Daily number of rounds of Hare Krishna mahamantra.
Multiple
When, where and how did you come into contact with the Hare Krishna Movement?
My atheistic but very poor Parents took me & my siblings to Sydney iskon temple as small children in 1970's, where we enjoyed eating prasada very much , because we were so poor , & so hungry all of the time, we had to kill our own chickens, (they were cheap broilers by the hundreds) & we collected our bread from bins behind the bakery, (it was stale) & we ate rotting fruit & veges that were going to be chucked out by the fruit & Vege shop.
So the prasada was very memorable , I never forgot that . Later I was gifted with a copy of Bhagavad-gita at Bondi, as a homeless child, by a young brahmacari with the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my life. I did not read it however, as I was young & distracted by the material world & all of its illusions, but carried it with me for over 30 years, through the seasons of my life, believing that I would read it ,one day, if I had the time. However, Time did not allow for me to read it unfortunately, & it was destroyed in a flood 30 years later, after carrying it with me through many years of unecessary suffering in my own ignorance, & I had to throw it away, unfortunately, but , I told myself that I'd get another copy again ,one day, & read it. Time went by, loaded with indescribable unecessary suffering, & long story short, I found myself on
my own, in a state of utter helplessness, & fell to my knees one night, crying for God to save me from myself. It was my alternative to committing suicide. The next day I saw my Dr & told him I had had enough of human existence & was seriously contemplating committing suicide. I was suffering chronic debilitating disease that had me house bound for many years. He offered me a multitude of psychoactive drugs which I rejected , having already tried 15 different antidepressants over 35 years , with no success. He asked me to promise that I would not kill myself, & make every effort I could to see him the next week, which I did. When I went home I decided to type natural antidepressant into eBay , just to see what options were available, for a laugh if nothing else. The first item to appear was a copy of Bhagavad Gita, for around $5. I purchased it immediately , recognising that it was the same book that i had always told myself forever, that I would read. It arrived very quickly & by the time the week had rolled around to see my Dr again, I was already a different person,with all thanks & glory to be given to God. I told my Dr that I had changed my mind, & made up my mind, to focus, on becoming a Mahatma. He laughed at me, but I did not laugh back. He told me that such things took many many lifetimes. He was a very nice Dr ,in that, he had some degree of spiritual understanding, but he told me that chanting God's names constantly was not a feasible, or viable option for treating my serious bipolar mental disorder, which had been diagnosed by psychiatrists when I was 20. It's 8 years later & I have read 80 of Srila Prabhupada's books, some of them up to 4 times, including the Bhagavad Gita. I'm presently rereading Srimad Bhagavatam, taking notes from each text/purport. I am a householder chanting Hare Krsna every day & every night, & I share everything I learn from Prabhupada's books with everyone I meet, because I am no longer housebound as much as I used to be. My health has improved significantly as an effect of associating with Prabhupada's books, & therefore, Krsna Himself, which is a most glorious golden benediction beyond my wildest imaginings. The best thing about not committing suicide is seeing what I would have missed out on, & that is the liberation from darkness of ignorance, which was the ultimate cause of the material disease that was destroying me. Krsna has gifted me with the knowledge & understanding to alleviate, if not completely destroy dis-ease, in the hearts & minds of so many people in this community that I live within. Every day I share Krsna & others so grateful for what Krsna has taught me. AUM. Xom
Name the nearest or most frequently Visited ISKCON temple/ centre and name few of the devotees whom you know.
Murwullinbah temple, (5 hrs drive away) Ambika (by phone)
Please describe yourself so that other like minded devotees can find you.
I am evolving in spiritual consciousness of this material reality, myself , & other living entities. I have taken to the spiritual pathway for achieving the highest human perfection, the highest success; practicing bhakti yoga to my limited capacity. I have come to understand that every so-called saint leaves a trail , littered heavily with discarded errors in thinking , that are cause for unecessary suffering & grief. I understand the wisdom of renunciation, & I spend most of my time alone chanting God's names, reading the Vedic literature, writing notes, & talking with the people who live around me, about Krsna.
When I am physically able, I like to go surfing. My brothers make OM SURFBOARDS & I chant hare Krsna in the ocean amongst the surfers & dolphins & sharks. I ride an OM surfboard with Vishnu painted on it & people always ask me who is that? It is beautiful. I say, Krsna. If I do not take my surfboard the people ask me, where is Krsna today ? :)) Lol. I am a trickster. I like to make people say Krsna even if they are die-hard atheists. My dad called me super Krsna after he told me he didn't want to hear anymore about Him. I said you will never hear me speak to you again then, & it upset him very much to hear that, so he listens now. My children think I am off with the fairies, but I am the one always smiling & laughing through the endless dispensations of providence. Krsna gives me all strength to endure & I am quite fearless & devoted though far , far, far from perfect. I told my Dr, it's a gradual process, but it is utterly indescribably sublime. Satchitananda. Krsna has taken me to the place of no anxieties & I love Him eternally for that. Hare Krsna, hare Rama, AUM.
What are your expectations from this community?
Iron sharpens iron.
Closer connection to God through saintly association
Describe any specific service you would love to offer to Lord Krishna & His devotees?
Art, music, cooking, writing, surfing
