iMonk | April 2004

Soquel, California — Thursday, April 1st

Mornings at Golden Road

Starting today I will spend my mornings at The Golden Road center on Union Street in Santa Cruz. The center is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at six o' clock for congregational chanting and spiritual discourses. Now you can stop by for an informal chat from nine until at least noon on Monday to Friday as well.

Sripad Janardan Maharaj, at the invitation of Nitya Hari Prabhu and the devotees in Oregon, flies to Eugene this morning. He will spend five days at The Golden Road center on Lincoln Street in Eugene, and return to the Seva Ashram on Sunday.

Santa Cruz, California — Friday, April 2nd

Second day

It is only my second morning at The Golden Road center in downtown Santa Cruz, but I'm already beginning to like spending my mornings here. I like the informal, laid-back atmosphere of the place.

We haven't advertised that the center is now open on weekday mornings yet, but we already have a steady stream of devotees trickling through. Vrindavan Chandra Prabhu, Jagabalava, Anapurna Devi Dasi, Kamala Devi Dasi and some curious pedestrians came in on the first day, yesterday.

I don't have a car, so the newly-initiated Arindam Krishna Prabhu is very kindly ferrying me back and forth between the center and the Seva Ashram in Soquel (a ten-minute commute).

San Jose, California — Saturday, April 3rd

To San Jose

I get a ride over the hill to the Seva Ashram on Saint James Street in San Jose, where I have been invited to give the lecture at the weekly Saturday evening program.

Divya Shakti Devi Dasi and Rajaram Prabhu and his wife Revati Devi Dasi have just returned from Srila Gurudeva's lotus feet in India, and I ask them to update us on the latest from Nabadwip.

It is Ramananda Prabhu's daughter, Sita's birthday tomorrow, but we celebrate it today. Lucille bakes her a lovely birthday cake and brings the twins, Maya and Michaela over.

Soquel, California — Sunday, April 4th

Janardan returns

Sripad Janardan Maharaj returns from Oregon after spending the last five days with the devotees — Mathuranath Prabhu, Rama Priya Prabhu, Maladhari Devi Dasi and Jagamohini Devi Dasi (from Portland)— at The Golden Road center on Lincoln Street in Eugene.

Lost an hour today as the United States switches over to daylight-saving time...

Santa Cruz, California — Monday, April 5th

Student questions

I arrive at The Golden Road center five minutes late, to find two people waiting for the doors to open, one of whom is Eve, a young university student who is organizing and recruiting volunteers for the organic farming project at our Seva Ashram in Soquel.

She asks a few questions about the different qualities of Lord Krishna, and we talk for a while about the gradations of Krishna consciousness and the various relationships that one can have with God, before she has to leave for her class at the university.

Soquel, California — Tuesday, April 6th

Wearing the uniform

Arindam Krishna Prabhu, who shaved his full beard off before he took ritvik initiation from Srila Gurudeva last Tuesday, cuts his shoulder-length hair today. In the old days, you didn't have a choice; if you wanted initiation, you shaved up.

He is a very sincere devotee, trying to take all the help he can get. "Just wear the uniform, and the uniform will show you what you must do."

Soquel, California — Wednesday, April 7th

Youth meeting

Vidura Krishna Prabhu invites me to address the youth group at their weekly meeting after the evening arati. I am asked to speak about (gulp!) "union in separation."

After the meeting, at my behest, they agree to hold the next weekly meeting at The Golden Road center in downtown Santa Cruz. All I want is to give them an opportunity to see the facilities and hear from Nitya Hari Prabhu about some of the many service opportunities that are available to them. I know that they will find something that they like, or are at least comfortable with.

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