| Wednesday, September 1st, - Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 |
Wednesday, September 1st: Sri Krishna Janmastami Thursday, September 2nd: Appearance of Srila Prabhupada Saturday, September 4th: Annada Ekadasi (fast from grains and beans). Break the fast the following morning between 7:04 - 11:18 Upcoming Wednesday, September 15th: Radhastami - The Appearance of Srimate Radharani Sunday, October 31st: Govardhana Puja Celebration
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| | | | | | | | | From Srila Prabhupada: "So Krsna advents, Krsna advents to teach us this lesson, that "You are immortal by nature. As spirit soul you are part and parcel of Me. I am as immortal. So you are also immortal. Unnecessarily, you are trying to be happy in this material world." -- "Why Krishna Comes to This World," August 21st, 1973 |
| | | | | His Holiness Radhanath Swami - Meeting With Tat Walla Baba  One morning, while walking along a forest trail, a sadhu with a curious smile plastered across his face stepped right in front of me, refusing to let me pass. His almond shaped eyes squinted into my eyes. He had a tiny nose, flat face, cropped hair, and copper complexion. Who was this man? What did he want from him? "I have been sent for you," sadhu Baba said, "but you do not recognize me." Surprised but silent, I wondered what was about to transpire. He gripped my hand. "The greatest of saints lives in a cave nearby. My mission is to bring you to him." "How do you know me?" I asked. "That you do not need to know. Follow me."
Intrigued, I followed this sadhu, who told him he hailed from Nepal, into the depths of the forest where they walked along a stream on an overgrown path. As they passed, they crunched the twigs and trampled the foliage beneath their feet while rustling through the bushes. To their left, wild boar scuttled into the brush. They approached a clearing where my guide pointed up to a mountaintop. There he could see the smoke-blackened entrances to three caves. The sadhu led me up a set of narrow stone steps that were more like a thirty-foot ladder carved into the steep rock. After climbing to the top, they entered one of the caves where a fog of smoke burned their eyes.
There, in the lotus posture with back erect, sat an amazing being. His thickly matted hair extended beyond his back and several feet onto the ground behind him. About six feet tall, his physique was powerful. He wore only a rope around his waist and a loincloth covering his groin. His eyes were closed in meditation. I seemed to have entered into another world, a world far beyond time or space. An aura of indescribable tranquility emanated from his motionless form. This was Mahavirdas Tat Walla Baba. They sat beside him, waiting patiently. The scent of smoldering wood from his sacred fire blended with the earthiness of the ancient cave. Holy Sanskrit scriptures lay on a stone shelf. His wardrobe, a wrapper of old burlap, was folded beside him. The Nepalese sadhu told me that he often meditated all night long. "Let us wait patiently," sadhu said, "until he comes out of his spiritual trance." Finally, the yogi opened his dark shining eyes and stared into mine with the intensity of laser beams. My guide served as a translator. In a deep, compelling voice, the Baba spoke.
"God is one, and everything originates only from Him." Lifting his palm, he touched his index finger to his thumb. "The cause of all suffering is when we forget our identity with God. That is called Maya, or illusion. God is everywhere. You need not search to find Him. If you call Him with sincerity, He will reveal Himself to you. God sees within the heart not the externals. There must be no duplicity. You may wander through the jungles your whole life, but God is within your heart. When you meet Him there, you will see that He is everywhere."
I was struck that he seemed to address my deepest concerns. I was a wanderer, looking for God in my heart. The Baba's hands then rested on his knees. His dark eyes emitted power and vibrancy and seemed to read my mind. "People are chasing the temporary. Do you not see that they are on the road to death?" His every word seemed like a sword cutting my own selfish conditionings. "You have renounced worldly life. This is good. Do not go back. Meditation will bring you supreme peace."
They spent the hour listening to Baba. I left with the promise that they would return the next day. After climbing back down the ladder of stone, the sadhu and I were greeted by an ascetic woman in a simple white sari with a long, black braid down her back. Mirabhai and her husband lived in the forest and they cooked meals for all of Tat Walla Baba's followers. She promptly invited them to her home. "Would you like to hear about Baba?" she asked, as they followed behind her. "Yes," I replied. The Nepalese sadhu nodded. "Well," she began, "Baba was from the state of Punjab. From early childhood, questions burned in his mind. When he saw the suppression of the Indians under British rule, he wondered why a country with so many saints and scriptures did not have a solution for this suffering condition. Burning with the thirst for enlightenment, as a child Baba abandoned his home to search for a guru. First he went to Ayodhya, which is Lord Rama's birthplace, and then entered into the forests of the Himalayas, where he met with his Guru. At the feet of his Master, he learned the path of enlightenment." The three of them approached a hut made of clay and straw. Mirabhai graciously opened the wooden door and invited them in. Offering them a mat to sit on and a clay cup of water, she asked, "Shall I tell you more?" "Please," I urged, savoring the cool water she'd collected from the stream.
"Since the age of about sixteen, Baba has remained in these caves. He subsists on only wild herbs and fruits, and wraps a worthless burlap cloth, which we call tat, around himself for clothes. That is why he was given the name Tat Walla Baba, meaning a Baba, or holy man, who is clothed with burlap cloth." She went on to say that for fifteen years he lived in seclusion perfecting the practice of asthanga yoga. Gradually people recognized his enlightened state and started coming to him. He never allowed anyone to touch his body or cook for him. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide in awe. "With my own eyes, I have witnessed his power to read people's minds, see into the future, and heal the sick. In fact, when a yogi had unbearable migraine headaches, Baba came to him in a dream, removed a white fluid from his head by mantra, and cured him forever."
I felt so privileged to be there. She directed their gaze to a photo she kept of the Baba on her small altar and with folded palms she asked, "Would you like to hear more?" They nodded eagerly. "Baba meditates for long hours and sometimes for days. He keeps the sacred fire always burning and daily ponders upon the scriptures." Then she turned to me. "You have come all the way from America to become a sadhu. I honor your bravery. I will pray that you achieve your goal." Before saying goodbye, she placed in my palm an unusual sweet made of translucent green pumpkin cooked with crystallized sugar. It immediately melted in my mouth, bursting with flavor. I had never tasted anything like it. Seeing my reaction, she said softly, "This sweet is called peda. Do you like it?" "This is my very first sweet in India," I replied, "It's amazing. But do ascetic yogis eat these?" She smiled like a mother toward her curious child. "You will be surprised to see what yogis may eat."
The next day I returned to the Baba's cave. After some time, his Nepalese friend left me alone with Tat Walla Baba, who sat immersed in his meditation. The whole night passed, yet he did not move. Absorbing his peace, I meditated close by. The sun rose, gently illuminating the green Himalayan jungles with a veil of gold, exposing the higher mountains in the distance, considered by many to be the abode of God. Far off, I could see Mother Ganges winding her way down from the heights to the plains, through forests and valleys spotted with sages performing their worship on her banks. From my place on a straw mat, I gazed below into the lush foliage and as time passed, I began to notice large, colorful snakes coiling through the jungle looking for prey. He saw wild elephants grazing on the trees and even the occasional spotted leopard moving through the green.
A picture flashed through my mind of my neighborhood in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, with its flat manicured terrain, children boarding the bus to school, and parents driving off to work. I couldn't believe where I was. Nearby to the Baba's cave were other caves where several of his ascetic disciples resided and where he lived for some days.
Inside Baba's cave, inhaling the astringent smoke from the sacred fire that burned through day and night, I felt purified. As I sat with my back erect, Baba would read from scripture for about three to five hours. The rest of his time, he was immersed in meditation. If he rested at night, he woke several hours before sunrise to meditate, study, and perform yogic asanas. In mid morning, he wrapped his matted hair into a huge coil on the top of his head and took me to bathe in a stream and collect a pot of water. On the way back he collected herbs and fruits for subsistence and wood for the fire. Once I saw him effortlessly lift a huge log and carry it back to the cave.
On one early evening, as the trilling of birds filled the forest, Baba, through their Nepalese translator, gave me a good jolt. "I welcome you to spend the rest of your life in our caves. This is my invitation to you." He then closed his eyes, entering into a trance. His words reverberated in my mind while he pondered the seriousness of the decision he had to make. One morning, I came out of my meditation and thought: It would be a blessing to live under the guidance of such a holy man in this sanctified forest. Still, if I dedicate myself to following a guru, I should never disgrace him by changing my mind later in life. I wish to find a master and a path that I can dedicate my life to. |
Appreciating Kalachandji's Community  We would like to give His Grace Jaya Kesava Prabhu a hearty thanks for organizing the remodeling of the Brahmacari ashram. Jaya Kesava Prabhu has a great taste for aesthetics and did advanced studies in design and architecture. Now the ashrama has started to reflect the asthetics of the rest of the temple. Also, many have noticed that since he has arrived with his team of bhaktas, there are many more new guests coming to the Sunday Love Feast, as he and his crew dedicate much of their time talking to them and making them feel welcome. |
Radios Needed . 
We are looking for small FM radios that can be used for the front desk for Mother Chitra, and two for the brahmacari ashram. |
Temple's Facebook Page  The Temple now has a Facebook Page. Everyone please go there and click the "Like" button. From this page, one can get all the updates of Kalachandji Katha, along with invitations to festivals and other special events. |
Recipe Corner Veggie Burgers "With the Lot" Makes 16 burgers. 2 cups fine oatmeal,
2 teaspoons Italian mixed herbs,
1 teaspoon yellow asafetida powder,
1½ cups boiling water,
½ cup peanut butter,
½ cup very well-cooked chickpeas, mashed,
2 cups dry breadcrumbs,
5 tablespoons quality tamari or soy sauce,
1½ teaspoon salt,
½ cup very finely chopped celery,
2 tablespoons tomato paste,
¼ cup finely chopped parsley,
oil for pan-frying,
burger buns and all the trimmings of your choice. Mix together the oatmeal, herbs and asafetida in a bowl and pour on the boiling water. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes. Fold in all the other ingredients thoroughly, and knead the mixture until very well amalgamated. Scoop up quantities of mix using a ½-cup measuring cup, pack and press the ½ cup full, then shake or tap the cup to remove the thick burger patty. Gently press and form it into a larger, smooth burger patty, and proceed on with the rest of the mixture. Heat oil in a frying pan. Pan fry the burgers, a batch at a time, until dark golden brown on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve on buns with all your favourite 'fixins'. | Contact Information | Main Temple phone: 214-827-6330, Congregation Services: 214-827-6330 x 216
Email for general questions and information
To schedule a tour, home or school program: Nityananda Chandra 214-669-3369, or email him
To place an item in next week's bulletin, please send it by Monday each week |
| | August Feast Sponsorships Aug 1st
Talati family in memory of Umesh Talati & Ganga Ba
Aug 8th Banu Chasmawala Aug 15th Amrith Bhai & Savita Ben Patel
Shimul & Janto Sarkar
India Bazaar for Sivananda Aug 22nd
Darshan Gandhi Aug 24th (Balaram Purnima) Dharma and Urjesvari for Baby Radhe Vrndavanesvari Aug 29th
2 Sponsorships Available Kindly come forward and sponsor a feast |
Sri Krishna Janmastami Wed, Sept. 1st, 2010 We Invite all of you to take part in the festivities Available
Sponsorships 1) Deity Dresses (4 in #) $2,501 2) Kalash Abhisheka $2,501 $1,001 $501 3) All Day Festivities $2,501 4) Flowers $1,001 5) Prasadam $501 Please kindly come forward to help us celebrate Sri Krishnas Appearance in a grand celebration To sign up call 214 454 5267 Email |
call 214 454 5267 214 827 6330 x 216 |
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