River Cruise

We boarded the Rivership Romance for a cruise on the St.Johns River. One of Florida's longest rivers flowing north. It was a three-hour ecological tour. It was interesting to know about the tannic content of the river, the Spanish moss hanging over the trees, identifying birds like the Osprey, the Blue heron, the ibis and of course the alligators.

Birds of Florida - Part 2

Today at around 11.30 a.m, I spotted a pair of Sandhill Cranes near a temple premises here in Longwood, Orlando FL

Sandhill Crane

Large gray body with a bright red cap

Interesting Facts
1. Sandhill Cranes are noted for their elaborate courtship displays. Two displays are used to form mating pairs while three other displays occur only between mates and serve to maintain the pair bond.

2. When approached by an avian predator, Sandhill Cranes fly at the predator, kicking it with their feet.

3. A crane fossil approximately ten million years old was found in Nebraska and is structurally identical to the modern Sandhill Crane, making it the oldest known bird species still surviving.

Birds of Florida

July 27th

1.00 pm - Spotted a Limpkin near the shrubs

6.00 pm – Spotted mottled ducks near the pond

Maitland

Away from home in a far off town
Where taking a stroll is no more fun

I find it eerie to walk down the lane
So I sit in my hotel thinking again

How would I survive the days to come?
Or should I just pack up and run home

It is only my work that needs my concern
And I just have to adapt to this life on the run

It feels good in a way, to see new things
And experience whatever life brings

Oh and I’m living in the sunshine state
And it sure is sunny till eight!

The ‘o’ in the cloud says hellooo…

We just moved into our own apartment in Hyderabad a couple of weeks back.
It is June and the monsoon has set into Ardhra Pradesh.

Late afternoon, there was a loud thunder maybe it was the rain clouds saying ‘Hello Hyderabad… we are back with a bang’!
And this is how the clouds posed for me today.

They did perform a 2 minute show with a downpour and disappeared to God knows where! Well it happens; maybe they were in a hurry. But I’m looking forward to receiving more of their relations in Hyderabad in the coming weeks.

Excerpts from Bhagavad Gita

46. Arjuna says, 'Krishna, please may I ask You a few more questions?
Why did You create the Universe in the first place? Why did You create man? What is the purpose of human life? I hope You would be kind enough to explain.'

47. Krishna replies, 'Arjuna, at last you are beginning to think! Let Me start with the question about why I created the Universe. I have already told you that I exist even when the Universe does not. I am then in a state of sheer oneness and absolute bliss. It is not easy for ordinary mortals to understand that state but elevated souls can, especially when they go into a trance.'

48. 'Arjuna, you may not believe this, but like humans, I also enjoy sport. Devotees refer to My sport as Leela. Creation is a Leela of God! I created diversity so that I could play with Myself, appearing in numerous forms!'

49. 'You might have sometimes seen children play with dolls. They hold the doll and talk to it. And they speak as if the doll is talking back to them. They try to feed and even spank the doll if they think it is misbehaving. My Leela is similar!'

50. 'In one line: I separated Myself from Myself so that I could Love Myself! A mother shows love to her child. That is what your eyes see.
In reality it is I, acting as the mother, who is showing love to Myself acting as the child! Feel dizzy? Don't worry! You will soon get used to this kind of stuff!'

51. Arjuna says, 'Krishna, I have a problem here. If You say that all the action one sees in the Universe is just a manifestation of You loving Yourself, then how come there is desire, attachment, etc., all of which You disapprove of?'

52. Krishna replies, 'Well, that is an interesting point you have brought up. You see Arjuna, what you call attachment, desire, etc., are, truly speaking, merely distortions of Love. I have left room for such distortions to add spice to My Leela!'

53. 'Let Me now explain why I created man. Consider a tigress. You know how fiercely the tigress protects its cubs. That protective instinct is born of motherly love. But the tigress cannot know anything about the original source of this love. So, in My Creation, I decided that there should be one species that is capable of higher consciousness.
A monkey may love its kids but it is not evolved enough to be aware of Me, and to Love Me as the Supreme Creator. That is why I created man.
In fact, I created him in My own image, blessing him with innumerable treasures, making it easy for him to recognise Me.'

54. 'Among the various species, the human form is not only the highest, but also the most sacred. Jantunam, Narajanmam Durlabham. The human form is very precious because it is in this form alone that an entity in Creation can truly cognise Me and become one with Me.'

55. 'This automatically brings Me to the Purpose of Life. This purpose is very simple. From God you have come, and to God you must return; that is all!'

56. 'People, may shake their heads and declare, "This is impossible!
How can one make God the only object of life? What about family and relatives? What about work and relaxation? Should life become one long, dull and monotonous pilgrimage to something we do not understand?" Let Me answer this doubt.'

57. 'Arjuna, you should remember that it is I who created Society, building diversity into it. Therefore, I know very well that Society needs all kinds of services for it to exist and carry on. I am not asking anyone to walk away from life. But, and this is an important point, no matter who one is and to what strata one belongs, everyone can follow his or her vocation in life in such a manner that life's purpose is also duly fulfilled.'

58. 'How is that? Here is the answer. First, quietly chant My Name while going about your work. Let us say you are sweeping the floor. It is quite easy to sweep the floor and also chant My Name at the same time.'

59. 'By the way, there are no restrictions when it comes to Name selection. I am known by many Names and you can pick any one that pleases you. Just make sure that when you chant My Name, you do so with feeling and with Love in your Heart.'

60. 'Sometimes, chanting may not be possible while you are working.
For example, pretty soon you would be busy fighting. Obviously, you would have to concentrate on the battle and cannot be chanting My Name continuously. But no problem. Just think of Me for a moment before you start.
Say a small prayer like, "Lord, I am going to be busy for a while. But it is Your work I shall be busy with. Please bless it and accept that as a humble offering from me to You." After that short prayer, you can go about your business.'

61. 'When the task is completed, you can once again say a small prayer offering thanks and expressing gratitude. So, a little prayer before, work in between and a short prayer on completion - a spiritual sandwich if you like! That will do the trick, converting work into worship!'

62. 'Arjuna, the essential point is this. I have given man a body and a mind to discover Me and to come back to me. That is why I confer the human form on a select few. That opportunity ought to be properly used and not wasted.'

63. Arjuna asks, 'Lord, You say few but there are so many people on this earth! There is something here that I am missing.'

64. Krishna replies, 'If you look at the human population alone, it might seem large. But remember, there are 8.4 million living species!
Compare the human population with the total population of all the other species put together, including the innumerable tiny insects.
You will then realise that very few indeed are at the top of the evolution ladder, just one step away from God. Surely you would concede that is indeed a rare opportunity.'

65. 'So the big question before man is whether man should waste this wonderful opportunity, living like an animal or a demon. Instead, why not follow My simple three-point formula, which is:
1) Always think of me
2) Always think you are doing my work, whatever it be
3) Dedicate all your actions to me
Stick to this magic formula and you would be home in no time at all.'

66. Arjuna responds, 'Krishna, I have a little problem with Your observation that we should think we are working for You. Let us say there is a farmer who has employed a servant. The farmer pays the wages and therefore the servant is working for the farmer and not You.
How can the servant think he is working for You? This point is not clear to me.'

67. Krishna laughs and says, 'Arjuna, if you understand what the Cosmic Drama is all about, you would not be asking this question.
True, the servant is working for the farmer but that is so only in a worldly sense. In reality, who is that farmer but Me in disguise? That is the feeling of Oneness that you ought to have.'

68. Arjuna replies, 'You are in effect saying I must see God in all, aren't You? But I still have a problem. Let us say this farmer is stingy and cruel. How can I think he is You? You are Purity, Compassion and Love whereas that farmer is mean, dishonest and wicked.
See my difficulty?'

69. Krishna replies, 'Arjuna, if you look merely at the surface, you would only see a mean and wicked person as you describe him. But go a bit deeper and what do you find then? You will discover that the so- called wicked farmer is indeed God in disguise giving you a test! Test is taste for God, you know!'

70. Arjuna is unconvinced. He shrugs and says, 'Krishna this is just too much! You are supposed to be God. You know everything. Then why must You test a person and make him suffer in the process? Just why do You have to do that?'

71. Krishna says in reply, 'You have got it all wrong. When did I tell you that I test a person in order to find out what exactly he is like?
I know for sure everything about every person of the past, the present and also the future. When I test you, it is merely for helping you to know where exactly you are on the spiritual ladder.'

72. 'A smart devotee would say, "This is a test that God has given me.
And I have done just the opposite of what He expects from me, which means I have flunked! Let this be a lesson. Next time, let me get my act together properly and not fail like now."'

73. 'If people introspect like this all the time, there would be rapid progress. And when there is progress, tests would also become less frequent.'

74. Arjuna is not ready to give up and raises a new question. He says, 'Something is still missing. I can think of many noble souls who in spite of being very pure face a lot of suffering. How do You explain that?'

75. Krishna replies, 'Oh, you have noticed that, have you? Well, the answer to that so-called paradox is the following: It is true that those noble people you are referring to do not require any quality check. Yet I put them through the grind as a part of My Master Plan!'

76. A shocked Arjuna asks, 'Your give them suffering as a part of Your Master Plan? What on earth for?'

77. Krishna replies, 'Arjuna, you must remember that everything that God does has a purpose. In this world, there are any number of bad guys who keep on setting the wrong example. Don't you think the world also needs at least a few good role models for Kshama or forbearance?
Once again, God does everything with a purpose. If a blade of grass moves, that too is a part of My Master Plan. You must have that deep faith.'

More on this series available on
http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01MAR06/gita.htm.

Jai Jagannath!

Puri in Orissa is one of the most renowned pilgrimage sites for the Hindus. All saints from the Hindu religion have preached the greatness of this place. Adi Shankarar swami established his mutt in Puri.

After we read about the glories of Puri I and Aravind decide to visit Puri this year and as Ugadi (the telugu new year) was on a weekday (Monday the 19th of March) we planned to travel over the long weekend. A few members from my family and a friend from work Deepak joined us.

Initially a friend of ours from work who is a native of Bhubaneswar was to travel along with us but unfortunately he could not come along but he was always available over phone and best of all he had planned your visit so well including the food, accommodation and a local tour guide!

Although the visit to Puri is sacred and a necessary step towards a spiritual journey, I felt I had it for once and that will do. This was basically due to the pandas who preside over the daily pujas of the temple. Well I don’t want to waste my time thinking much about it.

The darshan of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra has to a great extent calmed me from the external annoyance. And so I took back a part of them in me and also as idols for my puja.

From what all saints have described of Puri they all mention the importance of the Prasadam from here. It is considered divine. So we did have a lot of prasadam and also brought back the same for friends and family.

Puri as such is a very picturesque place. One can find every temple entrance guarded my two graciously carved and colorfully painted lions.
These lions are symbols of the Kalinga dynasty who ruled over the lands of Orissa.

At Puri Jagannath temple we also had darshan of the beautiful vigraham of Surya bagavan holding two lotus flowers on his hands. This vigraham was initially suspended between magnetic blocks in the konark sun temple.
Unfortunately as this magnet misguided several ships that crossed the Bay of Bengal the Portuguese destroyed them. Also as the temple at konark was not maintained and destroyed by several settlers from the west the vigraham of Surya bagavan was brought to Puri and has been here since then.

The Sun temple at Konark is a mystery that would never be revealed. The entrance to the temple has been sealed. One can only view the stone chariot which again is in very bad condition. Several sculptures have been destroyed by settlers and yet the amount of renovation and maintenance is not enough to recoup the original magnificence.

On our way back to Bhubaneswar we went to visit a Krishna temple around 17kms from the city. The form of Krishna here is called sakki or shakshi gopal meaning one who stands as witness. Every devotee who visits Puri to take darshan of Lord Jagannath should also visit sakshi Gopal to inform Krishna of their visit to Puri.