Friends with Myself

Dear Friends,
   I arrived in Fort Collins for its birthday party. The beautiful Colorado city bustled with thousands of people who were there to listen to famous bands and partake of the many foods. I went straight to Om Ananda Yoga studio. Sarada, the director, had kindly invited me to do kirtan (singing to one's Beloved) on Friday night. I am deeply moved by her kindness and acceptance. I hope to meet her personally one day to thank her for allowing me to use her space.
   Near the studio, I discovered a little alley where a friendly youth named Jasper was playing a brightly painted piano. I sat down to play the piano, and thought I would bring the harmonium to play in the alleyway. So for the next 3 afternoons, I played the harmonium and sang sanskrit mantras to the passersby. At first, I was quite shy and embarrassed and looked away from the onlookers. But by the 3rd day, this self-conscious aspect was mostly dissolved. I was advertising the upcoming satsang, and this music was to uplift people and purify the city environment with its vibration. It seemed, in fact, that most people had their own shyness and would often just glance surreptitiously at this street musician. I made a couple of friends during the performance. One of those friends was my own self. It seemed that my body was walking taller and more confidently after playing for the people. Somehow, I cared less for other's judgments and thoughts.
   Well, it turned out that two people arrived at the satsang at Om Ananda Yoga Studio. The rest probably joined the throng who had showed up for Fort Collins birthday. We had a beautiful chant, singing the names of the Lord. Please let me continue to chant His name constantly 'til the end of time. Let me bring His Name to others for the upliftment of His Cosmic Creation. May Om Ananda flourish with His Grace. Thank you, Sarada!

All my love,
Brian

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Mission

Dear Friends,

   I visited the SCS Mission in Salt Lake City this past weekend. Grace certainly planned it so that I could arrive at the monumental installation of the Sri Chaitanya installation at the temple. This event is so significant that the installation day will be celebrated every year from now on.

   When I arrived, they were about to begin the Hari Nam march through the streets of Salt Lake. Joyfully we danced along the sidewalk, chanting Hare Krishna and playing various instruments. It was my first Hari Nam, celebrating Sri Chaitanya's early morning march a thousand years ago. The picture down below is a remembrance of our walk. Three great Sanyasins (renunciants) were in town - the guests of honor. The next day, we hiked through the mountains nearby along pristine lakes surrounded by towering trees. And the last day, we celebrated the installation of Sri Chaitanya, chanting devotional songs in sanskrit and singing the name Hari.

   I had the opportunity to wash many dishes and help out in other ways. The devotees serve the Lord in such a focused and powerful way that I was very much humbled. They treat one another as family, taking care of one another's children and cooking free and delicious food for large numbers of people. Indeed, seva is taken to such a high level in the community that I have not seen the likes of it anywhere. 

    Thank you to Sudarshan and his mother, Mata, for having me at the temple. They work tirelessly for the Lord. May I learn from their incredible example.

with love,

Brian

Satsang in Novato

I went to Novato, CA, just north of San Francisco, to hold satsang at the accupuncture clinic where Terrence and Joy tirelessly work together. Terrence took me to Mount Tamalpais, a holy mountain above Mill Valley. The energy is brought forth by the divine mother who dwells in all of creation. Satsang was centered around appreciation. Who is your life do you appreciate and love? What about that person or animal or thing do you love? This feeling of love is the key to opening the heart. When love is present all the time, suffering cannot touch you. One young woman spoke of her father who had just passed away. He had supported the family and given everything to support them. As we listened, we had tears of empathy for this woman's love. Her father was at the satsang in spirit. We can only learn from his example. I found that this participation, again, adds such depth to satsangs. Let me continue to learn the skill of listening to others. There are jewels in their words.

Terrence and I did a puja to bless the clinic. He is helping me to put together a couple of short recordings of the satsang. Thank you, Terrence, for your devotion to Truth. You are my teacher. Up above is Terrence sitting in meditation on Mount Tamalpais.

Joy gave me a a free accupuncture treatment and loaded me with homemade food for my journey. Thank you, Joy, for supporting the spiritual cause. Your generosity goes so far and beyond!

with love, Brian

Satsang in Santa Cruz

I stayed in Santa Cruz to do a satsang at the Pacific Cultural Center. Brent and Serena, wonderful friends, allowed me to stay at their home. Sandra, a wonderful friend from El Salvador, happened to be visiting the area at the exact same time. We all joined in satsang and shared in the a powerful field of love and gratitude. The energy was so strong that it was a miracle I could speak coherently. I found that  when people share an experience of gratitude, it unites the hearts of everyone attending. I am thankful for their participation, and I will cultivate this sort of participation in future satsangs. Dear reader, please feel free to e-mail me something you are grateful for in your life. I would love to receive your inspiration too. Above is a picture of my friend Brent. His generosity cannot be described. I am honored to be his friend. with love, Brian

Synchronicity

Before I arrived at Mount Madonna, a beautifully wooded yoga retreat center in the Santa Cruz mountains, I called ahead to reserve a place. The girl answered, "We are holding a retreat. There is no room here for you to stay. Sorry." I drove there anyway. The office manager made an exception and allowed me to sleep in my van on the property. That evening, I went up to a woman named Sami sitting alone at one of the tables in the dining hall and started to talk to her. She said, "I'm trying to be alone, so I can stay more present to the energy of the Sufi retreat. But don't go. I'll talk to you." So I asked her about the retreat. She said, "We just ended 3 days of silence and Pir Zia will be speaking over the next 3 days." Pir Zia is considered the great Sufi Master in the US. I had been to Sufi meetings before. "I would like to see Pir Zia one day. I've heard of him. It would be great to connect to the energy and learn from his teachings." "Well, let me ask the coordinator." So she stood up and soon returned. "He says maybe. That's better than nothing." A few minutes later, the coordinator himself came to join us at our table. I stood up and said, "Greetings, Wahaab!" And I gave Wahaab a big hug. I knew him and his wife, Batina. Good friends from Austin. They had helped me to connect to one of my great harmonium teachers. "My gosh," said Wahaab, "it is amazing to see you again." "What are the chances?" I exclaimed. Then he circled Pir Zia's talks on the retreat schedule and said, "You can come to these events." So for the next 3 days, I listened in person to the deep wisdom of Pir Zia, one of the great Sufi Masters of the West. He spoke about prayer and the generous legacy of Abraham from the Bible. I also listened to a beautiful Sufi concert and participated in a lovely group dance one night. One of the participants called me a retreat crasher. Yes indeed, I am a retreat crasher. What an honor to be with Pir Zia! My eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Let me incorporate his wisdom into my own teachings for the benefit of those who would hear me in the future. I spent many hours with Babaji too, the rare yogi who founded Mount Madonna and whose presence is a great Light in this world. In the early mornings, I took wonderful yoga classes, and in the evenings, I joined arati to Hanuman at the temple. After the retreat, I thanked Wahaab and Batina as well as my good friend, Sami, for the great honor of participating in this Sufi retreat. The retreat ended on the very day that I had planned to leave Mount Madonna. I can only bow to Grace who brings such spiritual abundance to life. May I surrender to Thy Will and let go of my own. With love, Brian.

Persistence

Dear Persistence (my van), I am writing to apologize for how I have treated you since we first met. You were just an object, a vehicle to get from one point to another. I have been so cold and practical and never thought about your feelings. I wanted to keep pushing you, forcing you to move forward to fulfill my own destiny. Please forgive me for treating you like just another tool to fulfill my desires. You have really tried hard to transport me from place to place, even from Austin to Los Angeles. That is a great journey, and you never once complained. Please show me how to be so loyal, persistent, and patient. I have lost these qualities, and I am ready to follow your example. I also know you have overheated a few times now. I will try my best to keep you cool even at the expense of my body's comfort. You deserve care and appreciation for working so hard on the road. I honor you as a friend. If you should die on the road and not come back to life, it is ok. I will remember you fondly. My deep love and gratitude - Brian.