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Lazy Sunday in New York
Last week was a stressful one for me. I got approval from the Realty Company that manages this condo i'm cleaning out, to renovate it. That was a big step. But on Tuesday, the movers who were supposed to come to collect and remove all the furniture and garbage (50 years of "stuff") didn't show. They flaked out on me. So i couldn't start the renovation. The apt. was full to the max with old furniture, appliances, an upright piano whose ivories had flaked off, a huge bed, dressers, mirrors, and dozens of large garbage bags i had filled up with my uncle's papers, posters, clothing and dishes from a 50 year career in show business. So i got online to look for someone else to move all the stuff out. I found a Jewish Charity who collects used furniture. They were up front that they would need to charge me. I was desparate so i asked for an estimate. They guy came out, looked around and said $1200. I agreed. So on Friday, i got permission from the Condo to reserve the lift for 4 hours (another headache and $200) and a big truck showed up with 2 Russian guys. It was really a 3-4 man job, so i pitched in. We looked like the 3 stooges. But despite my being too old and out of shape, i did my bit and in 5 hours we managed to get the job done. It was a great relief for me. Now the apt. is empty and clean, but my muscles are sore and i'm recovering. Just having a lazy weekend in NYC. Tomorrow the workers come to start the renovation.
I continue to read the Sampradaya Sun and to be amazed at the level of false ego involved in the debates going on amongst devotees. I think most devotees are not ordinary souls. But as we are all coming from an immeasurable stay in this material world (nitya bandha), we still exhibit symptoms of madness and illusion. In my opinion, most of this debating is based on these symptoms, not on any higher realization. Arguing has become a kind of addiction for some devotees. It is part of the Crazy Rascal syndrome.
I find it very healthy to have come out of the closet and admit that i am one of them. Yes, after a lifetime of pretense, i am proud to admit, "I'm a crazy rascal." You can't bullshit a bullshiter. Perhaps we should start a Crazy Rascals Anonymous group. CRA. Or CRA-ZY. We can discuss our symptoms and withdrawal problems. But that would probably become another indulgence no doubt; another way to chew the chewed, view the viewed, and avoid practicing bhakti yoga.
Instead of debating and arguing over who has got the right concept, we should recondition ourselves to develop a new addiction for hearing and doing kirtan about the Lord and his pure devotees. That is the only cure for our disease. Spiritual life, as shown by Srila Prabhupada and other pure devotees, is not pedantic or fanatic. It's not about talk but about the walk. It's practical. One of the symptoms of someone who understands the truth is that he no longer wastes his time in armchair (or laptop) debate, but engages himself in practical service that connects him with the truth.
I'm not saying that devotees such as Rocana are wasting their time. He is a journalist, so he's using his talent as a writer as best he can in the service of Prabhupada. But for most of the other so-called commentators, i would say they are better off doing some real service rather indulging in speculative writing. And i'm better off not wasting my time reading their indulgences.
I continue to read the Sampradaya Sun and to be amazed at the level of false ego involved in the debates going on amongst devotees. I think most devotees are not ordinary souls. But as we are all coming from an immeasurable stay in this material world (nitya bandha), we still exhibit symptoms of madness and illusion. In my opinion, most of this debating is based on these symptoms, not on any higher realization. Arguing has become a kind of addiction for some devotees. It is part of the Crazy Rascal syndrome.
I find it very healthy to have come out of the closet and admit that i am one of them. Yes, after a lifetime of pretense, i am proud to admit, "I'm a crazy rascal." You can't bullshit a bullshiter. Perhaps we should start a Crazy Rascals Anonymous group. CRA. Or CRA-ZY. We can discuss our symptoms and withdrawal problems. But that would probably become another indulgence no doubt; another way to chew the chewed, view the viewed, and avoid practicing bhakti yoga.
Instead of debating and arguing over who has got the right concept, we should recondition ourselves to develop a new addiction for hearing and doing kirtan about the Lord and his pure devotees. That is the only cure for our disease. Spiritual life, as shown by Srila Prabhupada and other pure devotees, is not pedantic or fanatic. It's not about talk but about the walk. It's practical. One of the symptoms of someone who understands the truth is that he no longer wastes his time in armchair (or laptop) debate, but engages himself in practical service that connects him with the truth.
I'm not saying that devotees such as Rocana are wasting their time. He is a journalist, so he's using his talent as a writer as best he can in the service of Prabhupada. But for most of the other so-called commentators, i would say they are better off doing some real service rather indulging in speculative writing. And i'm better off not wasting my time reading their indulgences.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Rain Cripples New York City
While the devotees are arguing with each other over semantics and interpretations of who is actually following Srila Prabhupada (everyone thinks the other guy is a crazy rascal....no one --except me and one anonymous reader who sent me an email-- has so far confessed to being a crazy rascal in print), the karmis are getting kicked by mother nature.
This morning it was simple rainfall that threw New York City for a loop. It flooded the subway system, causing massive disruptions during the morning rush hour. It's what Prabhupada called, "maya sakaya:" you fix one problem and create a greater problem with your solution. Here are excerpts from an AP wire story about today's events. One can only imagine the nightmare if (or when, more correctly) a major natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake strikes N.Y.C.
NEW YORK - A torrential downpour sent water surging through New York's subway system and highway tunnels and across airport runways Wednesday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and one big question: How could 3 inches of rain bring the nation's largest mass transit system to a halt?
The storm, which also spawned a rare tornado, hit just before dawn. By rush hour, the subway system was virtually paralyzed when pumping stations became overwhelmed. Bedlam resulted from too much rain, too fast; some suburban commuters spent a half day just getting to work.
"One big rain and it all falls apart," said Ruby Russel, 64, as she sat waiting on a train in Brooklyn. She had been trying to get to Manhattan for three hours.
The failure renewed a debate about whether the network of pumps, sewers and drains that protects the city's subways from flooding needs an overhaul. Every line experienced some sort of delay as track beds turned into streams gurgling with millions of gallons of rainwater. The washout was the third time in seven months that the subways were disrupted by rain.
The National Weather Service said a tropical air mass dumped an extraordinary amount of rain in a short period of time. The worst was recorded between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., with 2.5 inches falling on Central Park and almost 3.5 on Kennedy International Airport.
Naturally, the stormwater sought the low ground, and that meant the subways. Water poured in through vents, drowned the signal system and flooded the third rail, forcing a shutoff of power on some lines.
MTA Executive Director Elliot G. Sander said the intensity of the rain was simply overwhelming. The subway's drainage system can generally handle a maximum of 1.5 inches of rainfall per hour.
"The timing and intensity of the storm took us by surprise," Sander said.
The subway problems come as weather experts predict New York is due for a major hurricane. A storm with 130 mph winds and a 30-foot storm surge could cause the Hudson and East rivers to overflow — and bring with it more significant flooding than a severe rainstorm.
Keeping the subway system dry is a challenge, even in regular weather.
On an average day, hundreds of MTA pumps remove 13 million gallons of water from the system, which includes several tunnels and stations below sea level. Much of that water is groundwater that enters from sources such as streams.
Public officials called for improvements in the drainage system after a similar rain-related shutdown in 1999, and the MTA made some changes after another round of paralyzing tunnel floods in 2004, when the remnants of Hurricane Frances washed out the subways for hours.
The city's sewer and stormwater drains can handle steady rain, "but when it comes to these very intense, high inch-count rain events, over a short period of time, it is very difficult," said Michael Saucier, a spokesman for the city's Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd said the city is spending $300 million per year upgrading its piping systems and has been gradually building a more robust stormwater drainage system to replace the old combined sewers that handled wastewater and rain.
In Manhattan, Times Square was one huge mess Wednesday, packed with many of the 4 million riders who rely on the subway system daily. Thousands waited for hours for any means of transportation, jostling one another to get on the few buses that arrived. The suburbs were no better: In Westchester County, hundreds of commuters were stopped on a Metro-North train due to track flooding.
Streams of people in business attire — with briefcases, cell phones and BlackBerries in hand — trudged through drenched streets toward the subway. But it, too, was flooded. The hordes then made a beeline for buses they'd spotted up the street.
The storms also created problems for the region's airports, where delays of up to an hour were reported. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in Brooklyn, where winds downed trees, tore off rooftops and wrapped signs around posts. At least 40 homes were damaged.
Tornadoes have hit New York City before, but not often. The National Weather Service had records of at least five, plus sketchy detail on the last reported tornado sighting in Brooklyn, in 1889. None was as strong as Wednesday's twister, which had winds as high as 135 mph.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event," said Jeffrey Tongue, a Weather Service meteorologist.
A woman on Staten Island died when a car got stuck in an underpass and another car came along and hit hers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. A handful of people were injured, Bloomberg said.
Lanie Mastellone, who lives in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge neighborhood, awoke as her roof was coming off. Before escaping, she ran to get her late husband's wedding ring.
"It happened so quick. Maybe he was watching over me," Mastellone said.
At the end of the day, some trains were finally back up and running. But commuters trying to get home were met with another unpleasant surprise: The storm left behind high humidity that felt like they were walking into a sauna — and when they got onto train cars, a sardine can.
___
This morning it was simple rainfall that threw New York City for a loop. It flooded the subway system, causing massive disruptions during the morning rush hour. It's what Prabhupada called, "maya sakaya:" you fix one problem and create a greater problem with your solution. Here are excerpts from an AP wire story about today's events. One can only imagine the nightmare if (or when, more correctly) a major natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake strikes N.Y.C.
NEW YORK - A torrential downpour sent water surging through New York's subway system and highway tunnels and across airport runways Wednesday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and one big question: How could 3 inches of rain bring the nation's largest mass transit system to a halt?
The storm, which also spawned a rare tornado, hit just before dawn. By rush hour, the subway system was virtually paralyzed when pumping stations became overwhelmed. Bedlam resulted from too much rain, too fast; some suburban commuters spent a half day just getting to work.
"One big rain and it all falls apart," said Ruby Russel, 64, as she sat waiting on a train in Brooklyn. She had been trying to get to Manhattan for three hours.
The failure renewed a debate about whether the network of pumps, sewers and drains that protects the city's subways from flooding needs an overhaul. Every line experienced some sort of delay as track beds turned into streams gurgling with millions of gallons of rainwater. The washout was the third time in seven months that the subways were disrupted by rain.
The National Weather Service said a tropical air mass dumped an extraordinary amount of rain in a short period of time. The worst was recorded between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., with 2.5 inches falling on Central Park and almost 3.5 on Kennedy International Airport.
Naturally, the stormwater sought the low ground, and that meant the subways. Water poured in through vents, drowned the signal system and flooded the third rail, forcing a shutoff of power on some lines.
MTA Executive Director Elliot G. Sander said the intensity of the rain was simply overwhelming. The subway's drainage system can generally handle a maximum of 1.5 inches of rainfall per hour.
"The timing and intensity of the storm took us by surprise," Sander said.
The subway problems come as weather experts predict New York is due for a major hurricane. A storm with 130 mph winds and a 30-foot storm surge could cause the Hudson and East rivers to overflow — and bring with it more significant flooding than a severe rainstorm.
Keeping the subway system dry is a challenge, even in regular weather.
On an average day, hundreds of MTA pumps remove 13 million gallons of water from the system, which includes several tunnels and stations below sea level. Much of that water is groundwater that enters from sources such as streams.
Public officials called for improvements in the drainage system after a similar rain-related shutdown in 1999, and the MTA made some changes after another round of paralyzing tunnel floods in 2004, when the remnants of Hurricane Frances washed out the subways for hours.
The city's sewer and stormwater drains can handle steady rain, "but when it comes to these very intense, high inch-count rain events, over a short period of time, it is very difficult," said Michael Saucier, a spokesman for the city's Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd said the city is spending $300 million per year upgrading its piping systems and has been gradually building a more robust stormwater drainage system to replace the old combined sewers that handled wastewater and rain.
In Manhattan, Times Square was one huge mess Wednesday, packed with many of the 4 million riders who rely on the subway system daily. Thousands waited for hours for any means of transportation, jostling one another to get on the few buses that arrived. The suburbs were no better: In Westchester County, hundreds of commuters were stopped on a Metro-North train due to track flooding.
Streams of people in business attire — with briefcases, cell phones and BlackBerries in hand — trudged through drenched streets toward the subway. But it, too, was flooded. The hordes then made a beeline for buses they'd spotted up the street.
The storms also created problems for the region's airports, where delays of up to an hour were reported. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in Brooklyn, where winds downed trees, tore off rooftops and wrapped signs around posts. At least 40 homes were damaged.
Tornadoes have hit New York City before, but not often. The National Weather Service had records of at least five, plus sketchy detail on the last reported tornado sighting in Brooklyn, in 1889. None was as strong as Wednesday's twister, which had winds as high as 135 mph.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event," said Jeffrey Tongue, a Weather Service meteorologist.
A woman on Staten Island died when a car got stuck in an underpass and another car came along and hit hers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. A handful of people were injured, Bloomberg said.
Lanie Mastellone, who lives in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge neighborhood, awoke as her roof was coming off. Before escaping, she ran to get her late husband's wedding ring.
"It happened so quick. Maybe he was watching over me," Mastellone said.
At the end of the day, some trains were finally back up and running. But commuters trying to get home were met with another unpleasant surprise: The storm left behind high humidity that felt like they were walking into a sauna — and when they got onto train cars, a sardine can.
___
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Confession of a Crazy Rascal
Should anyone judge me or call me an 'aparhadi' for calling them or one of their favorite devotee friends or siksa guru a "crazy rascal," i would like to confess to being a crazy rascal myself. In fact, i consider myself "crazy rascal no. 1."
No one can compete with me in terms of the quality of my madness. Part of this quality is my acceptance of the slightest praise that may come to me, and my rejection of any criticism or fault finding about me. I refuse to accept any responsibility for anything. If you object to anything in me that is objectionable, i shall have nothing more to do with you and shall find ways to defend myself and attack you either to your face or behind your back! This is only natural.
Furthermore, i reserve the right to interpret, edit and change anything written or spoken by the pure devotee who so mercifully offered me free treatment for my madness. I will do this in his name, so that no one can object to it, and to cover myself from any blame for making these changes.
I will take credit for being the one who properly understands the inner meaning of the pure devotee.
Finally, i shall instruct all my godbrothers and also those junior to me in an arrogant and self righteous manner as to the correct siddhanta. In this way, no one will be able to detect that i have learned nothing in all the years i have practiced austerity, bhajan and study, and that i plan to remain this way as long as possible. Shhhh!
No one can compete with me in terms of the quality of my madness. Part of this quality is my acceptance of the slightest praise that may come to me, and my rejection of any criticism or fault finding about me. I refuse to accept any responsibility for anything. If you object to anything in me that is objectionable, i shall have nothing more to do with you and shall find ways to defend myself and attack you either to your face or behind your back! This is only natural.
Furthermore, i reserve the right to interpret, edit and change anything written or spoken by the pure devotee who so mercifully offered me free treatment for my madness. I will do this in his name, so that no one can object to it, and to cover myself from any blame for making these changes.
I will take credit for being the one who properly understands the inner meaning of the pure devotee.
Finally, i shall instruct all my godbrothers and also those junior to me in an arrogant and self righteous manner as to the correct siddhanta. In this way, no one will be able to detect that i have learned nothing in all the years i have practiced austerity, bhajan and study, and that i plan to remain this way as long as possible. Shhhh!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Crazy Rascals
The really great thing about writing a blog, in my opinion, is the freedom. I can say whatever i want, without being concerned about anyone's reaction. So today, i'm publishing an email i just sent one of my closest and dearest friends, Ananda Swarup. Most of the very select group of readers of this blog also know Ananda. I'm printing this mail because it sums up my opinion and feelings about what is going on now in cyber space and real space with "devotees." The context of this mail is an ongoing dialogue between Ananda and myself. I would like to share this with you because i believe in the truth of these words for myself.
Ananda,
What you say is totally correct. First i know to be able to follow even the minimum that Prabhupada expected of us, one has to not just be honest but make a sustained effort. To follow for "show" like many of the leaders or devotees like ***** do, that's one thing. But to follow from the heart, without the show, as you are attempting, that's the real test. And then, not to become puffed up from following, but to remain simple, even if one gets some kind of taste, that's the second test.
These are the things devotees should be discussing amongst themselves, not manjari bhava, or how Prabhupada is not a jiva, or why Iskcon is or isn't this or that. The whole scene out there is sick. I don't know if you read it, but a few days back one of the short articles on the Sun mentioned that practically every devotee is a 'nut-case.' I appreciated that statement. Crazy is the only word to describe devotees who don't get it. Rascal, the word you used, is also correct, especially for the high profile devotees. So, crazy rascals, everyone. This is the world we live in.
Now the next question is, how do we transcend this category ourself??
Start fresh is my response.
Start again with a beginner's mind. And when inspiration (or desperation) comes, start preaching to new people (the old ones are all crazy rascals, or influenced by crazy rascals). Do it differently. Cultivate self awareness. Remain simple. Pray for help. Don't get involved again with any crazy rascals, no matter how tempting it may be.
nava jauvana
Ananda,
What you say is totally correct. First i know to be able to follow even the minimum that Prabhupada expected of us, one has to not just be honest but make a sustained effort. To follow for "show" like many of the leaders or devotees like ***** do, that's one thing. But to follow from the heart, without the show, as you are attempting, that's the real test. And then, not to become puffed up from following, but to remain simple, even if one gets some kind of taste, that's the second test.
These are the things devotees should be discussing amongst themselves, not manjari bhava, or how Prabhupada is not a jiva, or why Iskcon is or isn't this or that. The whole scene out there is sick. I don't know if you read it, but a few days back one of the short articles on the Sun mentioned that practically every devotee is a 'nut-case.' I appreciated that statement. Crazy is the only word to describe devotees who don't get it. Rascal, the word you used, is also correct, especially for the high profile devotees. So, crazy rascals, everyone. This is the world we live in.
Now the next question is, how do we transcend this category ourself??
Start fresh is my response.
Start again with a beginner's mind. And when inspiration (or desperation) comes, start preaching to new people (the old ones are all crazy rascals, or influenced by crazy rascals). Do it differently. Cultivate self awareness. Remain simple. Pray for help. Don't get involved again with any crazy rascals, no matter how tempting it may be.
nava jauvana
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Living in the Material World
There's nothing exciting to report. I'm doing a project, cleaning, renovating and leasing out a condo in New York City. My day is filled with trivial necessities: finding out the rule and regulations of the management company that controls the building the condo is in, getting estimates for renovation work, talking with the broker who has an exclusive to rent out the apartment. The other part of my day consists of spending a lot of time on the internet reading articles, news and responding to emails. Then in the evenings sometimes i walk 40 city blocks to Whole Foods, the organic supermarket in mid-town Manhatten, buy groceries, and take the bus back to the condo. Quite a drab life. Only the promise of it being temporary, and the hope that a passive income stream will be created, keeps me motivated.
New York is a dynamic place, but only in the direction of passion (money) and ignorance (name your sin). I honestly can't see much goodness here, except perhaps in the nature of Central Park. It was in this busy aggressive city that Srila Prabhupada arrived, penniless, 42 years ago. Amazing how he came, struggled on his own, tolerated much, and conquered maya here.
Then i read on the Sampradaya Sun the activities of people like Satsvarupa, Hrdayananda, Giriraj and others, who are neither struggling to preach, tolerating difficult conditions, apologizing to their godbrothers for their arrogance and mistakes, nor conquering over illusion. But like characters out of a bad historical novel, they still maintain a profile of being sadhus.
I really don't wish to judge them, knowing fully that in their situation,
i would be worse. But how sad it is, both for them and for everyone, that the divine movement they once joined as sincere students, now must suffer so much from their incompetence. In the name of expression they have created depression. Srila Prabhupada himself summed it up in a letter to Gurudus:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter
dated August 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Do not
be depressed. ALL ALONG MY GODBROTHERS GAVE ME ONLY DEPRESSION, REPRESSION, COMPRESSION--BUT I CONTINUED STRONG IN MY DUTY.
So that's the secret. Don't pay much attention to the godbrothers. And don't think there is anything in this world worth investing in. But continue "strong in your duty," however insignificant it seems.
New York is a dynamic place, but only in the direction of passion (money) and ignorance (name your sin). I honestly can't see much goodness here, except perhaps in the nature of Central Park. It was in this busy aggressive city that Srila Prabhupada arrived, penniless, 42 years ago. Amazing how he came, struggled on his own, tolerated much, and conquered maya here.
Then i read on the Sampradaya Sun the activities of people like Satsvarupa, Hrdayananda, Giriraj and others, who are neither struggling to preach, tolerating difficult conditions, apologizing to their godbrothers for their arrogance and mistakes, nor conquering over illusion. But like characters out of a bad historical novel, they still maintain a profile of being sadhus.
I really don't wish to judge them, knowing fully that in their situation,
i would be worse. But how sad it is, both for them and for everyone, that the divine movement they once joined as sincere students, now must suffer so much from their incompetence. In the name of expression they have created depression. Srila Prabhupada himself summed it up in a letter to Gurudus:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter
dated August 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Do not
be depressed. ALL ALONG MY GODBROTHERS GAVE ME ONLY DEPRESSION, REPRESSION, COMPRESSION--BUT I CONTINUED STRONG IN MY DUTY.
So that's the secret. Don't pay much attention to the godbrothers. And don't think there is anything in this world worth investing in. But continue "strong in your duty," however insignificant it seems.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Shambo, the Sacred Bull, is Slaughtered
I have never posted a news article here in the blog, but tonite i came across this AP story on the internet. It is a simple story, but so telling about the values (or lack of them) of our so-called civilization. It reveals the soul-less nature of secular society.
Associated Press July 27
Dateline: LONDON
HEADLINE: British police slaughter Sacred Bull
Officials drag away protesters, take sick animal from Hindu monastery
A sacred bull seized from a Hindu monastery in Wales because he tested positive for tuberculosis has been slaughtered, officials said Friday.
The plight of Shambo the bull had attracted international attention since his diagnosis this spring and prompted an Internet campaign by the Skanda Vale monastery to save him. Hindus revere cattle and said killing the bull would violate their religious rights.
More than 100 devout Hindus and their supporters prayed and chanted outside the bull’s paddock throughout Thursday, but animal health officials and police led Shambo from the monastery to a trailer at around 7:30 p.m. A Webcam site, dubbed Moo Tube, which the monastery set up to show the flower-garlanded bull in his paddock, broadcast images of an empty,
hay-lined shrine.
“I can confirm he has been put down,” said a spokesman for the Welsh Assembly, the regional government. The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, did not specify how Shambo was killed.
Swami Suryananda, one of Shambo’s caretakers, said officials had “committed the most violent and ignorant act of desecration of our temple and destroyed an innocent life.”
“The perpetrators of this act will suffer the consequences of their actions for generations to come,” he said.
'Bye, Shambo'
A veterinary official and police officers had come for Shambo on Thursday morning, but left after monks would not let them past the gates of the remote monastery, about 230 miles west of London. They returned hours later with a warrant, which they posted to the door.
About 20 police officers later entered the temple, wading through a crowd of more than 100 supporters who had gathered in front of the bull’s paddock to pray and chant.
They cut a chain securing the gates, dragged away some of the worshippers who refused to leave, and loaded the bull into a trailer.
Police officers flanking the trailer removed their helmets, and some worshippers called out “Bye, Shambo” as the bull was driven away.
Authorities said no one was hurt and there were no arrests.
“It’s bad, but I don’t blame the police because they were friendly and they did their duty,” said one of the protesters, Verena Blum.
Secularists back decision
Regulations stipulate that cattle suspected of carrying bovine tuberculosis be slaughtered; the disease can be spread to other cattle, to deer and in rare cases to humans.
Hindus took the government to court to prevent Shambo’s slaughter. The monastery argued that it could keep Shambo isolated to prevent the TB spreading, or that it could take the bull to India. The monastery said authorities had refused both options.
Last week, a Welsh judge ordered local authorities to reconsider their decision to kill the bull. But the Court of Appeal in London reversed that decision Monday, ruling that killing him would be justified to prevent the disease’s spread.
Some people in Britain supported the bull’s seizure. Keith Porteous Wood, director of the National Secular Society, claimed Shambo’s supporters were “putting religious dogma before the welfare of the community.”
Associated Press July 27
Dateline: LONDON
HEADLINE: British police slaughter Sacred Bull
Officials drag away protesters, take sick animal from Hindu monastery
A sacred bull seized from a Hindu monastery in Wales because he tested positive for tuberculosis has been slaughtered, officials said Friday.
The plight of Shambo the bull had attracted international attention since his diagnosis this spring and prompted an Internet campaign by the Skanda Vale monastery to save him. Hindus revere cattle and said killing the bull would violate their religious rights.
More than 100 devout Hindus and their supporters prayed and chanted outside the bull’s paddock throughout Thursday, but animal health officials and police led Shambo from the monastery to a trailer at around 7:30 p.m. A Webcam site, dubbed Moo Tube, which the monastery set up to show the flower-garlanded bull in his paddock, broadcast images of an empty,
hay-lined shrine.
“I can confirm he has been put down,” said a spokesman for the Welsh Assembly, the regional government. The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, did not specify how Shambo was killed.
Swami Suryananda, one of Shambo’s caretakers, said officials had “committed the most violent and ignorant act of desecration of our temple and destroyed an innocent life.”
“The perpetrators of this act will suffer the consequences of their actions for generations to come,” he said.
'Bye, Shambo'
A veterinary official and police officers had come for Shambo on Thursday morning, but left after monks would not let them past the gates of the remote monastery, about 230 miles west of London. They returned hours later with a warrant, which they posted to the door.
About 20 police officers later entered the temple, wading through a crowd of more than 100 supporters who had gathered in front of the bull’s paddock to pray and chant.
They cut a chain securing the gates, dragged away some of the worshippers who refused to leave, and loaded the bull into a trailer.
Police officers flanking the trailer removed their helmets, and some worshippers called out “Bye, Shambo” as the bull was driven away.
Authorities said no one was hurt and there were no arrests.
“It’s bad, but I don’t blame the police because they were friendly and they did their duty,” said one of the protesters, Verena Blum.
Secularists back decision
Regulations stipulate that cattle suspected of carrying bovine tuberculosis be slaughtered; the disease can be spread to other cattle, to deer and in rare cases to humans.
Hindus took the government to court to prevent Shambo’s slaughter. The monastery argued that it could keep Shambo isolated to prevent the TB spreading, or that it could take the bull to India. The monastery said authorities had refused both options.
Last week, a Welsh judge ordered local authorities to reconsider their decision to kill the bull. But the Court of Appeal in London reversed that decision Monday, ruling that killing him would be justified to prevent the disease’s spread.
Some people in Britain supported the bull’s seizure. Keith Porteous Wood, director of the National Secular Society, claimed Shambo’s supporters were “putting religious dogma before the welfare of the community.”
Monday, July 23, 2007
Observations from the Big Apple
Usually there is something in particular i want to express that inspires me to make an entry into this blog. Today there is nothing in particular, but i want to remain habituated writing at least once a week.
This week i'm alone in New York City, staying at the apartment of my paternal uncle who is now 90 and lives in Florida. He has been there for past 25-30 years in Florida. He just kept this apartment for very brief visits to NYC, usually once a year. I arrived last week from Chicago, flying here with all my luggage (from India) and the keys to this apartment. I had never been here before. I wasn't even sure if my uncle had given me the correct set of keys because he has dementia now and his memory is not what it used to be. I imagined a situation where i would not be able to get in and would need to find a hotel to spend the night. The average hotel room costs $500 per nite in this part of New York. Naturally i was nervous.
On the plane coming here, i prayed to Hanuman. Hanuman is a most extraordinary transcendental personality. In India, i think he is more widely worshipped than anyone, including Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Siva and even Ganesh. The Hanuman Chalisa is a very famous poem/prayer that is sung and recited by millions. And his murti, usually carved as a relief and painted in bright orange, is seen everywhere in India, even in Vrindavan dham, inside Siva temples, outside Krishna temples and in many of his own temples. Anyway, by his mercy, the keys worked, and i got in.
The apartment location is excellent, being just 100 meters from Central Park, between 97th and 100th St. Anyone who knows New York, knows that Central Park is like a city in itself. Miles and miles of greenery, lakes, playgrounds, fields, theatres, zoos and even restaurants. Yesterday was a hot sunny summer day, and i walked for 3 hours thru the Park. I heard more than half a dozen languages being spoken by various people walking by me: Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, just to name those languages i could recognize. New York is the most international of all cities. Unfortunately, there is no unity amongst the diversity. Despite being the home of the United Nations, there is nothing united about people here. Everyone is isolated, either alone, or in small social circles. Everyone is under the misconception that they are the enjoyer of the world. No one actually cares about anyone else, except in their own small selfish spheres. This creates a most unharmonious and unattractive scene, at least to my eyes. I felt more alone walking in that crowd of thousands of persons enjoying the sunny day than when i'm sitting by myself in the apartment.
Inside this flat, it's a bit bizarre. The furnishings are from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Most of the furniture, i believe, came from my grandmother. It looks frozen in time. And despite that for over 25 years no one has lived here for more than a week at a time, and the appliances are all at least 30-40 years old, everything-- the lights, the shower, the stove, the fridge, the piano and even two vintage '60s television sets-- works. Fortunately, i ordered a broadband connection before i arrived and was able to install the router my first nite here. So i don't feel any burden, like i'm in a time warp. My plan here is to clean and prepare the apartment to be rented. That includes giving away, selling or throwing out just about everything here. It's a lifetime of collected stuff. So it will take me some time to go thru everything. Then i need to get the kitchen and bathroom repainted, wood floors cleaned and refinished. And with the help of a broker, find a tenant.
Perhaps while i am here, i will go to 26 Second Ave. to see the storefront where Srila Prabhupada started Iskcon. It's too bad that mood of Prabhupada and his first disciples could not be frozen in time, and be preserved for the benefit of humanity. It is preserved in Prabhupada's classes, and it's those early 1966 NY lectures that i most enjoy listening to on the MP3s. Hearing Prabhupada's enthusiasm and compassion giving his first classes in America is most enlivening. It's such a contrast from what became of Iskcon in later years. In fact, for me, those early NYC classes are all that is left of the real Iskcon.
This week i'm alone in New York City, staying at the apartment of my paternal uncle who is now 90 and lives in Florida. He has been there for past 25-30 years in Florida. He just kept this apartment for very brief visits to NYC, usually once a year. I arrived last week from Chicago, flying here with all my luggage (from India) and the keys to this apartment. I had never been here before. I wasn't even sure if my uncle had given me the correct set of keys because he has dementia now and his memory is not what it used to be. I imagined a situation where i would not be able to get in and would need to find a hotel to spend the night. The average hotel room costs $500 per nite in this part of New York. Naturally i was nervous.
On the plane coming here, i prayed to Hanuman. Hanuman is a most extraordinary transcendental personality. In India, i think he is more widely worshipped than anyone, including Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Siva and even Ganesh. The Hanuman Chalisa is a very famous poem/prayer that is sung and recited by millions. And his murti, usually carved as a relief and painted in bright orange, is seen everywhere in India, even in Vrindavan dham, inside Siva temples, outside Krishna temples and in many of his own temples. Anyway, by his mercy, the keys worked, and i got in.
The apartment location is excellent, being just 100 meters from Central Park, between 97th and 100th St. Anyone who knows New York, knows that Central Park is like a city in itself. Miles and miles of greenery, lakes, playgrounds, fields, theatres, zoos and even restaurants. Yesterday was a hot sunny summer day, and i walked for 3 hours thru the Park. I heard more than half a dozen languages being spoken by various people walking by me: Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, just to name those languages i could recognize. New York is the most international of all cities. Unfortunately, there is no unity amongst the diversity. Despite being the home of the United Nations, there is nothing united about people here. Everyone is isolated, either alone, or in small social circles. Everyone is under the misconception that they are the enjoyer of the world. No one actually cares about anyone else, except in their own small selfish spheres. This creates a most unharmonious and unattractive scene, at least to my eyes. I felt more alone walking in that crowd of thousands of persons enjoying the sunny day than when i'm sitting by myself in the apartment.
Inside this flat, it's a bit bizarre. The furnishings are from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Most of the furniture, i believe, came from my grandmother. It looks frozen in time. And despite that for over 25 years no one has lived here for more than a week at a time, and the appliances are all at least 30-40 years old, everything-- the lights, the shower, the stove, the fridge, the piano and even two vintage '60s television sets-- works. Fortunately, i ordered a broadband connection before i arrived and was able to install the router my first nite here. So i don't feel any burden, like i'm in a time warp. My plan here is to clean and prepare the apartment to be rented. That includes giving away, selling or throwing out just about everything here. It's a lifetime of collected stuff. So it will take me some time to go thru everything. Then i need to get the kitchen and bathroom repainted, wood floors cleaned and refinished. And with the help of a broker, find a tenant.
Perhaps while i am here, i will go to 26 Second Ave. to see the storefront where Srila Prabhupada started Iskcon. It's too bad that mood of Prabhupada and his first disciples could not be frozen in time, and be preserved for the benefit of humanity. It is preserved in Prabhupada's classes, and it's those early 1966 NY lectures that i most enjoy listening to on the MP3s. Hearing Prabhupada's enthusiasm and compassion giving his first classes in America is most enlivening. It's such a contrast from what became of Iskcon in later years. In fact, for me, those early NYC classes are all that is left of the real Iskcon.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Old Age is for Real
Tonight is my last nite in Chicago. I spent two weeks here, focused on a visit with my father who is now 94. I guess Krishna wanted me to see first hand the desolation of old age. So many times, Srila Prabhupada told us about the anomolies of material life, referring specifically to birth, death, disease and old age. Sometimes i thought, "why is Prabhupada repeating this theme so often?" And we also read in Bhagavad-gita: "Time I am, destroyer of all worlds." When i first read those words in Bhagavad-gita many years ago, i wondered why Krishna chose to speak of himself as a destroyer rather than as a creator. Isn't time a creative force more than a destructive one? It was my sentimental rose-colored vision of reality that wanted this material world to be a perfect place so i could continue to see myself as an enjoyer here. But that vision is gradually maturing, and as it does, i'm seeing reality more clearly. Those rose-colored glasses don't work anymore.
On a cosmic scale, time is a great mystery. It destroys planets and universes in due course, and in our time frame, it destroys a person's energy, his self conceptions and his life span. With my father i have seen first hand how time can unravel a man. Just a few years ago he was driving, playing a violin, trying to enjoy his life like everyone else. Now he sits all day in one chair, speaking to himself, clearly bewildered and lost, although physically he is healthy for his age, and mentally as sharp as a tack. So what is gone? it's the hope, the vitality, the sense of purpose. Old age brings helplessness, weakness and discouragement. It is a rude awakening that nature does not suffer fools easily. It is a complete disillusionment in all noble and worthy pursuits of this world. In short, it is shock.
Old age is the approach of death, the fear of annihilation and the loss of control. It is a punishment for a life without introspection or deep faith in anything sublime. Time is the destroyer. I have seen it firsthand in the person of my father. I pray to Krishna that he is kind to my father and gives him a smooth transition to his next life, hopefully the life of a devotee. This is my sincere prayer for him. And i pray for myself that i can learn something from this life lesson, and from all the efforts Srila Prabhupada made to educate and enlighten me about material life, so i don't repeat the same mistakes, again and again and again.
On a cosmic scale, time is a great mystery. It destroys planets and universes in due course, and in our time frame, it destroys a person's energy, his self conceptions and his life span. With my father i have seen first hand how time can unravel a man. Just a few years ago he was driving, playing a violin, trying to enjoy his life like everyone else. Now he sits all day in one chair, speaking to himself, clearly bewildered and lost, although physically he is healthy for his age, and mentally as sharp as a tack. So what is gone? it's the hope, the vitality, the sense of purpose. Old age brings helplessness, weakness and discouragement. It is a rude awakening that nature does not suffer fools easily. It is a complete disillusionment in all noble and worthy pursuits of this world. In short, it is shock.
Old age is the approach of death, the fear of annihilation and the loss of control. It is a punishment for a life without introspection or deep faith in anything sublime. Time is the destroyer. I have seen it firsthand in the person of my father. I pray to Krishna that he is kind to my father and gives him a smooth transition to his next life, hopefully the life of a devotee. This is my sincere prayer for him. And i pray for myself that i can learn something from this life lesson, and from all the efforts Srila Prabhupada made to educate and enlighten me about material life, so i don't repeat the same mistakes, again and again and again.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Darshan
My trip to Chicago is now winding down; tomorrow is my last day here. This morning i visited the Sri Sri Kishore Kishori ISKCON Temple which is located on the North Side of Chicago. I first joined Iskcon 37 years ago in the Chicago winter, when the devotees there were renting a tiny unheated, frozen storefront. I stayed for only one weekend; the conditions were so austere, i was invited to move to the temple in Detroit were things were more organized and there was some heating. I returned to the Chicago temple in 1973 (which by then had moved to a former YMCA in Evanston). At that time the beautiful white marble deities, Kishore and Kishori, had just been shipped from the murti walla in Jaipur to Chicago, but had not yet been installed.
Every time i visit Chicago, i try to go at least once to the temple for darshan. By the grace of the Lord, this morning i had the chance. Krishna (Kishore) looked especially beautiful to me, with an enchanting smile and graceful figure. How mystical he is: the transcendental Lord appears before us in a material form so that we whose senses are now material, can see him, be seen by him, and benefit from that exchange. It is reality, not idolotry, and anyone whose heart is open can appreciate this.
The Deities also remind us of another dimension beyond the three dimensional mental/intellectual/emotional world we live in. It is the
fourth dimension of service, acceptance and love, devoid of dualities.
Although they don't seem to move, they possess the ability to move us thru their presence. This is another remarkable feature of the supreme truth
who resolves all contradictions and solves all problems without any
apparent effort. Sri Sr Kishore Kishori ki jaya!!!
Every time i visit Chicago, i try to go at least once to the temple for darshan. By the grace of the Lord, this morning i had the chance. Krishna (Kishore) looked especially beautiful to me, with an enchanting smile and graceful figure. How mystical he is: the transcendental Lord appears before us in a material form so that we whose senses are now material, can see him, be seen by him, and benefit from that exchange. It is reality, not idolotry, and anyone whose heart is open can appreciate this.
The Deities also remind us of another dimension beyond the three dimensional mental/intellectual/emotional world we live in. It is the
fourth dimension of service, acceptance and love, devoid of dualities.
Although they don't seem to move, they possess the ability to move us thru their presence. This is another remarkable feature of the supreme truth
who resolves all contradictions and solves all problems without any
apparent effort. Sri Sr Kishore Kishori ki jaya!!!
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