From the Editor's Desk | 
Spring has arrived in Texas, bringing gorgeous spectrum of colors with
it. Miles and miles of breathtaking blue bonnets remind us of
Radha Rani's blazing blue saree; the sprinkled butter cup patches her
dainty pink veil. The drifting dark cloud, with golden sunlight
lining, paints the picture of captivating Shree Krishna gliding in his
luminous pitambar.
How incredible is Mother Nature -
the huge tree hidden in a seed, the sweet fruit hidden in a flower, the
varicolored butterfly hidden in a cocoon, the divine music hidden in
bamboo. Abundant
vitality is hidden in God's creation! "His material energy that
composes this world is amazingly complex and fathomless," says Swami
Mukundananda ji. Therefore, when you wake up to the warm sun light or
fall asleep to the cool breeze, think of God. This month, we honor Mother Earth. |
 | Bhakti Ras
Creation is Sweet, Our Creator is Sweeter When
we step out into the open at the end of a busy day, and take one look
at the blue sky, the lush green trees, or the bright flowers, we feel
refreshed and rejuvenated. Is there any one that is not stirred and
delighted by the sights and the sounds of nature? All of us are drawn to
the beauty and brilliance of God's creation - the splendid colors in
the rainbow, the glow in the fire, the radiance in the sun, the
exquisite light of the moon, and infinite other sources of joy.
Hence, there is no human being who is not a devotee of God, says Valmiki
Maharshi. How do we know that He has become this world?
How do we know He is the ultimate artist of this superb creation?
Shree Krishna Himself explains to Arjun that everything has emanated
from Him: भूमिरापोऽनलो वायु: खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च |
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ||
bhoomirāpo'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva cha
ahankāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛitir aṣhṭadhā (Bhagavad Gita, 7-4)
 "Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego-these are the eight components of my material energy." Not
only does everything originate from Him, He pervades the entire
universe. Hence, we derive immense joy from His magnificent
nature. If spending some time in the lap of nature were to give us
this much of happiness, imagine the happiness we would derive from
seeking its creator in His personal form. The bliss of His
personal form is ecstatic. King Janak, an embodiment of wisdom and
never identified himself as the body, was overwhelmed by love with one
glance at the alluring form of Shree Rama. Bewildered by his own
emotions, he says: सहज बिरागरूप मनु मोरा, थकित होत जिमि चंद चकोरा
sahaja birāgaroopa manu morā, thakita hota jimi chaṅda chakorā "By
nature, my mind is free from all worldly objects, but I am spellbound
by the sight of shree Rama, like the partridge (chakora bird) is
fascinated by the nectarous rays of the moon." Such is the divine
charisma of His personal form! Sukhadev Paramhansa heard one
verse from Bhagavatam that expounded the sublime beauty of the personal
form of Shree Krishna, and went into rapture. So, the moment we
start developing a relationship with our Ishta Dev (personal form of
God), we lay the first stone for His temple in our heart. We feel
His constant presence as we take our mind to His names, virtues,
pastimes, divine abode, and saints. That is when we start moving
towards His Ocean of Bliss, inch by inch. Just one drop of this
ocean is sweeter than all the joy we derive from His creation. |
| | Inspirations for Living
Patience: A Virtue to Learn from Mother Earth
Our elders have taught us to begin the day with this prayer before we roll out of our bed and set our feet on the earth:
समुद्रवसने देवी, पर्वतस्तन मंडिते | विष्णु पत्नी नमस्तुभयं, पादस्पर्शम क्षमस्वमे ||
samudravasane devī, parvatastana maṅḍite viṣhṇu patnī namastubhyaṁ, pādasparśham kṣhamasvame "O
Mother Earth, with oceans as your flowing garments and the mountains as
your bosom, you are the consort of Shree Vishnu. I bow to you; pardon
me for touching you with my feet."
Yet, we trample on her and
plough the land for farming. When we sow a seed, she bears it in
her womb, keeping it warm until it is the right time to germinate.
Moreover, when the seed shoots up breaking through her womb, she
supplies all the necessary nutrients to the plant. Do we stop
here? No. We drill holes into her to plunder the wealth hidden in
her womb. She responds to our harsh behavior with patience and
kindness, providing us everything - food, clothes, minerals, oil,
medicine, and much more - that sustains our body. Of many lessons,
Mother Earth teaches us to be patient and to endure.
When we
cultivate patience, it can bring amazing results. A multinational
company once called a few candidates for a job interview. On the
day of the interview, four candidates arrived at 9:00 AM, as per the
instructions. The front desk administrative assis tant
received them and asked them to wait in the lounge. After an
hour, she walked up to them, handing each candidate a piece of paper and
pen, she said, "The hiring manager asked you to provide a few details
about your previous work experience."
While
one interviewee wondered why he had to write it down again as
everything was in his resume, another one began to write, shaking his
head and muttering something under his breath. One of them just
stood up and said, "I bet they already have offered this position to
someone," and left. Forty minutes later, the administrative
assistant came back to them and collecting the papers, said in an
apologetic tone, "Gentlemen, we are sorry for the delay; the manager had
to take an important phone call from one of our clients. It may
take a while before he can see you. It's almost lunch time, why
don't you go down to the cafeteria and have something and be back here
by 12:30?"
One of the three left, saying that
he has another appointment that afternoon. The remaining two had
their lunch and were back to the lounge on time, only to hear from the
administrative assistant that the manager was still on the conference
call with the client. One of the two candidates swiftly walked out
saying, "My whole morning was ruined; this is not acceptable. I
wouldn't work for a company like this anyway." A
few minutes later the hiring manager walked out, and extending a
handshake to the one interviewee he said, "Congratulations! You
are hired. Since it is a client-facing position, we were looking
for someone who has a lot of patience."
So, when a situation
doesn't go according to our plan or when a person is not agreeable,
staying calm and waiting patiently is wise. When the water is
impure , we add alum and wait patiently for the dust to settle
down. Similarly, patience and forbearance yield clear results in
life. |
| | Bal-Mukund: Playground for Vedic Wisdom
Everything in His Creation is Useful Once,
a pupil living in a gurukul went to his guru and asked for a new pair
of clothes, as the ones he had were torn. The guru arranged for a
new set of clothes for him. The next day, when the guru saw the
pupil in his new clothes, he asked him, "My dear child, what did you do
with your old pair of clothes?" The pupil said, "I washed those
clothes and am using as a mat to sit while doing pranayam, guru ji."
"What did you do with the clothes that you were using before as a mat for pranayam?" asked the guru.
"I
left those in the kitchen, so that the cook can use those clothes as
pads while holding the big, hot pots and pans," said the pupil.
"What did you do with the clothes that were used as pads before?" questioned the guru again.
"I am using those to mop the floor in the meditation hall," said the resourceful pupil.
Surprised at his pupil's ingenuity, the guru continued, "What happened to the cloth that was used before to mop the floor?"
"Guru ji, that cloth was worn out, so I washed it thoroughly, cut it into  pieces, and I am using those pieces as wicks for the oil lamps," answered the creative pupil!
Repurposing
or recycling objects is not a new concept; it has been there since
ancient times. And going green is not new either; ancient writers
for example used everything green - writing instruments, assembling and
preserving paper, ink, etc. If we consciously make an effort, we
certainly can re-use products at home. Recycling not only
preserves the natural resources for the coming generations, but the
products made from recycled material are less expensive than products
made from fresh materials. |
| | Our First Holi Celebration
On
Sunday, March 22nd, history was made as the city of Dallas witnessed
the very first Holi celebration at the site of the Radha Krishna
Temple. Volunteers worked very hard to plan and make necessary
arrangements for weeks leading up to the Holi Hanga ma
event. With every activity they undertook, they asked themselves,
"Would my Krishna be pleased? Will this bring a smile on my Radha
Rani's face? Will this make my Guru proud?" With hearts
full of devotion for Hari and Guru, volunteers intensified their
efforts during the final week. The sun played hide and seek, for
an entire week leading to the event, keeping volunteers on their toes in
anticipation of rain! But clearly, the blessings of Hari and Guru
were with us, for the weather cleared up just in time and made way for a
bright and beautiful day!
The celebration started with an
amazing and flawless performance by our precious Bal-Mukund
students. This was followed by soul-stirring Kirtans by our
talented team of singers and musicians which had the audience completely
soaked in the spirit of B raj-style
Holi. Several devotees could be seen chanting and dancing on the
joyous occasion, immersed in devotion towards Shree Radha Krishna!
This was followed by a special discourse by Swami Mukundananda ji on
the history and importance of Holi which enthralled the guests, young
and old! Kids as young as five years old, could be seen intently
listening and being inspired by Swamiji's discourse.
After
relishing this wonderful food for the soul, guests were treated to some
of the best, tantalizing Indian food in town. All the hard work
that went into planning the arrangement of food and beverages became
very evident with its flawless execution! Live dhol by Dholi TK
and great music by DJ Manish kept guests moving, while being united in a
fun color play. Amidst screams of "Holi Hai!" guests colored one
another irrespective of their ages or ethnic background! Radha
Krishna Temple was truly the nucleus of the community, bringing everyone
so close together!
To
top off the celebrations, Swamiji led guests in a Parikrama around the
temple site, singing and dancing in praise of Shree Radhe Govind, while
showering flower petals and colors on baby Radha and Krishna.
Swamiji's rendition of a beautiful Kirtan describing the feelings of a
Gopi on her way to play Holi with Lord Krishna was mesmerizing and
transported devotees to the holy land of Vrindavan.
In all, it
was an unforgettable day! Colors may have been washed away, but
memories of Holi Hangama remain fresh in the hearts of those who
attended, leaving them waiting for the next event! Radha Krishna
Temple warmly invites everyone to be a part of our growing family of
volunteers and devotees and experience the bliss of bhakti! |
Community Events Update
The
Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas is more than just a temple under
construction. It is a thread that binds the local community, providing
inspiration and support to members through various activities for the
benefit of the body, mind, and soul.
It also offers abundant
opportunities to volunteer and participate in various events to uplift
self and others. Do you have special talents like writing,
singing, engaging in discourse or any other? Think of the Radha
Krishna Temple of Dallas as the avenue for expressing your
talents. We do not need to wait for the construction to be
completed to increase our involvement in various activities.
From
weekly satsangs and chanting groups to yoga classes and intellectual
discourse, the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas is already becoming known
for its voluntary activities for the benefit the community. Please
contact us at [email protected] to find out more about how to engage. |
|  | Weekly Satsangs
These
satsangs truly propel one in the ocean of bhakti through a combination
of prayer, singing bhajans/kirtans, viewing a video lecture, and
followed by arati, and Prasad.
For local satsang information visit: www.radhakrishnatemple.net or [email protected]. |
|
|  | | Bhagavad Gita
Study Group | Free Community
Yoga Classes | Vishnu Sahashra
Naam Chanting At: 4020 Sendero Trail
Plano, TX 75024
On: 1st Sat, 3 to 4 PM
Details & Registration |
|
|
 |  'Dollar A Day' - Pledge Continuous Support! Donate a Dollar a Day towards the building and upkeep of the Radha Krishna temple! By donating just $1 everyday,
you'll help this noble cause!
How many of us have the opportunity and are fortunate enough to build a house for God? Set up monthly contributions through credit card/debit card by calling: 860-605-3685 or by visiting temple website at Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (click). |
|
| | Wellness for Life
The Magic Elixir of Tulasi  Mother
Earth provides many plants and herbs that have medicinal properties.
Our scriptures indicate how advanced our Vriksha Sastra (Botany or the
plant science) was when we hear about the Sanjeevani herb that helped
Lakshman regain his consciousness. One of such medicinally
valuable plant is Tulasi. There is a reason why almost every home
in India has a Tulasi plant in the courtyard. Every time we go to
any temple, the priest while giving us the Tulasi teertham (तीर्थम)
says: सर्व व्याधि निवारणम
sarva vyādhi nivāraṇam
"Let all illnesses be prevented"
This fragrant herbal plant certainly does aid in preventing and curing several ailments:  Chewing a few leaves brings relief to cough and sore throat. - Taking the decoction of leaves with honey and ginger relieves bronchitis, asthma, influenza, and cold.
- In
case of acute fever, a decoction of the leaves boiled with cardamom
powder in water, mixed with sugar and milk, brings down the
temperature.
- Tulasi supports digestive system and prevents bloating. It also helps people suffering from vomiting and lack of appetite.
- Tulasi
leaves contain anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Applying a
paste made of Tulasi leaves along with sandalwood paste and rose water
prevents skin inflammation.
- Tulasi is also used in the treatment of ulcers, cuts, and wounds because of its beneficial antiseptic and healing properties.
- Rubbing Tulasi leaves on areas that itch gives quick relief.
- Adding a few leaves to hot water and inhaling the vapor clears up the sinuses.
Besides,
Tulasi aids in purification of atmosphere. It gives out oxygen
for 20 hours and ozone for 4 hours, along with the formation of nascent
oxygen, which absorbs harmful gases like carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, and Sulphur dioxide from the environment. It is also a
good germicidal agent and a disinfectant that protects the human body
from all types of viral infections. Try to grow Tulasi plant on a
window ledge or porch, which helps us and our surroundings too.
Chew a few raw leaves regularly to reap the benefits. |
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