MahaMondo

Govardhan Puja : How to Put On A Dhoti

There is a strong resurgence in the temples among Bhaktas to wear devotional clothing once again during festivals & programs. For the Devi Dasis , this means a sari & for the men , dhoti & kurta. The sannyasis & brahmacharis belong to the exclusive saffron club. Here's a great vdo which takes the mystery & guesswork out of putting on a dhoti Vrindavan style. Jai Prabhuji !

Bhajan : Jaya Radha Madhava

It was a blessing today to meet H.H. Dhanvantari Swami who is visiting with Maharaja. In this vdo , he sings the beautiful bhajan Jaya Radha Madhava & the Maha Mantra at a Sunday Festival in Rio de Janeiro. Next weekend is an important one for Vaishnavas as Saturday is Srila Prabhupada's disappearance day & Sunday is the celebration of Govardhan Puja at New Dwark Dhama . I will be tired from my upcoming Vancouver trip but am looking forward to driving Maharaja & Dhanvantari Swami to the Santa Barbara program on Saturday morning. Jaya !

Living in the Material World : Pilgrimage

This is a copy of George Harrison's book , Living in the Material World , which is a gift for Maharaja when I visit him for SEVA tomorrow.

Chapter 4 entitled " Pilgrimage " has this insight :

" Each person has to find himself a way for inner realisation. I still believe that's the only reason we're on this planet.

It's like going to school again : each soul is potentially divine & the goal is to manifest that divinity.

Everything else is secondary . "

George

Hari Hari ! Thank you for being an inspiration -

 

Surya Namaskar Topanga : Ashtanga Yoga Mantram

It was a wee bit chilly around 7:30 AM this morning when I arrived in Topanga for our teacher Jorgen C.'s Yoga Day LA  AM class.

The sun did finally come out at around the same time we started with the Surya Namaskar series , drying the dew on the grass at the Topanga Community Center.

As Kayoko M. put it , " It was so nice to practice with the sun ! "

The 1st pic shows us chanting the Ashtanga Yoga mantram :

vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde
sandarśita-svātma-sukhāva-bodhe
niḥśreyase jāngalikāyamāne
saṃsāra-hālāhala-mohaśāntyai


ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ
śaṇkha-cakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra-śirasaṃ śvetaṃ
praṇamāmi patañjalim Om Shanti Shanti Shanti -

John Sahakian : Buddha Soul Retreat Western Oz

This is for John Sahakian , who taught me how to breathe. I saw him this evening at Veggie Grill in Sta. Monica , the same calm & smiling John as always. He's been travelling & teaching in Bali; and coming up in Nov. is a retreat in Western Oz. Just breathe -

Jackson Hole : The Green Book

The view on the left is of the Grand Tetons from the Rockefeller Ranch in Jackson WY.

I had a very good insight from an ex-LA resident who has now moved to JH full time as I dropped her off at the Penninsula Hotel yesterday. She said that " Jackson will always remain that way. It's real." And I totally understood what she meant. 

The wide open skies , valleys , mountains, rivers & wildlife will be intact for a while barring a global meltdown. Slow growth & preservation have won. 

I got a chance to peruse a copy of The Green Book : An Everyday Guide To Saving the Planet One Step At A Time while in Jackson. I was initially put off by the preponderance of celebrity quotes & anecdotes ; but once I got past them , I found it an eye opener. 

From personal experience , I really dislike all the packaging that even so-called "green businesses" like Whole Foods , are throwing our way. You may be saving on plastic bags by bringing an Eco-tote , but what about all the residual paper , cardboard & plastic that the food & goods come in ?

Or LALAYoga Magazine that advocates unnecessary consumerism by pushing a " fashion / shopping " guide. Your editorial team is so yoga chic, hehe. Not to mention their ridiculous cover with the model wearing high heels while in asana.

Pick up a copy of "The Green Book". It will show you ways to BE THE CHANGE , for real.

But as Bhakta George Harrison put it , " We are living in the material world " . So if you do make it to Jackson , do visit Aspens Market & Atelier Ortega , businesses that are not only extraordinary , but committed to quality.

Bhakti Yoga : Bhajan Boat NYC

Thanks to Eddie S. once again for the email regarding this Sunday's benefit organized by his friend Shyam Das for Vrindavan Food for Life ( www.fflvrindavan.org ), a charity that runs a school for impoverished children in Vrindavan ( the town is home to many temples dedicated to Radha & Krishna ). The benefit will be held as a "bhajan boat ride " on the Circle Line. It will feature 3 hours of kirtan led by bhaktas Karnamrita , Gaura Vani , Jahnavi , Sri Kirtan & Arundhati. This is with the support from Sri Dharma Mitra , the Broome St. Temple , Bija Yoga & the Bhakti Center. Haribol !

Yoga Day LA : Sunrise Yoga with Jorgen C.

Our teacher , Jorgen C. , will be conducting a       " Sunrise Yoga Session" next Saturday from 8 to 9:15 AM.

This will mark the opening of the 1st Annual " Yoga Day LA " which is being held at the Topanga Community Club.

He will probably be doing most of a Led Primary Series , starting off with Surya Namaskars , apropos to Sunrise Yoga outdoors.

"Jorgen has travelled extensively on the Indian subcontinent from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. For years, he visited numerous ashrams , and studied with many yogis the various aspects of Yoga , including Pranayama in Varanasi & Bhakti Yoga with the Vaishnavas in Vrindavan."

A portion of the proceeds will go to NEXTAID , an LA based nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of music to support sustainable development projects that serve vulnerable children youth & women in Africa.

 

Jackson Hole WY : Close to Heaven

Just got back from my 1st visit to Jackson Hole WY . It did not disappoint.

As a seasoned traveller , I have become wary of the overhyped & at times unimpressive upon arrival ; of finding " there is no there there " . None of that here. It is amazing.

Jackson makes Aspen look crowded . The uninterrupted expanse of blue skies , the 360 degree views of the snow covered Tetons from the Rockefeller Ranch , the Snake River with sightings of elk , the silence . These are some of the things that make people describe Jackson as being close to heaven. 

I never felt so at peace. The ultimate luxury in our current era would be wide ,open & unspoiled spaces. And Jackson will be that way for a while.

The Amangani ( Peaceful Home ) is the epitome of how a sublime space can transport. As JustLuxe.com puts it , " If there is a ledge where angels like to peek down on the earth from , then it is the perch from this resort . " 

AYNY : LES Harm Reduction Center

Thank you Eddie Stern for the head's up via email : " Hats off to AYNY student Sylvia Rascon & my wife Jocelyne Stern for the amazing work they are doing at the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center. " & If you are planning on dropping in at one of Eddie's classes in Soho shortly , you will be heading to the 3rd floor for puja & practice.The 2/F is currently undergoing retrofitting which should be done in a month & a half -