Rain, rain and more rain

It rains a lot here in Swansea. For many years Swansea was the wettest recorded place in Europe, there's something to be proud of.

For a lot of people the rain is something that they have to put up with whilst on the way to work or when out shopping, few people work in it. Those who do probably don't like it.

The Bhagavad Gita ( an ancient spiritual classic from the Vedic scriptures) States "O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (BG 2.14)

Easier said than done.

Every day, give or take a few, I go out into a town or a city and try and give people books on Krishna Consciousness. Some of you may have received one from me. When it rains I really don't feel like doing it, I hate the rain. Yes hates a strong word but after years and years of standing out in it I really, really wish it would just stop. (maybe if it could just rain at night)

I do have to think of the above verse every time the rain falls, this is after all the material world and no matter where I go there will be some kind of disturbance. No material situation is perfect.

Sometimes though when it rains and I just surrender to the situation and think of all the extreme suffering in the world I realize that a little (or a lot in here in Wales) water falling down on me isn't so bad after all. There is the added bonus of course that when it rains it gives me the chance to remember that I should be always willing to serve Krishna no matter what my material situation. Then come rain or shine I will be happy.

A Monks Life

Pretty much every day some one will ask me "what does a monk do?" I normally just tell them of my daily routine and of my travels. After a recent interview for a playwrite I have decided to change my presentation of a monks life.

What is it that I find so attractive about my lifestyle? It can't be the daily routine that would be rather boring (who likes getting up at 4am every day?) and I do the same thing when I go traveling. No I realized the true existence of a monk, my real life is an internal one. The daily routine is there to serve my deepening internal relationship with God (Krishna).

So to ask a monk what he does, is asking him not about his external activities, but in fact to be asking him a very deep and personal question about his prayers, his devotional sentiments and internal struggles, about his personal realization of his love for Krishna and how that relationship is manifest in his life.

So, what does a monk do????

I find my day is formed by my morning prayer (Japa Meditation). I have recently been reviewing the way in which I offer my prayers, trying to go deeper, with more of a sense of truthfulness behind my plea's to God. A book, The Confidential Secrets of Chanting the Holy Name in Perfection, by Sacinandana Swami has helped greatly. It has been revealing to my stone like heart how to actually call out for Krishna's grace, His love. Now I am a long way off being a perfect chanter, but I am noticing the difference a little attention to the mood and effort put into our prayers can make to the rest of the day. This attentive prayer helps my consciousness be less and less about material needs and desires but more and more about exploring and experiencing a blossoming relationship with God and His devotees.

This is the essence of my daily existence, a day by day activity that sees me trying to get that little bit closer to being free from material bondage and a step nearer knowing who I really am,

as an eternal, spiritual being in loving servitude to Krishna.

oops

First of all let me apologise for not posting anything for a couple of weeks, I've been caught up in going to festivals and other trips all of which fit into this post.

You may have seen a recent news item about a man walking around a town in America, naked, claiming he was a terminator from the future. This got me thinking about the power of association.

This man had immersed himself so much in the world of the terminator films that after seeing the latest take on the genre, he had managed to become convinced that he was in fact a terminator.

Most people at the music festivals I've been going to wholeheartedly take on board the mentality ( and dress ) of the bands that they want to see, even if it is just for the weekend.

I didn't notice how much being at these festivals had effected my own state of consciousness until I went straight from Glastonbury to a European convention of fellow Hare Krishna Monks. It became obvious to me when in the serene company of spiritually advanced persons that the 2 weeks of selling books in the company of festival goers had left me a little course and rough around the edges. How quickly I had changed due to association ( and how quickly I felt myself spiritually enlivened again in the company of these saints (Sadhus)) .

Truly what we associate with effects us, without a doubt.

All this should bring up the question .... what kind of person do I want to be?

So what what kind of person do you want to be? and what are you doing about it?