JRdd

LOL! (about the tooth dream) Yes I think it is interesting too, how the mind incorporates these things. Like how I dreamed of the deer and then in the morning sure enough he had been there. Deer are very quiet and there was no way I could have sensed it through the five senses, though. When we sleep, though, our unconscious can do more, access more on the subtle planes. I beleive that is why some of our dreams are prophetic. Like the morning, just hours before the world trade center was bombed, and I dreamed this incredibly blissful kirtan. To me it was like a harbinger kind of dream. Jungian analysis gives great credence to dreams (oh did you already mention this, can't remember). JR

Dear Paramaradhya prabhuji, I checked out your website the other day and very much enjoyed it. I loved your autobiogaphical bits too, great approach! I like to offer constructive criticism as much as I like to receive it. However, I honestly feel you are being too harsh on yourself in these mentions you make about the video, and I am giving this imput becasue I fear!!! you changing in a way that will lose the wonderful freshness of this video. Having said that, however, I see from your creativity and sincerity that I needn't worry about that either, and simply have faith that any changes in style you make will be just as wonderful. I do not paint the same way each time, in fact each time I am a little afraid and start out like a kindergartener, so how can I expect someone else to keep to some formula. Still, I would like to comment on your assessments.... Maybe. I seem to remember thinking this as they scrolled by. You mean the credits, right? I am one who loved it. Absolutely. Not only did her voice flow so beautifully and gently, and also with strength and friendliness too, but it fit the mood of the video and I am sure lends an air of authenticity, for some viewers, who may not be so familiar with the Krsna culture. Who is the narrator? Is she a devotee in our movement (I say "movement" in the broadest expansion of the term)? I felt it was perfect, myself. The pans of the forests were thoughtful, and of course how much nectar can you fit on one video. Good thing in a way that the Mayapura one didn't get on this, as it was its own journey. A real feast of its own kind. Those who complain of the fast pans are simply longing for Krsna, who seems to elude us even as we gaze at Him in His various forms. These complainers are right, but I think there is no way you can remedy their moods of separation. Though you sure help alleviate or ease that pain through your video! Seems right to me! And I am sure you do! I look forward to your next video. Ths is ipressive, professional and--moreover--devotional work. So because I called you Paramaradhya are you very fond of me? best wishes in all you do for Krsna and the devotees, ys, Jayaradhe

I read about the deer today. Well first I was telling a friend (forgot there were wonderful gentle women around here--alas they are in the next town where I moved from but today I got a break) about my deer dream, how I had gone to bed praying for strength and more awareness of the protection that is there for me, and how this big strong deer came in my dream, only he wasnt so big, but more like his bigness came from inside him, and how I sat there quite unafraid, as he simiilarly sat in my garden, that dark night, like he belonged there or had decided he did. and how in the morning indeed all my zucchini flowers were gone bt that was okay; it's always been okay with me that the deer eat my vegetables before they get going, as I am simply grateful to have deer and no longer drunksters and crankards for next door neighbours. (But I had thought they stopped finally, for some weeks now, and that I was really gonna see vegetables growing finally. I am glad they leave the marigolds for Kanea.) So anyway Christine says that one time she was sitting alone and thinking about how the deer is one of her totems (it's mine too, but bear is my central totem, or at least he/she used to be, not sure now), and that she would like something with more power though. Deer are so gentle. So is Christine, a poet. And just as she was thinking this, a deer--must have been a buck, she said--suddenly ran right in front of her, fast, with such force--and then she understood that there is power in gentleness. At her house I looked at an animal book and read about deer being, among other things, harbingers of new growth (like their antlers--and in my dream this deer had none), and also that they signify gentleness and power. And how there are tales from all over the world of deer leading kings and men into the forest, where these worldly people find themselves. Dreams like anything else are of course open to interpretation. But we can feel them, and if by those feelings we create out of them, juslike we create word pictures or paintings or wonderful dishes for Krsna, if we become encouraged or insped by what they speak to us, then it is a good thing. I took that deer dream as an answer to my prayer to Radharani to help me become aware of protection. I now am reassured that I have protecting spirits all around me, sent by Krsna. It is a beautiful feeling and helps me carry on in this hellish world. thanks, JR

Yes I am re-remembering that Srimate Radharani is the key in all this. And when you turn to Her your self-perceptions your own good bad and ugliness in a sense seem to dissipate in the glow of Her open-hearted, unhesitant acceptance of you. Krsna on the other hand is a tease, but He is tamed by His beloved consort. Radharani is everything to us: mother, friend, listener...and She like Krsna is also grateful, which helps one become humble when one glimpses their magnanimous gratitude. I am understanding at the moment (though these things do flee away from me--which is a good reason to at least get it down in writing and also share it; repetition helps one remember and digest) how very simple this process is. It is a process of becoming humble, and of yearning to be with Krsna in some way--directly and/or through His devotees. We should be grateful, therefore, for any suffering we feel in separation, for that is payment toward our fare. Krsna does not expect great feats from us. He only wants us to want, so badly, to be with Him. This is the essence of what the Vaisnava acaryas are gifting us with. That yearning. I love you all, am feeling so greatful for your association, and especially when you are open and honest. Let's take this journey together, the ride will be so much easier. Jayaradhe

Prabhus, I don't know if I can convey this well enough, but last night before I went to bed I was hit or graced with a profound realization about the reality and measure of Krsna's actual and natural longing for us to be with him. I tried just now to describe it to a friend and will paste it in pretty much as I wrote it:. I started getting a mega flash last night about the profoundness of this thing we are bent on doing, this yearning we have to be united with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and how very very small we are, in every way, and how OF COURSE!!! IT DEPENDS ON THE TOTAL GIFT OF THE LORD TO TAKE US BACK. AND OF COURSE!!! IT CONSTANTLY ELUDES US, SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO US. Because it IS impossible for us. And so no blame, no shame, it's the way it is, and Krsna really really is so kind and loving, and ALL HE WANTS IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND OUR INSIGNIFICANCE, OUR INABILITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, AND ALL HE WANTS IS FOR US TO KEEP YEARNING, AND YEARNING EVEN MORE. THAT'S ALL. AND THAT'S ALL PRABHUPADA WANTED TO INSTILL IN US, AND THAT WAS HIS GIFT--TO MAKE US FEEL PAIN IN SEPARATION FROM OUR ETERNAL CONSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS IN RELATION TO OUR ETERNAL LORD. I don't know if I said that as I felt it, but it just hit me real strong what this is all about, and how natural it is to feel so so frustrated in this present sphere. This was such a humbling and reassuring realization and I hope it conveys something of value to even one person reading this. I woke up this morning feeling very raw, and choked up like there is a lump in my throat. I hope I can channel these feelings into expressing something beautiful for the pleasure of Krsna and/or His devotees today. All glories to the assembled mutual hankerers for nothing other than to be situated in unalloyed service to our Eternal Relatives. love, Jayaradhe

This Vrindaban video is on ebay for $16.00 starting bid. The auction ends in six hours. The seller does not keep any profit; I know this because I know the seller from previous transactions (selling and buying from each other). This is the url: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1003584647 This same video is being sold a little further down the list, also ends in six hours. You can buy it now for a little more money (more donation for the widows and orphaned girls in India), or bid at the last moment and get it for $16.00. Happy bidding!

Yeah japa beads and Krsna book. What more do we need? Oh and prasadam.

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! hee hee ha ha ho ho! You lost your calling, Maitreya, you really did. You could have been a great inventor. Or worked alongside Bill Gates. It's not too late though...

Doesn't anyone want to talk about food? )I can't find anything else to eat)

No thank YOU! I needed a good laugh. What a week.

gotta keep our troops in good humor though.

me too! (<h1>ROTFLM...er...ahemO</h1>)

i lt fall in lap. Kebord saf.

o yeh gues i do huh? scuse typos one fingr typ i eating toastnow.

Not even spinach pakoras? mangoes? cheesecake smothered in blackberry sauce? saffron pudding?

Are the things this locket screens out specific? I mean does it keep out bad stuff like EMFs but lets in good natural things in the atmosphere. I would not like to be like a bottle of distilled water with nothing in it. These lockets sound good though. I know some woman who wears something that puts out negative ions. But it looks too heavy for my neck. Is this locket heavy? (edited for semi-serious typo) [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 09-15-2001).]

And if you can't work outside, try to get a break in the morning sun. Turn toward the sun and close your eyes and raise them directly toward the sun. Let the sun get in for a few minutes. This is related to the pineal gland or some melatonin thing, I forget the tech of it but it is a good remedy. The other thing is, you can also get lightbulbs like daylight, artist use them and also people who want the health beenefits use them. Realgoods.com sells them and they also last longer than ordinary bulbs. Not the same as those light boxes but a good alternative. Another thing, that my doctor once told me when I was chronically depressed due to constant illness at the time, to not skimp on lights in the house in the winter but turn a lot on, not just in the area I'm working in. I found that really helped. And if you think you have seasonal affective disorder get out in the elements, the rain, the snow, the whole gamut, embrace it, don't hide from it. this has been shown scientifically to be effective against SAD. take it from one who has been there.

Well this intrigued me so I did a search. so far I got: "Omkar or Om is a totality of all sounds that issue from the human larynx. Om is present in Christianity as 'Amen' and in Islam as 'Amin'. Interestingly, even the Islamic letter for 'Allah' if turned to its side, is quite similar to the letter Om in Devanagri script of Sanskrit as it shown in the graphic above." The site for the above quote, where more is written, is: http://members.tripod.com/~sudheerb/omkar.html I found even more interesting stuff on the following site, where there is a lot of material I have excerped a small portion here: "It was Islam that extinguished the light of knowledge in Vedic Arabia. It is ironic that the man who brought about such darkness himself belonged to the Qurayshi Tribe of Mecca. The Qurayshi were particularly devoted to Allah (Durga) and the famous Shivling of the Kaaba Temple. The fact that the Shivling remains to this day in the Kaaba is solely due to the fact that it happened to be the Qurayshi tribe's faceless Family Deity. As I mentioned before Muhammad's name itself came from Mahadeva, which is another cognate for Lord Shiva. Muhammad's own uncle, Umar-Bin-E-Hassham was a staunch Hindu and fervent devotee of Lord Shiva. He was a renowned poet and wrote many verses in praise of Shiva. One of these has survived on page 235 of Sair-Ul-Okul.... "All Arabic copies of the Koran have the mysterious figure 786 imprinted on them . No Arabic scholar has been able to determine the choice of this particular number as divine. It is an established fact that Muhammad was illiterate therefore it is obvious that he would not be able to differentiate numbers from letters. This "magical" number is none other than the Vedic holy letter "OM" written in Sanskrit (Refer to figure 2). Anyone who knows Sanskrit can try reading the symbol for "OM" backwards in the Arabic way and magically the numbers 786 will appear! Muslims in their ignorance simply do not realise that this special number is nothing more than the holiest of Vedic symbols misread. "Read from right to left this figure of OM represents the numbers 786 There are many such instances where the symbols and rituals of Vedic culture were completely distorted and falsified by Muhammad in his bid to "create" his brand new religion. However in his haste to deceive and because of his ignorance and illiteracy, thousands of Vedic symbols still remain. Although they have been distorted beyond imagination, they still remain as solemn reminders of Arabia's glorious Vedic past. They can never be supressed." Here's the url: http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/ byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia2.html (edited to break up the long url) [This message has been edited by JRdd (edited 09-15-2001).]

Stone: Also to Peter/Valaya, whose post follows this one: Waht about running parallel, just carrying on the instructions of our acaryas withOUT those buildings? Srila Prahbupada came with out knowing anyone, and was happy when one came. Then another came. And gradually it grew into a group of ten or so--and these few were sent here and there to start siimilar groups, and from there...well, we all know about the Hare Krsna Explosion. I can't do this alone. I know this about myself. Maybe that's an excuse. Maybe I really can. But to me it seems like I can't. Especially as a woman I don't feel I can do this. Can't open up my beautiful little temple to the unknown public. I just can't. All I can do is try to align msyelf with others as much as possible--thank Krsna for the Innernet and the great association I get through this pathway--also thank Krsna for the good devotees down in Berkeley, whose efforts make it still possible to attend a place of grand Deity worship and festivals. But physically it is hard to make it down there, for me, it's a long long trip that wreaks favoc on my fragile system; still haven't recovered from last time quite honestly. I don't know if Krsna wants me wrecking my body to go to the temple. I only hope that if devotees do start heading for the hills, they will head this way. And help me turn Mt Shasta into Mt Shastra. I don't WANT to have to wait for another body, Peter. My suffering is nothing to the suffering of the crores of people on this planet who know nothing about a loving God. I wish there was more we could start doing NOW. If someone sees through the false ego stopping me, please give me some feedback and ideas. To Stone: Yes I think it was Honolulu he mentioned. When I get to that paper pile I will let you know. ys, JR

From salon.com: Now more than ever Witnessing hell has made me a born-again atheist. - - - - - - - - - - - - By Lauren Sandler Sept. 14, 2001 | NEW YORK -- Walking down Houston Street in New York this afternoon, in what a few days ago was the shadow of the Twin Towers, a woman lowered the umbrella that had been shielding her daughter and herself from the tapering rain. "Those were God's tears," she explained to her little girl. My mother had a very different explanation for her daughter today. "To me, this rain is proof that there is no God," she said on the phone from Boston. "People say that God can't help terrorism, that he gives people freedom to act as they choose. Fine. But a God who would hinder the rescue workers with rain? If God can't control nature, then what's the point? How can anyone believe today?" It's a bewildering day for us atheists, this state-appointed "Day of Prayer and Remembrance." Like the faithful, we mourn. We look for guidance. We look for answers. Our commander in chief tells us to find solace in churches and temples. In those churches and temples, people stand at podiums, survey their mass of grief-stricken congregants and intone the unfathomable words "God will protect us." Like many New Yorkers, I've seen the shattering hell of mass destruction this week. None of this is metaphor: I have touched the ash-covered shoulders of gasping survivors. I have trudged through the debris that thickly coats the ghost town of Tribeca, staring in shock at the five-story pyre that was a tower of human life and achievement. I have watched families crumple into each other in shaking, tear-soaked sorrow outside St. Vincent's Hospital when they are told, no, there is no information about your sister, your husband, your daughter. And I have done so without experiencing what some people have described to me as a uniting surge of faith in some omniscient, everlasting force that will make us all whole again. Sponsored Links Buy or Sell with zipRealty and Save Thousands! Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin University Alliance - Degrees Online Pre-Paid Legal Services (Signup Online in Minutes) -- Print story E-mail story -- I have long wondered if in the face of tragedy I would suddenly rely on faith. As a member of a generation that came of age in a peacetime society, I have always assumed that this transcendent tragedy would mean losing my mother or father. I've seen friends -- skeptics like me -- pray in the aftermath of such personal suffering. One of the lucky ones this week, I've lost nobody close in the rubble downtown. Perhaps if I had, I would seek solace in those exalted institutions that offered comfort to millions today. Instead, like my mother's, my atheism has only been strengthened by this week of human catastrophe. At a "Healing Eucharist" service at a church around the corner form St. Vincent's hospital, I got up to leave when the rector chanted: "Bless the Lord who forgives our sins," and the congregation responded: "His mercy endures forever." In a nearby house of alternative healing, I snuck out the side door when I was told, "As spiritual seekers we must understand these things happen for a purpose. If we don't accept that, all we'll have is anger and animosity in our hearts." I believe anger and animosity is an appropriate response to mass murder. But while my Day of Prayer has been free of trust in saints, swamis and shamans, it has not been without a resurrection of sorts. Again and again this week, I have found my faith restored by the immeasurably selfless valiance of earthly heroes. Last night I met a holy trinity of ironworkers among the believers who congregated on the western end of Houston Street. There, on the corner of Sixth Avenue, was a mass of citizens waving flags and cheering for each truckload of rescue workers speeding north for a few hours of rest before reentering the inferno. Mike, Ron and Steve are all local ironworkers who were blowing off steam with a few six-packs of Bud, yelling AC/DC lyrics and flirting with girls before they headed south for another 15-hour shift. (That's how they were planning to spend their Day of Prayer, fighting smoke and falling debris to cut steel beams away from trapped bodies.) These guys, and thousands like them, marched into ground zero without training or enough fear to hold them back. "It's too graphic," said Steve, as he fidgeted with the gauze that covered a new wound. "Piles of death. I don't have the words to tell you. But nothing's gonna keep me away from going back." Mike wrapped a grime-blackened arm around his buddy Ron, still wearing his hard hat. "Let me tell you, I hung my head low today," he said. We left a lot of dead people today. But I've got faith in my boys here. True faith. Religious faith. We're ironworkers! And we'll show them what America can take; I don't care if we have to die trying." Of course many of these rescuers are strong believers, able -- some say obligated -- to do their brave work because of their faith in God. But listening to the parade of preachers speak in the National Cathedral today, it was these dusty and unshaven faces that I meditated upon like religious icons. With this astonishing human bravery to bless America, who needs God?

Just had to share this enthusing post by Locanananda prabhu, who leads a harinam every Saturday night at Times Square; has been doing this for years: Bhakta Jim's idea is fantastic! I am totally in favor of uniting all of the various groups of devotees to make a concerted effort to spread the chanting of Hare Krishna throughout New York City and the world, for that matter. Srila Prabhupada often spoke of the World Sankirtana Party as the way to fulfill the prophecy of Lord Caitanya, but to organize such a venture will require very strong leadership and a strong sense of unity and common purpose amongst the vaisnavas. Srila Prabhupada used to say, "When you see an opportunity, take it!" Devotees who love to preach tend to see all such cataclysmic events as opportunities to preach Krishna consciousness. Devotees are also very compassionate towards others who are experiencing great suffering. Arjuna was feeling great compassion and was shedding tears even before the battle of Kuruksetra had even begun. This soft- heartedness is a quality of a devotee. The devotee's suffering is to see the suffering of others, and we know that all suffering is caused by forgetfulness of Krishna. Sankirtana is the process introduced by the Lord Himself to relieve the conditioned souls of their suffering in the kali yuga. The Kali yuga is marked by war and terrorism. The whole atmosphere of the world is surcharged with anger and hatred. Only the sankirtana movement can defeat the evils of modern civilization and bring humanity back to a normal condition of harmony. It is the sankirtana movement alone that can hold back the tide of kali yuga, so if devotees do not unite to propagate the chanting of Hare Krishna in the most systematically effective way, then whose fault is it if kali yuga continues to deteriorate the finer attributes of mankind? I have heard Iskcon leaders explaining that those killed at the World Trade Center "got what they deserved", but is that how devotees show their compassion in times of tragedy? It is just like telling devotee children who were abused in Gurukula that they were "getting their karma". I have heard that the Hare Krishna's are first in philosophy and last in compassion. Why not first in both? Titiksava karunika. A devotee is tolerant and compassionate. In fact, a devotee is supposed to be an ocean of mercy. Not that we should lament for the loss of the material body, but devotees must speak the truth palatably especially at times when there is extreme suffering. I am afraid that people will remember the devotees as being conspicuous by their absence during this hour of need. Later, devotees will be approaching people to solicit support for their preaching efforts, but people will respond with, "Where were YOU when YOUR help was needed?" So I believe that Bhakta Jim is correct in his analysis of the situation. Bhakta Jim joined our Harinam party at Times Square and was our most enthusiastic dancer. He was jumping high in the air and was head and shoulders above the rest of us. Perhaps that is why he can see what others cannot. I hope that Bhakta Jim will be inspired by Krishna from within to return to New York to help coordinate the preaching effort here. Even if the best he can do is get the various groups to go out separately (but daily) by appealing to their sense of compassion he will have accomplished more than anyone else has to date. The rebuilding of New York City is going to take years and we will continue our sankirtana activity here as long as there is a New York City, and without interruption. We will not decrease. And if there is an awakening of a cooperative spirit amongst the vaisnavas, we will be overjoyed to be able to chant together in glorification of the Supreme Lord. And if we are not able to do that, it is just another symptom of the advancement of kali yuga. Your servant, Locanananda dasa

I keep thinking I am going to go to sleep but then something else catches my eye. I am glad yours is the last post I read before head hits bed. They are nectar, and I am going to compose some tomorrow. Of course they will take these. They are letting people share what is from their own hearts and perspectives. That site, Time, also has a place where you can share your thoughts, and read others too. I haven't done so yet, but thoughts and feelings are wideranging there, and some are very frank and uncomfortable too. So I can see that this site is not about gleaning out some religion or other. Good day to you, good soul, Jayaradhe

I see we are i sync, Atma! I just got finished posting the same one in the world review section (wasn't sure where to put it). Isn't it a wonderful post?! May peace be with you, your sis, Jayaradhe

911: An emergency wake up call for Krishna Consciousness By James S. Seymour, II (Aka Bhakta Jim) I was moved to write down some thoughts about Krishna Consciousness in light of the shocking events that transpired in New York City on the 11th of September 2001. First off, please permit me to give the readers some background on how I personally came into the orbit of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and Krishna Consciousness. As a public high school teacher (and football coach!), I had the very good fortune of having some devotee children enrolled in my school district's independent study program. The way the program works is that students meet with me once a week for all their assignments, and then turn the work back in the following week. This allows students the flexibility of pursuing subjects not offered in the regular curriculum, and also the time to work in family businesses, etc. Anyway, by Krishna's causeless mercy, I got to gradually associate more and more with this wonderful devotee family. Now after about three years, I am holding bhakti yoga classes twice a week in my own home! There is a growing number of young people here in my community who are realizing that the only way to solve their myriad problems is to chant the Holy Names of Krishna, and in their own individual fashions, to weavePrabhupada's teachings into the fabric of their daily lives. This summer, I was sent to a US History teacher workshop (on the Revolutionary War) in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I decided that while I was back east, I should explore not only the origins of the United States, but of Krishna Consciousness in America! So, with a dual "karmi/Krishna" angle of vision, I made plans to visit Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston, along with Tompkins Square Park, 26th Second Avenue, New Vrindavana, Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, etc. Wow! What an incredible "education" I received this Summer. I spent the entire month of August on the east coast. It is truly amazing, how seeing the world through Prabhupada's teachings just totally transforms your reactions to everyday people, places, and things. I am working on getting my private pilots license, and being the son of an airline pilot, I thought for sure that a visit to the National Air and Space museum at the Smithsonian would be a real rush. I have to admit that it held no fascination for me. In fact, it was a very disturbing experience, especially in light of what Prabhupada had to say about America's moon landings. To witness thousands upon thousands of tourists just "ooing and awing" over the marvels of our scientific and technological achievements actually made me sick to my stomach. Maya is so thick, so insidious, and so completely all consuming, that I realized; without the Holy Names, without Krishna Kirtan, this planet is a sinking ship of misery and suffering. All I could do for relief was to quietly chant Hare Krishna to myself, and constantly think about what Prabhupada actually did for this planet's suffering living entities, by personally risking everything he had for our benefit. For an "All-American guy" like me to come to Krishna Consciousness relatively late in the game, (I'm 36 years old), it is still very uncomfortable at times to live here in America, knowing what I now know. But fear not, the story definitely gets better from here! After "doing the Capital thing" in DC under a full moon in Pisces, I made my way over to West Virginia to see a dear friend of mine who also happens tobe a neophyte Krishna devotee- and get this- a Major in the United States Army! We went together (on Janmastami) to see New Vrindavana and the Palace of Gold. While there, we met up with two wonderful devotees, Balabhadra das and his wife Chayadevi. Obviously, the Palace of Gold was awe inspiring, and a beautiful tribute to our eternal Spiritual Master. However, as an environmentally oriented educator, I was deeply moved with the Cow Protection work being done by these humble and dedicated devotees of Prabhupada. Especially after the events of September 11, (and what they might signal with regard to global conflict), karmically speaking, Cow Protection takes on a whole new urgency. I recall now where Prabhupada taught us that widespread animal slaughter is the cause of world wars. So as we lurch ahead into the future of Kali Yuga after these terrorist actions, it is indeed a very profound thing to ponder. Probably the most incredible and enlivening experience on this summer sojourn was what lay ahead for me in New York City itself! By Krishna's arrangement, I found myself at the St. Mark's Place Sri Radha Govinda Temple, right inthe thick of the lower east side! I felt a deep historical significance beingable to stay so close to the elm tree in Tompkins Square Park, where everything started back in 1966! As luck would have it, the very first Harinam of my life started right there at the elm tree, with devotees coming from several different temples to join in. It was an intense synchronicity for me that right after touring the capitol of the United States of America, I would be in the capitol of Krishna Consciousness in America! We circled the elm tree several times, and then made our way all through the Bowery, finally ending up at the 26th Second Avenue Temple. I got to walk into the back courtyard where that famous picture of Prabhupada standing next to a fountain was taken. I thought to myself, "this is where history was made, not in Valley Forge or Philadelphia!" But that's not all! I got to actually live for a week in the St. Mark's Place temple, and finally experience "a sliver" of devotee life. It was a very purifying experience for me, because up until that time, the daily reality of being out on the streets was all just a mental concept. We would go out everyday and have kirtan, while distributing Prabhupada's books. New York is a wonderful place to preach Krishna Consciousness because overall, everyone really loves the Krishnas. The week wrapped up with some very climactic events. I got to join with several other devotees and have a rousing harinam in Times Square on a Saturday night, as well as chant Hare Krishna with other devotees who were riding in a big yellow truck right down Madison Avenue in the India Day Parade! I'd like to conclude this little story by saying that before I learned about Krishna Consciousness, (i.e. as a karmi), I really have "been there, and done that". I grew up in southern California and graduated from college at UC Santa Barbara, which is a real "party school" to be sure; where drinking alcohol and chasing girls are the focal points of life. I've traveled the world many times over, made tons of money, played music on MTV, worked on a blockbuster film, hob-knobbed with boozing politicians at the National Republican Convention, scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef, and basically done my fair share of wild, crazy and really stupid things early on in this lifetime. So I can honestly say, with 100% conviction, that there is no single activity in this material world that is more thrilling, more enlivening, more blissful, more potent, more purifying, and utterly more important for the future ofthis planet than the congregational chanting of the Lord's Holy Names!!! I am making an urgent, honest, heartfelt plea to the Krishna Devotees of the world, but most especially to those in New York City!!! Please, as Srila Prabhupada's followers: organize yourselves and converge in large numbers upon this disaster zone of America, and bombard the atmosphere with the Holy Names of KRISHNA. If other karmi groups can organize everything from "million man marches", to gay pride parades to Super Bowls, why can't all the different temple groups of Hare Krishnas re-energize Lord Caitanya's Sankirtan Movement, and zero in on New York City? This is a perfect "launch window" of opportunity! It's no coincidence that Srila Prabhupada chose New York as the epicenter of Krishna Consciousness in the western world. New York City sets the pace for the rest of the world in every sphere of activity, from finance and fashion, to art, music and cuisine. If devotees could stage kirtans around the clock all through the city, with special focus around the damaged areas, they could not only help to counteract the glaring effects of Maya, but could also focus international media attention on Prabhupada's Movement! This terrorist event is actually the wake up call for all the Krishna Devotees of Prabhupada's Society to transcend the "little sectarian differences" that have preoccupied and stagnated the movement! This in-house quarreling has not only turned-off multitudes of potential new devotees, but it has kept existing devotees from the real work that is so urgently needed, RIGHT NOW, which is widespread, intensive, and focused efforts to invade New York City with Krishna Kirtans!!! As an ex football coach, believe me! There's nothing like a "COMEBACK KID"! Why not start a massive, second wave of Krishna Consciousness in America? With a constant onslaught of kirtans all over the city, devotees could get media coverage on Larry King Live, Oprah Winfrey, 20/20, Nightline, you name it! (Besides, all the other religious groups are banding together to pray for the victims of the terrorist disaster, and they're getting media attention!) So, it is in this spirit of national urgency that I urge all the leaders of ISKCON, plus any and all other Krishna groups to unite in the Holy Names,and really BOMB New York with the one sound that can end all quarreling and dissention: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare! So, "who's game"? To quote President John F. Kennedy, "If not you, who? if not now, when?" Thank you all very, very much for reading this, and All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Hare Krishna! My email address is: james_seymourii@e..., jimmy171@j... Very Sincerely, Your most fallen, eternal servant, James S. Seymour, II. AKA (Bhakta Jim)

Hmm, Alf--what do you think? True, or false?