An Authentic Life 1.1 for pdf - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

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cultures and world-views that I couldn’t meet their expectations no matter how much I suppressed my more radical nature and tried to serve their needs. I phoned Jack Seville and asked him to meet with me and the pastoral relations committee because I wanted to leave pastoral ministry. We meet in the church lounge, and I informed every one of my decision. On vacation in Winnipeg Jack said, “Steve you’re a good pastor, and I’d like you to reconsider your decision.” To the committee he said, “Steve may not be the pastor you want, but he’s the pastor you need. You should do your best to work together and support him.” We all agreed to do our best to minister together. I also started looking for church based community organizing work or campus ministry, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. I interviewed with a campus ministry in Northern California, so I scheduled other meetings there too. I went to the Bay Area for a couple of weeks and stayed with Geraldine’s family. 248
I met with Don Stalhutt, a UCC minister and community organizer I knew when we belonged to the same church in Berkeley during my seminary days. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Martinez where he organized. He gave me tips for the interview I scheduled with the community organization he founded in San Francisco and other organizations I’d meet with. He was one of my ministry role models since seminary. I went into the church wanting to work for peace, justice, and integrity of creation. Church based community organizing is an effective way of doing that. I met some leading Bay Area organizers and labor leaders, but nothing clicked leading to a job offer. I got to know Inez, Linda, and her partner Miguel better. We had a pleasant Thanksgiving celebration with some of their neighbors. I enjoyed big city life for a little while and hoped I’d find something eventually. By the end of the year (1998), Jack returned again at the request of the Pastoral Relations Committee. The church wasn’t pleased with me as their pastor and wanted me to leave. Jack negotiated for me to stay six months at full pay while I looked for another position and performed only essential duties. Living in Valley City wasn’t an advantage when doing a national job search, especially in the Bay Area and other progressive urban areas. I continued looking for nonparish ministries. However, after a couple of months, Jack suggested I give pastoral ministry one more try. ❡ 249
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An Authentic Life A Spiritual Autob
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Copyright © 2012 by Steve Bohlert
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TABLE OF CONTENTS IN THE BEGINNING!
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Chapter 1 IN THE BEGINNING When I w
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I laid in my crib at night listenin
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When I was eight, we moved to a new
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oad jump far enough. The Coast Guar
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other engineering students. I made
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ens, goats, vomiting babies, and po
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cali, on the California border. I t
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As the new year began, we went to W
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saying, “No, don’t stick me wit
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We heard a couple of fishermen appr
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When we reached Colima, Mexico, we
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started out, so we should march to
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Swami Bhaktivedanta would arrive at
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The small storefront temple was ful
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anarchist, and Swami advocated the
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Rubbing his head, Swamiji replied,
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Swamiji said, "What is your name?"
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were on the bill. The biggest names
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Subal seated left front, Krishna De
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The next day, we told Swamiji what
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was a big responsibility running a
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of Vrindaban. He gave a powerful ta
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plained that there were Indian buri
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the spiritual master. The bonafide
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sion and please try to follow my in
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The next morning, I took a train to
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When I got back to Santa Fe, Krishn
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for help. But we have to pray at ev
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and start ISKCON Press. Other times
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jana. Anthony later became Rebatina
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me Prabhupad was going to initiate
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ics, was senior editor. Cover artic
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tenement and had bed bugs in it. Mu
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Devotees went downtown afternoons a
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scene. When Prabhupad was in Boston
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A van full of devotees picked me up
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Prabhupad who handed us our staffs.
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wanted to run ISKCON, the Internati
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world. It was an opportunity to ren
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like the good fairy or aliens from
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was raining, but we managed to get
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I stayed with the devotees in their
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visible on many Berlin buildings al
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Bhaktivinode wrote many poems that
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queen did not accept unsolicited gi
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I was in charge of publicity. I han
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For a devotee like me, Vrindaban re
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enjoy sweet drinks, spicy pastries,
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Next, Sharma and I went to the Radh
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it was. I was enchanted by the exot
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woman. I didn't know what to do. I
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The next day, they visited me. It w
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Native residents of Vrindaban were
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ground together into a medicine. I
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courtyard. There was no toilet. We
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Dr. Kapoor referred me to Gauranga
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used to develop that mood. Swamiji
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Another time, we three monks went t
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who resisted Moslem conquest. Some
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Gaur-kishor Goswami, the head pries
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Rohini-nandan was Mr. Sharma's olde
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manufacturing family. When Swamiji
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We decided to risk spending the mon
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We raised 35,000 rupees in three we
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walking cane and told Biharilal to
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yard. However, the whole thing was
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chastised Yadav-acharya and I in fr
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The priests daily apply layer upon
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Thakur and brother of Bhakti-siddha
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seed and tulsi-wood bead necklace h
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and decorated in an Asian motif. We
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a univ
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Chapter 4 NATURAL DEVOTION I took a
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you've come all by yourself prepare
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This is my and Bhaktivinode Thakur'
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as a "Russian heart attack." They t
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thirteen even though I wanted to be
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It was spring, and devotees from th
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and a great way to end my stay in I
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make a counter-emblem. The communis
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A woman devotee got backstage and t
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quitoes. There was no body surfing,
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ers wanted it. We decided to resign
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Chapter 5 NEW LIFE I moved to Wailu
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“Yeah, but I couldn’t get the n
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As I regained outward consciousness
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along on the low branches from tree
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They accepted my offer. Jake let me
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dedicated to Shiva-Shakti, and she
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ing me astrology. There was a fring
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through Study of Religion and the W
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I met and knew many wonderful peopl
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lack-sand beach. I climbed down the
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He said I could camp on the beach,
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headed for Gaursundar’s farm on t
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Page 199 and 200: in Bangkok, I found out why it's ca
Page 201 and 202: was asked to give a lecture in the
Page 203 and 204: loyalties would be divided between
Page 205 and 206: When I discussed this with Kuladri,
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Page 209 and 210: Then she got more money from her fa
Page 211 and 212: times. Doing manual labor and worki
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Page 215 and 216: Chapter 7 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST A
Page 217 and 218: He and I hosted an ecumenical study
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Page 221 and 222: She asked me to do her horoscope. I
Page 223 and 224: The interview went smoothly. We dis
Page 225 and 226: where we’d be more independent an
Page 227 and 228: paying nursing jobs and enrolled in
Page 229 and 230: Marv questioned whether Moses ever
Page 231 and 232: On vacation in the Oregon Cascades
Page 233 and 234: from birth to death. This along wit
Page 235 and 236: The next step was for me to fly the
Page 237 and 238: When we arrived in Clinton, church
Page 239 and 240: gued that he should be allowed to h
Page 241 and 242: fire me. They said if I left volunt
Page 243 and 244: I told Van, “This is no youth gro
Page 245 and 246: Our first winter there was unusuall
Page 247: I felt baptism was for people who j
Page 251 and 252: Sunday morning, I preached at St. J
Page 253 and 254: celebrate my call and her birthday.
Page 255 and 256: attended the ceremony, and Mom cook
Page 257 and 258: I worked with Concerned Clergy of W
Page 259 and 260: source materials. The hymns and pra
Page 261 and 262: pastor of Wallin United Church of C
Page 263 and 264: I must admit, I found it refreshing
Page 265 and 266: We walked to a meeting of this co-h
Page 267 and 268: I lay my life at your feet. My only
Page 269 and 270: live upstairs from Above and Beyond
Page 271 and 272: construction was out of our reach w
Page 273 and 274: meetings at our yurt. Jahnava and I
Page 275 and 276: from the past that entail a degree
Page 277: outstanding job of designing the bo
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