Miracles

This afternoon the only thought worth sharing with everyone is how amazed I am at being alive.

When I was a kid back in the 1960s, we were told that an atomic war with the Soviet Union was just a question of time. In school they taught us to hide from incoming atom bombs by takiing shelter under our desks.

"Duck and Cover" strategy for protection against a-bombs.

My father built a bomb shelter in the basement of our house to protect us from the blast. We had a radio and bunkbeds. He stocked it with plenty of canned goods, just in case we had to stay there for a week or so until the radioactive fallout had blown away.

"Fallout Shelter"

The Russians were coming, and soon.

We tried banning the bomb...

But years later there's more bombs than ever.

I was sure we were doomed.

But here I am, 50 years later, tapping on a bar of plastic and sending electronic images around the world with my trivial reflections on life.

I'm truly amazed. People want miracles. They love miracles:a child  cured of cancer, a swami levitates, a holy virgin appears on a napkin, a divine image appears on a wall...but are these really miracles?

I think we spend a lot of time overlooking the real miracle: that we're here at all. That we live, breathe, walk down the street, speak different languages, have children, and live to another day.  Or even live to be 61 years old.

I'm astonished that in spite of nuclear threats of atomic war, epidemic viruses, famine, flood, hurricanes, accidents, and all I've been through in my long and checkered career I've made it this far. 

I'm convinced that life itself is a divine miracle and I'm happy to have had the chance to participate.

One of my favorite reflections is the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells his followers not to worry about material things.  "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Therefore take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Consider the lilies of the field...

They labour not, nor do they spin cloth...

Yet Solomon

in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these.

O, Ye of little faith...

Seek ye first...

the Kingdom of God

Bless you all. Thanks for the miracles.

Gaura Purnima

The full moon in the month of March, is Gaura Purnima. Followers of Shri Chaitanya celebrate the appearance of Mahaprabhu on this day. Our publication, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love reveals the life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as seen through the unique transcendental vision of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. The book includes his extensive purports of the Shikshashtakam, a description from Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat of Mahaprabhu’s sannyas, and an original verse composition of Srila Sridhar Maharaj in glorification of Srila Gadadhar Pandit. Of his various English publications, this book was Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s personal favourite. 
Download Golden Volcano for free:
Golden Volcano PDF
Golden Volcano of Divine Love Epub
mirror
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j549q1wefxnp5gp/the-golden-volcano-of-divine-love.epub?dl=0

Here's a brief excerpt from the introduction:

Panic in San Miguel

Panic in San Miguel: Yesterday afternoon a huge stationary gas tank on the street behind my house had a leak which started a fire. The tank was in danger of exploding. The firemen and police blocked the street and evacuated all the homes in the vicinity. I'm taking it easy today so I'll do more blogging tomorrow.


http://periodicocorreo.com.mx/arde-un-tanque-estacionario-500-personas-son-evacuadas/



It was a pretty big deal, since recently a tank just like this exploded in a Mexico City hospital, killing several people.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2931515/Gas-blast-Mexico-City-childrens-hospital-dozens-injured.html



We had to wait a few hours blocks outside our home while the firemen cooled the tank and finally drained it.  Luckily nothing happened and we avoided the kind of accident that devastated a Mexico City hospital a couple of weeks ago.

Pavel Cervantes

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Gto.- El incendio de un tanque de gas estacionario en la colonia San Antonio, provocó la movilización de cuerpos de emergencia y obligó a las autoridades a evacuar a más de 500 personas.

Cerca de las 10:00 horas, empleados de la empresa ‘Gas Noel’, acudieron a la casa de la señora Margarita Luna, ubicada en el número 14 de la calle Palma, a llenar el taque estacionario.

Al paso de unas horas, cerca de las 2 de la tarde, cuando se encontraba cocinando, la mujer percibió un fuerte olor a gas, por lo que mandó a su hija a que revisara el tanque y ésta, al subir el techo donde se encuentra el contenedor, escuchó un flamazo.

A pesar de que de inmediato llamaron a la compañía gasera para que revisara la fuga, el tiempo ya no fue suficiente, pues el tanque dio una segunda exhalación de gas y además dio un flamazo.

Al lugar acudieron elementos del Cuerpo de Bomberos, quienes a base de enfriamiento, comenzaron a controlar el incendio, entre tanto, 150 niños de la escuela ‘José María Morelos y Pavón’ fueron evacuados, además de unas 100 familias de las casas ubicadas a la redonda.

Los niños fueron resguardados por los elementos de Seguridad Pública en el atrio de la iglesia de San Antonio y más tarde fueron entregados a sus papás. El incendio fue controlado después de casi dos horas de trabajo.

Los propietarios del inmueble donde ocurrió el incidente, indicaron que los empleados de la compañía gasera llenaron “de más el tanque” y por eso el cilindro no pudo contener la presión y lanzó los dos flamazos.

Indicaron que hasta ahora no saben si interpondrán una denuncia; sin embargo, si saben que “la compañía debe pagar los daños ocasionados”.

Por su parte, el director de Protección Civil en el municipio, Felipe Cohen, dijo desconocer la razón por la que el incendio inició, pero agregó que se pudo deber a que el manómetro del tanque no funcionaba correctamente, sin embargo –agregó– seguirán trabajando para determinar las causas reales del suceso.

Para controlar el incidente, acudieron al lugar 20 oficiales de Seguridad Pública y 15 de Tránsito; así como 15 elementos de Protección Civil, seis paramédicos de Cruz Roja y 15 bomberos, todos coordinados para atender esta emergencia.

Golden Volcano

The Golden Volcano of Divine Love was our third book at Guardian of Devotion Press.  We had published the Search for Shri Krishna as a short resume summarizing the spiritual point of view of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Search for Shri Krishna Epub

And we followed with Guru and his Grace:  an attempt to understand the essential characteristics of guru. But since our line really traces back to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we published Golden Volcano to celebrate  his life,  teachings, and message of divine love.

I had the opportunity to speak about Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Golden Volcano of Divine love at  an evening talk I gave last year in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My visit coincided with the 30 year anniversary of the publication of the Search for Shri Krishna.  I was asked to talk about  my time with Bhakti Sudhira Goswami at the Guardian of Devotion Press.

At the time I made this the devotees, friends, and truth-seekers in Chiang Mai had just begun the move to a new headquarters in the jungle nearby a national park where elephants roam. 

Jungles of Chiang Mai

They named the community "Gupta Govardhan." Here's a short video on the occasion of the first New Year celebration at Gupta Govardhan at the beginning of last year. 

Thanks to Priya Nana, Rama Kantha, Indulekha, Gopa Kishore and all the friends at Gupta Govardhan.