iMonk Archive: 2004
Follow the itinerant monk across four continents during his second year as a traveling preacher — to India, Russia, the Ukraine, the USA, Venezuela, and Mexico.
The iMonk spends some time in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, then goes on a three-city lecture tour of the Ukraine to Zaporizhzhya, Kiev, and Odessa, before returning to Russia and then to India.
After spending four months lecturing in twelve different cities in Russia and the Ukraine, the iMonk returns to Calcutta, India, to spend some time with his gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj.
One year after leaving the U.S.A. to go to India to become an itinerant monk — traveling and preaching in Russia, Siberia, South Africa, England, Turkey, and the Ukraine — the iMonk returns to California.
April
April 1st Mornings at Golden Road
A new program at the preaching center in downtown Santa Cruz.
April 2nd Second day
At the Golden Road center.
April 3rd To San Jose
...For the weekly Saturday evening program at the Seva Ashram.
April 4th Janardan Maharaj returns
Sripad Janardan Maharaj returns from Oregon.
April 5th Student questions
Answering questions at The Golden Road center.
April 6th Wearing the uniform
"Just wear the uniform and the uniform will show you what to do."
April 7th Youth meeting
Addressing the Seva Ashram youth group's weekly meeting.
April 8th Is Sikhism bhakti?
Without personality or individuality, we cannot serve God.
April 9th Dog or God?
Decisions, decisions!
April 11th Hot cross buns
Whatever happened to hot cross buns?
April 13th Hanging out
At the Golden Road center in downtown Santa Cruz.
April 14th Bright future
The Seva Ashram's younger generation.
April 15th Fasting on ekadasi
To curb our proclivity for enjoyment during these two phases of the lunar month, a restricted diet is recommended.
April 18th Sri Gadadhara Pandit
An intimate associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
April 19th Good heavens!
Astrology mumbo-jumbo.
April 21st Russian bells
These heavy Russian bells are loud!
April 22nd Budding spiritual vision
There are so many things that we cannot see, that are beyond our purview. How then, can we be expected to see the soul?
April 25th New layout
Settling on a new format for the iMonk blog.
April 28th Going to the dogs
It used to be that you fed offal to the dogs: not any more!
April 30th Nothing lasts forever
O fragrant, fragile flower! Your brief, beautiful existence forces me to confront my own mortality: the future is now!
May
April 1st Summer in Russia
Getting ready for another Russian tour.
May 3rd Lord Nrisinghadev's appearance
To prove that the words of Prahlad Maharaj were true, the Lord bursts out of a pillar to kill the demon Hiranyakashipu.
May 6th Going to the source
As long as we are not completely established in Krishna consciousness, we must have a connection with superior aid.
May 8th First sravan, then kirtan
Before going to preach, one should hear from the authorized source.
May 10th I leave for India
...After two months at the Seva Ashram in Soquel.
May 11th Birthday? What birthday?
An eight-hour birthday.
May 12th Back with Srila Gurudeva
At the Math in Calcutta.
May 14th Feeling the heat
Calcutta in May.
May 15th Trying to stay cool
The constant, enervating heat saps whatever little energy one has.
May 17th Nice improvements
Srila Gurudeva's veranda gets a new air conditioner.
May 20th Grand festival
Anniversary of the installation of the deities in Dum Dum Park.
May 21st I get it now
Cooking, in the kitchen, in India, in the summer.
May 22nd Big storm brings rain
A harbinger of the monsoon season.
May 24th Perspective
When you look at the night sky, you realize just how tiny you are.
May 27th Russian rigmarole
Getting a Russian visa can be quite frustrating!
May 30th Nirjal ekadasi
Should we observe nirjal-ekadasi: a total fast, without even a drink of water?
June
June 1st Can't wait to get to Russia
Waiting impatiently for an invitation letter for a Russian visa.
June 3rd Rainy season begins
Storms mark the beginning of the Indian rainy season.
June 5th I see the moon...
A nursery rhyme segues into verses from Bhagavad Gita.
June 9th Listening to the rain
The rainy season is well and truly upon us now...
June 12th Surprise visitor
The president of the Johannesburg temple arrives unexpectedly.
June 14th Sriyukta Rama Devi
Srila Gurudeva remembers Srila Guru Maharaj's sister, Sriyukta Rama Devi, on the anniversary of her disappearance.
June 15th Geography lesson
No fooling these two :)
June 17th Two surrendered souls
Srila Gadadhara Pandit and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.
June 19th Festival of the Chariots
The grand ratha-yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri, Orissa.
June 22nd Supercharged milk
Rocket fuel in milk: from the cow that jumped over the moon?
June 24th Two new disciples
Koushik Prabhu and Keli-kadamba-nana devi dasi.
June 26th Waiting for rain
Weltering in sweltering temperatures.
June 29th Seva Vikram
Remembering Yudhamanyu Prabhu and his service.
July
July 2nd Rare sight
Only once in a blue moon...
July 4th Chaturmasya
Should we follow the chaturmasya vrata (four-month vow)?
July 6th Prasadam: mercy remnants
"The solution is there, how to conquer the greedy tongue, but we are taking from the fridge, for our own sense enjoyment..."
July 8th Humility, tolerance, respect
Prerequisites for practicing Krishna consciousness properly.
July 11th Grace is not exclusive
Our relationship with Srila Gurudeva does not exclude others.
July 17th Guru Maharaj's disappearance
Unable to travel to Navadwip because of ill health and monsoon rains, Srila Gurudeva observes this holy day in Calcutta.
July 23rd TGIF
Srila Gurudeva's steep angle of vision.
July 26th "You will be my doctor"
Srila Gurudeva's love and care for Srila Guru Maharaj.
July 31st Once in a blue moon
iMonk "thanks his lucky stars" for a rare opportunity.
August
August 7th Poor devotees
Srila Gurudeva visits the home of devotees who are so poor they can only offer him some toast... and then they run out of bread!
August 14th Amazing grace
Who was that "thin lady, with a thin baby, eating a thin biscuit," who attracted the compassionate glance of Srila Gurudeva?
August 21st Forgotten promises
How have we become such "slaves to circumstances," forgetting the solemn promise that we made to ourselves and to our guru?
August 23rd Early memories
iMonk remembers his long relationship with Yudhamanyu Prabhu.
August 24th Seva Vikram in China
Srila Gurudeva: Yudhamanyu Prabhu's success in China "is a miracle!"
August 30th Unprecedented service
There is no precedent for Yudhamanyu Prabhu's preaching in China.
September
September 1st Intermission
Anticipating Srila Gurudeva's darshan after a brief intermission.
September 3rd 21st World Tour begins
Devotees go to the Calcutta airport to see Srila Gurudeva off.
September 13th Srila Gurudeva arrives
After a long interval, Srila Gurudeva again visits California.
September 14th On the land
Srila Gurudeva surveys the Seva Ashram orchard and gardens.
September 21st Letter from China
A letter from one of Yudhamanyu Prabhu's English students.
September 28th A fortnight of fresh air
Srila Gurudeva's health is much improved after two weeks in the fresh country air at the Seva Ashram in Soquel.
October
October 7th Vigilant service
An awful reminder that we must always be careful, attentive, and especially vigilant when we serve Srila Gurudeva.
October 14th Auspicious environment
The environment at the Seva Ashram has become so auspicious now that Srila Gurudeva is living and walking on the land.
October 21st Peripheral attachments
You can give up your job, your home, your possessions, your family, and still be attached to some little, inconsequential thing.
October 31st On top of the world
The devotees build a road so that Srila Gurudeva can fulfill his desire to ride his scooter to the top of the hill to see the ocean.
November
November 7th Vyasa Puja in California
Srila Gurudeva shows us how to properly honor Srila Sridhar Maharaj at both the Seva Ashrams, in Soquel and San Jose.
November 10th To Caracas
Next stop on Srila Gurudeva 21st World Tour: Venezuela.
November 14th Affection's force
Srila Gurudeva's unexpected arrival at the Caracas temple.
November 19th Perseverance rewarded
Perseverance pays off for devotees from Colombia and Peru.
November 20th A grand reception
Ai, yi, yi yi. iMonk has never seen a reception quite like this!
November 21st A revelation at the new temple
Srila Gurudeva reveals the names of the future deities.
November 23rd Cops!
iMonk gets in on the act: "You talkin' to me?"
November 25th Gurudeva ill
Admitted to hospital overnight for treatment and observation.
November 27th Back in the saddle
Srila Gurudeva's desire disconcerts devotees.
November 30th Last day in Mexico
South American portion of extended 21st World Tour ends.
December
December 1st Back to California
A surprise awaits Srila Gurudeva when he returns to California at the end of his 21st World Tour to Venezuela and Mexico.
December 11th A strong recovery
Srila Gurudeva begins physical therapy after being hospitalized for surgery, and surprises everbody — especially the iMonk!
December 12th Happy return
Srila Gurudeva returns to the Seva Ashram after surgery.
December 14th Unemployed!
iMonk finds himself (happily) unemployed.
December 16th Mailstorm
Huge email response to last week's "A strong recovery" blog.
December 19th Job offer — from Russia
Avadhut Maharaj takes pity on iMonk.
December 24th More mail
More responses to "A strong recovery," from Eastern Europe.
December 28th Vyasa Puja
The 75th anniversary of Srila Gurudeva's appearance.
URL: http://imonk.net/04/index.html
Layout by iMonk — 2003-2013 — California, USA.
