tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70245506144871723832011-08-01T21:55:02.662-04:00I'm a curious person and I wonder a lot. I wonder about how things work. I wonder about myself and why I do the things I do. I wonder about other people and why <i>they</i> do the things they do. And then, of course, I wonder about Lord Krishna and why <i>He</i> does the things He does. <p> It's a wonder-filled world in so many ways! <p> <p> <p> <p> </p> . . . . . . . . . .Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-75810591171010821582010-10-27T19:50:00.008-04:002010-10-27T19:58:29.277-04:00

Yesterday we started our parikrama, or walking tour, of Vrndavana at Radha Damodara Mandir. Not only does this temple house the wonderful Deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodara, it's also the final samadhi resting place of many exalted Vaishnavas. Both Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Jiva are buried in samadhi here on the grounds. They were both great Vaishnavas and founders of our lineage. Here's a

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-13324815160432601632010-10-27T19:49:00.000-04:002010-10-27T19:49:36.694-04:00

Radha Damodara Mandir#4 on our map of VrndavanaFor more information go to: http://www.radhadamodarmandir.com/jaya radha-damodara radha-damodara radhe(jiv goswamir prana-dhana he)All glories to Radha and Damodara, the treasure of Jiva Gosvami's heart!We're starting our tour of Vrndavan here at Radha Damodara Mandir, or temple, because this is where it all started for the Western devotees of Lord

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-38490948772315318802010-10-27T19:41:00.005-04:002010-10-27T19:46:01.906-04:00

Here is our calendar along with maps of Vrndavana and the larger area, Sri Vraja Mandala.....

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-38553849514880833922010-10-27T14:04:00.007-04:002010-10-27T19:59:38.137-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. Life is happening and it's not always easy to keep up with what I'd like to write.Kartik has come and we're also celebrating it in Bhaktiville, in SecondLife. My daughter suggested that I post every day what we're doing so that others, who aren't a part of SecondLife, could also share in it. This is very exciting for me as it's redefining our

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-14799749926172160552010-03-31T10:35:00.006-04:002010-03-31T11:00:07.750-04:00

I've just learned about the passing Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami. I had the opportunity to have his association in Santa Cruz, CA, US, many times and found him to be very sweet and kind. I will truly miss him. The following is an article from Vina.gurvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitamchintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugamgovindabhidham ujjvalam

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-82841721767066110492010-02-25T12:15:00.003-05:002010-02-25T12:19:51.014-05:00

Don’t have plans for Gaura Purnima, don’t live near a Temple, or just curious? Come visit Bhaktiville in Second Life and celebrate the opening of the new Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple. Second Life is an online, virtual reality community where many devotees have temples. (To find out more about Second Life: http://secondlife.com/whatis/) We’re at Archers 186, 229, 33, or search in Events for

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-1933700707172012512010-02-13T09:41:00.021-05:002010-02-13T11:16:24.297-05:00

A devotee from South Africa commented on my blog and prompted me to write about what I've been doing recently, since I haven't posted anything in a while. I've written before about Second Life, the virtual reality community, and how much I really like it. I decided that I wanted to build a temple and started looking around for land. I ran into a person who had a wonderful deity of Krsna and so

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-33491485270222816632009-11-22T19:11:00.014-05:002009-11-22T20:00:05.533-05:00

Radhe Radhe!It's been a while since I posted anything. Since I've moved to the East Coast, fall really seems to affect me and I've become more reclusive and more introspective this year than most.I also haven't written because I don't seem to have a voice right now. I'm in a quandary and haven't resolved it. Living and working among people I don't identify with has always been a problem, but

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-59609226583223745032009-09-10T08:08:00.004-04:002009-09-10T08:14:36.543-04:00

...

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-36882016086667426152009-08-14T01:14:00.005-04:002009-08-14T01:18:50.424-04:00

Still can't find my camera so I took these with my computer. They're a little fuzzy, but you get the idea. Janmashtami ki jaya. Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Jaya Radhe Radhe Shyaaaaaaam!...

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-66904145371563225002009-07-07T20:35:00.008-04:002009-07-07T21:27:18.372-04:00

Found some copied poetry in an old journal.They're from Women's Eyes--Being verses translated from the Sanskrit,by Arthur William Ryder, 1910.(You can read a copy of the original book here.)They were originally writtenby Bhartrihari, 5th century, in Ujjain.He is known as a philosopher, poet, and king.He suffered from an unfaithful wifeand so his poetry shows some disdain for women;but, he really

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-41980251109113419242009-05-25T14:02:00.003-04:002009-05-25T14:35:58.810-04:00

Here in the US it's Memorial Day, a day to remember the fallen heroes of wars past. My family has certainly paid it's debt to the country through military service. As the daughter, sister, and niece of decorated heroes, it is a difficult duty for me to embrace. Their service changed them in so many ways and often left them unable to live lives of happiness, always haunted by death and tragedy.

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-82054953832796918502009-05-06T15:58:00.009-04:002009-05-06T16:21:17.092-04:00

Sorry I haven't written anything lately. There was a tragic death at school, the funeral was today. I'll write some more about it later.Just got a comment from Madhumati dasi about pictures. Wanted to point everyone toward some new pictures posted at RadhaShyamasundara.com. Chandana festival, too cute! Sometimes I think They look like They've been playing in the mud.But wait, what about the

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-67753869594815630222009-03-26T09:58:00.016-04:002009-03-26T17:26:59.270-04:00

I've been having dinner parties again at my place. I love it. I invite my friends over every week for dinner and kirtan and we have fun. I make a couple of things--last week it was macaroni and cheese, and then some apple crisp--then people bring whatever they want to add to it. We had spinach and strawberry salad, a mixed vegetable salad, apple chutney, coconut chutney, sweet rice, and different

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-53166987936476359862009-03-22T13:21:00.004-04:002009-03-22T14:08:33.844-04:00

This is very interesting. Just as I found the 360 degree site, a friend of mine sent me some emails about other "virtual temples." Check these out!Virtual tour of ArampurInteresting presentation of villagehttp://virtualvillage.wesleyan.edu/virtualvillage/index.htmlBeautiful temple, Bolton, UKhttp://www.360spin.co.uk/qtvr/bolton/hindutemple2.htmhttp://www.360spin.co.uk/qtvr/bolton/

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-30312300594876555582009-03-16T14:04:00.004-04:002009-03-16T14:15:06.109-04:00

This is a great website http://www.360darshan.com/en/home.html You may have seen it before, but I just ran into it. Amazing! Once you're there, click on the Pano-Ramas tab above for more. So cool! You can get a 360 degree tour of different temples in Vrndavana and Navadvipa. Nice bhajans playing in the background.I love Spring Break!Oh, and here's a picture of Sri Shyamasundara in Vrndavana

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-60708976735873901492009-03-14T14:19:00.025-04:002009-03-14T20:52:08.794-04:00

I've never written about how much I like Second Life. (I really like it.) Second Life is an online, virtual reality community. When I was sick with cancer, it was a really wonderful way to keep my mind busy with challenges and talk with devotees around the world. I'd like to share some pictures of the Second Life (SL) temples with you and some of my realizations about SL. You can click on

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-63080407275331904522009-03-01T15:10:00.006-05:002009-03-02T09:25:24.820-05:00

Had a little kirtan at my place last week. Keshavacharya das, with his wonderful fiance Kamaniya, came to sing bhajans about Krsna. So very nice. Check out his website: http://www.keshavacharya.com/ Fifteen to twenty people came, some I knew, some were new, friends made great food, grandson played kartals, I played his drum, everyone sang sweetly to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara. One friend

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-64887237030083266182009-02-22T16:07:00.002-05:002009-02-22T21:24:15.324-05:00

श्रीरा धाश्यामसुन्दारदे वजीमहाराज

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-57567196912548757512009-02-16T22:38:00.003-05:002009-02-17T16:42:48.839-05:00

In reviewing my journal entries, there are still a couple of things I want to say.Dec 13th, Moscow, 4:45 am. . .Wow, this is all so strange--this transition from US to India, from work life to my quest life. There's a Russian movie on the plane. A man goes out with his friends and wakes up the next day in another town, another apartment . . . but he thinks it's his. The woman who lives there

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-20774457509533681012009-02-14T23:16:00.008-05:002009-02-15T00:06:19.188-05:00

I just have to write some more about this temple. You must visit their website http://www.radhashyamsundar.com/ Such beautiful pictures! This is what hundreds of years of Deity worship looks like. They, the Divine Couple, are so beautiful. Oh, the title of this posting is from a shawl that was given to me by the pujaris. All around the border it says "Sri Dhama Vrndavana," then in big

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-66367161823668021072009-02-14T22:13:00.006-05:002009-02-18T21:13:13.155-05:00

From my journal:Went to Nidhuvana, the place where Sri Sri Radha and Krsna sometimes rest after Their night of dancing. Very clean, lots of short trees (or tall shrubs) with clean, dusty dirt all around, with little pathways going in and out and around all over. You can just see the gopis running through them with Krsna.This is where Haridas performed his bhajan and where he found Banke-behari.

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-55393588575865930202009-02-14T16:53:00.014-05:002009-02-14T17:52:34.262-05:00

I spent some time trying to find the Rangaji Temple. The last time I was in Vrndavana, Srimati Radharani gave us the darshan of an elaborate and exquisite bathing ceremony of Her in the outside courtyard temple. (It was an ecstatic event to end our visit.) I wanted to go back.I looked at the map and had an idea of where to go so I started out. Didn't find it. Tried again the next day, found it

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-15220405994902164552009-02-14T16:44:00.007-05:002009-02-14T23:11:58.493-05:00

I was able to visit all seven original temples. I had gone to a few of them by myself, but wasn't getting along fast enough. I had heard about a mother and son from New Zealand who were going every day to all seven and met them at a party. The son, N, was 10 years old and was actually going by himself these days. His mother said that he would love to take me and so we planned to meet the

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-82972747546647414192009-02-07T16:48:00.007-05:002009-02-14T23:14:20.404-05:00

My daughter connected with an old friend the other day on Facebook and came up with this picture--1979, San Francisco, at Ratha Yatra. Wow. Thirty years ago. I still have that sari, too funny! We used to make Lord Jagannatha a cart using her wagon and take Them all to the park. We'd have cookies, sandesh, fruit, and nectar drink to offer and then distribute the prasadam. I'll see if I can

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-20494369223594894722009-01-11T12:39:00.021-05:002009-02-18T21:23:25.192-05:00

From my journal, January 1, 2009Didn't really think I'd go to any schools. Wanted to focus on temples and chanting. But, one day, I was lost and couldn't find Radha Damodara Mandir. (I later discovered that I walked past it a couple of times.) I asked a little girl, "Radha Damodara Mandir?" She pointed toward where I had just come. She saw my face and decided to take me there. Along the

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-66552784256838921522009-01-11T12:05:00.007-05:002009-01-11T12:38:21.668-05:00

From my journal, December 30th Jiva Goswami, Wikipedia link Jiva Gowami's Disapperance Day was a special day. There I was in Vrndavana and I could go to his samadhi to observe it. My place was just up the street from Radha Damodara Mandir--boy, what a location!--so I went down after I paid obeisances to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara (also close by, just a few doors up the street). As I went in

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-83905632975906610092009-01-11T09:23:00.006-05:002009-01-13T06:12:26.990-05:00

It was great to be in India, in Vrndavana. But it was also horrible. The stink, the trash, feces everywhere, men peeing in the street--I've not seen that much in a looooong time! The only thing I could think of was that it was so gross so that I could see the nectar more clearly. The "hidden Vrndavana" is truely hidden when that is all you see. I was forced to go beyond the gross. Here in

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-64272780557700232012009-01-09T05:42:00.012-05:002009-02-14T23:16:19.449-05:00

It was a wonderful trip. It was not what I expected, but it was everything I needed. I pretty much threw out all my expectations the second day I was there and decided to let Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara lead the way. Srimati Radharani was really the one in charge. She is the guru.I stayed in Vrndavana, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India. For a few days I stayed with a friend while she

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-42232951553916100582008-11-30T13:49:00.006-05:002008-11-30T14:03:59.881-05:00

Yup, going to India. Staying with a friend for a couple of days in Vrndavana, then by myself in Seva Kunj. Looking forward to a period of intense introspection--to look at myself and where I've ended up after all these years. Just had some photos taken for my visa and there's an old lady looking back at me--scarred and tired. Who is that person? I won't post again until I come back in

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-87187609164230093522008-09-14T19:23:00.010-04:002008-09-14T20:26:02.215-04:00

For Janmastami this year, I was unable to go to the temple (because the school year was just beginning) and so I did something a little different. You may have noticed that my profile picture here isn't a photo. It's actually a screen capture of my "avatar" in Second Life (SL).Second Life is an online, virtual-reality community. You create your own person, or avatar they call it, and you can

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-81970932927489797662008-09-07T19:52:00.018-04:002008-09-08T10:29:15.348-04:00

A little bit of mercy here. Srimati Radharani continues to stay at my house and I'm so fortunate. Here She shows Her little feet with Her moon-like nails.I love the swing festival. I can think of so many festivals where the Deities should swing. The swing festival was a few weeks ago, but here it is Radhastami and it's hot . . . what a good reason to swing the Deities! I'm including a movie.

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-87210270129394002902008-06-21T15:51:00.026-04:002008-12-10T18:35:22.611-05:00

Los Angeles, California, USA,1972After mangala arati, and in the middle of japa, a friend and I would run out of the temple room and through the sanctuary to the side of the building. Soon Srila Prabhupada would be going for his walk and we had a chance to see him. We grabbed a broom and a couple of flowers so we could sweep and drop petals on the steps outside his door. Then we’d hide behind

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-71440803742734879692008-06-12T14:45:00.003-04:002008-12-10T18:35:22.764-05:00

Here's the latest permutation of the Second Life flower house. Can't you just imagine the Deities there?...

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-66879596244803207522008-03-29T10:32:00.003-04:002008-12-10T18:35:23.049-05:00

Here's a flower house I'm making in Second Life!Now that's a flower house! Jaya Prabhupada!. . . . . . . . . .

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-73149350492954307542008-03-25T13:54:00.019-04:002008-12-10T18:35:24.836-05:00

Since it's Spring Break--and I have the time--I was thinking about a flower house for SriSriRadhaSyamasundara.I had been meditating on it for a while--what would a flower house be like?--so looked it up on the Internet. The descriptions were about garlands of flowers draped to make a house. I knew that would never happen, so I thought about making a styrofoam structure and hot gluing flowers.

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-37474667618602990022008-03-22T14:47:00.000-04:002008-12-10T18:35:25.027-05:00

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-39453026606951630692007-08-26T13:14:00.003-04:002008-12-10T18:35:25.464-05:00

A while back, I was talking to a small group of devotees in the Temple room. Someone asked me what it was like when I lived in the Temple. As I was recounting a story, I happened to mention that I wore saffron. There was a brahmacari in the back of the group who started laughing. He was laughing so hard that he actually fell over. I asked him what was so funny and he said that he had never

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7024550614487172383.post-47164270840053449772007-08-25T14:44:00.004-04:002008-12-10T18:35:25.755-05:00

I wrote this many years ago, but it still seems current. My favorite line continues to be: "Never despise a woman even if she is despicable. " --SatyaAs devotees, we are aware of why this world that we live in was created. We are clear about what we need to do while we are here. We know what we need to do to go back home, back to Godhead. But somehow, when we start to talk about what we

Satya devi dasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00692460035072254794noreply@blogger.com4