blogs - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree

To Hell with Lust by Achyut Gopal Das

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 12, 2020 at 4:50pm

Lust is something that is so much eulogized by the world and it is something that occupies all of one's mind space and heart space. It is a powerful energy that can potentially consume anyone and everyone in it's magical grip. Even though it is so much the goal of everyone in this world, the wise and the experienced see it as a peace sucking, hellish emotion. We may consider lust to be our best friend but the reality is that, lust is our worst enemy which will destroy our peace, our happiness,

The Castle in the Neighbourhood by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 12, 2020 at 4:37pm

Nimai allowed me to take the lead and direction for the early evening stroll. “Let’s head for Casa Loma, the castle that’s in our neighbourhood,“ I suggested. So we did and Nimai was so surprised that this treasure of a building is so close by. We took that very street to the west of the edifice and then viola! There it was an all its splendour.

In 1914, financier Sir Henry Pellatt built the landmark for his first wife, Mary, the first chief commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada. The Got

Questions! by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 11, 2020 at 6:39pm

I make a point of taking a walk every afternoon. Reasons? I need the good Spring air. I need to connect with others who are feeling the same need, and I do it at a solid distance with a glance and a smile.

With temperatures above 0°C, I find it quite pleasant; no coat required. With just my kurta and dhoti (upper and lower garments), I fair fine. I pull my beads out from the bead bag, not only to chant on them—uttering the maha mantra—but to let other pedestrians there in the park know that I

About Animals and Me by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 9, 2020 at 5:47pm

Now I was raised on a small farm. We had—on this ten acre piece of land—a house, barn, sizeable front yard, a garage for two vehicles, and an orchard to accommodate some apple, peach, plum, pear and mulberry trees, and in stock—some animals. Oh, and I forgot the chicken coop in the barnyard. There was a family milk cow, chickens, pigs, a goat, a pony, pheasants and peacocks.

My dad was good with the animals like he was with the veggies (oh and we also had a plentiful garden). But there came

Some Pacing, Some Zooming by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 6, 2020 at 3:35pm

I only did some pacing in our temple room today, and chanted on my beads during that time. I kept myself grounded. The wet, gray weather of the outdoors didn’t necessarily beckon me. Besides, I was at the mercy of my service which required indoor attention.

Most importantly was the broadcast on “Zoom” (Zoom Cloud App-free from your App Store) delivering my message, and answering questions to members of the KCS (Krishna Consciousness Society)who are all young men starting off their careers. I w

The Tree Fight Club by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 5, 2020 at 9:23am

For the longest time, three raccoons were at each other in a vicious fight, clasping onto the flimsy branches of the huge tree outside my window. It was nighttime and this was before I retired for sleep. They snarled, growled, whimpered and screeched in opposition to each other. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-UDtp_A8j3/?igshid=19nk0zmokjbsh

I first of all saw them from below, at street-level, watching them and happy for them—happy for them being healthy and alive. They kept up their noises of

The Earth Will Close Down by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 4, 2020 at 5:45pm

A man of experience—meaning middle-aged—and dressed very finely, spotted me on the park bench where I was alone chanting on my beads. He came toward me, stopped at a healthy distance and asked, “So you a man of faith; what do you make of all of this?“

“You mean corona?“

“Yes.“

“It’s an opportunity to slow down our pace, enjoy more of the quiet, enhance our gratitude for what we have, become introspective and hold onto our patience.“

The gentleman smiled approvingly. He mentioned that he

Walker’s Responses by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on April 3, 2020 at 5:40pm

If I didn’t get to the outside for that daily walk, I would feel utter cabin fever. In a prison. So, while the sun is at optimum power, I feel I must burst out the door.

I observed interesting behaviour from fellow pedestrians. Well, some are really kind and offer a greeting of some kind, others are, IMHO (in my humble opinion), a bit over the top with caution. For instance, at one point when Corrado and I were moving on foot on the sidewalk, the oncoming pedestrian left the sidewalk to take

Some Anger On the Walk by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 31, 2020 at 12:43pm

I walked to the old house, 187 Gerrard Street, which was a temple at one time. Forty of us lived there in that three-storey building with a basement; the first place I lived in the city. I came here specifically to get my monastic training. We were a vibrant bunch of Hare Krishnas, getting up at 3:30 a.m. to chant, study, do community service, eat, sleep, and teach. Memories!

On Jarvis Street, I came upon the mansion the two Massey brothers lived in—Vincent who became a Governor General, and

Who is your dear deer? by Achyut Gopal Das

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 30, 2020 at 12:12pm

"Oh Lord, please transfer the attraction I have towards the objects of this world to You."

We all know the story of King Bharat from Srimad-bhagvatam who became attached to a baby deer, so much so that, he forgot to perform devotional service to The Supremely Dear Lord. Thus, his attachment and attraction to The Dear Lord was replaced by his newfound attachment and attraction to this deer. This deer became his dear deer. The result - in his next life, he was born as a baby deer. Lord Krishna ex

To Go Inside by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 30, 2020 at 12:06pm

It is on 20:2020. And it is not an ordinary day.

I announced to our small crew of monks that as of tomorrow, there will be a shutdown of the temple, due to the coronavirus. “Oh yes, the duty service will go on, the cooking and business as usual, but we will not be able to welcome people, even the regular pujari’s (priests).

These words did not meet ears with surprise. Our resident monks saw something like this coming, what with all that’s around us shutting down. “The Ford auto plant in Oak

In the Annex by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 28, 2020 at 11:20am

In the Annex I’m walking

Moving and not docking

Row upon row a Victorian home

With cars lined just like a comb.

As I stroll here Bro

I see the status is “pro“

Got it made for sure

They are far from poor.

Wish I could meet them

The ladies, the gentlemen

They are very much nestled

With maya they’ve wrestled.

Want to give a higher taste

Joy is truly above the waist

Or do they care to dance?

In a different circumstance.

The dancing avatar has come

Bengal is where He’s from

Telling us we’re

Something Good Will Come by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 27, 2020 at 12:34pm

One of the most benevolent of functions is to plan and organize a kirtan, especially in tough times. Kirtan is, in many ways, another word for ‘healing’, a nourishment for the soul.

Billy and I were talking. Billy is the kirtan enthusiast who runs the ‘Temple Groove’ every alternate Sunday morning. Since indoor social closeness is currently discouraged in favour of social distancing, I suggested to Billy, “Why not bring your Temple Groove group to a park for kirtan for healing purposes. Ever

I Love St by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 26, 2020 at 1:09pm

It was nippy but nice. The sun was strong and people were cheery going down, or up, Yonge Street. I took to the west side of the street, going north, because that's where the sun was angled. I was doing my usual routine with Bhativinode from Scarborough. He would pick me up as soon as he spotted me in my standout saffron. Off we went to the ISKCON Centre for one of those rituals, a devotional spectacle called abhishek, a bathing of deities using pure substances, including honey, which are

How We React by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 24, 2020 at 2:48pm

I was enjoying the food (prasadam) in Govinda's Restaurant, and at a time when there were several other people also pleasing their palates and soul. I was just coming to a closure of my meal. Everyone was quite meditative, reflective and quiet, and then I let out a cough. It was sudden, as coughs usually are, but I quickly responded and defended myself saying audibly, "I don't have it" (referring to the coronavirus). The room erupted into laughter, knowing exactly where my remark came from.

Stretch and Walk by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 23, 2020 at 2:21pm

One way to address the dreaded coronavirus is to build up your strength and resistance. I hear that many of the victims of the disease are travel related. I believe that if you put your “pedal to the metal” through walking in some good air, you are being very proactive. Frankly, I do not hear much about boosting the health in these diseased times. The virus might be contracted more indoors. Maybe we are not spending enough time in nature’s security—the out-of-doors.

I actually started my

Brahmana’s Tales by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 22, 2020 at 12:37pm

It was a blessed day in a simple kind of way. By morning, we opened up a new chapter from the book Bhagavatam, Canto 10, on how Krishna gave special mercy to His old classmate, Sudhama the brahman. It just has to be one of the best stories ever. In short, Sudhama, the poor brahman, came to see Krishna in His palatial home with the hope of asking for some improvement in the living condition of he and his wife. But Sudhama was just too embarrassed to ask when he saw the opulence that Krishna

Dreaming About the Yukon by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 21, 2020 at 1:59pm

When I visited the Yukon, not so terribly long ago, I received a small gift—a key chain. Attached to this key chain is that iconic image of backpacking prospectors, struggling up a steep snowbank by way of a rope. This represents the famous Yukon Gold Rush that took place at the turn of the 20th century.

I'm intrigued with that historical time, not with the lusting for gold, but for the fact that folks were adventurous and willing to take risks starting a new life in the great north. For m

Panic Mode by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 20, 2020 at 11:48am

I noticed something peculiar about some of the shoppers as I walked with Corrado to our favourite chanting park, Bellevue Square. I spotted several people carrying toilet paper. I believe that some folks are caught up in what some call "panic buying". What ignited this recent practice is the awareness of the coronavirus. People are acting in a panic mode.

Of course, it is important and intelligent to take precautions. I just wish that the panic button on birth, death, old age and disease

Approaching This Age by Bhaktimarga Swami

Posted by ISKCON Desire Tree on March 19, 2020 at 5:38pm

Sunday is that day of the week for spending hours with community. It started off for me at the ISKCON Brampton Centre with everyone singing in unison, and also as far as possible, physically moving together, as in dance.

I spoke from Chapter 2.46 of the Gita where there is mention of Sri Chaitanya (in the purport) displaying ecstasies. The greatest contribution of this great monk, who walked plenty, was leaving Himself in the form of kirtan—the sacred name. It is the practice of sharing sac

blogs (484)

To Hell with Lust by Achyut Gopal Das

The Castle in the Neighbourhood by Bhaktimarga Swami

Questions! by Bhaktimarga Swami

About Animals and Me by Bhaktimarga Swami

Some Pacing, Some Zooming by Bhaktimarga Swami

The Tree Fight Club by Bhaktimarga Swami

The Earth Will Close Down by Bhaktimarga Swami

Walker’s Responses by Bhaktimarga Swami

Some Anger On the Walk by Bhaktimarga Swami

Who is your dear deer? by Achyut Gopal Das

To Go Inside by Bhaktimarga Swami

In the Annex by Bhaktimarga Swami

Something Good Will Come by Bhaktimarga Swami

I Love St by Bhaktimarga Swami

How We React by Bhaktimarga Swami

Stretch and Walk by Bhaktimarga Swami

Brahmana’s Tales by Bhaktimarga Swami

Dreaming About the Yukon by Bhaktimarga Swami

Panic Mode by Bhaktimarga Swami

Approaching This Age by Bhaktimarga Swami

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